The Spirit-filled Community
Acts 2:1-4, 14-24, 32-41
Let me ask you a simple question: what is 'church'? We are in a building we call a church. We are associated with something called the Anglican church. We are in a meeting with a minister of the church standing out the front. Are any of those close to the answer that the Bible gives? Not really.
The bible describes church as the people of God gathered to Jesus. But there is much more to our church gathering than meets the eye. According to Hebrews 12, we have come to more than just our little group here today. Listen as I read:
Heb. 12:22 … you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
You see, church is a heavenly entity with an earthly expression. Church is not a building, not a denomination, not a meeting led by a minister or a priest. The Church is the people of God gathered to Jesus—a heavenly reality, which is expressed on earth in many different ways, in many different places.
Today I want to consider the nature of this gathering. To help us, I want to paint a picture of the Christian church as a sailing boat. The bible uses lots of pictures to help us grasp hold of the nature of church—the body, the temple, the bride, the vine and branches. Unfortunately, none of these biblical pictures is a sailing boat but let's not let that get in the way of a good illustration! Perhaps we could sanctify the sailing boat metaphor under the guise of contextualizing the gospel to the Pittwater area.
Anyway, to help us understand the church better, I want you to imagine a beautiful brand new sailing boat, just launched onto Pittwater on a sparkling sunny day. God is the boat-builder. He has made the most stunning vessel. Her lines are sleek and beautiful. She sits in the water just right, her sails and rigging are the latest design and the best materials. The craftsmanship is exquisite. The crew are race-hardened professionals. And we are that boat and her crew, ready for our Master's pleasure. Just launched.
But this most wonderful sailing boat is missing something: wind. It is nothing without the wind to fill its sails and power it forward, to be all that it is really intended to be. And so is the church without the Holy Spirit of God. You see, fundamentally, the church is a Spirit-filled community. Without him, we have no life, no direction, no power. Our very existence is meaningless. In fact, without Him we do not exist as the Christian church. So now as we turn in our Bibles to Acts 2 today, we're going to see that church is fundamentally a Spirit-filled community.
Acts 2:1-4
Acts 2 is like the great day when the sailing boat is launched[1]. It is 50 days since the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and 10 days since he was taken back to heaven to rule at the right hand of God. For a bit over a week, Jesus' followers, about 120 in total, have been hidden away and praying.
Look with me now at the beginning of Acts 2
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came [Pentecost just means 50 days since the Passover], they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
This is an amazing event, an incredible launch. Something like the sound of a jumbo jet flies over ancient Jerusalem and fills the house where the Jesus-followers are praying. They emerge from the house with something like tongues of fire on each of them. They are on fire for Jesus— visibly. Perhaps strangest of all, this ragtag crew of up-country fisherman, tax-collectors, and nobodies are fluently preaching in foreign languages: the languages of the Parthians, the Medes, the Cappadocians, the Egyptians, the Arabs and even the Romans. A crowd soon gathers and demands an explanation.
Now as a launch for the Christian church, you've got to say this is pretty spectacular.
What's happened? God has now come to the Christian believers in the person of his Holy Spirit and made his home with them. It's just as Jesus promised at the Last Supper.
He said:
'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (Jn 14:23)
The Father and the Son have come and taken up residence with the church in the person of their Holy Spirit. His presence now identified them to the rest of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They were unique. There was a clear distinction: to be part of the Christian community meant to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The rest were not and it was all the work of God: it couldn't be faked or imitated.
And ever since, the Holy Spirit distinguishes every true Christian. Together, we are identified as the Holy Spirit-filled community. And it's all God's doing.
Now that all seems fine, but it's worth pausing for a moment to consider what that really means. We are God's church. This is not Stuart Holman's church. This is not Jaime Dickson's church and, if you'll forgive me, nor is it your church either. It is God's church because he has made it and defined it by his Holy Spirit. And because it's his, we need to follow his agenda.
We have become members of the community gathered to Jesus Christ. And when we see our many faults and failings, when we feel critical, and when we think church doesn't meet our expectations, we do well to remember whose church it is.
If Pentecost shows us anything, it's that God has put his church together by a super-natural act. He has sealed us by his Holy Spirit—his personal presence living with us, just as Jesus promised that he would make his home with us.
So the day of Pentecost was a special event, but there is one particular expression that Luke[2] uses to describe it. If you have a look at verse 4, he describes the Christians on that day as being 'filled with the Holy Spirit'. Perhaps you've heard of this expression before—to be 'filled with the Holy Spirit'. On a few occasions[3] Luke describes people as being 'filled by the Holy Spirit' and in every case the person is especially commissioned to speak or act on God's behalf[4]. They fulfil some special God-given purpose in a particular time and place. To be 'filled' means to be empowered for ministry.
And whatever Luke is describing to us, it is something that happens on repeated occasions throughout Acts. Not just once or twice. For example, Peter is described as 'filled' on at least three occasions—not for his benefit but for those who hear the gospel and have their lives changed.
So being 'filled with the Holy Spirit' is preparation and empowering for ministry to others. It's not a private experience for my personal benefit.
Acts 2:14-36
In Acts 2 the believers are filled with the Holy Spirit just as we see them about to address the crowd gathered around. God's purpose and power is clear in Acts 2:14ff[5]. Have a look at it with me:
Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams…
Skipping down to verse 22, Peter gets straight to the point:
Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
So the Holy Spirit, as well as creating the Christian church, empowers it for action. I don't think Peter had ever been to the Pharisees preaching school. He probably wouldn't get a run in the Fisherman's section of the Galilee Toastmasters competition. He's no Old Testament scholar either. But God's Spirit empowers him to speak.
It's like the beautiful sailing boat, the Church, has been launched and now it's being powered along by God's wind. The boat has no power of its own. Left alone, it's just going to bob up and down a bit. But when God sends his wind, then the church becomes a thing of beauty that brings glory to Jesus. His power and majesty is unmistakable.
Acts 2:37-41
Of course, the crowd's response to the gospel message also displays the Spirit's activity so clearly. He has supernaturally enabled the crowd to hear the message in their native languages[6] and now he brings conviction to their hearts[7]. Have a look at verses 37-41 with me.
Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:38 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.”
Acts 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
You see, the Spirit's great work is bringing people to Christ, to become members of his church. It is not our job to badger and bludgeon people into heaven. God's Holy Spirit convinces them of the truth about Jesus and convicts them of their need to turn to him[8].
But nothing happens here without the free choice of the listeners. They ask, 'What shall we do?' Peter urges them to repent and be baptised. Then if they do, God forgives their sins and gifts them with the Holy Spirit.
Repentance is like this—we acknowledge that we have not treated Jesus as he really deserves. We change our mind, we trust that he is really is God's saviour who now rules over all things[9]—including every aspect of our own lives. We start living under his leadership.
And then this decisive change is signified by water baptism. You see, being a Christian does have an outward dimension. Water Baptism is a symbolic entrancethat points to the inward work of the Holy Spirit in repentance.
I'm not sure how or if they baptised all 3000 people who gave themselves to Jesus Christ that day— maybe the pool of Siloam was extra busy that day. Whatever the details on that day of Pentecost, the Christian community was established and made alive by God's Holy Spirit. And right here today we give expression to that same community—by it's very nature, a Spirit-filled community.
Living as a Spirit-filled Community
We are a healthy church inasmuch as we accurately express this truth. The challenge before us is therefore to be true to our nature, to become who we are: the Spirit-made and Spirit-filled community.
Now I'm not much of sailor but I can sail a bit. I've even skippered a borrowed yacht around Sydney Harbour. Maybe that sounds impressive but you should have seen it. My friend who owned the boat was in fact a professional sailor and he foolishly left me in charge of the yacht with one of our mates who had not the slightest idea what to do. My job was simply to observe the 18' skiff he was racing and keep out of trouble. Let me tell you that, from the time my sailor friend stepped off the yacht, things started to descend into chaos.
The sails went from being perfectly set and trimmed to being shabby and out of shape. Whereas we'd been ready to respond to the slightest change of wind direction to keep maximum speed, under my command, we were lucky to be moving forward. We zig-zagged all over the place, and that was just trying to avoid running into the Manly ferry. Blokes on other boats started yelling at us. Ropes got all tangled up. The winch handle fell overboard. Pretty soon, my crew was going 'no-speaks' with me. No matter how perfect the wind was for sailing that day, our boat was only ever going to struggle along: the breeze spilled from the sails and the rudder was pointing all the wrong way.
Contrast that to our earlier picture of a sailing-boat-church that is attuned to its nature as a Spirit-made and Spirit-filled community. This were we know that we have no power of our own; yet we are the result of God's power and we are empowered by him for his purpose.
Acts 2 shows us that God's purpose is to build his church. The Spirit does the work: he gathers the church, calls more people into church, shapes and builds the church. And our role, as church, is to partner God in the whole process. We seek the work of God. We want to be receptive to it, cultivate our awareness of it, yearn for it, pray for it, get on board with it, nurture it, and foster it.
Are we starting to get a sense of what it means to be part of something where God is God and we are his people? The God of the universe, the God of wonders and miracles, the God of unfathomable power and majesty, has made his home with us. He is the initiator and the centre of our community—the one who has called us to himself, who has made us a community. He brings it to life. He is the power that shapes and builds and grows us. We are, by nature, a Spirit-filled community.
You know, one of the things I really like about our church here is that there is a genuine desire to live as a Spirit-filled community[10]. Acts 2 shows us some obvious ways we can give expression to this truth.
We give expression to this when we realise this is God's church not a religious club or a human institution. It is created by his Spirit's powerful work[11]. When we get hold of this, we look around and see that the person sitting next to us is a living miracle-- no matter how imperfect they seem today. Go on, have a look around at the result of the Holy Spirit's work! I wonder if you have ever heard, really heard, that person's story. Why not find a time to listen to the story of the Holy Spirit's work in their life? The story might seem unspectacular, but be assured it is the unique work of God.
And not only are we the result of his work, he continues his work through us into the lives of others. Remember that to be Spirit-filled is to be commissioned and empowered by God for some kind of ministry. I think it's good that we pray that God would so fill us with his Spirit, over and over, time and again, that we would be useful to him, fulfilling his purpose for us.
Even Anglicans are to be Spirit-filled! That's why in the Anglican Prayer Book, when they make people Bishops and Priests, the Archbishop lays hands on the person and prays, 'Receive the Holy Spirit for the office and work of a Bishop/Priest in the church of God.'[12] Presumably the person is already a Christian—the prayer is really that God would fill them with his Spirit specifically for this role.
Not just because its in the Anglican Prayer Book, but because it's a thoroughly Biblical idea, I think it is appropriate that we pray that God would also fill us with his Holy Spirit, and keep on filling us with his Holy Spirit, in order to empower us for action.
In Acts 2 the Apostles were filled with the Spirit, they proclaimed the gospel and 3000 came to Christ. In Acts 4, Peter, again described as filled with Spirit, explained the healing of a crippled man in the temple to the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. Listen to what happened next.
Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
The Pharisees forbade them from preaching anymore. Peter and John go back to the church and report what has happened. How do they respond? They pray! Listen to what happens next:
Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Do you see the pattern? They pray, they are filled, and then they speak the word of God boldly, and might I add, with great effect.
We could read on in the book of Acts, but I think you get the picture. God's purpose is to build his church. We seek the Spirit's work; we ready ourselves, we cultivate our awareness of it, yearn for it, pray for it, get on board with it, nurture it, and foster it. We become like a race-ready sailing boat, sails set and trimmed, the crew in perfect harmony with the boat. We have no power of our own, and yet we are powered by God's Holy Spirit.
Pray: for the filling of God's Holy Spirit for gospel work.
[1] Throughout the Old Testament preparations have been made, the design formulated, the materials assembled, and the construction commenced. And then, in the gospels, with the death and resurrection of Christ, the boat is brought to completion and paid for. And now, at the beginning of the book of Acts, she is launched onto Pittwater and her sails are filled with God's wind—his Holy Spirit.
[2] Luke is the author of the Book of Acts. It is volume 2 of the gospel of Luke. See Acts 1:1-3.
[3] The phrase (or very similar, using a related word) appears 10 times: Luke 1:15; Luke 1:41; Luke 1:67; Acts 2:4; Acts 4:8; Acts 4:31; Acts 7:55; Acts 9:17; Acts 13:9; Acts 13:52. Some further observations that we might make about Luke's usage of the phrase are:
Peter is described as being ‘filled’ on three different occasions (Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31), Paul also is associated with a ‘filling’ on three different occasions (Acts 9:17; 13:9; 13:52). This particular ‘filling with/by the Spirit’ may therefore be experienced by an individual on multiple occasions and in different circumstances. The repeated nature of the events suggest that Luke is not describing a change of status or state for the person.
It only occurs in narratives and seems to be used descriptively rather than a technically. It therefore appears not to be a strictly defined theological term such as 'baptism with/by the Holy Spirit', which is used throughout the NT (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16; Rom. 6:3; 1Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12). .
When the Spirit comes to the believers at Pentecost, they are described as ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit as the fulfilment of (i) the promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5); and (ii) the fulfilment of ‘pouring out my Spirit upon all flesh’ (Joel 2:28-32).
[4] Luke is picking up on an Old Testament expression and using it in the same way. The LXX translates the same phrase for Ex. 31:3; Ex. 35:31; Mic. 3:8.
[5] This is the beginning of the divine purpose set out in Acts 1:8
[6] A reversal of the curse invoked by God at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9).
[7] Just as Jesus promised in Jn 16:8.
[8] Jn 16:8
[9] Peter sums this up in the words of Acts 2:36 'Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.'
[10] Next week, we're going to pursue that some more.
[11] When we heard the gospel, he led us to repentance and faith. Whether you have been water baptised or not, if you are a Christian, God has immersed you in his Holy Spirit.
[12] The Ordinal, An Australian Prayer Book, 1978. This reflects the wording of the Book of Common Prayer 1662 which says, 'Receive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a Bishop…'
