“Coming of the Holy Spirit” - Acts 2:1-21
Coming of the Spirit empowers the church to preach Jesus.
1. Being filled with the Spirit and preaching are inseparable.
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).
“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed (= spoke out) them” (Acts 2:14).
“…we hear them telling (speaking) in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11).
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18; cf. Joel 2:28-29)
2. Being filled with the Spirit leads to preaching Jesus.
1) Jesus’ life and ministry (v.22)
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.”
2) Jesus’ death (v. 23)
“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
3) Jesus’ resurrection (vv. 24-32)
“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it…. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.”
4) Jesus’ exaltation (vv. 33-36)
“Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing…. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
5) Jesus’ salvation (vv.37-39)
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
6) Jesus’ new community—the church (vv. 40-41)
“And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be MY witness” (Acts 1:8)
“If some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.” (1 Peter 3:1-2)
“…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)
