Holy Spirit Week 3

HOLY SPIRIT – WEEK 3 Sermon Notes — “You Will Receive Power, You Will Be My Witnesses” Pastor Daniel Bunn — May 3, 2026 Text: Acts 2:1–21 1. Scripture Reading — Acts 2:1–21 Pastor Daniel begins by reading the Pentecost narrative: Acts 2:1 — “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.” Acts 2:2–4 — Violent wind, tongues of fire, filling of the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues. Acts 2:5–12 — Jews from every nation hear the wonders of God in their own languages. Acts 2:13 — Some mock: “They’ve had too much wine.” Acts 2:14–21 — Peter explains this fulfills Joel 2:28–32 : “I will pour out my Spirit on all people…” “Your sons and daughters will prophesy…” “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 2. A Disorienting Reality Pastor Daniel uses the viral “dress” phenomenon to illustrate how disorienting it is when what you see doesn’t match what is true . Quote: “What you think is real may not be real after all.” This sets up the disciples’ own disorientation after the resurrection. 3. The Disciples’ Reality Is Overturned (Luke → Acts) A. Their old reality Power wins. Empires rule. Death is final. Jesus’ crucifixion seemed to confirm this: “Rome wins, Jesus loses, end of story.” B. The resurrection shatters that reality Jesus appears alive in a locked room (Luke 24). This reveals two truths: True power is found on the cross , not in Roman might. Death does not get the last word — God does. The disciples now know the truth, but they are disoriented—just like the dress analogy. 4. Jesus’ Final Instruction — Acts 1 Before ascending, Jesus tells them: Acts 1:4 — “Wait in Jerusalem until the gift of the Spirit comes.” Acts 1:8 — “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” This taps into centuries of Jewish expectation for the promised Spirit (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel). 5. Pentecost — Acts 2 A. The disciples obey They “waited and prayed for 10 days.” B. The Spirit arrives Violent wind Fire Languages Galileans speaking global languages — the most shocking part to the crowd. Quote: “This should not be possible… These people probably barely know their own language.” (Acts 2:7) C. The crowd’s confusion Their best explanation: “They must be drunk.” Pastor Daniel notes humorously that drunkenness does not improve language skills. D. Peter’s explanation Peter quotes Joel 2:28–32 to show this is God’s promised outpouring. 6. The Spirit Empowers Witnesses (Acts 2–7) Pastor Daniel traces several scenes in Acts showing the Spirit fulfilling Jesus’ words: A. Peter’s bold sermon — Acts 2 The same Peter who denied Jesus now preaches boldly. Result: “Some 3,000 people embraced this reality.” (Acts 2:41) B. The Spirit-formed community — Acts 2:42–47 They: Devoted themselves to teaching, prayer, fellowship Sold possessions Ensured no one lacked anything This contradicts the world’s reality of scarcity, competition, and accumulation. Quote: “What I have is God’s, not mine… With God there is plenty, not scarcity.” C. Healing the lame man — Acts 3 Peter: “What I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk.” The man walks; the crowd is amazed. D. Peter and John before the authorities — Acts 4 Religious leaders demand they stop speaking in Jesus’ name. Peter replies ( Acts 4:19–20 ): “Which is right in God’s eyes, to listen to you or to him? … We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” E. Stephen — Acts 6–7 Stephen, “empowered by the Holy Spirit,” gives the longest speech in Acts. He becomes the first martyr. Pastor Daniel notes: “The Greek word martyr means witness.” 7. What the Spirit Empowers Us For Not to become: Saviors Judges But to become: Witnesses A witness simply says: “This is what I’ve seen and heard.” 8. The Invitation to Us Acts extends a question to modern believers: Will we receive the Spirit’s power? Will we bear witness to God’s alternative reality? Will we allow this reality to take root in our homes, marriages, friendships, neighborhoods, and church? 9. The Proper Order of Operations (Acts Pattern) Pastor Daniel emphasizes: Wait and pray Receive the Holy Spirit Witness Quote: “The Holy Spirit must be received. The Holy Spirit is not grasped.” Rushing into witnessing without empowerment leads to failure. 10. A Final Warning and Call Receiving the Spirit is beautiful—but dangerous: It overturns false realities. It reveals that peace , not might, wins. It reveals that God , not death, is eternal. Once you see this reality, “you can’t unsee it.” The call: Be bold enough to receive the Spirit. Be bold enough to witness. Proclaim the kingdom of God. Love neighbors as ourselves. This is a powerful and beautiful witness. Amen.

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Holy Spirit Week 3 is an episode from Redeemer Weekend Sermons by Redeemer Church.

This episode is 00:26:33 long.

This episode was published on May 3, 2026.

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