Acts 2 - Holy Spirit Power
Acts 2
1.  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house
where they were sitting.
3  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled
them.
5.  Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6  When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilder-ment, because each one heard
them speaking in his own language.
7  Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8  Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native lan-guage?
9  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and
Asia,
10  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11  (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them declaring the wonders of
God in our own tongues!"
12  Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13  Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
14.  Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and ad-dressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews
and all of you who live in Jerusa-lem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
15  These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!
16  No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17  "`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will
prophesy.
19  I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows
of smoke.
20  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and
glorious day of the Lord.
21  And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22  "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man ac-credited by God to you by miracles,
wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
23  This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and fore-knowledge; and you, with the
help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24  But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible
for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 2
37.  When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
"Brothers, what shall we do?"
38  Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God
will call."
40  With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this
corrupt generation."
41  Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their
number that day.


What Happened?
-        God wanted people saved
-        The church needed power
-        The disciples wanted to be effective

Notice this prayer in chapter 4 when the disciples were being per-secuted for their preaching:
Acts 4
29  Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great
boldness.
30  Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of
your holy servant Jesus."
31  After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.



What do we need?  
-        we need power
-        we need boldness
-        we need to be effective
-        we need more than what we have in ourselves
-        we need to see God do something sovereign – something that only God can do

Tonight, I want us to pray together.  I want us to cry out to God to do something.  The world is
perishing – Jesus is their only hope – and we may be their only link to Him.