Speaking The Wonderful Works of God
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
5/23/2010 AM
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Text:
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Acts 2:11
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Psalters: |
375, 67, 194, 288 |
- The event.
- Pentecost, a Sabbath feast at the end of the wheat harvest, was “fully come,” i.e., completed.
- The completed feast day was to praise and thank God for the harvest.
- A picture of the magnificent spiritual harvest God had just given as a result of the work of Jesus.
- The followers of Jesus (120, 1:15) were “all with one accord in one place” (2:1).
- Since Jesus’ death they frequently gathered to consider what His death and resurrection meant.
- They were obedient to Jesus’ command that they should wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father (1:4).
- Suddenly and miraculously they all were filled with the Spirit of the ascended Jesus Christ.
- Each was filled to their capacity with the Comforter (John 14:16-18,26; 15:26; 16:13,14).
- This is the promise of the Father (1:4). The promised Savior, in turn, promised another Comforter (John 14 - 16).
- Pentecost is God fulfilling His promise to apply salvation and its blessings through the Spirit of Christ.
- God used three signs to show the presence, power and work of the invisible Spirit.
- The signs.
- The sound, out of heaven, of a rushing, violent wind, centering around the disciples, but heard in all Jerusalem.
- A column of fire, from which tongues came out and remained over the heads of each of the disciples.
- The ability of the uneducated disciples to speak fluently in the different languages of the people present there.
- God declared that He was gathering a universal (catholic) church.
- The significance of the tongues is that the gospel is brought to other nationalities.
- The result is that every elect heard the same message of the gospel in their own language.
- Every member (the entire church) is filled with the Spirit of Christ.
- The indwelling Spirit saves, applying the work which Christ began in His life and death and resurrection.
- The indwelling Spirit purges, by humbling us so we confess and seek the righteousness of Christ (not our own).
- The Spirit makes every believer a prophet, priest, and king.
- The indwelling Spirit qualifies each believer to be a witness to Christ (Acts 1:8; Isa. 43:10,12).