The Holy Spirit (Part 1)

Acts 2

Why are some people not receptive to the gospel? In this section of Acts, Peter’s sermon to the Jews discusses God’s promise to the world and our responsibility to the Holy Spirit.

This is part 4.1 of a series on Acts.
Series Introduction
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Stratford, and in all Connecticut and the United States, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“Go into all the world and be my witnesses.” In world war II there was a an unusual unity among the people. This, it was believed, was a righteous war. This was a war we were all called to serve in. Those physically able and of age needed to be soldiers. Those who could not go to war, needed to be a part of the war effort at home. Everyone had responsibilities. Everyone had an obligation to take part. It was everyone’s war.

Shouldn't we as Christians have this same attitude, this same sense of responsibility, of privilege and obligation in the to be witnesses, to take the gospel to the ends of the earth? We're all charged to answer the call, to serve, to do our part. There is no excuse not to be involved. Everyone is able, because Jesus assures us he will enable us. “I will send the Holy Spirit. He will come on you with power so that you will be my witnesses.”

What did Jesus’ disciples do after he gave them this Great Commission, after he ascended into heaven? Luke tells us in Acts chapter 2, that they were gathered together, 120 believers and the apostles and some of Jesus’ family, and they were praying and waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It had been about ten days since Jesus had ascended into heaven. It was the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. Luke tells us in the room where they were meeting there was suddenly, from heaven, an overwhelming sound of a windstorm, and flames or tongues of fire appeared and landed on all of the believers.

Apparently this sound was not limited to the upper room where the believers were gathered, but was heard throughout the city, because there were a number of devout Jews who heard this sound. They were perplexed, but must have believed it was some kind of manifestation of God, and they all rushed to the area where the believers were meeting. When the believers came down from the room and realized a large crowd had gathered, they spoke to them of the wonderful things God had done through Jesus. Amazingly, the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak in the different languages of the people who had gathered. There were many Jews who were living in Jerusalem from various people groups who spoke many different languages. Each one heard the believers speaking the gospel in their own language. They were amazed and said to themselves, “What can this mean?” In other words, “What is God telling us and how are we to respond to this sign?” But not everyone in the crowd was enamored by this miraculous manifestation of God. There were many Jews who ridiculed the believers. They accused them of being drunk.

The book of acts is a historical account. It is a record of what Jesus continued to do, of what Jesus did through his apostles, of the works of the Holy Spirit during a certain time period in time that we call the early church. It is important to remember that when you have a historical account it doesn't mean that God will always work the same way he did at any given point in history. For example, we see here that when the Holy Spirit came the manifestation was one of the sound of a windstorm and the landing of flames of fire on the believers. But we don't find a similar manifestation of the Spirit anywhere else in the book of acts. Nor do we find a similar manifestation mentioned in any of the letters, the Epistles, in the New Testament. God chose to work a certain way this time, but not necessarily for all time.

Here are a few things that I think are general observations from this account of the working of God, that generally apply to us.

The first is that the believers knew the Holy Spirit had come and that he was on them. If you were asked if the Holy Spirit was dwelling in you, what would you say? I think many Christians would say they believe he is, they hope he is, but would really be unsure whether he is. What you see here, and elsewhere in Scripture, is that when the Holy Spirit comes on us we will know it. There is the testimony of the Spirit within us, the assurance that we are children of God. There should also be some kind of manifestation--not necessarily what we would consider miraculous, like tongues of fire, or the sound of a rushing wind. But there should be visible fruit in our lives, evidence of the work of the Spirit in us, the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. There should be some changes, something that shows to us and to the world, that the Holy Spirit of God dwells in us and is working in and through us.

The second thing I want you to notice is that the Spirit enables believers to witness of Jesus Christ. The Spirit does not necessarily enable you to do miracles. There are miraculous gifts of the Spirit. Paul talks about some of those in his first letter to the Corinthians. But what matters most is an intelligible witness. The primary enabling of the Spirit is to testify of Jesus in an intelligible, a meaningful way—in the power of the Spirit.

Gospel faith comes by hearing, and hearing by speaking the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). But the testimony of Jesus is also through our lives, not just our words. The fruit of the spirit, the character of Christ in our lives, gives manifest credibility to our words, to our witness for Jesus Christ—in word and deed (Luke 24:19; Colossians 3:17).


The last thing I want to point out is how the Spirit exposes the hearts of people. I think we think that if we speak and live in the power of the Spirit people will be attracted to God. When that doesn’t happen we think there's something wrong with God. He’s not working in power. There’s no visible results. No one is coming to Christ. But what you see here in Acts is that when the Spirit comes He exposes what’s in the hearts of people. Some in the crowd heard the gospel in their own language and recognized it as a manifestation of God and they responded by believing in Jesus--about 3,000 that day. There were also many whose hearts were not receptive to God, and to them it all seemed like foolishness.

Let me give you a few passages of Scripture that talk about this.

At one point in his ministry Jesus said his message was not his own. It was from God who sent him. Anyone, he said, who wants to do the will of God, will know whether his teaching is from God, or is merely his own (John 7:16-17). Those, he said, who listened to him, who hear the voice of the Father and recognize God in Jesus, in his life and in his miracles, it shows they're receptive to God, they desire the will of God. But to those who reject what he said and did accused him of being a devil. They intended to stone him and kill him. The testimony of Jesus revealed what was really in their hearts. Even though, from outward appearances, they seemed like devout, godly, righteous Jews, yet the witness of Jesus exposed their hearts.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul said our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being “saved” and by those who are “perishing”. To those who are perishing, the fragrance of Christ is a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, it is the fragrance of life. The presence of Christ exposes what is in the hearts of people.

Have you experienced in your dealing with people? You can share a passage of Scripture, you can speak of what Jesus means to you, he brings you such joy, meaning, purpose, but they see nothing there. They don’t understand what you get out of “religion”. Jesus said—and this was his experience—that most people will not be interested in the gospel because they’re not interested in the truth, they’re not interested in God (Matthew 7:13-14).

In the letter to the Hebrews the writer quotes David in a Psalm 95 saying,

‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts….’
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. (Hebrews 4:7,12-13)

When I speak to people about God, about Christ, about spiritual things, I want people to like me. I want people to be receptive to the message. I want them to come to know Christ. And so I’m tempted to say things I think they might like to hear, that might appeal to them, that they'll be receptive to. We must be careful. There are those hard-nosed, blunt and obnoxious Christians who self-righteously justify and even glory in their rejection. I think the greater danger for me is to try and please people and win their approval more than I try to please God and speak the truth under the direction of the Holy Spirit. I need to be careful that I speak in the power of the Spirit, that I speak the word of God. For some, it will be the fragrance of life, to others the fragrance of death.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote this,

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Have you ever felt like you don't want to talk to someone about Christ? You don't want to bring up spiritual things because you might not know how to answer their questions? You might bumble and fumble and be embarrassed. Do you see what Paul says here? It's not wise and persuasive words, it's not with slick speech and arguments, it's not with clever apologetics, but simply in the power of the Spirit you must speak. So that a person's faith, a person's relationship with God, would not rest on your answers, or the things that you say, but truly on the work of the Spirit of God. Jesus says to us, “I'm giving you a privilege and a responsibility, to go to the whole world and be witnesses for me. I will give you the Holy Spirit. He will enable you to be witnesses for me.

Is the Holy Spirit enough for us? For you? Where you live, as you live, will you walk in the Spirit and talk in the Spirit? The world is desperately needy and it is God who has called you to do so.