All Things New

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Did your Grandma tell you stories about the Holy Spirit as a child? Have you wondered what all that is about? Stick with us as we look into the book of Acts, to see what Jesus has to offer us.

Audio Podcast

Hello Redemption Church! Our God makes ALL THINGS NEW! Hello to everyone online. We are glad you are tuning in! God wants to do new in you.

We are in the 4th week of our sermon series All Things New.

I want to remind you that Jesus brings us new in Acts chapter 2. We have been looking closely at the new powerful things that happened in Acts the 2^nd chapter.

Acts 2:37 (NIV2011) When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter answers this question!

Acts 2:38 (NIV2011) 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.

Jesus does something new in Acts Chapter 2

In week 1 we talked about hearing and believing the Gospel – the good news! Hearing the gospel is BRAND NEW! In week 2, we told you about the power of repentance.

Repenting of your sin and turning to Jesus is BRAND NEW!

In week 3, last week, we told you about baptism.

Being buried in Christ is BRAND NEW! Next Sunday we are having multiple baptisms! 6 people have declared that they wanted to baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus! Isn’t that exciting! Thank you Lord!

There is still more new for you! Tonight we are going to step into the newness of the Spirit! Let’s look at this important verse again from Peter in Acts 2 and 38.

Acts 2:38 (NIV2011) 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.

The Gospel is UNCOMFORTABLE

You know I need to be transparent with you. Being a preacher is not easy. There is a real pressure to try to only say things that are going to make everyone happy… to not say anything that might make people feel uncomfortable… and by all means don’t say anything that someone may disagree with.

It is a very real pressure and I don’t know a preacher alive who has not at some point felt it. But Peter, stood up in Acts 2 gave this uncomfortable message. He looked people in the eye and told them they were not ok as they were, but that they needed something.

I can imagine some people in that crowd disagreeing with Peter. I can even picture some people being mad at the apostle. Yet, I do not doubt for a moment that what Peter said, although uncomfortable, was absolutely TRUE! We need to accept this uncomfortable truth – The Gospel is uncomfortable.

Stepping into new is often uncomfortable. And as I told you last week, the deeper you step into new the more voices will appear that will tell you that “you don’t have to do that.”

God did a new thing in Acts 2 that alarms people so much that they hardly touch this chapter, or the rest of the Book of Acts. But I want to tell you plainly, just as Peter told that crowd, that “you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

Peter told them about the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He had only had this gift for like 5 minutes. Peter and the others who had gathered in that upper room had just received this gift, so let’s study what that looked like. Let us start back in Acts 1 where Jesus gave them a command and a promise.

Acts 1:4 (NIV2011) On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Acts 1:8 (NIV2011) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So they stayed in Jerusalem for the promised gift, the power of the Spirit. Jesus gave them no further directions. And He certainly didn’t describe or prepare them what was about to unfold.

Acts 2:1 (NIV2011) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Acts 2:2 (NIV2011) Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:4 (NIV2011) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

I want to focus on these verses for a moment. I want to ask some questions and see if we are together understanding what this infilling of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 2 what does scripture say filled the house? A sound… of wind… this entry of the Spirit is just like Jesus described in John 3:8.

John 3:8 (NIV2011) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

How many of those gathered together were filled with the Spirit? “All of them.”
How did they know they were filled with the Spirit? “They began to speak in other tongues.”

This was certainly new! As we study the rest of the book of Acts we see more believers filled with the Spirit… What accompanies this infilling is not a sound of wind. This sound of wind that Jesus spoke of only occurred in Acts 2. It served its purpose of revealing to the people that they had received what Jesus spoke of, being born again of the Spirit.

Yet as we study the rest of scripture where it describes the moment someone being filled with the Holy Spirit, a sound does accompany that infilling. That sound is speaking in tongues. Acts 10, Acts 11, & Acts 19 for example.

This might make you uncomfortable, but let’s look at the Word of God.

Acts 10:44-46 (NIV2011) While Peter was still speaking these words (The Gospel), the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

One chapter later Peter is back in Jerusalem explaining what had occurred.

Acts 11:15 (NIV2011) “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.

The Holy Spirit came exactly like it had come on us IN THE BEGINNING. The beginning of what? The beginning of the Church… the first time the Gospel is preached… Acts chapter 2! The first time God did this brand new thing! Now Gentiles, non Jews, are receiving the Spirit in the same way we received Him in the beginning.

How did they know the Gentiles received the Spirit? Acts 10:46 says “for they heard them speak in tongues.” Acts 11:15 says it happened the same way it happened to us in the beginning.

Acts 19:1-3 (NIV2011) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.

This is a powerful verse on water baptism. These disciples had never received the Holy Spirit… Had never heard of the Holy Spirit… They were in need of a Bible study! Fortunately they had a great Bible study teacher in front of them… Paul.

Now Paul wants these disciples to be filled with the Holy Spirit right? Why else bring up the Spirit infilling? But then Paul asks… How were you water baptized? If water baptism is just an empty ritual of the church… why would Paul ask such a thing? SIMPLE – WATER BAPTISM IS NOT AN EMPTY RITUAL OF THE CHURCH.

Acts 19:4-5 (NIV2011) Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

They were baptized how? IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS! Then what happened…?

Acts 19:6 (NIV2011) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

What does it mean to be filled?

I have here a pitcher of water and a cup.

This cup has no water in them. Are they filled? NO

I pour a little water… Are they filled now?

I pour past half way… are they filled now?

I pour close to the top… are they filled now?

Because there is still space for more water, it is not filled. In order to really fill this cup it needs to overflow. POURS TO OVER FLOW.

Jesus gives this sermon in John 7:38

John 7:38-39 (NIV2011) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Receiving the Spirit is not just pouring a little water in your cup… it is an overflow of living water flowing out from within you.

We need the Spirit overflowing. We need it spilling out past the brim.

Now I have a 2^nd cup… It is not full and can you see what is on top of this cup? It has a lid. Is this cup full…?

No matter how much I pour, this cup cannot be filled.

This lid can be a lot of things…

Unbelief.
Disobedience.
A refusal to repent… refusal to make Jesus Lord.
Following a denominational belief instead of the Bible.

Sarah, my wife, was raised in a denomination that taught her speaking in tongues was of the Devil. They taught her that God does not do anything like He did in the book of Acts anymore. It placed a lid…

In order to be filled, you must remove that lid. Sarah removed that lid and started studying scripture and she told God if you still fill people with the Spirit like you did in Acts 2, I want you to fill me with your spirit as you did in the beginning. And one Sunday in an altar a lot like this one she came down and while she was praying for someone else she started to feel the word come out differently. She yielded to God in that moment and she began to speak in tongues just like the believers in Acts.

God has this experience for you, but you have to take the lid off.

Here is what I am NOT SAYING if you have never had this experience… I am not saying…

You don’t have a relationship & an experience with God. I am saying there is something more… something new.

You are going to hell. I am saying there is something more… something new.

You need to seek tongues. No. You need to seek more of God. Because there is more of Him for us… something more… something new.

Acts 2:38 (NIV2011) 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.

It’s a gift

Peter did not say you will earn the Holy Spirit… No it is a gift you simply receive.

It’s a promise

The receiving of the Spirit is a promise. Jesus calls the Spirit “The Promise of the Father.” (Luke 24:49) Jesus calls it a promise in Acts 1:4.

Peter calls it a promise in the very next verse.

Acts 2:39 (NIV2011) The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

It is for you

This gift & promise is for you. Do you want it?

I understand if this feels uncomfortable. New is often uncomfortable. But can you trust God enough to step into the new that He has for you?

I have done my best to give you the Word of God today. I want you to know…

God’s Word has a lot more to teach us about the gift of the Spirit. We have only scratched the surface.
Before you receive the Spirit… You must receive the message, the Word. And let’s be honest… you may not be ready to receive what I shared with you today. There is room in this altar for people who are struggling to believe… people that are wrestling with Truth… If that is you, I welcome you to come get prayer today in the first 2 feet. When we approach you just tell us that you aren’t sure about this but you do want everything God has.
If you believe, then you are ready to receive. Come receive the gift.