Great Chapters of the Bible

Scripture: Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:44-45; Joel 2:28-32

C.I.: Acts 2

Today we conclude our series, “Great Chapters of the Bible.” We end with a chapter that I consider to be the “Hinge of the Bible.”

I. ACTS 2: “The Hinge of the Bible”

A. “The Great Anticipation!”

1. From our Scripture Reading we discover that God had forecast a great event… and the world was waiting!
a. The Jews of our Lord's day were clearly anticipating the coming of what God had promised…
1) When John arrived they wondered, ( Jn. 1:19-21 ), “This is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?' He confessed, and did not deny, and he confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.' And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?' And he said,‘I am not.' ‘Are you the prophet?' and he answered, ‘No.'”
2) But John spoke of Him who has to come, ( Matt. 3:11 ), “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals.”
3) After Jesus resurrection, Jesus disciples were still in a state of anticipation, ( Acts 1:6 ), “When they came together , they were asking Him, ‘Lord, is it at this time you re restoring the kingdom to Isr?'”
4) This was greater than the 9 th month of a pregnancy, Christmas Eve, etc., all in one!!!

2. As if their current sense of expectancy wasn't enough, Jesus gave His apostles something else to wait for…
a. ( Acts 1:4-5 ), “And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'”
1) It is important to notice that this promise was only made to the apostles, (cf. Acts 1:2-8 ).
2) The purpose for this promise was to empower them for a world-wide ministry, ( 1:8 ), “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
3) If they could only wait…!!!

B. “The Great Realization,” (Acts 2:1-21)

1. Christ promise fulfilled!
a. ( vs. 1-3 ), “And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them”
1) The promise made to the apostles alone was fulfilled to them alone, ( cf. Acts 1:26-2:3 ).
2) “Pentecost” = 50 th , i.e., 50 days after Passover. It is also called, “The Feast of Harvest.”
3) This was truly when God was going to begin harvesting the seeds Jesus had planted!!!

b. The “gift of tongues” : its design and its purpose and its explanation, ( v. 4 ), “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”:
1) This is the first time this “gift” is mentioned. It therefore becomes the normative for this gift.
2) The “gift of tongues” is the miraculous ability to speak a foreign language never learned.
a) ( vs. 5-6 ), “…devout men from every nation under heaven… they were each one hearing them speak in his own language.”
b) ( v. 8 ), “How is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born.”
c) ( v. 11 ), “…we hear them in our own tongues speaking the mighty deeds of God.”

c. While some had one explanation for this occurrence, Peter had another.
1) ( vs. 12-13 ), “They all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?' But others were mocking and saying, ‘They are full of sweet wine.'”
2) But Peter informs them of its true prophetic fulfillment, ( vs. 14-17 ), “But Peter, taking his stand with the 11, raised his voice and declared to them, ‘Men of Judea, and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only the 3 rd hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: “And it shall be in the last days,” God says, “that I will pour forth My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
3) “This is what…” = Peter is saying this is Joel's prophecy being fulfilled!!
a) This prophecy (and those from the scripture reading) are all being fulfilled together!
b) Isaiah = Nations come to learn & go to teach; Daniel = Kingdom established!
c) So, what someone is taught to do to be saved also brings them into the kingdom!
4) The importance of this fulfillment is found in v. 21 , “And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”


C. “The Great Sermon,” (Acts 2:22-36)

1. The Gospel Proclaimed, (vs. 22-28)
a. Messiah was crucified by sinners , ( vs. 22-23 ), “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know – this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”
1) Jesus was put to death by all men (Jews – Men of Israel, Gentiles – godless men ).
2) God knew this would occur. While He did not cause it, He knew the hearts of mankind!
3) Because of the sins of mankind, and the wage it incurs – Jesus had to die for all of us!

b. Messiah was resurrected by His Father. There are two reasons for this…
1) Death could not keep Jesus in its grip, ( v. 24 ), “And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
a) The agony = birth pains; His tomb was in reality a womb which brought Him forth!
2) The scriptures promised His resurrection, ( v. 27 ), “…Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your holy One to undergo decay.”
a) David (by inspiration) spoke of a future resurrection & the Christ would experience it
3) All mankind is guilty of our Lord's death & now He is “dead” no longer.

2. The Proof of the Resurrection, (vs. 29-36)
a. The prophetic proof, vs. 29-32)
1) ( vs. 29-32 ), “Brethren, I may confidently say to your regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne, he looked ahead and
spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.”
a) This is what Jesus also told His disciples following His resurrection.
b) ( Lk. 24:44-46 ), “Jesus said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled … Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead on the third day.”

b. The eye-witness proof, (vs. 33-36).
1) ( vs. 33-36 ), “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom
you crucified.'”
2) All of their anticipation! All of their waiting!! And then when the One whom they have been waiting for arrives – they kill Him!!!
How would you feel, knowing He is now at the right hand of His Father in heaven???!

D. “The Great Beginning of the Church,” (vs. 37-47)

•  The answer to “How does a person call upon the name of the Lord” to be saved? (vs. 37-41)

•  ( vs. 37-41 ), “Now when they heard this they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest…?”
1) Jesus told them “what to expect when the Spirit came, ( Jn. 16:8 ), “When the Spirit comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment.”
2) The preaching of the words inspired by the Holy Spirit, when they come in contact with a willing heart, will convict the person of their sin and make them desire to be saved!
3) Notice, they obviously already believe the words of the apostles ( “pierced to the heart” ).
a) Yet their belief is not enough to save them ( “what must we do ?” ).
b) So Peter tells them besides their belief, they need to “repent & be baptized…sins.”
c) We know this is vital for their salvation, because after Peter says, “Be saved…,” those who heard his words were baptized, and there were added that day….”
d) Agrees with the rest of Bible; Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16; I Pt. 3:21; Acts 2:21.
4) So how did they “…call upon the name of the Lord?” ( vs. 39-41 ), “For the promise is for you…”

•  How then did these saved people live following their conversion? (Remember: we they did we are to do!)
a. ( v. 42 ), “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, to….”
1) “Continually devoting…” = they were “devotedly devoted,” zealous, eager, desirous for God!
2) Apostles' teaching = Learning the will of God, ( Matt. 28:19- 20 )!
3) Fellowship = being together, having each other in their life, ( vs. 44-46a ), “Those who had believed were together , and had all things in common ; and they began selling property and possessions,& were sharing them with all, as any might have need. And day by day were continuing with one mind …
4) Breaking bread = Communion/Lord's Supper, ( I Cor. 11:26 ). This is the meaning for this phrase when we are speaking in a “spiritual context” (like we are in v. 42 ). But in a “physical
context,” this phrase means eating a common meal, (i.e., v. 46 ), “…breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.”

•  ( v. 46 ), “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number [ “the church,” KJV] daily those who were being saved.
1) Note: God does the “adding,” and He adds them to His church when they are saved, ( cf. v. 41 ).

CONCLUSION: What they did to be saved is what everyone/anyone needs to do to be saved! How about you…?!