The Apostle Peter helps us answer the question: Are You Spirit filled?
Bible Passage:
Acts 2:29-39
Pastor:
Pastor Glen
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Sermon Date:
2011-06-11
Ryan talked to his roommate about spiritual things. They were both Christians. Both Tom and Ryan attended different churches. Tom once asked Ryan if he were a spirit filled Christian. Tom told Ryan there were carnal Christians and spirit filled Christians. Spirit filled Christians did God’s will. Tom also spoke about how it was important as a spirit filled Christ to speak in tongues. Ryan sometimes wondered if he were really a Christian? Tom talked about being on fire for the Lord. Today we finish the last of our six questions.
The Apostle Peter helps us answer the question: Are you Spirit filled?
I . Spirit filled Peter proclaimed a Risen and Crucified Savior
II. Spirit filled Peter proclaimed repentance, baptism and reception of the Holy Spirit
In Acts chapter two the disciples of Jesus, fifty days after Jesus‘Resurrection, celebrated the Old Testament Festival of Pentecost. Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks was one of three Old Testament pilgrimage festivals when individuals were to appear before the Lord with gifts and offerings. The festival was primarily a harvest festival and celebrated the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. Traditionally, grain harvest extended from Passover, when the first grain was cut around mid-April, to Pentecost, which marked its conclusion in mid-June.
Acts chapter two describes the peculiar events that took place that first Pentecost after Jesus’ Resurrection. There was a mighty wind. Tongues of fire came upon the disciples. Luke tells in Acts 2:4 that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. The disciples had believed in Jesus. This event was a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised to his disciples. They were filled with the Holy Spirit The believers were now equipped and prepared to begin carrying out the assignment that the Lord had given to his church. The dramatic signs—the sound, the fire, the ability to speak in other tongues—were signs of that. Such signs did not always accompany the preaching of the apostles or the testimony of other believers. However, the Spirit sent by Jesus is always present and active when the gospel is spoken. He gives the Word its power, and he gives believers the power to speak the Word.
Spirit filled Apostle Peter proclaimed a Risen and Crucified Jesus Christ to the Jews gathered for the special Thanksgiving. Peter pointed to the Old Testament Scriptures to declare that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ who had been promised and whose resurrection had been proclaimed through the words of King David. Peter declared: “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. In addition to the testimony of the words of David was the eyewitness testimony of the disciples: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’ David had prophetic knowledge that his holy descendant would rise from death. Peter and his fellow apostles had firsthand knowledge, historical knowledge. They had seen the risen Christ, spoken with him, eaten with him. More than five hundred people had seen him at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). “God has raised this Jesus to life.” Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of Israel’s Scriptures, the whole meaning of Israel’s religion and the heart of Israel’s faith.
“God has raised this Jesus to life” was the heart of the message the apostles preached in the entire world and the one they recorded in the pages of the New Testament. It is the foundation of our faith. Jesus’ death was the sacrifice for our sins, and God raised him to life to declare that the sacrifice was accepted. His death was for our forgiveness, and God raised him to life to declare that we are forgiven. He died to destroy the devil, and God raised him to life to declare that hell has been defeated. God has given Jesus power and authority to subdue sin and death and Satan. The Son of God hid his power when he came as a servant to redeem us. Now the work of redemption is completed and God has exalted him: “Sit at my right hand.” The sending of the Spirit on Pentecost is a sign that this is so. The final manifestation of this victory will occur on the Day of Judgment. This is what David said about Jesus and what God did for him.
The Spirit filled powerful preaching of Peter on that first Pentecost after Jesus Resurrection convicted the people of crucifying Jesus the Christ. 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” They were immediately cut to the heart or the original says pierced in the heart. They asked Peter what they should do.
Spirit filled preaching convicts you and me of putting Jesus the Christ on the cross at Calvary. Our sins put him on that cross. Our sins of a lack of complete trust in God put Jesus on the cross. We crucified Jesus. Those words convict us falling short of God’s perfection. We deserve to be separated from God forever. We need a Savior. The words of Peter that would remove the piercing arrow of the law were proclaimed to the Jews in Jerusalem on that Pentecost.
When the Jews cried out for help to the Apostle Peter, Peter responded just as boldly and powerfully the words that would save them. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” The Spirit filled message of Peter was clear. They were to repent. They were to acknowledge their sin and turn away from their sinful life and look to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit would carry out that life changing work through his means of grace called baptism.
The truth of Peter’s message is that we too have crucified Jesus. We too are to repent and be baptized. Repentance is not a one time activity as we turn away from wanting our will done to doing the will of God for our lives. We also keep going back to our baptism for the reminder of the work of the Holy Spirit in giving spiritual life to our by nature dead hearts.
How do we answer the question: Are You Spirit Filled? The Apostle Peter who was spirit filled helps us answer that question as we look at the message that Peter so powerfully proclaimed on Pentecost. You might want to turn to the statements that are given in the bulletin as an answer to the question for today: Are you a Spirit filled Christian.?
#1. Yes we are Spirit filled. The person who needs to be assured that he is in fact filled with the Spirit, needs to inventory what the Spirit has done for him by the means of grace. He will find that he has been reborn by the sacrament of baptism – John 3:5. He will find that he has been brought to faith in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit – I Cor. 6:11. He will find that he is both a Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19), and the dwelling place of his Lord Jesus (Colossians 1:27). He will find that because of the Spirit’s sanctifying influence he is a new creature (II Cor. 5:17).And finally he will be reminded that his old self has been crucified, and now Christ lives in him (Gal. 2:20).To be filled with the Spirit then means simply to be in Christ because of the Holy Spirit’s having brought us to faith through Word and Sacrament.
#2. There are not two types of Christians. (Spirit filled Christians and carnal Christians.) There are weak and strong Christians. (Both Christians are going to heaven.)
#3. We rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit. He inspired men to write the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word. He works faith in dead hearts through the Word and sacraments-. I Cor. 12:3 – “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit..” Paul says in Ephesians 5:18, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” This statement is not made to special instruments of God, but to all Christians in the city of Ephesus and therefore also to all Christians of all time. To be filled with the Spirit is obviously the height of blessing which God can give here on this earth, and according to Paul’s words, it is something which is certainly attainable, or rather, available.
The Holy Spirit enables us to live a Christian life. Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Galatians 5:16 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. “ He gives spiritual gifts to share the good news about Jesus. 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. …. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
God may or may not give certain spiritual gifts to his people. The apostles were given special gifts to build up the church of God. God the Holy Spirit continues to give the spiritual gifts to his people to share the gospel message. Every believer is given a spiritual gift in addition to the gift of faith in Jesus. In the introduction Ryan questioned his faith in Jesus because Tom challenged him as to if he were really a Christian because he was not Spirit filled according to the teaching he had been taught.
Read the book of Acts and keep looking at the disciples in the book of Acts who were bold, they were generous, and they talked a lot about Jesus. You are the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Live your lives boldly and generously directed by the Holy who works in our lives through God’s Word, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. All glory goes to the Holy Spirit who has brought us to faith in Jesus so that we might praise our Father who has given us life.
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