The Holy Spirit at Pentecost

These were the signs of the Holy Spirit being poured out in the book of Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”

Can you imagine the anticipation, excitement and bewilderment that took place in that upper room while they waited for this spectacular event to take place?  I think they were having a great time together; fellowshipping, fasting and praying and then it happened, they all were baptized in the Holy Spirit and were empowered to witness and they also spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  There were people from all over the world there and they heard these men speaking their language.  

It says this in verses 5-13, “Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

The people were so amazed that some thought they were drunk.

Then Peter, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, said this in 2:14-21,

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,

‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

And your young men shall see visions,

And your old men shall dream dreams;

Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,

I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit

And they shall prophesy.

‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above

And signs on the earth below,

Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.

‘The sun will be turned into darkness

And the moon into blood,

Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.

‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

I think we need some Peter’s in the churches today!  Just think, his first sermon, after the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and about 3,000 souls were added to their group.  If you think back to Peter’s past and how impetuous he was and how he would stick his foot in his mouth at times, so to speak, even denying the Lord, we see a different man, one that is full of boldness and power and we know it was the Holy Spirit that made the difference in his and the other disciples’ lives.  No matter what side you take on the tongues issue, the Holy Spirit made all the difference.  Peter wasn’t perfect but he was empowered and used in a special way to further God’s kingdom.

Then in Acts 3:1-8, Peter and John, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, healed a cripple man.  In the 4th chapter of Acts they entered the Temple and Peter preaches again and many believed, and the number of men was about 5000.  What a difference the Holy Spirit makes in a person’s life!  Think about who these men were, they were uneducated men.

Read what it says in Acts 4:5-14, “On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.”

The power of the Holy Spirit makes all the difference look at verse 13 again, it says, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”  How bold are you?  Have you been used to bring someone to the Lord?  Maybe you need to do what Peter and the other disciples did and that was pray for more boldness.  

You would think with all the boldness they had they wouldn’t have had to pray for more boldness, but read what happened after they were threatened and punished in Acts 4:23-31, “When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,

‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

And the peoples devise futile things?

‘The kings of the earth took their stand,

And the rulers were gathered together

Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

We all can use more boldness, so let’s learn a lesson from Peter and the other disciples; pray for the power of the Holy Spirit’s boldness to enter your life and empower you for service, then go forth in victory and leave the results to the Lord!!  Enough said, have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!