Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Part 1

The second chapter of Acts is a pivotal moment, not just in Acts, but in the entire storyline of the Bible. We have 120 people in a room waiting for the promise Jesus had made to them: that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The day is Pentecost, a Jewish pilgrimage festival exactly 50 days after Passover, and on this year exactly 50 days after the cross of Christ. Suddenly, these people had a wind blow through them and a fire fall on them. But what is really going on in this moment? These things represent more than just a bizarre moment that seems it could have ended with scalded hair. The story, while true, also connects this moment to the larger story of Scripture revealing the Trinitarian God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Today we will look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the importance of our relationship with Him; and yes, it is Him, not It. We will see that the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will bring some very distinctive marks---marks that changed the people in this room and that will change us as well.