WEBVTT 00:00:09.449 --> 00:00:12.470 I had the privilege of being present at the birth 00:00:12.470 --> 00:00:16.170 of three or four of my children and observed 00:00:16.170 --> 00:00:20.890 with wonder as well as with great joy the seeming 00:00:20.890 --> 00:00:26.109 miracle that was taking place in birth. In our 00:00:26.109 --> 00:00:28.809 text today, we have the privilege of observing 00:00:28.809 --> 00:00:34.590 through historical record another birth. It is 00:00:34.590 --> 00:00:39.850 the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. Imagine 00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:44.009 the joy in heaven as God the Father and the holy 00:00:44.009 --> 00:00:48.490 angels observed the birth of the body of Jesus 00:00:48.490 --> 00:00:52.689 Christ, the church. Now, of course, there are 00:00:52.689 --> 00:00:57.770 some who understand the church as being simply 00:00:57.770 --> 00:01:01.890 the continuation of Old Testament Israel. And 00:01:01.890 --> 00:01:04.109 so to them, there is nothing particularly unusual 00:01:04.109 --> 00:01:08.310 that happens here in Acts chapter 2. The church 00:01:08.310 --> 00:01:12.230 existed before, they say, and this is simply 00:01:12.230 --> 00:01:17.750 an event in the church or in new Israel, as they 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:21.370 call it. But we most radically disagree with 00:01:21.370 --> 00:01:24.250 those who take that position, believing that, 00:01:24.269 --> 00:01:27.250 in fact, the church is a unique and distinct 00:01:27.250 --> 00:01:31.890 body. It existed in the mind and the purpose 00:01:31.890 --> 00:01:39.340 of God before creation. But in fact, in reality 00:01:39.340 --> 00:01:44.560 and in history, it did not exist until this Pentecostal 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:49.760 day recorded in Acts chapter 2. And when the 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.299 day of Pentecost had come, they were all together 00:01:53.299 --> 00:01:57.599 in one place, and suddenly there came from heaven 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:02.760 a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:06.650 the whole house where they were sitting. and 00:02:06.650 --> 00:02:10.409 there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing 00:02:10.409 --> 00:02:14.490 themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 00:02:15.189 --> 00:02:18.189 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit 00:02:18.189 --> 00:02:21.710 and began to speak with other tongues as the 00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:26.189 Spirit was giving them utterance. Our text today 00:02:26.189 --> 00:02:29.789 records for us the narrative of this birthday 00:02:29.789 --> 00:02:35.199 event. Notice with me first in verse 12 the occasion 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:40.520 itself, the occasion. What is the time of this 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:46.639 birthday? It is on the day of Pentecost. This 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:51.120 is the Old Testament Feast of Weeks, as it was 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:54.599 called by the Jews in the old days, later to 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:59.180 be called Pentecost by its Greek name. Pentecost 00:02:59.180 --> 00:03:04.530 simply means 50. This particular Jewish feast 00:03:04.530 --> 00:03:10.849 came 50 days after the most recent of the feasts, 00:03:10.849 --> 00:03:15.389 the Feast of First Fruits. We read about this 00:03:15.389 --> 00:03:19.270 feast in Leviticus chapter 23. I'd like you to 00:03:19.270 --> 00:03:22.090 turn into the Old Testament to that passage and 00:03:22.090 --> 00:03:24.870 read a couple of verses with me regarding its 00:03:24.870 --> 00:03:32.750 institution. Leviticus chapter 23. In this chapter 00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:37.629 is recorded all of the feasts which the Jews 00:03:37.629 --> 00:03:44.530 were to observe annually. Pentecost was one of 00:03:44.530 --> 00:03:48.650 three feasts at which all the Jewish males were 00:03:48.650 --> 00:03:55.110 to be present together. Passover, Pentecost, 00:03:55.169 --> 00:04:01.800 and then Tabernacles in the fall. It says in 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:05.159 verse 15 of Leviticus 23, You shall also count 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:07.620 for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:11.000 that is the Sabbath of the first fruits, the 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.979 previous feast, from the day when you brought 00:04:13.979 --> 00:04:16.600 in the sheaf of the wave offering, there shall 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.680 be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty 00:04:20.680 --> 00:04:25.040 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:27.600 you shall present a new grain offering to the 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:34.339 Lord. from your dwelling places two loaves of 00:04:34.339 --> 00:04:39.639 bread for a wave offering made of two tenths 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:45.779 of an ephah. They shall be of a fine flour baked 00:04:45.779 --> 00:04:52.199 with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. So you 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:55.000 will notice that part of the offering on this 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:58.019 day of Pentecost involved the bringing of two 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:06.670 loaves. And these loaves were to be baked unusually 00:05:06.670 --> 00:05:11.250 with leaven. For if you know anything about the 00:05:11.250 --> 00:05:14.149 Old Testament sacrifices, you know that they 00:05:14.149 --> 00:05:18.029 were to be without leaven, but this is an exception. 00:05:19.370 --> 00:05:23.250 Now it seems that there is a typical significance 00:05:23.250 --> 00:05:27.129 to that. That is that there is a picture here 00:05:27.129 --> 00:05:30.879 in Leviticus 23. which now in the New Testament 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:36.240 is clear to our understanding. The two loaves 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.379 that were to be offered as one sacrifice seem 00:05:40.379 --> 00:05:46.439 to represent the church, the one sacrifice, composed 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:50.939 now of two bodies, Jew and Gentile, who were 00:05:50.939 --> 00:05:57.899 becoming one in this new entity. The loaves were 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:01.560 to contain leaven, which is a picture of sin, 00:06:01.740 --> 00:06:06.660 and which tells us the present state of the church. 00:06:07.939 --> 00:06:12.879 For there is still sin amongst us. Until that 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:15.240 day we are caught up to be with the Lord, and 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:18.620 all of that will be removed. Our sins now are 00:06:18.620 --> 00:06:23.680 forgiven for Jesus' sake, but sin is still present 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:30.490 within us. We still do sin. And so you see in 00:06:30.490 --> 00:06:33.569 the offering on that Old Testament day of Pentecost, 00:06:33.629 --> 00:06:36.290 there was great significance that pointed to 00:06:36.290 --> 00:06:40.430 what the church is today. Now come with me back 00:06:40.430 --> 00:06:44.829 to the book of Acts. And notice how the Holy 00:06:44.829 --> 00:06:48.870 Spirit puts these words in verse 1. And when 00:06:48.870 --> 00:06:54.569 the day of Pentecost had come. Literally, it 00:06:54.569 --> 00:06:58.589 says, when the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled 00:06:58.589 --> 00:07:06.290 or being completed. An interesting phrase. There 00:07:06.290 --> 00:07:09.589 are some people who think that it may mean that 00:07:09.589 --> 00:07:13.709 the day itself, that 24 -hour period, was being 00:07:13.709 --> 00:07:17.310 completed. And that's possible. For as you know, 00:07:17.310 --> 00:07:19.970 the Jews counted the day as beginning at sunset 00:07:19.970 --> 00:07:23.819 the night before. the morning of the next day 00:07:23.819 --> 00:07:26.879 as we look at it, and so the day as the Jews 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:30.639 looked at it was being consummated. It was more 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:35.120 than half over to them. But it seems to me there's 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:39.399 something here more than just that. What the 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:42.720 Spirit of God is telling us is this, that the 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:47.500 day of Pentecost, in its meaning and in its significance, 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:52.589 was now about to be fulfilled. in what is to 00:07:52.589 --> 00:07:56.110 take place in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:59.370 --> 00:08:05.129 Later, the day of Pentecost was associated among 00:08:05.129 --> 00:08:08.470 the Jews with the giving of the Old Testament 00:08:08.470 --> 00:08:14.829 law. They reckoned this way. They figured that 00:08:14.829 --> 00:08:18.209 it was 50 days from the time that Moses led the 00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:22.850 people out of Egypt. until the time that he received 00:08:22.850 --> 00:08:28.889 the law on Mount Sinai. And so on this day of 00:08:28.889 --> 00:08:34.029 Pentecost, or 50th, they also associated the 00:08:34.029 --> 00:08:38.809 meaning with the giving of the law. That was 00:08:38.809 --> 00:08:41.370 true on this day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 00:08:41.370 --> 00:08:44.409 2. That was in the thinking of these Jews as 00:08:44.409 --> 00:08:48.269 they gathered together. I think that has significance 00:08:48.269 --> 00:08:52.330 as well. because now what is about to take place 00:08:52.330 --> 00:08:56.210 will fulfill Pentecost. Or to put it another 00:08:56.210 --> 00:08:58.529 way, as it might have been in the minds of some 00:08:58.529 --> 00:09:00.690 of these people, what was about to take place 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:05.490 was the fulfillment of the age of the law. A 00:09:05.490 --> 00:09:10.490 new age was now about to begin, that is the age 00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:14.230 of grace, or we might say it, the age of the 00:09:14.230 --> 00:09:19.070 Spirit. And so in that sense, the day of Pentecost, 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:22.679 was being fulfilled as well. That was the occasion. 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:25.320 Now who are the people? For it says they were 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:29.759 all together in one place. The they refers undoubtedly 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:33.419 to the same group as we see in chapter 1, verse 00:09:33.419 --> 00:09:38.759 15. That is the 120 disciples of the Lord, including 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:43.059 that small group of the 12 as they are now numbered. 00:09:45.070 --> 00:09:48.509 They were all together in one place, all 120 00:09:48.509 --> 00:09:51.909 of them. You say, what is the meaning of that? 00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:54.990 Well, it indicates to us that the blessings of 00:09:54.990 --> 00:09:58.950 God are not just for a few of His people, but 00:09:58.950 --> 00:10:01.269 for all of His people, for they were all together 00:10:01.269 --> 00:10:04.750 in one place. And I think that we see here as 00:10:04.750 --> 00:10:09.450 well the unity that was among those people, the 00:10:09.450 --> 00:10:12.110 unity that united their hearts as a core of men 00:10:12.110 --> 00:10:15.629 and women. followers of Jesus Christ. They were 00:10:15.629 --> 00:10:18.169 all together in one place. You say, where was 00:10:18.169 --> 00:10:21.210 the place? Well, there's a difference of opinion 00:10:21.210 --> 00:10:25.370 about that. The text could be read one of two 00:10:25.370 --> 00:10:28.190 ways. It could be that they were in the temple 00:10:28.190 --> 00:10:32.629 at this point. It does mention the house where 00:10:32.629 --> 00:10:35.190 they were sitting in verse 2, and the word house 00:10:35.190 --> 00:10:38.809 could be applied to the temple. But it seems 00:10:38.809 --> 00:10:41.549 to me most logical to think that they were in 00:10:41.549 --> 00:10:45.830 the upper room where they had been waiting these 00:10:45.830 --> 00:10:49.669 ten days for the Spirit of God to come. And that 00:10:49.669 --> 00:10:52.990 later they moved from that upper room to the 00:10:52.990 --> 00:10:58.669 temple area where they did their preaching. Now 00:10:58.669 --> 00:11:02.169 notice with me the phenomena on the birthday 00:11:02.169 --> 00:11:06.350 of the church. For it says suddenly some things 00:11:06.350 --> 00:11:09.759 happened. That word suddenly is peculiar to the 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:13.860 book of Acts. It is used again in chapter 16 00:11:13.860 --> 00:11:18.039 and once again in chapter 28 as an adverb. What 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:22.559 it means is that without any warning, unexpectedly, 00:11:22.899 --> 00:11:27.500 suddenly, this took place. Isn't it interesting 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:33.000 how often God works that way? Gideon was out 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.440 threshing. suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:40.580 to him and spoke to him. Mary was going about 00:11:40.580 --> 00:11:43.299 her routine in Nazareth, and suddenly the angel 00:11:43.299 --> 00:11:47.539 Gabriel appeared to her. The shepherds were watching 00:11:47.539 --> 00:11:50.460 over their flock by night, and suddenly the angel 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:53.980 of the Lord appeared. And when he had finished 00:11:53.980 --> 00:11:57.500 his speech, suddenly there was a whole multitude 00:11:57.500 --> 00:12:01.000 of the heavenly hosts, the Scripture says. How 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:06.330 often God works. unexpectedly without our anticipating 00:12:06.330 --> 00:12:10.070 it. That is the way that Jesus is going to come 00:12:10.070 --> 00:12:14.110 too. Suddenly He will appear in the heavens and 00:12:14.110 --> 00:12:16.870 with a shout will call forth His church, the 00:12:16.870 --> 00:12:21.210 bride of Christ, to be at His side. Suddenly. 00:12:22.049 --> 00:12:25.210 On this day of Pentecost, suddenly some things 00:12:25.210 --> 00:12:30.450 happened. There were three observable, audible 00:12:30.450 --> 00:12:37.360 miracles. The first one was a noise. It is a 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:43.919 noise from heaven. And it says it was like a 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:48.779 violent rushing wind. Literally, the Greek says, 00:12:49.019 --> 00:12:53.759 an echoing sound as of a violent wind being borne 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:58.639 along. And so you get the idea of a hurricane 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:05.620 or a tornado -like sound. The word refers to 00:13:05.620 --> 00:13:09.799 a loud reverberation. It is used by Luke in his 00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:14.379 gospel of the roar of the sea and its waves. 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:19.039 It was that kind of a roar, that kind of a noise, 00:13:19.139 --> 00:13:24.879 like a violent wind being driven along. It does 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:27.940 not say, though, that it was windy. There was 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:32.000 no current, no movement in the air. Simply the 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:36.029 noise of a hurricane. It's sort of like you sitting 00:13:36.029 --> 00:13:40.389 in your house during a Minnesota blizzard, and 00:13:40.389 --> 00:13:43.389 outside you hear this violent, rushing wind going 00:13:43.389 --> 00:13:46.669 by your house, but inside it's completely calm 00:13:46.669 --> 00:13:50.750 and still. They were surrounded, however, by 00:13:50.750 --> 00:13:54.850 that noise, and yet there was no movement in 00:13:54.850 --> 00:13:59.590 the air. And then it says there appeared fire, 00:13:59.809 --> 00:14:06.100 or something like fire. It was in the form of 00:14:06.100 --> 00:14:10.460 a tongue which rested upon each one of them. 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:19.580 It was a fire distributing itself over the heads 00:14:19.580 --> 00:14:25.740 of all 120, apparently, of these disciples. It 00:14:25.740 --> 00:14:28.679 seems to picture here a single flame which is 00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:33.370 broken up. which may signify the unity and yet 00:14:33.370 --> 00:14:36.110 the individuality of all of these believers. 00:14:37.090 --> 00:14:42.129 The fire was emblematic or symbolic of the personal 00:14:42.129 --> 00:14:46.690 power which each was now receiving for an aggressive 00:14:46.690 --> 00:14:51.970 witness to bear light to the darkened minds of 00:14:51.970 --> 00:14:56.769 the unregenerate around them. And then the third 00:14:56.769 --> 00:15:01.340 miracle was that of tongues. It says they spoke 00:15:01.340 --> 00:15:07.120 in other tongues or languages. You say, is it 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:10.659 true that it was languages which were earthly 00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:14.899 known languages or was this an ecstatic utterance 00:15:14.899 --> 00:15:18.200 of some kind? It seems to me that if you read 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.779 this text for what it says, it is unmistakable 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:25.519 that these were in fact known earthly languages. 00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:32.259 Several times the word tongues is used. And parallel 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:35.720 with that, there is another key word. It is found 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:40.059 in verse 6 and again in verse 8. It is translated 00:15:40.059 --> 00:15:42.539 in the version I have before me as language, 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:47.279 but the literal word is dialect. They were amazed, 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:50.360 those who heard them, because they heard each 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:55.559 one in his own dialect, indicating that this 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:59.600 was, in fact, a language. It was the language 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:02.519 of the hearers, of the people who were gathered 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:06.340 there for the day of Pentecost. They were able 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:08.580 to hear these disciples speaking in their own 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:11.600 languages because the Spirit of God gave those 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:16.720 disciples, those unlearned Galileans, the ability 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.539 to speak in a language they had never studied. 00:16:21.019 --> 00:16:23.879 Now there are some who say that, no, they spoke 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:28.759 in an ecstatic way. utterance, that was no earthly 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:32.539 language, and these people were gifted to hear 00:16:32.539 --> 00:16:36.720 in their own language. So the gift was in the 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.899 hearing, not in the speaking. But I do notice 00:16:39.899 --> 00:16:42.259 it's called the gift of tongues and not the gift 00:16:42.259 --> 00:16:47.720 of ears, if you'll pardon me. It does talk here 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:50.700 about the gift of tongues, their ability to speak 00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:55.840 in languages which they had not learned. in order 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.440 that the gospel message might be disseminated 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:01.279 to all of those Jews who were in the audience 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.600 on that day of Pentecost. And I would remind 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:08.000 you that on this feast of Pentecost, there were 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.240 Jews from all over the Roman Empire. They had 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.799 come together for this annual feast, and this 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.700 was the big one. The population of Jerusalem 00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:23.619 on the day of Pentecost each year. would swell 00:17:23.619 --> 00:17:27.920 many times its normal size. There are some scholars 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:32.400 who say that just in the temple area alone on 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:34.500 the day of Pentecost, there could easily have 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:41.140 been 200 ,000 people, 200 ,000 Jews from all 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:45.200 over the Roman Empire. And it was to that vast 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:49.240 multitude of people that these disciples, these 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:52.640 120 of them, were gifted to be able to speak 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:56.220 in those many different languages so that the 00:17:56.220 --> 00:18:00.640 gospel could be clearly presented to them. It 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:06.279 talks about them speaking here in an utterance. 00:18:06.579 --> 00:18:09.740 The last part of verse 4, the term in my version 00:18:09.740 --> 00:18:13.079 is utterance. That word literally means to give 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:18.859 a weighty speech like an oracle. It is not a 00:18:18.859 --> 00:18:22.220 word that is ever used of ecstatic, emotional 00:18:22.220 --> 00:18:26.319 kind of speaking, but it refers rather to the 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:30.000 content of what is being said as being weighty, 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.440 even as it were an oracle. It is a word that 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:37.980 is used again of Peter in verse 14 when it says 00:18:37.980 --> 00:18:41.039 that taking his stand with the eleven, he raised 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:45.339 his voice and declared to them. The same word 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:48.359 is used there regarding Peter. It is used again 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:52.440 in Acts 26 verse 25 when Paul defended himself 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:55.420 before the king. These are the only times it's 00:18:55.420 --> 00:18:58.900 used in the New Testament. And so that word utterance, 00:18:58.900 --> 00:19:02.680 again in verse 4, indicates to us that what was 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:07.660 being done here was a miracle of languages. Now 00:19:07.660 --> 00:19:10.339 you say, why were these phenomena present on 00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:14.819 the birthday of the church? Why did God cause 00:19:14.819 --> 00:19:18.680 this noise? the appearance of a fire -like substance 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:23.460 over each of the disciples, and the gift of languages. 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:30.680 God caused these phenomena to take place to signal 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:34.180 the fulfillment of His promise of the coming 00:19:34.180 --> 00:19:37.420 of the Holy Spirit. They were waiting in Jerusalem 00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:41.240 for the promise of the Father to be fulfilled. 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:46.779 Acts 1 and verse 4. And this is the fulfillment 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:51.400 of it. You will notice that in the context of 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:55.259 Acts chapter 2, however, the term baptism with 00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:58.779 the Holy Spirit is not used. That is interesting 00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:02.740 to me. It's worthy of note. And yet this was 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:08.660 the initial baptism with the Holy Spirit. Turn 00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:11.660 with me to chapter 11, rather, in the book of 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:16.640 Acts. Look at verse 15. And here we have an accounting 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:23.279 of Peter regarding that day of Pentecost as he 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.220 relates it to what happened at the house of Cornelius, 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:30.960 a Gentile who was saved. Now in verse 15 he says, 00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:34.599 As I began to speak, that is, on that day, the 00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:38.640 Holy Spirit fell upon them, that is, to Cornelius 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:43.299 and his household, just as he did upon us at 00:20:43.299 --> 00:20:45.680 the beginning. that is, on the day of Pentecost. 00:20:45.940 --> 00:20:48.759 And so in verse 15, he describes it as the Holy 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:55.240 Spirit falling upon them. Verse 16, And I remembered 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:57.980 the word of the Lord, how he used to say, John 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:01.759 baptized with water, but you shall be baptized 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:05.819 with the Holy Spirit. And so Peter says that 00:21:05.819 --> 00:21:09.660 the Holy Spirit falling upon them was the baptism 00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:13.039 of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had promised. 00:21:13.829 --> 00:21:17.089 And then in verse 17 he says, if God therefore 00:21:17.089 --> 00:21:22.089 gave to them the same gift as he gave to us also 00:21:22.089 --> 00:21:25.210 after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who 00:21:25.210 --> 00:21:27.730 was I that I could stand in God's way? And so 00:21:27.730 --> 00:21:32.250 in verse 17 he calls this the gift of God, the 00:21:32.250 --> 00:21:37.089 promised gift of the Father. And so in Acts chapter 00:21:37.089 --> 00:21:39.710 2 we have the fulfillment of what Jesus called 00:21:39.710 --> 00:21:44.130 the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit 00:21:44.130 --> 00:21:49.230 fell upon them. The gift of the Father, what 00:21:49.230 --> 00:21:52.930 He had promised to send, was given on that day. 00:21:53.849 --> 00:21:57.369 Well, you say, what is the baptism with the Holy 00:21:57.369 --> 00:22:02.049 Spirit? What does that mean? The baptism with 00:22:02.049 --> 00:22:07.089 the Holy Spirit was the act of God whereby He 00:22:07.089 --> 00:22:12.250 consolidated all true believers into one body. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:19.500 in Jesus Christ, and identified them with their 00:22:19.500 --> 00:22:26.980 Lord, the head of their body. The baptism with 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:29.960 the Holy Spirit, I repeat, is the act of God 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:34.359 whereby He united or consolidated all believers 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:40.140 into one spiritual body and united that body 00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:46.259 to Jesus Christ. its head. You and I today are 00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:49.079 baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment that 00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:52.420 we are saved. For at that moment we are placed 00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:56.140 into the body of Christ and identified with Jesus 00:22:56.140 --> 00:22:59.940 Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:03.579 And that is why when the Apostle Paul writes 00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:06.539 to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 00:23:06.680 --> 00:23:11.890 verse 13, he says, For by one Spirit Were you 00:23:11.890 --> 00:23:17.390 all baptized into one body? He does not command 00:23:17.390 --> 00:23:20.369 them to seek it as some kind of a later experience, 00:23:20.869 --> 00:23:24.950 but he says to those people, you were all baptized, 00:23:25.170 --> 00:23:27.369 and the tense of the verb there means at one 00:23:27.369 --> 00:23:30.829 point in time, it was done, it's over with. You 00:23:30.829 --> 00:23:34.609 were all baptized into one body by one Spirit. 00:23:34.789 --> 00:23:41.039 That is the baptism with the Spirit. The miraculous 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:46.079 signs which marked this occasion indicated that 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:49.940 something new was happening. Do you remember 00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:54.740 what happened when the law was given on Mount 00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:59.359 Sinai? Do you remember the display of miracles 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:05.039 which God caused as the law was given to impress 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:12.160 upon His people His power, His holiness? He caused 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:15.240 that mountain to smoke as though it were a volcano. 00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:20.640 And there was fire, and there was the sound of 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:24.799 trumpets, and there was thunder. And the people 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:27.240 of Israel down in the plain below the mountain 00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:30.680 shrank back from the mountain in terror of it. 00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:35.000 You see, when God was beginning something new 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:40.339 there on Mount Sinai, He indicated it by miraculous... 00:24:42.329 --> 00:24:45.509 And that's what he's doing here. Something new 00:24:45.509 --> 00:24:49.750 is beginning. It's the birthday of the church. 00:24:50.349 --> 00:24:53.250 And therefore he causes all of these phenomena 00:24:53.250 --> 00:24:57.289 to take place to indicate that here is something 00:24:57.289 --> 00:25:03.450 brand new in the world. A new body, a new group 00:25:03.450 --> 00:25:07.529 that God is dealing with. A new age is beginning. 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:12.920 The age of law is over. The age of the Spirit, 00:25:13.140 --> 00:25:16.700 the age of grace is beginning. Israel, because 00:25:16.700 --> 00:25:21.140 of unbelief, has been set aside. God now is bringing 00:25:21.140 --> 00:25:25.660 together a new body of people, the church of 00:25:25.660 --> 00:25:29.740 Jesus Christ. And he signals all of this by the 00:25:29.740 --> 00:25:32.640 phenomena that we see before us in Acts chapter 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:37.140 2. He wanted them, and he wants us to realize, 00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:44.640 the epical nature of this event, that a new dispensation 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:48.380 is taking place. And may I say to you that when 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:52.000 this age is over, God is likewise going to cause 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:58.140 miraculous phenomena. This age will close with 00:25:58.140 --> 00:26:01.579 some of the most astounding events that have 00:26:01.579 --> 00:26:04.839 ever happened in the history of the world. Indeed, 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:07.859 Jesus indicates to us it will be a day unlike 00:26:07.859 --> 00:26:10.819 has ever been before or will ever come again, 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:18.019 as this age is brought to a close. Now I want 00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:20.380 you to notice that although the term baptized 00:26:20.380 --> 00:26:23.400 with the Spirit is not used, there is a term 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:27.960 in verse 4 similar but distinct. It says they 00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:33.440 were all filled with the Holy Spirit. What does 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.640 it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? We've 00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:40.740 talked about that before. It is not some kind 00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:43.920 of a hidden word. It simply means to be filled 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:48.480 or empowered or controlled or dominated by the 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:52.440 Holy Spirit. Filled pictures the sail of a boat 00:26:52.440 --> 00:26:57.720 that is filled with the wind, the result of it 00:26:57.720 --> 00:27:00.440 being that the ship, the boat, is carried along. 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:05.380 and moved, empowered. And so when these believers 00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:08.339 were filled with the Holy Spirit, it simply means 00:27:08.339 --> 00:27:12.119 that the Spirit of God empowered them. He enabled 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:15.480 them. He was the one who caused them to be able 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:21.160 to speak in these languages. Because of his filling, 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:26.079 the weak became strong. The timid became bold. 00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:32.359 The carnal became spiritual. because of the filling 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:37.299 of the Holy Spirit. There is not a greater need 00:27:37.299 --> 00:27:41.559 among God's people today than to know this filling 00:27:41.559 --> 00:27:46.140 of the Holy Spirit. If we are God's people in 00:27:46.140 --> 00:27:48.900 truth, we know already the baptism with the Holy 00:27:48.900 --> 00:27:52.000 Spirit, for that happened when we were saved. 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:56.900 But we need afresh every day and every hour the 00:27:56.900 --> 00:27:59.539 filling of the Holy Spirit. You will find again 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:02.180 and again through the book of Acts that they 00:28:02.180 --> 00:28:06.420 were filled. They were filled. Again, they were 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:10.039 filled. And once more, they were filled with 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:14.819 the Holy Spirit. Now, what is the reaction to 00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:17.799 all the phenomena, to all that is taking place 00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:21.539 on the birthday of the church? Well, it talks 00:28:21.539 --> 00:28:24.359 in verse 5 about the Jews who were living in 00:28:24.359 --> 00:28:27.500 Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under 00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:29.369 heaven. We've mentioned why they were there. 00:28:30.930 --> 00:28:35.829 And when this sound occurred, in verse 6, the 00:28:35.829 --> 00:28:39.970 multitude came together. How many? Who knows? 00:28:40.950 --> 00:28:43.670 Undoubtedly, there were tens of thousands of 00:28:43.670 --> 00:28:47.549 them. Now, you say, what is the sound that they 00:28:47.549 --> 00:28:50.190 heard? Well, the word that is used here for sound 00:28:50.190 --> 00:28:53.970 is different than the word in verse 2 where it 00:28:53.970 --> 00:28:57.230 describes the noise from heaven. Now they may 00:28:57.230 --> 00:29:01.750 have heard that roar, but then they may not have. 00:29:02.390 --> 00:29:06.650 The word sound in verse 6 refers undoubtedly 00:29:06.650 --> 00:29:11.869 to the speaking in tongues, in languages, by 00:29:11.869 --> 00:29:18.430 these disciples. They heard that, and it piqued 00:29:18.430 --> 00:29:20.690 their interest. They wanted to know what this 00:29:20.690 --> 00:29:25.190 was all about. Notice their reaction. Verse 6. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:29.420 They were bewildered. So there was bewilderment. 00:29:29.539 --> 00:29:34.579 The word means confusion. The root verb here 00:29:34.579 --> 00:29:38.380 means to pour together. And you get the idea 00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:40.160 that as they tried to put all of these things 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:42.079 together, they were mixed up. They could not 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:46.440 quite figure out what was taking place. It goes 00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:51.140 on to say in verse 7 that they were amazed. So 00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:53.599 not only was there bewilderment, there was amazement. 00:29:54.199 --> 00:29:56.579 Again, in verse 12, the same word is used. They 00:29:56.579 --> 00:30:00.900 continued in amazement. The word means they were 00:30:00.900 --> 00:30:04.940 distraught. If you were to put this in the vernacular 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:07.980 today, it would mean it blew their minds what 00:30:07.980 --> 00:30:11.180 was taking place. They had never seen anything 00:30:11.180 --> 00:30:13.819 like this before, and they did not know how to 00:30:13.819 --> 00:30:18.559 relate to what was happening. In verse 7, it 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:21.380 says they marveled, and so they wondered at it. 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:24.319 And the tense of the verb means that over and 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:26.180 over again they tried to run this through their 00:30:26.180 --> 00:30:29.299 minds. They could not get over this. They marveled. 00:30:30.019 --> 00:30:32.420 In verse 12 it goes on to say that they were 00:30:32.420 --> 00:30:36.140 in great perplexity. They were at a loss to be 00:30:36.140 --> 00:30:38.559 able to explain this. So you get the idea, don't 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:42.880 you? In their reaction they were confused. They 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:46.400 were amazed. They marveled at it, trying to put 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:49.039 it all together, but it just didn't congeal for 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:51.380 them. They didn't know how to interpret this. 00:30:54.410 --> 00:30:58.190 And so what did some of them do at least? Well, 00:30:58.309 --> 00:31:00.910 while some continued to ask what it meant, there 00:31:00.910 --> 00:31:04.029 were others who mocked and saying, these people 00:31:04.029 --> 00:31:08.250 are drunk. That's what the problem is. They've 00:31:08.250 --> 00:31:14.630 just had too much sweet wine. When the world 00:31:14.630 --> 00:31:18.789 does not understand something, for that matter, 00:31:18.869 --> 00:31:22.089 when some Christians don't understand something, 00:31:24.330 --> 00:31:27.950 intellectually, they tend to criticize and to 00:31:27.950 --> 00:31:31.950 mock. And that's what happened here. These Jews 00:31:31.950 --> 00:31:34.890 could not put it together. They could not understand 00:31:34.890 --> 00:31:38.130 it intellectually. They did not relate to it, 00:31:38.170 --> 00:31:39.930 and therefore there were some of them at least 00:31:39.930 --> 00:31:43.289 who mocked and criticized and ridiculed what 00:31:43.289 --> 00:31:47.309 was taking place. Both by word and by gesture, 00:31:47.529 --> 00:31:53.019 so the verb indicates, they jeered. The apostles 00:31:53.019 --> 00:31:56.259 and the other disciples who were speaking in 00:31:56.259 --> 00:32:00.319 tongues. A less intensive word but the same basic 00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:04.019 verb is used in Acts chapter 17 when Paul spoke 00:32:04.019 --> 00:32:11.180 on the hill, Mars Hill in Athens. It says that 00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:13.279 on that occasion there were some who mocked him. 00:32:13.500 --> 00:32:17.279 Same idea. On the day of Pentecost, on the birthday 00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:20.000 of the church, there were those... who ridicule 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:23.079 because they could not understand. There are 00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:26.059 those today who do the same, don't they? Now, 00:32:26.140 --> 00:32:28.559 what are some of the observations that we can 00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:31.700 make in relation to our text? How can we apply 00:32:31.700 --> 00:32:37.819 this to our lives? Number one, Pentecost had 00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:45.740 a remarkable impact upon the world. Listen, as 00:32:45.740 --> 00:32:49.230 important as the giving of the law, on Mount 00:32:49.230 --> 00:32:57.589 Sinai, so is Pentecost. Just as important. Listen 00:32:57.589 --> 00:33:02.650 to this. As important as the sacrifice of the 00:33:02.650 --> 00:33:06.869 Lord Jesus Christ on the hill of Calvary, so 00:33:06.869 --> 00:33:11.569 is Pentecost. I did not say more important, but 00:33:11.569 --> 00:33:16.369 I said just as significant as that event, so 00:33:16.369 --> 00:33:21.490 is this event. in Acts chapter 2, the birth of 00:33:21.490 --> 00:33:26.930 the church of Jesus Christ. We're going to celebrate 00:33:26.930 --> 00:33:29.970 Christmas in a few weeks, and a few months after 00:33:29.970 --> 00:33:32.690 that we'll be celebrating the resurrection on 00:33:32.690 --> 00:33:35.789 Easter Sunday. But we don't usually celebrate 00:33:35.789 --> 00:33:40.609 Pentecost Sunday, do we? There are some liturgical 00:33:40.609 --> 00:33:45.490 churches which do, but we do not. Why is that? 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:49.759 I think because we fail to understand how important 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:55.920 this day is. This is one of the most remarkable 00:33:55.920 --> 00:34:01.079 events in the history of the world. When God 00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:05.920 came in the person of His Spirit and indwelt 00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:12.960 mankind permanently. In the Old Testament, He 00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:15.659 would come upon... believers for a limited period 00:34:15.659 --> 00:34:19.300 of time for a specific purpose. But now He comes 00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:22.880 into the world to indwell believers permanently 00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:28.880 and to seal them into the body of His Son. What 00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:30.960 are the results of this day? Well, just briefly, 00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:35.519 the results to believers are three. Number one, 00:34:35.579 --> 00:34:38.300 union with Jesus Christ. We've talked about that. 00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:44.190 Now we share the same life. We have the same 00:34:44.190 --> 00:34:46.789 power of His resurrection dwelling within us. 00:34:47.510 --> 00:34:51.789 We are now members of His body, of His flesh, 00:34:51.809 --> 00:34:54.610 of His bones. We are His eyes. We are His hands. 00:34:54.869 --> 00:34:59.230 We are His feet in the world. We are united to 00:34:59.230 --> 00:35:03.289 Jesus Christ as one with Him. That is one result 00:35:03.289 --> 00:35:09.409 of Pentecost to believers. Number two, not only 00:35:09.409 --> 00:35:14.750 union, but illumination. Now we have illumination 00:35:14.750 --> 00:35:19.530 or understanding of the Word of God. I like what 00:35:19.530 --> 00:35:22.869 G. Campbell Morgan said regarding the day of 00:35:22.869 --> 00:35:27.650 Pentecost. In half an hour after Pentecost, they, 00:35:27.809 --> 00:35:31.710 the disciples, knew more about Jesus Christ than 00:35:31.710 --> 00:35:38.809 they had ever known before. Why? But Jesus said, 00:35:38.889 --> 00:35:41.130 when He, the Spirit, has come, He will guide 00:35:41.130 --> 00:35:45.010 you into all truth. He will teach you. And today 00:35:45.010 --> 00:35:48.050 you and I have the Spirit of God as our teacher 00:35:48.050 --> 00:35:53.809 to illumine our hearts. Number three, the result 00:35:53.809 --> 00:35:58.389 of Pentecost for believers is power. Do you see 00:35:58.389 --> 00:36:02.969 the change in these men and women between chapter 00:36:02.969 --> 00:36:07.369 1 and chapter 2? Do you see what happens to them? 00:36:08.690 --> 00:36:12.849 A group of people rather withdrawn, retiring, 00:36:13.309 --> 00:36:17.269 waiting, anticipating, suddenly aggressively 00:36:17.269 --> 00:36:21.110 and boldly go out to confront their world for 00:36:21.110 --> 00:36:24.769 Jesus Christ. This is none other than what Jesus 00:36:24.769 --> 00:36:27.389 promised in Acts 1 .8, but you shall receive 00:36:27.389 --> 00:36:31.110 power. After that, the Holy Spirit has come upon 00:36:31.110 --> 00:36:35.409 you. You and I take that power for granted today, 00:36:35.510 --> 00:36:38.650 I think, too often, and thus we don't utilize 00:36:38.650 --> 00:36:42.070 it or appropriate it. But the same power that 00:36:42.070 --> 00:36:44.929 they knew in Acts 2, which came upon them at 00:36:44.929 --> 00:36:50.050 that moment, now indwells each of us. All that 00:36:50.050 --> 00:36:54.449 it needs is to be released through our lives. 00:36:56.789 --> 00:36:59.110 What is the result of Pentecost to the world? 00:37:01.610 --> 00:37:03.170 A couple of things I want to mention. Number 00:37:03.170 --> 00:37:07.429 one, conviction. Jesus said that the Spirit of 00:37:07.429 --> 00:37:10.110 God would come and bring conviction to the world. 00:37:10.210 --> 00:37:13.489 John chapter 16, verses 8 through 11. What did 00:37:13.489 --> 00:37:15.309 He mean by that? Weren't people convicted before? 00:37:15.449 --> 00:37:21.090 Of course. But now in this age, there is a new 00:37:21.090 --> 00:37:27.269 quality, a new weight of conviction upon the 00:37:27.269 --> 00:37:31.119 world. As the Spirit of God does His work, as 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:34.119 He never has before in the history of mankind. 00:37:36.300 --> 00:37:40.099 And secondly, as a result of Pentecost, He is 00:37:40.099 --> 00:37:47.260 in the world today restraining lawlessness. It 00:37:47.260 --> 00:37:50.179 may well be, and I have no Scripture proof of 00:37:50.179 --> 00:37:54.300 this, it may well be that after the death and 00:37:54.300 --> 00:37:58.900 resurrection of Jesus Christ, Satan began immediately 00:37:58.900 --> 00:38:04.150 to put together the whole antichrist system and 00:38:04.150 --> 00:38:07.309 to bring about as quickly as he could the person 00:38:07.309 --> 00:38:11.750 of antichrist to counteract what jesus christ 00:38:11.750 --> 00:38:17.150 the true christ had accomplished i say it may 00:38:17.150 --> 00:38:19.489 be that immediately he intended to bring all 00:38:19.489 --> 00:38:22.309 of that to pass there is some indication of that 00:38:22.309 --> 00:38:26.250 in the word of god but the spirit of god came 00:38:26.250 --> 00:38:30.219 and today is hindering and restraining Satan, 00:38:30.340 --> 00:38:33.920 in his efforts to congeal and bring together 00:38:33.920 --> 00:38:37.940 lawlessness. Now we believe that at the rapture 00:38:37.940 --> 00:38:40.599 of the church, he's going to be taken out in 00:38:40.599 --> 00:38:44.360 that ministry, so that he will no longer restrain 00:38:44.360 --> 00:38:47.119 as he does now, and the result of that will be 00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:50.320 Satan will very quickly bring together his system, 00:38:50.460 --> 00:38:55.360 his anti -Christ system of lawlessness. But now 00:38:55.360 --> 00:38:58.019 the Spirit of God is hindering and frustrating. 00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:02.699 and restraining Satan from doing all of that 00:39:02.699 --> 00:39:07.519 in the world. And then the result of Pentecost 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:13.579 for Jesus. What is that? Number one, the administration 00:39:13.579 --> 00:39:17.019 of the redemption which he purchased at the cross. 00:39:17.860 --> 00:39:21.380 It is being carried out as the Spirit of God 00:39:21.380 --> 00:39:24.579 works in the hearts of men and women around the 00:39:24.579 --> 00:39:27.880 world as the gospel is preached. and convicts 00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:30.400 them of their sinfulness and draws them to faith 00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:35.420 in Jesus Christ. Jesus died and shed His blood 00:39:35.420 --> 00:39:39.300 for the church, and now the Spirit of God is 00:39:39.300 --> 00:39:42.480 applying that gospel message, and people are 00:39:42.480 --> 00:39:45.139 being drawn out and wooed by the Spirit of God. 00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:47.820 He is calling them from the corners of the earth 00:39:47.820 --> 00:39:52.659 to believe on Jesus Christ, to be saved, to be 00:39:52.659 --> 00:39:59.469 made a part of this body in this age. The bride 00:39:59.469 --> 00:40:02.989 of Jesus Christ is being prepared right now as 00:40:02.989 --> 00:40:05.090 a result of the Spirit of God being in the world. 00:40:05.690 --> 00:40:09.670 And secondly, as a result of Pentecost, the life 00:40:09.670 --> 00:40:13.989 of Jesus is being multiplied through His people. 00:40:15.349 --> 00:40:18.730 Realize this, that before, when He was on the 00:40:18.730 --> 00:40:22.590 earth, He was limited to one place at a time. 00:40:23.250 --> 00:40:26.130 Either He was in Galilee or He was in Jerusalem. 00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:30.039 or he was on the far side of the Sea of Galilee, 00:40:30.139 --> 00:40:33.239 or he was in Samaria, but he was in one place 00:40:33.239 --> 00:40:37.139 at a time because he limited himself in his incarnation 00:40:37.139 --> 00:40:42.639 to a human body and to our humanity. But now 00:40:42.639 --> 00:40:48.300 he is glorified, exalted, adored in heaven, and 00:40:48.300 --> 00:40:52.199 he has sent the Holy Spirit who indwells us and 00:40:52.199 --> 00:40:56.489 multiplies his life. So that everywhere you are, 00:40:56.650 --> 00:41:02.429 Jesus is. So that now he is in many places at 00:41:02.429 --> 00:41:06.130 one time. So what did Pentecost mean to Jesus? 00:41:06.329 --> 00:41:10.170 But the multiplication of himself through his 00:41:10.170 --> 00:41:13.730 body, throughout this age, throughout the whole 00:41:13.730 --> 00:41:17.929 world. So that in that office or that factory 00:41:17.929 --> 00:41:21.929 or in your home or in that school room, Jesus 00:41:21.929 --> 00:41:27.239 Christ is there. as you are there, as united 00:41:27.239 --> 00:41:31.380 to Him. It's a marvelous thing. Wonderful truth. 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:40.039 A sobering truth. A second observation, briefly. 00:41:41.320 --> 00:41:46.099 God's work in the world, as on the day of Pentecost, 00:41:46.320 --> 00:41:52.510 can neither be ignored nor repeated. We cannot 00:41:52.510 --> 00:41:55.869 ignore what took place on this day. We rejoice 00:41:55.869 --> 00:41:59.309 in it, in fact. But just as we cannot ignore 00:41:59.309 --> 00:42:04.929 it, we cannot repeat it. We cannot pray for another 00:42:04.929 --> 00:42:10.550 Pentecost in the church any more than we can 00:42:10.550 --> 00:42:12.869 pray that there would be another Calvary when 00:42:12.869 --> 00:42:17.250 Jesus would die on the cross. For that is a once 00:42:17.250 --> 00:42:21.050 -for -all occasion. He died, and that was it. 00:42:22.069 --> 00:42:24.769 And so is Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit 00:42:24.769 --> 00:42:28.929 of God. He came once, and that's all he needed 00:42:28.929 --> 00:42:31.510 to come. And he is in the world today.