February 22, 2026

Acts 2:14-41

Filled with the Spirit, Pointing to Jesus

Sunday Sermons

In Acts 2, we witness the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit as Jesus fills His followers gathered in Jerusalem. Then Peter—once the fearful disciple who denied Jesus—stands up, filled with the Spirit, and boldly proclaims the gospel.
What transformed Peter from frightened fisherman to fearless apostle? The same Holy Spirit who breathed new life into him now lives in us. As Charles Spurgeon said, without the Spirit, “we are as ships without wind, or like coals without fire.”
Join Pastor Matt Pierson as we explore what it means to be filled with the Spirit and to live lives that point to Jesus.

Speaker

Matt Pierson

Series

Acts of the Apostles (2026)

Go to Series

Scripture

Acts 2:14-41

Topics
Growth & Discipleship Worldview & Culture

Sermon Notes

Acts 2:14-41

Filled with the Spirit, Pointing to Jesus

Pastor Matt Pierson

“Without the Spirit of God we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind, or chariots without steeds; like branches without sap, we are withered; like coals without fire, we are useless.”
Charles Spurgeon

Distinctives of a Spirit-filled Life

1. Live in the Word

“To understand the Scripture is not simply to get information about God. If attended to with trust and faith, the Bible is the way to actually hear God speaking and also to meet God Himself.”
Tim Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness in your presence.”
Psalm 16:11

Distinctives of a Spirit-filled Life

1. Live in the Word
2. Live a life of repenting and returning

“The whole life of believers should be repentance.”
Martin Luther, The Ninety-Five Theses (1517), Thesis 1

“The door of mercy is set wide open. The door is not yet locked. The door can be opened. God’s heart is full of love. God’s heart is full of compassion. Whoever and whatever a person might have been, at midnight or at any time, whenever He returns to God, He will find God willing to receive him, ready to pardon him, and glad to have him at home. All things are ready. Whoever desires to enter can come in.”
J.C. Ryle, Repentance: What it Means to Repent and Why We Must Do So

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’”
Isaiah 30:15

Distinctives of a Spirit-filled Life

1. Live in the Word
2. Live a life of repenting and returning
3. Live a life that points to Jesus 

“I want us to be a part of that bright, bold, prophetic, Christ-exalting, risk-taking, end-time band of disciples—taking the clear and glorious message of verse 21 everywhere, no matter what: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
John Piper

“This is the heart of the good news about Jesus. This is what we believe, and this is what we have been called to declare repeatedly to ourselves, to our children, and to those who are still far off from Christ: “This Jesus whom you crucified,” God has made Lord of lords and King of kings, and He reigns in heaven forever. So look back and see the proof of God’s love for you on the cross. Look upward to the right hand of the Father, and remind yourself that Jesus Christ still reigns, in the face of the evidence of your unruly heart, of your most chaotic and inexplicable life circumstances, and of the seeming triumph of evil forces on all sides. And then look onward to the day for which Jesus Christ is still waiting, the day when all his enemies will fully and finally be subdued under his feet. On that day, He will complete the good work He has begun in you, and in this world, and He will reign forever and ever.”
Iain M. Duguid, Turning the World Upside Down

Discussion Questions

  • When has time spent in the Word directly shaped your confidence or witness?
  • Do you find it easy to move from “What does this mean?” to “What shall we do?” or do you sometimes stall in curiosity without moving forward into conviction and action?
  • What does it mean, in practical terms, to “point to Jesus”? What would someone observe if you were doing so?
  • Are you prepared to share the gospel if someone asks? What would you say in 2-3 sentences?

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs:

“All My Boast Is in Jesus“ by Bryan Fowler, Matt Papa, Matthew Boswell, Keith Getty
“Christ Our Hope In Life and Death“ by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker and Matt Papa
“The Lord Is My Salvation“ by Jonas Myrin, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Nathan Nockels
“O Great God“ by Bob Kauflin
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used with permission. CCLI License no. 2003690

Looking for our Hymns of the Week or resources to worship anytime? We’ve curated a playlist of hymns TVC Worship has led over the years on our YouTube Channel!

Call To Worship: Bless the Lord

LEADER: Bless the Lord at all times; let His praise continually be in your mouth.
PEOPLE: My tongue shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.

LEADER: Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!
PEOPLE: We will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.

ALL: You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, and there is no God besides You!

Classic Prayer: Philip Melanchthon 1497-1560

I give thanks to You, Almighty God, for revealing Yourself to me, for sending Your Son Jesus Christ, that He might become a sacrifice, that through Him I might be forgiven and receive eternal life. I give thanks to You, O God, for making me a recipient of Your great favor through the Gospel and for preserving Your Word and the Church. O that I might truly declare Your goodness and blessings! Inspire me, I earnestly pursue You, and ask that the Holy Spirit would urge thanksgiving to shine forth in my life. Enlighten my heart, that I may be more fully aware of Your favor toward me and forever worship You with true thanksgiving.

Confession of Faith: I Believe in the Life Everlasting

LEADER: What do you know about the unending resurrected life of believers?
PEOPLE: I know that it will be an eternal life of joyful fellowship with our triune God, together with all His saints and angels, singing His praises and serving Him in the renewed creation.

LEADER: How should you live in light of this promise of unending life?
PEOPLE: I should live in joyful expectation of the fullness of my transformation, soul and body, into the likeness of Christ. In the midst of suffering or in the face of hostility and persecution, I am sustained by the hope of a new heaven and earth, freed from Satan, evil, suffering, and death.
ACNA, Q.119, 120

The Apostles’ Creed

We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty,
from there He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy universal church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.

TVC Prayer Ministry

TVC Ministry:  TVC Women’s Ministry led by Lynsey Auman
Vocation: Education
TVC Mission Highlight: Missionary Miles McKee
Local Church: Immanuel Nashville, T.J. Tims Lead Pastor
Praying for the Persecuted Church: Mexico

Be Part of Our Prayer Team

Do you have a heart for prayer or a desire to lift others before the Lord? Sign up for our weekly prayer email, and you’ll receive trusted prayer requests from within our church family, our community, and around the world. At TVC, we believe it is a privilege to carry one another’s concerns to our Heavenly Father. As individuals, the needs can feel heavy—but together, in Christ, the burden is lighter. Join us as we pray faithfully and walk with one another.

Join in Prayer