I want to draw our attention to the significance
of the interventions of God in the history of the world, following the fall of
man into a sinful state. We are thinking
here of the interventions whereby God Himself directly intervenes in the fallen
world, first by sending His Son, Jesus Christ (the Messiah), to save the world and then, secondly by the sending of the Holy Spirit to remind
the world of Jesus saving work.
The Christian calendar follows these
momentous events as we think about the birth, baptism, crucifixion and death,
resurrection, ascension of Christ the Messiah, followed by the descension of
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost – 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ, 10
days after His Ascension. These momentous
events may be compressed into a period of about 35 years.
With the cross and the resurrection
weekend behind us and having remembered the Ascension of our Lord 10 days ago,
we remember the next big event on the Christian calendar: Pentecost. All these
are holy days on the Christian calendar. We have reduced them to holidays.
Once again, significant words have suffered attrition over time. We speak about
Christmas and Easter and Ascension holidays. Pentecost has never been a public holiday in
South Africa, since it always falls on a Sunday. In many countries, it is
observed as a public holiday known as Whit Monday.[1]
It pleased God to send the Holy Spirit at
this time to gather in the first fruits from among the nations
presently in Jerusalem for this feast. This
would also be the start of a world-wide missionary movement bringing in a great
world-wide harvest of believers, a people for God’s own glory- a work which
continues in our own day, for the Holy Spirit who was sent from God has not
been withdrawn!
Before His ascension the Lord Jesus had
instructed the disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of
the Father … the Holy Spirit! Jesus said, “But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon 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).
In Acts 2:1 we read, “When the
day of Pentecost arrived[2]…”.
It was that day of which Jesus, and the prophets before Him e.g. Joel 2:28-32 and John the Baptist (Lk. 3:16) had spoken. John the Baptist prophesied that Christ would
baptize His disciples with the Spirit (Wind) and with Fire. That day had now
finally and fully arrived.
The waiting disciples were together in prayer
(Acts 2:1) when suddenly the Holy
Spirit came by way of a sound (a rushing wind) and by sight
(divided tongues of fire. Fire is a symbol of both cleansing and judgment).
The words for wind and spirit are the
same in the Greek language – Pneuma.
The rushing wind is the Spirit – the Holy Spirit- universal and invisible, but
undeniably present and powerful.
Those on whom the tongues of fire
rested “were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them
utterance “(2:3,4).
"Filled with the Spirit" is the same as being “baptized with the Spirit” (cf. 1:5).
The tongues[3]
here are human languages. Jews from various
nations (see 2:9-11) were gathered
here providentially for the Feast of First fruits. The list contains nations east and west,
north and south of Judea and each hears the message in their own languages. They
are at first bewildered and then astonished that each person can hear the
declaration of God's mighty works in his or her native language. Each one can speak
a foreign language without having previously learned it. Each one present is able
to hear the gospel in their own tongue. This is Babel (Genesis 11:9)
reversed. "What does this
mean?" (2:12) is a logical question to this phenomenon. Some glibly assume that these people are
drunk (2:13,15). This causes quite a commotion.
In 2:14- 21 Peter explains what was
seen and heard. He loses no time to direct his hearer’s attention to Joel 2:28-32. He shows them that this
text is the fulfilment of what they see happening before their very eyes.
1. The Holy Spirit who in the OT was given
to specific individuals—such as kings, prophets, or judge, for limited times
and specific tasks is now poured out on all flesh – men and women alike.
2. While Joel uses the phrase "afterward"
(Joel 2:28), Peter intentionally translates it in Acts 2:17 as "in
the last days." Pentecost marks the official beginning of the final
era of redemptive history. The "last days" period is the current
church age, spanning from Jesus's first coming and the outpouring of the Spirit
until His second coming.
3. Joel connects the outpouring of the
Spirit directly with prophetic activity: "they shall prophesy... see
visions... dream dreams." Keep
in mind that this must all be connected to the truth of the gospel – not any
prophecy, not any vision, not any dream – the gospel must be in it!
At Pentecost, this happened immediately
when the disciples were enabled to declare the gospel in languages they had
never learned. The Holy Spirit enabled them.
4. Joel’s prophecy concludes with a wonderful
promise: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be
saved." The door of salvation
was opened to Jews and Gentiles alike. This continues until the end of time before the Lord returns.
That time will be preceded by wonders in the heavens above and signs on the
earth below ( Acts 2:19-20 cf. Luke 21:25,26)
So far for our text. What is the
significance of Pentecost for today?
Pentecost reminds us that God’s work – and supremely the church begins with God and is sustained by God.
Waiting on Him in prayer is key.
Working what He commands in the Scripture is key.
Dear church, let us learn to keep in step with the Sovereign Spirit (Gal. 5:25). “I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).
Remember that God is working in the world by His Spirit!
5. A WARNING : Pentecost is not a franchise – not a monopoly of the Holy Spirit- not the domain of certain churches. There has been a tendency to get hold of the Spirit’s power and to monopolize Him, like the story of Simon Magus in Acts 8:19 who wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from the apostles. He thought of them as the franchise holders. For this he received a stern rebuke from Peter.
We have somehow been led to believe that living in the days of the outpoured Spirit has brought us an intensification of spiritual experience, and of spiritual insight, and a heightening of spiritual power. The church is constantly bombarded with this by false teachers who unsettle our hearts, always making us feel that we have too little of God’s new franchise now in the hands of these super apostles as Paul called them (2 Cor 11:5). I am also afraid that theories of superior sanctification and accelerated holiness as a result of a second experience of the Holy Spirit have confused Christians and have drawn us away from focusing on God’s work in the world.
Certain churches and teachers teach that we do not have the Holy Spirit if we have not experienced a so called ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit' – an experience subsequent to conversion. You are frowned upon in certain circles if you have not spoken in tongues , if you have not participated in ecstatic behavior in worship, if you have not received the laying on of hands of a super apostle, if you have not been to deliverance services or healing services, if you have not been in a service that is 'loud' by way of amplification, huge TV screens, dazzling light effects, smoke machines etc.
All these things remind us of the frenzied activities of the prophets of Baal when contrasted with the calm, prayerful spirit of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:20-40. Sadly, the work and the gifts of the Holy Spirit have been turned into man- manipulated fiasco in many a modern church!
And much of it is trading on the spiritual laziness of Christians who want to have an instant experience rather than the daily pursuit of diligent trust in God.
I remind you that we do not have too little of God! His grace is sufficient for every situation.
- But we do have too little faith! And we must ask God for it.
- We do have too little obedience, too little time, too many of our own agendas that constantly replace our devotion to God!
1. The historical Pentecostal event was an initiating event. As such it is unique and unrepeatable. It was a great miracle authenticating the birth, death, resurrection and
exaltation of Jesus Christ. All God's people were freed to speak about the gospel of God.
2. It was an equipping and empowering of the church for its work of bearing witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in the world (Acts 1:8) with the help of the poured out Spirit. In that sense it was a new work. Before Pentecost the church was largely confined to the Jews. Now, because of Pentecost the church spans the world. This work continues until Jesus returns. And we are called in the power of the Holy Spirit to continue to do the work of proclaiming the gospel of God in this world. You will never have to worry about spiritual power for the task at hand. If you are born again, you have all God’s authority and power with you, and according to the gifting with which God has equipped you. You speak. He does the rest. Sometimes 3000 converts in a day in that corner of God’s vineyard, sometimes one a year in another vineyard! Still the angels rejoice when a single sinner comes home ! Amen
[1] The Monday
after Pentecost is a public holiday in: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla,
Austria, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, The British Virgin Islands,
Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, France,
Gabon, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Madagascar, Monaco, Montserrat, The Netherlands, Norway, Romania,
Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal,
Solomon Islands, Switzerland, Togo and Ukraine.[3] In many of these countries,
Whit Monday is known as "the second day of Pentecost" or "the
second Whitsun" [ SOURCE: Wikipedia]
[2] sumplerousthai, lit ‘ to fill completely ‘ [NIV came;
KJV ‘ fully come’ ]; see also Lk 9:51)
[3] γλῶσσα (glōssa); plural form γλῶσσαι (glōssai). In Acts 2,
the word represents known languages
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