A Missional Awakening — David Platt

Good morning. If you have a Bible and I hope you do let me invite you to open with me to Acts chapter 1 Book of Acts feel free to use your table of contents. And if you didn't bring a Bible with you this morning just to let you know we've got some Bibles available at now out in the in the Lobby.

Thanks. Thanks for that help out in the lobby. Those are available if you need one and feel free to do that if you're a guest that's yours to keep if you're a member. And you just kind of forgot your Bible.

I encourage you to bring your Bible to worship. But uh, those are available to you because we're gonna we're gonna really be diving in this morning. So you'll need something to look at there and follow along as we walk through Acts chapter 1 and 2.

Let me encourage you to pull out the notes from the celebration guide too. There'll be a help for you as we walk through God's Word together this morning. Well, it's it's the fall season. I remember One Particular game that Heather and I went to it was Georgia versus Georgia Tech and Georgia Tech is one of our rivals.

We beat them pretty considerably, but they're still kind of a rival there in the state and we were going to the football game. Somebody had given us tickets. It was at and Atlanta there at Georgia Tech Stadium and we got our tickets.

We walked down to the seats and we didn't know anybody else who was sitting around us. But if you've been to a college football game, you know what it's like you immediately just kind of become best friends with everybody you're sitting around with just kind of united in your love for Georgia football there and so we were sitting there and Having conversation just having a good time with most of the people there.

There was this guy though on my left. It was a little a little weird a little different. There was just something there that if you've been to a college football game, you know, these guys they're just there's something a little weird.

And so I was kind of keep my distance a little for between me and him. I remember the game started we stood up. We started cheering. First time Georgia scored a touchdown. Everybody starts going nuts.

I start high-fiving a bunch of guys I've never met before and then all of a sudden I turn to my left big mistake in. An instant I find myself in this man's embrace and and he hugs me and we start jumping up and down together.

I thought the guy was gonna kiss me. We had a moment right there and. And this continued the whole game not me and him hugging and kissing but us. I was just the intensity of that scene. I remember at halftime.

We were just talking with some of the folks around us and they were asking me what I did and I told him I was In the ministry. It was really interesting their language changed quite a bit after that, which was a good thing.

And then I remember it all throughout the second half. There was this one particular lady behind me who every time there was an intense Close play when it came down to the wire. She would reach down literally grab my shirt get in my face and she'd say pray now.

He'll listen to you the zeal the passion and the emotion of the fall. Jonathan Edwards at a time in history Church history that became known as the Great Awakening said this. He said our external delights.

Our earthly pleasures our ambition and our reputation our human relationships for all of these things our desires are eager our appetites strong our Love warm and affectionate when it comes to these things our hearts are tender and sensitive deeply impressed easily moved much concerned and greatly engaged.

We are depressed at our losses and we are excited and joyful about any worldly success or prosperity. Then he said but when it comes to spiritual matters How dull we feel he said? How heavy and hard our hearts?

We can sit in here of the infinite height and length and breadth and love of God in Christ Jesus of his giving his infinitely dear son and yet sit there cold and unmoved. He went on to say if we are going to be excited about anything shouldn't it be our spiritual lives.

Is there anything more inspiring more exciting more lovable and Desirable in heaven or on earth than the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he closed out and he said we should be utterly humbled that we are not more Emotionally affected than we are in the church.

That is a radically different way to look at life in Alabama and my prayer as We go into this fall. Is that above every other? Affection emotion or passion that God would begin an awakening in this church.

That he would open our eyes in a new and a fresh way to see his infinite greatness. And it's awesome glory that he would open our hearts to feel the weight of the mammoth needs of a lost and dying world and That he would do that to the end that we would abandon ourselves.

Our lives individually our lives as a church that we would abandon ourselves to advancing his kingdom in Birmingham and among the billion people who have not even heard the name of Jesus. I want us to talk this morning about what we're gonna call a missional awakening.

And what what I mean by that is I am praying That God would wake us up in our church culture in the south to see Genuinely truly authentically not artificially to see his glory to be captivated by his glory and to surrender ourselves completely to his mission as the most important thing in our lives the integrating overriding priority of everything we do.

I'm praying that God would do something different in our day and age and this faith family that will have eternal worldwide differences and. And Acts 1 2 is where it's where that is based in this idea of a missional Awakening because I think that's exactly what we're seeing.

What I want us to do is take a bird's-eye view of these two chapters This morning and you've got there in guide in your celebration notes a prayer. That's gonna kind of guide our time together and a prayer that I want to put before you as a prayer.

That I want to lead us to pray as a faith family. Oh God awaken our affections. It's in the bold kind of in the top in the middle and at the end God awaken our affections. So that we obey your spirit and surrender to your worldwide mission.

Can we we say that together just to kind of get it etched in our in our minds this morning? Let's start there at the top God awaken our affections. So that we obey your spirit and surrender to your worldwide mission.

I want you to see how this prayer is rooted in acts chapter one and two acts chapter one. We'll start in verse one. And read this first section here. In my former book theophilus I wrote about all that jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven.

After giving instructions to the holy spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of god.

On one occasion while he was eating with them He gave them this command do not leave jerusalem, but wait for the gift. My father promised which you have heard me speak about for john baptized with water.

But in a few days you will be baptized with the holy spirit. So when they met together, they asked him lord. Are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to israel? And he said to them it is not for you to know the times or dates the father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in jerusalem and in judea and samaria and to the ends of the earth. After he said this he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of galilee they said why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

Now as we come to this part of the book of acts, we need to understand who's writing this. It's a guy named luke. Luke also wrote the book of Luke, very good and so what we see is Luke ends up in chapter 24 the last chapter of the book of luke and picks up at acts chapter one at the exact same place.

Same same place as jerusalem exact same promise luke 24. Jesus promises that he's going to clothe his disciples with power from on high acts chapter one. You're going to receive power when the spirit comes upon you and the same plan is outlined there in luke 24 47 through 49 verses right there.

They talk about how repentance forgiveness of sins is going to be preached in all the world. That's exactly what's going on right here. And so we see an overlap a continuation here from the book of luke.

And we need to get a hold of what's going on here in the mind of luke. And I think we see that in the very first verse. I want to invite you to circle a word in verse one. Don't circle it if it's not your bible.

But if it's your bible, I want you to circle in my former book theopolis I wrote about all that jesus and here's the word began. To do and to teach the word began right there. Now what what luke is saying is i've written this this gospel of luke this story about all that jesus began.

He just started to do that's the beginning. And obviously the implication is as we go down the rest of this passage that jesus is continuing to To do and to teach all of these things. So we began in the book of luke.

Now he's continuing in the book of acts and that makes sense until we get to verse 11. And luke has just told us that jesus is continuing to do and to teach these things that in verse 11 Jesus gets out of here.

And the rest of the book of acts we hardly ever see the presence of jesus. Physically, so how did jesus continue to do these things if he wasn't there throughout most of the book of acts? And that's the beauty of what this passage is teaching.

Because the holy spirit came down on them. It was the presence of christ dwelling in them and this is exactly why at the end of john Jesus could say when I leave you're going to do even greater things than I have done.

Now he'd done quite a few great things whether it's walking on water feeding 5 000 people with five loaves and two fish. He'd done some amazing things, but he says you're going to do even greater things.

Why. Because he is living in each one of us in this room. He is just beginning in acts chapter one and it is continuing today at the church of brook hills in 2006. What an amazing picture. What I want you to see from the very beginning is the driving force behind the mission of the early church.

Was the person of jesus christ. It wasn't a program. It wasn't a project that they were going to give themselves to it was the person of christ living in them dwelling in them. And enabling them to accomplish this mission and as a result Jesus was at the center of this mission.

A few characteristics of christ that we see here in acts chapter one. Number one. Jesus is the risen savior in verse Three right there. He said after suffering he showed in other words after going to the cross dying there.

He showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He is not the dead savior. He is the risen savior. These guys had witnessed jesus one day alive next day dead the next day alive they were.

They were captivated by the resurrection of christ. It was not just a mere doctrine that was in the past. That was something that was alive and living inside of them this idea that jesus had rose from the grave.

I remember I was I was talking just a couple of weeks ago with a teenager Who has gone through some very difficult things in his life recently and he was talking to me. He said I I lay down on my bed at night and in the darkness.

I just feel the sense of death. He's had some people around him who have passed away and he said I feel the sense of death and it scares me. To where I can't even go to sleep. And I looked at him and I said, you know, there's one Who has conquered death.

And when you trust in him To save you. Then you need no longer fear death and that's good news. That's good news for all of us in this room. No matter how much cancer no matter how much sickness or disease or no matter how many accidents that happen.

Just randomly we know that we have victory over death through a risen savior. And that is more important than anything in this world. It is more important than how much money we make or how we lead our families.

It is the most important decision we will make in our life. How will we respond to a risen savior? And all of us have to answer that question. And if you've never answered that question in your life and said i'm going to trust risen savior.

I want you to know That not based on anything you do but based on what christ has done in his death and resurrection. You can walk out of this room today knowing That there is no more fear in death. He is the risen savior.

Second he is the exalted lord. Four times in this first chapter we see it emphasized that jesus was taken up into heaven. You can underline him if you want in verse 2. It says until the day he was here it is taken up into heaven.

Then you look down in verse 9 says after he had said this he was taken up before their very eyes. Verse 11. In the middle of that verse it says this same jesus who has been taken from you into heaven.

And then all the way over in verse 22 beginning from john's baptism to the time when jesus was Taken up from us four times in this passage alone Luke is emphasizing that jesus is not just a risen savior, but he is an exalted lord.

He ascended into heaven where he is at the right hand of god the father where he was giving gifts bestowing grace on his people. He is the exalted lord. Same picture we get from paul in philippians 2 9 through 11.

One day every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess that jesus christ is the exalted Lord to the glory of god the father and this was huge in the early church.

They were about to face some very difficult times and they were going to face some fierce persecution. And some troubling confusing times and it would be good for them to know every step of the way that they could look up and See that jesus was on the throne.

Isn't that good to know when we're confused when things aren't going exactly the way they're supposed to go in our families to look up. And see that jesus is the exalted lord that he is in control. He's the risen savior.

He's the exalted lord. And third jesus is the coming king. These guys Watch jesus there imagine their excitement. They've got jesus back. He rose from the grave. They spent a few days with him and then all of a sudden one day He takes the flight of all flights and in an instant He's out of there and some guys appear and say what are you looking at?

What do you think we're looking at. Jesus just went into the sky he says. That these two guys say to those men just as you saw him go up one day. He is coming back. That's an awesome truth. Ladies and gentlemen, this world is not our home no matter how Trying it gets no matter how confusing it gets no matter how many hurts there are and I know That in this faith family, even this last week Being made aware and talking with some of you who are going through some very difficult things.

And I know that across this room. There are many stories like that and I want to remind you this morning. This world is not our home. Jesus is coming back For his people. He is the risen savior the exalted lord the coming king now that is a That is a god worth following.

That is a god worth abandoning everything for. And what I want you to see. Is that as we go into the book of acts as we start this thing off passion for the kingdom of god. It's fueled by passion for the king.

And this is something we've got to get a hold on ladies and gentlemen god has promised. To bless the church that exalts his son. That sees his greatness and his glory and his majesty and it doesn't come in an artificial church game week in and week out.

To sing praises to something out there when we truly begin to grasp the greatness of christ and he becomes the center Of our lives and he becomes the center of our families and he becomes the center of the church.

Then we are assured the blessing of god. Awaken god awaken our affections for christ as our savior our lord and our coming king. This is the driving force behind the entire book of acts. God awaken our affections.

Second god awaken our affections so that we obey your spirit. Now I want you to go over with me to the next chapter acts chapter 2. Now things really start to get good. Look at acts chapter 2 and I just want you to imagine this scene.

Some of you may have heard this passage read before picture it like you're seeing it for the first time. Listen to this. When the day of pentecost came they were all together in one place suddenly a sound Like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven.

And filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed it to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them.

Now where they were staying in jerusalem god fearing jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound a crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Utterly amazed they asked are not all these men who are speaking galileans. Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians medes and elamites residents of mesopotamia.

Mesopotamia judea and cappadocia pontus and asia phrygia and pamphylia. Egypt and the parts of libya near cyrene visitors from rome both jews and converts to judaism. Cretans and arabs we hear them declaring the wonders of god in our own tongues.

Amazed and perplexed they asked one another what does this mean? Some however made fun of them and said they have had too much wine. These guys are loaded what in the world is going on here. Awaken our affections so that we obey your spirit now.

This these verses that we just read are so packed full of meaning. In order to understand what's going on here. We've got to understand some of the background of the old testament. So we're going to do some turning for a couple minutes and I want you to see some things unfold in scripture that are just amazing about.

The role of the holy spirit in our lives and the role of the holy spirit in the church because there's not one detail in Those 13 verses that is there by accident. It's just filled over and over again.

Let's start by turning to the left go all the way back. You may need your table of contents for this ezekiel chapter 37. I want you to turn me back to ezekiel chapter 37. Isaiah jeremiah limitations and then you come to ezekiel.

It's right before daniel. I want you to look at ezekiel chapter 37. Now and and when you turn there kind of hold your place here in acts chapter 2 if you can. Hold your place in acts chapter 2 because we're going to kind of go back and forth some and you'll need to have Both of them ready.

All right, you're going to get a workout this morning and the word Ezekiel 37 while you're turning there. What we need to realize is that this thing called pentecost in acts chapter 2 was a jewish feast.

That goes all the way back to the old testament. Pentecost literally means 50th because it was celebrated on the 50th day after the passover. Now what we're going to see is some things happening at pentecost that were talked about way back in the old testament.

That'll help us understand the gravity of what's going on in acts chapter 2. First thing when we saw in acts chapter 2 that this sound like a violent wind comes upon them and just get the picture. It's not an actual wind but it sounds like a wind it sounds like a tornado or a hurricane going on.

But you're not you're not feeling anything, but you're you're seeing that hearing that take place around you this intense. Picture of a wind now all throughout the old testament wind is often used to symbolize the presence of god.

Even the very breath of god his presence living among his people and that's exactly what's being talked about here in ezekiel chapter 37. I want you to look with me at verse 4. This was at a time where israel was Was going through the people of god were going through a lot of trials.

And they had disobeyed god and they were basically dead in their religion. Look at what happened. In verse 4 it says then he said to me prophesy to these bones. And say to them dry bones hear the word of the lord.

This is what the sovereign lord says to these bones. I will make breath enter these bones and enter you and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin.

I will put breath in you and you will come to life. Then you will know that i'm the lord. The picture here is a valley of dry bones of deadness. And symbolic of god saying i'm going to breathe life into that.

And so that's what he does in the next few verses then come down to verse 12 after that happens. The bible says therefore prophesy and say to them. This is what the sovereign lord says. Oh my people i'm going to open your graves and bring you up from them.

I will bring you back to the land of israel. Then you my people will know that i'm the lord when I open your graves. Take your deadness basically and bring you up from them and I will check this out put my spirit in you.

And you will live. And I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the lord have spoken spoken and I have done it declares the lord. So the first thing the holy spirit is enabling us to do in acts chapter 2 is to experience god's presence.

All throughout the old testament at different points. We see the spirit of god coming upon people, but he didn't stay upon them. He would come and leave when we get to acts chapter 2. This wind comes and it's a symbol of the presence of god.

Just like ezekiel chapter 37 verse 13 and 14 had said he said i'm going to put my spirit not with you. But in you the spirit of god is not just going to dwell among you the spirit of god is going to live inside of you.

And that's exactly what we see happening here in acts chapter 2 the spirit of god coming to dwell. Not just among his people but in his people. And so the holy spirit enables us to experience the presence of god.

The holy spirit fills us. Shows us the beauty of christ. We talked about awakening our affections. We can't have our affections waken awakened by. By playing good music and having a good speech. That alone does nothing.

It's necessary to have the holy spirit to experience god's presence. So that's the first thing we're seeing but then it gets even better. I want you to look at what happens next. Not only does the holy spirit enable us to experience god's presence, but the holy spirit enables us to obey god's commands.

Now I need you to follow along with me here pentecost 50th day after passover. This feast that they would celebrate and it came to be known that the tradition was that at pentecost. They would celebrate the giving of the law ten commandments way back in the old testament when the law was given by god to his people.

Pentecost was a day where they would celebrate when that happened. And it was a celebration. They had 50 days after passover. Now we come to the new testament. That's what we see in the old testament.

We come to the new testament and luke chapter 22 verse 24 says jesus died during what time? The passover that's when jesus died. That's when he was crucified. And just by coincidence 50 days later we see the holy spirit coming.

Now this is interesting that starts to alert us. Maybe there's something going on here. Now remember this was a feast all these jews from all these places had gathered together to celebrate. To remember the day when god gave his law to his people.

And so I want you to hold your place here in acts chapter 2 turn with me back to exodus chapter 19. Second book in the bible. I want you to look at exodus chapter 19. Here's where it gets really good.

I want you to look at exodus chapter 19. This is the story Of the people of god encountering him at a place called mount sinai and that's where god gave the law. At mount sinai. I want you to look at exodus chapter 19 verse 16.

I want you to think about this. I want you to picture this and see if you see any similarities between this and what's going on in acts chapter 2. On the morning of the third day. There was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast.

Everyone in the camp trembled. Then moses led the people out of the camp to meet with god and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Imagine this moses led us out. We're standing at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the lord descended on it. In what? In fire. Smoke billowed up from it like a smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain trembled violently and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

Then moses spoke and the voice of god answered him. The lord descended to the top of mount sinai and called moses to the top of the mountain. So moses went up and the lord said to him go down warn the people.

So they do not force their way to see the lord and many of them perish. Even the priests who approach the lord must consecrate themselves or the lord will break out against them. So here's what's going on.

God is encountering his people at mount sinai. He reveals himself in this fire on the mountain and it's a fire that basically says to the people stay back. You need not come up the mountain don't go hiking today.

Because the greatness of the glory of god you cannot come face to face with in this way apart from some. Because of your sin because of of the fact that you are separated from god by your sin. You can't come face to face with god like this with the glory of god like this in this picture of fire.

When we get to acts chapter 2. On the day when they are just happening to remember. That day when they couldn't even approach god because fire was being Was being sent down on this mountain all of a sudden they look up and what do they see around them?

Tongues of Fire, that's cool, huh? They're seeing the fact things are changing here. They are able to come into the presence of god. How could that be? Jesus is the risen savior. He is the exalted lord and he is the coming king because of what christ had done.

Now the holy spirit was being given to his people and the presence of god was coming face to face with his people in a new way. Now here's what happened here in exodus chapter 19. When you get to the next chapter we get the 10 commandments and then from chapter 20 all the way over to chapter 31.

The law is given for the next 11 chapters. We see the law given now. I want you to come to Exodus chapter 31. And I want you to look with me at verse 18. Look at exodus chapter 31 verse 18 this kind of concludes the giving of the law.

The bible says when the lord finished speaking to moses on mount sinai. He gave him the two tablets of the testimony the law written on these tablets of stone. The tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of god, so god has given him the tablets.

So moses goes back down to his people and if you remember what happened in exodus chapter 32 is is the people had Had turned against god. In the time moses had been on mount sinai. They had taken a golden calf and were bowing down and worshiping it and offering gifts to this golden calf making an idol before god.

And so what happens is the judgment of god comes on them. And if you come to chapter 32 Look at verse 28. What happens is The bible says the levites did as moses commanded. And listen to this that day about 3 000 of the people died so on this day when.

When they think about when the law was given Moses came back down the mountain. He found they were worshiping a golden calf. 3 000 of the people of god died under the judgment of god that day. So in acts chapter 2 They're thinking about that.

They're remembering that feast that that day with this feast. In acts chapter 2 when you come over to verse 37 after peter preaches. The bible says when the people heard this they were cut to the heart.

And said to peter and the other apostles brothers, what shall we do? And you skip down to verse 41 and what is the bible saying? Those who accepted his message were baptized. And how many people were added to their number that day?

Coincidence on the day when they remember 3 000 people dying under the judgment of god. 3 000 people receive life through the grace of god. Bible's good, huh? God bring his presence on his people. God bring his grace to his people.

And the comparison between the law and the spirit Continues throughout the rest of the new testament. Second corinthians chapter 3 verse 7 and 8. We don't have time to turn there today but it talks about how the old testament law was given on these tablets of stone that only brought death because Nobody could measure up to that law.

We couldn't do it. Jesus came. He measured up to the law. He gave his life. Then he sent his holy spirit and second corinthians 3 7 8 says now in comparison of the old tablets of stone. We have the spirit of god writing the law on our hearts.

What the picture is is in the old testament you couldn't fulfill that law you couldn't do it. You needed somebody to intercede for you between you and god in the new testament. Jesus has done that and then he sends his spirit and he enables us to obey everything.

He's called us to do. Holy spirit's pretty important. He enables us to obey god's commands. Third thing it gets even better. The holy spirit enables us to experience god's presence obey god's commands and finally to fulfill god's purpose.

Now one more turning exercise. We come back to acts chapter 2 and the bible says in verse 5 they were staying in jerusalem god fearing jews from every nation under heaven. Every nation under heaven god fearing jews and it lists those nations and it lists those different languages.

In fact, it says the people began to speak in other tongues. Now there's been a lot of discussion throughout church history over what kind of tongues this was was this uh some Languages that are not able to be understood by anybody.

Well, obviously not that's not what's going on here. This is not some mysterious language. These guys are sitting there from all these different nations and they're saying these galileans. Which is basically a group of people that were not highly respected in that day.

These guys are speaking in all these other languages that we understand. Now I want you to think about the background that goes into that. And the purpose of god that helps us understand this. Hold your place here turn back to genesis.

I want you to look at genesis Chapter 11. I know you're doing a lot of turning today. I want you to look at genesis chapter 11. I want you to look at verse 1. What we see in genesis chapter 10 is a whole list of different nations.

I want you to look at genesis chapter 11 though verse 1. And I want you to remember what happened here. It says the whole world Had one language and a common speech as men moved eastward. They found a plain in shinar and settled there and they said to each other come let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.

They used brick instead of stone and tar for mortar. Then they said come let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens. So that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth but the lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building and the lord said if as one people Speaking the same language they have begun to do this.

The nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come let us go down and confuse their language. So they will not understand each other. So the lord scattered them all over the earth and they stopped building the city.

That is why it was called babel because there the lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. So what happens is again in the old testament, we're seeing the judgment of god come upon these people.

When they and their prideful arrogance and disobedience to god's mandate to make his glory known and mandate to multiply throughout the earth. He says i'm going to scatter you all these different languages.

And they're divided by their different languages at this point. Then you get to genesis chapter 12. We've looked at this before verses 1 2 and 3 are god's promise to abraham and god says abraham I'm going to bless you and in verse 3.