Sunday: The Coming of the Spirit
In obedience to Jesus’ command, the believers waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Spirit, and they waited amid fervent prayer, sincere repentance, and praise. When the day came, they “were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1, ESV), probably the same large upper room of Acts chapter 1. Soon, however, they would move to a more public area (Acts 2:6-13).
Read Acts 2:1-3. What supernatural elements accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit?
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The scene was intense. There was first a sudden noise from heaven like the roaring of a violent windstorm that filled the entire place, and then what looked like flames of fire appeared and rested upon those there.
In Scripture, wind and fire are frequently associated with a “theophany” or a divine manifestation (for example, Exod. 3:2, Exod. 19:18, Deut. 4:15). In addition, wind and fire may also be used to represent the Spirit of God (John 3:8, Matt. 3:11). In the case of Pentecost, whatever the precise meaning of such phenomena, they were signs introducing a unique moment in the history of salvation, the promised outpouring of the Spirit.
The Spirit had always been at work. Its influence on God’s people in the Old Testament times was often revealed in a notable way, but never in its fullness. “During the patriarchal age the influence of the Holy Spirit had often been revealed in a marked manner, but never in its fullness. Now, in obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift, and in heaven Christ added His intercession. He claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it upon His people.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 37.
John the Baptist foretold the baptism with the Spirit by the coming Messiah (Luke 3:16; compare with Acts 11:16), and Jesus Himself referred to it several times (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8). This outpouring would be His first intercessory act before God (John 14:16, John 14:26; John 15:26). At Pentecost, the promise was fulfilled.
Although the baptism with the Spirit at Pentecost was a unique event related to Jesus’ victory on the cross and exaltation in heaven, being filled with the Spirit is an experience to be continuously repeated in the believers’ lives (Acts 4:8, 31; Acts 11:24; Acts 13:9, Acts 13:52; Eph. 5:18).
| What evidence do you have of the Spirit’s working in your life? |
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Pentecost
God poured out his Spirit
It was God reaching down to this earth to unit his people.
Every one heard the disciples speaking in their own language
They had common faith and Godly vision
Babel
The people did not have the Spirit of God.
Man reaching up to God with his own works
Leaves people with confusion
Scatters people. People scatter until there is no strength left in them
When we present the truth there are people willing to receive the Spirit of truth but those who wants to reject the truth will begin to say the Bible is confusing and we cannot understand the Bible. The Bible gives us the promise “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Ask and you shall receive. Be filed with the Spirit of God and praise God in your fullness.
This topic is right on time with the Laodicean Church, the Holy Spirit is needed to minister the Gospel. Jesus received the Holy Spirit before his Ministry, the Disciples received before they spread the gospel. The Holy Spirit is available to each one of us every day, all we need to do is ask. If we did not we are just as unfit to spread the gospel as the Disciples after the crucifixion of Jesus. Let's not be as the foolish virgins half spirit filled, we will not notice the latter rain if we are not asking for it now.
Has anyone ever considered that constantly being labeled a poor, blind, naked, lukewarm Laodicean is discouraging? Is every 7th Day Adventist automatically a Laodicean, no matter what their relationship with Jesus is like? Does it include all SDA evangelists, pastors, Sabbath school teachers, and church attenders? What member is exempt?
I had a student who had comprehensively failed his examination. He was on his knees pleading for me to give him a pass, but he had been a lazy student handing in few assignments and demonstrating incompetence in the final examination. I reminded him of all that and said the best thing to do was for him to go and get a job for 12 months and come back with a different outlook. I then recounted my own story, which was pretty similar to his. I had been a failure, went and got a menial job for 12 months, and came back with a will to learn and succeed that I needed. My student, to his credit, took my advice and was back next year. He passed the subject well and came back to me and thanked me for the tough advice.
To be honest though, when it comes to the Laodicean story, we don't treat it as good advice. We wear it as a badge of honor, saying that it defines us as being the remnant church. It was never meant to be that and is essentially a misuse of the message. It is essentially a kick in the pants, and we need to take the advice and move on. not dwell on it.
We all have good things planted in our minds, which grow to be our conscience! The role of the Holy Spirit is to make these things vivid. But our role is to learn from and distinguish His voice and do what He suggests! In doing so, we get to practice and good fruits come!
Doing is what makes everything perfect! If we are at it, then we are preparing ourselves to receive more! Why would a father give more to his children when what he already gave is not valued by them? We need to star living out from our consciousness first! And continue to pray for more guiding of the Holy Spirit! (All the disciples that were in the room where the Holy Spirit came in the form of tongues were already DOING what their conscience was telling them to!)
And the abilities that we still do not have will certainly be complete by the Holy Spirit in our lives! We will be given MORE! Then this gospel will be preached with power among our personal circle, then it will grow, until the whole world be reached!
Pentecost was the commencement of the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. From that time until He leaves the sanctuary in heaven at probation's close, Jesus is to be found among the 7 candles, each in it's time, beginning with the 1st church; "Ephesus"(Rev 2:1).
When the first tabernacle-sanctuary was set up in the Sinai desert by Moses, the Lord was revealing that it would be the 7 churches, and not the 12 tribes that would take the Gospel of a crucified and risen Savior to the uttermost part of the earth, to prepare the world for Him return in glory. In mercy this was not revealed, as time after time God forgave His erring, repentant people, while knowing how it would end.
Jesus first hints at this in a parable(Matt 21:43), and now it was being fulfilled as this first lamp was filled with the "Oil" and it's wick trimmed to increase it's light. His purpose is no different for the last of the churches, if we will but heed His counsel and "buy of [Him]...", through repentance, the gold, white robe, and eye ointment. Once receiving these gifts, the Loud Cry can be given and the whole earth filled with the bright glory of the risen Lord(Isa 60:1-3, Rev 18:1).
God says that heaven is His throne (Isa 66:1; Matt 5:34; Acts 7:49) and therefore Most Holy. We have established a Holy Place in heaven from which Christ exited in 1844 to enter the Most Holy. That’s our super doctrine.
I am not sure what you are driving at here Kenny. The context in both Isa 66:1 and Acts 7:49 is really talking about making room for God in our hearts. The issue for the Israelites was that they had made a temple for God but they had not enthroned them in their hearts. Peter reiterates this idea in his sermon in Acts. These texts are not about heaven's geography but about our own relationship with God.
How I know that I have the Holy Spirit in my life?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal 5: 22,23
There are those who think that the "manifestation of the Spirit" must be dramatic, with flights of flaming doves and cries of hallelujah. That occurred on a special occasion. The fruit should be a long-term result and is the real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Thanks Maurice!