Sometimes, some of us face situations that seem hopeless. When things seem hopeless, we need something amazing to happen.

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When we lose a job, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we have a sick or hurting loved one, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we have a loved one who is not following the Lord, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we don’t know how we’re going to feed our family, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we feel that political leaders lack integrity, compassion, and wisdom, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we are frightened, distressed, or lost, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen.

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In Acts 3:1-10, we’re going to hear about a man who was in a seemingly hopeless situation, but then something amazing happened. Today’s sermon is entitled “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”

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Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us.

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(prayer)

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You may remember from the last sermon in the book of Acts that the early Christians were very much still Jewish. So, they continued to practice Jewish acts, such as going to the temple to pray.

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In today’s passage, Peter and John (two of the original followers of Jesus) are walking to the temple and encounter a man who needed hope.

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Let’s look at the passage together and see what happens. Look at Acts 3:1-10:

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1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. 2 A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. 4 Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

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Pay attention to this, church: We hear this pivotal phrase mentioned by Peter in verse 6: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”

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Indeed, this phrase gives us the title for today’s sermon.

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Speaking of this title, you may remember at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, it was said in John 1:46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

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Yet, here we are after the ministry of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the ascension of Jesus back into heaven, and powerful ministry is being done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

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There is something powerful about the name of Jesus the Messiah from the city of Nazareth!

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So, let’s see in this passage three provisions that are given to us through the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

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First, . . .

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‌I. The name of Jesus provides hope.

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Imagine this man, absolutely hopeless that he will be healed. Here he is sitting at the gate to the temple with thousands of people passing him, and he is begging simply for survival.

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This man was desperate, and he couldn’t even make his own way to the temple gate; others had to carry him there. He had been unable to walk since he was born.

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He had no hope for walking, no hope for work, no hope for a life free from begging. Yet, at t

Introduction: “…when good people do nothing?”

In a previous sermon, I made reference to one of my favorite Batman movies, “Batman Begins”. In this movie, we see Bruce Wayne become one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. But, before he was Batman, he was just a normal person who also happened to be heir to the one of the wealthiest families in Gotham City. His parents were good people, but while Bruce was still young, his parents murdered by a desperate man living on the street, leaving Bruce an orphan.

Fast Forward several years; Bruce is still not Batman, but he’s grown up when he learns that Eventually, that a really bad man named Carmine Falcony was destroying everything Bruce’s parents stood for. He was destroying the city by “…keeping the bad people rich and the good people scared”. The people were too scared to do something about this bad man. They needed a hero! In the hope of driving Bruce to do something good, his childhood friend, Rachel Dawes said, “What chance does Gotham have when the good people do nothing?” 

This would eventually drive Bruce Wayne to become the hero, the champion Gotham needed. Today we’re going to study a passage of scripture where we see a similar scenario at play. We’re going to be in the book of 1 Samuel 17, and in this passage we will see God’s people scared and in need of a hero. Today, we’re talking about David and Goliath. 

This story is a timeless example of how God can and will do miraculous things through those who trust in Him. It’s a reminder that no opposition is too great for the Lord. This is a story about hope. Unfortunately, it doesn’t start this way. As the passage opens, we see God’s people at war and they’re afraid and discouraged. It’s an unpleasant reality that God’s people can and will face opposition that can result in fear and feelings of defeat. So, as we study this passage, I want us to remember a very important truth Jesus tells His disciples. In John 16:33,

“33I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

This is the beautiful truth of the gospel; this is the “good news”, that Jesus Christ has overcome the world in spite of the suffering we may experience. As we study 1 Samuel 17, we’re going to see the gospel truth displayed in a very unique way through David’s encounter with Goliath. So, I’ve entitled this sermon, “David and the Gospel”. Before we begin to study this passage, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us as we study His word.

(pray)

As we study our passage, we’re going to look at three truths that point us to the gospel. The first truth we see is this: God’s people face opposition.

Point I: God’s People Face Opposition (v. 1-11)

I mentioned earlier that, as this passage opens, God’s people (Israel) are preparing for war against their enemies, the Philistines. Verse 1-2 shows the Philistines forming battle lines against Israel in a place called the Valley of Elah, and in verse 3 we get a picture of this battlefield: the Philistines camped on one hill and Israel on another with a valley between them. 

It’s unfortunate, but war was fairly common for God’s people at that time. They were constantly surrounded by enemies, but this time was unique. This time, they experienced an enemy so great, that even Saul, their mighty King ran away in fear. Take a look at 1 Samuel 17:4-7.

“4Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall 5and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds. 6There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders. 7His spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.”

This is the enemy God’s people faced. One man stood against God and His people, shou

Each of us has a unique family life, right? We had our family life growing up. We have our family life now. For those who are married, you brought two different types of family lives together, and then created a new family life. Some of you who are younger have ideas of what your family life may be like in the future. We have family lives.

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Well, did you know that churches have a family life? You see, one of the ways that a church is described in the Bible is a family.

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Here in the book of Acts, we’re continuing our study about what God did in the early church, and in this passage, we see the church as a family. Today’s sermon is entitled “The Family Life of the Early Church.”

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Before we go any further in this sermon, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us.

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(prayer)

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As you may recall, in this series, we’ve learned how Jesus went back into Heaven, how the early Christians waited on the Holy Spirit to come, how the Holy Spirit, in fact, miraculously came, and then how Peter powerfully explained what God was doing through the coming of His Spirit.

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Now, we’re at the moment right after all of that. We’re at the end of Acts 2, and we’re only covering a few verses today. However, these are very important verses, so let’s look at this passage and dive into them some more:

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Look at Acts 2:42-47:

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42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

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43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

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So, let’s look at three characteristics of the family life of the early church. How were they a family?

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First, . . .

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‌I. The church met as a family.

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A healthy family gathers together, right?

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By the way, I realize that not all of us come from a healthy family . . . not all of us have healthy family lives, but can we all agree that the church should have a healthy family life?

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So, we see here in Acts 2 that part of the family life of the church was that they gathered together.

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Let’s skip down to verse 46 first. It says, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house.”

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So we see how often they gathered: every day.

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The early church was committed to meeting regularly.

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Notice that they gathered in the temple. The temple was often where the people of God would gather. It was a community spot for the Jewish people. Also, don’t forget that the early Christians still considered themselves Jewish. They were Jewish believers who had accepted Jesus, their Messiah. So, they still practiced many Jewish practices, such as gathering frequently in the temple.

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So, we see how often they met, and we also see what they did when they met.

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Skip back up to verse 42. We learn that the early followers of Jesus “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

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Notice these four key ingredients of their gathering: receiving biblical teaching, fellowshipping, breaking bread together, and praying together.

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By the way, most biblical scholars think “breaking bread” probably includes both eating together AND receiving the Lord’s Supper together.

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Do any of these actions that were committed by the early church

We’re continuing our series called “What is a Disciple?” This week we are on our third and final sermon in this three-part series. Today’s sermon is called “Part 3.”

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Remember, a disciple is a follower of Jesus. We want to know what it looks like and feels like to be a disciple at First Baptist Church Bartow.

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Here’s what we learned about being a disciple thus far:

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A disciple experiences spiritual growth.

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A disciple is part of a big group.

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A disciple is part of a small group.

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A disciple participates in Christian fellowship.

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A disciple will serve others.

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There are two more aspects of a disciple that are on your card.

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So, let’s learn about these other two aspects of being a disciple. Before we do, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.

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(prayer)

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We spoke last week about the reality that a disciple will serve others.

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You see, to be a disciple means to be others-focused. Well, in addition to serving others, we’re going to talk about two additional others-focused traits of being a disciple.

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First, . . .

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‌I. A disciple will reach others.

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Followers of Jesus are to be about the business of reaching others with the love of Jesus.

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From the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus, He was sending out His followers to reach others.

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So, as we speak of discipleship, we should know that A disciple is always on mission.

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Each and every day, each and every moment, we should ask ourselves how we can accomplish the mission of Jesus.

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I like to explain it this way: we should always have our gospel radar on.

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What does a radar do? A radar detects something when it is present, right? Whether it’s a speeding car, a vessel of sorts, bad weather, or whatever, a radar detects something.

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So also, we should be on mission all the time, able to detect when there are opportunities to share the love of God with others, and share the explicit message of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

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As a reminder, the gospel message is that God is real and He is holy; we are sinners who are separated from God and doomed for eternal punishment; God showed His love to the world by sending His Son, Jesus, to live a holy life, die on the cross for sinners, defeat death and sin by rising from the dead, and ascend back into heaven to be with the Father; and we can be forgiven of our sin through trusting and following Jesus.

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So, we should be ready to share the love of God and the message of God.

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As we think about being on mission, we must never forget that Jesus commissioned us to go in Matthew 28:19–20. He said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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Jesus also said in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

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We are to go. We are to be witnesses.

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As we go, we must remember that A disciple is purposeful in sharing the gospel.

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We’re not just to go and see what happens. We are to purposefully be on mission.

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We are to go, we are to teach, we are to baptize, and we are to be witnesses. These are all purposeful actions.

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Also, we are to be ready to share the gospel at all times.

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The apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ first disciples, said in 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

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Jesus said in Matthew 5:14–16, “You are the light of the

I remember when I was in 8th grade, I signed up to be part of the JV football team at Mulberry High School. That summer, we had football camp, and I learned a lot about playing football. You see, I had watched the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Gators play. I had played a lot of sandlot football with my cousins and friends, but this was a different situation.

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Part of what I learned that summer was what it looked and felt like to be a football player at Mulberry High School. I learned what it looked like and felt like to wear a heavy helmet, a bunch of well-used pads, and a well-used uniform. I learned what it looked like and felt like to run drills and have a team meeting. I learned how we didn’t have many water breaks, and when we did, we drank out of a PVC pipe. I learned that it’s very hot in the summer, especially when you are wearing full football gear. I learned what it meant to get knocked down and lose. I learned that Mulberry High School was more of a soccer and basketball school than a football school. I learned a lot about what it meant to be a part of the Mulberry High School Fighting Panther football team.

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We’re in the middle of a short series called “What Is a Disciple?” Today, we’re on the second of three sermons. This is “What Is a Disciple? Part 2.”

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The question that we’re seeking to answer is, “What is a disciple?” We want to know what it looks like and feels like to be a disciple at First Baptist Church Bartow.

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So, that is the question before us.

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Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us through this time.

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(prayer)

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Ok, so what does it look like to be a disciple at this church?

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Well, here’s what we learned so far in part 1:

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A disciple experiences spiritual growth.

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A disciple is part of a big group.

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A disciple is part of a small group.

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But wait, there’s more! There’s more to being a disciple than these three traits. In fact, you have a card that has seven traits. So, let’s keep learning.

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The next trait of a disciple is . . .

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‌I. A disciple participates in Christian fellowship.

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Fellowship is sort of a Christianese word that people sometimes can’t really define (You know what Christianese is, right? It’s a word that Christians use that others don’t really know what it means).

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Well, to fellowship basically means to hang out in a friendly way.

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So, a disciple is someone who spends time in a friendly way with other Christians. A disciple participates in Christian fellowship.

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Fellowship may include eating together, visiting each other’s homes, or simply spending time together at church.

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So, as we consider Christian fellowship, consider first that . . . A disciple is integrated into the lives of others who follow Jesus.

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Listen, church: we are a family, and we are part of a body that is united together with other Christians.

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1 Corinthians 12:27 tells us, “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.”

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Just as a body is integrated together, so also we are integrated together. An eye does not work independently from the body, nor do the feet work independently from the rest of the body. Our bodies work together. We need our entire bodies to function at our best. After all, a lot of us can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time. We need our entire body to function properly so we can function properly.

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So also, we need each other in the body of Christ; we need each other in the church.

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In fact, Paul warns us elsewhere about being too closely aligned with those who are not a part of the church.

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2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness

Ok, help me out church . . . “We exist to develop disciples who love God, love the church, and love others.”

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We exist to develop disciples. That’s been part of our vision statement for nearly six years.

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We’ve spoken several times off and on about what it means to be a disciple over the years. Yet, some of the leaders of our church, including the pastors, feel like some of our church family may not fully know what it means for us to be disciples.

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As Jesus prepared to go back into heaven, He left us with these words, which we call the Great Commission.

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Jesus said in Matthew 28:19–20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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So, we exist to develop disciples. Before Jesus left, He commanded us to make disciples.

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Yet, when we recently took a church health survey among our church family, out of the categories of worship, prayer, ministry, fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism. Our second lowest score was in the area of discipleship (show chart) (by the way, the lowest was in evangelism, so you’ll hear more about that as well).

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So, we want to be more intentional as a church to focus on what it means to be a disciple.

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We’re starting a short sermon series called “What is a Disciple?” Today is part 1.

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Join me in prayer as we prepare to dive further into this sermon.

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(prayer)

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Church: We must be determined to make disciples. That is what Jesus told us to do, and that is why we exist as a church. So, let us be committed to learning about discipleship and about pursuing discipleship.

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Ok, we’re going to learn a bit about what a disciple is in general, but we’re more concerned with learning what it looks like to be a disciple at First Baptist Church Bartow. How do we see this process lived out in our church?

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So, let us now discover what a disciple looks like at First Baptist Church Bartow.

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At First Baptist Church Bartow, . . .

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‌I. A disciple experiences spiritual growth.

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Generally speaking, a disciple is a student or follower of someone. So, when we speak of someone who is a disciple in the context of the church, we are talking about someone who is a follower of Jesus.

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So, at our church, we believe that as you follow Jesus, you should begin to look more like Jesus. You should grow in your spiritual life as you are filled and led by the Holy Spirit of God.

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That process begins by first being changed by the work of Jesus.

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On the card that we passed out regarding what it means to be a disciple, you’ll see under the first identifier a little descriptor that says, “A disciple is made new by the saving work of Jesus.”

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You can’t grow in your new spiritual life until you are first made new by Jesus.

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2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

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To be a disciple, you must first be a new creation. You must be rescued from the bondage of the slavery of sin. You must be spiritually raised from the dead. You must be adopted into the family of God. You must be changed by the work of Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit into your life.

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The saving act of Jesus is where it all begins.

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Then, as we grow spiritually, a disciple is becoming more like Jesus.

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Many of you know that we call this process sanctification. Sanctification is the process of being made holy, or becoming more like Jesus.

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This process of being made holy is a journey for us, isn’t it? We’re not perfect, but each day, we’re seeking to become more and more like Jesus.

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Think back about what you believed about Heaven as a child?  Perhaps those memories were influenced by conversations with your family or Sunday school teachers as you looked in the Bible together.  Other influences probably included cartoons, TV shows, movies, books, and conversations with friends at school.

Jesus gives us a glimpse into the immediate afterlife in Luke 16:19-31.  But I’d first like to share the context Jesus gave it in – why He gives us this open-window-peek into “Hades”, the immediate destination for our souls in the New Testament, up until Jesus’ Crucifixion.  In the Old Testament, Hades was referred to as “Sheol”.

Everyone has a soul who will spend eternity somewhere, so this does impact all of us and our existence after physical death.  Jesus wants to show us the serious nature and consequences of having our own plans for our life apart from God’s plans for our life.

This conversation begins back in Luke 14.  Jesus is invited to eat in the home of a prominent Pharisee.  The disciples are there, as well as crowds of people following Jesus around.  Jesus honors His host and begins talking about who gets invited to banquets and why, and He then urges them all to invite people, as well, who can’t return the favor.  Then He escalates it to excuses people make that forfeit their invitation to the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven.  V25 tells us, “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus”, and He turns towards them and begins teaching about being wise, investing your life wisely, and the cost of following Him.

By Luke 15, it says, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”  They’re obviously not liking the crowd, especially since it’s not for them.  This is when Jesus shares the parables of The Lost Coin, The Lost Sheep, and The Lost Son – words of hope for all who would repent, who would let God change their minds, as well as a strong rebuke against self-righteousness.

In Luke 16 Jesus addresses His disciples among the crowd with the parable of The Shrewd Manager, who changed his ways of cheating his master to using his worldly resources to benefit others and make friends, who he might be used to bring along with him in eternity.  After a review of being trustworthy with the truths and resources we have from God, Jesus continues in…

Luke 16:13-18 – 13 “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.”

14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus [they were basically rolling their eyes at Him, trying to dismiss Him as hopelessly out of touch]. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.  What people value highly [apart from God] is detestable in God’s sight [it’s what keeps them pacified and separated from God].

The word for “detestable” is the same as “abomination” – It’s figuratively a detestable stench, and a moral horror, an illegitimate choice – like choosing your seat cushion instead of a parachute to save your life if you had to jump from a burning airplane – that would disqualify you from surviving!!

16 “The Law [The Law of Moses] and the Prophets [the recorded writings of the Prophets] were proclaimed until John [Jesus is referring to the entire Hebrew Bible, what we now call the Old Testament, which had been available up until John the Baptist arrived on the scene].  Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it [violently fighting against it to get in by other ways than trusting Jesus alone]. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. [In other words, you’re not changing God or His will.

Last week we learned about the miracle of the coming of the Holy Spirit. You may remember how the passage ended. It ended with some thinking that what was happening was so wild, that those who were filled with the Holy Spirit were actually drinking a little too much wine.

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Well, that’s not what the people of God are supposed to do at all. In fact, Ephesians 5:18 says. “. . . don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit.”

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You may also remember that I said the second part of Acts 2 contains an explanation of what was happening in the first part of Acts 2, the coming of the Holy Spirit.

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Peter says this in Acts 2:14–15: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.”

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Peter is essentially saying, “Hey folks . . . it’s still breakfast time . . . these people are not drunk.”

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Peter would then go on to explain what was actually happening when the Holy Spirit came.

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As a result of what they heard, those listening would be pierced to the heart. That’s the name of today’s sermon, “Pierced to the Heart.”

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Let’s go to the Lord in prayer, and then learn more about Peter’s message to those who witnessed the miracle of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

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(prayer)

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So, let’s recall for a moment what is happening in Acts 2:1-13.

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Remember that the Holy Spirit came with the sound of a violent rushing wind (show icon).

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Then, the Spirit descended upon each person in a way that was like tongues of fire (show icon).

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Then, each person who was filled with the Spirit spoke in foreign languages that were not known to them (show icon).

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Then, foreign people who were in Jerusalem heard of the wonders of God in their own native language (show icon).

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As a result, those who witnessed this were astounded and perplexed, wondering what it could mean (show icon).

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Well, Peter now explains what this means in today’s passage.

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So, let’s hear from Peter and see how he handled this moment.

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First, we see that . . .

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‌I. Peter knew the Word of God.

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In the midst of this wonderful supernatural occurrence, where does Peter turn to explain what is happening? He turns to the Word of God: the Bible!

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So, let us turn to the Word of God now ourselves. Look at what Peter says in verses 14-21:

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14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

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17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

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18 I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.

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19 I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.

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20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

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21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

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Peter, stood up with the other eleven apostles and took the crowd to a prophecy from the Old Testament book of Joel. Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32.

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Remember that those listening were primarily Jewish people who were in Jerusalem for religious celebrations. So, more than likely they knew the Scripture well, and would have been familiar with this passage that Peter is referencing.

Think for a moment about something that you anticipated greatly. Perhaps it was the birth of a new baby. Perhaps it was when you received your driver’s license. Perhaps it was when you started a new job, made a new purchase, or went on a first date. There’s something really special about experiencing something for which you’ve been waiting a long time.

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Throughout the Old Testament and throughout the ministry of Jesus, the people of God were promised that something special was coming. They were promised that God’s Spirit would be given in a powerful and unique way.

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In today’s passage, we learn about when that promise was finally realized. Today’s sermon is entitled “The Pouring Out of the Promise.”

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Before we get into this passage, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us today.

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(prayer)

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Acts 2 describes the wonderful moment that the Holy Spirit came upon the early Christians, and the age of the church would be changed forever.

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Join me in Acts 2:1-13:

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1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

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5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

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Ok, let’s do just a little bit of review from Acts (just one chapter so far). In Acts 1, Jesus appeared to His followers, He told them to wait for God’s promise, He left the earth, and the disciples prayed and prepared for what was to come.

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Now in this passage, the moment is here. God is pouring out His Holy Spirit on His people. That is what we come to in Acts 2.

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In Acts 2, we see the miraculous event itself, then we see Peter’s explanation of what is happening. Today, we’re only going to look at the event itself.

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So, as we reflect on the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit, let’s realize three characteristics of the coming of the Spirit.

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First, . . .

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‌I. The coming of the Spirit was supernatural.

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When we read this passage, we cannot help but realize that Luke intended for us to know that this situation was a supernatural act of God.

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It’s fair to say that the types of things described in this passage don’t normally happen.

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Pay attention to how Luke describes these events in verse 2. He says a sound like a violent rushing wind was present.

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Now, we know something about the sound of violent rushing wind in Florida, don’t we? We’re the hurricane state!

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It was about a year ago (almost to the day) that Hurricane Ian came through. I remember hearing the violent rushing wind outside. It was powerful and imposing.

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Can you imagine if that sound was inside the house? Yet, Luke says in verse 2, “Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.”

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Last week we saw the Book of Acts start off with a bang. Jesus ascended into Heaven to be with God the Father, and the disciples were able to witness this amazing event.

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Next week, we’ll get into the coming of the Holy Spirit, which will be absolutely incredible.

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Between these two miraculous stories (the going of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit), we have verses 12-26 of Acts chapter 1. Some of us may be tempted to simply brush over this passage, or even consider it a little dull. However, it’s the supernatural inspired Word of God, and God has something for us in this passage.

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So, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to teach us mightily as we study His Word.

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(prayer)

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Ok, let’s read this passage, then we’ll dive into it. Look at Acts 1:12-26:

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12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

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15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters—the number of people who were together was about a hundred and twenty—and said: 16 “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David foretold about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.” 18 Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst, his body burst open and his intestines spilled out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field is called Hakeldama (that is, Field of Blood). 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his dwelling become desolate; let no one live in it; and Let someone else take his position.

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21 “Therefore, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us—from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

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23 So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry that Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven apostles.

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Ok , we have this moment of time between Jesus leaving the earth and the Holy Spirit coming in a new fresh way.

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So, what were the disciples supposed to do during that time? They were to prepare for what was to come. That’s the title of this sermon, “The Preparation for What Was to Come.”

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Before we get into what we can learn from this passage, I want you to hear something from your pastor.

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In this passage, the disciples of Jesus were about to experience something amazing, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. God had something special in store for them.

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Listen, church: I believe God has something special in store for our church. God has been so good to us. Before COVID, we were growing year after year, then COVID hit, but since then, we’ve been growing year after year. Churches are struggling all over the place, but God has been good to us, and He’s done so by His power and for His glory. However, I believe He has something even greater in store for us. I believe that we’re about to experience something special.

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So, as we look at what the apostles did as God was about to do something special through them, let us challe