The Promise of God Acts 2:1-42

Feasts of the Tabernacle A Complete Picture of the Plan of Salvation His Creative Work - God rested on the seventh day –The weekly Sabbath - Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:1-3 –The seven year Sabbath feast - Exodus 23:10,11; Leviticus 25:2-7 –The fiftieth year Sabbath feast - Leviticus 25:8-16 His Redemptive Work

Feasts of the Tabernacle His Redemptive Work The Passover feast - Leviticus 23:4-8; 1 Corinthians 5:7 –Pictures Calvary The feast of the First Fruits - Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:23 –Pictures the Resurrection The feast of Pentecost - Leviticus 23:15-25; Acts 2 –Pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit The feast of Trumpets - Leviticus 23: Thessalonians 4:13-18 –Pictures the rapture and the Second Coming The Day of Atonement - Leviticus 23:26-32; Revelation 6-19 –Pictures the Tribulation and The Day of Judgment The feast of Tabernacles - Leviticus 23: Revelation 20:1-6 –Pictures the millennial reign of Christ

Old Testament –50 days after Passover –Law Given at Mt. Sinai –Birth of Israel –3000 Slain New Testament –50 days after Resurrection –Grace Given –Birth of the Church –3000 Saved The Day of Pentecost

What Was Pentecost? Comparisons –Bethlehem – God prepared a body for His Son to work through – Hebrews 10:5 –Pentecost – God prepared a body for His Spirit to work through – 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16

“When the Day of Pentecost Was Fully Come” (v. 1) Leviticus 23:15-25 Double meaning –Fully come from Feast of First Fruits –Fully come in fulfillment of the type Differences –Wheat rather than Barley –Two loaves of bread rather than sheaf of grain –Leavened bread rather than no leaven –Completion of the harvest rather than first of the harvest –Both were wave offerings

“Two loaves, of fine flour, baked with leaven” A new meal offering –Pentecost brought something new into the world –The Church Offerings baked with leaven were not allowed! –Leaven was a symbol of sin –A picture of the church - there is sin in the church –The church is made up of imperfect people, on their way to heaven

“Two loaves, of fine flour, baked with leaven” Why fine flour? –First fruits brought a sheaf of grain where the grains were still individuals –Believers were united in one body by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles” –They mixed oil with the fine flour to hold it together in baking the bread –Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Bible

“Two loaves, of fine flour, baked with leaven” Why did the priest bring two loaves? –The Jews were baptized into the body at Pentecost - Acts 2 –The Gentiles were baptized into the body of Christ later in the house of Cornelius - Acts 10:44-46 There was only one baptism by the Spirit, but it took place at two different times

How Was Pentecost Experienced? Wind (v.2) –“And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting” –It was not wind, but “a sound like wind” –They could hear it, but not see or feel it There was no emphasis on feeling at all! –Faith is the mark of the Age of the Church! Faith, not feeling! –How does faith come? Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”

How Was Pentecost Experienced? Wind (v.2) Fire (v.3) –“And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them” –Another symbol of the Spirit –1 st by sound, then the sight Fire begins with a small flame, but it spreads Fire purges out all that is bad Fire illuminates Fire warms us and comforts us Fire smolders –The fire of the Holy Spirit can never be put out Fire is the agent of the final Judgment!

“What does this mean?” (vv. 14 – 21) Why is this day so important? –Old Testament is the time of man’s rejection of God –New Testament is the time of man’s rejection of Jesus –Church Age will be the time of man’s rejection of the Holy Spirit –Each time there is a remnant that is saved because their faith is counted as righteousness!

Luke 24:49 (NASB) “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Power from on High The Holy Spirit is God’s Divine Power –We must tell people about the power that is available to them –We must make ourselves fully available for the filling of this Promise that Jesus made to each one of us

The Holy Spirit is a Person Therefore He has a personality –He has a mind - Romans 8:27 –He searches out the human mind - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 –He forbids - Acts 16:6,7 –He permits - Acts 16:10 –He speaks - Acts 8:29; 10:19; 13:2; Revelation 2-3 –He loves - Romans 15:30 –He grieves - Ephesians 4:30 –He prays - Romans 8:26

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v. 21) The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit He convicts or convinces us - John 16:7-11 –of sin (John 8:9) –of Christ’s righteousness (Romans) God is righteousness God demands righteousness God provides righteousness –of future judgment

The Convicting Ministry of the Holy Spirit The crowd at Pentecost - Acts 2:22,23,37 The Ethiopian Eunuch - Acts 8:29-38 Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-6 The Centurion Cornelius - Acts 10:44 Lydia, who sold purple - Acts 16:14,15 The Philippian jailer - Acts 16:25-34 A Governor named Felix - Acts 24:24,25 A king named Agrippa - Acts 26:23-28

“What Shall We Do?” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 2:37-41 (NASB)

Repent Repent = to change one’s mind, to turn one’s life –A turning away from sin and turning toward God –A change of mind, a forsaking of sin –Putting sin out of one’s thoughts and behavior –Resolving never to think or do a thing again

Be Baptized Repentance is a command to change one’s life Baptism is a command to follow Christ in obedience –The first command given to those who are repenting –The person who is truly repenting must be baptized Baptism –A testimony to the world that you are repenting by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ –Baptism is not an option if you are to be obedient to Christ in your life

Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit 1.The Holy Spirit regenerates the believing sinner –Titus 3:5; John 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:23 2.The Holy Spirit Baptizes the believing sinner –Romans 6:3,4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:4,5; Colossians 2:12 3.The Holy Spirit indwells the believing sinner –John 14:20; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; John 14:16; 7:37-39; Romans 8:9; 1 John 3:24 4.The Holy Spirit seals the believing sinner –Ephesians 1:13; 4:30 5.The Holy Spirit fills the believing sinner –Acts 2:4; Ephesians 5:18; Acts 4:8; 6:3; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit The 1 st 4 ministries give us peace with God –Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with god through our Lord Jesus Christ” The 5 th ministry assures us the peace of God –Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The 5 th ministry is lost when disobedience is found in the life of the believer –The sin of quenching the Spirit - 1 Thessalonians 5:19 –The sin of grieving the Spirit - Ephesians 4:30

Who is the Promise for? “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord will call to Himself.” Acts 2:39 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit, The Comforter, Came at Pentecost He is God’s Promise! He came to call you unto God! –He still speaks in the way that you and others need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior –His gift of Salvation saves us from the Judgment that is coming

Why does God have to call us? Because we are dead to God! –Lost people resist the gospel! –Lost people are self-centered and rebellious toward God –People like to feel independent so they resist the pulling call of God

God’s Call The person who comes to Christ –A person who has been called by God –A person who has experienced God taking the initiative to call them into His kingdom! When you sense the call and pull of God, you must act! –Why? Because God’s Spirit does not always strive or tug at us –Don’t reject the call of the Spirit of God today! –The more you reject the tug and call, the less often it comes