The Holy Spirit Gives Life

Sermon Notes, September 9, 2012

Pastor Jan Sinozich

Pastor Jan’s message was titled “The Holy Spirit Gives Life.”  The scripture text was Acts 2:37-42, describing events on the Day of Pentecost.

Passover was celebrated each year to remind the Jews of when the Death Angel passed over the households of Israelites who had marked their door frames with the blood of a sacrificial lamb before going to every other household in Egypt to kill the firstborn.  During the Passover feast, everyone came to Jerusalem, and they shared “common goods” with those who came.  Fifty days later, another feast was celebrated: Pentecost, in honor of the first harvest. 

Jesus told his followers to wait in Jerusalem between these two festivals, rather than going back to their homes. (Acts 1:4-5)  The people wondered, “What’s going to happen?”  The beginning of Chapter 2 describes it.  The crowds gathered.  They’d heard the rushing wind, seen the fire, and heard about God’s wonders in their own languages.

The problem—understand it.  They thought they’d solved the problem of Jesus, and the threat he was to their country, with the crucifixion.  Now they see and hear these things from his followers.

The question—what was it?  Peter preached, and the people realized that Jesus was the Messiah, the one they’d waited for, and he’d been crucified.  Verse 37 says that when the people heard, they were cut to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?”

The answer—commit to it.  Peter told them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you.” (v. 38)  At that point, their religion changed from a national God to a personal God.  They were to be baptized in the name of Jesus.  Baptism is the outward sign of an inward commitment to Jesus.  They received the Holy Spirit.  In verses 39-41, we see that 3,000 people left the scribes and Pharisees for the teachings of Jesus, the Messiah.

Like them, we need to see our problem: we can’t be our own God.  We need to ask ourselves, “What shall we do?”  The answer is the same: repent and be baptized.  Receive the Holy Spirit.