A Spirit-united People

Passage

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon Summary

Acts 2:1-21 records the watershed moment of the early church: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Taking place in Jerusalem fifty days after Passover and ten days after Jesus' ascension, the disciples are gathered in an upper room, waiting as Jesus commanded. The sudden rushing wind and tongues of fire signal the arrival of the promised Spirit. As the disciples speak in various languages, the diverse crowd of Jews from every nation hears the mighty works of God in their own native tongues. This passage serves as the foundational text for the church's mission, showcasing the reversal of the curse of Babel and the fulfillment of Old Testament promises regarding the New Covenant. It is a profound demonstration of God creating true, lasting community out of isolation and division through the power of His Spirit.

Discussion Questions (choose any—you don't have to answer them all!)

1. If you witnessed the spectacle in Acts 2, would you use any different words to describe your reaction - what words would you us and why (Acts 2 words used: amazed, bewildered, astonished, perplexed)?
2. How do you respond now to God’s Spirit in your life? Are you a:
   
   1. Hider - cover your “shame” with a proverbial fig leaf?  
   2. Mocker - use something understandable to rationalize God’s wonders?  
   3. Believer - see by faith something amazing God is doing?
3. How does this Pentecostal spectacle impact your waiting today (whatever you’re waiting for)?  
   
   1. Are you waiting in isolation, or with someone, and why?  
   2. How’s this affect the way you view someone sitting next to you at church?  
   3. If the Spirit truly changes us, how are we, should we, be different than any other community, and why?
4. What evidence do you have that you are filled with the Holy Spirit? How does he impact how you interact with others, especially in the church? Why don’t all Christians have the same experience?
5. How does the idea of becoming a Spirit-united people, an eternal family that can be trusted, sit with you? Do you believe that its possible – why or why not?

Prayer Prompts

• Thank you, Father, for regenerating me by your Spirit in these ways __________.
• Forgive me, Jesus, for __________ .
• Empower me (and/or another person in the group), Holy Spirit, to obey you more by___________ .

Resources Consulted

• Sons and Daughters, Young and Old: Toward a Pentecostal Theology of the Family. Yong, Amos. Regent University School of Divinity. 2012.
• Staton, Tyler. The Familiar Stranger. Thomas Nelson. 2025.
• The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Acts of the Apostles. Peterson, David G. Eerdmans. 2009.
• The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Book of the Acts. Ernst Bruce, F.F. Eerdmans Publishing. 1988.