What’s the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives Today? (Acts 2:14-21)
Today we’ll look at part one of Peter’s first-ever sermon in the church age. It begins to answer the question: What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today?
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Last time we saw what happened to the disciples on Pentecost:
- Sound of wind, tongues of fire - representing God’s Spirit
- Spoke out miraculously in other languages, declaring praises of God
- People were confused, some even mocked
Today we’ll see Peter’s response to it
- How far has he come! Now he’s going to explain what’s going on
- Pay attention to his use of scripture
- Jesus had earlier opened their minds to understand
- Then he spent 40 days before his ascension teaching them
- Surely this is part of his preparation
- But the other part: the power of the HS
- Acts 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere…
In the next two weeks we’re going to break down Peter’s explanation
- In part he was answering their question: Acts 2: (NLT) 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?”
- Some answered: it means you’ve been drinking!
- Peter refutes that right away
- But more than that he was preaching the first sermon ever
- This was the beginning of the church age
- A new era that would redefine things
- God’s people would expand from Israel to the church
- Relationship with God would now become personal
- Previously corporate, mediated through leaders, priests, etc.
- Now personal, mediated through God the Holy Spirit - that was part of the significance of tongues of fire on them individually.
And so today, as we take the first part of Peter’s sermon, we’re going to answer this question: What’s the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives Today?
- He is God, so he’s always been active
- But his activity is different in our lives today compared to OT times
- And it all started on the day of Pentecost 2000 years ago
We’ll get there in a second, but first we have to start with an OT story…
If only someday…
Numbers 11:16-17 (NLT) 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.
Numbers 11:25 (NLT) 25 And the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again.
Numbers 11:26-28 (NLT) 26 Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Spirit rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since his youth, protested, “Moses, my master, make them stop!”
Numbers 11:29 (NLT) 29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!”
- Moses understood the burden of prophecy
- Speaking to people for God
- Calling them to be obedient to him
- That’s why he wished everyone could relate to God like that
- But it just wasn’t the reality (yet)
- Numbers 12:6-7 (NLT) “If there were prophets among you, I, the LORD, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. 7 But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust.”
Later, the prophet Joel foretold a new era:
Joel 2:28-29 (NLT) “Then, after doing all those things,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.
29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on servants—men and women alike.”
This was the scripture that Peter would quote in his first-ever sermon. Let’s take a look at it now…
Peter’s sermon (part 1)
Acts 2:14-21 (NLT) 14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives.
Restored: God’s plan all along
Last week we saw that baptism with the HS empowered regular people to share the Good News with people.
- But the HS does so much more than that!
- Back to the Moses story - his frustration came from the people’s complaining in the desert
- They had hard hearts, and he felt the burden of it
And that’s the role of the Holy Spirit
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT) 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
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What’s the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives Today?
- (Expositor's Bible Commentary: Abridged Edition (2 Volumes)) Three major aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit are described in vv.8-15: (1) to the world--conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment (vv.8-11); (2) to the disciples--direction and truth (vv.12-13); (3) to Jesus--revealing him more perfectly to and through those who represent him (vv.14-15).
- John 16:8 (NLT) And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
- John 16:13 (NLT) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
- John 16:14 (NLT) 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.
That last part we’ll cover next week, because the HS is just part 1 of Peter’s sermon. Part 2 is all about Jesus.
- Acts 2:21 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.
