Copyright © 2022 S P Townsend
WCC Sunday 14th August 2022
The Holy Spirit Arrives
Reading: Acts 1: 6-8; Acts 2: 1-11
A Longed-for Prospect for the Future
The disciples were excited. Jesus had been raised from the dead, having accomplished a wonderful salvation, and having destroyed the power of sin and death. He was indeed the promised Messiah, and surely now, as King of kings and Lord of lords he would usher in the reign of peace long since promised by God through the prophets. As some of us have often sung with the words of a memorable hymn:
Nearer and nearer draws the time -
The time that shall surely be -
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
As the waters cover the sea.
And so they gathered round Jesus and asked him – not just one of them, mind, but all of them in anticipation – is it now Lord when you will restore the kingdom? But Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” Not yet, he said, and God isn’t even going to reveal to you when.
It is God who is in charge, not us. Our knowledge is limited and our understanding is only partial. Indeed even our choices and actions depend ultimately not on our wisdom but God’s, for the apostle Paul writes: “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Phil 2: 13)
This, of course, gives us great security and confidence, but it is also a challenge to all of us, but particular to those who aspire to be Bible teachers. When asked “what does this mean?” we will try to find an answer. And if God is saying, “It is not for you to know” there will be a strong temptation to come up with an answer anyway, as did Job’s advisers. We don’t like unanswerable questions about our faith. But Jesus said to his disciples, “The answer to this question is not for you to know, not unless and until God chooses to reveal it, and right now He doesn’t!”
This is one of the hardest lessons for us to learn. But it is an essential lesson for each of us as God teaches us to live by faith.
Those first followers of Jesus, about 120 of them, were all fully and acutely aware of their national heritage as descendants of Israel. Indeed their encounters with Jesus would have increased that awareness rather than diminish it. And they, along with their godly compatriots, would have been crying out to God all of their lives, “How long, Lord, before you fulfil your promises? How long must we as your people be under the cruel yoke of Rome? How long before we are set free to experience your blessing and to be a blessing to others? Lord, when, when, when?”
And none of them received an answer in their lifetime, nor indeed have subsequent generations up to the present time. Instead they saw their national life effectively extinguished, as Rome destroyed the temple, and scattered the people far and wide. Those early Christians, they knew what Christ has accomplished through his death and resurrection. They knew that God has now given him a name above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow. They knew that in Christ all things will be restored and renewed. But instead of seeing and experiencing those rich blessings what they saw instead was rejection, persecution, hardship and trial. As Paul wrote, “I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” (2 Cor 11: 26, 27).
I said that this is one of the hardest lessons for us to learn, and so it is. How do we reconcile the wonderful truth that He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will also, along with him, graciously give us all things (Rom 12: 32) – how do we reconcile that truth with the oftentimes difficult circumstances we face day by day? Or the glorious truth that all who believe in Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life with the day-by-day experience we have of perishing and dying? And when we cry out, “let it be now Lord, this deliverance we long for, this healing we need so much, this joyful experience of your wonderful power setting right the things that are wrong,” we hear him gently answer, “God your Father will determine when that will be – you must trust Him.”
For God intends for each one of us who have come to know him and love him to walk by faith and not by sight. Just as Job had to learn to walk by faith when unjust and undeserved calamities fell upon him. Just as Abraham had to learn to walk by faith when the promised child became a physical impossibility. Just as Joseph had to learn to walk by faith when the wonderful dreams of childhood turned into a nightmare of rejection, false accusation and imprisonment. Just as Moses had to learn to walk by faith when his frustration at the mistreatment of his fellow Hebrews boiled over and he killed one of the persecutors and then had to run for his life. Just as David had to learn to live by faith when the anointing of Samuel was just a distant memory and his present experience was of fleeing for his life from both foes and supposed friends.
The apostle Peter wrote these wise words: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4: 12, 13)
I don’t know if the disciples were initially disappointed when Jesus responded as he did. If they were I am quite sure that any initial disappointment rapidly turned to joy and thanksgiving. For Jesus continued, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority – BUT” … BUT this is what the Father is doing right now, and you have an integral and necessary part to play in working our His purposes.
A Transforming Power for the Present
Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” Witnesses of our own encounter with Jesus. Witnesses to others of how the power of Christ enables us to face any difficulty, so long as our hand is in his hand and we are walking with him. Not teachers of religion, although some may be called to do that. Not advocates of morality, although some may be called to do that. Witnesses don’t lecture people on how they should live their lives. Instead they share their testimony; they tell others what Jesus has done for them, the difference that knowing Jesus has made for them.
And to equip us for this calling, to enable us to witness effectively for Jesus, God promised to fill us and anoint us with his Holy Spirit, and with power.
These are times when the need for power, and the rising cost of its provision, are constantly in the news media. We have two main sources of power in this land: firstly the use of fire from burning fossil fuels; secondly the harnessing of the wind. It is instructive that the Bible uses both fire and wind as pictures of the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. On the day Jesus’ disciples first received the Holy Spirit they experienced the sound of a violent wind and saw what seemed like flames of fire settling on each of them.
The Holy Spirit has been given to equip the Church to accomplish what it could not do using human strength. Speaking to others we may be able to do if we are fit and well, and have the necessary language skills. But even so our courage may fail us when we experience a negative reception. And convincing our hearers of the need to make a personal response is another matter altogether.
Jesus taught his disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them and enable them. He would help and encourage them, teach them, guide them, remind them of past experiences, show them things yet to come, reveal to them truths about Jesus. He would enable them to bring honour and glory to Jesus, and would convince unbelievers of the truth of their message.
The Holy Spirit empowered the early church in many different ways. He enabled some to speak eloquently in foreign languages, He transported someone from one location to another. He revealed when some were telling deliberate lies. He guided through visions and dreams. He instructed church leaders regarding mission strategy. He prevented some from travelling to certain places. He opened doors to other places. He brought many to faith in Jesus. He healed many in the name of Jesus. He gave gifts to enable God’s people to serve him effectively. The early church sought the Holy Spirit’s guidance at every step, and depended continually on his resourcing and empowering. Under his direction the church grew daily as new people came to faith.
The plain truth is that the church cannot function and grow as Jesus intends without the Holy Spirit’s active empowering. And note this important point from the passage we read this morning.
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2: 1-2)
The Holy Spirit descended upon the Jerusalem church when they were all together in one place. This was the first, but not the only, occasion when the Holy Spirit came dramatically to fill this company of believers. For after the lame man was healed at the gate named Beautiful, and Peter had preached to the crowd, both Peter and John were arrested. But after their release they returned to where the believers were gathered together, and we read that after they had prayed together the meeting place was shaken violently as the Holy Spirit once again filled them all. (Acts 4:31).
The Holy Spirit delights to anoint and fill believers in Jesus as they gather together in unity and love. Many here can testify to the way in which our hearts are so often stirred when we gather together for worship like this, or in house groups, or for online prayer times. So often we are aware of the presence of Jesus in a way not experienced when we are separated from other believers. This should not surprise us, for Jesus himself said that as the Holy Spirit comes to us Jesus himself joins us. “I will not leave you as orphans,” he said, “I will come to you.” (John 14: 18). And neither should it surprise us that we have heard this morning some wonderful testimonies from the Revive Scotland campaign. For there believers in Jesus have joined together in unity and love, laying aside differences, in order to be witnesses for Jesus. And it is on such gatherings that the Holy Spirit delights to come with great power.
But his anointing is also for each individual believer, for although our reading said that flames of fire appeared as the Holy Spirit came upon the gathered company, it also said very specifically that these flames separated into tongues that rested on each person gathered there (Acts 2: 3). Each one of us seeking to follow Jesus needs the anointing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for the plain fact is that at our strongest we are weak and unable to accomplish God’s purposes. We cannot open closed minds. We cannot soften hard hearts. We run and become weary; we walk and become faint. But the indwelling power of God’s Holy Spirit enables his people to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint, indeed to mount up with wings as eagles. In fact, in a strange and unfathomable way, our weaknesses give greater opportunity for the Holy Spirit’s power to be released. Jesus said to the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Cor 12: 9). OK, if that’s the case, said Paul, I won’t bemoan my weaknesses any more but will rather delight in them and celebrate the fact that I struggle so much.
And his words speak directly to all those of us, probably all of us, who at one time or another have said, I can’t manage that, I’m not capable of that, that’s not something I can do. God’s Holy Spirit has been given to all who believe in Jesus and seek to follow him, in order to empower us to do what by ourselves we are incapable of doing.
Now the Bible is clear that if you belong to Jesus then the Holy Spirit indwells you (see Romans 8: 9). But the Bible also encourages us to ask God to give us his Spirit in greater measure. As we have already seen the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early Jerusalem church more than once. Ephesians 5: 18 encourages us to continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And Jesus taught us to ask God to give us his Holy Spirit. He said, if an earthly father will give good gifts to his children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (Luke 11: 13).
So here are a few questions. Do you wish you had greater strength and ability to do what God has put upon your heart? Are there things you would like to do for God, but avoid them through fear of failure? Do you desire to speak to others more about Jesus, but find it difficult to know what to say and when to speak? Do you feel that you sometimes, or even often, let the Lord down? When you need guidance do you sometimes find it difficult to understand what God is saying to you? Are you praying that friends or loved ones would encounter Jesus, but fear you might be more of a hindrance than a help? If any of these have rung true then listen again to the words of Jesus
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness” (Acts 1: 8).
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12: 9).
Why not take the opportunity today to ask God to fill you anew with his Holy Spirit.
Steve Townsend
14/8/22
Copyright © 2022 S P Townsend