August 3rd Sermon | Value: the gospel | Acts 2:36-47

Read Acts 2:1-13, 36-47

At Enrich Life Church, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of everything that we do.  We are here tonight because of the life transforming power that comes from Jesus Christ and the work He does in our lives.  As we start this new series, we need to be reminded of what our values are / what our foundation is as a church and as Christians. 

Enrich life Church has built its values and foundations on the same church model we find in Acts 2:37-47.  This is the only vision and church model that God has for the church until the gospel reaches around the world Christ comes back for the Church.

Acts is a book the unites the gospels to the epistles of the New Testament.  It takes God’s people into the New Covenant under the work and power of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross.  The crowd that experiences this Holy Spirit Baptism was a Jewish crowd, Peter was a Jewish man.  Pentecost was a Jewish festival

“Pentecost means ‘fiftieth’ because the Feast was on the 50th day after the Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:16).  It was originally one of three harvest festivals, but in early Judaism it was commemorated as the anniversary of the giving of the law at Mount Sinai because it was through that God gave the law to Israel 50 days after the exodus…It is possible that God gave the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to contrast with the law.  The law was an external means of restraining Israel from sin, but in the new era of the church, the Holy Spirit would provide internal power for believers to live righteously.”

--The Moody Bible Commentary

The Point:  The Gospel is the foundation of everything God’s Church does; it is the reason why we meet, why we are saved and why we love those around us.  We are sinners saved by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1. God’s plan in birthing the church was to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit outpouring to empower them in sharing the gospel with each other and the world.

 “Then he [Jesus] said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.   And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’”

--Luke 24:44-49

Luke was not one of the twelve disciples, but some scholars believe he was one of the 70 disciples appointed by Christ in Luke 10.  Luke was a doctor and wrote both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.  Acts of the Apostles is a direct sequel to the gospel of Luke.  It continues the story.  Here, we see that Jesus is empowering His disciples to be witnesses of His death and resurrection.  Jesus tells them to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the promise of which God will equip them. 

Luke is writing a sequel to his gospel; a descriptive history of what happened in God’s people which led to the birth of the early church. 

Acts 2:1-13 is the fulfilment of that promise; God equips the church with the spirit baptism and the Holy Spirit Gift of Tongues.  This is a unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was meant to springboard the church into mission, into its birth and to be created by God.

Acts 2 births a new era for God’s people, the entire book of Acts chronicles the 30-year period of the birth of the church and how it grew and shared the gospel around the land. 

Acts 1-12—Peter and his ministry in Jerusalem and Samaria. 

Acts 13-28—Paul and his ministry/ missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire.

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them and rested on each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

--Acts 2:1-4

Acts 2:1-4 is recording a specific event that would become a catalyst for the birth of the early church movement—this is a descriptive passage as it is describing a historical event.  An event where God worked miraculously, where everyone in the upper room spoke in different language tongues, where wind and fire were present.

Wind represented the power of the Lord (appearance of the Lord to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11)

Fire represented the Lord’s presence (Elijah and the altar 1 Kings 19:12, Moses and the burning bush Exodus 2:3). 

In the Old Testament, The Holy Sprit, would fall upon specific prophets and people—never to a whole nation or group, the closest thing to this happening was when the Lord filled the builders of the temple with the Spirit in Exodus 31:1-11 to build the temple and furnish it properly.  Again, they didn’t speak in tongues, and it wasn’t among a large group of people or nation. 

“The Jews expected, however, with the coming of the messianic age, God would once again give His Spirit and people would prophesy.  That hope was realised on the day of Pentecost, but the prophecy was of a special type.  They began to speak in other tongues (heterais glossais).”

--The Moody Bible Commentary

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

--Joel 2:28-29

The Jews were expecting this prophecy to be fulfilled, passed down from generation to generation, and God is true to His word, He fulfills His promises and the Day of Pentecost as not just another commemoration festival rather it is God exacting His power within His people to bring His good news to the rest of the world.

2. The Gospel is the foundation of our salvation, the Holy Spirit Baptism of Tongues is not the foundation of our salvation rather it is a sign of God working in our Lives.

As we read onward Peter preaches the gospel to crowd after the manifestation of tongues and the Holy Spirit empowerment.  Peter gets boldness from God preach His Gospel!

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles.  ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

--Acts 2:36-38

Peter preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly! As we read on we will learn that 3,000 were saved and there was a huge revival, repentance and people becoming saved.  Remember, it was the preaching of the gospel that led to the many salvations—this order is important to remember.  Holy Spirit baptism comes AFTER salvation, Peter was already with Christ and saved, He was baptised in the spirit, then h preached the gospel—Spirit baptism EMPOWERED him to preach the gospel boldly and faithfully.

As a Pentecostal church we have to be careful not to make Spirit Baptism the essential standard for salvation—if a church is not exhibiting this activity on a weekly basis, it does not mean the church is dead! An alive church, a healthy church, is proclaiming God’s word and the gospel every single week, it is also leaving room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives individually and corporately.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the FOUNDATION of His church; the gifts of the Holy Spirit (tongues, prophecy, healing, wisdom, discernment of spirits, interpretation of tongues, faith, and knowledge) are the FRUIT of the church.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

--1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Paul is correcting the Church in Corinth in how to operate within their gifts from the Holy Spirit.  He reminds the church that they are to be practiced in a proper way, an orderly way, and the reason God gives them to His people is for the ‘common good’ of the church.  These gifts help the church operate, they are NOT the bedrock foundation of the Church—the main goal of the church is to preach the gospel to the lost and to each other, to disciple one another in the faith, the gifts of the Spirit help the church operate towards that goal.

3.  God is still outpouring Holy Spirit Baptism upon His people so that we may go out and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and clarity.

The event of Acts 2 is specific to Acts 2.  We must be careful, as Pentecostals, to not make an idol of the manifestations of tongues found in Acts 2:1-13.  Remember, the focus of the Church is to share the gospel with the world.  We cannot be a church focused on JUST signs and wonders, on replicating revival experiences just to make us feel affirmed and emotionally satisfied with ourselves.  We must be focused and rooted in God’s word, on God Himself instead of being selfish and only looking at what we want and can get from God.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

--Matthew 24:23-24

Just because Acts 2 is specific to Acts 2 does not mean that God doesn’t continue to outpour His Holy Spirit in a similar way up until this day and age,

“We have found the Holy Spirit endorses those who stand for the Bible evidence.  The Evidence that is given us in the Word of God will stand. The evidence of the full Pentecostal baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to Acts 2:4, also in Acts 10:44-48 when the Spirit was poured out upon the gentile converts in the home of Cornelius, the Jews who came in from Joppa with Peter knew that the Holy Ghost had been given to them, ‘For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.’  Again in Acts 19:6 when Paul laid his hands upon the twelve disciples at Ephesus ‘The Holy Ghost came upon them and they spake with tongues and prophesied’”

--Elmer Fisher, “Stand for the Bible Evidence”.

We also know that the Holy Spirit empowerment of Tongues was continuing in the church because Paul instructs the church in Corinth on how to implement the Holy Spirit gift of tongues within their congregation—why would Paul talk about tongues when tongues wasn’t prevalent in the church (as well as the other gifts of the Holy Spirit?)

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.  On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.  The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.  Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

--1 Corinthians 14:1-5

The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was in 33 AD., Paul planted the Church in Corinth in 50-51 AD and wrote 1 Corinthians in 53-54 AD.

Lastly, in our PAOC history, this denomination was birthed in 1906 when two Holy Spirit revivals starting outpouring in two different locations, the Hebden Mission in Toronto (November 17th, 1906), CA and The Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles (1906-1909).  The center of these revivals were the preaching of God’s word, the meeting to worship, and doing charity to those in the church and to the lost.  The Hebden mission fed people on the start and clothed them, the Azuza Street revival also did charity to people on the street by feeding and clothing them. 

These two events saw that God still outpours His Holy Spirit to empower His church to reach the lost in the world—these two ministries followed the church modelled founded in Acts 2:36-47 by breaking bread together, learning from God’s word, and doing charity with one another and the lost in the world.  God is continuing to move in the world through His church with the gospel of Jesus being its foundation. 

“The sign of speaking in tongues indicates that believers have been baptized with the Holy Spirit36 and signifies the nature of Spirit baptism as empowering our communication, to be his witnesses with speech and action as we continue to pray in the Spirit.”

--PAOC Statement Of Essential Truths

The Point:  The Gospel is the foundation of everything God’s Church does; it is the reason why we meet, why we are saved and why we love those around us.  We are sinners saved by the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.