We last week started a new. Series really just a journey
through. A book of the Bible.
In a title that we're calling the.
Power of the Church. And we're going to be looking at
the history and the amazing story and movement of the. 1st.
Church that we are standing, celebrating and taking part in
today and so. If you have your.
Bibles. We're in the 2nd chapter now.
Of the Book of Acts. The book of Acts, chapter 2.
And as you're turning there? Just appreciate those of you
who. Have made it to.
Church after. A long day of celebration for
those of you who celebrated in the day yesterday.
I know many people did. Maybe not many.
Maybe. Just a few, but April. 18th Did
anybody celebrate April 18th as National Superman Day?
Where are my nerds at? It's OK to celebrate that it's
a. Yearly event for many people who
are enthusiastic. About probably the greatest
superhero arc of all time. And on April 18th, 1930. 8 the
very. First Superman comic book
edition one came out and it was essentially the Superman origin
story. Of how it all got started, Who
was? This person that that would go
on this incredible journey of saving humanity.
And I, I mentioned that because we are in a sense, people who
gravitate towards origins. I have four children and so that
means that I'm pretty much always celebrating either their
birthday or some friend's birthday.
And it is the practice of humanity.
To just revolve your life. Around your beginning and my
kids when it's time for their. Birthday.
They love to hear their. Origin story tell tell me again
the story of me entering into the world.
And I don't think they're unique.
I think there's something inside of all of us that to like to
remember, maybe sometimes reluctantly, how long it's been
since the first birth or the 1st.
Birthday, I should say. And that's because when you when
you think about your identity, you're thinking about your
origin, you see a whole trend of people wanting to know even more
than just their birthday. It's like, tell me, I'll send in
my DNA. You can tell me about my
ancestors. I want to know who I am.
And that's worth mentioning now. Because there's the day.
You were born, and there's also the day that you found out why.
And today we're going to. Look back at the the.
Origin. Story of everything we just did.
We almost take it for granted how unique and.
Special it is to be the gathered people, the.
Church around the world. Because you guys have all been
to church, we do this every. Sunday you can You drove by 5.
Churches to get here there are probably.
Reference points that you've all had to different churches and
styles and sermons and songs. And so we just assume it's
always been this way, but today we're going to remember.
That this all started. With one church gathering, it's
set it all into motion. It's the origin.
Story of the of the church. And it's what we call Pentecost.
And in looking at this, not only do we find the origin story, but
we find that identity, the identity that is found in the
origin story because you you find out why something was
started and you can make sense of the middle of the story and
you can see. Where it's going?
And so I'm so. Grateful that the Lord gave us
the origin story of what we call the.
Church and we're going to look at that in Acts chapter 2 and so
before we get into the. Verses that we'll we'll study.
This morning I'll just remind you of of.
How this origin story? Was, you know, really.
Kicked off like. Often times you're waiting for a
day of arrival, the origin story of birth, and it turns into this
great excitement and then you just got to wait.
How many of you? Have heard the due.
Date and it's like OK that's the due date and now we're seven
days past you know maybe some of you are in it right now you're
like I I'm relating to the sermon because.
I was supposed to give birth a week.
Ago. I'm sick of waiting and this.
Is where we left off. You'll remember the disciples in
Acts chapter 1 come to Jesus and they say is now the time to
restore the Kingdom of Israel? And he told.
Them it's not your job to know when.
Your job is just to wait. And he told them specifically
what they were waiting for. The power of the Holy Spirit.
That was going to be poured. Out on God's people.
And so they're waiting. And it was in Acts chapter one
it says that they spent. 40 days with the resurrected.
Lord, he gave them infallible. Proofs of his.
Resurrection and taught them all the things pertaining to the
Kingdom of God. And then he ascended, and from
his ascension to this moment was 10 days.
I'm just waiting. Is now the time?
Is the Holy Spirit. Come yet is the is.
The day of arrival. Happened yet?
You know, maybe you know, they're, they're praying and
they're like. Was that it?
Was it? We are now going to.
Study the power of this. Origin story so that we would
know undeniably that this has God's hand on it, that this is
not a story of men who were obedient to wait and then just
got super organized and started planning how to get the message
out and how to. Fulfill the the great.
Commission. This is a story.
Of people who simply waited. And God's perfect timing.
God did what no one else. Could do this is the.
Origin of the Church as we know it, read with me.
Acts Chapter 2. Starting in verse one when the
day of Pentecost. Now this is how I know it was 10
days. Penta means 55.
Pentecost is 50 days since. Passover.
So we had 40 days with Jesus. They've.
Waited 10 days to get to the 50th day.
It is now the day of Pentecost fully arrived and they were all
with 1 accord in one. Place and as they're there.
On that Sunday morning, one place in one accord it says in
verse 2, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it. Filled the whole house.
Where they were sitting then there appeared to them.
Divided tongues as of fire. And one sat.
Upon each of them and. They were all.
Filled with the Holy Spirit. And in the filling it says they
began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance
and there were there dwelling in Jerusalem Jews.
So this is setting the scene for the all of the surrounding in
the city of Jerusalem. There are there dwelling there
devout men from every nation under heaven.
And when this sound? Occurred.
Verse 6 The multitude came together and they were confused
because everyone heard them speak in his own language and
they were all amazed and marveled saying to one another.
Look. Are not all these who speak
Galileans and how? Is it that we hear?
Each in our own language in which we were born.
Parthians and Medes and Eliamites, those dwelling in
Mesopotamia. Judea, Cappadocia, POTUS.
In Asia, Phrygia and Panthea, Egypt.
In the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrenia.
Visitors from Rome both. Jews and proselytes.
Cretans and Arabs, we hear them speaking in our own tongues the
wonderful works of God. And so they were all amazed and
perplexed, saying to one another, whatever does this
mean? We now have the answer to the
waiting in undeniable miraculous form.
So that it would be. No question mark as to.
What caused this? This was.
Not the work of men and we need to look at them the.
Miracles that were on display that I just read about to.
Institute the beginning of the Church and as we do that, this
is one of those moments in church history which which is
going to draw us all in and kind of divide the room because some
of you no doubt are are interested in maybe the Bible
from afar. Or you're here at.
Church and you think OK. Let's see what these.
People are about, maybe they'll give me some, some good advice,
some good moral teaching. There is no escaping from the
very first moment that the Church is born, that the Church
operates and functions in miracle it It is the hand of God
that is on the Church, and it is the storyline.
Of all of the Bible. And, and I say that this divides
the room because there are sadly a growing number of people that
try to tame the Bible, that try to come to church and take the
things that make sense according to the way we would just
naturally live and look at all the other things and explain the
way to. Do us a favor.
So that's more believable. There is no escaping.
That God. Is a miracle worker and he
brings life to the church in a way that no one can.
If you remove God, you remove miracles.
I found this helpful from one of the great historians of our
time. His name is Tom Holland.
He. Is slowly opening his heart.
To. Viewing all of history through
the lens of God's hand, but. He's respected as a secular
historian. Listen to what he says.
I see no point in preachers, Christian preachers.
Just. Recycling the kind of stuff you
can get from any kind of. Left Liberal because.
Everyone can give you that if I want that.
I'll get it. From.
A Liberal. Counselor, if you're a
Christian, you think that the entire fabric of the cosmos was
ruptured when, by some strange moment, someone who is a God and
a man set everything on its head in a massive singularity.
That is at the. Very heart of everything, and if
you don't believe that, it seems to me you're not a confessional
Christian. But if you do believe that, it
should also be possible. To dwell on.
All of the other weird. Stuff that traditionally comes
as part of the Christian. Package.
This book is full of the only answer being.
There is a God. Who set it into motion?
Put into. Order the laws of.
The universe and at any moment invades, and this is the story
from Genesis to Revelation, and it is the story of what we are
doing right now. If you don't.
Believe that God. Set into motion the cosmos sent
his son to turn the whole thing upside down with the power of
resurrection. Give.
Life to all who believe. Then you're you're not ready to
hear the origin story of the church, but in the origin.
Story. You see that as.
Consistent with everything God does, He sets it into motion in
a way that is undeniably supernatural.
In other words, the hand of God. And this is how we must look at
this very first gathering. It must be seen as impossible
apart from the power of God on display, and this is what we
will see in fact, by these miracles.
That I just read aloud. In the account given to us in
the book. Of acts there are. 3 miraculous
phenomena that these people experienced in the origin story
of the church. You have first of.
The the audible phenomena, it says read again.
With me there was There came a sound from heaven.
This is this is not an earthly sound.
It's a sound from heaven and the.
Best way that the the. Historian could could capture
this was by comparing it to the sound of a rushing mighty wind
that. Filled the house.
They were sitting in. So this is this is what they're.
Hearing and, you know, we are, you know, surrounded by the
beauty of mountains, living in a valley.
So we don't get to hear. Huge.
Gusts of wind often but if any of you have been around the
power of wind, you know it comes with an unmistakable noise with
the wind and this is what is happening that they they.
Heard. Wind entering into their
gathering place and for this we now see our. 1st picture with
clarity. Technicolor that.
God's hand is. Here that that this is.
Something that is from heaven to.
Tell these people and us. Who stand on the foundation of
this gathering. That we're studying that God.
Is breathing on his. People to.
Fully understand this it it. Helps.
To know the language that they used for wind was pretty much
synonymous with the language we use for.
Spirit. So wind and spirit were were
both thought of in a similar sense, because wind is like
breath and the spirit. Is like the breath of.
God, in fact, we'll we'll now. Ask ourselves, where have we?
Seen something like this before and we can find reference points
to the story of God now being fulfilled in His church.
You'll remember going all the way back to the beginning, we
saw a moment like this when God made man from the dust.
He fashions man out of dust, and he's not alive until it says in
Genesis. Chapter 2.
That God breathes his spirit of life.
Into him there is no humanity without the miraculous.
Power of God's breath. Animating humanity with life.
And so for a moment, as I, you know, take a break just to
talking. To you church people, for those
of you who. Are at our gathering or
wondering what we believe. Let me help you understand.
What you believe because there is a?
Challenge. For people who try to.
Understand how humanity came alive without understanding the
breath of God, and you can. Hear all sorts of theories.
In the the halls of academia, but it is an absolute dead end
to try to. Figure out what actually brought
life to our. Planet that is a mystery of
science that there is no direction on, no momentum, there
is no good study, there is no good experiment, there is no
answer to how humanity is alive. But we know.
That God breathes his spirit. To make us.
Alive and we see. A continuation of this story in
On the Easter Morning. We could have spent our entire
Easter Sunday looking at John chapter 20.
As the resurrected Christ visits his.
Disciples who are locked in. Fear of what fate awaits them.
Their leader was just. Hung on a cross to me and made
an example of. They're afraid.
Jesus appears in their midst and it says he breathes on them the
Spirit and offers them forgiveness.
He was starting to breathe life into his disciples, but.
The story of the church is. That Jesus is not just choosing
a select few. To have this powerful life, the
disciples have a preview of the life, but they were.
Told to wait on power of on high when the spirit.
Would be pulled out, poured out. And as we read on, everyone says
that there was a a rushing wind that everyone heard and that
everyone experienced. The power of the Spirit.
And he is now breathing life on his church, the church.
Is the body of. Christ made alive.
By the power of the. Spirit that comes like the.
Breath of God. In the sound of a wind.
This is God. Telling us what we're actually
doing, what our origin. Story is without the power.
Of God and the Holy. Spirit the Church is.
Dead, and I'm sure you've experienced that.
Jesus continues to help us understand the overlap between
the wind and the Spirit as he's talking to Nicodemus.
Very important lesson he's giving Nicodemus.
That we will see fully. Revealed on Pentecost in John
chapter 3. Jesus answered most assuredly.
I say to you unless. One is born of water and.
The Spirit. He can't enter the Kingdom of
God, that which is born of. Flesh is flesh.
And that which is born of spirit is spirit.
Don't marvel. At what I said.
You've got to be born again. You must be born of spirit.
And then he says, the wind blows where it wishes.
And you? Hear the sound of it.
But cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes.
And so is everyone who is born of the spirit.
The wind is making you alive and the the.
Power of God is in. His Church to represent the
spiritual. Life of the.
Boarding end Kingdom. And we see that with our first
miracle, our first phenomenon. The second one is visual, says
then there appeared to them. Divided tongues as of fire, and
so it says it appeared them, and it it.
Seems like there's tongues of fire hanging over every one of
their heads, so not only are they hearing this incredible.
House. Rocking noise of wind, but
they're also looking imagine the moment where there's.
All of these. People and they see fire hanging
over. The heads of these people.
Well, once again we asked the question, where have we seen
this before and. Throughout the story of God.
Revealing himself to man we find moments where God is revealing
himself through the imagery of. Fire.
We already looked at Genesis now.
Exodus Exodus chapter 3 as. God is going to.
Appear to Moses to call him to shepherd his people.
Redeem them out of Egypt and send them towards the promised
land. How does he appear?
Bible Study 101 in a burning Bush that's not consumed the
great I am. He.
Shows himself in the presence of fire, and then as they are
redeemed from Egypt, and they begin to.
Walk. The long road through the
wilderness to the Jordan River to get to the promised land, he
says to his. People, I will be with you as a
cloud by day to shade. Them from the scorching heat of
the desert sun and a pillar of fire by night.
And he is. Revealing himself as the.
Presence of God with his people through.
Fire and John the Baptist comes on the scene and he says I.
Baptize with water. But Jesus is going to.
Baptize you with the Holy. Spirit and fire.
So in these two phenomena, what we are remembering about the
origin story? Of the church is that it is.
God pouring out his life and His presence on his people.
That is what we do. When we gather, that's not
always what we do. I mean, we've all been to the
functions. That are lifeless.
And have no remblance. Of the of the Spirit of God, but
our. Origin story helps us understand
our identity the the gathering of God's people to give him
praise and sing and and and and read his word is also a
gathering. Of the people.
Who have been made, born again by the Spirit of God in the
presence of God. And this is what happens on the
very first gathering on the on the on the Pentecost.
And now we come to maybe the most perplexing of them all.
At least as you read the text. They seem most confused by the
language phenomena. There was a verbal.
Phenomena happening with these. People as God's life.
Is poured out on them. They come alive in ways they
didn't even know they had life, namely with language, says They
start speaking on all of these languages.
According to all of the the the tribes.
And the people groups that were represented there, it says in
Acts 2 verse 5. And there were dwelling in
Jerusalem. Jews, devout man from every
nation under heaven. This is 1 moment where we can
just try our best to understand. A little bit of the.
Traditional Jewish moment here and we we remember that.
Pentecost was, in fact, an actual feast of devout.
Men from all over the regions that they three times a year.
Were were called as people who were part of God's chosen
people. The the the Jewish people 3 * a
year they. Were called to come to Jerusalem
on a pilgrimage of sorts. To celebrate a feast altogether,
so we have Passover. We remember the.
Feast of the. Passover.
You can't understand Holy Week until you understand.
All of these people. Were there to remember the
Passover Lamb of God and that's just so happened to be fulfilled
in. Full by.
Jesus, the Passover lamb. And now we have.
This feast. Which is the feast of Pentecost
and in the perfect timing, all of these people.
Says that there are. 15 languages represented.
All of these. Jews had been dispersed by Roman
occupation and all of these different lands.
It is now time for them to come together, and in their coming
together they represent tongues and tribes and nations and.
Where have we? Seen people coming?
Together where there is a. Language.
Outbreak that causes a perplexing.
Moment. For people well for this.
Not only we do have our origin story of the church.
We also get our prequel and every good origin story has a
prequel. The prequel to this moment to
understand what? Is.
Happening with the verbal phenomenon of language that is
spoken by people who didn't know it and heard.
By people who do we go all the way back?
To Genesis, we actually. Look at a tragedy.
That happened in Genesis Chapter 11 and to understand this.
We we have to see. One of the great problems of
humanity that was. Previewed for us.
In the Tower of Babel. The Tower of Babel.
In a very. Short.
Reminder. Of what that story was.
Represents to this day one of the great challenges of humanity
against God. They remember that the Genesis
is describing God's good and perfect creation gone wrong.
Genesis describes God and man walking in perfect harmony
together, sin entering and then man slowly and then rapidly
turning its back to God and it devolves into the.
Chaos that we live in. And it gives us these.
Stories for us to look out. For that, what happens when man
turns against God, One of the. Stories.
And be a student of history for our time now one of the great
stories as it eventually man tries to make a name for himself
and all of the people come together and try to unite to
make one nation, not under God, but in place of God.
This is the Tower of Babel, it says.
Let us make a great name for ourselves and build a tower to
heaven that they themselves would become God on earth.
And I say be a student of history because that has been
the rise and fall of empires ever since.
People trying to consolidate power under 1 government that
would rule the rest and there would be no.
Need for God there would. Only be a name that is great
among men. It's happening to this day every
time an empire rises and falls. We live in the rubble of the of
the last war and then, slowly, humanity.
Tries to build back up. To not to being so organized and
so great that we no longer need God.
And so in Genesis 11, God in his mercy.
Because I don't know how many of you have lived anywhere near a
tyrannical government. They're not.
They're not pretty When when all of the power is consolidated
into a great name that is not God.
Humanity is suffering and it's horrible and it never ends well.
And because God is merciful, he said, I'm going to break up the
one world government that is godless.
I'm going to scatter people and divide them by language.
And when Tower of Babel? Happened we have a very.
Similar moment to Pentecost. They were confused and
perplexed, and they were scattered.
And God in His mercy had a plan of redemption that He is now
reversing right in this moment that we study in.
In the first Babble, the languages were confused.
So that people would be. Divided and in this, in this
moment, in the. Reversal of the of the.
World being divided so they wouldn't unite against God.
God is pouring out language to reunite people, and in a way.
That the disciples. Didn't even fully understand
until right now. He is now offering us the vision
that we take part in the. Global Church of the.
Actual plan of redemption. The disciples.
In Acts chapter one said is now the time for the Kingdom of
Israel and you'll remember he said it's not for you in other
times this season, but now we do have.
What their hearts desire was it? Wasn't that there was going to
be a great Kingdom of Israel like the.
The the glory days of. Solomon it will not be that
there's going to be a Kingdom of America.
That is, you know, built up to be the.
Blessed Kingdom on earth, it will not be your little Kingdom
either 'cause we all have Babel in our hearts what is actually
now the plan of God for his glory and our.
Good is the. One and only Kingdom of God, and
this Kingdom of God goes to every tribe and every tongue and
every people group, and they were all there to set into
motion God's. Desire to pour out his spirit,
as it says. On all people, and this is the
moment we see now the redemptive plan of God to set into motion
the coming day, when there will be 1 King once and for all, with
one people baptized into one baptism of his Spirit on earth
and the Church. Is the.
Preview and the mission of that one goal on Earth.
That's what we're doing. That's our origin story.
Our origin story is the reversal of the prequel.
And so now that the question is, you know.
Why did God? Do it on Pentecost?
What? What was it about Pentecost that
made this the perfect sovereign moment?
For God to pour out his spirit Well, as stated, all people were
there they. Represented God's heart for the
nations they. Could go with the power of the
holy. Spirit and the message that
they'll receive from Peter. That Christ is.
The anointed one, Jesus, they'll go to where they came from.
But there's another moment. That we see as well.
Pentecost was celebrated and it was a a memorial of another
origin story. Actually, it was the origin
story. Of how the people of God, the
Jewish people, is the origin story of how they got the law.
And you to understand how important this is, just read the
gospels and see. How serious they were about the
law. The law.
Gave them their national identity.
It gave them their. Access to Yahweh the the law
gave. Them their their way to live and
be made right with God and cleanse.
The law. Was their foundation and.
Pentecost. Was their yearly time to
remember their origin story? Remember when God gave them the
law? And here's.
Why this is such a? Great good news.
Message for us to. Remember their origin.
Story of the law because. It, it isn't as good as, you
know, just God handing out the the the tablets and them
obeying. It was a very messy moment in
the story of God and his people in the book of Exodus.
It happened in chapter 32. Moses goes up on Mount Sinai to
receive the law and in a in a. Overlap a parallel.
It's very similar to the. Pentecost moment, Moses is
leaving people that are eagerly waiting for what they're going
to receive. And they're waiting and they're
waiting. And they give us the reminder
that in waiting, sometimes we just get sick of waiting and we
do things that are not good for our soul.
And then they're waiting for Moses to come back.
They get restless and they remember.
There's this, There is this way that they.
Used to worship when they were still slaves in Egypt.
So they talked to Aaron who was supposed to be in charge.
They donate. All the gold they could.
Find and jewelry and earrings and they give it all to Aaron
and Aaron. This is his.
Story. Not mine.
Aaron just throws it into a big hot pot and outcomes a golden
calf. Oops, I got all this gold and
now I got a golden calf when Moses comes down with.
The tablets of the law. Specifically the 10
commandments. He doesn't find people waiting
in one accord with obedience and expectation.
He finds people who are committing.
Idol worship of the worst. Kind.
They're. Worshipping the idol of the
country that enslaved them. And if you read the story?
I'll save you the graphic. Details.
It isn't just Idol. Worship, but it's also.
It's just. Revelry and immorality, not
unlike the way that, you know, our, our parties and festivals
happen here on this side of heaven in, in our country.
It's like, you know, you get these big stage and the light
show and then just immorality. Breaks out.
And Moses comes down, he says what is going on?
He came to bring the law, and he finds them.
Lawless. And without going into a whole
Bible study on XS32A, very simple reaction happened.
He basically drew a line in the sand and he gave the people an
option. Choose today.
Do you want to be a Pagan idol worshipper committing immorality
and dishonouring the God who saved you?
It's a good question. I want to consider that
question. Or do you want to commit?
Yourself to Yahweh. And he drew a line in the sand.
He said choose and. The the.
The Levites came and they. Chose to be with.
Moses. And so he gives them this
commandment and and and this is. This is the Old Testament.
This is the law. Exodus 32 it.
Says Then he said to them, Moses thus says.
The Lord God of. Israel let every man put his
sword on his side and go in and out from the entrance to
entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his
brother, every man his companion, and every man his
neighbor. So the sons of.
Levi did, according. To the word of Moses and about
3000 men. Of the people fell that day.
This is just such a. Reminder that the law is
perfectly just and if you want to be someone who lives.
By the law, you will die. By the law, the.
Law was given and it just wiped out 3000 people who were
completely. Off the rails we've.
All sinned and fallen short of the glory.
Of the God. The The law is not our savior.
The law points out our need. For a savior.
And so with that story in mind, on Pentecost, when they're
remembering their origin story of the law, they remember the
tablets, they remember the golden calf, they remember the
the line in the sand. Peter stands up to make sense of
everything. Remember the people said, what
does all of this mean? Their Pentecost moment.
And Peter stands up and he starts preaching.
Prophecy fulfilled in this moment, preaches from Joel, who
said that in these days the Lord is going to pour out His Spirit
on all flesh. It's happened on Pentecost,
starts preaching from the Psalms and he shows that.
It was. Always God's plan to raise his
anointed one from the grave starts preaching.
The resurrected Christ. He starts preaching.
The the the the the divinity of Christ, that his.
Holy 1 and in all of these things as these people are
trying to make sense of all of these phenomena in acts.
Chapter 2. Verse 30.
Seven, it says, when they. Heard this, they were cut to the
heart. And said to Peter and the rest
of the apostles, men and brethren, what?
Should we do about? This.
What should we do about the the power?
Of the resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the
pouring out of the spirit and the.
Spirit is poured out doesn't just give you a spirit.
Filled preaching it gives you a. Spirit filled response where the
the power of the Spirit is. Opening their hearts, it's
cutting them with a conviction that they need to change their
lives. This is the origin story of the
Church and in. The question of what should we
do? Peter begins to separate the.
Church. From the Old Testament law
abiding Torah worshipping Jews, he doesn't say, you know, go see
your priest and make yourself clean and.
Abide by the law. And and and do all of the things
according. To your best.
Execution of the 10 commandments.
What he says is repent, change your mind about who Christ is in
your life, turn to Jesus and let everyone of you be baptized.
You know this. This is a question I hope some
of you are asking. What do I actually do?
The answer is stop going towards the ways.
Of Idol. Worship and immorality and stop
worshipping the world that enslaves you and come into the
real Kingdom. That's repentance and baptism in
the name of Jesus. And then he says this.
That's what you need to. Do that's a.
Decision you need to make and then he says, and you shall
receive not condemnation, you're going to receive a gift.
And when you repent and you're baptized into the name of Jesus,
and you join the Kingdom. Of God the Spirit falls out all
flesh. It's not just for Moses, not
just. For Peter, it's not just for a
pastor or a worship leader. You come in and now you're part
of the born again Kingdom. Believers, this is the church he
says you'll receive. The gift.
Now listen. This is the the.
Fulfillment of the Pentecost Memorial for the promises to you
and your children are all who are.
Far off. As many as the Lord.
God would called. And with many.
Other words, he testified. And exhorted them be saved from
this perverse generation and. Once you have the exodus. 32 in
your mind and listen to. Peter Peter's Drawn.
A line in the sand, Peter says. Some of you want to go the ways
of Egypt, some of you want to go the ways of America, Some of you
want to go the ways of Hollywood.
Some. But that's.
Perverse generation and the Church is.
This. Bright light for every
generation that says repent, get the line in the sand.
You go this way, what's going to happen?
You'll die by the law. You'll die by religion, you'll
die by your own morality. You'll die by trying to be good.
Says be saved and come into the people of God and look what
happens then those in verse 41 who gladly.
Received his word, were baptized.
And on that day, how many about 3000 souls were added?
We now have the collision of covenants.
The law comes and crushes 3000 people.
Lest anyone think that religion will save you, that morality
will save you, that you can get to heaven by being a good
person, that you can understand how to just.
Be a little. Bit better than the next guy.
You want to stay on the line of you trying to figure it out and
you will be crushed. By the law, Paul will say the
the letter of the law kills. But here's the gospel.
Good news and here is the church's origin story on the
first Pentecost 3000 were crushed, 3000 were dead on the
new Pentecost 3000 come alive and this is now the origin that
puts us into motion of who we are the.
Letter of the law kills the spirit.
Of the law brings life, Jesus says you're going to be the salt
of the earth. You're going to be the light.
Of the world. You're going to be the.
Picture of where? The presence and the power and
the. Life of God lives. 3000 saved
and baptized the law can't save the spirit brings life and so
you put all of those things together and you find the
beginning of the. Church is still the church.
The beginning of the Church is is the miraculous.
Birth. Don't expect it to look.
The same the church has already been born, but but remember that
God always has these moments of miraculous.
Birth. To let you know that.
This is. According to his plan, the
nation of Israel born Abraham and Sarah miraculous.
Birth the savior of the world. Born of a virgin, miraculous
birth and the. Church, God's salt.
And earth and light and power and presence and Holy Spirit was
born miraculously. By the power of God.
And we now live in the church that represents those things to
the world. If you are.
Here and you don't know the. Power that we're all.
Remembering that we. We, we, we've.
Experienced for. The free gift of the Spirit.
This is going to be your origin story.
At some point. Every one of us had our own
origin story with God and it was very similar.
It was a miraculous moment where it was undeniable that God's
presence invaded. Our life and his.
Spirit made us alive, and now we.
Are part of the. Church, that's been his hands
and his feet and his body on earth for 2000 years.
And any one of you that don't have your origin story yet?
This is where it will start. God will come and invade.
Your life with the power. Of his presence you'll be.
Cut to the heart and say what? Do I do?
Here's the answer. Repent and join the Kingdom.
This is the point of every time we gather is to remember where
we came from, remember who we are, remember where we're going.
And so let me just end with a word of encouragement.
For all of us. In this moment, I hope.
That as you. Consider the origin story and
all the. Ways that God just put.
All of this together perfectly on Pentecost with everyone's
there and he's reversing Babel and he's he's giving us the
Spirit and not the law or the spirit and fulfillment of the
law. It's just such a reminder to me
that. God has a.
Plan and it is so perfect and there's times where we don't see
it in. Full, but just celebrate.
This moment where God's plan was on display in Technicolor and he
was putting it all together and he was saying I have been
planning this all along and may you be encouraged.
That. It's not just for his.
Church it's. Not just for the big.
Stories we read about in the Bible God has.
A purpose and a plan for every single one of our lives.
His plan is perfect, His timing is perfect, and He has a way.
To put it all together, that causes all of.
Us to marvel he can take tragedies and turn them into the
fulfillment of something beautiful and he'll do that for.
Your life, if I could leave you here.
With something, let me just leave you with the the promise
of the word in Romans chapter. 8 Paul says likewise, the Spirit
also helps us. In our weakness for we don't
even know what we should. Pray.
But the Spirit himself makes intercessions for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered now that we.
Have the Spirit. We know how to talk to God.
We'll get more into the weeds with tongues and languages and
but the main language that you're going to get when you
have the Holy Spirit is the language of.
Prayer by the power of. The Holy Spirit you know now
have the ability. To talk to God.
And in the very same thought, Paul goes on to say, And we know
that all. Things work together for good
for those who love God and are called.
According to the purpose. That the church worked.
All things of the Old Testament and made it all for good
according to his purpose and that's.
True of your life. God will redeem the tragedy and
make it beautiful. God will meet you with His
presence and give you life, and it is for everybody.
Thanks for joining us today. If you would like to watch the
full service, check out the link in the description.
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