Passover to Tabernacles - Part Nineteen Mar 27, 2022 by: John Herbert | Series: Passover to Tabernacles Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T004_20220327.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me... We will continue to look at the events of the day of Pentecost in 33AD and beyond. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday March 27th 2022 Passover to Tabernacles Part 19 1). Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We are very familiar with the fact that at the Lord’s first Advent He had come to the Jews as Israel’s King, with the offer to them of the Kingdom of the heavens, based upon national repentance. a). And we have also seen that if national repentance had been forthcoming, then not only would the Kingdom of the heavens, rulership from the heavens over the earth, have been Israel’s, but the earthly realm of the Kingdom covenanted to David, would have been restored to Israel as well. b). Israel would have been at the head of the nations on the earth and would have replaced Satan and his angels in the heavens. And in that position, two interrelated things would have been fulfilled, which we find in - Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” And in - Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the LORD, “that I am God. Israel being the repository of God’s blessings for the Gentile nations and God’s Word to those nations would have gone forth as Jonah did – Jon 3:1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. Israel would have taken God’s Word and God’s blessings to the Gentile nations, just as God had purposed for them. c). And the reason for setting these things out once again is so that we keep in mind that the offer of the Kingdom of the heavens made to Israel was not just about rulership of itself but also about redemption and blessing for the Gentile nations. d). And prior to the Lord’s ascension we had seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts, that a calling was given to His apostles to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. A calling that is a continuation of Israel’s calling. e). And as supernatural signs had accompanied the offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to the Jews at the Lord’s advent, so supernatural signs were to follow the preaching of the ‘gospel’ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth. And according to Acts Chapter 1, the apostles would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them to fulfill this calling. f). And we had seen that the preaching of this ‘gospel’ was to bring belief, followed by baptism, and then salvation. And because of the order of these events, the gospel of grace could not be the gospel that was to be preached. And if we add to this the supernatural signs that were to accompany it, we cannot help but realize that this was a ‘gospel’ to be proclaimed by the Jews, because of the first mention principle that had been established in Exodus, whereby both the Jewish people and the Kingdom, earthly or heavenly, must be seen together if such signs would take place. 2). And with the preaching of this gospel in view the Lord commanded His apostles, not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” They were to stay in Jerusalem, the place where their calling was to begin, and wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, ‘not many days from now.’ a). And although Jesus did not specify the exact day the Promise of the Father would be sent, we know that it was on the day of Pentecost ten days after His ascension. b). After Jesus had been raised from the dead, He had spent forty days speaking to His apostles about the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. The number forty signifying completeness. And another ten days after His ascension the Promise of the Father was sent. Ten is a number showing numerical completion. Taking these two numbers showing completeness together, and then combining them with the one hundred and twenty in the upper room that day, a number in which we see a multiplication of ten and twelve. With ten again a number of numerical completeness and twelve the number of perfect government. We can conclude that something significant was to happen with respect to the Kingdom of the heavens when the day of Pentecost had fully come – Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. We also need to keep in mind that the one hundred and twenty in the upper room comprised those who would become the one new man in Christ, to whom the Kingdom of the heavens had been given. c). However, these were not the total number of Jews who had believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, who had believed the message concerning the Kingdom of the heavens, in and around Jerusalem at that time. d). There were quite probably thousands more, but the one hundred and twenty in the upper room were the ones who would become the one new man in Christ, to whom the Kingdom of the heavens was given. With complete governmental perfection seen in the number one hundred and twenty. And these one hundred and twenty were the ones who would re-offer the Kingdom of the heavens to the generation of eternally saved Jews who had not believed that Jesus was the Christ, who had not believed the message, those who had previously rejected the message and the Messenger. e). The one new man in Christ, in line with the commission that Jesus had previously given, was to re-offer the Kingdom of the heavens, now in their possession, to eternally saved Jews, with a view to national repentance and national baptism, to bring to fulfillment national Israel’s God given purpose; to take the Word of God and His blessings to the nations of the earth. f). And this had to begin in Jerusalem as the fulfillment of Israel’s God given purpose was, and remains, contingent on national repentance first. g). And we had seen last time that the one new man in Christ had been brought into existence after a particular fashion, And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. The Holy Spirit filled the house where they were sitting, thereby immersing them, baptizing them, in the Holy Spirit, just as the Lord had promised in Acts Chapter 1. h). What we will keep in mind, is that immersion in the Spirit here has to do with the one new man in Christ and has nothing to do with eternal salvation, other than only those who were eternally saved could have experienced it. i). And having been immersed in the Spirit, this is what happened next, And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The one hundred and twenty being filled with the Spirit in this way had to do with Joel’s prophecy, and the nation’s calling. The experience of the one hundred and twenty being filled with the Spirit that day can also be seen with respect to Paul – Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. 20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. And it can also be seen with the Gentiles, who would be added to the one new man in Christ – Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And the purpose for Gentiles receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit during the Acts period is given to us in – Ro 11:11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Eternally saved Gentiles being filled with the Spirit as those in the upper room were, is peculiar to the Acts period, because of the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to Israel in conjunction with Joel’s prophecy. And being filled with the Holy Spirit, as seen in Acts, was an instantaneous event, as we have seen. j). But this could no longer be the case once the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens came to an end as seen in Acts 28:28. Joel’s prophecy with respect to Israel’s calling could not now be fulfilled. And consequently, an instantaneous filling with the Holy Spirit could no longer be the experience of those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ after that time. This was not our experience. 3). 1 Co 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free As we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for our eternal salvation, so we were immersed, baptized, in the Holy Spirit, just as we saw with those in the upper room on the day of Pentecost prior to them being filled with the Spirit. a). As we think about this let’s keep in mind, that our eternal salvation, based upon death and shed blood is one thing and our immersion in the Holy Spirit is another. b). Eternal redemption is always through death and shed blood, just as was initially set in place in foundation in Genesis Chapter 3, and this can never change. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.’ Our immersion in the Spirit had to do exclusively with our becoming a part of the one new man in Christ. Immersion in the Spirit cannot be seen as a requirement for receiving eternal life. c). In Acts Chapter 2, and other places in Acts, we had seen that immersion in the Spirit was followed by being instantly filled with the Spirit, an instantaneous experience. But beyond the end of the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to Israel, because of the cessation of Joel’s prophecy, being filled with the Spirit could no longer be an instantaneous event. And this is something which we would know from our own experience as well. d). Having been immersed in the Spirit, we were then to be subsequently filled with the Spirit by a continual and progressive process. Which we will remember from – Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be [continually] filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Here in the Book of Ephesians is the familiar command for us to be continually filled with the Spirit. And to effectively make the distinction between what took place in Acts and what is commanded in Ephesians, the Holy Spirit has used two different Greek words that are translated ‘filled’ in English. e). There is one word, ‘pimplemi’, that is used in Acts for being filled with the Spirit that is used in conjunction with Joel’s prophecy, and another word, ‘pleroo’ used in Ephesians for being filled with the Spirit, which is used apart from Joel’s prophecy. f). Joel’s prophecy being fulfilled or not being fulfilled is the key to understanding the two different methods of being filled with the Spirit. And the Lord has been careful to make this distinction by using these two different Greek words. g). It would be good for us to note that Joel’s prophecy has nothing to do with the Church today. It is a prophecy that relates to the Jewish people and the fulfillment of their calling to be God’s witness within the context of the last days. And as the Jewish people and their calling have been set aside until the end of this dispensation, so Joel’s prophecy awaits a future fulfillment when God resumes His dealings with the Jews once again. 4). For us today, it is only by receiving with meekness the implanted Word of God that we can now be continually filled with the Spirit – 2 Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, [is God breathed] and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. It is the same truth that Jesus taught to the Jews in – Jn 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life [for the age] in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has [life for the age] eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. And the same thing with respect to us in the companion verses to Ephesians 5:18-19 - Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The verses from John Chapter 6 and Colossians Chapter 3 essentially deal with the same thing. That which Jesus said to the Jews recorded in John must be seen within the context of the message He brought. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood contextually, would be receiving the good news of the Kingdom of the heavens, believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, allowing those who did so to have life for the age to come. e). Jesus, at His first Advent spoke about and taught about nothing else. His focus was always the Kingdom of the heavens in relation to Israel and the Seventh Day – Lk 4:42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” The ‘word of Christ’ seen in Colossians, is essentially the same thing within a Christian context. It is the Word concerning the Christ and His Kingdom, that which is being offered to the one new man in Christ, the Kingdom of the heavens which was taken from Israel. g). We may think of this in terms of the Word of the Kingdom or the gospel of the glory of Christ, but whichever of these phrases comes to our mind, we must settle in our thinking that the offer of the Kingdom of the heavens and the salvation of our soul, forms the content of the NT epistles, NOT salvation by grace through faith. h). And our continual filling with the Spirit is inextricably connected to our growth to spiritual maturity, to our transformation – Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him… Clearly then, for us to be continually filled with the Spirit is not just about reading the words on the pages of our Bible. Rather it is reading the Bible after the fashion that God has given it to us, beginning in Genesis. Allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth from above the truth of the Word that will transform us by the renewing of our minds – Jn 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. And just as eternally saved Nicodemus, within the context of the Lord’s first Advent, did not understand what Jesus had said to him, even though he was the teacher of Israel, we can understand how it is possible for Christians today, as in the past, to be eternally saved but not be filled with the Spirit – Ro 8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. With a proper understanding of our immersion in the Spirit and our subsequent continual filling with the Spirit, we will realize that it would be incorrect to ask for the Holy Spirit to come and join us for our service on a Sunday morning. Nor should we ask that those who preach the Word to us should be filled with the Spirit to deliver the message. Either those who preach will already be continually filled with the Spirit in the way that Scripture has described, or they won’t. Over this we can have no influence. i). To say this again, that we might be clear, there is only one way that we can be continually filled with the Spirit, having first been immersed in the Spirit, and that is through a proper engagement with the Word of Christ and His Kingdom, so that we would have faith to the saving of the soul, the so great salvation – Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 5). A proper understanding of these things is important for us as they will enable us to rightly divide the Word of truth, which according to the Scripture, we must do if we are not to be ashamed at the Lord’s Judgment Seat. a). A proper understanding of these things will enable us to escape from old religious mindsets and religious habit that we may fall back into without it. With the proper understanding we can be like Paul – Php 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. More next time – if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. Passover to Tabernacles - Part Nineteen Mar 27, 2022 Speaker: John Herbert Series: Passover to Tabernacles Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T004_20220327.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me... We will continue to look at the events of the day of Pentecost in 33AD and beyond. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday March 27th 2022 Passover to Tabernacles Part 19 1). Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We are very familiar with the fact that at the Lord’s first Advent He had come to the Jews as Israel’s King, with the offer to them of the Kingdom of the heavens, based upon national repentance. a). And we have also seen that if national repentance had been forthcoming, then not only would the Kingdom of the heavens, rulership from the heavens over the earth, have been Israel’s, but the earthly realm of the Kingdom covenanted to David, would have been restored to Israel as well. b). Israel would have been at the head of the nations on the earth and would have replaced Satan and his angels in the heavens. And in that position, two interrelated things would have been fulfilled, which we find in - Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” And in - Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the LORD, “that I am God. Israel being the repository of God’s blessings for the Gentile nations and God’s Word to those nations would have gone forth as Jonah did – Jon 3:1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. Israel would have taken God’s Word and God’s blessings to the Gentile nations, just as God had purposed for them. c). And the reason for setting these things out once again is so that we keep in mind that the offer of the Kingdom of the heavens made to Israel was not just about rulership of itself but also about redemption and blessing for the Gentile nations. d). And prior to the Lord’s ascension we had seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts, that a calling was given to His apostles to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. A calling that is a continuation of Israel’s calling. e). And as supernatural signs had accompanied the offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to the Jews at the Lord’s advent, so supernatural signs were to follow the preaching of the ‘gospel’ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth. And according to Acts Chapter 1, the apostles would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them to fulfill this calling. f). And we had seen that the preaching of this ‘gospel’ was to bring belief, followed by baptism, and then salvation. And because of the order of these events, the gospel of grace could not be the gospel that was to be preached. And if we add to this the supernatural signs that were to accompany it, we cannot help but realize that this was a ‘gospel’ to be proclaimed by the Jews, because of the first mention principle that had been established in Exodus, whereby both the Jewish people and the Kingdom, earthly or heavenly, must be seen together if such signs would take place. 2). And with the preaching of this gospel in view the Lord commanded His apostles, not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” They were to stay in Jerusalem, the place where their calling was to begin, and wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, ‘not many days from now.’ a). And although Jesus did not specify the exact day the Promise of the Father would be sent, we know that it was on the day of Pentecost ten days after His ascension. b). After Jesus had been raised from the dead, He had spent forty days speaking to His apostles about the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. The number forty signifying completeness. And another ten days after His ascension the Promise of the Father was sent. Ten is a number showing numerical completion. Taking these two numbers showing completeness together, and then combining them with the one hundred and twenty in the upper room that day, a number in which we see a multiplication of ten and twelve. With ten again a number of numerical completeness and twelve the number of perfect government. We can conclude that something significant was to happen with respect to the Kingdom of the heavens when the day of Pentecost had fully come – Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. We also need to keep in mind that the one hundred and twenty in the upper room comprised those who would become the one new man in Christ, to whom the Kingdom of the heavens had been given. c). However, these were not the total number of Jews who had believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, who had believed the message concerning the Kingdom of the heavens, in and around Jerusalem at that time. d). There were quite probably thousands more, but the one hundred and twenty in the upper room were the ones who would become the one new man in Christ, to whom the Kingdom of the heavens was given. With complete governmental perfection seen in the number one hundred and twenty. And these one hundred and twenty were the ones who would re-offer the Kingdom of the heavens to the generation of eternally saved Jews who had not believed that Jesus was the Christ, who had not believed the message, those who had previously rejected the message and the Messenger. e). The one new man in Christ, in line with the commission that Jesus had previously given, was to re-offer the Kingdom of the heavens, now in their possession, to eternally saved Jews, with a view to national repentance and national baptism, to bring to fulfillment national Israel’s God given purpose; to take the Word of God and His blessings to the nations of the earth. f). And this had to begin in Jerusalem as the fulfillment of Israel’s God given purpose was, and remains, contingent on national repentance first. g). And we had seen last time that the one new man in Christ had been brought into existence after a particular fashion, And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. The Holy Spirit filled the house where they were sitting, thereby immersing them, baptizing them, in the Holy Spirit, just as the Lord had promised in Acts Chapter 1. h). What we will keep in mind, is that immersion in the Spirit here has to do with the one new man in Christ and has nothing to do with eternal salvation, other than only those who were eternally saved could have experienced it. i). And having been immersed in the Spirit, this is what happened next, And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The one hundred and twenty being filled with the Spirit in this way had to do with Joel’s prophecy, and the nation’s calling. The experience of the one hundred and twenty being filled with the Spirit that day can also be seen with respect to Paul – Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. 20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. And it can also be seen with the Gentiles, who would be added to the one new man in Christ – Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And the purpose for Gentiles receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit during the Acts period is given to us in – Ro 11:11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Eternally saved Gentiles being filled with the Spirit as those in the upper room were, is peculiar to the Acts period, because of the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to Israel in conjunction with Joel’s prophecy. And being filled with the Holy Spirit, as seen in Acts, was an instantaneous event, as we have seen. j). But this could no longer be the case once the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens came to an end as seen in Acts 28:28. Joel’s prophecy with respect to Israel’s calling could not now be fulfilled. And consequently, an instantaneous filling with the Holy Spirit could no longer be the experience of those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ after that time. This was not our experience. 3). 1 Co 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free As we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for our eternal salvation, so we were immersed, baptized, in the Holy Spirit, just as we saw with those in the upper room on the day of Pentecost prior to them being filled with the Spirit. a). As we think about this let’s keep in mind, that our eternal salvation, based upon death and shed blood is one thing and our immersion in the Holy Spirit is another. b). Eternal redemption is always through death and shed blood, just as was initially set in place in foundation in Genesis Chapter 3, and this can never change. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.’ Our immersion in the Spirit had to do exclusively with our becoming a part of the one new man in Christ. Immersion in the Spirit cannot be seen as a requirement for receiving eternal life. c). In Acts Chapter 2, and other places in Acts, we had seen that immersion in the Spirit was followed by being instantly filled with the Spirit, an instantaneous experience. But beyond the end of the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to Israel, because of the cessation of Joel’s prophecy, being filled with the Spirit could no longer be an instantaneous event. And this is something which we would know from our own experience as well. d). Having been immersed in the Spirit, we were then to be subsequently filled with the Spirit by a continual and progressive process. Which we will remember from – Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be [continually] filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Here in the Book of Ephesians is the familiar command for us to be continually filled with the Spirit. And to effectively make the distinction between what took place in Acts and what is commanded in Ephesians, the Holy Spirit has used two different Greek words that are translated ‘filled’ in English. e). There is one word, ‘pimplemi’, that is used in Acts for being filled with the Spirit that is used in conjunction with Joel’s prophecy, and another word, ‘pleroo’ used in Ephesians for being filled with the Spirit, which is used apart from Joel’s prophecy. f). Joel’s prophecy being fulfilled or not being fulfilled is the key to understanding the two different methods of being filled with the Spirit. And the Lord has been careful to make this distinction by using these two different Greek words. g). It would be good for us to note that Joel’s prophecy has nothing to do with the Church today. It is a prophecy that relates to the Jewish people and the fulfillment of their calling to be God’s witness within the context of the last days. And as the Jewish people and their calling have been set aside until the end of this dispensation, so Joel’s prophecy awaits a future fulfillment when God resumes His dealings with the Jews once again. 4). For us today, it is only by receiving with meekness the implanted Word of God that we can now be continually filled with the Spirit – 2 Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, [is God breathed] and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. It is the same truth that Jesus taught to the Jews in – Jn 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life [for the age] in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has [life for the age] eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. And the same thing with respect to us in the companion verses to Ephesians 5:18-19 - Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The verses from John Chapter 6 and Colossians Chapter 3 essentially deal with the same thing. That which Jesus said to the Jews recorded in John must be seen within the context of the message He brought. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood contextually, would be receiving the good news of the Kingdom of the heavens, believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, allowing those who did so to have life for the age to come. e). Jesus, at His first Advent spoke about and taught about nothing else. His focus was always the Kingdom of the heavens in relation to Israel and the Seventh Day – Lk 4:42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” The ‘word of Christ’ seen in Colossians, is essentially the same thing within a Christian context. It is the Word concerning the Christ and His Kingdom, that which is being offered to the one new man in Christ, the Kingdom of the heavens which was taken from Israel. g). We may think of this in terms of the Word of the Kingdom or the gospel of the glory of Christ, but whichever of these phrases comes to our mind, we must settle in our thinking that the offer of the Kingdom of the heavens and the salvation of our soul, forms the content of the NT epistles, NOT salvation by grace through faith. h). And our continual filling with the Spirit is inextricably connected to our growth to spiritual maturity, to our transformation – Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him… Clearly then, for us to be continually filled with the Spirit is not just about reading the words on the pages of our Bible. Rather it is reading the Bible after the fashion that God has given it to us, beginning in Genesis. Allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth from above the truth of the Word that will transform us by the renewing of our minds – Jn 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. And just as eternally saved Nicodemus, within the context of the Lord’s first Advent, did not understand what Jesus had said to him, even though he was the teacher of Israel, we can understand how it is possible for Christians today, as in the past, to be eternally saved but not be filled with the Spirit – Ro 8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. With a proper understanding of our immersion in the Spirit and our subsequent continual filling with the Spirit, we will realize that it would be incorrect to ask for the Holy Spirit to come and join us for our service on a Sunday morning. Nor should we ask that those who preach the Word to us should be filled with the Spirit to deliver the message. Either those who preach will already be continually filled with the Spirit in the way that Scripture has described, or they won’t. Over this we can have no influence. i). To say this again, that we might be clear, there is only one way that we can be continually filled with the Spirit, having first been immersed in the Spirit, and that is through a proper engagement with the Word of Christ and His Kingdom, so that we would have faith to the saving of the soul, the so great salvation – Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 5). A proper understanding of these things is important for us as they will enable us to rightly divide the Word of truth, which according to the Scripture, we must do if we are not to be ashamed at the Lord’s Judgment Seat. a). A proper understanding of these things will enable us to escape from old religious mindsets and religious habit that we may fall back into without it. With the proper understanding we can be like Paul – Php 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. More next time – if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.