 As we went through the gospel of Mark and we basically have finally concluded it, I wanted to add certain things and I'm going to add two more studies as kind of like the addendum, if you will. And so today I'm going to be looking at chapter 2 verses 1 through 13 here in the book of Acts to speak concerning the promise, the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus had given. We're looking at the birth of the church. And as already been mentioned, it is Pentecost Sunday today. Pentecost Sunday is the, excuse me, it's been called the birthday of the body of Christ, the birthday of the church, it's the day of Pentecost and we're going to be looking at that today. And we're going to be looking at how the Holy Spirit baptized 120 who were waiting for the promise to be fulfilled, the promise that the Lord Jesus Christ had given. And so we'll be looking at the promise fulfilled. And so beginning at verse 1, I'll read to verse 4 and we'll get into our study basically as I normally do, giving you some information to fill in so that we know where we're at as we go through this passage and then picking up and looking at verses 1 through 13. But we'll begin with verse 1, reading to verse 4, Acts chapter 2. When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. So when we were last together, we looked at Jesus as he was commissioning his men. They were to go into the entire world and they were to make disciples. They were to evangelize. They were to convert. They were to teach. Those who came to faith in Christ, that's what they were to do. You see the way that new believers would reveal their faith would be that they would obey or be demonstrating obedience to the things that they were learning. They would obey the teachings and their hunger for God's Word would reveal the reality that they actually had been saved by being taught and obeying the Word of God. They were going to grow. They were going to grow spiritually. Now how could these believers take the gospel throughout the world? How could they be enabled to accomplish this kind of task, to leave the borders of a country that more than likely the majority of them had never even left and yet to go into the whole known world and to preach this message of salvation. And as mentioned, they did it without satellite. They did it without social media or TV or radio. They did it without printed materials. But how could they do it and how did they do it? Now these are people who had been touched by God. They had had a powerful experience with him. They'd been saved. They desired to see other people come to a relationship with God also. It was God's love that was compelling them for that. Somebody said it was the apostle's sense of the love of Christ, the love that Christ had shown to him and to all men that was acting as a motivating power, directing every action to the good of others and restraining Paul from every self-seeking purpose. So he had said, the love of Christ compels me. And it was God's love that motivated him as well as others. So the command to go and the command to love others was compelling, but that wasn't enough. How would they be able to be his witnesses in a world, in a world that rejected Jesus Christ? How can you be a witness in a world that crucified him? Now they had recently abandoned him and they had fled. These are people who had walked with Christ for over three years, these disciples. And as they had walked with him, they had learned his ways, they had learned his words, they had been empowered by him temporarily as they went out and did works themselves. They had spent all of this time with him, they had been mentored by him. And yet when it came down to it, as we remember, they had all forsaken him and they had all fled. Only one of them remained somewhat faithful to him and that was John. And even John himself had initially forsaken him and fled with the others. So what's going to be the difference? What's going to make the difference in these people's lives? They've been taught all of these things, they've been even semi-commissioned, if you will. Remember in John, the Gospel of John, how Jesus had breathed on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. They'd already had a pre-commissioning, if you will, a pre-empowerment. And yet how were they going to go out into the entire world and preach a Gospel to a world that rejects and even crucifies the one who comes to them? There were witnesses. There were witnesses of his works. There were witnesses of his teachings. There were witnesses of his resurrection. They were to go out. They were to preach Bible truth. They were to reveal that Jesus Christ was the subject and fulfillment of prophecy as it related to Messiah. It was Jesus who had fulfilled what was written in the law and the prophets and the Psalms. And as they went, they were going to encounter spiritual and they were going to encounter physical obstacles. How were they going to be able to do this? How were they going to be able to go out into a Christ-rejecting world, a world that was already set up to reject him and yet fulfill the commission that Jesus gave to him? Well, they're going to be enabled to do that by the power of the Holy Spirit. Again we're looking at chapter 2 here in the book of Acts. Now in chapter 1 in verses 4 and 5, Jesus had commanded his men to wait for the promise of the Father. In chapter 1 of the book of Acts it says, being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father which he said, you have heard from me, for John truly baptized you with water. You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Jesus had already commanded them to wait. When he said wait for this promise, the word wait means simply to await, to await an event. And in this case it speaks of waiting for the Spirit to fall upon him. They were to wait because God was going to fulfill this promise. And I mentioned to you that the word promise is an announcement of divine assurance for good. One commentator said this word promise is used only of the promises of God. It often speaks for the thing promise and thus signifies a gift graciously given and not something that was secured by negotiation. Later in the book of Acts the apostle Peter speaks of this promise and yet he speaks of it as being a gift even as this brother had just stated it signifies a gift graciously given. In Acts 2.38 he had said, repented be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10.45 the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. So the sending of the Holy Spirit is God's assurance for good for those whom he loves and it is a gift that is graciously given to the one who repents and believes. Now God had given this promise various times Joel 2.28 and 29 afterward I will pour out my spirit on all people your sons and daughters will prophesy your old men will dream dreams your young men will see visions even on my men servants and maid servants I will pour out my spirit in those days Ezekiel 36.27 I will put my spirit within you cause you to walk in my statutes you will keep my judgments into them Jesus made reference to these promises as he ministered to his men in John 15.26 when the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the father the spirit of truth proceeds from the father he will testify of me you see in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would descend perform his work but afterward he would depart in 1st Samuel 16 14 it says that the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul in Judges 16 verse 20 when Delilah was there with with Samson it says that Delilah called Samson the Philistines are upon you he woke from his sleep and thought I'll go out as before and shake myself free he did not know that the Lord had left him that's why David in Psalm 51 verse 11 said cast me not away from your presence take not your Holy Spirit for me in the Old Testament the spirit would descend remain and then would depart and his promise was the spirit would remain with them and would be in them John 14 16 he said I'll pray the father he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever so in Acts chapter 1 Jesus had told them in verses 7 and 8 that they would go forth as his witnesses he had said in verse 7 it is not for you to know times or seasons which the father has put in his own authority you shall receive power and the Holy Spirit has come upon you you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem in all Judea Samaria and to the end of the earth you will be witnesses to me you'll be witnesses of my resurrection you'll be witnesses that I am the Savior you be witnesses that I am the judge but even as a judge I will grant forgiveness these are the things you are going to be witnessing and so God desires to communicate to man and he intends to do so through us so being his witness requires power and our lives are evidence of his presence and that's why Jesus is sending his Holy Spirit that promise that he made is fulfilled it's fulfilled on Pentecost now in verse 1 it says in chapter 2 when the day of Pentecost had fully come they were all with one accord in one place Pentecost is the second of three great Jewish feasts there are there two other great feasts the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles and it took place 10 days after Jesus's ascension 50 days after his resurrection in the Old Testament the Festival of Pentecost commemorates various things it commemorates for example God giving the law to Israel on Mount Sinai through Moses and it also is celebrated when the first fruits of the of the harvest are offered it's joyful as the people remember God's goodness towards them and because it's celebrate it celebrated at that time of the year travel to celebrate would be much easier that meant it would attract the largest number of pilgrims from foreign lands on Pentecost there was an estimate that on this particular Pentecost that there were as many as three million people who are there in the city of Jerusalem and so that gives them the greatest opportunity to reach people there be more people than normal and it's on that particular day that the church is birthed now as we go through this passage we're going to notice three basic things one is we're going to notice the attitude of the 120 disciples because they're united awaiting for the promise and secondly we're going to see the giving of the Holy Spirit which fulfills the father's promise and then third we're going to see the effect on the lives of believers as well as non-believers again at verse when it said the day of Pentecost had had fully come and they were with all with one accord so ten days have passed Jesus has ascended into heaven Jesus had told them wait that's what they're doing I want you to notice something with me as they're waiting they're in an attitude of anticipation in unity they're awaiting all expecting to receive God's promise they're in one place and they're in one accord and that's when the promise is fulfilled in chapter 1 verses 14 and 15 it tells us there are around 120 and that's what they're doing they're continuing in one accord in prayer and supplication their hearts are set on one thing they're waiting to receive the promise I want you to notice there was a unified spirit of anticipation as they're waiting on the Lord they've put aside self-seeking they're waiting on God to fulfill his promise now as you've read your Bible you know that that isn't always the way it's been especially with the 12 now the 11 at this point they've already substituted or replaced Judas who fell so once again the number is 12 but it wasn't always the case in the ministry of Jesus with his men they weren't always united selflessly as long as they operated in the flesh they were never totally united Jesus had commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem until they received power and they were praying they were waiting with anticipation because they wanted to receive his promise and there were three things that contributed to the reception of this promise and these three things contribute to us receiving the same kind of promise one of the things you see is that they're obedient he had commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem and they obeyed a second thing we see is their unity they're no longer selflessly a rather selfishly seeking personal benefit and then you see expectation they were hungry and thirsting for the Lord and as they're there in prayer and they're united in one spirit that's when the church was baptized that's when the church came into existence in the way that it is today it says in verse 2 suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind it filled the whole house where they were sitting there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance one of the things that we as the church today need to remember and I want to develop this with you this is really I hope it makes some sense to you is that if there's anything we need today in this last day is a refreshing the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives if there's anything we need that's what we the church need today when I gave my heart to Christ as a brand-new believer I I how would I know theology or doctrine or anything like that how could I possibly I didn't know anything and I can still remember I was in a front room I hadn't been a Christian more than a few weeks at the most maybe a month or less and there was somebody who was seated on to my right in this little front room we would go to Bible study at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and then we would return to a house that one of my friends was renting and we'd have what we used to call an afterglow I didn't even know that term at that time either but we would sit there with me five ten kids maybe more none of us older than you know 22 at the at the max we're all like 18 19 20 21 younger younger people and we would just sit there and we would we'd pray and we would sing and we would talk about what the Lord was doing in our lives that was very normal for us and I wanted more of the Holy Spirit I wanted God to work more in my life I was brand new in Christ I didn't want to go back to the world as I had been living for so long and all that and and I remember I was seated in in the room and and I was looking at this guy who's leaning against the wall and he was very quietly speaking some language I'd never heard before and I turned to a guy who was seated next to me and I said what's he doing and he said oh he was baptized in the Holy Spirit tonight and he's speaking in tongues that's what we're looking at today I said really what is that he says it's a prayer language that God gives to you when a praise really that's first I'd ever heard of something like that and so somebody somebody comes and sits next to me after this guy had gotten up and walked away and this person I'll never forget it looks over there it says what's he doing I said oh he was baptized in the Holy Spirit today and he's speaking in tongues you know like I was some expert and so the guy looks at me he goes oh really what language is that I said I don't know I think it's Hebrew I had no I had no clue what was taking place all I know is that when I saw that God had filled him I wanted that and I should probably point to a second thing I wanted God to move in my life like every person I knew at that time who'd gotten saved we we didn't want Jesus and the world you know what I'm saying we didn't we we didn't want Jesus and our old life I didn't want Jesus and and and the wine I used to drink I didn't want Jesus and the marijuana I used to smoke I didn't want Jesus and the relationships I used to have I didn't want that anymore I that was gone that's the old life that's all dead to me what I want is more of him and so when I saw this and and I knew that without his power I I wouldn't be able to live and I saw this kid there I said whatever it is you did for him that's what I want in my life I want your power and and as as I consider this if there's anything that the that the church is lacking today it's it's spirit filled power not to prove here's the thing I was thinking this morning might as well try it out with you see if it makes any sense sometimes my thoughts are only my thoughts they don't translate well to others but I was thinking you know there has been such a such a an emphasis on miracles you know Holy Spirit power I believe obviously in a God of miracles of course we do but sometimes people think that God only manifests himself through certain things I think that the greatest work of the Holy Spirit that has been in my life isn't simply the gifts I thank God for them but they are gifts the the greatest thing that the Holy Spirit has done in my life it's helped me to walk straight with God on a daily basis and if there's anything that people are lacking today they're lacking in the ability or the willingness or the awareness that it takes the Holy Spirit to help us to live each day at a time it's not that I want to go I wish that I could go into into hospitals and and pray for miracles in healings I wish I could but I also know that God wants to work in in me as a man how have I walked with the Lord these years it's through the power of the Holy Spirit you need it to you need God's powerful Holy Spirit in you not just so that you can see miracles performed or operating the gifts of the Spirit and all of that but so that you can walk a life live a life that people can see and say there's something different about you and that comes through your your willingness to obey that comes to your heart of unity with other believers and that comes through an expectation and as this is taking place the promise is being fulfilled here in verses 2 through 4 and notice it says that there's a sound of a rushing mighty wind and it's heard it literally speaks of the roar of a powerful gust of wind like a mighty and a violent wind storm now the term mighty wind has at least two images in the Bible wind can be used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit that that is a symbol that Jesus used when he was speaking to a man named Nicodemus Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus in John 3 and it says in John 3 5 through 8 that Jesus answered I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he's born of water and of the Spirit flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit you should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again and he went on to say the wind blows wherever it pleases you hear it sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going so it is with everyone born of the Spirit the wind blows wherever it pleases and so it's a symbol of the Holy Spirit wind and also it's used as a symbol of the breath of life all the way in the first book of Bible Genesis 2 verse 7 it says the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being so it speaks as a symbol of the breath of life and that would reveal that the Holy Spirit brought divine power and life to the 120 well verse 3 says that there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them tongues of fire this is a visible phenomenon illustrating what is happening they literally saw fire in the shape of a tongue resting on each of them now in John the Baptist ministry John had spoken of what Jesus would do in Matthew 311 John had said I baptize you with water for repentance but after me will come one who is more powerful than I whose sandals I am not fit to carry he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire John's baptism was one that was outright outwardly revealing repentance from sin but Jesus's baptism is of the spirit inwardly purifying and giving power now Jesus's Holy Spirit baptize baptism will inflame them with love for God and love for others and the baptism will bestow spiritual gifts and propel believers to live holy lives now in this particular passage fire speaks of at least two things when it demonstrates that the Lord is present like an Exodus chapter 3 verse 2 there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it didn't burn up so it speaks of the presence of the Lord but also it speaks of purification for service Isaiah 6 verses 6 and 7 one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand which he'd taken with tongs from the altar and with it he touched my mouth and said see this has touched your lips your guilt is taken away your sin is atoned for so the fire represents that the Lord is present and he's purifying and the Spirit is coming upon obedient expectant believers and he's purging them so the Spirit produces a holy disciple one who was set apart from sin and evil and it's a it's a reminder and a demonstration that we can only live a holy life through the power of the Holy Spirit that's why Paul in Galatians 5 16 said walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh so the tongues of fire resting on each of them symbolizes ministry there to take this gospel out to a world that has a variety of languages and preach to them they were to use their language to unify in opposition to the world in a declaration of what God intends to do you see at the Tower of Babel God confounded languages at that time there was one language in the whole world but they had used their unity to oppose God they had sought direction from the stars they rejected God when you read the story of the Tower of Babel when I was a kid I used to think of the Tower of Babel and this way I thought well because my mom would share Bible stories with me on occasion and she talked about the Tower of Babel and and I had thought the tower was was it was a tower that they were trying to reach heaven because the Bible says that it may reach unto heaven and so my mom thought at that time again mama was not taught scripture she just wanted to read it to me when she could so I thought that it was tower that was built that they thought that because the scripture said they reach unto heaven but later on as I got saved and began to receive Bible studies and do studies I learned that this this tower in Babel that was spoken of was not intended to be some ignorant if you will people with lacking understanding of thinking that they could build some stairway to heaven you know but what it was was it's called a ziggurat a ziggurat is an astral astrological tower and what they had done is they had built a tower to chart the movement of the stars so that the heavens would continue to direct them but they chose nature over the God who created the heavens and though through their unity of language they were able to in opposition to God seek other ways to discover their future and as a result God confounded their language in Genesis 11 8 and 9 it says the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth and they stopped building the city that is why it was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world from there the Lord scattered them over the face of the earth and so they had unified in opposition to God the language but in the giving of tongues God is now giving them the opportunity to preach his gospel to unify them in relationship to God notice in verse 3 how it says one sat upon each of them this baptism unified and equipped them to work on one task and that was proclaiming the message of the gospel each one was receiving power because God desires to use them equally and I made a notation for myself here there is no superstar there was no very special disciple they were all to take the gospel out it says in verse 4 they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as a spirit gave them utterance so they were all filled that fulfills the promise Jesus had made in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 but also in John 16 verse 7 where he had said I tell you the truth it's to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away the Comforter will not come to you but if I go I will send him to you and so they were there waiting prayerful in anticipation for God to move and they were all filled with that word filled means to be abundantly supplied they were completely filled it was the overflowing presence of God now Jesus had said in John 7 37 and 38 if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said streams of living water will flow from within him and so the Holy Spirit is abundantly flowing upon them again they were waiting obediently in expectation in unity they were not making lots of noise I'm gonna say something here about that they weren't begging they were waiting for the promise again when I was first saved you know the way I used to go to parties I began to go to revivals into church and it wasn't always a Calvary Chapel thing if there was something taking place in a church my friends and I would load up our cars and off we'd go and I've said this before there was a quote-unquote revival one of our friends would actually actually came and said man there's a revival going on in Long Beach it's really let's go so we loaded into our car and off we went because we wanted more of God I'll never forget this I went into this very it was a small building there couldn't have been 60 to 80 people they're all together and it was an African-American church but it had a white evangelist and this white evangelist was he had a drum up there at the base of the platform and he had this like this this pompadour hairdo and he just I don't know it just a trippy-looking guy and as it was up there he would get all excited and then he'd come off the platform and he'd start pounding on the drums then he go back I'd never seen anything like this and so I'm thinking this is kind of clean fun what do I know I'm like three weeks old in Christ some some lady raises her hand and says in my church we marched around the church with behind the flag and so they had a little church flag a Christian flag before you know it we're all marching around this church I'm just having a great old time never done anything like this well sober and so as I was happening the evangelists are saying everybody if you want more of the Holy Spirit well I want as much of God as I could get right come up here and pray I say remember it's a little there's they had like a they called it the tarrying bench in the front you were the tarry on the spirit and so I went there with a group of people we're all in the front here and I'm praying and we have to kneel they said kneel now you need to know my background I was a Catholic and these people were Protestants and and I saw him starting it was so long it's like 30 35 40 minutes that they're kneeling that I thought I can out kneel any Protestant any day so I still remember just kneeling through the whole time true story I'm not kidding and and and he said now ask God and so we're all raising our voice oh God oh God fill us oh God I need you we did that for a long time and nothing happened and now he wants us to go up and give a testimony I've never been in front of a church in my life let alone giving a testimony and I can't lie nothing happened what am I gonna say I still remember standing in line and I still remember waiting to go and speak and I'm thinking I can't lie I'm a Christian now what do I do because people are saying oh heaven open I saw a dub and they're saying all of this garbage and and I'm thinking nothing happened to me at all I'll never forget standing behind the microphone and all these people are sitting there looking at me and I said as I looked at them I can't put into words what I just went through that's what I said it was true I can't put into words but and then you see the other people going yeah it didn't happen to us either you you you had that look going between us they waited expectantly in unity and prayerfully they didn't sweat they didn't scream they didn't run around they didn't follow behind a flag they just waited and that's how it works guys God had made a promise an assurance for divine good Jesus had wait you shall receive power was his promise he doesn't go back on his word you wait you tarry in Jerusalem until you be imbued from on high you wait so they're in this place called an upper room it could very well be the place that they had celebrated communion and they're in this upper room and they just wait in on the Lord there's a hundred and twenty of them and they're praying and seeking God their hearts are united when the church is born and what happens notice verse four again it says they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as a spirit gave them utterance now in mark 16 17 Jesus had said concerning believers that they shall speak with new tongues the word tongues is in this is the English translation of the Greek word Glassa Glassa speaks of a language in this particular case it's an unlearned language somebody said that tongues is a spiritual gift from God that is supernaturally acquired and is therefore an unlearned language it may be of human origin an existing dialect or a heavenly dialect referred to as the tongues of angels the language is one of praise to God and is directed to God and not to men tongues is a language of praise and worship that gives glory to God now if you look at verse 11 it says there we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God so they were praising God and they were giving him glory later on when Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 14 16 and 17 he said if you're praising God with your spirit how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say amen to your thanksgiving since he does not know what you're saying you may be giving thanks well enough but the other man is not edified so it's a language of giving praise and glory to God and notice in verse 4 how it says as the spirit gave utterance the spirit did not take over their vocal cords the spirit inspires their speech now as this is taking place verse 5 there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven and when this sound occurred the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speak in his own language and they were all amazed and marveled saying to one another look are not all these who speak Galileans and how was it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born Parthians and Meads and Elamites those dwelling in Mesopotamia Judea and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt parts of Libya adjoining sireen visitors from Rome Jews and proselytes Cretans and Arabs and Ontarians and Chino wins we I'm sorry we hear them speaking in our own land in our own tongues the wonderful works of God they were all amazed and perplexing to one another whatever could this mean others mocking said they're full of new wine they're drunk and notice again it says there were people in the area who had come to celebrate Pentecost they were from every nation they either had heard the sound of the wind or they heard the voices of the disciples as they had poured out into the street and it confused them notice verse 6 everyone is understanding what's being said in their own language it says in verse 8 there's around 16 nations in regions that are represented here and they said in verse 11 again we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God so they heard God being praise and God being given glory and they're amazed and perplexed what what is this it's interesting how some were amazed and perplexed but others began to mock that's what happens when the Spirit of the Lord moves by the way is people who will see God doing something in somebody's life can eventually or sometimes quickly begin to mock that to say oh this is nonsense you Christians are so I don't know there's something wrong with you guys don't think right and they can mock you and and when this took place there they're just seeing this this they're hearing the sound and they're not really listening to what's being said so they begin to say oh they're filled with new wine that they've just gone to the bar they're drunk that's all this is and they begin to mock them so instead of arguing with those who are mocking notice with me it says that Peter began to speak to those who were inquisitive in verse 14 it simply says Peter standing up with the 11 raises voice and said to them men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem let this be known to you and heed my words they're not drunk a spiritual experience always requires a spiritual explanation when God does something we should have a scripture that we're able or several that we're able to say this is the reason and this is how this happened and that's what the Apostle Peter did so instead of arguing with those who are mocking which a lot of times we waste our time trying to argue people into faith instead of arguing with the mockers Peter concentrated on the ones who are curious that's what you should do too by the way some of us have friends and and family members or neighbors who whomever co-workers who constantly are mocking I would encourage you if you've already given them a testimony shared with them a scripture whatever and they they keep on mocking just to leave them alone leave them in the hands of the Lord because you don't want to continue doing that when there may be somebody else that's listening who really wants to get right with the Lord themselves concentrate on the people who are most open and leave the others in the hands of the Lord and that's basically what he does and he gives a biblical answer to their spiritual question he's letting them know they're not drunk these people are disciples under the spirit of influence and under the Holy Spirit's influence they're beginning to speak and what they're doing is they're speaking concerning the wonderful works of God concentrate on those who are open don't waste your time arguing with those who don't want to hear I've had people approach me in the past and they'll ask a question they don't do this anymore but they they did it earlier and they would approach me and at first he would ask a question and I'd always been willing to try and answer it so I would begin and then they'd want to and I just they'd want to argue and then I discovered that they were just wanting to fight they were just wanting to argue with me and so I developed something that I began to do I didn't have to do it more in a few times but people would walk up and they would do that especially when the church is younger and all and I was a younger man and and they would say I want to ask you a question and I would say fine but let me ask you one first okay are you willing to listen to the answer or are you here just to argue with me well I said no I I'd say you know I want to be fully respectful to you I want to know if you want an answer because if you want an answer I'll give you the answer but if you want to argue I'm not gonna do that I don't argue I'm not gonna argue so do you want an answer or do you want an argument and a lot of times that just shut it down well you don't and then I'm blamed for being an idiot or whatever and they walk away which is okay they're gonna do that later on so I didn't waste my time answering something they weren't interested in you don't waste your time with people who aren't interested you don't keep throwing God's word out to people who are trampling on it in this case the apostle Peter being filled with the spirit spoke to the ones who were inquisitive do you want to know what God has done are you interested let me tell you this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel who said in the last days and he begins a quote out of Joel chapter 2 this is what Jesus promised the power of the Holy Spirit and so these people who had hidden these people who are afraid of Jewish authorities these people who had forsaken Christ are now filled with the spirit they already had been instructed through the word of God Jesus has shared with them they knew they'd already spent time with them they were aware Jesus had already been preparing them but they were lacking something that they needed and that was the power of the Holy Spirit they needed to be filled from head to toe they needed to have the gifts that would be used in them they needed to have the anointing that they might be able to preach they had the understanding but through the spirit they grew in a deeper understanding a deeper depth of the things of God and they were able to take those things out and share them with people and that's exactly what they did from these people who ran and hid from the authorities they became people who took this out to the world people who had never really been beyond the borders of the nation of Israel are now traveling to other places going to other lands bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who would listen and they did it successfully and they did it through the power of the Holy Spirit so today on Pentecost Sunday we need to realize what God wants to do in us we need to reawaken to the power of God's Holy Spirit we are aware of how dark things are we need to seek God for his power we need to repent of anything that keeps us from receiving from the Lord and we should hunger and desire the things that God would have for us and by faith we should ask that he baptize us with his spirit that he would work with in us so that we could be used what is it that that gave to me as a young believer the ability to speak with confidence the power of the Holy Spirit an absolute belief that the gospel is true a belief that there is a heaven and an awareness that there's a hell and and knowing that my mom and my dad and my my brother and my sisters would go to hell if they didn't come to faith in Christ and from some wild eye barefooted dirty feet hippie by the power of the Holy Spirit God did a work of transformation in me that was so incredible that my father came to faith in Christ that my mother came to faith in Christ that my sister Madeline on the day I got saved after sharing with her what Jesus had done my sister Madeline put her head on her pillow that night and said whatever you did for my brother please do it for me and for the last many years I've been asking God to work in me so that I could help others to see him Jesus said this I'll close with this scripture Luke 11 13 if you then though you're evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him I don't want to be a dirty vessel so I confess my sin my dad I have this a coffee cup that my dad used to drink his coffee from I actually broke the first one he had this is another one and I was a little boy my dad would drink coffee in the morning and we were never allowed in my parents room it was their room we weren't allowed in it except by permission and we would knock on the door on a Saturday or a Sunday morning and they would say you may enter no they'd say come on in and I'd walk in and I still remember as a little boy I was about six years old my my dad said son go get me a cup of coffee my dad drank his coffee black was no big deal no way he had a little shirt a couple of shirts go get my coffee I said okay that was a that was a holy task so I went into the kitchen I got his coffee cup I poured the coffee in it and I very carefully so I didn't spill a drop of it came and handed it to him and my dad started to drink it and spit it out and it turns out my mom had taken a paper you know paper towel or whatever it had stuffed it in it with coffee grounds and so when he drank it he spit out all these coffee grounds and oh you know so I I failed at my holy duty but I never forgot that you don't pour the spirit into a dirty vessel that vessel should be clean how does that vessel get cleaned through confession Lord forgive me my sins and cleanse me I know that I knew that I've already been washed in cleanse but Lord repentance is a daily thing and confession is a daily thing because I'm not perfect therefore I need your help every day Father cleanse me but Lord fill this vessel with your presence may your holy spirit not only dwell in me but empower me Lord and and I want your power I want to be able to stand for you I want to be able to serve you I want to be an influence for you I want my children to know you I want my grandchildren to know you I want my wife to have a strong walk with you Lord fill me with your holy spirit given the power because in this dark world it's easy to stumble so Lord fill me with your presence and as I look at this passage and I see these waiting in anticipation a holy expectation in prayer and unity the holy spirit baptized and brought them into the unity with one another and then they're going to be sent out to do a work to reach the world for Jesus Christ how much the church needs that today guys and I pray that you have asked God to fill you I pray that you would say God I want there's nothing more important than reaching somebody for the kingdom use me for that Lord wash me and cleanse me and Lord I've gotten kind of like I don't know I can float down this the stream of unbelief with others Lord I don't want to I want to go against that I need you and I need your power and the holy spirit is awaiting I think to work within us because in these dark days we are the ones who can bring light may God fill us with this presence and use us for his glory