Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Did you ever have “that guy” on your team that made your team so much better than it it had been?

Nathaniel Zook

We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low.

We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone….

[We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

-A.

W. Tozer-

Acts 2:1-3

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

We don’t know where they met - some say in house (probably not THE upper room) - some say Temple courts.

We do know WHEN it happened:

Pentecost

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Middle of three annual Jewish feasts and typically known as Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks

took place 7 weeks / 50 days after Passover, which was when the grain harvesting began

(pentēkostos means ‘fiftieth’)

(pentēkostos means ‘fiftieth’) after the Passover, which was when the grain harvesting began.

Originally, it was the middle of the three annual Jewish harvest festivals, and was called either the Feast of Harvest, because it celebrated the completion of the grain harvest, or the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, because it took place seven weeks or fifty days (pentēkostos means ‘fiftieth’) after the Passover, which was when the grain harvesting began.

Deut

Deut

Some time after the end of OT and before NT, Pentecost was observed as the anniversary of the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai which was thought to have happened fifty days after the Exodus.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

I feel like we need to pause here in the story and have a little chat about the Holy Spirit.

Often viewed as the ‘crazy uncle’ of the Trinity.

High church - the Father

Protestant church - Jesus

Charismatic church - Holy Spirit

we often play down the other Persons of the Trinity because of abuses of the characteristics of the other stream of church

Jesus I like - I can picture him - long flowing hair. . .

(show worst picture of Jesus)

What is the Holy Spirit like?

Casper the Ghost?

Poltergeist?

What does the Holy Spirit do?

God the Father - I have a father so I can picture it.

Jesus the Son / Savior / Messiah

Fleshing out the implications of these two truths will

The Holy Spirit is a Person.

R.A. Torrey

“It is of the highest importance from the standpoint of experience that we know the Holy Spirit as a person.

Thousands and tens of thousands of men and women can testify to the blessing that has come into their own lives as they have come to know the Holy Spirit, not merely as a gracious influence, but as a real person, just as real as Jesus Christ Himself, an ever-present, loving friend and mighty helper, who is not only always by their side but dwells in their heart every day and every hour, and who is ready to undertake for them in every emergency of life.

“

-R. A. Torrey, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit., p.10

He has his own thoughts and even prayers for believers:

He has emotions

He has his own desires and wills

He does the actions of a person

- searches

- speaks

- groans

The Holy Spirit is God.

The Holy Spirit is equated with God

- Lying to Holy Spirit is lying to God

He is eternal -

He is holy -

He is all-knowing -

All-powerful -

Present everywhere -

The Work of the Holy Spirit:

convicts

bears witness to Jesus

regenerates and renews us from death to life

brings freedom

forms Christ in us

develops Christlikeness in us - the fruit of the Spirit

teaches us

prays with us and for us

calls, directs, and guides us

Known as the Comforter, Advocate, Helper

The Holy Spirit’s Presence moves the place of God to the people of God.

(1-3)

there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, . . . 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

All throughout the OT wind and fire were used as representations of God’s presence.

Ezekiel blowing on the dry bones

Moses and the burning bush

Pillar of fire

The pillar of fire that once rested in the singular location of the Tabernacle to indicate the presence of God is now resting individually on each believer.

Where once those who followed Yahweh would travel to one place to meet with and experience the presence of God, now followers of Jesus have that presence with them continually.

The one Temple to which many came is now many temples that are sent.

1. God dwells in your space.

You’re not alone.

You’re not abandoned.

You don’t need to make a pilgrimage to find God, to be near to Him.

ILLUST - one of the greatest parts of marriage is that my wife is always with me.

We are in each other’s space

This takes away fear and brings complete joy

2.

You take God to your places.

Wherever you go, you are the church, the temple.

You are the presence of God, not this building.

But I am tired of living in a way that looks exactly like people who do not have the Holy Spirit of God living in them.

I want to consistently live with an awareness of His strength.

I want to be different today from what I was yesterday as the fruit of the Spirit becomes more manifest in me.

I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit’s leading on a daily basis.

Christ said it is better for us that the Spirit came, and I want to live like I know that is true.

I don’t want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly.

Chan, Francis.