We get on to verse 40, the wrap-up: "With many other words, he testified and exhorted them saying, Be saved from this perverse generation, that those who were, who gladly received his word were baptized; about 3,000 souls were added to them. We take that for the story that it is, and the gift of tongues, and the speaking of tongues that the Scriptures talk about but we don't see that as what we need to be doing in practice or in faith, but it is a dramatic story. [Darris McNeely] On the morning of Pentecost 31 AD, what do you think was going through the minds of the assembled disciples in Jerusalem? And so she was the first to see the empty tomb and have that appearance, and she goes and tells them. "Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26). But after Pentecost the power of the Spirit spread out to light the whole world. This is the underlying message Jesus gave to his disciples in today's 2nd Sunday of Lent year A Gospel (Mt 7:1-11) which narrates the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, after having announced to them his Passion and Death on the cross. Old Testament saints knew then and Christians know today that victory over all threats and obstacles belongs to God. They thought that Jesus Himself didn't actually know that asleep people wake up? Micah 3:8 says, "As for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin." And it is Christ in us that is that hope of glory. That's been the hallmark of our feature. I took a course in seminary on the Old Testament wisdom literature where we talked about Hebrew poetic parallelism and determinism and Heilesgeschichte ("salvation history") and I would generally raise my hand at the end of class and say, "So what?" Matthew records that "when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. They had come up against the two most powerful authorities of their day in their world. How do we handle them? We're no different than them. The world sees a mechanical process of evolution and natural selection. Far more people than they could have ever imagined and Peter gets up and gives the sermon of his life. But then two angels appeared and they said to them, in verse 11, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? People were forgiven, saved and received everlasting life before the cross and before Pentecost (Lk. After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me. Then he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Second, the OT believers experienced the new birth and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. To be candid, it does feel like a complete change of the subject. And then they had seen that He was resurrected. Yes, Peter did preach under the anointing, but the empowerment of the Spirit also brought a unity and a focus of purpose they had not known before. Which again points forward to the last days inaugurated at Pentecost. All of these qualities are to the divine nature, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. We have a very involved, and very good, and a very detailed review process at many different levels of our writings, of our speaking in the United Church of God today. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died .John 4:11-14 Come on. Or is this authority that I mentioned just about Jesus' own power he gave them and isn't about Spirit in themselves like when he said to Peter to cast net into water and pulled out much fishes? I remember taking my little bag and walking over and kind of looking around, and sitting down on a bench. And yet some doubted. We do well to read about these things, and ask ourselves the simple question: if they experienced so much of God's Spirit which was but a trickle of the reservoir, how much more should we enjoy under the dozen turbines of Pentecost? It is the ideal to which every subsequent church period has wished to be able to emulate, including ours today. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. And then this dramatic miracle takes place, festive occasion. Pre-Feast of the Origin of the Fair Trees of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord. And He leaves them on the Mount of Olives, which is a very, very significant geographic feature there on the east of Jerusalem across from the city, and through the Kidron Valley and up on this Mount called Olives. Fifth, the OT saints believed that craftsmanship and artistic ability in the service of God was a gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, it was all beginning to come together. And then even when we see in the days after Jesus' final ascension, a roughly 10-day period, when they came to make a decision to replace Judas, they read Scripture, they applied it properly, God blessed the decision. After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream about the coming famine, Pharaoh says, "Can we find such a man as this in whom is the Spirit of God?" Friday. And speaking about the deep things of the Kingdom of God to prepare them for what they were to take part in, and what they were to be a part of. So here are ten ways Old Testament believers experienced the Holy Spirit which in these "last days" of Pentecostal fulfillment ought to be enjoyed by the church. Why were Jesus' disciples so disheartened and fearful after His death? But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven. And God will expose sin, ours to ourselves, sometimes to others. Prior to Pentecost, the Apostles and disciples gathered in fear, behind locked doors. 2. And so two things create this vision and this mission. . But it was a very intense period of time of Jesus appearing to them both in Galilee and Jerusalem, teaching them from the Scriptures, appearing to them in larger groups, perhaps even, more smaller groups, and in some of the ways they're talking like He did to Peter, on the Sea of Galilee, having meals with them. Pentecost was a Jewish festival fifty days after the Passover. Or is it? When I got off the bus from my hometown, I was in this large room, this large terminal, it was as larger, even larger than this room here, which for me, from my small town was a pretty big thing to walk into, and I did, first time I had ever traveled. Where do we go from here? The second power that they'd run up against was that of the Jewish authorities. It wasn't a common manifestation of the Spirit, but it was real then and it is today. I happen to think that they, no doubt during this period of time, as the days go on they talked and they read. In verse 14, it says, "Then later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table and He rebuked them, rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen." Christ Is Risen - An Easter plan by Matt Maher, The Essential 100 Bible Challenge14The Cross Of Christ. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. There are two groups of humans: those in the flesh (born of the flesh) and those in the Spirit (born again of the Spirit). I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. But on the morning that those disciples were gathered there, before it happened, you have to imagine that they had no idea that, that would be what would take place. Did they doubt what they were seeing? The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room. Did they doubt themselves? As I got up this morning, prepared to come over here, go through the day, same things that will be in my mind tomorrow, and next Thursday, and a month from today. So here's my answer to why the experience of the Old Testament saints is valuable for us today. You remember what Ruth said to Naomi when Naomi, in the book of Ruth, had lost her husband and children, and these two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, tried to follow her away from Moab, and Orpah decided to leave. They drank it, they washed in it, it watered their crops and turned their mill-wheels. YouVersion uses cookies to personalize your experience. Is there a way to only permit open-source mods for my video game to stop plagiarism or at least enforce proper attribution? A fellowship, a community, prayer, sharing food together, much like we do today. They sailed on it in the moonlight and wrote songs about it. Best Answer. But that was a life lesson that I had to learn. It is the Word of God and it is the Spirit of God that did it for them, and will do it for you and for I today as we live our lives, as we go about our lives. They got the courage and strength they needed and they came out of their hiding place, starting to proclaim Jesus's death and resurrection. So it's something for us to examine in our own way, see how much of that is being demonstrated in our life. Synopsis: When Jesus walked on the water to join the disciples in their boat, the Gospel mentioned that they were afraid - twice. When did the disciples become born -again? The OT believers were saved the same way we are: they were born of the Spirit, they trusted in God's promises, and they followed his commandments in the obedience of faith. They came together, in verse 1 of chapter 2, "On the day of Pentecost when it was fully come, they were with one accord in one place. So Jesus had to rebuke them. Hagiographical sources also portray saints as those able to withstand the fear or deceit brought . So when I pose myself a question like, "How did believers experience the Holy Spirit before Pentecost?" And I can't help but think that knowledge for its own sake or art for art's sake is a very callous and unloving motto. And the tomb was empty, and the disciples had seen Jesus, and the authorities were beside themselves trying to figure it out, looked for the body. . Was the gift of the Holy Spirit promised only for the first-century Church, according to Acts 2:38-39? Well, Pentecost is like the dedicatory opening of the Aswan High Dam. Seventh, the saints of old experienced victory over fear by the presence of the Spirit. Copy. Though a miracle had taken place in front of them, that still wasn't enough to remove the doubt and fear. He understood that, and again, He is just laying it out that they were troubled and there was doubt. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Did they doubt that it was real? When Nicodemus was bewildered about Jesus' demand for new birth by the Spirit, Jesus responded (John 3:10), "Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand this?" Everybody who gets up and gives a sermon in a congregation, that sermon before it's ever posted on a website, has been reviewed or at least approved by individuals within the congregation. It's always fun to try to imagine how this happened. So, as Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples to focus on the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God during the time between His resurrection and Pentecost, we can be focusing on that now too. And that is of people led by the Holy Spirit, knit together, everyone providing that which they can toward a community of faith, power, and love, sharing, looking out after one another and caring for one another. Guardians Of Ancora Bible Plan: Ancora Kids See Jesus Alive! All the gods of doubtand I say gods with a little g, because doubt, and guilt, and fear can really separate us from Godthe gods of doubt, and fear, and unbelief have all been shredded by Jesus Christ. Instead, they turned the world upside down. You may find that without a specific text of scripture your question could be voted for closure as 'off-topic'. And then it came to an end, it came to a close. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped corruption that is in the world through lust." "Behold, He said, My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. The religious leaders are "astonished" and marvel that such common and unlearned men can have such a sweeping command of their topic, and such serene courage. Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Even though they had seen miracles, again, another indication to us always to remember that miracles are important, miracles can be faith-builders, but miracles by themselves will not do it all. And as we've seen, even when they were confronted with the miracle of Christ's resurrection, and they recognized that they still had to deal with the hostility of the world around them, in a kind of a two-pronged government called the Roman Empire and the Jewish society, plus their own human nature, and themselves. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear. This was just three and a half years, and in really a few weeks, seven weeks and a day of intense thought, emotion, that they had to grapple with and deal with as they came into the presence of one another on the morning of Pentecost. Why are you standing around gazing? They were kind of like this, and like this. Is the promise of "power" in Acts 1:8 only for the apostles or for Christians in all ages? When I was 15 years old, I got on a bus from my little hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. But it is also due to a much simpler and . Seven weeks later, on the day of Pentecost, the risen Lord Jesus fulfilled the promise he had made in John 15:26namely, that he would send the Holy Spirit. And we have by and large absorbed their mechanistic view of things. 60 seconds. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up," and this is through the account here in Luke, then, would be the final bodily appearance of Jesus to them. We often think a miracle would be just what we need. A Second Wind: A Biblical Exploration of Gods Mind of Justice, The Essential Jesus (Part 17): The Resurrection of Jesus. This is what He does as He moves them through the Law of Moses, the Psalms, and the prophets, and opening their understanding. However, of course, the apostles had smack of the Spirit even before, for even before Spirit was present in them to a certain degree and intensity; they possessed the Spirit-ual gifts even before the Pentecost, however the gifts of the Infinite Spirit are also infinite and at the Pentecost they got a greater share of this graceful infinity, so as to totally be absorbed in it. What happens?". and the preacher says, "So what?" The goal is that the addition of scriptural verses will assist you in meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary as you pray. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. Every now and then in extraordinary circumstances of need the Spirit enables ordinary Christians to perform amazing feats of rescue far beyond their ordinary capacitylike lifting a car off of a pinned husband or escaping from a raging rapist. We just get a few snippets from the gospel accounts, at least, of this 40-day period. I want to show you ten ways the Old Testament saints experienced the Holy Spirit. It was by God's Spirit that the prophets spoke to the people God's Word (Nehemiah 9:30), and it was by the Spirit that the people were enabled to grasp and apply the Word. He had a lot to come back, he was at the back of the pack. Number one was the Roman Empire. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren. It wasn't there and so a lot had happened in that 50-day period that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. Welcome to BH. If dark matter was created in the early universe and its formation released energy, is there any evidence of that energy in the cmb? 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. That's an important trait for a firstfruit, for a firstfruit to have in their life, and in their approach to life. In Nehemiah 9, Ezra gives thanks to God for all his past benefits to Israel and says in verse 20, "Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them and didst not withhold thy manna from their mouth." This event is very significant because the Bible says when we are born again, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit; in other words, the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of us (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). The appearance of Jesus' face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. But the disciples didn't stop focusing on the Kingdom of God after Pentecost. They'd likely not seen it. '", And so Luke's account gives us a very specific instruction, how He told them, You wait in Jerusalem and then you will receive the power from on high. And that is what they were doing as they waited for that period of time to come about. A firstfruit is one who follows Christ. Put your hand into my side. I wonder if more people came to Jerusalem for Pentecost in that year because of what had happened 50 days earlier, plus three, and they had heard about that. 145 views, 2 likes, 6 loves, 16 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Crossroads Baptist Church: Crossroads Baptist Church Live 02/05/2023 Would it make any difference for our lives today if we knew the answer? I can't think about it more than five minutes without saying, "So what?" And every breath you take ought to be a prayer of thanks that you live and move and have your being in the Spirit of God. Not many days, we would look at it roughly 10 days from that 40-day period. Some say apostles got Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. My Spirit abides among you. After the disciples received the Holy Spirit, received Christ in them, they began to operate under the strength and ability of Christ in them. That's what He did. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. An eyewitness account, there was a lack of belief that put them in the situation here that they did not understand and didn't believe that had actually happened. That He had to rebuke them and teach them. Third, the OT believers enjoyed the constant presence of God's Spirit. Again, the answer is yes. That's the famous road to Emmaus experienced from the book of Luke, "and they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either." They were going up against a lot, just as we go up against our world today, and ourselves, and what Satan might throw at us. This is it. 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