Acts 2:1-21 "Learning to Speak All Over"
I’m pretty sure my mom learned everything she knew about how to interact with people from Days of Our Lives and As The World Turns. She was overly dramatic. Had exaggerated expressions and emotions. She was always worried and suspicious and making implied accusations. I’d tell her I was going to ride my bike to the store with some friends and she’d be like, “What are you hiding, Frankie? I can always sense when there’s something you’re not telling me!” Then she’d look off into the distance like there was a hidden camera and make super intense eye contact.
I know this—it definitely didn’t prepare me for how to communicate with normal people. I went the other way though, where my mom was expressive and over the top, I was more subdued, I hid my emotions behind a blank mask a lot of the time. Which is worse in some ways because people don’t know what to make of you. Well, God found me, brought me to faith, and started teaching me how to act like a human, how to speak the completely foreign language of grace and mercy. The language of love and self-control, how to speak with kindness.
I’m still learning. I’m still “GSL”—“Gospel as a second language.” I’m not fluent. I always have to think about what I should say and what facial expressions are supposed to go with it—should I smile, or nod, or just stare at them until they stop talking? James says no man can tame the tongue, part of that is teaching it how to speak words of grace and encouragement.
You ever tried to learn a second language? It’s hard. You think of what you want to say and then try to remember the new words. French was the other language taught in my high school. I was afraid to take it—mostly because of a Steve Martin record. He said, “It’s like those French have a different word for everything!”
I’ve always thought it would be cool to learn another language. But I find it hard enough to speak English the way God actually wants me to.
All of us are born native speakers of the world, the flesh and sin. We scream with selfish cries when we’re born and some of us struggle to move past it our entire lives. Me, me, me. When I want. That reminds me of something about me! We just walk around in a blind funk of selfishness. Communicating with our body language, our facial expressions, and our poisonous tongues everything that’s opposite of the message of grace and hope that Jesus trusted us with.
It’s been pointed out that God is chatty. He loves to talk. He’s all about words. He spoke and created the heavens and the earth, “Let there be light.” He gave us His word through the prophets. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, who is the Word made Flesh. And He sends us out with the word of salvation—the good news, the Gospel. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ. Words and the way we use them are very important to God.
Today we’re going to look at the “once and for all time” event when the church was given the power of the Holy Spirit to speak the saving word of the Gospel to the lost world.
We’re going through The Book of Acts line by line, verse by verse. Acts is the story of the early church—it picks up right where the Gospel of Luke left off. Jesus spent three years pouring His life into a handful of disciples, was killed on a cross, rose from the grave, and ascended back to heaven. Of all the multitudes that followed Him because of the miracles and great teaching and fish and bread—there were only about 120 left in the group. Today that group is going to become the church.
Acts chapter 2…
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. Acts 2:1
Those 120 people were probably still hanging out in the same upper room in Jerusalem where Jesus had visited them after the resurrection—where He had told them to wait until they received the Holy Spirit.
Today is called Pentecost Sunday, it’s fifty days after the resurrection. We think of it as the birthday of the church—the day God poured His Spirit out on all His people. Before Jesus was born, the temple had been the location of the special presence of God on the earth, during His life He was, but going forward the new temple of the Holy Spirit was going to be the church. When Christians gather together in the name of Jesus, wherever they gather, that will be the temple, the special presence of God on the earth now. When we come together like this, God is present in a special way that isn’t true of the world in general. There’s no such thing as “church” unless God’s people are gathered in Christ’s name around His word and promises. So, this Sunday we’re gathered here to celebrate the day that happened—the day we call Pentecost Sunday.
But that’s not what the day of Pentecost meant to them. The setting of our story is a celebration commanded in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.
It was a festival that took place in Jerusalem fifty days after Passover. It was also called the Festival of Weeks, or First Fruits. Those are all the same thing. It was a celebration of the wheat and barley harvest. People brought their tithes of grain to the temple. It was also like a state fair. All the things that are made from grain were bought and sold and enjoyed. So the air was filled with the smell of freshly baked bread and all the beverages made from grain were free flowing. It was a party. The city was full of people who had traveled from far and wide.
Sometimes people don’t me when I say worship in the Bible was like a Texas BBQ at the rodeo but listen to what Deuteronomy 14:24-26 says about these festivals like Pentecost:
“Now when the LORD your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe. If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the LORD your God has chosen (Which will be Jerusalem). When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drinks. Then feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and celebrate with your household.”
Did you catch that? God wants His people to be happy when they come to worship—so He said they could spend some of their tithe money on whatever they want to eat or drink, as long as they eat it in the presence of the Lord and rejoice. Is that how you think most people understand worshiping God? This is why we put such a high value on eating and drinking together as part of our Sunday worship around here.
So, it was a party. There were a lot of people in town for the festivities. The 120 Jesus followers were in the upper room praying and waiting for the promise of the Father—the Holy Spirit.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:2-4
A sound from heaven that sounded like a mighty rushing wind—doesn’t say the wind was blowing the curtains—they just heard it. I should probably point out that in Greek the word for wind and Spirit are the same—pneuma. They were waiting on the Holy Pneuma, the Holy Wind, and all of a sudden they could hear it. It was loud. Then they saw a visual manifestation of the Spirit. Fire came from heaven and divided into flames that looked like tongues resting on each of the 120 people in the room.
They knew what this meant. God had appeared as wind and fire many times before in the Bible. Read your Bible and you’ll see. Look for it next time. It happens a lot.
This moment is what John the Baptist was talking about when he said, “I baptize with water but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire!” This is the church being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
And why did the flames look like tongues? Because then they began to speak in languages they didn’t know—that’s what “other tongues” means. Real languages. Not gibberish.
Luke doesn’t specifically put this together for us but I think they were pretty dang excited by it all. I don’t think they stayed in the upper room. I think they went down the street to the temple courtyards and the Pentecost festivities that were in full swing. And it seems like they were rather noticeable in their excitement.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. Acts 2:5-6
Pentecost was a Jewish festival in the capital city of the Jewish people. Devout Jewish men and their families from all over the world had traveled to be there.
And then all of a sudden they were interrupted by a bunch of hyped-up Jesus freaks being very loud with their new Holy Ghost superpowers. I don’t know if the sound of the wind is still happening or not, it doesn’t seem like they can see the fire anymore.
But they could definitely hear the disciples speaking in all the various languages—It says a multitude gathered around the sound. And they were impressed. Bewildered. It was obvious to them that these men were Galileans and it would have been as shocking to hear a Galilean speak their language as it would be for me to suddenly break out in Mandarin Chinese. They probably spoke with really thick Galilean accents. Like the way I sound when I order Mexican food, “I’ll have the polo case-of-dillas, with chip-pot-ul sauce and no jal-a-pee-nose.”
They were hearing the disciples speak in their own language, talking about Jesus, no interpretation necessary, and it kind of freaked them out.
And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? (and it gives a list of some of the people who were there, Parthians and Medes and so forth) —we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Acts 2:7-11
I imagine the 120 disciples wandering around the festival near the temple just excitedly high-fiving people and using their new Rosetta Stone superpowers to talk about all the amazing things Jesus did—especially the coming back from the dead and ascending to heaven part.
They had everyone’s attention.
And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” Acts 2:12-13
Some people were saying, “What does it mean that these Galileans are able to supernaturally speak in all these languages?” And others were like, “They’re just drunk.”
I have to wonder about that second group. Because no matter how much vodka I drink, I don’t end up speaking Russian. I’ve had more than my fair share of tequila but never once did it improve my ability to Hablo español. On occasion my speech has been affected but not so much for the better.
They were praising God, they were very excited. Maybe if we’ve never been accused of being drunk because of the way we’re worshiping—maybe we’re doing it wrong. Ha.
The reason I think they left the house and went to the temple is because of what happens next. Peter addresses this multitude.
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: Acts 2:14-16
Peter’s like, “People, come on, it’s only 9 AM. That’s too early, even for us, to have been overserved at the beer tent.”
And then, with the fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit, Peter gives an incredible impromptu sermon from the Book of Joel. Once again, I want to point out that he didn’t have the Bible app on his phone. He had the Book of Joel memorized. Not bad for a fisherman, right?
(Peter says)“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18
“The Last Days” is what Jesus called everything after the resurrection. The Last Days started with Jesus coming to earth and will continue until He returns at the end of time. The people wondered what was going on with these 120 disciples of Jesus jibber-jabbing in all these languages about the mighty works of God—Peter says it’s a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. God’s Spirit has been poured out on all flesh and they’re kicking off the Last Days with some prophecy in multiple languages. To “Prophesy” just means to say what God wants the prophet to say. We tend to think a prophecy has to be about the future. It might be, it could also be about the past, or something that’s happening right now. They were talking about the mighty works of God—past, present, and future. They were prophesying.
Every preacher, when he preaches God’s word, is prophesying. Saying what God wants to be said. Every Christian, when we say what God wants us to say to people—family, friends, whoever—God says He will pour out His Spirit and you shall prophesy. That new language of the Gospel I was talking about.
Peter says that’s what all this means. The church starts today. That’s what’s happening. It’s going to continue to happen until Jesus comes back in power and glory—on the great and magnificent day.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. Acts 2:19-20
Remember on Good Friday when the sun went dark? They all certainly did. Now there was the sound of rushing wind and the presence of fire. There were visions and dreams that kicked off the Gospel story. God is showing signs and wonders to let everyone know that everything has changed. Peter says this is what Joel was talking about.
And this is the point of it all, don’t miss this part…
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Acts 2:21
In verse eleven, it says there were a lot of converts to Judaism at the Pentecost festival. People who weren’t born Jewish but converted—Proselytes. In my studies for this lesson, I laughed out loud when I read about how there were a lot more female converts to the Jewish faith than male converts. Hmm. I wonder why. All a woman had to do was take a special bath—a mikvah, a baptism. For men it was a bit more… intense—if they wanted to be a complete convert.
Well, conversion was going to look very different from now on.
The Book of Acts is going to trace the message of the Gospel as it goes out to all the pagan nations—the Gentiles. What will all the people of every nation and tongue have to do to be Christian? To be saved?
Call on the name of the Lord. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. That’s the message of the Gospel.
The mission of the church is to speak the Gospel in every language, so everyone can hear it, understand it, and believe it. So everyone can call on the name of the Lord and be saved.
To do this, we need to learn how to speak the Gospel. Speak the language of grace, forgiveness, kindness, mercy. Learn how to speak words of peace that create hope and joy. God has given us His Spirit so we can do this—wherever we are, to whoever is listening.
So, when you ask someone how they’re doing and they tell you they’re feeling overwhelmed because of a project at work. Instead of telling them how overwhelmed you are, too. Instead of dismissing them and changing the subject. Maybe a genuine word, some affirmation. Try to give them a little validation. Say something like, “All I know is you’ve been doing an amazing job and if anyone can do this, you can.”
Or, you get a little sideways with someone. Tempers heat up. Instead of blasting them with a list of all the ways you're right and they’re wrong—instead of arguing—try to stay calm. Even if they don’t. Speak the language of love—patience, self-control. Tell them you understand how they feel and understand why they feel that way. You might have to ask some questions and listen. You might have to stop clenching your jaw and staring at them like you’re trying to melt their face with intimidation. Tell them you’re sorry for the part you played in making things bad and ask what you can do to fix it. It might not come naturally. GSL. Gospel as a second language.
Maybe your kid is struggling with school. Instead of saying, “You need to study harder and get those grades up—or else! Maybe tell them you believe they could do better—because you believe in them. That you’re proud of them for not giving up. Encouragement instead of threats and discouragement. For me, sometimes this is harder than speaking Japanese.
Our words are powerful. Before you speak, think to yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish with what I’m about to say?” Am I trying to take a jab? Prove I’m right? Make them feel sorry for me? Am I trying to impress them? Show them how cool I am?
If your words were money, what are you trying to buy with what you’re saying? What do you want in exchange for what you’re about to say?
Followers of Jesus are given the power of the Holy Spirit so we can speak the words of the Gospel and create new life in people. You have that power. Following Jesus is like learning to speak all over again. The language of the Gospel. The language of grace—of love.
I had a friend named Thom, he died recently. He was a Vietnam vet and had some darkness he was always fighting. My conversations with him were always filled with laughter and lulls. He said something to me on a few occasions that I still remember—especially when I start to doubt what I believe God has called me to do. He said, “Frank, did you know you have tattoos on your arms that look like living flames?” The first time he said it, I was like, “What the heck are you talking about? I don't have any tattoos.” He laughed and said, “No, it’s your anointing. You have flaming tattoos on your arms, I can see them clear as day. I just wondered if you knew you had them.” I still don’t know what to do with that, but I think about it sometimes, definitely on Pentecost. I know he meant it as a compliment. I know it makes me happy to think about it.
What could you say to someone that they would never forget? Something that would encourage them when they think of you? What could you say that would point them to Jesus and remind them of the mighty works of God? Everything He did for them to have life and salvation? God poured His Spirit on you—He wants you to speak words of grace, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, encouragement—words of hope to people.
Words like this: You have been called out of the world and given the promise of life and salvation. Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again so you could be made right with God—so you could be forgiven and inherit eternal life. This promise is for you and your children and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.
And I’m saying that to you, right here, right now. It’s a message for you and for anyone who has ears to hear—to hear and believe.
Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved.
In other words, In Hebrew…
In Greek…
In Latin…
In German…
In Spanish…
Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved. AMEN