Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning!

Today marks a special day on the church calendar and while it’s often overshadowed by the holidays those that come before and after it - Easter and Christmas - it’s no less important to the overall redemption story that God has told through the whole of Scripture.

The holiday that we as Christians celebrate today is known as Pentecost.

Before we get into the story and its significance, it’s important that we realize where we are in the progression of events that occurred after Jesus’ Resurrection.

As some of you may know, the story of Pentecost occurs in the Book of Acts.

Now the Book of Acts is part of a two-piece work - known as Luke-Acts - and was authored by this guy Luke.

Who was he?

Much to the surprise of many, he was not one of the twelve selected by Jesus.

Now that means, he never witnessed first-hand the ministry of Jesus.

Instead, he was a second generation convert and a companion of Paul.

Luke was a very well educated man and is referred to elsewhere as a physician.

This man was so moved by the testimony and preaching of others that not only did he place his faith in Christ, he thought it important to record an orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus and his followers.

Luke

So, when you read through the Book of Luke and Acts, you have a very seamless, well-constructed account of the life and ministry of Christ.

As a result, when you pick up reading the Book of Acts you find yourself reading about what Jesus was up to after the Resurrection.

Namely, he was not just hanging around eating barley cakes and olives, but instead teaching people about the Kingdom of God, performing various signs, and overall showing the power and truth of the Resurrection.

Thanks to Luke’s investigative reporting, we have a very seamless, well-constructed account of the life and ministry of Christ.

So when you pick up the Book of Acts you truly feel like your reading the next chapter of a well written book.

In that next chapter of the Luke-Acts story, you get glimpses into such things as what Jesus was up since the Resurrection.

You get to see that He was not just hanging around with his cronies eating barley cakes and olives, but rather (for 40 days) He was very active in teaching people about the Kingdom of God, performing various signs, and overall showing the power and truth of the Resurrection.

So, when you read through the Book of Luke and Acts, you have a very seamless, well-constructed account of the life and ministry of Christ.

As a result, when you pick up reading the Book of Acts you find yourself reading about what Jesus was up to after the Resurrection.

After those 40 days were up, and just before he ascended to heaven, He made a very important announcement to his apostles…saying, hey guys, you’re not going to want to miss what’s coming next...

Don’t leave Jerusalem

Wait for what the Father Promised

Through the whole of Scripture

But, what I also made known to you:

Remember what John said when he baptized me?

Not too long from now you’ll be baptized by the Holy Spirit

You’ll receive power

You’ll be my witnesses to all the ends of the earth

You’ll

So, the disciples, being obedient to Jesus returned to the Upper Room and committed themselves to prayer and studying.

Jerusalem was especially busy at this time because Jews from all over were in town to observe the Harvest Feast or Feast of Weeks....which occurs fifty days after the Passover Feast.

Here’s a fun fact for you: many refer to this holiday as Pentecost because the name is derived from the Greek word pentekoste which means the fiftieth day.

So, the disciples, being obedient to Jesus returned to the Upper Room and committed themselves to prayer (about 120 of them all together), probably speculate a bit about this awesome new power Jesus promised them, and did some work regarding the replacement of Judas (the disciple that betrayed Jesus and later took his own life).

incredible happened.

Outside of the Upper Room, Jerusalem was especially busy because Jews from all over made the pilgrimage to town to observe the Harvest Feast or Feast of Weeks....which occurs fifty days after the Passover Feast.

Here’s a fun fact for you: many refer to this holiday as Pentecost because the name is derived from the Greek word pentekoste which means the fiftieth day.

The disciples, having been obedient to Jesus returned to the Upper Room and committed themselves to prayer and studying.

Jerusalem was especially busy at this time because Jews from all over were in town to observe the Harvest Feast or Feast of Weeks....which occurs fifty days after the Passover Feast.

Here’s a fun fact for you: many refer to it today as Pentecost because the name is derived from the Greek word pentekoste which means the fiftieth day.

One Truth

One People

God in all of His infinite wisdom, chose to pour out his promised Spirit on a day when Jews and proselytes (those that converted to Judaism) from all over were gathered together in one place.

This event would propel the church like wild fire in every direction from Jerusalem.

God in all of His infinite wisdom, chose to pour out his promised Spirit on a day that would have an astounding impact on the spread of the Gospel.

This event would propel the church like wild fire in every direction from Jerusalem.

God in all of His infinite wisdom, chose to pour out his promised Spirit on a day that would have an astounding impact on the spread of the Gospel.

This event would propel the church like wild fire in every direction from Jerusalem.

God could have imparted the Holy Spirit to His people more subtly as in times past, but today, he chose to do so in style and for good reason!

The imagery provided in our passage indicates that the Spirit came like a violent rushing wind (perhaps like a CAT5 hurricane) and visible flame-like tongues rested on each of them.

Wind and Fire; often the same imagery used in the OT.

Many new that something out of the ordinary was happening and that God was in the midst of it.

To top it off, Galileans (known to be less educated than others) were speaking foreign languages.

To say the least, this spectacle drew quite a crowd.

Did you notice how the crowd reacted?

Reaction of the spectators:

Reaction of the spectators: some were genuinely astonished and others were trying to write off the miraculous with a more earthly reason.

All were amazed and perplexed

But, the crowd was split on their interpretation

some were genuinely astonished and others were trying to write off the miraculous with a more earthly reason.

Transition to Peter’s Sermon

Has anyone ever run into this in their life experience?

When someone tries to rationalize away a miraculous event?

An example that always boggles my mind goes something like this: person finds our they have an advanced stage of cancer, tumor is measuring larger than a grapefruit, person enlists prayer warriors and commits to prayer themselves, and at the next followup appointment, a scan has revealed that the cancer is gone.

Rather than seeing the miraculous intervention of God, physicians and / or radiology techs write the situation off as a faulty scan or something along those rational lines.

While this is frustrating for those of faith, there are those in the faith that are attempted to due the same.

One such person, was Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson dedicated countless time to write his own translation of the Bible to demythologize - that is to explain away all of the miraculous bits of it and to elevate reason over faith.

I could just envision God looking down at him shaking his head, Tommy Boy....you’re doing it wrong.

Has anyone ever run into this in their life experience?

An example that always boggles my mind goes something like this: person finds our they have an advanced stage of cancer, tumor is measuring larger than a grapefruit, person enlists prayer warriors and commits to prayer themselves, and at the next followup appointment, a scan has revealed that the cancer is gone.

I believe that Peter, by way of the Spirit, caught on to this sentiment in the crowd and so he launched into a sermon regarding the significance of the Holy Spirit’s arrival.

Peter addresses the crowd that had gathered

First and foremost, Peter said, “we ain’t drunk....it’s only 9AM!” Geesh, even if we were drunk, who of you ever started speaking multiple foreign languages fluently?

We’re not just talking a few words here like hola, konichiwa, bon jour, ciao.

We’re talking about speaking fluently about the power and deeds of God!

God promised this day

Remember what Joel said?

Then to really make friends with those in the crowd, he reminds the Jews that they were responsible for Jesus’ death.

Acts

Then to really make friends with those in the crowd, he reminds the Jews that they were responsible for Jesus’ death.

Not all preaching is feel-good; the Holy Spirit will convict

Prior Response versus now

Prior Response versus now

Peter says: repent (turn from your ways), trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and be baptized.....and guess what?

You, too, will receive the Holy Spirit.

This was a radically new idea for them:

Holy Spirit before versus now

Now they are united by the one true God through the Person of the Holy Spirit

The

It is said that that day 3000 people repented and believed and were added to the community of believers…some would remain there in Jerusalem, but others would return to their home lands and start sharing the Good News there

The remainder of Chapter Two showed how the presence of the Holy Spirit truly unified the people and made them one.

Show “ONE” Slide /// Keep slide up until I get to slide ///

Acts 2:42-

You see, it’s this one-ness in the church that truly gauges the health of it.

It was the one-ness through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit in all aspects of their lives that God was able to bless their efforts.

It was this one-ness that caused others around them to wonder, “what’s going on over there??” Why are they different, how are they always having their needs met, always full of love and joy?