CHRIST’S GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Acts 2: 1 - 4
A Pentecost sermon by:
Rev. H.A. Bergsma
PUBLISHED BY
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE
FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA.
(May 2005)
LITURGY:
Votum
Psalter 403
Law of God
Psalter 333
Scripture Reading: Acts 2: 1 – 21
Text: Acts 2: 1 – 4
Congregational Prayer
Offerings
Psalter 241: 1 – 5
Sermon
Psalter 241: 6 – 9
Thanksgiving Prayer
Psalter 237
Benediction
Doxology: Psalter 413
Congregation of the Lord,
On the day of Pentecost our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave the Holy Spirit to the Christian Church … literally … poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Church.
This was a great occasion and a wonderful Gift; an occasion to commemorate and a Gift worth speaking about.
With the help of the Word and the Holy Spirit, let us do this by the following theme and division:
CHRIST’S GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
1. The Occasion
2. The Manner
3. The Reason
4. The Persons Involved
Congregation,
The term “Pentecost” means “Fifty”, that is, it was on the fiftieth day into the Jewish new year; or fifty days after Passover.
The Jews actually had another name for this day, as it was then known as the beginning of the Feast of First-Fruits for them.
This was a great feast in Israel, because it was always around the time that the harvest was being gathered in.
The people then would come and bring the so-called “First-Fruits” of the harvest to the temple in thankfulness to God.
On the fiftieth day therefore, the Jewish people gave a gift to God, the gift of the First-Fruits, that is, the freshest and best samples of their harvest.
This Feast of First-Fruits was so widely celebrated that the people from all over the region, even from beyond the borders of Palestine, would come to Jerusalem for this great event.
In New Testament times, the Jewish people would travel from far and wide to get back to Jerusalem for this popular feast.
Some would come from the northern regions of the world, such as Parthia and Mesopotamia; some would come from the southern parts, such as Egypt and Libya; some would come from the East, known as Arabia; and still others would come from the far west, even all the way from Rome.
All of them would make the journey to Jerusalem, in order to be there on the fiftieth day of the year to celebrate the Feast of First-Fruits.
Well, it was on such a fiftieth day that the disciples of our Lord could be found in a house in Jerusalem, which was located, most likely, not far from the temple.
Ten days before, the Lord Jesus had departed from them and ascended to heaven.
And ever since that day, they have stayed close together in Jerusalem; if they were not busy worshipping in the temple, they were assembled in a large room, praying that the Lord would make true His promise that was coming to them, namely, the promise of the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
Early one morning, on the fiftieth day, they were again assembled in one place.
And the Bible gives some additional information about this assembly, namely, that they were “all with one accord in one place.”
Do not overlook this snippet of information!
We want to know the occasion when Jesus Christ gave the Holy Spirit to the Christian Church … it was on the fiftieth day amidst festive celebrations; it was at the beginning of the Feast of First-Fruits, when large crowds could usually be seen in Jerusalem, and it was on a day when devout believers could be found together with one accord in one place, and praying.
Jesus Christ choose such a day to send His gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, because He saw it fit to do so while large crowds were in the vicinity.
But Jesus Christ choose this particular day as well, because there were people assembled together in one place in one accord, who had been praying for the promise of the gift.
Obviously Jesus Christ was pleased to fulfil His promise of giving the Holy Spirit as believers, being in one accord in one place, fervently prayed for it.
Perhaps I could make this small application here.
The conditions were right at that time for Jesus Christ to fulfill His promise and grant His Gift of the Holy Spirit.
And such conditions, of being in one accord, and of being in prayer, are still necessary so that the presence of the Holy Spirit may be felt and enjoyed.
The opposite is also true, as someone once observed, that when there is discord and disharmony in a church, there the Holy Spirit will soon be absent.
But in our text we can see that the occasion for the giving of the Holy Spirit was when believers were assembled, being in one accord, praising and praying.
But now secondly, let us consider the manner in which Christ gave the Holy Spirit to the Church.
Did He do so secretly and quietly, so that no one outside would know about it?
To the contrary! Just read our text-chapter.
And as you do, I’m sure you cannot help but be impressed by the “spectacularity” of this event, and the publicity it created.
“Suddenly!” so it says; “Suddenly, a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”
There was obviously nothing quiet about it; it was a very audible event – an event that could be heard.
With great and powerful and overwhelming noise this event took place … “As of a rushing mighty wind.”
Anyone who has ever been in a tempest or who has been close to a tornado, will testify to the awesome, overbearing, and thunderous noise that a rushing mighty wind can produce.
Well, each inhabitant of Jerusalem, each guest and visitor, must have been all ears when Jesus Christ presented His Church with the promised Gift of the Holy Spirit.
It was an event that could not have failed to reach the ears of young and old.
But there was more!
If somehow it had failed to reach the hearing ear, surely the seeing eye would have caught it,
And what a sight it must have been!
The disciples of Jesus were in this house, sitting or standing, perhaps kneeling and praying, … but on each of them could be seen “Cloven tongues as of fire!”
It must have been an unusual sight, to say the least.
Each of the disciples had what seemed to be a flame of fire above their head, like split-tongues licking upwards.
That, I am sure, must have been enough to make them stand out from the crowd.
It certainly was a visible thing, and must have made the giving of the Holy Spirit an event that could be well noticed.
This is how much publicity Jesus Christ wanted for His Gift-giving of the promised Holy Spirit.
Two most unusual and attention-grabbing signs attended the Church’s reception of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, so that the world would pay attention … the sound of a rushing mighty wind, and the sight of cloven tongues as of fire.
Now, in theological terms, both wind and fire have symbolical meaning, when the Bible speaks at times about the wind of the Spirit, or the fire of God … but I’ll leave that for you to reflect on.
At this point however, it is important to remember that those two signs, wind and fire, heard and seen on Pentecost, declared publicly and with great power and publicity, that Christ gave one of His greatest Gifts to the Church, and every one was to know about it.
This is the manner in which Jesus Christ gave.
But let this also be mentioned yet in the same connection … Christ gave His Gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church in great abundance.
It was not a small Gift in any sense.
Rather, it was a Gift of overflowing dimensions.
It was not a Gift that could be wrapped into a small package and put into someone’s pocket, but rather a Gift that took up all available space.
We are told that “it filled all the house where they were sitting,” and that the disciples in the house were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
The meaning here is of filling and of overflowing.
Like of someone holding a glass under a tap of water and letting the water run and run to overflowing.
This is the meaning here of the disciples being filled with the Holy Spirit.
This is also why Christ’s Gift of the Holy Spirit is called a pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
So overflowing-ly abundant was this Gift of the Holy Spirit that the Church of Jesus Christ today is still reaping the blessings from it.
In what manner did Jesus Christ give His Gift?
- Publicly and with power … no one could fail to notice it; and
- In great abundance … overflowing abundance.
Dear people! This shows what Christ thinks of His Church, and of each believer in His Church.
The world had to know the generosity of Jesus Christ as He granted His people the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
And at the same time believers in Jesus Christ may never forget their Saviour’s generosity – the giving and always giving-nature of their Lord and Master.
Ah, He gave His own life-blood already to buy them as a people who would belong to Him instead of to the tyrant of sin.
Jesus Christ already gave His whole self in order to make known to them how much He loved to be their Saviour and Lord.
And so as the crowning Gift, on top of the Gift of Himself, Jesus Christ gave the Gift of the Holy Spirit to the Christian Church.
Now, the third thing I want to consider with you is the reason why Jesus Christ gave the Gift of the Holy Spirit to His Church.
Was it not enough already that He had given Himself, and that He could present Himself as Saviour to His people?
Let me explain.
What Jesus Christ did on the cross to save a sinner was good enough to save the worst of sinners; and was good enough – sufficient enough - to save all sinners.
However, Jesus Christ does not only want such salvation of sinners to be available, but also that such a salvation be applied and brought home to sinners.
To say it in other words, Jesus Christ wants salvation to be personal to every believer and live in the heart of every believer.
And this is why the Holy Spirit is so necessary; and why He needed to be given.
The Holy Spirit as gift of Christ is poured out in the Church so that the Church would become the workshop of the Holy Spirit.
And what sort of work does the Holy Spirit do in the Church?
His work consists of making room for Jesus Christ in the Church corporately, and room for Jesus Christ personally and individually, in the hearts and lives of believers.
Perhaps I could explain it by way of an analogy – the analogy of a salesman.
The Holy Spirit works as it were like a spiritual Salesman who has only one Item to sell.
And that one Item is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The Holy Spirit is a persuasive and persistent Salesman – He does not give up very quickly.
He knocks on your heart’s door, and begins to “sell you on Christ” so to speak.
He’ll persuade of your need for Him by showing you how poor and wretched and miserable you are without Him
He’ll say something much like as a real salesman would say … “I cannot imagine how you have been able to do without this Saviour which I can offer you.”
And as a real salesman He’ll do all He can to persuade you of the great value of Jesus Christ … “Nowhere else is such a treasure to be found” He’ll say, and He’ll show you some of the beauties of Christ.
And He’ll say at some point … “Isn’t Jesus Christ the One whom you have always wanted?”
And while you are partly persuaded and partly in doubt and fear, the Holy Spirit, as spiritual Salesman makes His greatest sales-pitch … “It’s free! Christ Jesus is free! There are no charges and no fees!”
And He hands you the writing of Holy Scripture.
And you can read it for yourself … “Ho everyone … come and buy … buy without money and without price … let him take of it freely!”
And again this spiritual Salesman addresses you, even as He looks you deep in the eyes and whispers … “Believe it my friend, believe it!”
And while you are still sputtering and looking around for some objection, the Holy Spirit, as spiritual Salesman, steps in and begins to clear out your heart and starts to make room for Christ.
Now, tell me again … why did Jesus Christ give His Holy Spirit to His Church?
So that people in the Church may be sold on Christ, as simple as that!
To say it now in a more spiritual way, Christ gave His Holy Spirit to us so that there would be room and desire in us to have Jesus Christ living in us.
Has this happened to you already, my friend?
Has a desire been worked in you already to have Jesus Christ?
This is a serious matter to consider because without having Jesus Christ, you have no salvation and no hope for eternal happiness!
Well then, how may we know that the Holy Spirit has made room for Christ in us, and that He lives in us?
Lastly yet then … The Persons Involved.
We read in our text what happened when the Holy Spirit is given and at work in people.
It says there that they will begin to speak of Jesus Christ and His work.
With the Holy Spirit at work in such a powerful way, it became impossible for the disciples to remain silent.
The Spirit gave them utterance – He gave them to speak!
And although they had special challenges facing them, requiring them to speak in various languages at this occasion, the Spirit helped them with that too … He gave them to speak in other tongues.
Now, we must be careful that we do not interpret this to mean that the disciples began to “speak in tongues” as our charismatic friends like to think.