Looking Ahead
- January 21st – Kid’s Worker meeting after Morning Worship
- February 10th (tentative) – Demolition of the Old Fellowship Hall (invite your friends!!!)
Gym HVAC Update
Get ready to break a sweat because the countdown is on! The target installation date for the new HVAC unit for the gym is quickly approaching at the end of February. Although the exact date has not been finalized, the thought of finally being able to step back onto the basketball court or grab a volleyball with friends has us feeling beyond excited. Remember the good ole’ days of hosting potlucks and outreach events in the gym? Well, those days are quickly approaching again! So, start stretching those muscles and dusting off your sneakers because the end of February is just around the corner.
From the Desk of Pastor Tom
The cultural landscape of the New Testament was full of conflict and unrest. The physical land Israel occupied was a crossroads of the ancient world, and everyone desired control. Around 63 BC the Roman Empire swept into the land, conquered Israel, and installed a Roman governor. The events of Acts 2 occurred somewhere around 33AD, meaning Israel had been chafing under Roman rule approaching 100 years. The people of Israel hated this subjugation and despised their Roman rulers. The Jews found hope in the Old Testament promises of a coming Messiah and prayed that one day He would come rescue them. Passionate men periodically arose and claimed to be the rescuer sent by God. They would gather a band of rebels to fight the Roman occupiers with little success. Other men arose and spread the call to arms for the opposite reason, no Messiah had come! They said Israel would have to take up arms and free itself (Acts 5:33-39, 21:37-39). Throughout this chaos, the Jewish rabbis walked with their followers and taught a religion of law instead of faith in God and His Word. Surrounded by so many different voices and blinded by their sin, the people of Israel completely missed the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. Consider the disciples and their mission. The 12 disciples, combined with the other Christians, walked into the chaos with Christ’s message and a need for physical support for their heavenly message.
What was this supernatural gifting of the Holy Spirit? The Bible’s description is awe-inspiring. Read Acts 2:1-4 again and reflect on the enormity of what happened. Jesus Christ was crucified, risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and His followers faithfully waited for His help and guidance from above. There are other Old Testament examples where God’s presence is connected with magnificent events such as storms, fire, etc. (2 Sam. 22:16; Ps. 18:7-15; Ez. 13:13). Take a moment to look up 1 Kings 19 and compare this situation in Acts with another servant of God who was given an overwhelming mission yet was not abandoned. 1 Kings 19:11-12 shows another sequence of miraculous acts of God. So, here in Acts 2, the Creator of the universe was in the room among the disciples, and He had not abandoned His people. God’s Word was fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit empowered God’s people for their proclamation of the Gospel.
However, back up momentarily and examine Pentecost. In the Old Testament, Pentecost was called the Feast of Weeks and was prescribed in Leviticus 23:15 as a celebration and thanksgiving to the Creator and Sustainer for the harvest. The city of Jerusalem would have been filled with men and women from all nations for the celebration of the feast. This will be why the Holy Spirit empowered their communication.
After reading these next verses, it is clear the crowds filling the streets of Jerusalem were not all Israelites. In fact, the voices filling the marketplaces and echoing through the narrow stone streets would have been a cacophony of languages. The local Hebrew voices were mixed with the accents of foreigners and native languages of the visitors from surrounding lands. These people had gathered to rejoice in the physical harvest, but God was preparing an even greater, spiritual harvest from every nation and tribe under heaven. Notice in verse 6 that news had begun to spread about the disciples’ enthusiastic proclamation of Jesus Christ. The miracle from the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was a divine opportunity for communication. Some have suggested the gift of the Holy Spirit is an ability to speak in ecstatic, otherworldly tongues; what we find here, in Acts 2, is something different. This is a clear gifting of communication in known languages and understanding for the proclamation of a specific message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God brought this mass of people together for one, shining reason. Christ’s death on the cross was for the salvation of all humanity, and this particular crowd was a diverse audience meant to hear “the wonderful works of God.” God was doing wonderful deeds and was working to spread the message of salvation to all people. This was an obvious miracle to everyone standing and listening. They recognized these men as Galileans (verse 7), and it is possible some of the crowd knew the disciples personally. No one expected, or initially believed, they were communicating in their unique, individual, clearly understandable languages. Amazement. Doubt. Confusion. Mocking. The response of the listening crowd was amazement at the miracle, doubt this was happening (am I dreaming?), confusion, and even ridicule. What a range of passionate responses to this shocking miracle. God had powerfully revealed Himself through the Holy Spirit and through the spoken word. Some people marveled, and some people mocked in disbelief. My prayer is that you will respond in wonder, belief, and obedience!
Eastside Worship Playlists
Watch It Again
Sunday Worship – Pastor Tom
Viral Gospel – Revolutionaries, Rabbis, & the Holy Spirit
Sunday Bible Study – Chip Edwards
Faith & Freedom – Galatians
Introduction (pt 2)
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