[0:00] I read from Acts chapter 2.
[0:23] Originally, actually supposed to be reading and want to read from verse 5. But to get it within the proper context, I'll prefer to go back from verse 1.
[0:36] So Acts chapter 2 from verse 1. When the day of Pentecost was 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.
[0:47] And it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire. And it sat on each of them.
[0:57] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
[1:14] Now, when this was noised abroad, the multitudes came together and were confounded. Because that every man heard them speak in their own language.
[1:26] And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we, every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
[1:40] Parthians and Midas and Elimites and the dwellers of Mesopotamia and in Judea and in Cappadocia, in Pontus, in Asia, in Phrygia, in Pamphylia, in Egypt, in the parts of Libya, about Cyrene and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians.
[2:01] We do hear them speak in our own tongue the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed and were in doubts, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
[2:13] Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known unto you and hearken unto my words.
[2:29] For these are not drunk as ye supposed, seeing it is about the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by Joel the prophet.
[2:40] It shall come to pass. In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
[2:58] And on my servants, on my handmaiden, I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
[3:13] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come.
[3:25] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Here ends. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for gathering us here and giving us the privilege to be part of this convocation and to be part of this session.
[3:43] We pray that as your word is taught, let grace be caught. As your word is taught, let Christ be seen. As your word is taught, let Christ be heard. Heal the sick, deliver the captives.
[3:55] Do amazing things, and demonstrate your wonders amongst us through the teaching of your word. Let it come to pass. As you said, they preach, and God confirm his word with signs and wonders.
[4:06] Lord, you are the only one who can confirm your word. Let the teaching of your word be accompanied by signs and wonders to the glory of your name. We thank you in Jesus' name.
[4:17] Amen. Hallelujah. In the last session, I spoke about how the day of Pentacles, the things that happened, they were together, and suddenly a sound came from heaven.
[4:30] Say a sound from heaven. A sound from heaven. Never underestimate the significance of a sound from heaven. It is what determines the value of the things we do in church. The sound from heaven within what we do.
[4:43] A sound came from heaven, and it didn't come outside. It filled the house first. The move of God starts in church. So for those who don't think that being part of the Christian gathering is necessary, I do not think you are operating in a safe zone.
[5:01] The gathering of the believers, the gathering of God's people is necessary because he said, I'll call them my people. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6, I will walk among them.
[5:13] They shall be towards the late teens. 2 Corinthians chapter 6. I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will pity I'm God, and they shall be my people. I will walk among them.
[5:25] In Revelation chapter 1, he says that when he turned to see the voice that spoke to him, when he turned, verse 12, he saw seven golden candlesticks or lampstands or candlesticks.
[5:39] And then in the midst of the candlesticks, there was one like the Son of Man. And in the verse 21, Jesus himself told him that the candlesticks you saw are the seven churches of Asia.
[5:52] So the candlesticks represented the churches. And the stars of the candlesticks are the angels of the churches. So the candlesticks represented the churches.
[6:04] So in verse 12, when he said, I saw seven candlesticks, another way of putting it, I saw seven churches. And where did you see the Son of Man? He is in the midst of the churches.
[6:15] If God is going to do anything, he starts from the church. For those who trivialize the importance of church, you will miss God hands down. Jacob, he's a first encounter with God after his father blessed him.
[6:29] And he ran away from home as a fugitive. In Genesis chapter 28, verse 12, he got to a place called Lass and he took a stone of the place to sleep. And at night he had a dream and he saw the heavens open.
[6:43] And he saw angels descending and ascending on a ladder, which stopped reaching to the heaven. And then the Lord stood at the top of it and spoke to him that, Joseph, I am the God of your father Abraham and Isaac.
[6:54] And on the land, he said, I will give it to you. He had strange, wonderful encounters. And when he woke up from his dream, verse 16, he said, surely the Lord was here and they didn't know. And he said, this is none other but the house of God.
[7:06] That's the first time that phrase was used in the Bible, the house of God. Jacob, his encounter with God knew that God on earth deals a place from his house. So, Paul told Timothy that you should know how to behave yourself in the house of God in the book of 1 Timothy.
[7:25] He said, the church is the pillar and the grounds of the truth, the house of the living God, chapter 3. That if I delay, you might, I write to these things so you know how to conduct yourself in church.
[7:39] There is a way scripture expects us to behave among the believers. And he said, I'm writing these things so you know how to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church. What's the house of God?
[7:52] This is pure grammar. There's no other way you can put it. The church is the house of God. The church is the body of Christ. The house of God. So, God starts, if you really want to catch somebody and trace them, go to his house.
[8:07] There are people, you won't see them in their office. You will definitely catch them. in my home. Because no one lives in their office. Some people in the city looks like, but they still have homes.
[8:20] When they ask you for your address, you don't give your office. You can't give my residential address. Your address is where you can be traced to. And God said, if you want to trace me, trace me to my house.
[8:33] God also has an address on earth. If you want to run a check on God, his identity is the scripture. His address is the church.
[8:46] Yes. Oh, yes. God has got a photo ID. It is this one. The Bible is God's photo ID.
[8:58] Government issue ID is this one. You can't see God without looking into the scriptures. address. And his address is his house, the church.
[9:11] So, when they are gathered, a son came from heaven and it filled the whole house first before it became noised abroad.
[9:22] It filled the house where they were sitting. And, Bible says that suddenly, clothing tongues of fire, and I explained it in the last session.
[9:35] Sat on each of them. Then, verse 4 says, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak with glosser. Now, verse 5, he said, and there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews.
[9:53] At that time this happened, they were, Jews have always dwelt in Jerusalem. This is not a normal one because I told you the Jews have three major festivals or major feasts.
[10:12] Three of their feasts are the major ones which is the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Now, Passover is a bit earlier in the year.
[10:23] That's when it's around the same time we celebrate Easter because Jesus Christ was crucified at Passover. So, we celebrate Easter around Passover time. And then, not too many days from there, 50 days after Passover, all right, Pent, I thought of it, Pentecost, five ghosts.
[10:44] So, we have the Feast of Pentecost which is also called the Feast of Ingathering which is also called the Feast of Harvest. And the Feast of Weeks. That is the biggest of all the feasts because of the timing of the year.
[11:00] It's very summerish. So, people travel and the Jews, when is the feast? They travel from everywhere. But sometimes, people can't make it for every feast. But if you can't make it for any of the feast, ask for Pentacles, you will come.
[11:14] So, people travel from everywhere. Even Paul in his ministry times, he said, I'm trying to hurry up. If I adventure, I can be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. That tells you the value of Pentecost to the Jews.
[11:29] Paul said, I want to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. And, in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, I think verse 8, he also makes reference to Pentecost. Because Pentecost was a necessary battery in Ephesus until Pentecost.
[11:43] Pentecost was a significant season. Period. So, a lot of Jews have traveled from the diaspora, the unknown world, and have come to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost.
[11:55] It's like God timed the arrival of the Holy Ghost. Where multitudes have traveled from different parts of the world. They all had to come and witness what was happening because the sound must enter them.
[12:08] So, you will see from this text that the text we just read in Acts chapter 2, verse 5, said there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men.
[12:20] Did you see that? Now, when the Bible says out of every nation, it's talking about their then known world. At that material moment, their then known world. There's no part of, in those days, the known world that people didn't come.
[12:32] I don't think they were British there because those times, all these parts were not really known. The activity, center of gravity was in those parts of the world. So, Bible said people came from out of every nation under heaven.
[12:48] I mean, that's a serious one. Every nation under heaven. You know, phrases like this is, in theological terms, is, they are metaphors. Okay?
[12:58] Just like in Mark chapter 1, verse 5, talking about John's baptism. He was baptizing and the Bible says that everybody, the Bible says that all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sin.
[13:17] Now, all the land of Judea, do you mean people who just gave birth to? Someone who had just given birth yesterday who can't go. There are people who definitely might be under the weather who might be sick. There were babies who can't go.
[13:30] So, when they say, oh, it's a figure of speech. When they say, all the land of Judea, anyone who matters, who could do it, who could make it work. It doesn't mean the place was empty. Does that make sense? So, when you are reading the scriptures, you can jump into conclusion and say, oh, the Bible, you have to, there are different figures of speeches in the scriptures.
[13:49] There are different figures. So, when you read Proverbs, you must be very careful what you are reading. Just, you have to be a bit familiar with grammar to be able to rightly divide the word of truth. Else, what might be a figure of speech?
[14:01] For instance, the Bible said, he that sitteth in the heavenly shall laugh. Does that mean God has the back side? Do you understand what I'm saying? It might be just a figure of speech.
[14:14] So, there are a lot of figures of speech in there. You have to read it in the context of what we are saying. So, when they said, every nation under heaven, it does not practically mean every country you know, United Nations.
[14:29] people have gathered in Jerusalem. God waited for that time. And verse 6 says that, I like this bit, now, when this was noise abroad, can we all read that bit together?
[14:46] Let's go. Now, when this was noise abroad. One more time, please. Now, when this was noise abroad. The thing is that, what is the disc referring to? So, it would be good sometimes to check other versions.
[14:59] Let's go to New King James. Then we'll go to NIV. Then we'll go to a New American starter version. And then we'll stop at New Living Translation. And when this sound occurred, is it possible it's referring to the sound that came from heaven?
[15:18] This sound, okay, the multitude came together and were confused. Now, let's look at NIV. NIV says that, when they heard the sound, it seems to this, this thing is referring to that sound that filled the house.
[15:37] Let's look at New American Standard Version. And when this sound occurred, I didn't mention English Standard Version. These are healthy versions. Good, good Bibles.
[15:48] If you want to use good Bibles, these ones I've mentioned. And then if you want to do Bible studies, then you need the other ones just to help you get the picture of what is being said.
[16:01] So, now, English Standard Version, very good version. English Standard Version said, and at this sound, all I'm trying to look for is what the this is referring.
[16:12] Kijem says that, and when this was noise abroad. So, it seems, I've always thought it was the noise that people were making. Because when people are speaking in tongues, whether you can hear or you can understand, you don't understand, it can be quite noisy.
[16:28] when this was noise abroad, what attracted the people was not initially their tongues, not their aunties, and what attracted them was this sound amongst them.
[16:42] Because why would farmers, shop owners, businessmen, why would they stop everything at 9 a.m. to come and gather? because people are speaking different languages.
[16:55] And especially when you are in a multicultural, multilingual society, at that time, people have come from all over the world, you'll definitely hear different languages.
[17:07] So people will not gather simply because others are speaking different languages. Go to Oxford Street, you'll see different colors or Westminster Bridge, different every given time, even in the night, and you'll speak different nationalities and speak in different languages.
[17:24] You don't gather and stop everything when you're supposed to catch a train. So it wasn't the languages they were speaking that attracted people. Bible says that when this, what was the sound, oh my goodness, if we can get the sound from heaven in our midst, the world will hear us.
[17:43] When this was noise abroad, when this was noise abroad, when this sound, they heard it outside, they heard, it wasn't a bang, but it was a noise that was like a hurricane.
[17:58] And yet, so can you imagine, if you are familiar with windstorm or gale force, I don't know how many of you have seen some before, but you know some of these gale force, you are home and your bins are moving.
[18:14] Usually when the winds are, bins are flying everywhere because some of those force are very strong. I've seen quite a few examples, you don't want to go out afterwards to move these bins again, but gale force, they'll be moving the bins.
[18:27] So can you imagine you are home and you could hear in your neighbor's place what looks like gale force. Obviously, it will get your attention. What's going on?
[18:37] But you don't see it outside. But there's gale force moving inside the place, but there's no physical sign that things are moving. No. What kind of sound is this? Where is it coming from?
[18:49] Where? Where? Everybody. Where is it coming? So when this war, it attracted people who have traveled from everywhere. And lo and behold, only to come and see something very strange.
[19:00] The Bible says that when they came together, they were confounded. Now they were confused about, now we heard the gale force, but we hear people speaking. Is it the people who kept speaking? I believe that as the people kept speaking, the force of the sound started doing because the thing was finding an expression in people.
[19:19] And it was coming out as sounds of languages. They were confounded. Why? Because every one of them couldn't say that. I don't understand what they are saying. Every one of them heard them speaking in their own language.
[19:35] Now that tells you there are people from the diaspora, different places. They say, what is this? What is this? So now, what attracted them was the sound. But when they came to church and found out what was happening in church, they said, I understand why the pastor is talking very well.
[19:51] How did you know I was here? How did you know that's exactly what I was discussing yesterday? So they began, when the sound will attract you, but what is going on in church, which is inspired and influenced by the sound, is what determines the conversion rate.
[20:07] So they were confused. they were confounded. Some translators were amazed because every, why were they confounded? Every, every, every man, that man there, please, those who have issues with, he's not male, every human being, every person, every man heard them speaking in his own language.
[20:31] Verse 7, and they were all amazed and marveled. what is theirs? Do you know what amazed them? Haven't you heard people speaking your language before? Does they amaze you?
[20:44] For those of you who've been to Thailand before, you went to Thailand and you heard someone speaking with British accent. You all always say, oh, there's some British here, but you're not surprised. So when you hear people speak in your language, it doesn't surprise you.
[21:00] It's not something unique to hear people speak in your language. So what was the main amazement? They heard them, they were marveled, saying one to another, that's where the problem is.
[21:12] The people speaking is what is giving us the problem. It's not the language you're speaking, but the people speaking. Are not all these Galenians?
[21:23] People who sell Galenians? Are not all these Galenians? Now, there was something unique about Galenians, Acts chapter 13, verse 31, Matthew chapter 27.
[21:37] Let's go. So Jesus, when he came to Jerusalem, he came with some Galenians.
[21:50] You know, when Jesus left and went to heaven, the angel, Acts chapter 1, verse 11, the angel who was addressing the disciples who were left behind, who saw him go, look at what the angel said, men of Galenians, they were Galileans.
[22:04] Jesus himself was a Galilean and his disciples were primarily all Galilean. According to scholars, the only one who was not really Galilean is from the north, or I think they said, was Judas.
[22:16] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So he, he, Judas had an issue, discrimination issue, everything he thinks that is, they don't like him.
[22:27] hallelujah. At least not, that's big Galenians. Do you remember Peter?
[22:39] In Matthew chapter 26, verse 69, Peter, when Jesus was arrested and they were beating, Peter said, I will never deny you. And when he saw the way they were beating Jesus, he said, no, I can't take this one.
[22:51] He was trying to hide quietly, like sometimes the way you can come and hide in a congregation. You know, people can hide in a congregation. And sometimes you don't want to notice them because the way they look at me, you can tell they are hiding.
[23:05] What were you doing last night and he's making you, he's making you hide in the congregation. So, Matthew chapter 26, verse 69, now Peter sat outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came saying, you also were with Jesus of God and you were with him.
[23:28] Luke chapter 22, 59, similar thing. You have Jesus of God but other people are sitting there. Why is it that she singled him out? Someone came to Peter again then after about an hour, sorry, another confidently, the person was so sure, a firm, saying, surely, this fellow also was with him for because the Galileans were not too many in Jerusalem.
[23:58] So, he said, no, he said, so, but what makes you look at a person to identify where he's coming from? Two things in those days that would make you know where a person is coming from.
[24:08] Is there attire? In the middle is in those days, what you wear, they use that to identify who you are, where you are coming from. your apparel, your attire.
[24:19] So, you can see somebody's appearance or their dressing, and it tells you exactly, tell you where they are coming from. Sometimes, even in the modern days, when you see the way people dress, it tells you what kind of, where they belong, a whole spectrum of other things.
[24:39] So, they identify them with their clothes. Number two, they identify them with their assent. Their assent.
[24:49] Now, it's very interesting what I'm saying. In Mark chapter 14, look at Mark chapter 14, verse 17. That's how they identify Peter. They said to Peter, but he denied again, and a little later, those who stood by said to Peter again, surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.
[25:12] Your accents, you can't hide Peter. When he said, hey, you are one of them, even when he said, no, I'm not, ah, the accent. Because Galileans had a very peculiar accent, to the extent that even when, among the Jews, when they spoke their own Jewish language, it is very different.
[25:30] They cannot struggle, their accent is funny. So they struggle to speak their own language, let alone foreign languages. And then they were amazed because this, we can't tell from their Galileans.
[25:43] And Galileans struggle to have accent problem. And yet, in spite of their inadequacies, we hear them speak fluently in our own language.
[25:55] That was their amazement. They're confused. Galileans shouldn't be able to speak their Hebrew language properly, let alone foreign languages. and they said, we all hear them.
[26:07] Listen, let's go to the text again. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speak in their own language. Verse 7, and they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?
[26:26] How come? Verse 8, and how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we are born? So they can hear the proper accent. So when he says that in our own manatong, we are talking about he's speaking it like he was born there, the original one.
[26:42] And the people said we can hear them speak in our own native language. They're speaking it fluently. That was a matter of concern. They were flabbergasted.
[26:55] What? What's going on? Watch this. The next verse. Then they start mentioning where they were coming from, all this. Parthians, Midas.
[27:07] God's time will not permit me. In fact, when I saw the Elimites, I was doing studies and I found out most of these names are not appearing ones. They've appeared in scriptures like Amidus.
[27:18] They've appeared in scriptures already in Genesis and other parts. And the Elimites, you know Chedalooma, the one who went to take Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah.
[27:31] after Abraham and Lot separated, Lot chose the plains of Jordan because it was well watered. And now he pitched his tent in Sodom.
[27:42] And Chedalooma, he gathered other kings and they came and attacked those territories. And they captured Lot in Genesis chapter 14. And Abraham the Hebrew, somebody ran and went and told Abraham the Hebrew that they have captured your nephew, Lot, and they are going to execute them.
[28:01] So Abraham guarded the boys, race and train in his house, an army. And they went and fought and overcame Chedalooma. And when you study very carefully, Chedalooma is the king, let's go to the first time Chedalooma appeared in Genesis chapter 14, yes, verse 9.
[28:21] Again, you see the king of where? That's the Elamites. There's several names that appeared and you can see that God is a global God. He's not only a Jewish God.
[28:34] God is a God of all men. He created all men. So even though he was at that time, he committed his oracles to the Jews, he also had an eye on the others.
[28:46] And on the day of Pentacles, people from all those places have gathered in Jerusalem. They have come because he waited for Elamites to come. So it says Elamites, dwellers of Mesopotamia, Hippopotamus, Hippo, and Temos.
[29:08] Hippo is horse, Temos is river. So horse river, Hippo too. So Mesopotamia, city between rivers. Okay, so people from Mesopotamia and Judea and Cappadocia and Pontus, all these places, 1 Peter 1, you see Cappadocia there, Pontus and Asia.
[29:28] Acts chapter 19, verse 10, all Asia had the word. All these places were places that were there, but they came from all over Asia. And then let's go on the next verse, Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia.
[29:42] Acts chapter 13, verse 13, when they got to Pamphylia, the guy left. Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Egypt, someone say Egypt. Egypt. Say Egypt.
[29:53] That's where God's children went into slavery. They went into slavery in Egypt and they were there for several years. And afterwards in Exodus chapter 12, verse 51, God judged Egypt and brought his people out of Egypt.
[30:07] But he still had an eye of Egypt. That in those days, he would save Egypt. Israel came out of the land of Egypt. Wherever you found yourself stranded, I see you coming out in the name of Jesus.
[30:18] And in Genesis chapter 37, Bible talks about how Joseph was, verse 28, Genesis 37, verse 28, Joseph was sold into Egypt.
[30:28] He was bought by, very interesting, and then they passed by Midianites, Medianites merchantmen. They buy people.
[30:40] So they were coming and then they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites so among the Midianites, Midians are very dangerous people.
[30:52] They are enemies of God's people. And then the Ishmaelites, Abraham, Abraham, when he was not patient to wait for God and took a detour and stepped into a territory he shouldn't, he produced Ishmael and Ishmael was the one who came to buy Joseph.
[31:15] Many years after Abraham is dead, and gone, his fruits were still biting his children. Ishmaelites were the ones who bought Joseph. They were getting Joseph rid of Joseph.
[31:27] But thank God, when God is with you, even mistakes of your parents, God has a way of fixing it for you. Someone shout Amen. So they bought him and took him into Egypt.
[31:41] That's how they ended that in Egypt. And on the day of Egypt was there, God has not written Egypt off. I'm telling you, God has not written United Kingdom off.
[31:52] God has not written America off. God has not written any nation off. God has not written Saudi Arabia off. God has not written China off. God has not written South Korea off. God has not written Canada off.
[32:03] God has not written France off. God doesn't rise to any nation off. And even all those years, he still had an eye on them to the extent that on the day the Holy Ghost was coming, they were also there.
[32:15] They were represented there. Egypt! And he talks about an impasse of Libya about Cyrene. Remember Cyrene? They forced this guy to carry Jesus' cross.
[32:26] A man from Cyrene. In Matthew chapter 27. They caught him. He said, come, and carried a cross. A man of Cyrene. Cyrene didn't appear just there. It's been always there. I like Cretans. Cretans, Bible says that Paul said Cretans are liars.
[32:40] Their own prophets have said, please put the scripture back on. Acts chapter 2. Let's continue from there. I want to show you something. So, Acts chapter 2. Libya about Cyrene and strangers of Rome, Jews, so strangers from Rome, Jews and proselytes.
[32:57] I'm going to touch on that in a moment. But I want to finish the names of the places where they came from. And then we'll go to the proselytes. And then it said that Cretans, you see, and Arabians.
[33:09] Ah! So Arabians were in the Bible, yes. In Galatians chapter 1 verse 17, Paul said, I went to Arabia. When God called, he went to Arabia. Galatians chapter 4 verse 25, it talks about Mancini, which is in Arabia.
[33:24] Paul went to Arabia. And then, so, it's important to understand. Now, Cret, I like the Cretans. Cretans. Cretans. So sometimes it's called Cretans.
[33:35] I don't know Cretans. They came from Cretans. They are Cretans. And Paul said, I left you in Cret so that you will set in order that in Titus chapter 1 verse 5.
[33:48] For this reason, I left you in Cret that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in everything. Cret was also represented. And then, their own prophets have said, as for Cretans, they are liars.
[34:02] Can you imagine? Titus verse 12. It says that one of them, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars. Evil beasts, lazy glutons.
[34:16] Those of you who have lied about your date of birth. Those of you who have lied about your marital status. Listen, there is hope for you in Christ.
[34:31] because Cretans are liars, evil beasts, and lazy glutons. Cretans are liars. So, people came from Crete.
[34:44] Why would God allow Cretans to come? When their own prophets have said that, you know, guess what? As for us, Cretans are liars, evil beasts, and lazy glutons.
[34:54] They will just be eating and not do anything. Cretans. Now, on the day of Pentacles, there are three categories of people who were attracted. Verse 5. Dwellers, Jews and devout men.
[35:08] Alright, Jews and devout men. But when you look at verse 11, it has another category, proselytes. Who is a proselyte? Who is a devout man? Who is a Jew? Jews are the people who are from Abraham who have been circumcised and have the oracles of God committed to them.
[35:23] But there are times that you look at a Jew, and I think I want to practice what Jews practice. I want to be a Jew, not by birth, but by practice Judaism.
[35:35] Sometimes circumcision. You have to go through circumcision. You have to go through baptism. So before John the Baptist showed up, people were already being baptized. Because those who were not Jews, who were Gentiles, who want to practice Judaism, you have to go through rituals.
[35:50] First, Acts chapter 16, there's a gentleman called Timothy, and his mother was a Jewess, but the father was Greek. And because of that, he's Greek. The Jews is paternity.
[36:01] He's Greek. So for him to follow Paul into synagogues, Greeks can't enter synagogues unless you are proselyte. So Paul had to circumcise him to show that he has the right, not he's saved.
[36:15] Because circumcision doesn't save. Baptism does not save. So why would Paul let a grown man, Timothy, get circumcised so he can take him on his missionary journeys?
[36:26] Because most of his missionary journeys started in the synagogues. When he arrived, he would go to the synagogue. But I don't want my edicab or my armor bearer, my assistant to be left out.
[36:37] So let me give him the right of passage by getting circumcised. Even though he's Greek, once he's circumcised, he's a proselyte. So proselytes can worship with Jews just that they can't go into the temple.
[36:49] They have a place they sit there's a line of demarcation. You don't cross if you are proselyte. You are accepted to worship, but you can't cross it. So Jesus spoke about the Pharisees. Matthew 23 verse 15.
[37:00] He said, you hypocrites, you go land and sea to convert a proselyte. Yeah. He said, what do you scribes and Pharisees? Hypocrites, for you travel land and sea to win one proselyte.
[37:13] They'll do anything to get you to get a proselyte. So proselytes are people who have converted to Judaism. They were not born Jews, but they are practicing Judaism. And then we have the devout men, people who are very, very devoted, like your mom or my mom.
[37:30] You know, mothers can be very devoted. Grandmothers. Some people are in church because of your grandmother. Your grandmother was very prayerful. Grandma, devout. So devout people, like Acts chapter 10, Cornelius, he was a devout man.
[37:45] He wasn't a proselyte, but he was godly. He loved to pursue anything God. So such people were in Jerusalem. Three categories of people. The Jews, proselytes, and devout people.
[37:57] And there were those from different nations who heard what was going on. Praise the Lord. And so Bible says that these people came together. I want to run up. Look at verse 12, and I will probably step on verse 14.
[38:10] That means I've covered quite a lot. I have to run through it. And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another. What's the meaning of this?
[38:22] Galileans speaking our own language so fluently? No. Listen to this. I want you to understand this because there are things in the scriptures, if you don't study the scripture, you assume what it's not saying.
[38:35] I've always thought they were talking to the people. They were never speaking to the people. Read the text. They never spoke to the people. They never said anything to the people.
[38:46] When you are full of the Holy Ghost, one of the greatest things that happened to you is praising God. They were speaking in this language. Look at verse 12 again. It says that, and they were amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another.
[38:59] What's the meaning of this? Verse 11. Christians and Arabians, and we do hear them speak in our own tongues. What are they saying? They were praising God.
[39:09] They were not talking to them. They were busy praising God. Oh, God, you're amazed. And God bypassed their minds to use their mouth. Because they were speaking languages they never understood.
[39:22] It's those who understood out, they were saying, ah, they are speaking our language. They are praising God in our language. What? Jews only praise God in the Hebrew.
[39:33] They praise God in Hebrew. But now here, we hear them praising God in our language. And they were speaking about the wonderful works of God. They were praising God.
[39:45] How come you are so full of their spirit and you struggle to praise God? You are not filled with their spirit. It's not their spirit. Maybe it's alcohol. Southern spirit.
[39:58] Southern comfort. Or go grow. You are filled with something else. you cannot be filled with the spirit of God and be a major cause of problems in the church.
[40:14] It's a sign that you don't have, yesterday I was teaching on strange fire. It's a sign that you don't have fresh fire. You have strange fire. Strange fire. Strange fire.
[40:26] I don't care how well intentioned you are. I want to hear what you say. But what you do speak so loud, I can't hear what you are saying. Jesus said if you don't believe me for what I say, let my works tell you who I am.
[40:38] Jesus said you shall know them by their fruits. Your fruits are more important than what you are saying. Don't judge yourself. We human beings, we judge ourselves by our intentions. But we judge others with our minds.
[40:51] So you are, I'm genuine. You know, I'm very honest. I'm genuine. But you are creating so much tension, so much confusion, not once, not twice, not three times. You are a common factor confusion.
[41:04] You are certainly not filled with their spirit. Because when you are filled with their spirit, your results always bring praise to God. Paul said, and they praised God for me.
[41:16] They thanked God for me. Timothy, Bible says that everyone spoke well of him. Everyone spoke well of him. When you are filled with their spirit, you, it's, sir, it is, most of the time, spontaneous.
[41:29] You don't need music in order to praise God. If it is authentic praise, it is not music dependent. It is usually music accompanies it.
[41:42] So he says that Psalm 34, oh, magnify the Lord with me. So I am actually doing, join me in this mission I'm on. I'm on a mission to magnify God and join me, use musical accompaniment.
[41:57] Those of us who cannot sing God's praise without music. You are not a genuine praiser. There was no organ, there was no guitar, there were no drums on the day of pentacles, and yet they were talking about the wonderful works of God.
[42:15] Praising God. More than there's many people can praise God without music. Our worship is heavily reliant on music.
[42:29] When it should be heavily reliant on the spirit from inside. May I say this? I get very animated and excited when I'm preaching, not because of crowd, but because the word inside, something on my inside is working on my outside.
[42:43] Even if we are only two, I will be still the same animated. because my excitement doesn't come from reactions from people, it comes from the word, the word, the word, the word.
[42:55] Oh, how alive I die, Lord, it is my meditation all day, for I have treasured the love of your mouth more than my necessary food. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law shall he meditate.
[43:08] Day, your delight. In the same way, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, praising God comes natural. Sometimes music plays a good role. It can play, because we are human beings, we have emotions.
[43:22] Even God likes music. So I'm not done playing the place of music, and thank God for musicians who are filled with their spirit. Because if a musician is not filled with their spirit, he's blowing hot air in junk.
[43:37] Yeah. Every church must believe together of musicians filled with their spirit. Filled with their spirit. Genuine Christians working with God, they make church, church.
[43:51] The one who teaches the word of God reserves the right to allow the scripture to explain what we do in church. When Bible says, all scripture is given by the inspiration of God.
[44:01] Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and it is profitable for doctrine for reproof. If I'm preaching, I'm using the scripture and I'm explaining scripture truthfully, I should be able to say this is not acceptable.
[44:17] This is not acceptable for reproof, for correction, for instructions in righteousness so that the man again will be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
[44:30] They were declaring the oneness of God. The people were confused, amazed, and in their amazement, they said these guys are drunk. Some, not all of them, some said these guys are drunk.
[44:42] They said these guys are full of new wine. Isn't it interesting how people outside of church tend to believe that they know what is happening in church?
[44:58] They said they are drunk. Peter said these guys are, it's 9 a.m. We don't drink at 9 a.m. It's too early to be drunk. I think this is just a natural time to end the message.
[45:11] Did you receive something? Give Jesus a shout of praise! Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. We pray you have been strengthened and enlightened.
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