ACTS 2:1-4 HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL PENTECOST2023 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Acts 2:1-4 Have Your Own Personal Pentecost

I've never really been great at understanding large groups of people. I'm not one of those who are able to kind of fit in with the cool kids because, you know, I know the lingo and I pick up on the the things that are trending and popular, you know, everything to me is just confusing. In in those types of things, there's too many variables. I can't wrap my mind around large groups of people and what people are thinking and how to get, you know, a large group of people to a certain place. You know, it's kind of funny in the workplace, I'm. The managing a A-Team for the the marketing team at my at my workplace and you know, it's kind of funny because here I am. Like I have no idea. We we we need to reach architects, how do we? Reach architects I. Have no idea what do they? What do they think? What do they care about? I have no. Idea that's too big for me to figure out. You can't calculate that math, you know well enough. And yet that's the role that I have. We need to reach contractors, we need to reach architects, we need to reach all these different types of people. And how do we reach them? How do we influence them? How do we persuade them to, you know, work with us? And go with our product. Even on the internal level, we often have conversations within the company about company culture and you know, it's just been a really cool thing that has developed there within the company. And so now the question is how do we maintain that company culture and how do we preserve that? And I have no idea. I mean, that's just like too difficult too. Complex for me to calculate, I've just never been good at understanding large groups of people and being able to work on that level in my personal taste. My personal preference I like to keep things down to the individual level and so as we look at acts chapter. Two this evening. I want to bring it down to an individual level and I want to encourage you to have your own personal Pentecost. Have your own personal Pentecost. Now there are some who would look at this and we could all look at this and say, wow, how could we experience this as a church? There's some who would look at this and say how can we experience? This in our society. How could we have, you know, a a spark and a revolution, a revival of Pentecost, you know, here in Southern California or in our nation or in the world, and and. And there's all of this, perhaps talk and. Question about that and not that any of that. Is wrong, it's. Just way over my head I can't. Figure that out. I'm not trying to, it's not something that the Lord has impressed upon me, but what has been impressed upon me is. Our own personal individual experience with the Lord, and so this evening I want to encourage you. Yes, perhaps God wants to spark a worldwide revival, and perhaps he wants to do that here. Perhaps he wants to start with you, but I think it begins not with some big plan or for us understanding, you know, all of these different variables. But regardless of God's plan in the bigger context, individually. I know and I can be confident and certain that God wants you to have your own personal. Day of Pentecost. And so to evaluate this on an individual on a personal level, I'm going to walk you through the six questions. I'm sure you are familiar with these who, what, when, where, why and how. And walking through this will just help us to think about this for ourselves and what the Lord has for us. So six questions. How to have your own. Personal Pentecost, we start with question number one who? And the answer I'll give you. Quick run to the end. It's for every believer in Jesus. Your own personal day of Pentecost is something that God wants to provide for everyone who believes in Jesus and verse one here of acts Chapter 2. Again, it says when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord. In one place. First, we're kind of looking at the passage we're looking at what's happening here and understanding who is there. It says the day of Pentecost had fully come, and they were all with one accord in one place. And so who are we talking about here in the passage? And so, of course, we can back up into acts chapter one to get a little bit better. Insight into who has gathered and we can go back to verse 13 of acts chapter. Then it tells us that when they had entered, they went up into the upper room and where they were staying and who are they? It begins to list. Now these 11 disciples. Peter James, John Andrew Phillip Thomas Bartholomew, Matthew, James, Simon, and Judas, the son of James. And so we have the 11 disciples here that are part of the they of acts, Chapter 2, verse one. Who was there who experienced this work of God on that day of Pentecost? We know for sure it was these 11 disciples, but they weren't alone. As it goes on in acts chapter one, verse 14. It says these all continued and one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. And so it expands the Group A bit. It's not just those eleven men, those 11 disciples, but there's also some ladies who are present. And then there's also some of the brothers, the biological Brothers of Jesus. Half brothers. Right. They didn't believe, and they weren't part of the disciples during the earthly Ministry of Jesus. But after the resurrection, they came to believe. And so now you have a group of 11 disciples and unnumbered, unspecified number of ladies, as well as the Brothers of Jesus. And then in verse 15 it goes on to tell us in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples altogether. The number of names was about 120. And now he begins to speak to them. But the point here is what we are talking about. Then when it reaches acts Chapter 2, verse one and it says and they. That they is referring to this group of. People 11 disciples. Unspecified number of ladies. The Brothers of Jesus and these other disciples. Altogether there's about 120 of them gathered together when this day is fully come and this work of God takes place. And so who is the day of Pentecost for it? Well, it's. Definitely 411 disciples. It's for those ladies who are present. It's for the brothers of Jesus. All 120 of those disciples. Who are gathered? And looking at that, I think we can understand it becomes clear this is not for just the 11 disciples. It's not just for those who have this kind of rank within the body of Christ or some kind of special position or privilege, or have this special understanding or relationship, or this length in time. The Brothers of Jesus at this time they're, you know, they're just New Believers. They just barely started a couple of days ago. Meanwhile, the disciples have been around Jesus for years, right? And and so here we see this group of people makes up all kinds of different people to say. It's not exclusive to a particular group. A particular gender, a particular type of role or responsibility within the church. Now looking at the these different groups, maybe you could say that it's only for Jewish people, because that is one thing that they had in common. The disciples, the women, the brothers of Jesus, the 120 disciples there. They were all Jewish people, and so maybe you could make that point. And so for that to understand how that's not the case, we can jump to the end of acts chapter 2 at the end of Peters, message that as he stands up and preaches at the day of Pentecost, he says in acts Chapter 2, verse 38 and 39, Peter said to them repent. And let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promises to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. And so in the message that Peter delivered on the day of Pentecost, he promised the Holy Spirit. He says this is the promise. This is the gift that God has promised. See you. He's addressing all of those who are gathered there at the commotion there in Jerusalem, and so primarily to Jewish people, to your children, to the descendants of Jewish people, but also to all who are far off. And that widens the scope. Now we're not just talking to Jewish people, but we're talking to Jews and Gentiles. We're talking to all of humanity, as many as the Lord. Our God will call. So there's no. No number limit. There's no quantity limit. There's no geography limit, there's no nationality limit. This is a promise that is given to all. The Lord. Our God will call. And so to have your own personal day of Pentecost. You need to understand this is something that God wants to do. For every believer in Jesus, he wants to do this in men's lives. He wants to do this in the lives of women. He wants to do this in the lives of Jews as well as Gentiles for everyone. He calls for everyone who responds to believe in Jesus Christ. He has a day of Pentecost. He has a work of the Holy Spirit that he wants to perform now, moving on to the next question, who now the next question is what? What are we talking about here? We are talking about the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Now the scriptures refer to this in a couple of different ways. I like to personally use the word empowering because it's not specifically mentioned in the scripture. Now it doesn't make it unbiblical, but because it doesn't come with. As many of the assumptions and things that our heads bring when we hear some of the other terms and so I'll kind of sum those up as we get into this here. But what we are talking about here is an empowering a supernatural empowering of God in our lives by. The Holy Spirit. Now we can understand that the that we are talking about this by walking through some of the different relationships that we can have with the Holy Spirit at different stages of our lives. And so again, looking at the disciples who were involved here, we can understand walking through with them. What it is that is taking place here on the day of Pentecost. And so, as you've often heard, I'm sure the different prepositions within and upon these refer to you and help us to understand the three types of relationships that we can have with the Holy Spirit. 1 The Holy Spirit with you. To the Holy Spirit in you and then three, the Holy Spirit upon you. Now I'm going to walk you through some of these verses. I'm not going to camp out in a lot of these, but they're just kind of moving along pretty fast so you can take notes if you want to. But but I want to dig. Into I want to go through the. Scriptures to help us and to remind. Us of these truths. Why we believe them and also to give us the confidence the the you know strength of faith-based upon the word of God to know this is what God has for us. And so we can believe it wholeheartedly and receive it from. And so let's walk through a couple of things really quickly here in John Chapter 14 is where we'll start in John Chapter 14, verse 16 and 17. Jesus talking to his disciples, says and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you. Forever the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and will be. In you. In the Gospel of John 141516, Jesus speaks a lot about the Holy Spirit. It's leading right up to his crucifixion. Those chapters, and so he's preparing his disciples for his departure for his crucifixion, and he's preparing them for this helper, the Holy Spirit. That he will send in acts chapter. I'm sorry, John. Chapter 16. He'll go on to say it's to your advantage that I go away because then I'll be able to send. The Holy Spirit. To you. And so there's an advantage that you have with the holy. Now, he points out here, though, talking about. The Holy Spirit. The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit. The the world does not see the spirit. The world does not know the spirits, but he makes a distinction and he says to the disciples, you know the spirit. Because he dwells with you. Disciples, you've had some experience with the Holy Spirit. You've had some interaction, you have a a type of relationship with the Holy Spirit because you have the Holy Spirit with you. But there's also a change coming where he says and will be in you, so there's a chance you have something now certain type of relationship. And there's a new type of relationship that's coming. It's going to be a change from with to in and we can understand this of the Holy Spirit alongside. Before the crucifixion, before the full work of salvation is complete, and then the Holy Spirit in dwelling is what takes place. When we are born again, we receive the gospel, we receive the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, and so he tells the disciples you have relationship with the Holy Spirit. He's with you. And so you have some connection. You have some context for understanding who the Holy Spirit is, but that's going to develop even further, and the Holy Spirit will be in you. And then in acts chapter one, verse eight, we get the third type of relationship, the third preposition upon acts, chapter one, verse 8. Jesus says, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end. Of the earth. And so here we find this Jesus speaking to his disciples again, this third type of relationship that they will. Experience with the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit comes upon you then. Well, you will receive power and This is why I like to refer to this as the empowering of the Holy Spirit, because this is the upon experience that they have in acts Chapter 2 that Jesus spoke about here in acts chapter one. So between John Chapter 14 and acts chapter one. We get to see these three prepositions, these three types of relationships that are distinct and separate. There is the with experience before salvation, where the Holy Spirit is alone. Aside, bringing conviction, speaking and working, but not in dwelling, and then you have the in relationship where the Holy Spirit takes up residence, dwells within you because you have believed in Jesus Christ and have been born again. But then there is also this third relationship where the Holy Spirit. Comes upon you to bring forth power to be witnesses to Jesus, and so these three relationships with the Holy Spirit taught by Jesus. Made clear there's three distinct and different relationships. Some of them can happen quickly and overlap a little bit. We don't know and don't have to define all of those details exactly, but to understand at the very minimum there is these three types of experiences or relationships that you and I can have. With the Holy Spirit that the disciples had with the Holy Spirit. Now how do we know that these are three distinct things? How do we know that the in relationship isn't the same as the on or upon relationship? Right? Well, we can also understand there's three distinct events taking place here, 3 distinct time frames that we're talking. About once Jesus is talking about this, it's happening before the resurrection. Another time that Jesus is talking about this. It's before his ascension before Pentecost, and then the third time that we're going to look at here in next Chapter 2. It's actually at Pentecost. So I probably confuse you a little bit. Let me pull the scriptures up here for you to to give some clarity here. Again, John Chapter 14, this verse that we looked at a few moments ago. The Holy Spirit is with you. He dwells with you and will be in you. Jesus says this happens in John Chapter 14, before the cross. It's those hours leading up to the cross, but before he's been crucified before, he's been resurrected. It's a very clear point in time that Jesus is giving this instruction to his disciple. But then in John Chapter 20, we find there that Jesus breathes upon his disciples and says receive the Holy Spirit. And so you see this picture of Jesus meeting with his disciples. When is this happening? This is after Jesus has resurrected. So John Chapter 14, John chapter 22 different time frames, two different distinct things. They had the with experience with the Holy Spirit before and John Chapter 14. He said he is with you now in John Chapter 20 is when they begin to experience the Holy Spirit. In them, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he breathes on them and says receive the Holy Spirit that is. After his resurrection, but before Jesus has ascended into heaven. And then in acts Chapter 2, verse four, part of our passage tonight, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. It and begin to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. So now they're filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has come upon them. This is at Pentecost. This is after the crucifixion, after the resurrection, and after Jesus has ascended to the. So in looking at the life and the the Ministry of Jesus to his disciples, we can see these three distinct relationships carried out, separated by time separated. They can't be crossed over. They can't be, you know, confused with one another. These are three separate occurrences as Jesus taught them. Each step of the. The way the disciples had the Holy Spirit dwelling with them before the resurrection after the resurrection before Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit indwelt the disciples. They received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them, and then here at the day of Pentecost, after Jesus had ascended to the father. Now they are filled with the Holy Spirit and they receive this promise of the Holy Spirit coming upon them. Now that brings me to another point to just kind of clarify this a little bit. The empowering of the Holy Spirit I mentioned, I like to refer to this because this summarizes 3 different ways the Bible talks about this experience. And so you can say it's also known as. Being baptized with the spirit. It's also known as the Holy Spirit upon you, and then also same thing. Being filled with the Holy Spirit. The empowering of the Holy Spirit is talked about all three ways in the scriptures, and this particular event here of acts Chapter 2 is referred to in all three ways and that's why I think it's important because sometimes. Times people try to make a distinction. Well, you know, baptized with the Holy Spirit that happens. You know, it's this very limited set of things. And it's only that and then the Holy Spirit upon you is it's these are synonyms. I would suggest that can be used interchangeably in the same way. That the Bible. The book of Acts uses these three ways of talking about this experience interchangeably, because in acts chapter one, verse 5, Jesus talking to his disciples says John baptize you with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Not many days from now and then in acts Chapter 2. Verse four, they have that experience, and they're baptized in the Holy Spirit. Not many days after Jesus said that in acts chapter one, verse 5. And then in acts chapter one, verse eight, he says you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. This event happens in acts Chapter 2. Verse four, when the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, and so Jesus refers to what happens in acts chapter 2. Both ways they're baptized with the. It the spirit comes upon them and then in acts Chapter 2, verse four, when the event actually happens, it says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And so sometimes we. Get a little bit too particular, I think in the terminology here these are all talking about the same thing. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit is the empowering of the spirit. The Holy Spirit coming upon you is the empowering of the spirit being filled with the spirit is the empowering of the spirit. These are all the the same thing where the Holy Spirit is working in the life of the believer in a supernatural way to provide for us the power that we need for the things that God has for us. And so this is what we're talking about. This is what we need to dig into and to have our own personal Pentecost to be empowered by the spirit, to be baptized in the spirit, to have the Holy Spirit upon. Us to be filled with the holy. Where it all referring to the same type of experience and relationship with the Holy Spirit, and so 3 prepositions within and upon distinguish for us what it is that we're talking about. The three distinct events distinguish the different time frames. These are clearly different types of relationships within. And upon but that upon relationship with the Holy Spirit can be described as a baptism, as a filling, as an empowering. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that God wants to provide. Who every believer in Jesus so who we know what we know. The next question is when when? Well we can answer that all the time continually. When does the Lord want us to have our own personal day of Pentecost all the time? Continually being filled, baptized, having the Holy Spirit upon us? Being empowered by the Holy Spirit for the life that he has called us to live well, when does it take place for the disciples? Verse one of acts Chapter 2 tells. Of us. When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one. Please so when did this happen? When did this occur for the disciples? It happened on the day of Pentecost. Quick quiz everybody know what day the day of Pentecost is 2023. What day is the day of Pentecost? Yeah, you probably don't know. That's OK. So here's a quick look at the annual fees of the Nation of Israel and some corresponding dates for this year where they kind of fall on our calendar. These are, you know, rough estimates of. Course, but Passover, of course, the unleavened bread, the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of First Fruits, the feast of weeks, trumpets the day of atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. All of these have different names that are used in different times throughout the scriptures, but that's a quick look at them. The day of Pentecost. Is synonymous with the feast of weeks, and so this year it happens to fall. May 25th, 2023 is the day of Pentecost. Just and so that is the day you cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit until May 25th of this. No, no, that's not the case, right? This was the day of Pentecost for them. And and it was this certain amount of time. It's called Pentecost because the word means 50th. And so they would. Wait seven weeks after Passover, there was a certain calculation, a certain Sabbath after the Passover started, that they would do this calculation to do the seven weeks and then on the 50th day. 7 * 7 is 49, right? So seven weeks, 49 days on the 50th day was the day of Pentecost. And then there was this celebration, this feast, that would happen on that day. Well, on that day, this 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover. Is the day that the disciples were gathered together and they were filled with the Holy Spirit empowered by. The Holy Spirit. So does that mean it happens only on? The day of Pentecost. No, of course. Not why did it happen here? Well, clearly the Lord wanted to fulfill some typology he had built into the annual fees of the nation of Israel, some symbolism, some scheduling, and. And so there was a work that God was doing. This is the the sovereign work of God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Upon the disciples, but that does not limit then. The time frame to this particular time we will continue on in the book of acts and see. It doesn't only happen on this particular day of the year, but all throughout time, any time on the calendar. Now this is the first occasion but after that there is no schedule. There is no time, there is no waiting until it happens. There is just the experience and the event of the Holy Spirit. Empowering the believers for the work that God has. Called them too. The apostle Paul in Ephesians Chapter 5 gives us an important command, an interesting command, and in Ephesians 5 verse. 18 he says do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. Speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving things always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another in the fear of God. And so Paul tells us what not to do. Do not be drunk with wine, don't be overwhelmed. That ties yourself in wine is what he's saying. Instead be filled, be baptized, have the Holy Spirit come upon you, be empowered with the spirit, and when he says to be filled. With the spirit, it is in the present tense and it literally means to be filled and keep on being filled, not just a one time occasion, but an ongoing repeat to keep on being filled. Filled with the spirit and being empowered by the spirit, will overflow in your life to do what? Well, there's going to be that speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and making melody in your heart and giving things always submitting to one another in the fear of God. There's going to be this empowering of the Holy Spirit on you continually for. This interaction and the things that will be going on so that you can give things always so very clearly here. When does the Lord wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit? When does he want you to be empowered by the Holy Spirit? When are we to experience our own personal day of Pentecost? Just all the time. Continually not a limited run, not, you know, a short season in our life or early in in our Christian life. You know, we're filled with the Holy Spirit and then we got our two week run and then you know, that's it. We used up our time and you got your 15 minutes of Holy Spirit fame and now you're done. You know, you just got to live a boring Christian life after that. No, we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. All the time continually. It is something that God commands us too. Here in Ephesians chapter 5. It's a command be filled. It's command for us to make sure that we don't go dry, that we don't go without the empowering. Of the Holy Spirit. As we seek to live the Christian life, so we know who we know, what we know when. Now we need to understand where, where. And I'll put it this way, anywhere Jesus instructs you to be where? Where does the Lord want you to experience your own personal day of Pentecost? In verse. One it tells us again of acts Chapter 2, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Where were the disciples? Well, we know they were in Jerusalem. So does that mean we should all fly to Jerusalem? Everybody book your ticket and let's go get filled with the Holy Spirit. We're going to go head to Jerusalem. No, of course not. But that's where they were, right acts, chapter one tells us they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivette, which is near Jerusalem on a Sabbath day journey. And when they had entered, they went into the upper room where they were staying. OK, so maybe that's the key. It's not just that we go to Jerusalem, we got to go to. An upper room or that specific? Upper room. Good luck finding it, but it's not this specific place. The question is why were the disciples there? Many of the disciples were not from Jerusalem, right. Many of the disciples were from Galilee. Why were they in Jerusa? Well, they were in Jerusalem because that's exactly where Jesus told them to be. Acts chapter one, verse 4 being assembled together with them. He Jesus talking commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. But to wait for the promise of the father, which he said you have heard from me. For John truly baptized with water. But you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Not many days from now. I think the key here is not the specific geographic location, the specific room they were in, the elevation of the room that they were in, upper or lower, that the specific thing here is that they were exactly where God wanted. Them to be. I think we could make a strong case we should not expect to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we are exactly where God does not want us to be, and when we are defying God, running away from God, doing something that you know God doesn't want us to do in some in the police, God doesn't want us. To be that that. Issue here is not a key location that there's some, you know, magic geography happening anywhere. But that it's where God wants you to be now. There's been a lot of headlines and stuff, and I have it really dug into it in great detail, but I've seen the headline. There's been, you know, some kind of work of God that's been happening in Kentucky over the past couple of weeks. And so lots of, you know, different ideas and thoughts about it. Lots of opinions being shared. And I don't have any opinions to share, but here's what I can share. It's not that Kentucky is special, and so everybody has to go to Kentucky in order to experience whatever it is that God wants to do, like he is doing in Kentucky. In the same way, as you know, back a generation ago, you didn't have to go to Costa Mesa to experience the work that God was doing just because there is this specific location that there is of course, this unique work of God in a location. But but that doesn't mean that the work of God is limited to that or that even God wants. To be to be in that location, that's not realistic. That's not practical. In fact, the latest headline I saw was that the the town surrounding this is having to set some regulations and restrict the number of people coming in because the roads and everything, it's just not equipped to handle the population of people who are coming in. It's just not practical. We all can't go there, however. We don't have to necessarily. Because God can do that same work, he can do whatever work he wants to do. Anywhere he wants to do it, the key is. To be where Jesus instructs you to be. Now that's not. Something to use as an excuse if God prompts your heart to go to Kentucky. Don't use my words here to say, well, look, I don't have to go to Kentucky. No, you don't. Don't wrestle with God on this book a ticket and go to Kentucky and and go experience what God wants you to experience where he wants you to experience it. The the key for us is to understand where does Jesus want me to be. And if Jesus wants me to be at living water on a Wednesday night, well then I need to be there. If he wants me to be at home on a Wednesday night, well then I need to be there. If he wants me to be at a bar on Wednesday night, well, that's probably not true. So don't listen to that one. That's the enemy lying to you there. If he wants me to be somewhere else, then that's where I need to be. And so I. Need to go to Israel? Go to. Jerusalem, if that's. Where the Lord wants me to be. Well, how do I know where the Lord wants me to be? Well, you have to seek him. The disciples were seeking Jesus. They were hearing his voice. They were listening to his commands. And so this is our requirement. This is our responsibility to hear from the Lord, to be seeking the Lord and to understand. Where he wants us to let him guide us to the places he wants us to be and to respond to the promptings that he gives us that we might be where the Lord wants us to be. And sometimes that means being somewhere that we are uncomfortable. Sometimes that means being somewhere that we exactly want to be, but it's not about us anymore. It's about. Where does Jesus? Want you to be. To be. Filled with the Holy Spirit. To have your own personal day of Pentecost and have the empowering of the Holy Spirit and to experience the overflow of the Holy Spirit in your. Life in that way. It's not about me trying to fit the Holy Spirit into the system of my life that I want and the schedule that I want and the locations and geography that I want. I mean, maybe what God wants you to do is to be on the street corner preaching the gospel, and that's where you're going to experience the empowering of the Holy Spirit in a degree like you've never experienced before. That, that, that you need to follow the promptings of the Lord and trust him, and let him lead you and guide you, and that dictates that determines where we need to be and where we experience the work of God that he wants to do in our lives. And so they're in Jerusalem, but it's not a magic place. They're in Jerusalem because Jesus told them to wait there. And so they did exactly that. They waited there in Jerusalem, and then the Lord fulfilled his promise and empowered them with the Holy Spirit. So we know The Who we know the what we know the. When we know the where. Do we know the why? Why be empowered by the Holy Spirit? Well, I'll give you the answer to be a witness, an active member. The body. This is really a twofold purpose. The baptism of the spirit, the Holy Spirit coming upon you, being filled with the Holy Spirit, the empowering of the Holy Spirit has this effect in our lives. It enables us to be a witness to Jesus. And it enables us to be an active member of the body of Christ. We know this from what Jesus taught in acts chapter one, verse 8, when he told the disciples. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end. Of the earth. This verse really becomes the outline of the book of acts where you see the disciples empowered with the Holy Spirit in acts Chapter 2 and they become witnesses to Jesus in all of Jerusalem. To the point that the religious leaders start to persecute them and push them out of Jerusalem, chase them out of Jerusalem, and where do they go to all Judea and Samaria? And so they're now spreading the gospel, spreading the message of Christ exactly in the pattern that Jesus taught them. And now they're being witnesses to to Jesus in Judea and Samaria until we get to act. Chapter 13. When now the Holy Spirit appoints Saul. And Barnabas and says to the church, send them out for the work. I've called them to, and they began the missionary journey. They go all around Asia Minor and preach the gospel and plant churches, and they begin that work of reaching the ends of the earth. With the gospel, and so it provides for us an outline of the book of acts as the Holy Spirit and powers the disciples to be witnesses to Jesus, starting in Jerusalem, spreading out to Judea and Samaria, and then to the end of the Earth. And so the message of the gospel, the testimony of Jesus, the work of Jesus Christ. Is being spread because of the empowering. Of the Holy Spirit. And so this is. The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the empowering of the Holy Spirit to be a witness to Jesus, to be empowered, to be able to testify. Jesus is Lord Jesus has died upon the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus did not stay in the grave. He resurrected on the third day. He ascended to the father. He's coming back again. And those who believe in him are forgiven of their sins and born again and enabled by the Lord to be witnesses to him. To their Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. That there is this testimony of the work of Jesus Christ that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and dwelling within us and working through us, and so to be a witness to Jesus is. The empowering of the Holy Spirit. Now that doesn't always take the form of, you know, the exact way that you might think of witnessing or the picture you might have of St. witnessing or, you know, preaching from a stage to a large audience, witnessing being a witness to Jesus. Is developed and it's demonstrated in many different ways. There's an unlimited type of ways and opportunities for us to be witnesses to Jesus, but it's the Holy Spirit that empowers them all, and that's the key here. That's the point that we are to live lives as a testimony to Jesus. To speak words that are a testimony to Jesus, to take a course and direct our lives in a way that testifies to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and. Only being empowered by the Holy Spirit are we empowered or enabled. To do that. But there's another aspect of this too. So reaching the loss, being a witness to the world around us, that is an important element of the empowering of the Holy Spirit. But also the Holy Spirit filling us coming upon us, baptizing us, enables us and empowers us to be an active member of the body of Christ. And I'll take you back to Ephesians chapter. Live where Paul says do not be drunk with wine, in which his dissipation but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking to who? One another, so acts, chapter one, verse 8. That's outreach that's being a witness to Jesus, to a world, to a society, to a people that does not know Jesus. Jesus, but now in Ephesians chapter 5 the focus, the people that we're dealing with have changed. Now it's one another and throughout the New Testament you can see this phrase one another, which refers to us as believers and our interactions with each other. And so here you can work in and understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the roles within the body of Christ that we pray for on Sunday mornings the the ways that God uses us to impact one another's lives. It cannot be done. The body of Christ and the body functions and fulfilling our role in the body of Christ cannot be done in our own strength with our own resources. It it really needs to be an empowering of the Holy Spirit so that we can speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart. To the Lord that that there is a spiritual flow in our interactions, in even our melodious, you know, conversations and joyful discussions about the things of the Lord giving things always, he says. For all things to God the father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and then submitting to one another in. The fear of God. The hard word of submission there, you need to understand it's a hard word and and one of the reasons why it's a hard word is because of our sinful nature. The the fleshly nature, right? We need the empowering of the Holy Spirit to be able to submit to one another, that is. There's a giving side of the empowering of the Holy Spirit. There's also a receiving side. That being empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are able to receive from one another. Well, the things that we need from the Lord that he chooses to deliver through others around us and so there is the speaking to one another. Then there's also the submitting to one another. There is the giving and the receiving that come as an overflow. Of the Holy Spirit empowering us to be an active member of the body of Christ, we need to have our own personal Pentecost to be filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized with the Holy Spirit, able to give exercising the gifts, fulfilling the roles that the Holy Spirit. Has given to us. But also able to receive able to listen able to be corrected, able to be encouraged, able to be uplifted, able to receive others exercising their gifts and we benefit as they are empowered with the Holy Spirit. We benefit our lives, benefit and so we grow together. If he's in Chapter 4, Paul talks about that, we grow together. Mature as the body of Christ, as each member does its share as we receive what the Lord is providing through others as well as we give what the Lord is providing through us to others around us. And so we know The Who every believer in Jesus, we know the what we're talking about, the empowering of the spirit. We know when all the time continually we know where anywhere Jesus instructs you to be. We know why. So that you can be a witness an. Active member of. The body, and then finally we need to consider how. So how? Can you have your own personal Pentecost very simply. Ask the father and keep on asking him. Ask the father and keep on asking him. In order to receive this, there is not some level of, you know, spiritual achievement that we need to reach. There is not a requirement you must read at least 60% of the Bible in order to receive. No, that's that's not required. The requirement is simply. To ask the disciples as as you walk through their experience with the empowering of the Holy Spirit. They were where Jesus told them to be. They were doing what Jesus told them to do. They were with others who were seeking Jesus. And then the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. Just as the Lord promised to them. Jesus said it's to your advantage. I go wait here in Jerusalem and after I'm gone, I'm gonna pray to the father and he will send the Holy Spirit. And that began. The empowering of the Holy Spirit upon the lives of the followers of Christ. But it wasn't the end. And from there on out, there is. The example that is set before us of the request, the asking the father to be. Filled with the Holy Spirit. I want to walk you through some of the passages in the book of Acts where we see this experience repeated in the lives of the believers. Not these same group all necessarily. Except for this first example, acts Chapter 4. It tells us in verse 29 now Lord look on their threats, grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word by stretching out your hand to heal that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled. With the Holy Spirit, and they spoke. The word of. God with boldness, this is happening after the first round of persecution is taking place upon the church. After the day of Pentecost and the religious leaders are not happy about the name of Jesus being spread. They're captured. They're beaten, they're sent back to the congregation, and so they go back and they say we need to pray. We need to ask the father to empower us with the Holy Spirit so that we don't shake in the time of persecution, that we don't shrink back when they threaten against us and tell us. To stop but. That we persist in the call that God is. Given to us and so they pray, they ask the father and it tells us in verse 31 and they are all filled with the Holy Spirit. And so they ask the father and they're filled. Well, this is the second time they've been filled for many of them, right? They many of these were with the first group. Now others have been added to them, as they believed in Jesus, but again, they're filled again. This is an ongoing, continual experience of the disciples are having well. Then we jump to acts Chapter 8. There's a work of God happening in Samaria. It tells us in verse 14 of Acts 8, when the apostles were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God. They sent Peter and John to them who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. What did they? Do they asked. The father for as. Yet he had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. And so here. The believers there in Samaria hadn't understood, hadn't been baptized in the Holy Spirit. They've been baptized in the name of Jesus, but they had not received the Holy Spirit. They didn't know about the Holy Spirit, and so the disciples come from Jerusalem and they teach them they further their understanding and they pray for them that they might receive. The Holy Spirit and here you have the added component of the laid hands on them. And now these disciples in Samaria receive. The Holy Spirit. And so there's the request they ask the father and you can understand it's safe to assume, as the disciples are laying hands on them and praying for them, that they would receive the Holy Spirit, that the recipient who has hands laid on them is saying. Yes, father. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Right? Like that's the request that the Lord is responding to as he fills them with the holy. Well then in next chapter nine, we have the encounter with Ananias and Saul of Tarsus, who becomes the apostle Paul and tells us in verse 17, Ananias went his way, entered the house, laying his hands on him. He said brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales. He received his sight at once. He arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened, and then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. And so here the father sends. Ananias says go lay hands on Saul. Pray for him that he will receive. The Holy Spirit. And so again we have that component of the laying on of hands and again it's the idea, the understanding that Saul is agreeing. Yes, father. Fill me with your holy. That's why the Lord sent Ananias to him, that he would be prayed for and agree with him in that prayer. Well, in next Chapter 10, Peter is now ministering to a group of disciples that have believed but not received the Holy Spirit while Peter was still. I'm sorry, that's later acts. Chapter 10 is different. It's the household of Cornelius I confused myself for a second. The household of Cornelius, the first time Gentiles are receiving the Holy Spirit here in acts chapter 10. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter because of the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered. Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized? Who receive the Holy Spirit, just as we have, and so in act chapter 10 we have a surprise. This isn't the faith of the apostles. This isn't, you know, the even Peter praying that they would receive the Holy Spirit. You have Peter in the middle of preaching the gospel. The recipients are hearing it. They're believing it. They're calling out to God right where they're at. And the Lord is answering in the Holy Spirit fills those who are listening there, the Gentiles there of Cornelius's household. So here it's a little bit different. There's not the laying on of hands, there's not that type of interaction. There's not even that. The intention of Peter or anybody with it, they're all surprised. They don't expect this, even if they had believed the message, Peter and the disciples would not have laid hands on them and asked for the whole they wouldn't have done any of that. They were not expecting anything like that. But it's those who heard the message believed, and we're calling out to God that the Lord is responding to here. And so the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word, because they are responding to the Lord personally, and so they get their own personal day of Pentecost. There in acts chapter. Last chapter 19 last example here from the book of Acts. This is where Paul is ministering in Ephesus. Apollos had been through there, taught some things, but it wasn't full and complete, and so, Paul says, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said we didn't even know that there. Is a Holy Spirit. And so he says, well, what were you baptized into then? And he said, well, they we were baptized into John's baptism. And Paul says in verse four of Acts 19, John indeed baptized a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him. That is on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues. And prophesied. So here you have believers. You have people who have repented, but they didn't have the whole message, the whole gospel, they had a limited understanding. And as Paul explains it further, recognizing you haven't heard about the Holy Spirit, now they receive the Holy Spirit again. We have the component of Paul laying on his hands and they receive the Holy Spirit. And again, I would suggest it is not so much the apostle Paul laying on his hands. That is the key thing here, but it is the recipients receiving and calling out and requesting the father to baptize them. So all of these examples here in the book of Acts, we have some occasions where there's a laying on of hand. Somewhere there's not. It's always though consistent. People asking the father to fill them with. The Holy Spirit. Jesus taught in Luke Chapter 11 about this. He taught us to ask and seek and knock. If you ask. It will be given if you seek. You will find if you knock. It will be opened. Then he goes on to explain that further and he says, look, if a son asks for bread from a father. What father would give him? A stone and said, you know. Chew on that kid. Ha ha ha. You know, like, this is a terrible picture of a father. If a father would do that. No, a father. Will provide food. For their child when the child is hungry. If the child. Is hungry for a fish who would give him a serpent to to be harmed and and hurt? No, no, that's not what a father would do. And so Jesus goes on to use that illustration to say, look. Asking, seeking, and knocking. If human fathers. Know how to give good gifts to their children? How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? And so this is how Jesus taught us. To receive the Holy Spirit, to ask and seek, and knock, and to know that. The father. Far superior to an earthly father will give there. There is a component of faith that's required here. That receiving of the Holy Spirit is not always evidenced by something external that is noteworthy. That is, you know, something that would be written in articles or newspapers or anything like that. Sometimes it is subtle, sometimes there is emotion and sometimes there is not. That's not the issue. Whether or not there was some sign or evidence externally. We are to believe Jesus at his word, if you. Know how to give good gifts to your children. The father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. The interesting thing about being baptized being filled, the Holy Spirit coming upon. These are all passive things. These are not things that you do. Jesus doesn't. Say, fill yourself with the Holy Spirit. You don't pour your whole the Holy Spirit onto yourself. It's not something you do to yourself. It is something you receive. It's a command to receive it. So how do you receive something that you can't do to yourself? You have to ask, and that's what the Lord says ask. Seek knock. And you will find. He will answer the Holy Spirit will be given. By the father to those who ask him, the giving of the Holy Spirit is always a sovereign work of God. And the outflow and the evidence and all the work that happens, that's always under the sovereign Authority of God, the Holy Spirit, gifts the way that he wants to gifts, to give gifts in acts. Chapter 2, verse four, it says. And they began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. Not everybody on that day spoke in tongues, but as the spirit gave them utterance according to the will of the Holy Spirit, the sovereignty of God was at work. Some spoken tongues, some didn't. God moved as he saw appropriate. But the point is not. The outcome? The specific evidence. But they asked. They waited. They were there in Jerusalem, just as Jesus instructed them, and then they received the Holy Spirit, just as he promised. And for you and I, today we have a similar kind of promise. Not to wait in a certain spot, not to wait for a certain time. Not to have some special circumstances. You can have your own personal day of Pentecost. It's for every believer in Jesus. He wants to empower you with the Holy Spirit all the time continually. You just need to start being where Jesus wants. You to be. You need to get in line with. What is the will of God for your life, not God. This is my will. And can you get in line with that and empower me with your spirit to help me fulfill my will for my life now it's. OK, Lord, where do you want me to be? I want to be there. I'm submitting to you and your will. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Wherever Jesus instructs me to be, that's where I want to be all the time. Continually empowered by the spirit to be a witness. And to be an active member of the body of Christ. I just need to ask. Ask the father and keep on asking him. Not a one time thing, not a once and done not a short lived time in our Christian life. But all throughout our life, every. Day every season we need to be filled and keep on being filled with. The Holy Spirit. You know who's going to come up and lead us in a song or two to close and just want to give us this opportunity to ask, ask the father and you can do that personally. You can do that privately and there between you and the Lord. Ask for the Lord to do this work in your life, but also recognizing. Also, sovereignty moves in different ways, and so if the Lord puts upon your heart, you need to be prayed for. We have a small enough group here we can all pray for each other and so grab someone next to you and say you know the words put on my heart. I need to have someone lay hands on me. Will you lay hands on me and pray for me? If you are compelled and impressed by the Lord to lay hands on somebody, then you can do that as well. And we can pray for one another. And fulfill the things that God puts upon our hearts. But the important thing is. Ask the father. The promise is there, just like the disciples had the promise and received the promise. You and I have the promise and we can receive the promise. We just need to ask and keep on asking him one final thought to conclude this quote from Jay Oswald Sanders. We are all filled. With the spirit as much as we choose to be always an interesting quote to wrestle with and consider. You know, sometimes we can look around at other people. We can look around other situations and think, oh, I wish I. Could be there. The reality is. It is a sovereign work of God, but the promise is such that you get to ask. You get to participate in the will of God to the degree that you choose to, you get to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That doesn't mean you get to manifest the gifts that you want to manifest, that that's still in the sovereignty of God and the will of the Holy Spirit. How filled you are with the Holy Spirit? That's your choice. You get to choose. And so let's take this time and ask the Father to fill us completely and wholly that we might be empowered to be a witness to Jesus and to serve one another. Let's worship the Lord.