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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 2:1-13

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Church on the Move and today we come to the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Remember, we said there were two historical turning points that launched the church into its mission. We already looked at the first one in chapter one—Jesus’ ascension to heaven. That was when Jesus completed his earthly ministry and now began his heavenly ministry. Now we come to the second turning point—the giving of the Holy Spirit. These two events are connected. It was because Jesus ascended to heaven that he could now pour out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Right before Jesus ascended, he told the disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the gift the Father promised. Ten days later it happened, and the church has never been the same. (Read Acts 2:1-4 and pray.)

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“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear … church! Happy birthday to you!” Well, today is not the church’s birthday, but the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost is often viewed as the birthday of the church, and that is the event we come to today.

The giving of the Spirit at Pentecost is one of seven major, unique, non-repeatable events in the life and ministry of Jesus. Those events are as follows: Christ’s incarnation, baptism, death, resurrection and ascension; the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost; and Christ’s return.

The promise of the Spirit has already been mentioned several times in Acts (1:4,5,8), but remember Acts is the second part of a two-part book. Acts begins with the gospel of Luke, and so biblically speaking, we have been anticipating this event ever since Luke 3. That is where John the Baptist told the people about Jesus: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). There are many other references to the Holy Spirit in Luke’s gospel as well.

Why does God give us the Holy Spirit? The Bible gives us several reasons—to teach us, guide us, help us, comfort us, strengthen us, convict us and to make us holy. But the reason we will be looking at today is this: God gives us the Holy Spirit so that we can be effective witnesses for Christ. You need the Holy Spirit to witness! You cannot be an effective witness for Jesus without the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

So, let’s get started with our passage. We are going to look at the giving of the Spirit, the going forth of the gospel and then some applications to our own lives this morning.

I. The giving of the Spirit – Pentecost (1-4)

Our passage begins with the giving of the Spirit in verses 1-4. There are a number of things we should note about this event.

   A. All together (1)

First, the believers were all together. We read in verse one:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1)

Notice that Pentecost was already a holy day long before the Spirit was given. Pentecost is the second of three major Jewish feasts where the Jews were required to return to Jerusalem each year. First there was Passover, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 23:15). Then came Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks (Ex. 23:16, 34:22). And then much later in the year came the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Ingathering (Ex. 23:16, 34:22).

The feast of Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after Passover, hence, the word Pentecost, which comes from the Greek word for “fifty.” It was a one-day festival with special sacrifices celebrating the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. God in his providence chose this day for the believers in Acts to receive the firstfruits of the Spirit.

Luke says they were all together in one place, but he doesn’t specify where. All we know is they were in a house. We often assume it was the upper room, but the text doesn’t say. The “all” here refers to the one hundred twenty believers mentioned in chapter one. The fact that they were all together shows they were united in purpose and prayer, waiting for the gift as Jesus told them.

   B. Sound of wind and tongues of fire (2-3)

Next came the sound of wind and tongues of fire. Look at verses 2-3:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. (Acts 2:2-3)

Luke tells us this all happened suddenly. There was no warning. They had been waiting, praying and expecting for ten days, when suddenly God sent the Spirit. First, they heard a sound like the blowing of a violent wind. Notice this was the sound of a wind, not an actual wind itself. Wind of course is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Wind and spirit are the same word in the Greek, and the Holy Spirit is often compared to wind in the Bible. Luke says the sound came from heaven—indicating its source—and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Next, they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire. So, there was an audible element and now a visual element. Fire in the Bible is often a sign of God’s presence. We see this repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. Think of Moses and the burning bush, the pillar of fire that guided Israel through the wilderness, or God descending on Mount Sinai with smoke and fire. These tongues of fire separated and came to rest on each of them. This was a visual representation that the Spirit was being given to each and every one of the believers present. The Spirit wasn’t just for the apostles or the chosen few—the Spirit is for everyone who believes.

   C. Speaking in other languages (4)

And then they began speaking in other languages. Look at verse 4:

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:4)

The Bible speaks of various types of filling when it comes to the Holy Spirit. There is the initial filling of the Spirit when you first come to the Lord. There are various fresh fillings for service, witness and power. And then, there is the continual filling with the Spirit as you walk with the Lord.

The Bible uses different words for this experience too. Sometimes it speaks of being filled with the Spirit, sometimes receiving the Spirit, sometimes being baptized with the Spirit or the Spirit being poured out on a person. We should not see these as different types of experiences. These are simply different expressions for the same experience, although the term “baptism” should probably be reserved for the initial filling of the Spirit.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. This was another supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in other known human languages, languages they had never learned and did not personally know themselves.

And so, the coming of the Spirit was marked by miraculous, visible signs—just like the six other unique, non-repeatable events in Christ’s ministry were marked by miraculous, visible signs. Christ’s birth, baptism, death, resurrection and ascension were all marked by miraculous, visible signs, and so will Christ’s return. These visible miracles were important to authenticate Christ and these important events in his life. But they were especially important for Christ’s ascension and Pentecost. How else would we know that Jesus went back to heaven or that the Spirit was given?

This is similar to what God did in the Old Testament. God would often give accompanying signs along with the Spirit so that everyone would know that the person had received the Spirit—whether through supernatural feats of strength or by having the person prophesy.

So, the second chapter of Acts begins with the giving of the Spirit that took place on Pentecost. The believers were all together in one place. Suddenly they heard a sound like a mighty wind. They saw what looked like tongues of fire that separated and rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit enabled them.

II. The going forth of the gospel (5-13)

The giving of the Spirit was immediately followed by the going forth of the gospel. This is important because the two are meant to be linked together. You may remember our theme verse for the whole book of Acts is Acts 1:8 where Jesus told the disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That’s exactly what happened here. God poured out his Spirit, and they were given power to witness—starting right in Jerusalem.

   A. God-fearing Jews from every nation (5-6)

Luke tells us that there were God-fearing Jews there from every nation. Look at verses 5-6:

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:5-6)

There were large numbers of Jews who still lived in other nations following the dispersion of the Jews by the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. Many would be visiting at this time because of the feast; others now lived in Jerusalem even though they had been born elsewhere. Either way, these were God-fearing Jews. They were here to worship God at the annual festival.

Luke tells us they heard the sound, probably referring to the sound of the disciples speaking in tongues. Remember the wind and the fire all took place back at the house. It seems the believers have left the house now and made their way to the temple.

Luke says the Jews hearing all this came together in bewilderment—a word signifying amazement or confusion. There is perhaps a subtle reference here to the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis where God first “confused” the languages. The same verb used in Genesis 11 is used here in Acts 2 as well.

   B. Each hearing the message in their own language (7-11)

What is amazing here is that each of the Jews heard the message in their own language. Picking up in verse 7:

Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:7-11)

Luke tells us they were utterly amazed, which is two words in the original language—amazed and astonished. These are now the second and third mentions of their amazement at what is happening. They ask each other, “Are they not Galileans?” Galileans had a reputation for being uncultured, and they certainly wouldn’t be fluent in all these different languages.

Luke lists five groups of fifteen nations who were present. Geographically, the list sweeps east to west, covering the main areas of the Roman empire where the Jews resided. He also includes the city of Rome in the list. It is estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 Jews lived in Rome at this time.

God is doing all this for a purpose. Everyone knew Greek and Aramaic in those days, so God could have just used the common languages to communicate. But instead, he used each person’s native tongue. The giving of the Holy Spirit is by definition an invisible act. And so, God gave visible testimony to the pouring out of the Spirit through the miracle of the believers speaking in languages they had never learned.

It also sets a good precedent for missions. Your birth language is your heart language. This is so important. You don’t fully realize it until you go to another country where they all speak another language. And even though you can learn that language to talk and communicate, there’s always a barrier there that doesn’t exist in your own language. That’s why we work so hard to translate the Bible into other people’s languages. It is a labor of love. We want everyone to hear God’s word in their own native tongue.

Luke says the Jews from all these nations heard the believers declaring the wonders of God. So, here we are told what the disciples were saying in all these different languages. They were proclaiming God’s mighty deeds, most likely what he had done through Christ—especially his life, death and resurrection.

   C. “What does this mean?” (12-13)

The crowd’s initial response to all this was, “What does this mean?” We read in verses 12-13:

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:12-13)

Notice the words “amazed and perplexed.” These are now the fourth and fifth times Luke mentions their amazement and confusion at all this. Obviously, God was working an amazing miracle here, but what does it all mean? The apostle Peter will tell them in the very next section of the chapter.

Luke also tells us that some made fun of them: “They’ve have had too much to drink!” Not able to understand what was happening, they come up with their own explanation. As we will see next time, Peter takes their accusation and flips it around to use as a bridge to the gospel.

III. Applications

So, what are some applications we can make for ourselves from this amazing event that was an amazing experience both for the one hundred twenty believers and for the Jews in Jerusalem who heard them that day? Let me share five applications with you as we close today.

   A. We need the Holy Spirit for effective ministry

First of all, we need the Holy Spirit for effective ministry. This is a pattern we find both in Luke’s gospel and in the book of Acts. Jesus in the gospel of Luke and the church in Acts both experience visible manifestations of the Spirit descending; both are filled with the Holy Spirit; and both are empowered for ministry (Luke 3:21-22, 4;1,14-15).

We need the Holy Spirit! We need to receive the Holy Spirit. We need fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit for service, witness and power. We need to be continually filled with the Spirit as we walk with the Lord. We need the Holy Spirit for effective ministry.

   B. We need to be careful in interpreting unique historical events

Our second application is a reminder of a principle we learned earlier in this series. We need to be careful in interpreting unique historical events. Although there are principles we can learn from these events, we should not expect the event itself to repeat.

For example, just because Jesus was born of a virgin doesn’t mean that you or I will be born of a virgin. Just because the Holy Spirit descended physically in the form of a dove when Jesus was baptized doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit will descend physically like a dove when you or I are baptized. And just because the believers spoke in tongues when they were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost doesn’t mean you or I will necessarily speak in tongues when we are filled with the Spirit.

In other words, we should not expect visible, miraculous signs every time someone is filled with the Spirit. And we should not view tongues as the universal sign that someone has been filled with the Spirit. The gift of tongues is a minor doctrine in the grand scope of Scripture. We only see it a couple times in the book of Acts and then again in a few chapters in 1 Corinthians. Most Christians throughout history have never spoken in tongues, but that doesn’t mean they were not filled with the Spirit. God has a special purpose for the gift of tongues, but it is one gift of many.

   C. Foreshadows the gospel going out to all the nations

A third application we can make from this passage is the importance of the gospel. What happened at Pentecost foreshadows the gospel going out to all the nations. The gospel was still focused on the Jews at this time, but Jesus himself told the believers they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The gospel is for all peoples from all tribes and languages, and through the gospel God unites people from all the nations in Christ.

In many ways what happened at Pentecost was a reversal of what happened at the Tower of Babel. John Stott writes: “At Babel earth proudly tried to ascend to heaven, whereas in Jerusalem heaven humbly descended to earth” (John Stott, The Message of Acts). At Babel God divided and scattered the nations in judgment. At Pentecost God brought the Jews from the various nations together by speaking to them in their own language. Fast forward to the book of Revelation where we find people from every tribe, language, nation and people worshiping God before the throne (Rev 7:9-10).

   D. Miracles don’t convince people to believe—only God’s Spirit working on their hearts will

A fourth application is the reminder that miracles don’t convince people to believe—only God’s Spirit working on their hearts will. Here God was speaking the gospel to these Jews from many nations all in their own native tongues and many of them still didn’t believe. Instead, they made fun of the believers and accused them of being drunk.

Miracles don’t necessarily bring people to God. Only the Spirit of God working through the word of God brings someone to faith. Remember, what Jesus said about the rich man’s brothers: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

   E. The mission has begun, and it’s amazing! Hop on board!

And then the final application is the best one. The mission has begun, and it’s amazing! Hop on board! God gives us the Holy Spirit so we can be effective witnesses for him. There is power from heaven available to you. So, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit daily. Look for opportunities to share Jesus with others. Ask God to touch their hearts with the Spirit as you share. God’s church is on the move, and you can be a part of it. Don’t miss out on the most important mission in the world.

© Ray Fowler

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