ACTS 2

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

2 Suddenly the sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that seperated and came to rest on each of them

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

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

6 When they heard this sound a crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard them speaking in their own language.

7 Utterly amazed they asked ? Are not all these men speaking Galileans.

8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

9  Parthians, Medes of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,  

 10  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome

11  both Jews and converts to Judaism; Cretans and ArabsWe hear them declaring the wonders of God in ourr own tongues.

12 Amazed and perplexed they asked one another, What does this mean?

13 Some however made fun of them and said. They have had too much wine.

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd, Fellow Jews and all those who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

15 These men are not drunk as you suppose. Its only nine in the morning.

16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel; 

 17 In the last days God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people Your sons and daughters will prophesy your young men will see visions your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on My servants both men and womenI will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

 22 Men of Israel, listen to this; Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him as you yourselves know.

23 This man was handed over to you by Gods set purpose and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death  by nailing Him to the cross.

24  But God raised Him from the dead freeing Him from the agony of death , because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. 

 25 David said about Him: I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices my body also will live in hope, 

27 Because you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

29 Brothers I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried and his tomb is here to this day.

30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.

31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ that was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay.

32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

33 Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

 34 For David did not ascend to heaven yet he said. The Lord said to my Lord: 

 35 Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

36  Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37 When the people heard this they were cut in the heart., and said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers what shall we do?

38 And Peter replied, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.

39 The promises for you and your children and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call.

40  With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, save yourselves from this currupt generation.

41  Those who accepted the message were baptized and about three thousand were added to the number that day.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship of the breaking of bread and prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common,

45 Selling their posessions and goods they gave to everyone as they had need.

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

47 Praiseing God and enjoying favoor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number dailly those who were being saved.

Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:28,29

They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him. Revelation 16:9

THE GIFT OF THE FATHER

 Thomas J. Grace

It has been ten days for the disciples of Christ as they prayed and believed in their Savior Jesus Christ, on the morning of the day of Pentecost the Feast of Weeks a harvest festival to thank God for their crops seven weeks after Passover. Exodus 23:16 Celebrate the feast of harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in the field. Because of the feast there were many visitors in the city of Jerusalem at this time.  The one hundred and twenty were now a fellowship of believers waiting for the promise of Jesus the gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit. While together for the morning prayers something new will take place

     2 A strong wind filled the house. 3 Tongues of fire came to rest on each of them. 4 They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. As they waited for the Holy Spirit they might have thought He might appear as Jesus did, or a angel they could see and speak to. Now a flame shaped like a tongue was above each head, the strong wind did not put the fire out, and each person was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit enabled. The Spirit maintains selection and control if there had been a unbeliever in the room the Spirit would have omited that person.  Those that spoke were of their own free will to do so the Spirit did not overpower them to speak in tongues. The disciples immediately recognized this new filling as the Holy Spirit of God that Jesus promised them even though this was a new experience that no one had before. Ezekiel 37:9 Then He said to me. Prophesy to the breath prophesy Son Of Man and say to it. This is what the Sovereign Lord says; Come from the four winds O Breath and breathe into these slain that they might live. Exodus 19:18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord desended on it in fire.  As we see these signs throughout the Bible this filling of one hundred and twenty people at one time and their speaking in tongues are a new sign to the Christian believers that the promise of Christ could only be filled while Jesus was with His Father in heaven.

      8 More evidence of the Holy Spirits power is seen and heard as the disciples are heard by the crowd  on the streets. 8  Each visitor hears the words being spoken by the disciples in there own language. Now they are speaking words that all people can understand we are not told what is being said do we think they are praiseing our Savior Jesus Christ and thanking God for sending the Holy Spirit to be with them.  Suddenly for one hundred and twenty believers their lives are changed as timidness becomes boldness, fear becomes power and all of their doubts disappear and they are certain that Jesus Christ is the one true God and Savior,  who fulfilled all the prophecies of Himself and kept all the promises He has made to them.

     11 Tells us we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues.. This might have been the reversal of Babel where God had seperated people by changeing there language Genesis 11: 7  Come let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other. 13 Some mockers declared these men must be drunk. Why are mockers always the first to speak King Solomon had some good advise about the mocker Proverb 22:10 Drive out the mocker and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.  These mockers may have been the same people who shouted crucify Him Crucify Him in front of Pilate. 16-21 Peter quotes from scripture the book of Joel to tell what had just taken place

     17 Peter calls this time the last days showing they actualy believed in the return of Christ would be in their life time as we do today. The apostle  Paul will later answer the church in Thessalonica about this timing for the rapture and return of Christ. Peter did believe he was living in the last days guided by the Holy Spirit who also declares the church is in the last days, perhaps we are in the final days. The promise is for all flesh dreams , visions, prophesy, and salvation for all people. 20 Talks of the great and notable day of the Lord which we see as the return of Christ. Peter is telling us what happened that morning and what is still in our future as he believed he would soon see it. 21 All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. So many people this is the only part of the day of Pentecost that still exist in the church today. Well without salvation they would be out of business they claim this is a one time event, but one time events do not get repeated as we will see this Pentecost experience again in other forms throughout the book of Acts. One time events such as the world being created, Man  created, the flood, the garden of Eden and the life and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior on the cross where He gave His life for us are one time events which should not be repeated again in this world. 

      We will study other similar events in Acts 4, as Peter prays for boldness, in the home of Cornelius Acts 10. Our message  is call on Jesus and be saved have you done this in your life is He your Savior have you allowed Him to cleanse you of your sins, fill you with the Holy Spirit and give you a new life in Him.  22 ,23 Peter declares the position of Christ approved of God and miracles God did by Him with Gods foreknowledge of mans actios that led to Christ death.

     23 Suddenly boldness arrives as Peter declares that many in this crowd may have taken actions in the death of Christ this will not please the crowd and could have quickly turned the crowd against Peter. 24 God has raised Jesus from the dead  saying death could not hold Him. Romans 6:23 says For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. While Christ lived a sinless life there was no penalty for sin and no power of sin to allow Him to be held by death. Peter speaks of the prophesy of King David certainly a crowd favorite Psalm 16:8-11  you shall not allow your Holy One to see curruption is David telling of the resurrection of Christ as he also spoke in Psalm 22 about the crucification of Christ.  31 Tells us this could be none other than Christ whose soul was not left in hell and His flesh did not see curruption.  Once again  Peter quotes King David in Psalm 16:10 Because you will not abandon Me to the grave nor will you let Your Holy One see decay. Jesus said nothing about the three days before His resurrection but we find Peter and Paul both have some later information we should examine. Paul In Ephesians 4:8-10 also quotes King David on this subject Psalm 68:18 When you ascended on high you led captives in your train you received gifts from men even from the rebelious that you O Lord God might dwell there.  Ephesians 4:9,10 What does He ascended mean except that He also descened to the lower earthly regions ? He who descended is also He who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.  Peter tells us in two chapters  some of his knowledge of the events of these three days 1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed  long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. 1 Peter 4:6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body but live 3 according to God in regard to the Spirit.

     This expresses the belief that the power of Christ is so great that it becomes retroactive  to forgive sins  even in the pre flood world all the way back to Adam. Even Adam who first sinned and caused damage to all mankind and all creation would meet Christ and be forgiven for his sin. How often I will hear someone say I have comitted a sin that can not be forgiven I will say we Have a God that has loved you and died on the cross for you to be forgiven. Ask Christ who loves you and you will be forgiven. So here we see Christ not suffering during His visit to the deep earth reigns but there to rescue those who have been waiting for their salvation to arrive. With Davids prophesy and the witness of five hundred people for forty days and ten seperate visits the resurrection of Christ is undisputable.

     Peter might have amused the crowd with hunderds of stories about all the great miracles he did witness during the three years he spent with Christ. He choose to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ  as the Spirit was leading him. Now Peter who had denied Christ three times states 33 Jesus is at the right hand of God the very same words that condemmed Christ at His trial Peter was there and saw and heard the reaction when Jesus spoke these words about Himself. Matthew 26:64 . As Peter spoke he must have been aware of the possible danger he could face for such statements. Perhaps even some of the one hundred and twenty listening also felt the danger of the crowd.  36 Peter states God has made Jesus who you killed Lord and Christ, he could not go any further than this to accuse them of the death of Christ and to declare He is Lord.

     As Peter waited for the reaction of the crowd would they believe or carry him away to be stoned.  The crowd by the work of the Holy Spirit reacts,  in a new way that the life of Christ and all the miracles could not produce. Because of His death and resurrection the Holy Spirit can convict and cause repentance in the hearts and minds of man as never before.   Here as Peter waited the promise of God spoken in Ezekiel 36:26 ,27comes true I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to follow My law. 37 Cut in their hearts the crowd replied What shall we do? There must have been a giant sigh of relief much like the wind they heard in the morning.  38 Repent and be baptized, your sins will be forgiven and you will recieve the Holy Spirit. For this promise is for you your children and all  who God calls. We are already told of generations to be saved and have the Holy Spirit, there does not seem to be any time expired notice here as we see by the word of Paul Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

     41 Three thousand saved and baptized that would be two hundred and fifty baptisms for the twelve apostles. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teachings even though they had all been baptized in water and had received the Holy Spirit the teachings of men were still necessary. God did not create a spititual system but was having man still in leadership positions among the people. 43 Tells us of miracles and wonders in the first days not recorded. 

      For the first time we see people selling their goods and homes to support the new ministry, this is something we did see during the building of the first tabinacle in the wilderness. Exodus 35:22 All who were willing men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds; brooches, earings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. The first believers did likewise to  support  the new and growing church.

      46 They met in the Temple courts large open areas outside the temple we do know Peter and John did go in but if all believers went inside the temple we do not know. What would that have been like with three thousand believers in Christ among thousands of non believers. We know that God does not allow disorder and this temple is His house of prayer. They broke bread Communion as Jesus had taught during the last supper, this would not be allowed in the temple. We see Christians at home having prayer and worship with acts of the Holy Spirit confirming their actions and beliefs in our Lord Jesus Christ. With the church growing to over three thousand and maybe twenty people per house meeting this could be meetings of one hundred and fifty homes. Each one visited by one apostle and a new christian appointed as a leader, and this will increase in Jerusalem as the Lord adds daily to those who are being saved.                                                                 

       While the church in Jerusalem grows God does not call for a large church to be built because He is aware of the persecution that will soon come upon them. In the last days there will also soon be a persecution of the church forceing many to shut down. Christians will be meeting from house to house once again and even this may not be safe. We will need at least ten house leaders for every church that now exist are you prepared for such duty. Soon we will see the persecution of the Jerusalem church and the actions they take to protect their lives and to continue the spread of the new Christian faith.

CHRIST LOVES YOU. AMEN. COME LORD JESUS