Sixth Sunday of Easter
Easter • Sermon • Submitted
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Witness: Out of Our Box!
Witness: Out of Our Box!
A sermon interrupted! Interrupted by the Holy Spirit, but also fulfilled by the Holy Spirit! Peter doesn’t even have to instruct them to be baptized so that they may be forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit just moves in and does what the Holy Spirit does! The Holy Spirit captures the hearts of these Gentiles who are hungry and hanging on Peter’s every word!
44 Since Peter was still speaking*, he probably had not concluded his address when the Holy Spirit came upon the assembled Gentiles. This may also explain why Peter mentions nothing about the gift of the Holy Spirit, which he previously associated with forgiveness (→ 2:38).
The Spirit’s interruption is both the divine fulfillment of that message and its validation. It reiterates God’s initiative—seen throughout this chapter—in the realization of the plan of salvation. And it confirms his inclusive declaration from the OT prophets about God’s salvation for “everyone who believes” (10:43), both for the gathered Gentiles and for him!
Thompson, R. P. (2015). Acts: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. (A. Varughese, R. Hahn, & G. Lyons, Eds.) (p. 212). Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.(Note: Acts 2:38, and Acts 11:15)
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 2:38–39). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” 18 When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 11:14–18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Pentecost comes to the Gentiles following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-4) and then in Samaria (Acts 8:16-17).
2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 2:1–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 8:14–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
The hope of Jesus is for all people, and for all the world!
The Gospel isn’t a system of belief it is a personal presence we can know and experience.
The Good News breaks through the barriers and categories that so often keep people from knowing and experiencing the restoring presence and power of Jesus!
The divine intervention caught them all by surprise. This insinuates the reliability of their conclusion that God has just poured out* (see 2:17–18) the gift of the Holy Spirit* (see 2:38) on these Gentiles. The emphatic position of the phrase even on Gentiles* underscores the reason for their astonishment (see 2:7, 12): the recipients of this divine blessing are still uncircumcised Gentiles and outsiders to God’s chosen people (→ 8:26–40).
Thompson, R. P. (2015). Acts: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. (A. Varughese, R. Hahn, & G. Lyons, Eds.) (p. 213). Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.
Peter’s Message:
It is a message for all people! (see Acts 10:34-35)
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:34–35). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message of the peace of Jesus (See Acts 10:36a).
36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:35–36). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message of the Lordship of Jesus. (See Acts 10:36b).
—he is Lord of all.
It is a message of Jesus and about Jesus that began with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus and His kingdom, Jesus proclaiming the kingdom, and was now being proclaimed by those who were with Jesus and were witnesses to Jesus. (see Acts 10:37).
37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:37). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message of the Spirit and power of God at work in the ministry of Jesus. (v. 38-39a)
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:37–39). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. (v. 39-40)
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:39–41). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message of the judgment of Jesus upon all that brings brokenness instead of His peace!
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message of grace - the gift that brings wholeness out of our brokenness! (v. 43)
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ac 10:42–43). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
It is a message that embodies itself in the life and witness of all who have come to see and know Jesus!
It is a message that requires a response! (v. 44-48)
We are in need of a fresh outpouring of God’s presence and Spirit today!
But even more so we are in need of an eagerness and a hunger after God - we are in need of a ready response to the outpouring of His Holy Spirit today!