Utterly Amazed (Acts 2:1-41)
Utterly Amazed May 31, 2009
Acts 2:1-41
Pastor Chet Klope
Introduction: Susan Boyle Video “Britain’s Got Talent”
Video
The first time I saw this video I was overwhelmed
I have always been a fan of Les Miserables
I have mentioned that before
I find the Music and the Music moving
The Book is an even more powerful story of faith
But this video…its more than the well sung song
It is the whole story around it
Forget what Simon Cowell said…
“No one expected to hear what they heard”…NO ONE
This Frumpy woman doesn’t look anything like an American Idol
But the voice
People were shocked
People were utterly amazed
I have watched this video…perhaps a dozen times
It still has impact on me
There is something about it that captures me
I am over whelmed by it
No One Expected…
Something so special to come out of her mouth
She was written off, before she started
Yet when they heard her…that all changed
People were listening
People were paying attention
They were “Utterly Amazed”
(Sermon Title Slide)
Watching Susan Boyle sing may not be a perfect analogy, but today I would like to talk about something that was most definitely
“Utterly Amazing”
Jewish People…gathering for the festival of Pentecost
A celebration of the Barley harvest
Came expecting one thing
Were suddenly...Utterly Amazed by something else
I would like us to open the Bible today and see what that was
Acts 2:1-41 (pew Rack 1168)
Prayer
As we prepare to do that…Would you please join me in prayer
Lord God. Amaze us today. Amaze us with both the power and practicality of your Word to us, the Bible. Holy Spirit, prepare our hearts and minds to be amazed and responsive to what you reveal to us today.
Lord, guide my words that they would be completely appropriate for what we need to hear today. And may you be exalted in all we do and think. AMEN
This passage of scripture is very significant to Christians
Some refer to it as the birth of the Church
That is the birth of the community of followers of Christ
Many books have been written about this passage
And certainly it implications for us
Today I would like us to look at
Just a couple aspects of this powerful account
Of this Utterly Amazing account
First, I would like to look at How Amazed People
were by the Spectacle of the day
1. Amazed By The Spectacle
The scripture doesn’t give us a lot of detail about what actually went on here
What We Know & What We Don’t Know
V1 “All Together”- not sure how many
Maybe the 120 mentioned in Acts 1:15
V2 “House”- big or small
Who owned it?
“Sound like a Violent Wind”
We know what it sounded like…but what did it look like?
Were there physical things going on in the room?
Shaking, etc.
V3 “Tongues of Fire”
Fire has in the past been connected with a visitation from God
Moses and the burning bush
The Pillar of Fire that guided Israel in the wilderness
It’s possible that these individual tongues of fire
Whatever they looked like
Were highlighting the new work God was doing
Placing His Spirit into individuals
and guiding them individually
But whatever this phenomenon…
Something significant happened
V4 The people in this house were filled with the Holy Spirit
And began speaking in “other tongues”
“As the spirit enabled them.”
Now…While all this is going on inside this house
What ever its size, ownership or location
It is clear that its impact was intended for far more people
V-5 Tells us there were Jews from all over in Jerusalem for Pentecost
And even though they were not in the house
They also heard the sounds coming from this house.
Again, we don’t know exactly what it sounded like…
but whatever it was people heard it…
This was not some quiet little…
“I feel like God is saying something to me”
kind of moment
V-6 “When they heard this sound…”
Scripture tells us A Crowd Formed…people started gathering
Taking it all in…and…
They were bewildered or confounded
They had so many thoughts running through their heads
They can make any sense out of it
The Jewish people, from various backgrounds and languages
Were hearing things said in their own language
Illustration: Young Asian Man with an Accent
I have gotten so use to our ethnic diversity in America
I was surprise one day by a heavy Chinese Accent on a young man
The people were surprised to hear their own language.
V-7 The were “Utterly Amazed”
A literal translation of the Greek scriptures would be
They were “Amazed and Astonished”
This same sense of Amazement is found in…
Luke 2:47 Jesus 12 years old talking with the teachers in the temple
Mark 6: 51 Jesus Walks on Water
Steps into the boat and the wind died down
Genesis 43:33 Joseph’s Brothers
Arranged in birth order
In this Case…
The Utter Amazement was based on a very diverse group of people
Observing simple Galilean men
Speaking a variety of languages
V 9-11 Gives us a long list of the geographic regions
That these Jewish pilgrims, came from
North, south, east and west
Were hearing declarations of the wonders of God
In their own language
V-12 tells us that the more they thought about it
The more Amazed and Dumbfounded they got
“What does this mean?”
“How are they doing this? There has to be a trick.”
V-13 “They have had too much wine”
I don’t know about you…
But my experience is that people’s language ability
gets worse when they have had too much to drink…not better
Alcohol tends to cause both content and pronunciation to deteriorate
The people saying this were grasping for straws
As a side note: I think is interesting
that the Bible does not exclude dissenting opinion
It is not spiritual propogama document
But a rather a historically accurate spiritual guide
I want to tell you…This sense of Utter Amazement that is recorded here
Is not something unique
This is what happens when the Holy Spirit shows up
People are amazed by the Spectacle
They may not fully understand it…
but they know something is going on
But the Holy Spirit never wants to leave you simply
Amazed at the spectacle
There is always something deeper
He is leading you to
In this case it led to Peter and a message
2. Amazed By The Message
V 14-21 “Listen Up Everybody”
First…We are not drunk
As faithful Jews they would not be consuming any wine
Until much later in the day
Plus…I think it will become complete obvious
As Peter speaks to them that he is not drunk
Then…He Goes on to tell them “This is a God thing!!!”
He recites a passage of Scripture from
the Old Testament Book of Joel (Chapter 2)
He is tell everyone listening…This was to be expected…and that…
God’s Holy Spirit has come upon His people
That is the origin of all you are seeing and hearing today.
The First Evangelistic Sermon
Then…Having gotten their attention
Peter presides over…and preaches at
The first Evangelistic Sermon of the Christ Church
Having been Utterly Amazed by what they have seen and heard
They are now going to become Utterly Amazed
By the message Peter will deliver
To this Jewish audience
Peter lays out a brief…but compelling argument
For Christ’s being the promised Messiah
In whom they should trust.
Earthly Ministry (V22-24)
He describes the basic facts of Christ earthly ministry
Validated by God- Miracles, Wonders and signs
His God ordained, persecution, trial and death
His resurrection from the dead
Prophetic Prediction (25-32)
Peter directs his Jewish listeners to the very place they should go
To validate all that he is say…to their Holy Scriptures
What in our Bibles we call the Old Testament
He references David, the great king of Israel, and a Prophet
He quotes David’s prophecy…his expectation of the Messiah, Jesus
David did not live physically long enough to see Messiah come
But he lived under the promise it would come
And he is counted among the faithful because of that
Promised Holy Spirit (33-35)
And Peter spoke of the Holy Spirit’s coming and power
Just as David had prophesied
Just as the Miracles of Jesus validated his message
On this date the Holy Spirit’s presence validate Peter’s message
And like every good sermon…there is a punch line
Acts 2:36
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
And people hearing this…got the message…loud and clear!!!
Look what it says…
V 37-39
Acts 2:37-39
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 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 promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
V 40 Says that he communicated other things as well…
But what we have recorded in this passage are the key things
And the people responded
3,000 people accepted the message
And were baptized
Taking It Home
In our culture today…It is very easy to be Amazed by things.
Whether it is the latest movie special effect
Some dare devil or athletic feat
Astronauts repairing the Hubble Telescope
Or even an 8th grade girl’s ability to spell words we can’t even pronounce
But one of the things we have come to know for sure is that
Our excitement over the The Amazing…even the Utterly Amazing
Eventually goes away
Susan Boyle
As much as I love watching Susan Boyle
Eventually…I will stop
Yes, I expect I will remember for a while
But the reality is that her 15 minutes of fame will come to an end
She may go on to do other great things…
Maybe she will have her dream of being a professional singer
But she will likely never Amaze me the way she did
When is the last time you’ve been Utterly Amazed?
When was the last time you were Utterly Amazed by something God did?