All right, in the book of Acts
this morning, we're going to start at chapter two. We spent
several lessons in the first chapter of the book of Acts and the things that took place there
and the Lord ascending up and back into heaven and after he
had promised some things to them that we'll look at later. But
I'd like to begin in chapter two. In short, chapter two, in a nutshell,
it said, and I wrote just a couple comments here to start with,
God the Holy Ghost comes on the apostles in a miraculous way.
They speak other languages, multitudes astonished, Peter's sermon, and
conversion of 3,000 souls. So it may take more than just
one little time looking at this chapter. It's gonna take a long
time to unpack this. And I approached the scriptures
hoping that the Lord in praying that he'll reveal some things
to you. And sometimes there's less and
sometimes there's more. And this was like kind of like
a jack in the box when you read it. There's so much in this chapter. And there's been a lot of things
made of this chapter of the book of Acts. Many good things to
God's people, and some of it has been misconstrued and twisted
to other directions. But Lord willing, we'll see what
is in this. And it's gonna take some time
to unpack all this, as I said, and we pray that the same spirit
of God will work in us that we may understand some of what we
read here and what we see in this passage. I'm not big on titles, but what
I put to this for when they record it is God Among Us. And we'll
hopefully see quite a bit of what that means. Let's start
with, I'd like to read the Chapter 2 of Acts, the first 11 verses
to start with. And then we're going to not get
very far in those 11 verses today, but we're going to read this.
It says, And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all
the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad,
the multitude came together, and were confounded, because
that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they
were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold,
are not these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in
our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and
Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, and
Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the
parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews,
proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our
tongues the wonderful works of God." And we're going to stop
there. Now, I think we'll see that quite a
bit of this is plain spoken of what took place. the meaning
to God's people may not be quite so plain. We'll see that, and
some other places we'll look. As it says here, and these are
the ones that, remember the ones that were gathered together,
there was about 120 of them when Matthias was chosen to replace
Judas in the first chapter there, and then the Lord was Taken up
out of their sight before that that we had that had taken place
in Matthias was chosen and they were There was a gathering of them
that said that they they were before it said that they were
with one accord in one place and they were looking forward
to and Anticipating what the Lord had said when he promised
the coming of the Spirit in in in the previous chapter, chapter
one, and it said the promise of the Father, the Lord said,
ye have heard of me, for John baptized with water, but ye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. And we're
gonna see what some of what that, I believe, does mean and what
some of that does not mean as we look along here. It says in
verse one, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place. And they were, by the text here and by
the situation that we saw before, believed prayerfully waiting
on the Lord as they were told to do. They were told to wait
until they were endued with power from on high. Some things would
take place and they were to wait for that and they were indeed
waiting prayerfully on God for that. After the Jewish Passover,
which our Lord's a perfect fulfillment or the complete fulfillment of
what that shadow was of things to come, willingly and in the
great covenant of grace that he willingly and fulfilled that
position on the true Passover, the true lamb that was sacrificed
for his people to cleanse and set free his people. He was the fulfillment of that.
And Pentecost was celebrated to be celebrated 50 days after
Passover. And Passover, we know where that
came from, as they were, God was getting ready to take them
out of the land of Egypt, that Passover lamb that was slain,
and the blood was applied. And if the avenging death came
over that household that did not have that blood, the firstborn
was taken, was killed of man or beast. God's people were to
observe that, and if they observed that, and when they observed
that, that household was protected by that Passover lamb, that blood
that was applied. And that being a picture forward
to if the blood was applied to his people, or that is applied
to his people, that they indeed shall be redeemed from that curse
of the law that was over them and sin. But the Pentecost, like
I say, 50 days after Passover, and the Pentecost feast was one
of the three where the Jewish men had to go to Jerusalem to
offer before the Lord and observe this feast to the Lord. And the
Pentecost was the second one, and it had to be done before
they harvested their crops, before the harvest was to commence.
And it was not lawful for the people to harvest before this
feast to the Lord was observed. And we, in Leviticus chapter
23, it talks about the three feasts that they must observe.
And this was the second one that was 50 days after the feast of
the Passover was done. And as our Lord is a fulfillment,
of the Passover for his people, the lamb slain before the foundation
of the world, as it tells us in Revelation and a couple other
places where we're gonna look to that. In John chapter one,
we're gonna look at just a couple of places that speak to that
while we're here. John chapter one. And verse 29, this is when John, in chapter one, John was
at witness of the lamb. He was the forerunner that was
going before him, and he said, I'm not he, but I'm witnessing
and speaking of him that that shall come. And verse 29 of John
one says, the next day, John seeth Jesus coming to him. unto
him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After
me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before
me." And here when he says that and called him and that behold
the Lamb of God, he was referring to obviously to his who he was
to his people. He was that perfect sacrifice
that that Passover lamb spoke of. And that is the meaning and
the picture of him as the lamb is he was the only one that could
be that sacrifice. He was the only one that fulfilled
that picture of that spotless lamb that they would pin up and
observe and make sure that there was no physical blemish that
they could see in that lamb. And as the Lord was that one
approved of God, and he did spend the time here in the flesh and
was observed to be the perfect spotless lamb, the son of God,
and that he would be that Passover in person. And 1 Peter, turn to the book of 1 Peter,
and chapter 1 again, and starting with verse 18, here in 1 Peter, it says, for as much as you know
that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you, who by him do believe in God that raised him
up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope
might be in God. And here, again, as the lamb
before the foundation of the world that was foreordained,
as it says here, and with precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot. And we've seen in the book of
Hebrews also where it speaks of Christ as not only better
priest and prophet, but he was the better sacrifice. and the
better sacrifice, better promises, the better covenant than the
physical that they had. That was a picture of this, and
there were those, we don't know how many, it was a remnant always,
whatever that number may be, that in the, from Adam, Eve,
Cain, and Abel down, there were those that God revealed to them
these things, that this was necessary. And the difference between Cain
and Abel in their sacrifices was, the difference was that
God placed in their heart some things in Abel's heart that Cain
did not have. Cain went by natural course,
Abel did not. Abel did not of himself know
these things or desire these things, but God had to reveal
them to him. that as those lambs or different
sacrifices that they had in the early days, there were those
that understood what they pointed to and what they represented.
Not that they were of themselves those things that would do that,
that would make them perfect and sinless and spotless before
the Father, but they were a picture of the one that would and could.
and must be that one. And then in Ephesians chapter
1, it says, you start with verse
1 and reading down several verses, it says, Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus,
and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace
from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love. And stopping there, but there,
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. And that chosen
in him wasn't because we would be holy and blameless, but because
he is and we are chosen in him. He is the one we stand in and
the only righteousness that we have and the only foundation
or reason that we have a standing is in God had a people in the
beginning and In Christ, that would be the life and blessings
we'd have. Only way we can be holy and blameless
is because he is and not of anything that the people have or we have
of ourselves. So the Holy Ghost appeared in
the form and manner we will see on that second great feast to
our God, Pentecost. This fulfilling in an our sight,
the sight of those people, that shadow that Pentecost was, spiritually,
before that great harvest at his, that same Jesus' return. The Holy Ghost came at, as it
said, at Pentecost, and this was a, this was a, at the time,
the Pentecost was a meal and a grain and a wave offering to
the Lord preceding the harvest, the harvest of the crops, and
this had to be done beforehand. And here the picture of before
there's, I think at least partly before there's a crop come in
a spiritual manner, the spirit has to be there, or there is
no fruit, there is no crop. It can be religion, and as many
in the world have and nothing to it. There's no crop there. That type of righteousness is
not founded on the true Lamb of God and that true sacrifice.
And so that the picture of the Pentecost is fulfilled and is
pictured there with the Holy Ghost coming in this manner. And we're going to look at a
couple of things and go on in a couple of thoughts about the
Holy Ghost at Pentecost, but in John chapter 14, turn with
me to John chapter 14. There's a lot, and these happenings as we see in the book
of Acts there with the Holy Spirit coming and some things that are
going to be done, they're not standalone without Scripture
that refers to these things or talks about this type of happenings
or about the Holy Spirit. And John 14, The Lord is speaking to them,
to Thomas and Philip and the others. And it says in John chapter
14, starting with verse 15, it says, if you love me, keep my
commandments. And I will pray the Father and
he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever.
Even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." If there be any life, if there
be any desires, if there be any, as it says here, knowing or any desires for these things
or any comfort, Spirit has to indwell and does indwell His
people. Looking at this, and I think
it's hard with our mind, our mortal mind, without some real
wisdom and insight from the Lord, it's hard to keep together that
our God, our Lord and Savior, God the Father and God the Holy
Spirit are one. They're not three separate, it's
three in one. And it's hard for us to not compartmentalize
sometimes or to grip this and wrap our mind around
these things. And I think that's some of the
problem that comes in religion as they look at, especially the
things that take place in in right coming up here in the book
of Acts chapter 2 with the Holy Spirit and they they kind of
separate things and it's hard and that God the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit always operate and do things as one and in different
manifestations in this picture here that we're going to see
of the Holy Spirit coming in a special manner. People will sometimes look at
the Holy Spirit as it's talked about baptized with the Holy Spirit
as that's when he comes upon them. No, and we'll see that
all time passed from the very beginning, from the first one
to the last one that'll be brought in, that that same spirit puts life
in them, puts anything that we have, spiritually speaking, desires
or insight or knowledge at all of our God, It all comes by that. We can study and study and study
and understand the English language of it and not have a grip on
the spiritual of this. In all times, the Holy Spirit's
been that agent at work in his people. It's always been the
same. It's not a different thing now, and it wasn't a different
thing as far as salvation comes in putting life in his people
in the book of Acts. There's some things that we're
going to talk about down the road here that are pretty miraculous
things. And that was attributed directly
to the power and working of the Holy Spirit. And those were special
manifestation things that took place that was a picture of what
happens in a, that they could see. They could see that much
like when our Lord himself came in the flesh, they could see
that. That was God with us, God in the flesh that they could
see. And this is in a similar kind of manner, spirit, God with
us and the God among them and us, but that they could see and
they could, I mean, it was plainly manifested to all of them that
this was not just a normal Sunday school meeting they were having
there with these folks. And the Spirit has to open the
eyes, and this was a big picture of that that is done in every
believer by the Holy Spirit when he draws his people to himself. In Luke chapter 24, we've seen an awful lot, and
I enjoy all the scriptures, but there's some things that I think
we can, that We've just been drawn to in some ways and special
thoughts about things and the book of Luke in the latter part
there when the Lord speaks to his people, I think we can relate
to these things as mortals with God revealing things to us. But
in chapter 24 of Luke, I'd like to look at starting with verse
44. 44 through 49, and obviously this
isn't all of this, but he came after he had met the
two on their road to Mass, after his resurrection, and others
said that he had risen, and some of them said, no, I don't think,
I think you're daydreaming, that can't be right. Well, he appeared
to these two, and then appeared to to the group of them when
they were met together, the apostles had met together, and verse 44
he says, and he said unto them, these are the words which I spake
unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the
prophets and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the scriptures. And he said unto
them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer
and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance
and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these
things. And behold, I send the promise
of my Father upon you, but tear you in the sea of Jerusalem until
you be endued with power from on high. And they indeed were
going to be, continue to be witnesses of the
Lord and that he told them in just before he was taken up out
of their sight, that they would continue to be witnesses of him
unto me in both Jerusalem, Judea, and all Samaria, and unto the
other most parts of the world. And that's what they would continue,
and that's what they were to do. But they were told to wait
until the Spirit come, and I don't know that he told him what form
or what this was going to do, but they were waiting upon the
Lord as we saw in that first part, in the first verse there
as we're looking at in Acts chapter 2. The Holy Ghost graciously came
on this second great feast to show more openly his ministry
as Almighty God among his church, in this visible manner coming
upon the apostles, showing that through all ages of the church
the Holy Spirit carries on the working of his grace in the hearts
of his own until grace be finished in glory." I had to write that down to read
it because It I think kind of explains,
and as we're going to go on and see this in later times, that through all ages, I said in the
church, he carries on the working of grace in his people. That's
how the work gets done is by his spirit and without separating our God into
compartments. Turn to Ezekiel 36, another spot
that we've looked at many times and will be many times yet, I'm
sure. Chapter 36, There's some things here that the Lord's speaking through Ezekiel
to Israel, to His people, that He would do to them and some
things that would take place. And I'd like to read starting with verse 25 of Ezekiel
36. It says, Then I will sprinkle
clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness
and from all your idols. I will cleanse you. A new heart
also will I give you. A new spirit will I put within
you and I will take away the stony heart of your flesh and
I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within
you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep
my judgments and do them. And you shall dwell in the land
that I gave your fathers and you shall be my people and I
will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleannesses, and I will call for the corn and will increase
it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit
of the tree and the increase of the field, and ye shall receive
no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember
your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall
loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and
for your abominations. It says, Not for your sakes do I this,
saith the Lord. Be it known unto you, be ashamed
and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. And a couple
of things. They were A mixed group, Israel
is a mixed group as is all men. But there were some that this
was going to happen to them. Starting up here in verse 25
and you have to read obviously more than this section we've
taken out. But there is about at least two
dozen spots that I underlined, will I. And these are things
that are done by the Lord for and to his people. And one of
them in particular that has to do with what we're looking at
today is where it says, verse 27, I will put my spirit within
you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep
my judgments and do them. And that Lord puts a desire for
those things in there. And in the way that the cleansing and the being able
to walk perfectly in that way, we know that that's not going
to happen in us physically, but we know the One that has done
those things for us. And in standing in Him, we stand
in His righteousness and we can say those things are done. The Lord said to cause his spirit
to be in his people and have the desire to those things. And
we have record by Paul in Romans that these things did not come
out perfectly as we see them. We don't see these things. We
say, well, I guess I'm quite not there yet because Paul said
the things I desire to do, I can't seem to do those. And the ones
that I'm not going to do, those are the things that seem to be
with me. And in this flesh, that's the
warfare. And he says, what's going to
save me from this by the death? And he says, I thank God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord, that that's the only standing we have. And here, just a thought too,
and it says that after he's done this and cleansed his people,
then it says in verse 31, you'll remember what you're like by
nature. Then you'll, before, a natural man doesn't loathe
what he's like. He may have some habits he doesn't
like or whatever, but as in no thoughts of spiritual things,
obviously, and definitely no thoughts that he is evil or God's sight, but after he does
this, then it says, then you'll realize what you were delivered
from, that your eyes have been opened to those things. And those
things, as it says here in Ezekiel, I'm going to turn the page to
chapter 37 for just a little bit here. But those things are
God's working always and ever in his people, these things,
as it speaks here and puts life in those dead things. And in
chapter 37, turn the page just to chapter 37, I'd like to read
just a couple of verses here. And we know the story that another
a beautiful picture of God taking the dead and putting life in
them, and can do that in a physical sense,
but in the spiritual sense, it's a much greater thing that we
see. In Ezekiel 37, starting with
verse 11, it says, and then said he unto me, son of man, these
bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say our
bones are dried and our hope is lost. We are cut off our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto
them, thus saith the Lord God, behold, all my people, I will
open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves
and bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that
I am the Lord. When I have opened your graves,
all my people and brought you up out of your graves and shall
put my spirit in you and you shall live and I shall place
you in your own land. Then shall ye know that I, the
Lord, have spoken it and performed it, saith the Lord." And here
the picture of the dry bones being made live and said, this
is what the, and it says, this is what, Our bones are dried. God's people
by his beard are the only ones that recognize and that see how
dead they are. And that being after the fact,
when the eyes are opened. But these pictures here are beautiful
pictures. They're in Ezekiel in both of
that condition we are in by nature
and that the spirit has to do his work. and does his work in
calling out and regenerating his people. And the picture that
we're going to see here about the Holy Spirit coming on them
in verse following here, verse one in following this in Acts,
is a picture of that that happens all the time and goes on constantly
in God's people, that has to do that. On this day, the Pentecost that's
spoken of here in Acts, either the 70 that were spoken of in
Luke chapter 10, verse one, it talks about, or the whole 120
that we saw in verse five of Acts chapter one, they're gathered
together waiting on the promise in one accord, it says, and the
promise in Acts chapter one, where we were before, but chapter
one, verse five, and it says, for John truly baptized, the
Lord speaking, with water, but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence. And again, this particular spot
is not speaking about that they would receive salvation at that
time. These were God's men that he
had dwelt among, And the Spirit had worked in them and opened
their eyes to them. But this was going to be a different
picture of the Holy Spirit that's talked about. And it is Him coming
in that special way. And I guess we pray to God that
He would act upon our hearts and minds that we would be in
the same expectation they're talking about of the Lord sending
his spirit and a blessing to us, his people, and not in salvation,
obviously, and continually standing before the Father for
us. But we approach his word and promises to us that we're
waiting for these promises, that he is a God of promise. And we
see and wait for his return and promises. And the Holy Spirit
of promise does this work in the heart of his people. And
one more spot in Ephesians. In Ephesians, chapter 1, back in Ephesians
chapter 1, starting with verse 3 and reading down just
a bit. It says, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
chosen us before him, before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having
predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. in whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven,
and which are on earth, even in him. in whom we also have
obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who hath worked all things after the counsel
of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory
who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until
the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of
His glory. And here in verse 13 it says,
In whom ye also trusted, the Lord Jesus Christ, after ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit
promise. And that I believe points to
God's people by His grace, the faith that He gives us to take those promises, believe
those promises, and that we fully stand in our Lord's righteousness,
that robe of righteousness that He puts on His people. And as
these were waiting in anticipation for what was going to come upon
them. They didn't, I don't believe
they knew the form of it, but the promise that was coming and
as they were waiting together for that, I think that points
to God's people when ever the word is opened and especially
when our pastor are preaching the word to us that we fully
approach with that expectation of his spirit will reveal. his
truth and his self to us through his word. And we're going to
go next time and we'll go a little farther. We'll see that some
of the things that they're waiting for that take place. Thank you
for being listening to us this morning and stay tuned. Mike will be up in
a little bit and be free.