Would that all the Lord's people were filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Immanuel Spirit” – Part 2

(Acts 2:5-13, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, January 2, 2011)

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews... (5)

In the book of Numbers we read of an experience that the leaders of Israel faced as God was leading them through the wilderness of Sinai about 1500 years before the beginning of the New Testament church. God took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it upon the seventy elders who had been selected to assist Moses. All but two of these men were gathering in the presence of God with Moses, but two had remained in the camp. Those two in the camp began to have the same manifestations of the Holy Spirit that the others were experiencing in holy assembly with Moses in the presence of God. People were alarmed at that, thinking that something had gone very wrong. But Moses expressed a great longing when Joshua brought this urgent concern to him. Moses said, “Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

That desire that all the people of God would have the Spirit of God began to be fulfilled at the Feast of Pentecost after the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. This work of God will not be completed until all God's people are perfectly moved and led by the Holy Spirit at the return of Jesus in the new heavens and earth. In between this Pentecost experience of Acts 2 and the return of Christ, it is the longing of the church to see the words of Moses more fully realized in our own lives and in the lives of others all around us. Our cry today: “Would that all the Lord's people were filled with the Holy Spirit.” God will do this in our lives just as surely as Christ died and rose again for us. We will be filled with presence and power of God. What will you be like then?

When this great new era of spiritual life began, Jerusalem was filled with Jews “from every nation under heaven.” Devout men gathered every year in Jerusalem from every place in the world where Jews lived in order to celebrate three major Jewish festivals. The population of the city swelled dramatically during those times, particularly during the fifty days between Passover and Pentecost. Instead of going back home after Passover and then making the long journey back to Jerusalem again for Pentecost, many people just stayed in Jerusalem. That meant that there were many Jews who witnessed or were aware of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who were still in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 who had gathered in the upper room waiting and praying as Lord had commanded them.

And at this sound the multitude came together... (6-12)

We often talk about the historicity of the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. There were people present who were able to testify to the fact that these moments so important to the Christian religion were not myths, but were real. There were witnesses who were willing to stake their lives on these things. We need to add Pentecost to that list. Something happened that day. There were many witnesses. The church was an expectant group of 120 people at the beginning of the day and a gathering of over 3000 very changed people at the end of the day. Someone attracted the attention of a large crowd. Someone moved Peter and the apostles out from behind closed doors. Someone changed the hearts of thousands of people from observers of an Old Testament festival to believers in Jesus the Messiah; new disciples who were being baptized, partaking of the Lord's Supper, learning, worshiping, and caring for the needs of the poor among them with uncommon generosity. What happened?

There was a sound that attracted the attention of that crowd. Verse 2 mentions the sound from heaven “like a mighty rushing wind.” This must be what brought everyone together. When they got there they heard another sound – the church speaking in languages “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The reaction of the crowd was not universal, and it was not immediate. People were bewildered. Some were astonished to hear their birth languages being spoken by people who were not from their various nations. The speakers were simple Galileans, but they were speaking the languages of nations from all over the Mediterranean world.

Imagine how shocking that experience would be; to be in a place where people who were all from an unsophisticated poor region were suddenly speaking all at the same time about the greatness and glory of God using languages from far away places unknown to them. It had to be a miracle. It was a miracle that caught up the hearers. The God who made it happen was speaking to them. Some observant Jew from Rome heard his local Latin dialect. God wanted him to hear. A Gentile interested in Judaism from the Isle of Crete heard the language of that island from the mouth of a person from Galilee. God cared about that proselyte enough to bring him there at that very moment to hear what everybody everywhere should know without having to hear it in your own language – that God is great; that He has done marvelous things. It was amazing. It was perplexing. But what did it all mean? Now that the Lord had their attention would He use someone to explain what this was all about? Don't just send me someone who says that God is great in my home tongue without explaining to me what is happening. I don't just want to be shocked by the experience. Tell me something I don't know. I know that God is great. Tell me something that will change my life. Send me a Word that explains why You bothered to get my attention this way.

But others mocking said... (13)

They were ready for a preacher. Some of them were ready to hear the news of Christ, the cross, and the resurrection that would follow. But the reaction was not universal. Thousands heard their home tongues and knew that God had something to say to them in particular. Others heard the babel, the noise, of people they assumed had been drinking. That was the best they could come up with to explain what was going on. 120 raving drunk people were shouting out sounds that meant nothing. So they thoroughly mocked them, and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

God was calling a church from the international community of the Jews. God was starting a missionary body that would hear, believe, repent, worship, and in due course, would go forth to the ends of the earth. Though this started from heaven, it would proceed through men. God was birthing the church. The gates of hell should take notice. Something was about to come their way that they would not be able to stop. The Holy Spirit was going out of the camp of Israel. God would use them to be living letters of a Messiah who would change the world.

What began that day continues now. It began with the Holy Spirit sent forth from the Father and the Son. It continues by that same Holy Spirit. May the breadth and the depth of His influence expand until all the people of God are filled with the Holy Spirit. What will we be like now?

1. Why were there so many people in Jerusalem from other places?

2. What did they hear?

3. What was their reaction to what they heard?

4. Why didn't everyone have the same understanding of what they heard?

OT Passage: Numbers 11:16-30