The Day of Pentecost Was the Partial Fulfilment of the Prophet Joel
Acts 2:12-40
February 6, 2022
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Review
A. We are in Acts 2
1. Studying Verse by verse
2. Working through this historical record of what God did through a group of fisherman, carpenters, ex-pharisees, a doctor, businessmen and businesswomen, ex-priests, ex-tax-collectors, and farmers.
B. We have learned about the Day of Pentecost, and the Gift of Tongues
C. This morning, we will hear Peter warn about a bigger day coming – the Day of the Lord
II. Background (Acts 2:12-14)
A. The Crowd was Very Confused (Acts 2:6-8,12,13)
1. People saw and heard 120 people all speaking in 2 dozen different languages at one time, and many people thought this was only drunk people babbling
a. Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
b. Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
c. Acts 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
d. Act 2:12,13 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
2. God had gotten the attention of thousands of people that day, and…
B. Peter sees it as an opportunity to warn everyone of what was coming!
1. These men and women are NOT Drunk
a. Act 2:14,15 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
b. Not acting drunk first of all
c. It is 9am – 3 hours after sunrise
2. We are all full of the promised Holy Spirit of God – the very last sign before the coming day of the Lord!
3. In simple words, This miracle of languages is the beginning of the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecies about the coming of the terrifying Day of the Lord
III. Message – What The Day of Pentecost Meant
A. Peter Briefly Quotes from Joel 2
1. Act 2:16,17 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days…
2. Who was Joel?
a. A godly man living in Judah of the land of Israel
b. About 800 years before the birth of Jesus
c. The Jewish people were away from God, living wickedly, and were unaware of how much trouble they were in
d. So, God called on Joel to warn the people of TWO future judgments coming
1) A nation from the north called Babylon, that would completely destroy Israel as part of God’s judgment, and take all its people away captive
2) And much later on, an army from HEAVEN that was coming and would judge the whole world in the last days
3. Joel wrote a lot about “the last days” - especially THE DAY of the Judgment of this world, called, the Day of the Lord
4. And everyone in that crowded street KNEW about that terrifying DAY, since they were children
5. I would like to read through a bit of Joel’s prophecy this morning, so that WE get the same sense that all those people did (Joel 1 and 2)
a. Joel 1:14,15 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
b. Joel 2:1,2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
c. Joel says that we need to sound an alarm - and that's exactly what Peter was doing!
d. Joel 2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
e. Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
f. Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
g. Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
6. Did you notice all those warnings?
a. It is not a good day.
b. A day of absolute destruction – the destruction of this world's system
c. A day of darkness and of gloominess across the globe
d. Clouds and thick darkness
e. Joel describes an army that was on its way with the Son of God, coming from the east and stretching across to the other horizon of the sky
1) A mighty army that had never been seen before
2) They would race across the sky, like lightning, and a devouring fire – a flame of fire would be stick out ahead of them, and nothing would escape the destruction of their flame.
f. There will be earthquakes raging throughout the world
g. The sun and the moon shall be dark
h. The stars shall withdraw their shining
i. Then the LORD will utter his mighty voice from heaven at that day
j. And who can abide it? Who will be able to survive it?
k. Joel is describing Armageddon, when Jesus Christ comes the second time!
l. None of this had happened yet – and it still hasn’t – but it will soon!
7. Jump down to chapter 2, verses 28-32
a. Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward [AFTER THE FIRST COMING OF THE MESSIAH], that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
b. Joel 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
c. Joel 2:30 And [THEN] I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
d. Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
e. Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered [FROM THE COMING WRATH]: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
8. Those are the very same words that Peter reminds that crowd of
a. Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
b. Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
c. Act 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
d. Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
e. Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
B. Two Great Promises! (Acts 2:17,21)
1. Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
2. Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
3. The Pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit… upon not just adults, but upon young and old, servants and handmaidens, and even children
a. They shall prophecy – clearly speak of what is coming
b. They shall see things never dreamed of
1) Dramatic Signs in heaven above – in the skies – amongst the stars
2) Signs in the earth here below – blood and fire and vapour of smoke – all describing disasters
c. Two big signs are coming…
1) The sun will become darkened – the sun is not as stable as people think
2) The moon will turn into blood red colour
3) Jesus called it the time of the Great Tribulation
d. All happening just before the great and terrifying day of the Lord comes!
4. And the saving of a believing remnant just before that Day
C. What is Peter’s Point?
1. The Day of the Lord is coming very soon – imminent – will happen when we are NOT ready!
a. Some people call it Judgement Day
b. Some refer to it as Armageddon
c. It is everything bad and more!
2. And people have one chance to escape the coming judgment
a. Their only way to be saved from the righteous judgment of God, was calling on a Saviour
b. Who just happens to be the Messiah they had not only rejected, but had just murdered!
D. Peter Exposes the Blood on their Hands – the Murder of their own Messiah!
1. Describes Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 2:22)
a. Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
b. Approved by God - proven to be from God by all the miracles and wonders and signs that He did constantly throughout His 3 ½ years of ministry in Israel
c. And well known by YOU - They all knew who Peter was talking about. Jesus did everything in the midst of tens of thousands of people, in every corner of the land
2. And yet, You Took and Crucified Him! Murdered Him! (Acts 2:23)
a. Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, YE have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
b. Think about that for a minute!
c. Jesus was delivered right into your own hands by the determinate will of God – by the perfect will of God!
d. And by the foreknowledge of God – knowing full well what you would do to Him, God gave His Son into your murderous hands, as part of His perfect will!
E. But… Death was NOT the End of Jesus (Acts 2:24-36)
1. Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
2. God resurrected Jesus from the dead!
a. He LOOSED the pains/bonds/powers of death
b. It was not even possible that Jesus could stay dead
c. He is the source and Creator of all life!
3. Even King David Predicted the Resurrection of the Messiah (Acts 2:25-28,31)
a. Quoting straight out of Psalm 16…
b. Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
c. Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
d. Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
e. Act 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
f. Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
g. What did king David see?
1) He saw way out in the future God’s Holy One coming to earth! “Thy Holy One” is their Messiah
2) Then David saw the Messiah’s awful death (especially in Psalm 22) when the Messiah would come and die, and that He would not stay dead – that Christ’s flesh would not decay (see corruption)
3) And then David SAW his Lord – resurrected !
h. And it thrilled David
1) Why?
2) Because David saw the Messiah die but not stay dead
3) That’s why David knew HE also would die, and would not stay dead either
4) So, the coming Messiah’s death, burial and resurrection gave David HOPE
5) David looked forward to seeing God’s very face one day, because of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah!
4. Peter says, We have seen Jesus ALIVE (Acts 2:32)
a. Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
b. Peter was explaining that JESUS is the Holy One of God!
c. We are valid witnesses and can prove He is alive
d. We not only saw Him, we handled Him, and ate with Him, and talked with Him and He spoke with us
e. He is ALIVE and well!
f. The Resurrection Proves He is Messiah
5. Jesus is sitting right now at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 2:33) – co-equal with God the Father!
a. Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
6. Jesus has passed on to us the promised Holy Spirit which you see the effect of - Just as Joel prophesied
7. Jesus is both Lord, and Christ/the Messiah (Acts 2:36)
a. Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
F. This Message Did Not Thrill the Crowd (Acts 2:37)
1. Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
2. It pricked/stabbed/cut them in their hearts – their soul
3. They became quite worried about their souls – trembling
a. If Jesus truly was the Messiah…
b. And these very Jews had actually rejected and murdered their Messiah…
c. And if He was alive again, just as predicted…
d. And the day of the Lord was coming next…
4. They KNEW they were guilty
5. “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
a. What a great question!
b. Was there any way to be saved after what we have done?
c. These men realised just how much trouble they were in with God
d. These men were in trouble, defeated, ruined, anxious, worried, concerned, sorrowful
e. Yet they dared ask, “Is there anything we can do to be saved?”
G. Peter’s Answer (Acts 2:38-40)
1. Peter Said, God Expected Two Things of those Devout Jews… (Acts 2:38)
a. Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
b. Repentance – just like John the Baptist had demanded
c. Followed by Believer’s Baptism in Water
2. What is Repentance?
a. That means, BELIEVE your sin has damned you under the righteous judgment of God
1) Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death
2) All sin has consequences – eternal consequences!
3) Always has been that serious and always will be
b. And it means TURN AWAY FROM (repent of) your tolerance and even your love of sin, and TURN TO Jesus Christ – the only Saviour able to forgive every sinner!
c. It is not something you DO – it is how you FEEL about your sin, and a desperation for GOD to have mercy on you!
d. Repentance is a simultaneous act of faith
1) Paul in Act 20:21 said he was constantly, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
2) Repentance is a change of mind and heart about our sins – realising that OUR SINS put Jesus on that cross
3) You can’t just “believe” without repenting. Remember, even the devils believe in God and Jesus, and remain lost!
4) So many people are sorry for their sins, but never change their MIND about sins
5) The foundation of salvation is a broken heart about our sin that wants to be saved FROM sin!
3. And THEN Get Baptized… (More about baptism next week)
a. Not in the name of Moses
b. Or in the name of Abraham
c. Or in the name of Peter, James, John, or Mary, or anyone else
4. All in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ!
5. And Peter Promises Two Things (Acts 2:39)
a.
That all your sins will be
remitted – removed – erased – forgiven
Jesus paid by His death, for all your
sins, past, present and future!
b. And you too shall receive the promised GIFT of the Holy Ghost
c. Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
d. The Holy Spirit is for YOU, and your children, and to as many as hear
e. Not just the ability to speak in languages – that was a limited time miracle
f. But the eternal presence of the third Person of the Godhead in them!
6. Notice what was missing
a. Penance
b. Confession booths
c. Good works – sacraments
d. Holy Communion
e. Pilgrimages
f. Praying to Mary
g. Joining a church
h. Baby baptisms, confirmations, holy orders
i. None of that means anything to God – only what Jesus did, saves!
H. A Note about Baptism - Baptism never washes away sins! Only Jesus does!
I. Peter Finishes with a Plea… Act Now! (Acts 2:40)
1. Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
2. Do you want to remain in the generation known for murdering the Messiah?
3. Save yourselves from this ungodly generation of murdering Jews - from its culture and religion
4. Step OUT of such a culture and start following Jesus your Saviour!
a. Jump ship - Switch teams - Quit your religion – walk away from your atheism
b. Flee from whatever may be holding you back from trusting Jesus Christ alone
5. Be known as the generation that repented of sin, and called upon the name of Jesus to save them, and then went out and turned the world upside down with His Gospel!
IV.Conclusion
A. Do you think anyone responded? (Acts 2:41,42)
1. Yes!
2. 3,000 grown men responded
3. Act 2:41,42 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
4. In their hearts first
5. And then publicly right after, by getting baptized
6. More about this next week!
B. Will YOU respond?
1. The Day of the Lord is no joke
2. It is coming – very very very soon!
3. If you have not been saved/born again, you are in just as much trouble as that crowd was back then! YOUR SINS put Jesus on that cross!
4. So, Do you want to remain a part of THIS generation of wicked men and women who have no problem aborting their children, and encouraging same sex relationships, and feeding their children with filth on the TV and internet?
5. Or are you ready to repent and believe what Jesus did was enough to save YOU?