What's wrong with the title? /Acts 2:5-13
“We all hear them speaking in our tongues the great things of God.” All were astonished and skeptical, saying to one another, “What is this?”
Continuing from last week, we are witnessing the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost refers to the 50th day from the Sabbath after the Passover and is called the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Harvest, and the day of offering the first ripe fruits. It was also the day on which Jews, diasporas and converts from all over the world came to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage. Today's event shows the work of the Holy Spirit that is happening to these people. In the Old Testament age, the Feast of Harvest Pentecost gives the physical fruits of harvesting food, but the Pentecost of the New Testament is an important turning point to reap the fruits of the spirit. I pray that the fruits of the Spirit will be abundantly given to you through the amazing and great work of watching the miraculous work of Pentecost and returning to your hometown to establish a foothold for world missions.
I. Aren't they all Galileans?
The disciples, who were filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in tongues. Tongues here are not strange words that people do not understand. Obviously, as you can see from today's text, this dialect was a foreign language. It was a language that people who speak different languages in each region could understand in their own language. It wasn't a weird, weird word that he didn't know what he was saying even though he said it in a strange voice, and that others couldn't understand.
As I said in the beginning, on the Day of Pentecost, the diaspora and converts from abroad gathered in Jerusalem, and they were familiar with the language of the region they lived in. Just as the second and third generations of immigrants barely speak or understand Korean, so did they. In this case, it is very difficult. You cannot approach it even with passion or knowledge of the Word. Therefore, one of the qualities that a missionary must possess is that he or she must be familiar with the language of the country. Missionaries who come to Korea must be able to preach and evangelize in Korean. If you go to the United States, it is natural to do it in English, and to native tribes, you have to use the tribal language to preach the gospel.
However, the disciples never received language training. But something amazing happens. People from all over the country began to murmur and speak. The word of God is clearly communicated in your own language. They flocked to where the sound was coming from. The Jews also flocked to see what was going on. In an instant, the place where the disciples had gathered was surrounded by a large crowd. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
People gathered and saw that the people speaking these words were the disciples of Jesus from Galilee, whom they had heard and seen. It was truly a pity. They were obviously from Galilee. Now that they speak a foreign language freely, it is surprising. Galilee was originally a part of northern Israel, and it was often invaded by foreign powers, and it was despised by the people of the southern region. Moreover, as you know, many of the disciples were fishermen and farmers, so they were ignorant people who did not receive a proper education. But they are fluent in foreign languages. So, it is natural to say, ‘Aren’t they all Galileans?’
Personally, I am praying for the regular attendance of 30 youths this year. Because we believe that 30 workers can lead the change in the church and campus. This would seem almost impossible in our current state of affairs. But God's work, the work of the Holy Spirit, is happening beyond our thoughts and expectations. God will hear our prayers when we come out in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I want to hear this. “Uh, aren’t there only a few of those people and they didn’t get along well? But how did that happen?” “Isn’t it a small church in the commercial building of Rodem Church? How did you grow up like that?” Don't you want to hear these words? I pray that the God who used the people of Galilee would use our feeble young people like the dew of dawn to accomplish an amazing revival work.
II. What's wrong with this?
Coincidentally, both the title and the subheading have question marks today, so it will feel like a very provocative message. It's actually a very aggressive statement. Look at people's reactions. There are two very different kinds of reactions. The first class is the response of verses 11 and 12. Let's read it together. “We all hear them speaking in our tongues the great things of God.” All were astonished and doubted, saying to one another, “What is this? They were amazed at the work of the Holy Spirit and the changed appearance of the disciples. We are quietly acknowledging God's Word and history The second category is found in verse 13. Let's read together. “And others mocked, saying, They are drunk with new wine.”
We will completely change the system. It will be a youth club focused on power and the word. It doesn't matter how many years you've been to church. We will raise people who can know and preach the Word of God. We want to convert all ministries to cell-nurture mode. You have to invest your time and you have to help. You're mocking me and doing something new. Should I try? There will be thoughts and reactions. But you must fight to the end. Let's look forward to seeing God's kingdom come to pass and we will be transformed. I hope that all of you who are here now stand at the center of change. We pray that God will change us so that all members of the church and people can hear the good and beautiful words of “What is this?” through revival and growth.
God gives life to the dry bones and makes the dead sticks sprout. Isn't that what we look like now? Let us pray that God will fill us with the fullness of the Holy Spirit as He gives life to dry bones. I hope that these words will come out of your mouth as well as you and others will hear them.