1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,200 Those of you who know me well know that I have a love affair with words. 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:10,360 I suppose that's what you would expect of an English teacher. 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:15,400 That was one of the things that I used to really truly love teaching. 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:24,080 So have you noticed that there's some new words circulating in the English language? 5 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:27,280 Have you heard of some new words? 6 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,840 Sometimes words change meanings. 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,600 I just want to do a couple of new words with you. 8 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,280 How many of you have heard the word adulting? 9 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,440 Adulting. Have you heard that word? 10 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:47,480 If you're adulting, you pay your own bills, you buy your own gas, you buy your own insurance, you become a responsible person. 11 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:52,480 Sometimes it gets used as kind of a slam. 12 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:55,640 Well, you're late. 13 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,040 People who are adulting are on time. 14 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:04,040 You heard that one? I've heard that one. 15 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,040 Words are important. 16 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:12,440 Then there's another relatively new word called backstory. 17 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,440 Have you heard, anybody heard the term backstory? 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,840 Yeah, relatively new. 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,240 You know, last maybe a couple years. 20 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:22,840 The backstory. 21 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,840 And so there's always a backstory. 22 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:33,440 A riot, a school shooting or a church shooting, a failed marriage, an amazing success. 23 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,440 There's always something behind. 24 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,440 Why did that happen? 25 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,440 What happened to make that happen? 26 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,440 That's what a backstory is. 27 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:48,440 Well, it's always something that happens before an event. 28 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:53,440 One example might be Ben Carson's success as a surgeon. 29 00:01:53,440 --> 00:02:03,440 He became a success as a surgeon because he had a mother who wanted to make sure that her kids were well educated. 30 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:17,440 And they grew up in the ghetto, disadvantaged background, but he was a success because he had a mother that was making sure that her kids did the right thing for the right reasons and did their schoolwork. 31 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:23,440 Well, today we're going to talk about Pentecost. 32 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:29,440 But before we get to Pentecost, we need to look at the backstory. 33 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:30,440 Okay? 34 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,440 So we're going to start with the promise. 35 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,440 When Jesus was with his disciples, he gave them the promise of the Spirit. 36 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,440 He was nearing the close of his ministry. 37 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,440 He was standing in the shadow of the cross. 38 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:54,440 Well, the full realization that that load of guilt was just about to land on him as the sin bearer. 39 00:02:54,440 --> 00:03:05,440 Before offering himself as a sacrificial victim, he instructed his disciples regarding the most essential and complete gift that he could bestow on his followers. 40 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:11,440 The gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of his grace. 41 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:16,440 And our scripture reading for this morning, I'm going to repeat. 42 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:29,440 He said, and this is in his last time spent with his disciples, he said, I will pray the Father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. 43 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:36,440 The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. 44 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:41,440 But you will know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. 45 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:43,440 That was the promise. 46 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:55,440 And if you look through John 14, 15, 16, that promise in some form or another is repeated seven times. 47 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,440 The Spirit was coming. 48 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,440 The helper was coming. 49 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:04,440 It's one of the one of the lists of seven in the book of John. 50 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,440 He promised. So part of the back story is there was a promise. 51 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:15,440 The Savior was pointing forward to a time when the Holy Spirit should come and do a mighty work as his representative. 52 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:24,440 The evil that had been accumulating for centuries was to be resisted by the divine power of the Holy Spirit. 53 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,440 So event number one, the promise. 54 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,440 Event number two, the crucifixion. 55 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,440 The disciples were horrified. 56 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,440 They were scared. 57 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,440 They were intimidated. 58 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,440 They were depressed. 59 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:48,440 But we were hoping that it was going to be he who was going to redeem Israel. 60 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,440 They were mourning and weeping. 61 00:04:51,440 --> 00:05:02,440 They were bitterly disappointed because they were looking to sitting as representatives in high government in this new kingdom. 62 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,440 They felt utterly hopeless. 63 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,440 They were despondent. 64 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,440 They were grief filled. 65 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,440 They were sorrow filled. 66 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:24,440 They met in the upper room behind closed locked doors in fear that their master's fate would be their own. 67 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,440 Event number three, the resurrection. 68 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,440 The women went to the tomb. 69 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:35,440 They were going to embalm him with sweet smelling spices. 70 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:40,440 And they were met by two angels who said, he's not here. 71 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:41,440 He isn't. 72 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,440 Go tell his disciples. 73 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,440 And they ran to tell the disciples and the disciples said, yeah, what do you know? 74 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:49,440 You're kidding. 75 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,440 Of course not. 76 00:05:51,440 --> 00:06:00,440 But Peter and John, they went to check out the empty tomb and sure enough they found that the tomb was empty. 77 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,440 Mary came back and she was weeping. 78 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:14,440 But her great sorrow was turned to a great joy because Jesus said, Mary, I'm here. 79 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:18,440 And she was amazed and she reached out to touch him and he said, don't touch me yet. 80 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,440 I haven't gone to my father. 81 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,440 Wait till I come back. 82 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:23,440 Okay. 83 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:32,440 Then he appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart. 84 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,440 He said, they didn't believe the others who had seen him. 85 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,440 And Thomas particularly was in for it. 86 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:39,440 Okay. 87 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,440 Because Thomas here, touch me. 88 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,440 I'm real. 89 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,440 Then he met with two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. 90 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,440 For 40 days, Jesus remained here on earth. 91 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,440 And he met with them in various places. 92 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:02,440 He was preparing them for the work that was before him, before them. 93 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:11,440 And they hadn't been able to comprehend it before because they had preconceived ideas about what this new kingdom was going to be like. 94 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:13,440 So he spoke of the prophecies. 95 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,440 He studied scripture with them. 96 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,440 He showed them how everything had been fulfilled. 97 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:30,440 And he opened their understanding that they might understand scripture and said to them, this, it was written this way. 98 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,440 It behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. 99 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:38,440 That the repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all the nations. 100 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:44,440 Beginning at Jerusalem, he added, you are witnesses of all these things. 101 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:49,440 And during these days that Christ spent with his disciples, they gained a new experience. 102 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,440 They heard their beloved master explaining. 103 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:58,440 And they reached the place where they could say, I know in whom I have believed. 104 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:07,440 They began to realize the nature and the extent of their own work and to see that they were to proclaim to the world the truths that were entrusted them. 105 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:13,440 The events of Christ's life, his death, his resurrection, prophecies pointing to these events. 106 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:20,440 And the mysteries of the plan of salvation all became clear during this time. 107 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,440 Event number five. 108 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,440 The ascension. 109 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,440 He said, I'm going before you. 110 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,440 I'll meet you there. 111 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,440 So they went. 112 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,440 There were 120 there. 113 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:38,440 Or no, not that event. 114 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,440 There were many there. 115 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,440 Okay. 116 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,440 And they watched as Jesus went into heaven. 117 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:52,440 And as he left, he gave them the royal commission. 118 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:54,440 That's number six. 119 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:55,440 Okay. 120 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,440 The royal commission. 121 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,440 It was a command. 122 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:05,440 He said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 123 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:17,440 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. 124 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,440 And lo, I am with you even to the end of the age. 125 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,440 I'm with you always. 126 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,440 And that's from Matthew 28. 127 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,440 It was the commission and it was a command. 128 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,440 You have a work to do. 129 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:39,440 And part of this was the promise of the Holy Spirit. 130 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:54,440 He said, you know, after this, he said, when he was assembled with them together in Jerusalem, so actually before this, he said, don't leave Jerusalem. 131 00:09:54,440 --> 00:10:02,440 Stay here and wait for the promise of the Father, which he said you have heard from me. 132 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:09,440 For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 133 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,440 So don't leave Jerusalem. 134 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:20,440 Go back to Jerusalem and wait until the Holy Spirit comes. 135 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,440 And they did. 136 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,440 They went back. 137 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,440 Ten days they waited. 138 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,440 And the upper room was part of that. 139 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:41,440 The question is, is what did they do during those ten days? 140 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,440 What did they do? 141 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:52,440 In Acts chapter two, it says when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were with one accord in one place. 142 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,440 Do you remember Jesus' ministry on earth? 143 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,440 Were they of one accord? 144 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,440 No, they were not. 145 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:07,440 They were always bickering and grumbling and talking about who is going to have what position in the new government. 146 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,440 You know, I get to be the treasurer. 147 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,440 Well, I'm going to be the prime minister. 148 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:26,440 They were arguing and bickering among themselves, but when this day came, they were all in one place and they were all of one accord. 149 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:37,440 So the question begs to be asked is what did they do during those ten days? 150 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:50,440 We have a spiritual gifts seminar coming up in July, and we're doing kind of a pre-work for that to happen. 151 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:56,440 Spiritual gifts came as a result of that day. 152 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,440 More on that later. 153 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,440 But what did they do? 154 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:12,440 Part of your assignment is to read Acts chapter one, two, and three, and chapters, I think, one through four in Acts of the Apostles. 155 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:22,440 I went through Acts of the Apostles this last week, and I, you know, with the question, what did they do during those ten days before Pentecost? 156 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:28,440 We often refer to Pentecost as the early rain. 157 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,440 And we are looking forward to the latter rain. 158 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,440 So now we just reviewed the back story. 159 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:42,440 We're going to see what did they do and then what happened. 160 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:47,440 They got together and they studied scripture together. 161 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,440 They reviewed what Jesus had taught them during the last 40 days. 162 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:56,440 They went through all those prophecies and said, yeah, he really is the Messiah. 163 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,440 Yeah, this is what it says. 164 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:06,440 They were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. 165 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:10,440 Sometimes I understand what praise is. 166 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:18,440 Okay, praise is being grateful for who God is. 167 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:24,440 You know, sometimes we think praise is, well, I'm grateful for this and I'm grateful for that. 168 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:29,440 Yeah, that's praise, but praise is about who God is and his character. 169 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:35,440 You know, what impresses you about God's character the most? 170 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:47,440 You know, his mercy, his grace, his forgiveness, his kind heart. 171 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,440 When you think about those things, those are things you praise God for. 172 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:59,440 When you praise God when you sing, there's many ways to praise God. 173 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,440 The one that puzzles me, they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. 174 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,440 How do we bless God? 175 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,440 Have you ever asked yourself that question? 176 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,440 How do we bless God? 177 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,440 He's got it all. 178 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:20,440 He's got it all, but how do we bless God? 179 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:29,440 One thing I can think of is we're a blessing to God when we come to him as his child, as his kid. 180 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,440 He's blessed by that. 181 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,440 And he's blessed when we do things that glorify and honor him. 182 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:43,440 Sometimes I need to get into that and really dig at that one for more, because I know there's more. 183 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:44,440 How do we bless God? 184 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,440 Anyway, it just sounds funny. 185 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:57,440 They met together and prayed, presenting their request to the Father in the name of Jesus. 186 00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,440 Hmm. 187 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,440 It kind of sounds like they had a prayer meeting every day. 188 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:10,440 And they all gathered together, and the upper room was the place where they gathered. 189 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:12,440 They met. 190 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:17,440 They prayed together. 191 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:23,440 Number four, they humbled their hearts in true repentance, confessing their unbelief. 192 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:32,440 Can you imagine being Thomas and being in that group, because he was there? 193 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:40,440 Jesus had rebuked him for his unbelief, and he would have to say, he was so right. 194 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:46,440 Jesus was so right, I just didn't believe what he said. 195 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,440 How about Peter? 196 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:58,440 If you had been Peter in that group, and you humbled your heart in true repentance, 197 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:03,440 you would have had to have said, hey, guys, I really blew it. 198 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:08,440 I denied him, but he forgave me. 199 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:09,440 So they were honest. 200 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:15,440 They were open with each other, and they confessed their sins. 201 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:19,440 And they repeated truth from scripture to each other. 202 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:26,440 So they sat together, and they'd say, do you know what I read this morning? 203 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:32,440 I read this, and I saw something new here. 204 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:37,440 I saw how this applies to me. 205 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:42,440 Or, I saw this, and this is what Jesus wants me to do. 206 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,440 So they were repeating truth from scripture to each other, 207 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:49,440 and they meditated together on the pure and holy life of Jesus. 208 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:55,440 They longed to bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of Christ's character. 209 00:16:55,440 --> 00:17:03,440 Their overwhelming desire was to become like Jesus, and they studied who he was, 210 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:08,440 and they talked about how he treated people. 211 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:13,440 If you go through the Gospels and you look at the stories, 212 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:19,440 how did Jesus treat people? 213 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:27,440 For the most part, he was the kindest person ever. 214 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:34,440 But, you've got to remember, it wasn't all that way, 215 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,440 because he did have some really pretty straight things to say, too. 216 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:41,440 So there's time and place for that. 217 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:47,440 They meditated on his life, and they wanted to be like him. 218 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:53,440 And they prayed together with intense earnestness for fitness to meet with men, 219 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,440 and to speak words that would lead a sinner to Christ. 220 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:02,440 So there was a lot going on in their prayer meetings. 221 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:04,440 They put away all their differences. 222 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:12,440 They started bickering, and all desire to be, says all desire for supremacy, 223 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:18,440 all desire for the me first was gone. 224 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:23,440 This desire to be in charge, to be the first, to be the most, to be the greatest, 225 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,440 that was all put away. 226 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:32,440 They each wanted to do what they could do, and support everybody else. 227 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,440 And so they became close together in Christian fellowship. 228 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,440 There were days of deep heart searching. 229 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,440 They cried to the Lord for the promise of the Spirit, 230 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,440 because we read the promise, right? 231 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:50,440 They said, Lord, you promised your Spirit, we want that gift. 232 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:55,440 And in mind and character, they became like Jesus. 233 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,440 They were all in one place, of one accord. 234 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,440 Were they all alike? 235 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,440 Nope. 236 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:05,440 Are we all alike? 237 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,440 Nope. 238 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:12,440 You know, I have some really good friends in this church. 239 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,440 But are we all alike? 240 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,440 Nope. 241 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,440 But do we love each other? 242 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,440 Yes. 243 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,440 That's the key. 244 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,440 They were all of one accord. 245 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,440 They loved each other, and they supported each other's gifts. 246 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:32,440 Well, and then Pentecost. 247 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,440 And then Pentecost. 248 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,440 Acts 2, 2 and 3. 249 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:42,440 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, 250 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,440 and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 251 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:51,440 And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and sat on each of them. 252 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:58,440 Imagine you were just an ordinary citizen in Jerusalem that day. 253 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,440 Was this a silent event? 254 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:03,440 No. 255 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:04,440 It was not silent. 256 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,440 It was loud. 257 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,440 It said, a mighty rushing wind. 258 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,440 Do you think it just happened in that house? 259 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:20,440 I think everybody in Jerusalem heard that whoosh coming through the streets. 260 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:25,440 And it went into the upper room where they were sitting. 261 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:30,440 And then a tongue of fire appeared on each of them. 262 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,440 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. 263 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,440 Now we're going to look at the results. 264 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:38,440 What happened as a result of that day? 265 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:44,440 They were all filled with the Spirit, and they began to speak with other tongues 266 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,440 as the Spirit gave them utterance. 267 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:54,440 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 268 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:58,440 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and go, 269 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:00,440 what's happening? What's going on? 270 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:01,440 They were confused. 271 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:09,440 Because now suddenly everyone heard them speak, they heard in their own language. 272 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:13,440 So they were given the gift of tongues. 273 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:17,440 Or were the people given the gift of hearing? 274 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,440 They heard it in their own tongues. 275 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,440 And they were amazed, and they marveled, saying one to another, 276 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,440 look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 277 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:31,440 They probably had their own accent. 278 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,440 There's many accents in the United States. 279 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,440 Brooklyn, oh my. 280 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:43,440 It has its own accent. 281 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:50,440 As you move, I'm a Westerner, so my accent is very much from the West. 282 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,440 I can't fix that. That's just who I am. 283 00:21:53,440 --> 00:22:07,440 California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and let's see, New Mexico. 284 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,440 We all pretty much talk alike. 285 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:15,440 You know, we sound alike. 286 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:21,440 But as you move across the United States, that changes. 287 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,440 That changes, right? 288 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:31,440 We have made several road trips across the southern part of the United States. 289 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:36,440 Every time you cross a state line, the accent changes. 290 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:37,440 It does. 291 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:43,440 You know, you fill up with gas in Texas, and it's different. 292 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,440 And then you fill up in Oklahoma, and it's different. 293 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:50,440 And as you just keep going across, the accent changes. 294 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:56,440 And then you come to Ringgold, Georgia, and we're a cosmopolitan bunch in this church, okay? 295 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,440 Some of us are Georgians. 296 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,440 We were born and bred and raised here. 297 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:06,440 We sound like we're from Georgia. 298 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:11,440 I'm not from Georgia, so, you know, people look at me and they say, 299 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:15,440 you're not from around here, are you? 300 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,440 I go, nope, I'm not, you know? 301 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:26,440 And the accent varies from place to place, even in Georgia. 302 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:37,440 One accent that is real clear to me above the many that are around is Chickamauga. 303 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:45,440 I can hear somebody talking in a store, and I can tell you they're from Chickamauga. 304 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,440 Just by the way they sound. 305 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:52,440 So here's this crowd that comes together here, and they're saying, 306 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:59,440 they're talking in my language, probably with the right accent even. 307 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:03,440 It was a gift of hearing. 308 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:08,440 And they ask the question, how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born? 309 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:09,440 How is that? 310 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:17,440 Anyway, that was one of the results of Pentecost, was the gift of speaking in tongues, 311 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,440 or maybe it was the gift of hearing. 312 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:24,440 And there are modern stories where that has happened as well. 313 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:29,440 I have talked to people who have been in a foreign country, 314 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:34,440 and they were impressed to go up and talk to somebody about Jesus. 315 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:39,440 They didn't know the language, but the person hearing them heard it in their own language. 316 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,440 Pretty cool. 317 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:51,440 Peter, here's another result, who a short time before was trembling with fear behind a locked door, 318 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,440 stands up and reviews their history as a nation, 319 00:24:55,440 --> 00:25:02,440 preaches Jesus, and fearlessly rebukes those who crucified him. 320 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:07,440 Well, Peter was pretty bold anyway, but from going to fear to being that bold, 321 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,440 that was a result of the Holy Spirit. 322 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:15,440 Under the training of Christ, the disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit, 323 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:24,440 and under Spirit's teaching, they received the final qualification and went forth to their life work. 324 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,440 No longer were they ignorant and uncultured. 325 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:32,440 No longer were they a collection of independent units or discordant conflicting elements. 326 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,440 No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness. 327 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:42,440 They were of one accord, of one heart, of one soul. 328 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:47,440 Christ filled their thoughts, and advancement of his kingdom was their aim. 329 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,440 In mind and character, they had become like the master, 330 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:56,440 and the men took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. 331 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,440 Pentecost brought them a heavenly illumination. 332 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:05,440 The truths that they could not understand while Christ was with them were now unfolded. 333 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:09,440 With faith and assurance, they had never before known. 334 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,440 They accepted the teachings of the sacred word. 335 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:16,440 No longer was it a matter of faith with them that Christ was the Son of God. 336 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:21,440 They knew that, although clothed with humanity, he was indeed the Messiah, 337 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,440 and they told their experience to the world with the confidence, 338 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:33,440 which carried with it the conviction that God was with them. 339 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:41,440 The tidings of a risen Savior as a result of Pentecost were carried to the uttermost parts of the world. 340 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:46,440 In one generation, the word of Christ went to the entire world. 341 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:53,440 Europe, Asia, Africa, China, India, Mongolia, 342 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:57,440 and there is some evidence that it even reached the Americas, 343 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:06,440 because some of the beliefs of our Native American people really are pretty close to Christianity. 344 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:08,440 They had to get that idea somewhere. 345 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:21,440 So there's evidence in every part of the world that it reached the whole world in one generation. 346 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,440 And here's some more results. 347 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:30,440 As the disciples proclaimed the message of redeeming grace, hearts yielded to the power of this message, 348 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,440 because their hearts were filled with the Spirit. 349 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:37,440 They were able to give the message in such a way that it was received. 350 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:42,440 And converts flocked to the church from all directions. 351 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:46,440 There's a 3,000 in a day, there's 5,000 in a day, 352 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:53,440 there's baptisms and people flocking to Jesus. 353 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,440 Backsliders were converted. 354 00:27:56,440 --> 00:28:00,440 I'm sure you all know more than one of those. 355 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:02,440 Or you may be one yourself. 356 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:06,440 They were converted because of the Holy Spirit. 357 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:13,440 Every Christian saw in his brother a revelation of divine love and benevolence. 358 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,440 How would we be if that were true for us? 359 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:23,440 To see in our brothers a revelation of divine love and benevolence, 360 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:28,440 the ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character 361 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:33,440 and to labor for the enlargement of his kingdom. 362 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:38,440 The apostles gave witness of the resurrection with great power. 363 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,440 Many gave their lives to the spreading of the good news. 364 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,440 There was persecution during those early days. 365 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,440 A lot of it. 366 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:52,440 And there were pockets of persecution here and pockets of persecution there. 367 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:56,440 And many gladly gave their lives. 368 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,440 They weren't restrained or intimidated by threatenings. 369 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:05,440 I don't know about you, but I can be pretty easily intimidated. 370 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,440 I'd like to think I would plant both feet and stay really strong, 371 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:15,440 but reality check, I can be intimidated fairly easily. 372 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:20,440 They were not restrained or intimidated by threatenings. 373 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,440 The Lord spoke to them because they were filled with the Spirit. 374 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,440 Miracles were wrought. 375 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:29,440 Things were moving and things were happening. 376 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:35,440 Under the Holy Spirit's working, even the weakest, by exercising faith in God, 377 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:42,440 came to improve their entrusted powers and to become sanctified, refined, and ennoaled. 378 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:46,440 As in humility, they submitted to the molding influence of the Holy Spirit. 379 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:52,440 They received the fullness of the Godhead and were fashioned in the likeness of the divine. 380 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:57,440 There are some verses in the Bible that just blow my mind. 381 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:01,440 That you may be filled with the fullness of God is one of those. 382 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,440 It's like, whoa. 383 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:11,440 That's a promise for each of us that we can be filled with the fullness of God. 384 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,440 That's amazing. 385 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:20,440 With the Spirit came the gifts of the Spirit, subject for July. 386 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:22,440 Okay? 387 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,440 We're each endowed with natural abilities. 388 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:30,440 God gives us each special gifts. 389 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:39,440 But when you add the Holy Spirit to those gifts, it's a great, great power that comes with it. 390 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:44,440 And sometimes he gives you gifts that you didn't think you had. 391 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,440 Because there's a need for it. 392 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:48,440 I've had that happen to me. 393 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:56,440 Things that are just not natural to me have, at times, become natural. 394 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:01,440 Because it was what was needed at the moment. 395 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:11,440 There's no lapse of time between the promise and its reception. 396 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:20,440 Christ is willing to send his Holy Spirit as his representative now, as he was back then. 397 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:27,440 It's not because of any restriction on his part that the riches of his grace do not flow earthward to men. 398 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:31,440 The fulfillment of the promise is not seen as it might be. 399 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:35,440 It is because the promise is not appreciated as it should be. 400 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:40,440 If all were willing, all would be filled with the Holy Spirit. 401 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:44,440 And there's more there. 402 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:48,440 We are still living under the early rain. 403 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:57,440 We're looking forward to the latter rain, an event which will empower the church to do a mighty work. 404 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,440 But we are living still under the early rain. 405 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:09,440 And what happened then can happen right now. 406 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,440 What did it do? 407 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,440 What did it take to make that happen? 408 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:28,440 So we're back to God's eager, he's willing, he wants to fill us with the fullness, with his fullness, with his divine spirit. 409 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,440 He wants to do that. 410 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:41,440 So what's getting in the way? 411 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:45,440 What's getting in the way, Abraham? You have an answer for that one. 412 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,440 Ourselves. 413 00:32:48,440 --> 00:33:01,440 I think if we would do what they did, we would have the spirit that God gave them with the power that he gave them. 414 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:06,440 I'm going to go through that list one more time. 415 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:11,440 Number one, they studied scripture. 416 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:17,440 It is so easy not to do that. 417 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:24,440 I like studying scripture, but I'm telling you, it's really easy not to do it. 418 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,440 I get a 6 a.m. phone call. 419 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,440 My day's gone. 420 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:36,440 Yeah, Jennifer's shaking her head. Yep, she gets that one, right? 421 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:41,440 They were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. 422 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:50,440 Hmm, I wonder what our praise and sharing would be like if we focused on praising and blessing God. 423 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,440 I wonder what that would be like. 424 00:33:53,440 --> 00:34:00,440 They met together and prayed, presenting their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. 425 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:06,440 They showed up for prayer meeting. 426 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:10,440 They humbled their hearts in true repentance, and they confessed their unbelief. 427 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,440 They were vulnerable with each other. 428 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:18,440 They repeated truth from scripture to each other. 429 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:29,440 You know, sometimes when I'm doing my devotions, I run across something that just suddenly just opens up. 430 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,440 It's like, wow, I never saw that before. 431 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:37,440 And I've got to find somebody to share it with. 432 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:44,440 I have a couple of people on my phone that receive phone calls from me because I know that they like that kind of stuff. 433 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:50,440 But I might be kind of intimidated to do that with the rest of you. 434 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:54,440 Some of the rest of you anyways. 435 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,440 But I get excited when I find something new, but I know not everybody wants to hear it. 436 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:02,440 But these guys, they were doing that with each other all the time. 437 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:06,440 They meditated on the pure and holy life of Jesus. 438 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:10,440 Hmm, I should spend how much time a day? 439 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:15,440 An hour? Reflecting on the life of Jesus. 440 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:25,440 They prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and speak the words that would lead a sinner to Christ. 441 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:26,440 They prayed for that. 442 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,440 And I know some of you do because I hear you talking about it. 443 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:36,440 They put away all their differences. 444 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:45,440 Not just all their differences and all desire for supremacy. 445 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:52,440 They came close together in Christian fellowship. 446 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:59,440 There were days of deep heart searching and they were crying out to God for the Holy Spirit. 447 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:07,440 And then in heart and mind, they became like their Lord. 448 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:15,440 If we did what they did, would we have the same results? 449 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:19,440 I think so. I think so. 450 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:24,440 I think if we did what they did, we would have the same results. 451 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:29,440 And we would become a mighty power for God's kingdom. 452 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:38,440 So, I'm not saying I have all the answers, but I'm thinking we ought to plan that way. 453 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:40,440 We ought to plan that way. 454 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:47,440 To become part of a body of believers that are filled with the Spirit. 455 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:54,440 That want nothing more than to share Him with the rest of the world.