1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,440 They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,080 them. Now they were staying in 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,680 Jerusalem, God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,440 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in 5 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:19,120 bewilderment because each one of them heard their own language 6 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,520 being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked, 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,560 Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,400 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,080 languages? Parthians, Meats and Elamites, 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,640 residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:44,120 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Sireni. 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:49,320 Visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,960 and Arabs. We hear them declaring the 14 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:53,920 wonders of God in our own tongues. 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,560 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, what does this 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,960 mean? Some, however, made fun of them 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,400 and said they have had too much wine. 18 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,200 Then Peter stood out with the 11, raised his voice, and 19 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,600 addressed the crowd. Fellow Jews and all of you who 20 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,000 live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you. 21 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,680 Listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk as 22 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,360 you suppose. It's only 9 in the morning. 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,360 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel in the last 24 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,880 days. God says I will pour out my 25 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,880 spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will 26 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,480 prophecy. Your young men will see visions. 27 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,920 Your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men 28 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,920 and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days and they 29 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,240 will prophecy. I will show wonders in the 30 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:56,840 heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and 31 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,040 billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to 32 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,400 darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great 33 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,560 and glorious day of the Lord, and everyone who calls on the 34 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:13,920 name of the Lord will be saved. Fellow Israelites, listen to 35 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,920 this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man 36 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:21,760 accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, 37 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,680 which God did among you through him. 38 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,920 As you yourselves know, this man was handed over to you by God's 39 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:33,640 deliberate plan and foreknowledge, and you, with the 40 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:37,880 help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the 41 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,520 cross. But God raised him from the 42 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,360 dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was 43 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,360 impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 44 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:52,240 David said about him. I saw the Lord always before me. 45 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:57,440 Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 46 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,440 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. 47 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,880 My body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me 48 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:11,080 to the realm of the dead. You will not let your Holy One 49 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,360 see decay. You have made known to me the 50 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,880 paths of life. You will fill me with joy in 51 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,240 your presence. Fellow Israelites, I can tell 52 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,520 you confidently that the patriarch David died and was 53 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,840 buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 54 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,480 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on the 55 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,480 oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 56 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,960 Seeing what was to come, he spoke to the resurrection of the 57 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,480 Messiah, that He was not abandoned to the realm of the 58 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,040 dead, nor did His body see decay. 59 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:53,640 God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of 60 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,480 it. Exalted to the right hand of 61 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:00,320 God, He was received from the Father, the promised Holy 62 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,200 Spirit, and has poured out what you now see and hear. 63 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,960 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, The 64 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,320 Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your 65 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,480 enemies a footstool for your feet. 66 00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:19,959 Therefore let all Israel be assured of this. 67 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:24,640 God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and 68 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,920 Messiah. When the people heard this, they 69 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,680 were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 70 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:37,480 Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, Repent and be 71 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,920 baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the 72 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,680 forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the 73 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,240 Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your 74 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:54,800 children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our 75 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,920 God will call. With many other words, He warned 76 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,840 them and He pleaded with them. Save yourselves from this 77 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:06,680 corrupt generation. Those who accepted His message 78 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:11,520 were baptized and about 3000 were added to the number that 79 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,720 day. So Lily's already said, but this 80 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,920 is a really big moment in the history of the church and 81 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,560 history of God's dealings with humanity. 82 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,440 And sometimes the events of a single day can change 83 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,920 everything. Maybe on a on a global level, 84 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,000 that might be we're at war or war is over. 85 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,240 It could be a medical breakthrough that will save 86 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,360 countless lives. It could be a political upheaval 87 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:47,080 or regime change that just changes events all around the 88 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,280 world. On a more personal level, just 89 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,560 think of a wedding day or the birth of a child. 90 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,960 The day before your life is one way, just as it's always been. 91 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,720 And then suddenly the next day everything changes. 92 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:06,920 And the day of Pentecost was a single day that changed 93 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,760 everything forever. And why was that? 94 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,320 Well, because in the city of Jerusalem that day in the early 95 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:19,360 years of the 1st century AD, God himself comes to dwell with his 96 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:23,280 people. All thanks to Jesus life, death 97 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:27,200 and resurrection. For us on the day of Pentecost 98 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,320 we've just read about, the living God comes to dwell with 99 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,280 his people through the Holy Spirit, and nothing will ever be 100 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:38,480 the same again. The living God who made us can 101 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:45,320 now dwell with and in us because our sins have been paid for by 102 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,960 Jesus. I was speaking with a friend 103 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,800 earlier this week about this pastor who just said message of 104 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,080 Pentecost. It's just, it's worth 105 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,760 celebrating maybe even more than the message of Christmas that we 106 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,560 do every year. And she said, actually it's a 107 00:06:58,560 --> 00:06:59,600 bit like the message of Christmas. 108 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:04,440 And you can almost sum it up with Emmanuel, God with us. 109 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:06,680 That is what the coming of the Holy Spirit means. 110 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:11,080 It means Emmanuel, God has come to live with us and in US 111 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,640 through the Holy Spirit so we can enjoy intimacy with God and 112 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,000 partnership with God in this world. 113 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,080 This changes everything, the day of Pentecost. 114 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,320 And why is the coming of the Holy Spirit so life changing? 115 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,840 Well, the 20th century pastor and theologian John Stott puts 116 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,440 it like this. He says without the Holy Spirit, 117 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:35,760 the Christian life is impossible. 118 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,840 There could be no life without the life giver, no understanding 119 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,400 without the spirit of truth, no community without the unity of 120 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,240 the Spirit, no Christ likeness without the fruit of the Spirit, 121 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,520 no effective witness without his power as a body, without breath, 122 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,200 as a corpse. So the church without the Spirit 123 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,040 is dead. I hope we're getting the point 124 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,600 here. This is a big moment. 125 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,800 The coming of the Spirit changes everything. 126 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,400 It's God himself come to live with his people, to empower us 127 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:08,880 for new life with Him, and to live as His witnesses in this 128 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,120 world. So again, as we said, it's a bit 129 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:13,480 of a long pass. We're going to try and speed 130 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,960 through it and then finish with a few implications for us today. 131 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,760 So looking at verses 1 and 2 here, the coming of the Holy 132 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,880 Spirit, Luke begins by by telling us his disciples we're 133 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,480 all together in one place. That's verse one. 134 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:30,080 If you hear last week, you know that refers to the 12 apostles 135 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,360 recently with Matthias joining their number, and about 120 are 136 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,440 their believers with them. And Luke tells us it's the day 137 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,640 of Pentecost. Now the day of Pentecost was the 138 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,840 day already before the coming of the Holy Spirit, and it was 139 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,720 called Pentecost because it came fifty days after Passover. 140 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,360 Literally, Pentecost is the 50th in Greek, and it was the 141 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:56,080 beginning of a Jewish harvest festival known as the Feast of 142 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,880 Weeks. And by the 1st century, it also 143 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,800 become a celebration of God giving the law to Moses of Mount 144 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:04,720 Sinai. This big moment where God 145 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,600 reveals his law to his people that he saved from slavery. 146 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,360 That's what it began to represent. 147 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:15,120 And it's now been 10 days since Jesus ascended into heaven. 148 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,160 And throughout Acts chapter 1, Luke has been making us wait 149 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,080 with the apostles and disciples. We've waited with them. 150 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,880 We've held on with them to the closing words of Jesus. 151 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,000 Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised. 152 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,280 And now suddenly verse 2, with the disciples all together in 153 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,800 one place, the Holy Spirit is poured out on them. 154 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,320 Let me read verses 2 to 4 force again. 155 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,680 Luke says. Suddenly a sign like the blowing 156 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:46,120 of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole 157 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,640 house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be 158 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,920 tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of 159 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,280 them. All of them were filled with the 160 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:59,560 Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit 161 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,160 enabled them. It's a huge moment. 162 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,440 What is going on here? Well, all the images Luke 163 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,360 records for us here are symbols of the presence of the living 164 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,760 God with his people throughout the Old Testament. 165 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,800 So very tells us first of all, there's there's a sound like the 166 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,600 blowing of a violent wind that represents the creative power, 167 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,640 the breath of God. So a violent wind in the book of 168 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:29,280 Exodus parted the Red Sea, open it up so that God's rescued 169 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,520 people could walk to freedom when they received the law at 170 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:34,960 Mount Sinai. There was a huge wind round 171 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,320 Mount Sinai, the sea. On the same mountain generations 172 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,240 later, the prophet Elijah encountered God and there was a 173 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:46,400 violent wind accompanying that. And then Luke tells us there 174 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,520 were tongues of fire resting and all of them. 175 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,200 That again represents the purifying presence of God and 176 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,120 the Old Testament fire often means God is cleaning up. 177 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,480 He is getting rid of the sins of His people from His presence. 178 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,600 Again, Mount Sinai, the Lord descended in fire. 179 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,920 Exodus 19, verse 18. Fire was present when Elijah met 180 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,840 with God. 1 Kings 19, verse 12. What is going on here? 181 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:16,560 Luke wants us to see the living, holy God has come near to dwell 182 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:19,360 with His people. And how on earth is that 183 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,960 possible? How can a holy God live with 184 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:26,480 sinful people here on earth? The difference is that Jesus has 185 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,720 come. Jesus has lived and died and 186 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:31,880 risen again. And because Jesus has paid for 187 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,920 our sin through his life, death and resurrection, the living God 188 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:42,400 can now dwell with his people. Look at verse 4. 189 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,200 Here Luke tells us all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit 190 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:49,440 and began to speak in other tongues as the spirits enabled 191 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:51,160 them. Again here we learned the words 192 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,640 of God are proclaimed. See the prophets in the Old 193 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,640 Testament. Filled with the spirits, they 194 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,240 can proclaim the words of God to the world around them. 195 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,880 Now the spirit has come. All God's people are empowered 196 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,000 to be prophets. All can be witnesses to the 197 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,040 living God, to the world around them. 198 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,480 We have wind, we have fire, we have speech. 199 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:16,000 God himself has come near to his people, and he wants to speak to 200 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,440 them and through them, to the world he created and the world 201 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:24,280 he loves. It's a huge moment in the 202 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,040 history of the Bible. And again, look at those verses, 203 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,920 verses 1 to 4. Again, know how inclusive Luke's 204 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,400 language is here. He says what seem to be tongues 205 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,480 of fire separated and came to rest on each of them. 206 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,440 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak. 207 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,520 Looks clear. The blessing of the Holy Spirit 208 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,120 is for the whole community of believers, not just Peter and 209 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:49,800 the other apostles, but all 120 of them present in that room. 210 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:54,040 The Holy Spirit is God's empowering presence in all his 211 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,240 people. And again, if you've been here 212 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,000 at all the last few weeks, we've already seen the apostles. 213 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,080 They play a unique and distinctive role in the history 214 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:04,480 of the church. We're going to learn more about 215 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,360 the apostles rules in the weeks to come. 216 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,240 But right from the outset, there is no two tier Christianity. 217 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,640 It's not like the apostles have the Spirit and the rest don't. 218 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,480 There's no idea of some believers with the Spirit and 219 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,600 other believes who like them. No, no, all of them were filled 220 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,800 with the Holy Spirit says, look, the Holy Spirit is the living 221 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:29,400 God dwelling in everyone who trusts in Jesus. 222 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,840 We'd see this is a huge moment. This is this is a new way of God 223 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,520 coming near to his people. There are echoes of the Old 224 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,280 Testament, but something new is happening here. 225 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:46,440 It's a unique turning point in salvation history. 226 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,800 Now we're going to see in the weeks to come in the book of 227 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,520 Acts, when people come and put their faith in Jesus, they 228 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,040 receive the Holy Spirit. It's not He's not received in 229 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:57,440 all the ways that are mentioned here. 230 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,000 There's no mention of wind or fire elsewhere in the book of 231 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,440 Acts. We shouldn't expect to see those 232 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:06,360 same physical signs of someone receiving the Holy Spirit. 233 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,320 But the message of Pentecost is still one we need to hear 234 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,840 because God comes and dwells with all his people. 235 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,120 And there's a refrain all the way through the Bible. 236 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,360 God says again and again to his troubled, beleaguered people, 237 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,320 people struggling, He says do not be afraid, I am with you. 238 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,600 And now in a world post Pentecost, every believer in 239 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:32,240 Jesus can know with certainty the living God is with me. 240 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,360 He is dwelling in me and among his people. 241 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:41,200 Through his Holy Spirit. We can now live knowing that the 242 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,600 Lord is with us. We can now be His witnesses in 243 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:50,800 this world, and that's what the Spirit empowers the disciples to 244 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:52,920 do. In the following verses, verses 245 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:56,360 5 to 13 that Stuart read out to us, Luke introduces us to this 246 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,920 crowd in Jerusalem that day, verse 5. 247 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,320 Now that we're staying in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast 248 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,800 of Weeks, God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 249 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,360 Straight away, right at the beginning of his book, Luke 250 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:14,000 gives us a glimpse here of the Gospel for all nations, verses 251 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,120 5. It's a 13 cause again, it's hard 252 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,280 to hide what is happening with the early disciples. 253 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,520 They're declaring the wonders of God together at full volume. 254 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,200 The crowd comes together in amazement and we learn more 255 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,280 about these other tongues. The Spirit enabled the disciples 256 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,840 to speak. So what are these other tongues? 257 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,320 Well, the crowd tells us in verses 7 and 8 and verse 11 they 258 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:37,840 are. The other tongues are the native 259 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,600 languages of the cried, the native languages of the Greek or 260 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,560 Roman world of the 1st century looks clear here. 261 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,320 These aren't the sort of tongues mentioned elsewhere in the New 262 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,120 Testament in One Corinthians 12 to 14, where those tongues are a 263 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,760 particular gift of the Spirit given to some believers that 264 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,920 require the Spirit to interpret no on the day of Pentecost. 265 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,880 The tongues here refer to intelligible human languages 266 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,040 different from the disciples own languages. 267 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,800 So the gift of tongues at Pentecost enables the good news 268 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,560 of Jesus to go to these God fearing Jews from every nation 269 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,200 under heaven, says Luke. And when Luke describes every 270 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,040 nation under heaven, he's not including nations that would 271 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:26,560 have been unknown to him at that time, so Australia or America or 272 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,720 Ireland, but actually he's referring to every nation under 273 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,000 heaven means just the Greek or Roman world, all the places 274 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:36,320 where Jewish believers have been scattered in the intervening 275 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:40,160 centuries. He names 15 countries and 276 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:45,040 peoples in verses 9:00 to 11:00. This was the whole known world. 277 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:46,800 And they're all here at Pentecost. 278 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,600 And by the power of the Spirit, they are hearing the good news 279 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,760 of Jesus. This was the birthday of the 280 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,160 global church, the first steps towards a church made-up of all 281 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,760 nations to which we belong today. 282 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,200 And as this crowd gathers to hear what's going on, there are 283 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,359 different responses to what is happening. 284 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,200 Some are amazed and perplexed, Luke tells us. 285 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,280 Others make fun of the disciples, saying they must be 286 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,720 drunk. So Peter stands up to explain 287 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,720 what is going on and what follows. 288 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,599 Peter basically has three big questions he's trying to answer 289 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:25,760 for this crowd. What just happened, Why has this 290 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,359 happened, and how should we respond? 291 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,640 Let's be through those three questions then. 292 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,480 What has just happened? What Peter tells them the 293 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:38,760 promised Holy Spirit has come. Verses 14 to 21, The promised 294 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,400 Holy Spirit has come. Peter begins by dismissing the 295 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:43,160 idea. They're drunk. 296 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:44,160 He says it's 9:00 in the morning. 297 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,320 That's not happening. And instead, before this crowd 298 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:51,320 of God fearing Jews, he opens up the Old Testament to them, the 299 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,960 Jewish scriptures, verses 16 to 18. 300 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:57,800 This is what was spoken by the prophet Jewel, says Peter. 301 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:03,840 In the last days God says, I will pour out my spirit on all 302 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,400 people. Your sons and daughters will 303 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:10,000 prophecy, your young men will see visions, your old men will 304 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,840 dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men 305 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,600 and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days and they 306 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,880 will prophecy. According to Peter. 307 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,960 Here the Jewish crowd are witnessing the fulfilment of 308 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:28,440 centuries old prophecy. The pouring out of the Spirit 309 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,280 was promised right the way through the Old Testament, 310 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,000 through prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel and the prophet 311 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,640 mentioned here, Joel. Actually, the pouring out of the 312 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,680 Spirit was also promised much more recently by recent people. 313 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,320 This cry would have heard people like John the Baptist and Jesus 314 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,360 himself. And according to the prophet 315 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:50,120 Joel, the coming of the Holy Spirit is the sign we are now in 316 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:53,160 the last days. God's saving purposes for 317 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,520 humanity are going public, says Peter. 318 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,640 So the last days in the New Testament, quite an ominous 319 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:00,920 phrase. People think it's all like 320 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,240 apocalyptic stuff. I guess what it really means is 321 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,400 the period of time between the first coming of Jesus and the 322 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:09,800 second coming of Jesus. Jesus already said he's coming 323 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:11,960 back one day. The last days are between his 324 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:13,920 first coming and his second coming. 325 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:18,320 Therefore, we today are living in the last days, the age of the 326 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:23,120 church, the age of opportunity when the church go into the 327 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:27,880 world proclaiming the good news of Jesus before Jesus returns in 328 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,600 glory. And in those last days, says 329 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,680 Joel, the Holy Spirit's poured out on all God's people. 330 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,600 We've already seen that in verses 1 to 4, but it's really 331 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,440 significant. Again, our Bibles have in 332 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,280 translation often have gender inclusive terms to kind of 333 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,480 really reflect the fact that actually men and women are 334 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,120 included in this. So I mean, that's not the 335 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:49,640 original Greek, but but we we reflect that on our modern 336 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:51,960 translations. But here in Jewel, it is 337 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,520 absolutely emphatic. In the original Greek, it is 338 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,720 your sons and daughters will prophecy. 339 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,640 Your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men 340 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,000 and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days. 341 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:04,680 That's not a translation decision of an English person. 342 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,960 That's Jewel's prophecy and Peter's message. 343 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:13,920 On this day, the Spirit is for all believers, and that's 344 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,480 significant because in the Old Testament the Spirit does 345 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:18,600 appear. The Holy Spirit appears at 346 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:22,600 various points, but often he appears to help particular 347 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:27,280 people, significant people, for a particular work of service at 348 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,680 a particular moment in time. So the Spirit comes on kings 349 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:37,080 like Saul and David, prophets like Joel, great warriors like 350 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:41,360 Samson in the book of Judges. But Nigel tells us the Holy 351 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:46,120 Spirit's poured on all God's people, men and women, young and 352 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:49,960 old, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord. 353 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,480 In verses 19 to 20, we learn of signs of God's power and 354 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:58,880 judgment that will come in these last days. 355 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,840 Some of them actually happened on the first Good Friday you'll 356 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,240 prophecies. The sun was turned to darkness 357 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,320 again, that happened when Jesus hung on the cross. 358 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,920 Some of these signs are for the future before Jesus returns. 359 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,920 But in this meantime, verse 21, salvation is offered to all 360 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,080 people. Jewel is emphatic about that. 361 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:24,240 Peter is emphatic about that. Verse 21, everyone who calls on 362 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,320 the name of the Lord will be saved. 363 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:31,480 Salvation is offered to everyone through faith in Jesus. 364 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,240 A key work of the Spirit now that he's come is to rescue and 365 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:38,920 save everyone who puts their faith in Jesus. 366 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,720 So what just happened? Peter says the promised Holy 367 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,280 Spirit has come. Why is the Spirit come now? 368 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,040 Peter tells us because the risen and exalted Jesus has poured him 369 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:54,040 out on his people. The real cause for the coming of 370 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,200 the Holy Spirit, says Peter, is Jesus life, death, and 371 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,640 resurrection. Again, it's really striking here 372 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,960 that instead of focusing on the Holy Spirit alone in what he 373 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,440 says, Peter directs our attention again and again to the 374 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:13,440 saving life and work of Jesus. Why? 375 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,400 Because without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a 376 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,840 holy God could never have come near to us in the person of his 377 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:23,320 Spirit. It's Jesus who's won the Spirit 378 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,040 for us, Jesus who pours out the Spirit on us. 379 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,760 And it's through faith in Jesus that any of us can receive the 380 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:34,000 Holy Spirit. This Peter's talk is all about 381 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:36,400 Jesus. I hope you could see that in 382 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:41,280 verses 22 and following Peter tells us Jesus was a man just 383 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,440 like us. He says verse 22, Jesus of 384 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:47,280 Nazareth, he, he had a hometown, he had a family, but but 385 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:48,560 actually he was a man not like us. 386 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,640 He was he was accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and 387 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,760 signs. He was special, He was unique. 388 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:57,040 And this man, Jesus was crucified. 389 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:03,360 Verse 23 This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate 390 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:07,640 plan and foreknowledge, and you with the help of wicked man, put 391 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,680 him to death by nailing him to the cross. 392 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,400 It's amazing to remember to remember where all this fits. 393 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,560 This is 50 days after the crucifixion. 394 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,000 There were people in this crowd, men and women who 50 days 395 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,880 previously had screamed crucify him, crucify him. 396 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,800 When Jesus was on trial, some of these same individuals sitting 397 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:36,160 here listening to Peter, we remember Jesus, didn't we kill 398 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:41,000 him. We learned 2 amazing truths 399 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,360 about the cross here in verse 23. 400 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,720 One, that the crucifixion of Jesus was part of God's plan to 401 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,400 save a people for himself. Peter said Jesus was handed over 402 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,600 to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge. 403 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,880 The cross wasn't an accident, wasn't a tragic mistake. 404 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,360 It was part of God's saving plan. 405 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:05,120 But at the same time, says Peter, the crucifixion of Jesus 406 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:10,880 was the work of evil people, and Peter holds them responsible for 407 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,560 that. You with the help of wicked man, 408 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,800 put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 409 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,720 At the cross we see two things that that they're just baffling 410 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,080 to us, but they are taught again and again in Scripture. 411 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,000 On the one hand, God is sovereign over all things. 412 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,400 He's working on his saving purposes in human history. 413 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,760 Human beings are always responsible for their actions. 414 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:38,080 God's sovereignty never takes away our responsibility. 415 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:42,400 That is what Peter's telling this cried about the cross. 416 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,440 And as far as the people in the crowd know well, Jesus, he died, 417 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,360 didn't he? 50 days ago? 418 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:51,320 He was, He was crucified. We saw it, we saw his body 419 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,040 hanging on a tree. But actually Peter has amazing 420 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,320 news for them. Verse 24 onwards, Jesus is 421 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:01,280 alive, says Peter, but God raised him from the dead, 422 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,120 freeing him from the agony of death. 423 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:05,600 Why? Peter tells us because it was 424 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,840 impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 425 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,640 He says you saw a weak man crucified in the cross. 426 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,200 Actually he is the Lord and Messiah, and he is far stronger 427 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,520 than even death. Death tried to take him, Death 428 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:23,840 tried to keep him, but he just broke free because he is Lord 429 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:29,480 and He is God. Peter quotes from a couple of 430 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:33,800 Psalms, Psalm 16, Psalm 110, to show what has happened, to show 431 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,560 that the Old Testament was always pointing forward to this. 432 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,240 Then he comes to climax, verses 32 to 33, where he says God has 433 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,480 raised this Jesus to life. We are all witnesses of it. 434 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,680 He and the other disciples exalted to the right hand of 435 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:49,560 God. He has received from the Father 436 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:54,440 the promised Holy Spirit and has poured on what you now see and 437 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,760 hear. Why is the Spirit come? 438 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,960 It's come because the risen and exalted Jesus has poured him out 439 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,280 on his people. The Holy Spirit, God himself, 440 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:11,360 can now dwell with us because Jesus has put an end to the sin 441 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:13,600 of his people. He's defeated sin and defeated 442 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,120 death. The Spirit of God is the gift of 443 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,080 God, one for us by the Son of God. 444 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,880 He's the gift of the risen and exalted Jesus. 445 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,760 It's a huge amount Peter's communicating here, but he ends. 446 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:35,320 He wraps up by actually looking for a response from his hearers. 447 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,360 Verse 36. He says, therefore, that all 448 00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:41,720 Israel be assured of this. God has made this Jesus whom you 449 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:45,320 crucified, both Lord and Messiah. 450 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,120 And he asks the people to respond to that. 451 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,360 It's not enough, says Peter. Just to listen to this, I'm 452 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:54,320 going to give you an interesting account of how Old Testament 453 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,680 prophecy has been fulfilled. Or, or you can just look at us 454 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,320 and yeah, that's nice. And go back on your way. 455 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:00,880 No, he wants a response from the crowd. 456 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:06,240 It's not enough just to be drawn to Jesus or attracted to Jesus, 457 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,720 or to Christian community or to be just looking for answers. 458 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,920 There comes a point when we each need to decide, will I put my 459 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:16,480 faith in this Jesus or put my faith in someone else? 460 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:21,760 Will Jesus be my Lord or will someone or something else be my 461 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,720 Lord? Do I believe Jesus is who he 462 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,840 says he is? Will I receive the Spirit or 463 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:32,200 will I say no thanks, That's not for me, for Peter, how should we 464 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,080 respond? He spells it out for them. 465 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:38,880 He says repent and be baptized. Verses 36 to 41. 466 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,880 Look at verse 37. When the people heard what Peter 467 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,960 had said, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the 468 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:49,560 other apostles, brothers, what shall we do? 469 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,240 We need to hear just the almost a sense of hopelessness there 470 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,240 because up to this point, all Peter said he spelt out just how 471 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:00,840 badly wrong they were about Jesus. 472 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,040 That guy that you called to be crucified 50 days ago, He's 473 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,080 actually the Lord. He's the Messiah you've been 474 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,840 waiting for. And actually that could be the 475 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,880 end of Peters and he says, sorry guys, you had a chance. 476 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,000 You blew it and he's coming back to judge you. 477 00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:18,920 That's that's for the crowd is at this point going buzz, what 478 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,640 shall we do? Is there any hope, Peter? 479 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,120 Is there any way back from what we've done? 480 00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:26,920 We have killed the Lord and Messiah sent by God to save us. 481 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:35,080 Is there any hope and it's actually by verse 38, the hope 482 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:39,280 comes, the good news of Peter's message comes Peter isn't just 483 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,560 announcing God's judgement on his enemies. 484 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,520 He's offering forgiveness to everyone who will by the knee 485 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:50,960 before this Jesus verse 38, Peter replied, repent and be 486 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,720 baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the 487 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:59,320 forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the 488 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:04,240 Holy Spirit. How how does the cried respond 489 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,200 to Peter's message? Very clearly Peter says we 490 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,880 should repent. Let's turn around, stop running 491 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:14,000 away from God and start running towards God. 492 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,760 It's a complete change of direction for us and we should 493 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,600 be baptized. Baptism here, a sign of faith, 494 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:24,640 dying to your old way of life, rising again to a new way of 495 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:29,640 life, asking Jesus to be Lord and rescuer of your life. 496 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,000 And if we do that, says Peter, he offers us 2 gifts, the 497 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:37,160 forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the 498 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,200 forgiveness of sins being washed clean from whatever we have 499 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,760 done. Jesus forgives his enemies if we 500 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,760 come to him and the gift of the Holy Spirit again, that's God 501 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,760 himself come to live with us. It's not like, well turn over a 502 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,400 new leaf and you're on your own. It's turn over a new leaf and 503 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:56,280 then let me come and live with you, says God, to change you, to 504 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:00,560 empower you to follow Jesus in this world. 505 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,920 Repent, be baptized, and the gifts are the forgiveness of 506 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,960 sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and those gifts offered 507 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:15,400 by Peter to the crowd are accepted by 3000 people that 508 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:20,320 day. Verse 41, it was he accepted his 509 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,880 message, were baptized and about 3000 were added to their number. 510 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:30,080 That day, 3000 people received from God through faith in Jesus, 511 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,600 forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. 512 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:38,200 The Christian Church was born that day, worshippers of Jesus, 513 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,040 witnesses to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. 514 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,240 And it continues to this day, including this church family 515 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,960 that we're sitting among this morning. 516 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,600 And we'll learn more about the power of the Spirit at work in 517 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:58,400 that church next week when we look at their new life together. 518 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:08,080 There's a lot here. How should we respond to the 519 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,320 coming of the Holy Spirit 2000 years ago at Pentecost? 520 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,400 Just a few reflections as we finish, and we're going to 521 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,640 unpack these as we carry on through this amazing book of 522 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,600 Acts. First thing I wanted to see is 523 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,720 this. The Holy Spirit is the greatest 524 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,840 gift God can give to us. He's the gift of himself. 525 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,480 Through the Spirit living in us, we can now have close personal 526 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:40,040 relationship with the living God, Father, Son and Holy 527 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:42,240 Spirit. The Holy Spirit really is God 528 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:46,240 himself come to live in US and with us. 529 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:51,200 The message of Pentecost that my friend said Emmanuel, God with 530 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:57,800 us always and forever. We need to see the connection 531 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,680 here. The Holy Spirit dwells with us 532 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,480 thanks to Jesus life, death and resurrection. 533 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,560 Again, Peter's focus is not on the Holy Spirit in and of 534 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,880 himself. It's on Jesus, what he has done 535 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,640 his saving work so that we can have the Holy Spirit. 536 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,640 It's possible in in church history and human history get so 537 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,600 transfixed. I want a bit of that power that 538 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,640 the Holy Spirit offers. We always think like get that 539 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,680 without all that grim cross repentance stuff. 540 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,840 The answer Peter gives us? No, the Holy Spirit dwells with 541 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,000 us thanks to Jesus life, death and resurrection. 542 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,680 The Holy Spirit. This is a holy God. 543 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,800 How can he live with people who are not holy? 544 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,520 Only because Jesus has paid the price for our sin. 545 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,240 We cannot have the Holy Spirit without faith in the saving work 546 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:51,560 of Jesus. But building on that, we can't 547 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:54,400 follow Jesus without the help of the Holy Spirit. 548 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,360 Without the Spirit, the Christian life is impossible. 549 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:01,800 With the Spirit, we can live as witnesses for Jesus. 550 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,120 Again, sometimes we maybe different church traditions 551 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,160 don't talk as much about the Holy Spirit to the point we can 552 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,440 maybe think, well, yeah, that's may be fine for some Christians, 553 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:12,760 but but I think I'm fine without. 554 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:16,240 Actually, no is the testimony of God's Word. 555 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,840 No is the testimony of Acts, whose prophets promised the Holy 556 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,000 Spirit to God's people in the Old Testament because because 557 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:23,760 they knew you need the Holy Spirit. 558 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,320 You cannot do this on your own, in your own strength. 559 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,840 We cannot live as witnesses for Jesus in this world without a 560 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,920 daily dependence on the Holy Spirit. 561 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,960 That's why Jesus told the disciples wait for the Spirit. 562 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,280 And that's why the Spirit came at Pentecost and comes to the 563 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,400 lives of every believer who puts their faith in Jesus. 564 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,960 We need to depend on the Spirit in prayer together if we are 565 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:53,520 going to live for Jesus and live with Jesus in this world as a 566 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,400 church family. We need to learn that 567 00:33:55,400 --> 00:34:00,200 dependence, to pray together, to listen to the Spirit in God's 568 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,400 Word together, to let His Word shape us more than the words of 569 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,200 culture around us. We need to pray for one another 570 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:11,040 that we would know the presence of God with us as we live for 571 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,960 Him in this world, the Holy Spirit. 572 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:19,400 He is not an optional extra for the Christian life or someone 573 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,679 certain church traditions need and others don't. 574 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,880 Without the Holy Spirit, the Christian life is impossible. 575 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:31,520 But with the Holy Spirit, that gift that Jesus won for us and 576 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,920 pours out on everyone who puts their faith in Him, we can enjoy 577 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:41,440 intimacy with God together and partnership with God together. 578 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:48,320 Enjoy intimacy with God. The New Testament says it's by 579 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:54,120 the Spirit we cry out, ABBA, father, Dad, help me. 580 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:57,600 That's the Spirit in US. It's the Spirit. 581 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:03,480 He unites us to Christ so we can say I am in Christ and Christ is 582 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:08,040 in me because of the Spirit. It's through the Spirit that the 583 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,800 love of God is poured out into our hearts. 584 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:15,840 Romans 5 verse 5, the Holy Spirit gives us intimacy with 585 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:19,120 God, close personal relationship, knowing the God of 586 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:24,560 the universe loves us, welcomes us, accepts us, dwells with us 587 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:30,560 because of what Jesus has done. And the Spirit also gives us 588 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:33,080 partnership with God. Amazingly, the New Testament 589 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:39,000 says regularly we are Co workers with God and that's madness 590 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,160 without the Spirit. Yeah, God, you do that. 591 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,000 But I'll, I'll cover this bit. We'll be fine. 592 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:49,480 No, it's only because the Spirit is in US, empowering us that we 593 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,680 can be used by God to build His church in this world. 594 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:57,480 We can't save anyone, but the Holy Spirit through US can 595 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,400 transform lives and bring repentance and faith to people 596 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,640 as we proclaim the good news of the life, death and resurrection 597 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:09,080 of Jesus Christ. Intimacy with God and 598 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:11,960 partnership with God. That is what the Christian life 599 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:17,920 is all about that is what the day of Pentecost one for us the 600 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:22,320 message of Pentecost Emmanuel, God with us. 601 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:28,000 The invitation Peter leaves with a crowd is the invitation Luke 602 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:32,320 leaves with us how we respond, we repent. 603 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:37,520 You'll put our faith in Jesus, and His Holy Spirit will empower 604 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:42,800 us to live for Jesus and with Jesus.