“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”

Avon Gorge, by Bristol docks
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
Avon Gorge mud flats, the
entrance to Bristol docks!
Peter addresses the crowds at Pentecost
Acts chapter 2
14
15
16
17
18
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice
and addressed the crowd:
“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem,
let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine
in the morning!
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy…”
[Joel 2:28-29]
22
23
24
32
33
“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man
accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,
which God did among you through him, as you yourselves
know.
This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and
foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him
to death by nailing him to the cross.
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony
of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold
on him…
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the
Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you
now see and hear…
37
38
39
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart
and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers,
what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who
are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“I will”
– a future promise,
a prophesy by Joel,
now realised
“in the last days”!
Since the Day of Pentecost, we have been in
“the last days” – the days of the Holy
Spirit’s out-pouring on the church!
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“Pour out”
– a sense of abundance &
overflowing (see also v33)
rushing wind & tongues of fire;
- speaking in tongues & miraculous languages
- “amazement” & ”drunken” joy & merriment
- see Titus 3:6: The Holy Spirit has been
-
“lavished on us generously”
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“my Spirit”
– the spirit of God
who gave us Christ …
(his conception, his early years development, his calling & baptism,, his
overcoming temptation, his miracles, his ministry, his death & his
resurrection were ALL by the power of the Holy Spirit)
…is now given to us by Christ
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“on” – the Holy Spirit as
IN “in-dwelling”
and ON “anointing”
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“all flesh”
v17
v18
v17
v18
sons & daughters } irrespective of…
men & women
} …gender / status
young & old
} …age / experience
servants
} …rank / role
In Joel ch.1, Joel was addressing
• Drunkards (Joel 1:5)
• Farmers
(Joel 1:11)
• & Priests (Joel 1: 13) … all needed to repent & receive a
new anointing
~ includes us TODAY! (see verse 39)
So don’t count yourself out!
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
Joel’s understanding of the “pouring out of the Holy
Spirit” was from the Old Testament era:
Illustrations from people “filled with the Holy Spirit”
before Joel’s prophecy can be seen in every period of
Israel’s history:
• The formation of Israel
• The Judges:
• The United Monarchy
• The Divided Monarchy
Bezalel
Exodus ch. 31 verses 1-11
& Exodus chapters 35-39
The first to be “filled with the Holy Spirit”
 Not a prophet, priest or king
– a craftsman and artist!
* Don’t separate the secular and the sacred
Don’t count yourself out because
your task isn’t “spiritual” enough

Gideon –
the reluctant hero
Judges 6:34


First asked to sort out his own
family’s failings;
Then filled with the Holy Spirit
to take on the whole Midianite
army
Don’t count yourself out because
you feel the task is too great
David the shepherd boy
• Samuel anointing a son of Jesse with oil
to be the new king of Israel
• David – the youngest of 8 sons, left to tend the sheep (v11)
1 Samuel 16:7
“Do not consider his appearance or height…Man looks
at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart”
1 Samuel 16 v13: “The Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power”
Don’t count yourself out because of
other people’s expectations of you.
Jehaziel
2 Chronicles ch. 20
~ Jerusalem under siege from three
armies ~ a national disaster
King Jehoshaphat’s prayer:
v12: “We don’t know what to do,
but our eyes are upon you”
v14: “The Spirit of the Lord fell upon Jehaziel”
Don’t count yourself out because
you’re not a leader or upfront person
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
If the O.T. era’s anointing of the Holy Spirit was …
for certain people, for certain tasks, at certain times
then now in these “last days”, the Holy Spirit falls…
for all people,
for all tasks,
for all occassions
So..
1. Repent & be baptized and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:38)
2. Be encouraged – “this promise is for you and for your children and
for all who are far off” (Acts 2:39)
3. Don’t count yourself out – remember Bezalel, Gideon, David & Jehaziel.
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”
“Let your Living Waters flow over my soul”