Pentecost Sunday
Sermon Outline for Sunday, May 23, 2021 & June 6, 2021
The Book of Acts is more than an objective recording of Early Church history. Indeed, no historical writing can be purely objective. By its nature, the writing of history is both subjective and selective. The writer determines the purpose of his writing and then includes materials that will further that purpose. His purpose will determine the emphases that will appear in the writing. In a real sense, a historical work reflects the conscious or unconscious bias of an author. For example, will histories of the Protestant Reformation written by Protestant and Roman Catholic scholars agree on all matters? Hardly!
With regard to the Book of Acts, many of the events it records have a theological purpose—to show the spread of the gospel throughout the Mediterranean world by the enabling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The two themes of evangelization and Spirit-empowerment are so intertwined that one cannot be understood apart from the other. “ ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses …’ ” (Acts 1:8). Luke was surely aware of other aspects of the Spirit’s work. His close association with Paul would have exposed him to much of the apostle’s thoughts about the Holy Spirit. But in the Book of Acts he chose to focus on the dynamistic, some say “charismatic,” aspect of the Spirit’s ministry, yet not to the complete exclusion of other works of the Spirit.
The first instance of disciples receiving a charismatic experience occurred on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). Luke later relates four other instances in which converts have initial Spirit-experiences similar to that of the Pentecost disciples (8:14–20; 9:17; 10:44–48; 19:1–7). It will be instructive to review and investigate these five instances.
Acts 2:1–4 ESV
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 they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciples on the Day of Pentecost was unprecedented. In a very important sense, it was a unique, historic, unrepeatable event. This coming of the Spirit was prophesied especially by Joel (Joel 2:28–29) and was bestowed by the ascended Jesus (Acts 2:33). It was a historical-redemptive event. The term “historical-redemptive” (or “salvation-historical”) is the adjectival form of “salvation history,” an important concept in biblical theology. It emphasizes the activity of God in and through history in order to accomplish His redemptive purposes for humankind. Don A. Carson says, “Pentecost in Luke’s perspective is first of all a climactic salvation-historical event.”
Some regard the Day of Pentecost as the counterpart of the giving of the Law and therefore the institution of the new covenant. Others see it as the birthday of the Church. Still others see it as a reversal of the confusion of tongues at Babel (Gen. 11:6–9); one writer especially points up the verbal affinities between the two events. Our concern at this point is with the personal significance of the Day of Pentecost for the disciples upon whom the Spirit came.
What is the Purpose and Results of Spirit Baptism?
• What does the Old Testament Say?
Isaiah 11:2 ESV
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 42:1 ESV
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Isaiah 48:16 ESV
Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.
Isaiah 61:1 ESV
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Joel 2:28 ESV
“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.
• So, what is the Purpose and Results of Spirit Baptism?
• Power for Witnessing
• In Pentecostal circles, no aspect of Spirit baptism’s purpose has received more attention than that it is for the evangelization of the world. This is firmly based in Acts 1:8, “ ‘You will receive power … and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.’ ” The Book of Acts is a commentary on these two related themes that the disciples would receive power when the Spirit came upon them and that they would be Jesus’ witnesses to all the world.
• When Jesus told the disciples they would be His “ ‘witnesses,’ ” the thought is not so much that they would be His representatives, though that is true, as that they would attest to His resurrection. The thought of witness occurs throughout the Book of Acts; it is applied generally to the disciples (1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31) and specifically to Stephen (22:20) and to Paul (22:15; 26:16).
• The worldwide evangelization by Pentecostals that has taken place in the twentieth century is testimony to the reality of the Pentecostal experience. Unfortunately, some modern church historians and missiologists have been slow to acknowledge the tremendous contribution the Pentecostal movement has made in the spread of the gospel throughout the world. Pentecostals cannot and dare not deny or overlook the wonderful and often sacrificial work of missionaries throughout the history of the Church who did not experience, or have not experienced, the baptism in the Spirit as understood by Pentecostals. We thank God for all those from other church bodies and missions agencies who have contributed to the worldwide missionary enterprise. As with other matters previously discussed, the difference between these missionaries and Pentecostals is one of degree. It would be irresponsible for Pentecostals to say that others know nothing of the power of the Spirit.
• The association of power (Gk. dunamis) with the Holy Spirit is often made in the New Testament, where the two terms are interchangeable (for example, Luke 1:35; 4:14; Acts 10:38; Rom. 15:19; 1 Cor. 2:4; 1 Thess. 1:5). The power of the Holy Spirit given to the early disciples, however, must not be restricted only to power to evangelize.
• Power to Perform Miracles
• The miracles recorded in Acts most certainly are done by the power of the Holy Spirit. The following is a listing of some unusual events in the Book of Acts. Many are directly attributed to the Holy Spirit; His power is implied in the others.
• Tongues—Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6
• Prophecy—Acts 11:27–28, Agabus and other prophets; Acts 13:1–2, prophets at Antioch; Acts 21:4, disciples at Tyre; Acts 21:11, Agabus
• Word of knowledge/distinguishings of spirits—Acts 5:3–4, incident of Ananias and Sapphira
• Word of wisdom—Acts 4:8–13, Peter before the elders; Acts 15:28, the Jerusalem Council
• General statements about healings/miracles—Acts 2:43, apostles; Acts 5:15–16, Peter’s shadow; Acts 6:8, Stephen; Acts 8:6–8, Philip; Acts 14:3 and Acts 15:12, Barnabas and Paul; Acts 19:11–12 and Acts 28:9, Paul
• Healing—Acts 3:1–10, lame man at temple gate; Acts 9:33–35, Aeneas the paralytic; Acts 14:8–10, lame man at Lystra; Acts 28:3–5, Paul and the viper; Acts 28:8, father of Publius
• Exorcisms—Acts 5:16; 8:7 (general statement); Acts 16:16–18, slave girl; Acts 19:13–16, incident involving the sons of Sceva
• Raising from the dead—Acts 9:36–42, Tabitha/Dorcas; Acts 20:9–10, Eutychus
• Visions—Acts 10, Cornelius and Peter; Acts 16:9–10, Paul
• Miraculous deliverances—Acts 5:19; 12:7–10, Peter; Acts 16:23–26, Paul and Silas; Acts 27:23–25, Paul at sea
• Miraculous transportation—Acts 8:39–40, Philip
• “Reverse” miracles—Acts 5:1–11, Ananias and Sapphira stricken dead; Acts 12:23, Agrippa I stricken dead; Acts 13:9–12, Elymas (Bar-Jesus) blinded
• Righteous Living
• Spirit baptism cannot be divorced from its implications for righteous living. It is, after all, an immersion in Him who is called the Holy Spirit. The emphasis in the Book of Acts is on the evangelization of the Roman Empire by the power of the Spirit, but that does not eliminate the Spirit’s work in the personal life of the believer, which is simply not an emphasis in Acts. One who is indeed filled with/overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit will not live an unrighteous life. Pentecostals must be careful not to identify Spirit baptism only with speaking in tongues and world evangelization. To do so is to exclude or restrict the work of the Spirit in other aspects of a believer’s life.
• A basic problem with some of the Corinthian believers was that they continued speaking in tongues (whose genuineness Paul did not question) without allowing the Spirit to work internally in their lives. Article 7 of the Assemblies of God “Statement of Fundamental Truths” states, in part, that with the baptism in the Holy Spirit “comes the enduement of power for life and service.” I understand “for life” to mean “for righteous living.” If people who profess to have been baptized in the Holy Spirit are not living a God-pleasing life, it is because they have not allowed the experience to manifest itself in their lifestyle.
• Spirit baptism does not result in instant sanctification (nothing does!), but it ought to provide an added impetus for the believer in pursuing a God-pleasing life.
• Ministry to the Church
• In addition to the Spirit being given for the personal benefit of the believer and for empowerment for service (both witnessing and miracle working), the Book of Acts also speaks of the Spirit giving the disciples discernment and guidance in church matters (Acts 5:3, 9 [implied]; Acts 15:28). There are also instances of the Spirit giving encouragement, wisdom, and direction to the church (Acts 6:3, 5; Acts 9:31; Acts 11:24, 28; Acts 13:52; Acts 15:28; Acts 20:28) and also giving personal guidance (Acts 20:23; Acts 21:4, 11).
• We cannot say the Pentecostal gift to the disciples was ‘empowering for witness’ alone.
Pastor Andy Lambert ~ pastorandy@cvcog.church