They had a lot of fear. In verse 38, after everyone has calmed down, they realize theyve been involved and they were responsible for the death of Jesus. He was the one who was the leader of that doubt and fear and terrified approach, because he denied Christ three times, and he had to be pointedly taught by Jesus. They need to see within us, Jesus Christ. As we have received the gift of God's Spirit, as those on that first day of Pentecost received the gift of the Holy Spirit were brought into the Church, they became, and so are we, partakers of the divine nature. They had not been a part of anything like that before. First, the replacement of Judas occurs prior to Pentecost. Let me explain why I have reached this conclusion. And we must live knowing that way. Lukes Great Commission (unlike those in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, and John) was given just prior to His ascension. Not many days, we would look at it roughly 10 days from that 40-day period. As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped corruption that is in the world through lust." The events surrounding Judas death7were interpreted as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 69:25. Things will only get better from here. in 1971. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit . Number one was the Roman Empire. Jesus informed them that they had (or would have) all the knowledge they needed. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. Today's Scripture reference comes mainly from Acts 2:12-21. Why does Luke spend as much time (12 verses) describing this one event as he does depicting the 40 days of our Lords appearances on the earth (11 verses)? And so she was the first to see the empty tomb and have that appearance, and she goes and tells them. I began this lesson by suggesting that it is an example of a before and after presentation. In verses 12-14, Luke tells us what the apostles were doing while they waited. In days gone by, I have sided with those who found the selection of Matthias as an example of fleshly action hastily taken. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. He certainly became one of the boldest witnesses for the faith. After seeing how God works through His Spirit in Acts 2 and beyond, who would ever want to go back to the old? We have a very involved, and very good, and a very detailed review process at many different levels of our writings, of our speaking in the United Church of God today. What Happened at Pentecost? We know in Acts chapter 2, when we turn there and look at the story alluded to in the sermonette here this morning, that they were gathered together. While it is not plainly stated, it would seem that from a human point of view the events at Pentecost were partially a response to the prayers of these saints. We've just read it. I do not think that verses 12-14 describe only the activity of the believers during the 10-day gap between our Lords ascension and Pentecost, however. Back in Mark's account, chapter 16 of Mark, we see that the same thing lingered among the wide group of people there. When I was 15 years old, I got on a bus from my little hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. What is Pentecost? Because Ruth saw in Naomi, God, an example that she wanted to be a part of. And Peter thence begins to quote Scripture. 24 Then they prayed, Lord, you know the hearts of all. But isnt Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit really a matter of authority, a legitimate matter of authority? What was the doubt that was nagging away at them even as they saw Him, and even worshiped Him, knowing that they as they did know that He had died, and yet there was doubt? They sought authority that was outside the boundaries God had established. It was a mighty, powerful machine, the most powerful that the world in that day had ever seen. 2 Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. That's how I imagine it and He was home, He was back at, He was at the third heaven. Makeover programs turn proverbial ugly ducklings into swans. If we can make that decision and live with that reality that there is a God who lives, and before Him we stand every single day of our life and every major decision, every small decision of character, and the decisions that we make in the privacy of our own mind, and in our own actions that not everyone knows about, not even our mate, all are in accordance with righteousness and a desire for righteousness. The ministry has had those two themes for the past two conferences. All the gods of doubtand I say gods with a little g, because doubt, and guilt, and fear can really separate us from Godthe gods of doubt, and fear, and unbelief have all been shredded by Jesus Christ. And second, the replacement of Judas is carried out in a way that is very Old Testament.. They thought that the body had been ferretted away by the disciples, someone had stolen it. As the passover feast celebrated the exodus of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, so Pentecost celebrated God's gift of the ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. It appears to me that this upper room may well be a place well known to the apostles, perhaps a room owned by someone close to Jesus. Again, what they thought that they were becoming a part of was a movement that was noble, that was good, there had been many movements of other Messiah-type figures at this period of time in Judea. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . And it was the high priest and those people who had engineered His death, and they knew the power that they did have. Not completely unraveled, but the doubt and the disbelief has an impact. Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. But let's go back, let's look at a few of these scriptures in a little bit more detail and see exactly what had been taking place among the disciples during this period of time, that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. We are no exception today, as we wait and look for the time when the Kingdom will be restored. The same things were going through their minds that go through our minds. Because Easter is a moveable feast without a fixed date, and Pentecost. We, again, don't necessarily always pause and think about this, in these hours and days following Christ's resurrection. Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, Paul makes the same point, showing how much more glorious the New Covenant is to the Old and that New Testament ministry is to the old, because of the Holy Spirit. The Roman Empire was not anything to fool around with. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). 11 Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time! Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. Jerusalem was swelled with pilgrims, at this point in time, and this added to the drama of the moment. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Word of God. And over a three and a half year period they had had their lives transformed and then they'd watched Him die. Christians celebrate Pentecost 50 days after Easter Sunday to commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples.. The selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle is clearly a before, clearly an Old Testament method of seeking Gods will. They were looking for power from on high. And therein, lies a key to the understanding of what had taken place with these individuals here. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.". When Jesus arose from the dead, He did not remain with them continually, as He once did. Pentecost comes from a Jewish harvest festival called Shavuot. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. And so they had become a part of something that again, they were still trying to understand. The gospels and the book of Acts tell us that would-be zealots and messiahs had come and gone. This makes sense, given both their impulsiveness and their lack of faith. I was standing there gazing, not quite knowing what to do. The decision to proceed with the process of replacing Judas was seen as obedience to Psalm 109:8, thus leading to its fulfillment. Volume 1 the Gospel of Luke is the description of all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen(verse 1b-2a). I happen to think that they, no doubt during this period of time, as the days go on they talked and they read. There's a lot of information in the details that we are given in chapter 28 verse 16. Why did the apostles speak of the coming of the kingdom of God as its being restored? That's how we live the Word, that's how we drink in the Word, and it changes our life and it banishes the fear, gives us confidence in who we are and what we are to do. They were alone. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. Did they doubt themselves? Shavuot, also called Pentecost, in full ag Shavuot, ("Festival of the Weeks"), second of the three Pilgrim Festivals of the Jewish religious calendar. Not only did Jesus give them 40 days of continual confirmation of His resurrection; He also gave them His Spirit, who likewise bears witness to the resurrection through them. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." So it was a bodily appearance that He made completely to them, and He showed them His hands and His feet. And this express bus took Route 66 out of St. Louis all the way to Los Angeles, my first time to get on that fabled highway, Route 66. My point here is that Luke links the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of our Lord in the Gospels to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church in Acts. These were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And yet some doubted. . Acts 1 is the before section of this great book. They looked upon them then as liars, charlatans, or fools, maybe a bit delusional. Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James were there. Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration. So there is going to be a gap. That's been the hallmark of our feature. Let us consider what some of these lessons might be. Finally, verses 15-26 are the account of the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle, a replacement for Judas. He made it clear that the Holy Spirit played a key role in their appointment. They watched Him rise until a cloud obscured their vision. 11 For if what was made ineffective came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory! "He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demons. This is Peter's first sermon since Jesus left for heaven. Now it has become popular to carry this theme over to homes, where pitiful or plain houses are transformed into palatial homes. And then this dramatic miracle takes place, festive occasion. Let us seek to answer this question by observing what happened. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine). Pentecost starts in a locked room with believers waiting. Pentecost is a Christian holy day that celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Easter. We just get a few snippets from the gospel accounts, at least, of this 40-day period. Fourth, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as the Author of the Old Testament Scriptures.He is the One who inspired the words of David in the psalms: 16 Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judaswho became the guide for those who arrested Jesus (Acts 1:16). Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to assume the task of this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. 26 Then they cast lots for them, and the one chosen was Matthias; so he was counted with the eleven apostles (Acts 1:15-26). I didn't know how to read a board to tell me these things. The Roots of Pentecost . And those days you didn't fear getting on a Greyhound bus, and you could go all over the country on a very cheap pass. 3 And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. 4 Now we have such confidence in God through Christ. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. That He had to rebuke them and teach them. 8We do, however, find a reference tothe twelvein both Acts 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:5. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. These are the ones who are not defiled with women, they are virgins, spiritual virgins. Thank you Mr. McNeely , for making Christ more real. Acts 1, consistent with the rest of the Book of Acts, reminds us that it is not about us; it is about God. Pentecost was the occasion which God chose to bestow this power on His apostles. The inference is, Dont just stand here; get going!5. That is how the mission of the Church is done and that is how then that vision of a community, of a Church, of a people who are rooted in the Word of God, who actually do care for one another, is accomplished; by no other means, by no other means. I would suspect that it may have been during that 40-day interval between our Lords resurrection and His ascension. . But as Christ begins to give them the teaching from the Scriptures, of how He had fulfilled literally, in every way, the scriptures about the Messiah. But on the morning that those disciples were gathered there, before it happened, you have to imagine that they had no idea that, that would be what would take place. I believe that this upper room became headquarters for them during the entire 50-day period after our Lords resurrection. And so two things create this vision and this mission. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Community Bible Chapel. And I was going to go out to California, my first trip to California, visit my brother for about three weeks. John has another set of accounts, and then he kind of ends and he leaves it wide open. Again, nothing like this had been a part of their frame of reference before. Jesus began to teach them, we read, from the Law of Moses, from the prophets, the Scriptures about Him, to explain to them what had happened. Bold, Men and brethren, he begins to explain what's happened. 5In this regard, it is similar to the words of the two angels to the women at the tomb, as seen in Luke 24:4-7. It is available on the Internet at:www.netbible.org. 1 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. In particular, Judas death was seen to be a part of the divine plan. Ministers in church often wear robes with red in the design as a symbol of the flames in which the Holy Spirit came to earth. "And they looked steadfastly in toward heaven," verse 10, "as He went up, and behold two men stood by them in white apparel." The Great Commission was not only given to the apostles; it was given to the church. 2Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. From this, we can infer that Jesus unbelieving brothers (John 7:5) had come to believe in Jesus, no doubt largely due to His resurrection. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. And of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in all the Bible occurred with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples, and the speaking in tongues, and a mighty rushing wind that we find it hard to imagine what it was like, because it's not part of our custom to try to pray that down today like some other denominations and religious forms do. In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. Jesus was coming back, just as they saw Him depart. Peter was the first one to preach on the day of Pentecost after the coming of the Holy Spirit and he was the first one to proclaim Christ to a . In 2 Peter chapter 1, 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter writes, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you and the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Everybody who gets up and gives a sermon in a congregation, that sermon before it's ever posted on a website, has been reviewed or at least approved by individuals within the congregation. He also is a residentfaculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. And more specifically for this group that they would be witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth being fulfilled. Let's go into Luke's account. So Jesus had to rebuke them. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. 4This is much like Adam and Eve, who sought knowledge outside of the boundaries of their authority. And then even when we see in the days after Jesus' final ascension, a roughly 10-day period, when they came to make a decision to replace Judas, they read Scripture, they applied it properly, God blessed the decision. The vision of the Church was coming together and the mission of the Church was being accomplished. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren. Furthermore, He no longer comes and goes but rather remains permanently. Having said this, our Lord ascended into heaven. They also point out that Lukes account depicts this selection in a favorable light, and that nothing negative is said about the action taken here. Acts is the record of how our Lord is fulfilling the Great Commission by using weak and fallible men. 10 For indeed, what had been glorious now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. Third, Luke makes it emphatically clear that the power to carry out the Great Commission is the power that the Holy Spirit will bestow (1:4-5, 8). But by doing so, when you read the account, you understand that they knew the Scripture, and they applied Scripture to their choice and their decision to replace Judas. So that when they came to that morning of Pentecost and this mighty event takes place, they were ready then to move into the experience provided, and that extra dimension of power that the Spirit of God would give them and did give to them, and Peter takes the lead to give the sermon of his life. Our Lord saw to it that these witnesses had more than enough evidence of His resurrection, and added to this was the witness of the Spirit to the resurrection: 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, (Pentecost from Greek pentecost, "50th day"), major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. It's always fun to try to imagine how this happened. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. Then what looks like tongues of fire rests on the followers of Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth. 9 After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. The Day of Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter in Western branches of Christianity. She went and told those who had been with Him as they mourned and wept." That's the famous road to Emmaus experienced from the book of Luke, "and they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either." It isnt about us, my friend; it is about God. This then begins to be the anchor and the soil into which they can anchor a life of faith that they were to have and to develop. A firstfruit is one who follows Christ. Day of Pentecost And Skepticisms Jesus persuades them to leave what they are doing to travel with him and help to share . It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). I remember taking my little bag and walking over and kind of looking around, and sitting down on a bench. It goes on, "Jesus came and He spoke to them saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. That's what the gift of the Holy Spirit is for us. I believe that among the many things we see in these early verses, we find that the Holy Spirits ministry in Acts a dominant theme in this book is linked to His ministry through the person of our Lord. A fellowship, a community, prayer, sharing food together, much like we do today. "Pentecost" is actually the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks ( Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9 ). Indeed, Acts 2:1 literally reads, "As the Day of Pentecost was being fulfilled." What was fulfilled was the prophecy given by both Jesus and John the Baptist concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit.

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