Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and ten days after his ascension into heaven. Up until this point, Paul (known as Saul until now) was clearly Barnabas assistant. When Jesus arose from the dead, He did not remain with them continually, as He once did. And not for the reality that the 1st century world would have known and experienced, that other dimension. And let's look at it beginning in verse 36, this is after His resurrection, "As they said these things," this is the two that He had appeared to on the road to Emmaus, "Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, 'Peace to you.' Our Lord saw to it that these witnesses had more than enough evidence of His resurrection, and added to this was the witness of the Spirit to the resurrection: 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. So it's something for us to examine in our own way, see how much of that is being demonstrated in our life. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said, 16 Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judaswho became the guide for those who arrested Jesus 17 for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry. 18 (Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. Two things we can summarize to show what was the key to bring about this scene that we see here at the end of chapter 2 in Acts. Their disbelief would extend not only to the idea that the dead could come back to life, as He did, but then they doubted the truth of these witnesses. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43years. In days gone by, I have sided with those who found the selection of Matthias as an example of fleshly action hastily taken. Lukes Great Commission (unlike those in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, and John) was given just prior to His ascension. 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. First, the replacement of Judas occurs prior to Pentecost. He was the one who was the leader of that doubt and fear and terrified approach, because he denied Christ three times, and he had to be pointedly taught by Jesus. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Ascension, in Christian belief, the ascent of Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection (Easter being reckoned as the first day). The disciples had seen what would happen because Christ was arrested and had come before the high priest. This process will never be seen again in the rest of the New Testament. ", A church begins to develop. Somebody will tap me on the shoulder and tell me what to do next, but you know what? They didn't know. 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. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.". Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. That's what this day is all about as a firstfruit. This information, this timing, is something that falls entirely within the Fathers own authority. It is. They weren't orphans, and we are not either in our life. These were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. The ministry has had those two themes for the past two conferences. It is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. From Psalm 69, they recognized that Judas betrayal was part of the divine plan. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. 2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting,the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 3 Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them off. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that is the way Christians understand God. Every generation of God's people have done that. In verses 12-14, Luke tells us what the apostles were doing while they waited. Well, the real answer is for you and I, the same things that are going through your mind right now, and my mind. 19952023 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. I was standing there gazing, not quite knowing what to do. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. 4 So Barnabas and Saul,sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus (Acts 13:1-4, emphasis mine). Trials hit us that will shake our faith, test our faith. The selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle is clearly a before, clearly an Old Testament method of seeking Gods will. And I was going to go out to California, my first trip to California, visit my brother for about three weeks. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. We can accomplish the work of God, and we can then be the firstfruits who follow the Lamb and who know their God and do mighty deeds and mighty exploits. What did they do during that 10 days? No lots were cast here, nor did they need to be. 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. "And all who believed were together and they had all things in common. But all of this in the midst of a troubled, terrified, frightened mindset that they were having to work through, during these days between the resurrection and Pentecost. The inference is, Dont just stand here; get going!5. But they were frightened and they thought that they had seen a spirit. United Church of Godis a501(c)3organization. At the end of John, you remember, John says, there were so many other things that He did in his life and no doubt probably part of that 40-day period that it would take volumes to teach it, and to record it during this period. 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. "Also for this very reason, giving all diligence into your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, the divine nature. 8We do, however, find a reference tothe twelvein both Acts 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:5. Fourth, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as the Author of the Old Testament Scriptures.He is the One who inspired the words of David in the psalms: 16 Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judaswho became the guide for those who arrested Jesus (Acts 1:16). Now it has become popular to carry this theme over to homes, where pitiful or plain houses are transformed into palatial homes. I believe the first chapter of Acts could be titled Before, because it precedes Pentecost in chapter two, and from there on it is definitely after. While we may be eager to get to Pentecost, let us pause long enough to consider Lukes introduction to the Book of Acts and to the transforming power of Pentecost. But they saw Him for a period of time, and that's how I like to imagine it. Not only the wording of verse 13, but also what we know of these 40 days, suggests that this is where the apostles had been staying since our Lords death. In Revelation chapter 14, we are given an image of the firstfruits, called the 144,000 in this part of the Revelation. Farewell (Acts 15:28-29, emphasis mine). Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world. Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. They call attention to references tothe twelveafter this (Acts 6:2; 1 Corinthians 15:5). And I didn't know how to make a connection. Q. 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. 12 Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord. After Pentecost, the selection of leadership (as well as the seeking of divine guidance) is heavily dependent upon the presence and power of the Holy Spirit: But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested,full of the Spiritand of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task (Acts 6:3, emphasis mine). What is of particular interest is that this revelation came about through the Spirit.. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. As I was sitting there gazing around, nobody came. If you go back to Matthew chapter 28, chapter 28 and verse 16, let's just read a few of the accounts of that period following the resurrection, that the Gospel accounts tell us and there's more there. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 2 in theStudies in the Book of Actsseries prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on September 25, 2005. Let's go into Luke's account. A period of unity, one accord, fellowship, love for one another, treating people as equals, not in a completely socialistic manner that we understand from our modern context of socialism, or the welfare type of society. The coming of the Spirit is described as: (1) the promise of the Father (verse 4); (2) that which the apostles heard from Jesus (verse 4); and, (3) that which John the Baptist foretold (verse 5). The Holy Spirit will come upon you shortly to empower you to carry out this task, so wait in Jerusalem until you receive this power.. The "before" and "after" theme is found frequently in the media. They had a very life is now, living in the present mindset that this was all going to happen in their lifetime, which is something that pertains to every group of people from that time forward, that looking for the appearance of the Kingdom, the return of Christ. We are no exception today, as we wait and look for the time when the Kingdom will be restored. 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. "And fear came upon every soul," and this was a different type of fear. Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of "before" and "after." For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. During the Temple period, the first fruits of the harvest were brought to the Temple, and two loaves of bread made from the new wheat were offered . I do not think that verses 12-14 describe only the activity of the believers during the 10-day gap between our Lords ascension and Pentecost, however. Indeed, Acts 2:1 literally reads, "As the Day of Pentecost was being fulfilled." What was fulfilled was the prophecy given by both Jesus and John the Baptist concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit. After seeing how God works through His Spirit in Acts 2 and beyond, who would ever want to go back to the old? It appears to me that this upper room may well be a place well known to the apostles, perhaps a room owned by someone close to Jesus. Think of it! "And they looked steadfastly in toward heaven," verse 10, "as He went up, and behold two men stood by them in white apparel." The gospels and the book of Acts tell us that would-be zealots and messiahs had come and gone. What was the doubt that was nagging away at them even as they saw Him, and even worshiped Him, knowing that they as they did know that He had died, and yet there was doubt? And so they didn't really think about that, and yet all of a sudden it came upon them. And they chose Matthias by casting lots. And when they saw Him they worshiped him. In times past, though I have not seen this as much lately, we saw the before and after of advertising for weight gain. They didn't believe that He had risen, they didn't believe that they had been seen, that He had been seen, and therefore, then they would not believe these eyewitnesses. The same things were going through their minds that go through our minds. He spent days and days, and weeks and weeks doing that, bringing new dimension of understanding to the Scriptures that they had never had. Having said this, our Lord ascended into heaven. And then it came to an end, it came to a close. Finally, verses 15-26 are the account of the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle, a replacement for Judas. So if I can come back to the question that I asked, what was going through their mind on that morning of Pentecost? 11 For if what was made ineffective came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory! They will receive power through the Holy Spirit to be witnesses. Acts 2. 9. The church, the body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost by the work of the Holy Spirit. We learn that it was Peter who provided the leadership (1:15). It was originally an agricultural festival, marking the beginning of the wheat harvest. That Numbers 32 and verse 23, is correct. What do we do now? Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. The second power that they'd run up against was that of the Jewish authorities. 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. It's always fun to try to imagine how this happened. The feast has been celebrated 40 days after Easter in both Eastern and Western Christianity since the 4th century. Some Christian denominations consider it the birthday of the Christian church and celebrate it as such. And if those are the weapons of our warfare, then we can handle them. When I was 15 years old, I got on a bus from my little hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It isnt about us, my friend; it is about God. Because Easter is a moveable feast without a fixed date, and Pentecost. Acts 1 is the before section of this great book. Why are you standing around gazing? They were kind of like this, and like this. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). We can be certain that He will provide us with everything we need to carry out His command. We've just read it. He said He wouldn't and He didn't, even though there was a moment in time when they thought that they were orphaned, as they stood gazing up and looking and wondering, "What do we do next. It is also called Whitsun, but does not necessarily coincide with the Whitsun Bank Holiday in the UK. On that day of Pentecost, people who had been doubtful were moved to speak powerfully, to repentance, to belief, and to action. Show them otherwise what had been done, rebuke their unbelief, as it goes along here. The English word "Pentecost" is a transliteration of the Greek word pentekostos, which means "fifty.". Before the church could begin Jesus had to die, rise again, and then ascend into heaven. The disciples stood gazing, and they didn't know what to do. Peter was quoting Scripture and applying it to something that had happened and that is Jesus, His death and His resurrection. 2 Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. We just get a few snippets from the gospel accounts, at least, of this 40-day period. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine). People should see God in the firstfruits. It is the ideal to which every subsequent church period has wished to be able to emulate, including ours today. The Jewish authoritiesthe Sanhedrin, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadduceesthat authority was intact in Jerusalem, running the temple, running the religious side of the culture and the social life of Judea under the Roman cap, and it too was a very, very powerful force you didn't run up against. And those days you didn't fear getting on a Greyhound bus, and you could go all over the country on a very cheap pass. As we came here this morning, to services, and as we gathered here this morning ourselves, there is a very important lesson for us to learn as well. Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. To seek this knowledge is to go outside the boundaries of their authority.4. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He was interested in the gospel, but a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus (or Elymas) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the truth. The vision of the Church was coming together and the mission of the Church was being accomplished. Acts 2:17-18 KJV [17 . The world of the 1st century was very much tied into an awareness that there was a spirit world, and a lot different than even we today, we see a spirit world today in media and entertainment form. And more specifically for this group that they would be witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth being fulfilled. Pentecost occurred 50 days after Easter Sunday or 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead. Our Lords last words sum up the focus of the first 11 verses of Acts: They are to be His witnesses, beginning in Jerusalem and ending in the remotest part(s) of the earth. in 1971. A firstfruit is one who follows Christ. Let us consider what some of these lessons might be. Pentecost starts in a locked room with believers waiting. We see this confirmed in Acts 5: And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him (Acts 5:32). 11 Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time! Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand. Though the emperor, a man named Tiberius, had been holed up on an island called Capri or Capri for a number of years in absentia, the empire was running quite well on its own. Somewhere along the line, the apostles were enlightened by our Lord concerning the mystery of the church. This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:1-11). Let us eagerly look forward to the changes Pentecost will bring for the better.. This truth is buttressed by John 14-16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and 2 Peter 1:20-21. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . These accounts of like what we have read in the gospels and others for a 40-day period. 28For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to usnot to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: 29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. 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. In the end, I think we must acknowledge that we must read between the lines a great deal to conclude that the replacement of Judas was wrong. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. What Happened at Pentecost? There is a theme which dominates the 40-day period between the resurrection and ascension of our Lord. We sometimes just kind of tail off when we get to the end of one of the Gospels and we know the events, Christ was crucified, Christ was risen, and we don't look at some of the details there. I would like to look at Acts 1 in three segments: Verses 1-11 From Christs Resurrection to His Return, Verses 15-26 Filling the Vacancy left by Judas. We should also observe that among this group were the brothers of our Lord (Acts 1:14). And it is Christ in us that is that hope of glory. This is the dimension that was given on Pentecost, and what this day is all about for those of us who are the firstfruits. It goes on, "Jesus came and He spoke to them saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. From this, we can infer that Jesus unbelieving brothers (John 7:5) had come to believe in Jesus, no doubt largely due to His resurrection. Today's Scripture reference comes mainly from Acts 2:12-21. Because Ruth saw in Naomi, God, an example that she wanted to be a part of. First, I note the wording of the first part of verse 13: When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs roomwhere they were staying(Acts 1:13a, emphasis mine). 10 As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 11 and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? It's an interesting way that they did. 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." Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James were there. If all the facts were known, I believe that these two accounts would perfectly compliment each other. It's God's Spirit that is the only thing that we can have to overcome those fears, because really, it's all the Church of God has ever had. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus was taken up into heaven. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. And what was the key to that? Luke begins by informing his readers that the Book of Acts is the second volume of his account of the life and ministry of Jesus. This was a healthy fear of respect and awe and wonder at now what had happened. It goes on, "When He had spoken these things," in verse 9, "they watched and He was taken up in a cloud, received Him out of their sight. 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. The reason is that Luke ceases to use the termdisciplesto refer to the eleven or twelve in the Book of Acts. Christ in you, the hope of glory. And yet, they had not been able to completely separate the fact that now what they were part of was the real, the real thing, because Christ had died. When the apostles3press Jesus to tell them the time when the kingdom of God will be established, Jesus graciously refuses by informing them that this information is outside their authority there is no need to know so far as they are concerned. And of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in all the Bible occurred with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples, and the speaking in tongues, and a mighty rushing wind that we find it hard to imagine what it was like, because it's not part of our custom to try to pray that down today like some other denominations and religious forms do. 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. 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath days journey away). "Standing with the Lamb on the Mount of Olives," in Revelation 14:1, "144,000 with the Father's name written on their foreheads. 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. 3 To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. Only Paul matches Luke in the proofs he supplies for the resurrection: 3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also receivedthat Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. They sought authority that was outside the boundaries God had established. Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of before and after. In Genesis, we have a picture of man before the fall and after. In the Book of Judges, we have Gideon as a fearful and reticent man (before), and then we have Gideon after as the brave warrior. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. And when those come in, how do we process them? Acts 1, consistent with the rest of the Book of Acts, reminds us that it is not about us; it is about God. Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration. 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. Find the date for Pentecost 2014 in the multifaith calendar. And so Luke's account brings this together. Some say that they wound up in the temple precincts; could very well be. That's been the hallmark of our feature. They watched Him rise until a cloud obscured their vision. In Colossians chapter 1, Colossians 1:27, Paul writes, "To them, God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." 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. This unique feast occurred 7 weeks after Passover (49 days), culminating with the actual feast on day 50 (hence, the New Testament term "Pentecost"). 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth. 9 After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. Before Pentecost: What Were They Thinking. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. I must tell you that the most problematic passage in Acts 1 is the final paragraph which describes the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle.
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