"Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles."
Acts 2:43
Humanity tends to express awe for inspirational musical performances, extravagant paintings, and other artistic objects. In other words, we often relate awe to the creative output of mankind. But the historical definition of awe has a much greater connotation. By its earliest connotation, awe is the intersection of fear, adoration, and respect, usually the result of being in the company of a superior - a superior who commands honor, dignity, and reverence. From that standpoint, awe more appropriately describes humanity’s response to the awareness of God’s activity and presence.
Life has presented me several sacred encounters, encounters in which I was spiritually consumed, and enamored, with God’s existence. One such awe-filled encounter took place when I attended a Sunday morning worship service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City. In college, I worked as a part-time praise band director at a large metropolitan church in Oklahoma City. The music minister of that church had long been an admirer of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. One year, a major music publisher announced that their annual music conference would be held in New York City. This particular conference was special in that the conference package included the opportunity to attend a Brooklyn Tabernacle choir rehearsal, as well as a Brooklyn Tabernacle church service. Needless-to-say, the music minister was elated with this announcement. Because he supported the Brooklyn Tabernacle’s ministry so fervently, he graciously extended all-expense-paid trips to his music staff. I was included in that list of invitees and accepted the music minister’s offer to fly to New York to attend the conference, as well as the corresponding events. Although there were many positive takeaways from that trip, the milestone was attending a Brooklyn Tabernacle worship service.
A charter bus transported all the conference attendees from our hotel in Manhattan to the Brooklyn borough early one Sunday morning. We were dropped off a few blocks from the Brooklyn Tabernacle sanctuary. As we neared the church’s entrance, we were met with a single-file line containing several hundred people. The line stretched past adjacent buildings. Initially, I was speechless. Were all these people waiting to participate in a worship service? The guide accompanying us informed us that the mass attendance and overflow was not unusual for a Brooklyn Tabernacle service. Having grown up in a Midwestern town where church options abounded, people waiting hours to crowd inside a worship service, with no guarantee they would actually get to attend it, was an unprecedented concept to me.
I soon understood why people were so committed to this fellowship. The moment the first chord resonated from the church’s praise band, nearly everyone in the sanctuary stood up, raised their hands, and closed their eyes. Although this was not a demonstrative worship atmosphere I was accustomed to, I found myself welcoming the privilege to be immersed in it. God’s Spirit was clearly present. In a split-second, I felt the Holy Spirit surging through my heart, engulfing me in love and compassion. I mentally removed all the extraneous distractions. The size of the praise band and the choir. The ornate beauty of the sanctuary. The movement, motion, and melodies of the fellow worshippers surrounding me. The only thing I could concentrate on was the irresistible goodness of God. The undeniable mixture of gratitude for His mercy and the personal guilt for being so insensitive, at times, to Christ’s gift of grace, brought me to a state of brokenness. Fully attune to God’s holy love, I raised my hands, closed my eyes, and sang with great conviction.
The song service was a mixture of familiar hymns, choruses, and even a tune I associated with children’s music (“This Little Light of Mine”). But the music selection was not the point of emphasis; the spirit of the music presentation was. It transcended sound or style. God’s people joined together in one unified heart with one unified voice for one unified purpose: to praise God. It was truly amazing. If that service was but a preview of the glorious worship Christians will enjoy in Jesus’ presence someday in heaven, then many awe-filled experiences await us.
In the opening verses of Acts 2, the apostles, along with many other disciples, were assembled together. They were awaiting the fulfillment of Jesus’ promised arrival of the Holy Spirit. Without warning, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. He came in a most dramatic fashion. Acts 2:2 says that the Holy Spirit’s entrance was like that of a violent wind. Immediately, believers received tongues of fire, causing them to utter praise in foreign languages.
Perhaps this movement of the Holy Spirit, in a way, signified the reversal of the curse that plagued humanity beginning in Genesis 11. At one point, mankind enjoyed a common dialect. After the tower of Babel, however, God dispersed mankind across the earth, and formed multiple languages, thereby erecting communication barriers. In a mighty flash, the disunity and dialogue struggles brought about by the construction of the tower of Babel were overcome by the power, and will, of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:5 states God-fearing Jews from every nation were in Jerusalem, likely for the Passover observance. As the commotion of the Holy Spirit’s coming caught the attention of some of Jerusalem’s residents and visitors, curious city dwellers and sojourners ventured out to find the source of the disruption, which led them to the Spirit-filled, suddenly multilingual, disciples. The text points out that not everyone who witnessed this occurrence was convinced that the believers were infused with the Holy Spirit. Some mocked the disciples and accused them of being drunk. Peter responded to this allegation with an impassioned message.
Citing biblical references in Joel and Psalms, Peter confirmed that the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of man was foretold in ancient texts. Therefore, there was no need to discredit the work of God. Rather, the spectators should embrace it. A central point in Peter’s sermon was the resurrection of Jesus (Ac. 2:24). Although the notion of a person returning from death seemed ludicrous to most, Peter affirmed that he and the other apostles had personally seen a risen Jesus. This incredible reality compelled Peter to attribute Jesus a significant honor in Acts 2:36. He proclaimed that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. In other words, Jesus is God (Yahweh) and Savior (the Anointed One). Jesus is mankind’s means of salvation and deserves praise and reverence.
This announcement cut many listeners to the heart, prompting them to ask the apostles what they should do with this knowledge. Peter replied that they should repent and be baptized into the Christian faith through the name of Jesus Christ. The confirmation that forgiveness has been granted becomes evident in the receiving of the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion of Peter’s sermon, some three thousand followers were added to the fold that very day.
The proof of the Holy Spirit’s abiding presence was undeniable. Believers began reevaluating their focus and their priorities. They latched onto a community perspective. They began sharing time in each other’s homes. Sharing meals with one another. Sharing possessions with one another. Selling personal valuables in order to provide for the needs of others. The Holy Spirit inspired the people to break free from pretentious living. He encouraged them to find joy through serving, and to know the power of presenting one’s faith, both inside and outside of the synagogue structure.
The spirit of awe saturated the believers. Their awe-filled hearts were indisputable and alluring. Acts 2 highlights three critical aspects that make the power of awe so compelling. One, an awe-filled heart derives from an awareness of God. This may seem like a trivial point, but an awareness of God is fundamental to becoming an authentic worshipper. Acts 2:37 states that an apprehensive audience was “cut to the heart” after Peter delivered his message. There was something undeniable about the exceptionality of Christ’s life. The listeners’ minds could not shake it. Their hearts could not break it. People recognized that Jesus was not just the Son of man; He was the Son of God.
Awareness denotes more than just a visual or spiritual observation. It implies acute, mental deliberation. It is not associated with random, transient thoughts. Awareness is defined by careful cerebral meditations, which spur appreciation and recognition of God’s greatness. The sinful human condition often prevents us from focusing on a life that is not our own. We usually look through the lens of selfishness, where every spare reflection is reserved for ourselves. How different would our world look if an appreciative awareness of God were persistently practiced? Hurtful words would be replaced with words of exhortation. Affection and sacrifice would be exhibited on a much greater scale. The love of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, would echo all across the earth.
Two, an awe-filled heart demands an acknowledgment of God. Acts 2:42 confirms that the apostles diligently spoke of Christ and offered godly instruction to anyone who was willing to listen. Their zeal incited them to render the story of Jesus at practically every opportunity. This was certainly met with opposition and criticism, but it was also met with acceptance and repentance. Transformation would not have been possible had the apostles not been adamant about vocalizing their spiritual regeneration. Because the message of Christ was foremost in their thoughts, the ministry of Jesus was foremost in their speech and conduct.
Christianity should never be characterized by lackadaisical, complacent gospel presentations. Based on the example of the apostles, Christianity should be characterized by clear, compassionate tributes of praise that are made potently real because the lives of the people offering them are clearly and decisively different from that of the world. The Holy Spirit produced many convictions within the believers’ lives. Being silent was not one of them.
Three, an awe-filled heart drives an action-filled life. The apostles devoted themselves to helping and serving others. They did not pursue earthly recognition or reward. They did not burnout or forego meeting the needs of others shortly after the Holy Spirit came upon them. They did not abandon the cause of evangelizing or ministering just because the mission was challenging and exhaustive. They made Jesus’ mission (to make disciples of nations) a lifelong commitment. Undoubtedly, when believers exercise love rather than conceit or vanity, we find God gives us the ability to work harder and journey farther than we ever thought possible.
It is interesting to note what four practices characterized the early church per Acts 2:42: teaching (hearing the Word of God and receiving insight into the mission of Christ), fellowshipping (exercising a longing to develop meaningful relationships with fellow believers), breaking bread together (honoring the Lord’s Supper as well as hosting community meals), and praying (establishing a faith-based discourse with God Almighty, which is aided, in large part, by the Holy Spirit, Who helps believers understand why we need to pray and how to properly do it). In an age that is bent on implementing newly designed programs and numeric growth strategies, God’s mechanism of blessing the church and adding to it was surprisingly straightforward: know God, know His Son, know Scripture, know the importance of regularly worshipping with other believers, and know the value of representing God in all matters of life, especially in the allocation of one’s time. These same pursuits should be the core disciplines of modern-day congregations today. Above all, Acts 2 reminds us that an awe-filled heart is an anointed heart - anointed by the Holy Spirit to know salvation and produce a significantly influential life.
Do you possess and project an awe-filled heart?
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