Acts Chapter 2:1-11

At the Passover Jesus was crucified, according to God's plan is a beautiful part of that plan discussed what the rich people from all over the world that were there for the crucifixion, according to God's killing. It wasn't man's plan to crucify Jesus a passive matter fact you may remember the verse from the Jewish leader said let's not do it during the feast. The people will will cause an uproar cause a riot. They were worried about having her answer no. Let's wait until the fetuses of Seville actually set the timeline for the crucifixion, Jesus himself. Jesus was in control the whole time. You may remember, in the upper room. Jesus turned to Judas and he said they were talking about the betrayal in any setback that you do is do is quickly welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina know a lot of people wonder should you ask questions about what you hear in church and study of the Scriptures, who set the timeline for the crucifixion, Bob.

It's interesting to see in Scripture that Jesus repeatedly said we must be going to Jerusalem and he ushered those around him along to get there even quicker obvious intriguing is quite striking.

How much of a hand, God had what happened to Jesus on the cross executive IDA and now are excited as David McGee continues in part two of his teaching. The Holy Spirit acts chapter 2 verse one says on the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them in verse four says, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now, the issue of times and it's interesting is one of the most divisive issues in evangelical Christianity. There is a group that says Thompson are bad or demonic. They are no longer a gift of the Holy Spirit is matter fact Holy Spirit doesn't give gifts anymore. The whole ministry is change.

Then there is the other side that says you're not saved in less you speak with these other tongues now from this verse we can see a couple things number one the gift of tongues was from God.

More specifically, it was from the Holy Spirit.

If you want to argue with that verse and go to the warden and argue with him about it, but that is what diverse now part of what we need to figure out is how that relates to the church today will probably come up cover some of that today will probably cover more of it towards the end of the chapter when Peter comes back to talking more about the Holy Spirit what you know something else. This gift that they had at this time it was not used in a showing way. It was not used, and in some wacky circus type atmosphere. Although it was obviously a supernatural gift now we see that God did this to Holy Spirit, fill them and that they spoke in this time and will talk more about the first-generation church and a lot of people say where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are no longer for today working in were going to get into that, but I want to remember this, we are commanded to be filled with the spirit, were commanded in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18 says and do not be drunk with wine and which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. Now we've been talking about this for several weeks and we covered another verse where Jesus said how much more with the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him and any time you want to be filled with the spirit, you can ask the Lord to fill you with the spirit now here's the thing. It's a constant thing okay because you know what when it comes in terms of Holy Spirit instead of the theological terms of me put it like this you leak okay so you get filled with the Holy Spirit menu link and then the three got re-filled with the Holy Spirit. So I believe there is an event subsequent art after salvation where you are filled with the spirit and also believe that the believer needs to constantly be asking the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit in verse five and there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Do you know why people from everywhere were in Jerusalem. God is very wise. Here's the thing we talked about the fees in three of those feast.

What biblically is term Psalm feast. In other words 3/7 feast that males were required from all over the world to go to Jerusalem for that face.

So that's why at the day of Pentecost which was one of those three. You have the day of Pentecost or the feast of weeks where people required to be in Jerusalem yet unleavened bread which Passover kicks off the unleavened bread week and then so they would be there for that time and then the feast of boozer tabernacles. They would also be required to come to Jerusalem now Passover and unleavened bread. I mentioned that at the Passover Jesus was crucified, according to God's plan is a beautiful part of that plan discussed what the rich people from all over the world that were there for the crucifixion, according to God's plan. It wasn't man's plan to crucify Jesus the Passover is a matter fact you may remember the verse from the Jewish leader said let's not do it during the feast. The people will will cause an uproar cause a riot.

They were worried about having her answer. You know, let's wait until the feast is over. So who actually set the timeline for the crucifixion, Jesus himself. Jesus was in control the whole time. You may remember, in the upper room. Jesus turned to Judas and he said they were talking about the betrayal in any setback that you do is do is quickly and at that Judas went out went to the high priest and set up the ultimate betrayal of Jesus.

Now couple more things about this Pentecost is called feast of weeks.

It's called feast of weeks for an important reason from the day of firstfruits. It was 77, the day after the seven sevens know what I mean by that seven is an important biblical number. It was seven weeks 49 days 7×7 and it was the day after that which was the 50th day, so 50 days after the day of firstfruits was the day of Pentecost. And so that put it on Sunday. Now it's interesting because one of the things that happened on at the feast of weeks was instead of just unleavened bread like was used in every other feast.

There were two loads there was a unleavened loaf and there was a leavened love Mount 11 picture of sin also can be used is buses Gentiles. It did not know God, that were separated by our sin, not even looking for God, combined into the church and that's what you see begin to happen at the feast of Pentecost asking to be a few chapters before it goes out into the world now so now 50 days later everybody is back in Jerusalem and the Lord picks that time for this occurrence that what is suggested and what possible personal relevance could it have for you today about the life lesson here. God's timing is always perfect.

The disciples probably would have said what you mean Holy Spirit. So when get on with doing this business and in the Lord said no way why because he had his perfect timing because 15 nations were about to hear what is to be the first gospel teaching after the resurrection of Jesus and from this place, they will fan out to all over the world.

God's timing is perfect.

Now when I say his timing is perfect. What I mean by that limiting what I don't mean I don't mean that God's timing is going to fit in with your time. See because a lot of times we pray according to our timetable going. Lord, give me patience. Now that your timetable Lord give me this other job now give me this now. To me this new house now got what you doing God is much more interested in changing use in your circumstances and your situations and God will change you, then he'll change your circumstances and situations. According to his perfect timing so love when you can rest in this, that God knows what he's doing when you get in a moment where you feel out of rest or your bent out of shape than chances are you're not trusting in God's time take notes difficult tend towards the same thing but you can trust the Lord. We often think what is not moving fast enough in our life. Maybe we think he's moving too fast in our life we look at someone else may think will God you're not changing them quick enough and we look at others and go what God are you changing them so quick. God is on his own timetable now the feast of weeks.

Pentecost was always on the first day of the week always on a Sunday always because it came after the date of the first fruit which was the Shabbat, the Sabbath, which was the Saturday is when the Shabbat is one has an important facet. We have the resurrection, and you have the feast of weeks occurring on the first day of the week which was Sunday. That's important because if you watch Discovery Channel were The Learning Channel or the history Channel allow these people say it was under Constantine the church began to worship on Sunday.

Not true. It's not so do you understand that you know that the Discovery Channel history Channel or Joe. All those are not infallible duly understand that I mean I have watched things that were blatantly misrepresented on those channels. That's why what you know we keep soft pillows around me near because you know so I used to keep hard things. I was like three televisions ago but now I'm kidnapped but I think you know when they when they misrepresent things like that's not right, and I saw this misrepresented just last week that we all started worshiping the sun God, you know, under Constantine really did in the first day of the week was start right here going back to the resurrection. We need to understand the balance that out there was a deemphasis of the Jewish Sabbath and the Jewish feast under Constantine the reason that very few people in your new how to name all seven feast you can go back to the time of Constantine when he very intentionally began to separate Jewishness from Christianity and contain will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want to take just a couple minutes to pray for some cities in our listening audience.

Specifically, Williston, North Dakota and Hamlet are Perrysburg and Toledo, Ohio and Clinton elk city in Carnegie Oklahoma will we thank you for everyone who lives in the cities.

We pray that you would draw them to Jesus. Even right now or I pray that you would fill them with the faith that they need to say yes to what you want to do in your life over. Pray for the leaders in the cities that you give them wisdom and discernment helped in the put their trust in you, hoping to turn your Bible for answers I got. We pray that the church is to be full of people wanting to get to know you to be taught and to use her gifts to be a blessing to people in their community. In Jesus name, amen, amen.

Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse verse six and when this sound occurred, the multitude came together were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. So they were speaking what to the person who was speaking to them.

It was an unknown tongue. That's the miracle and then these people heard them speaking in their own language. Language that they didn't know. I came across to examples yesterday. There's enough heard over the years just lots of examples of this occurring. These people did not know all the language represented, but they were speaking in these languages. Now that's the supernatural part of and understand again what we want to do is look at the Bible and see what the Bible has to say about these things because the Bible speaks to these issues and wants to teach a lesson about these things, so we have to be teachable.

Second Timothy 316 and 17 says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness with the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So here in this book we have a complete treatise or or document if you will own the Holy Spirit in our interaction with the Holy Spirit we can trust that the life lesson here. We have to look to the Bible alone for a doctrine and beliefs about God.

We have to look to the Bible alone. They said they use solar Scripture and the Reformation, meaning we need to get our beliefs and our doctrine from the Bible, not from the church at that time they were separating from the Catholic Church because man and start saying is this Latin and so they were getting back to the Bible, solar Scripture, not what people say not what the television says what the book says not even what I say unless it's backed up by Scripture. One of the reasons we have so many cross-references is when I present something to show you is in the Bible.

I don't want you just say it's in there somewhere.

It says about Lord help to help them to assure where it's hidden or and and you know what, if you ever get a question about what we teach what we believe you just called office email as it's not wicked you go to get you to be like a deacon or an elder. For we are actually doing hidden things now know I love questions. Staff loves questions leadership gloves questions what is opportunity to teach them some opportunity for people sit down and be open there open their hearts open their eyes to the Scriptures so you know as as we answer questions. Guess what were to be bringing up Bible passages really talk about the Bible because that's what were supposed there's a phrase called be a Berea and you may have heard that.what is asked 17 says this then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea when they arrived they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness and search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so they search the Bible they heard these things and supplant sounds interesting let me go dig in the Bible and see if it pans out. That's the way we should be because you know what I've heard stuff on television or stuff on Christian television people say ago Messner I'm so in coming back to the Bible didn't go minutes be a Marine. Now there's diversity in this body, and I think that's a good thing.

There's diversity somewhat in beliefs about the Holy Spirit.

I appreciate that. I think we can all fellowship with one another and not all believe exactly the same thing.

I think Tim too often we try to find things that we can fight about now. God has called me and equip me to be the teacher so I'm gonna do that to my best ability as we go through these things. But I'm reminded of what Paul said in first Corinthians to two aces determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and Paul got tired of arguing is that you know what we can agree on Jesus. That's the important thing. That's the main focus, and that's the focus here we find ourselves again. In a passage of Scripture that somewhat controversial, and sadly enough, even divisive, but we want to be in the word and understand verse seven. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another look, are not all these who speak Galileans Galileans primarily spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. Very few knew Greek in verse eight, and how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born. Now this tells us that what they were speaking in was a known language to some of the listeners, but it was not a known language to the person that was speaking working again will get more into this known and unknown and whatnot's continual verse not Parthians and Medes in our minds those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea, and C of Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining soldering visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes Cretans and Arabs we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God, the Lord gathered these Jewish people who had been disbursed.

Some of them probably going back to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity never came back to Jerusalem and and often you'll hear the word diaspora, which means disbursed the dispersing of the Jews.

Usually they were dispersed all over the world. But for this feast. They came back to Jerusalem. Why was that important to God. Strategic planning strategic planning is a strategic planner. He has wisdom 15 nations represented there in Jerusalem. Seeing what was going on getting ready to hear the gospel revolve about the breakout. Guess who's going to take it to the world. These people if they didn't have the Internet. They didn't have CNN, they didn't have these things to get the word out. What was interesting is also at this time they had some of the best roads that it ever existed in an still to this day better than some around here. To be honest, to me you go over there and some of those Roman road doing something. Some of them are even still used one did God do that may remind you, the day of Pentecost feast of weeks was a harvest feast to our space. First of the feast of firstfruits feast of weeks.

Both were harvest feast.

The harvest is always a spiritual significance always of spiritual significance in the Bible.

It's true here, there's always the beginning of the harvest. Remember John chapter 4 says, do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest, behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields for their Arctic why for harvest and he who weeps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows a new reeks may rejoice together for this for in this this thing is true.

One sows in another reeks. Jesus there is using the harvest as a spiritual analogy. The same is going on here that this harvest is coming and immersing in the birth of the church, literally unfolding before us. Proverbs chapter 10 verse five says he who gathers in the summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Why is that of significance to us today because the day of Pentecost the birthday if you will of the church kicked off the harvest that the church is been in for the next 2000 years. We are still in those days of harvest where people are coming into the Lord.

The life lesson here. The Lord is interested in the harvest. The Lord is interested in the harvest.

He didn't just happenstance.

How all these things together so that we would see these pictures was very carefully orchestrated and implemented that we might see that what God is interested in the harvest will ask a question we say we follow God. We say we follow Jesus Christ. How interested are you in the harvest. How burdened are you for those that don't yet know because that's one of the litmus test. If you will to see you know you're following Jesus you don't care if people get saved or not. You may claim to be a follower of Jesus, but I have to question is Jesus cared very much about people coming into the kingdom. If you're following the Lord, you should be concerned about the harvest. Another special significance there's prophetic significance in these fees that I spoke feast of weeks kicked off the birthday of the church. What's the next feast would be jotting them down.

You know, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, the feast of trumpets, trumpets, trumpets, trumpets sound familiar, where we heard about trumpets in the Bible. The trumpet is going to blow and all the people that belong to Jesus will be gathered from all over the earth. Matthew 2431 tells Mrs. and he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth, feast of trumpets is coming up, but right now we have a season of harvest you tell me.

Should we be interested. Should we be concerned that at some point that door closes in those who have come in will go in and those who have not will be left out.

Just like in the days of Noah on the day that he shut that door and the rains began.

People that beat on the door saying lettuce and it was too late days, I want to do everything I can to reach out in this time of harvest to see people come into the kingdom. So many of you have this same heart, it's harvest you can receive Jesus this morning. You can ask Jesus to forgive you your sins and guess what, Jesus will forgive you.

I can't tell you that's always going to be true because at some point either of old age or accident or whatever in your life are making that shop at below time. As you know, it changes friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God want you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible.

You've been forgiven you've been born again, congratulations Springer just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you'd like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much you would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge. Thank you so much ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day.

You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading plan enough thought to meditate on throughout your day. From the heart. The David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the book of acts