Pastor Adam Gomez
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Scripture: Acts 2:1-4
I have enjoyed preparing for our time together in this series. We are going to be hanging out in two passages out of the book of Acts for this series.
Acts 2:1-4 says, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Acts 2:42-47 adds, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
In this series, Characteristics of the First Church, we will not be discussing manners and customs, but practical characteristics of the first Christians. Throughout our time together, we will discuss the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the first believers, the apostles’ doctrine, and the fellowship and unity of the first Christians. We will also explore how the first Christians broke bread together, how they prayed, the signs and wonders in the first church, how they had all things in common, and how the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
This series is not meant to be an exhaustive teaching on the topic of church history, but a flyover from 30,000 feet. Let’s dive into the first topic: The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Lives of the First Believers.
The birth of the nation of Israel happened at Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19:18 says, “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.” God gave the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, marking the presence of God in fire and the giving of the law on tablets of stone. Tragically, 3,000 people died that day (Exodus 32:28). As the Apostle Paul later wrote, “The letter kills” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
By contrast, the birth of the Church happened on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, 50 days after Passover, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. Verse 1 through 4 records, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
This was a supernatural phenomenon involving the sound of a rushing mighty wind, the visible presence of the Holy Spirit resting on the heads of every individual in the form of fire, and the ability to speak in other languages. Here, we see the presence of God in fire and the giving of the Holy Spirit to every individual. On this day, 3,000 people were added to the church (Acts 2:41). As Paul wrote, “The Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Let’s read Acts 2:1-4 again: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
What does it mean that they were “filled” with the Holy Spirit? The work of the Holy Spirit can be very difficult to grasp. Throughout my career, I have read several explanations about the work of the Holy Spirit. Most of them are theological, which is helpful, but hardly any of them offer a practical understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Yet, the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the first Christians is very powerful and very insightful for us to glean from.
Can I ask you a couple of questions? How surprised would you be if someone you prayed for was healed? The first Christians wouldn’t be. How shocked would you be if the person sitting next to you began to speak in tongues? The first Christians wouldn’t be. Are you expectant of the work of the Holy Spirit in our day and age? The first Christians were.
Jesus explained the relationship that His disciples would have with the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-18: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
The infilling and indwelling of the Holy Spirit was a brand-new phenomenon to the disciples and the first Christians. In the Old Testament, the work of the Spirit was temporary; the Holy Spirit “came upon” individuals like Joshua, David, Saul, Gideon, and various judges for specific tasks. Indwelling showed God’s pleasure and favor with an individual, such as David, while the Spirit departing showed God’s displeasure and falling out of favor, as seen with King Saul. This is why David cried out in Psalm 51:11, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
In the New Testament, however, the Holy Spirit’s presence is permanent. First Corinthians 3:16 asks, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” First Corinthians 6:19 echoes, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” And Hebrews 13:5 promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
How did the Holy Spirit operate in the lives of the first Christians, and how does He operate in us today?
First, the Holy Spirit transforms us. He moves us from death to life through regeneration, as Jesus explained in John 3:3: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Ephesians 2:1 affirms, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
He also transforms us from weakness to empowerment. Acts 1:8 says, “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.” It is possible that you are not using all the power that the Holy Spirit has granted to you.
What if we relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and prayed for people to be healed, and they were healed? What if we relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and preached the gospel in various contexts, and several people came to believe in Jesus? What if we relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and ministered to people in their circumstances, and their circumstances changed?
Additionally, the Spirit moves us from ignorance to knowledge. Acts 4:13 notes, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
He transforms us from sinful behavior to godly behavior. Second Corinthians 5:17 promises, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Paul reflected on this change in 1 Timothy 1:12-13: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
Second, the Holy Spirit governs us. When we become believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we live under His direction. Just as a horse’s bridle governs the direction of a horse or a ship’s rudder governs the direction of a ship, the Spirit guides our actions:
Finally, the Holy Spirit translates for us. He translates our prayers, as described in Romans 8:26-27: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Have you ever been confused about how to pray, desperate, or overwhelmed? The Holy Spirit translates your prayers—He is sent to our rescue. Unfortunately, some of you have lived your whole Christian life missing out on this understanding.
The Holy Spirit also translates God’s mind to us. As 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, “For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
The first Christians lived with a daily, hands-on awareness of the Holy Spirit actively operating in their lives. So can you!
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Scripture: Acts 2:1-4
I have enjoyed preparing for our time together in this series. We are going to be hanging out in two passages out of the book of Acts for this series.
Acts 2:1-4 says, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Acts 2:42-47 adds, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
In this series, Characteristics of the First Church, we will not be discussing manners and customs, but practical characteristics of the first Christians. Throughout our time together, we will discuss the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the first believers, the apostles’ doctrine, and the fellowship and unity of the first Christians. We will also explore how the first Christians broke bread together, how they prayed, the signs and wonders in the first church, how they had all things in common, and how the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
This series is not meant to be an exhaustive teaching on the topic of church history, but a flyover from 30,000 feet. Let’s dive into the first topic: The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Lives of the First Believers.
The birth of the nation of Israel happened at Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19:18 says, “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.” God gave the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, marking the presence of God in fire and the giving of the law on tablets of stone. Tragically, 3,000 people died that day (Exodus 32:28). As the Apostle Paul later wrote, “The letter kills” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
By contrast, the birth of the Church happened on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, 50 days after Passover, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. Verse 1 through 4 records, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
This was a supernatural phenomenon involving the sound of a rushing mighty wind, the visible presence of the Holy Spirit resting on the heads of every individual in the form of fire, and the ability to speak in other languages. Here, we see the presence of God in fire and the giving of the Holy Spirit to every individual. On this day, 3,000 people were added to the church (Acts 2:41). As Paul wrote, “The Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Let’s read Acts 2:1-4 again: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
What does it mean that they were “filled” with the Holy Spirit? The work of the Holy Spirit can be very difficult to grasp. Throughout my career, I have read several explanations about the work of the Holy Spirit. Most of them are theological, which is helpful, but hardly any of them offer a practical understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Yet, the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the first Christians is very powerful and very insightful for us to glean from.
Can I ask you a couple of questions? How surprised would you be if someone you prayed for was healed? The first Christians wouldn’t be. How shocked would you be if the person sitting next to you began to speak in tongues? The first Christians wouldn’t be. Are you expectant of the work of the Holy Spirit in our day and age? The first Christians were.
Jesus explained the relationship that His disciples would have with the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-18: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
The infilling and indwelling of the Holy Spirit was a brand-new phenomenon to the disciples and the first Christians. In the Old Testament, the work of the Spirit was temporary; the Holy Spirit “came upon” individuals like Joshua, David, Saul, Gideon, and various judges for specific tasks. Indwelling showed God’s pleasure and favor with an individual, such as David, while the Spirit departing showed God’s displeasure and falling out of favor, as seen with King Saul. This is why David cried out in Psalm 51:11, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
In the New Testament, however, the Holy Spirit’s presence is permanent. First Corinthians 3:16 asks, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” First Corinthians 6:19 echoes, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” And Hebrews 13:5 promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
How did the Holy Spirit operate in the lives of the first Christians, and how does He operate in us today?
First, the Holy Spirit transforms us. He moves us from death to life through regeneration, as Jesus explained in John 3:3: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Ephesians 2:1 affirms, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
He also transforms us from weakness to empowerment. Acts 1:8 says, “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.” It is possible that you are not using all the power that the Holy Spirit has granted to you.
What if we relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and prayed for people to be healed, and they were healed? What if we relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and preached the gospel in various contexts, and several people came to believe in Jesus? What if we relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and ministered to people in their circumstances, and their circumstances changed?
Additionally, the Spirit moves us from ignorance to knowledge. Acts 4:13 notes, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
He transforms us from sinful behavior to godly behavior. Second Corinthians 5:17 promises, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Paul reflected on this change in 1 Timothy 1:12-13: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
Second, the Holy Spirit governs us. When we become believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we live under His direction. Just as a horse’s bridle governs the direction of a horse or a ship’s rudder governs the direction of a ship, the Spirit guides our actions:
- “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28)
- “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)
- “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (Ephesians 5:25)
- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Finally, the Holy Spirit translates for us. He translates our prayers, as described in Romans 8:26-27: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Have you ever been confused about how to pray, desperate, or overwhelmed? The Holy Spirit translates your prayers—He is sent to our rescue. Unfortunately, some of you have lived your whole Christian life missing out on this understanding.
The Holy Spirit also translates God’s mind to us. As 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, “For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
The first Christians lived with a daily, hands-on awareness of the Holy Spirit actively operating in their lives. So can you!
Crossroads Church of Denver
WANT TO WATCH MORE?
WANT TO WATCH MORE?