THE LORD FULFILLS HIS PROMISE BY POURING OUT
HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
Acts 2: 4
A Pentecost Sermon by:
Rev. L. Roth.
PUBLISHED BY THE
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE
FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA.
(May 2006)
LITURGY:
Votum
Psalter 290: 1, 4, 5
Law of God
Psalter 168: 1, 2, 3
Scripture Reading: Acts 2: 1 – 13
Text: Acts 2: 4
Congregational Prayer
Offerings
Psalter 51
Sermon
Psalter 415: 2, 4
Thanksgiving Prayer
Psalter 124: 1, 2, 6
Doxology: Psalter 238: 3
Acts 2:4 The Pouring Out of The Holy Spirit Of God
Beloved Congregation,
Ten days ago we saw that the Lord Jesus left His disciples permanently when He ascended into heaven. However, when He physically departed from them, it was with blessed, nail pierced hands. And so the followers of Christ returned to the Upper Room with gladness. Although they knew that this parting was a final one, they had the blessed hope that their Master would not leave them nor forsake them. He had said that He would not leave them orphans. But when the Spirit of Truth shall come, He would lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance. Yes, He would take of Christ’s merits and reveal them unto them. In this way their joy would be full. And so the beautiful picture is given us that the 120 were unitedly together in prayer, beseeching the Lord for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Well now, let us consider the words of our text this morning, on this Pentecost Sunday, under the following theme, THE LORD FULFILLS HIS PROMISE BY POURING OUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT. In the first place let us consider The Time of this Outpouring. Secondly let us regard The Result of this Outpouring. Thirdly let us examine The Blessed Fruit of this Outpouring.
In the first place let us consider The Time of this Outpouring. Today is the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Good Friday when the Lord Jesus laid down His life as the one and only sacrifice for sin. On this day we commemorate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit of God, by which the Lord fulfilled the prophesy of Joel that the day would come when He would send forth His Spirit upon all flesh. When this actually took place, it was not without some specific signs. We read in the opening verses of our Scripture reading that there was a sound like that of a mighty rushing wind and that cloven tongues like that of fire rested upon the disciples. Christ’s followers were not to have any doubts about this most amazing event. Furthermore, the inhabitants of Jerusalem also had to experience this as a unique happening so that they would be drawn to them. Moreover, by these signs and the blessed results, may we too be convinced of the necessity of the Spirit and His power.
And yet, we must realize that the sound of a mighty rushing wind and the tongues like as of fire were but signs of the Holy Spirit’s coming. But turning to our text we read about the actual work and effect of His coming into the world as the other Comforter Who would bear witness to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that work is not bound in any way to some signs. But when He performs His blessed work among a people who look to the Lord, then He very often does so in a quiet, unassuming manner. And yet the result will be much the same, namely, that sinners are abased and Christ is exulted. Yes, the Holy Spirit often works in a quiet unassuming way in the depths of man’s heart. This may be in a still small voice. It may be like the ocean tide, a powerful inflow of water which slowly but surely makes its presence felt. And when the Holy Spirit does this in your life, congregation, then all the resistance we have to the will and ways of the Lord starts to break down. That’s what it needs to come to in all our lives. The agenda you may have for your life has to be knocked right out of your hands and heart.
Well now, the Holy Spirit was pleased to perform His beautiful work in the hearts of Christ’s followers on the fiftieth day after the Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross. This fact is most significant. For the number fifty for Israel was a number depicting fullness and renewal. And that is why verse 1 declares, When the Day of Pentecost was fully come. For the Old Testament Israelite this day marked the beginning of the full harvest. Well now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, fifty days after the Lord Jesus laid down His life, many people would be given new life as a fruit of His finished work. Moreover, while the followers of the Savior indeed truly loved the Lord, yet they too would be given greater, amazing insights into the Truth as it is in the Lord Jesus. All things would be made so wonderfully new.
But there is another important aspect to the number fifty. While our text speaks of fifty days, every fiftieth year in Israel’s national life was a year of jubilee when the poorer Israelites who had sold their portion of the promised land to their creditors were given it back again so that every family would retain their parcel of the land of promise. This fact declared that they had an inheritance in the Land of Promise. Well now, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon a people, they too may be given hope of a heavenly, lasting inheritance. How important and blessed that is! For everything of this life is
perishing; nothing lasts in this life. Our lives are like a vapor and soon we will be called to fly away to our long home. And therefore it is so necessary that we too be given light from above, that we receive the Spirit of Truth Who alone can lead us into all truth and shows us the way unto everlasting life.
Very often Confession Classes make public confession of faith on this day. That means then that they have expressed the desire to make Public Confession of Faith. For various reasons, individuals have indicated that they felt that it was the right time to take this step. By doing so, they take full responsibility for their spiritual needs to yourself. And that is good. Most of these students have become young adults. But, how can their needs be met? There is only one way. By the gracious and powerful operations of the Holy Spirit of God! They, and we all can only be made wise unto salvation through the testimony of the Holy Spirit Who, as the other Comforter would take of Christ’s merits and reveal them unto sinners so that all their hopes and expectations are met in His finished work as the Lamb of God. Oh, may that be true in all of our lives, namely, that there is no other foundation, no other pleading ground upon which you hope to meet God and live than the Lord Jesus’ work, Whom to know is true life for your soul. Truly, nothing else can satisfy the desires and needs of your soul than the blessed work of the Redeemer.
Once again, the timing of the outpouring of the Spirit upon the Lord’s followers is referred to as the fullness of time. This speaks of an opportune time, a proper time. And that is truly what it was. For, had the Lord Jesus not paid the ultimate price for sin by laying down His life holy and undefiled as the one and only sacrifice for sin? Yes He had. Moreover, He had arisen from the dead and ascended up into heaven. Redemption had been fully accomplished. But, how imperative it is that the work of the Lord Jesus be applied unto sinners’ hearts and lives, that they experience a vital attachment to the Lord Jesus’ substitutionary work, so that they are renewed in the inner man and given the gift of true saving faith. There is no more blessed experience than to receive a saving interest in the blood of the Savior which is able to cleanse from all manner of sin. How blessed is the quickening and renewing power of Christ and His merits, beloved. When that is experienced then all other attachments fall away. Then the
desire of the soul is, Give me Jesus, else I die. How blessed therefore is the witness of the Spirit in one’s heart and life. Which brings us to our second thought, The Result of this Outpouring.
Our text says that they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. They were filled with the Holy Ghost, our text says. What does that mean? Had the disciples not be taught by the Lord? Oh yes they had. Had He not opened their understanding in the Upper Room and breathed upon them saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Yes, He had done that too. But now the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This is very noteworthy! This fact speaks of the third person of the blessed Trinity making His abode in sinners’ hearts, permanently dwelling there.
Isn’t that amazing, congregation? That the Holy Spirit of God the Father and the Son is willing to abide in a sinner’s heart? No, He does not merely influence sinners; He does not merely enlighten their understanding and give instruction concerning the things of God, as important as that may be. But He enters into the disciples’ hearts to permanently dwell there. This is nothing less than a miracle of God’s condescending grace. For just consider. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity of God. You know, mankind seeks to build a house according to his rank and means. A King lives in a palace. A President dwells in an official residence. But why would the Holy Spirit of God dwell within the black, polluted heart of a sinner? That’s inconceivable! We would not expect a King to live in the slums of one of our major cities. Why then would the Holy Spirit dwell in hearts which are full of sin and guilt? That does not make sense, does it, beloved? Surely the Spirit of God is worthy of a much better dwelling place to make His abode? Indeed, when we consider this we stand before a mystery. At man’s creation, his heart was a fitting place for the Spirit to dwell. Adam and Eve’s heart rejoiced in the Lord their God and Creator. They felt a living bond to the Lord. Daily they experienced His communion. Their lives were adorned with true righteousness and holiness. But we have allowed an evil spirit to gain control of our lives. As a result our hearts have become polluted and corrupt.
But the miracle of God’s grace is, that the Lord is willing to dwell in such hearts by the power of His Spirit. How? And why? The real secret to this lies in the renewing and cleansing power of Christ’s sacrifice as the Lamb of God. After the Holy Spirit was poured out, Peter was able to declare that Jesus
of Nazareth was a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs. Him they have taken and with wicked hands have slain Whom God hath raised up and given a position at the right hand of God. Well now, He has poured out what you have seen and heard. Yes, now the gates of heaven are opened. For the Lord Jesus has earned the Spirit through nail pierced hands. And therefore He sends the blessed Spirit into sinner’s hearts.
But the question remains, has the Holy Spirit of God also made His abode in your heart? Perhaps there are some in our midst who are filled with the question, Would the Holy Spirit be willing and able to dwell also in my heart? I sincerely hope that this is indeed the question of your soul. For, what is your and my heart, beloved? By nature it is a den of iniquity which has no room for the Lord and His will. The natural heart seeks not the things of the Spirit of God neither can it know them for they are spiritually discerned. Well now, shall the Holy Spirit of God make His habitation in such a heart, a heart that is enslaved to sin, unstable as water and bent upon evil? While this sounds entirely unrealistic we may give a resounding ‘yes’ to this question. As black as your and my heart may be, God the Holy Spirit is willing to dwell there with the purpose of cleansing and renewing it.
Just think of the followers of the Lord Jesus. Was Peter’s heart not unstable, contrary to his boast that he would not forsake the Lord? Were the sons of thunder, James and John ready to lay down their life for Christ? No. And yet here we read that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Filled. That means that they were full of the Spirit of God. Is that not something, dear friends? So full of God’s Spirit that there was no room for any other thought than the will of God. The Holy Spirit filled all the nooks and crannies of their lives. He permeated their whole life, every blood vessel, so to speak, of their being, just like a sponge may be just saturated with water. Not even one drop can be added for then it would immediately drip out. Full of the Holy Ghost, completely under the influence of the power of God!
Yes, congregation, then we can expect great and glorious things! That’s what we require as well, as a church, but also as individuals. Let us realize that the disciples were not void or empty of the Spirit’s work. They were convinced that Christ was the long promised Messiah of God. To whom else could they go. He had the words of eternal life. And although many no longer walked with Christ as we
read in John 6, they were convinced that He was the long promised Deliverer of God. And when their Master had been put to death at Calvary, who kept them from frustration and despair? Was it not the Spirit of God? But now the fullness of time is come. Yes, they would be baptized with, no, not with the water of repentance, but with the Holy Ghost. As John the Baptist had said during his ministry, He who would come after him was stronger than he was for He would baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost. And so they were all filled with the Holy Ghost as our text also indicates. We cannot do with less, congregation. We all require the enlightening and quickening power of the Spirit of God to make all things plain in our life, to reveal to us the Christ of the Scriptures so that we may have a sure foundation for our souls.
Now, while the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a unique event which occurred in such a rich manner 50 days after Christ’s death, we must not think any less of the Spirit’s work today. In essence, it is the same. He breaks the heart of stone. He renews the heart and enlightens one’s understanding so that things you may have intellectually subscribed to for years become living and real in your life. Yes, His work is a most powerful and miraculous one. For He makes all things new in one’s heart and life. He opens up the Scriptures and makes the promises of the Gospel living and powerful applying the merits of the Lord Jesus’ finished work. How blessed those times are in a sinner’s life. Whether that takes place for the first time in one’s life, or by renewal, the Holy Spirit makes all things so new in one’s heart and life because when He bears witness to Christ’s substitutionary work as the Lamb of God, there is power, redeeming power in the blood of the Lamb. Oh how precious those moments are when the blessed Savior is made near and dear to the soul, when His finished work give hope and real perspective to one’s life. Then you will also experience The Blessed Fruit of this Outpouring, our third thought.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was a unique event by which the words of prophecy were fulfilled. In an amazing way the Lord Jesus’ followers were given deep insights into the Word of God and the work of Christ which they really did not see before. Moreover, when they declared these things to the multitude, three thousand were added to the Church of God. All these things were made possible because as verse 11 also says, the followers of the Lord Jesus were enabled by the Holy Spirit to speak the wonderful works of God in other tongues as He gave them utterance. Now, undoubtedly, that these people could speak in other languages was a great miracle.