Breakthrough With The Presence Of God Series

Breakthrough with God’s Presence

Thesis: Breakthrough will only come in our lives when we enter into God’s presence – God’s presence should be the goal of every Christian – to experience Him everyday and in special moments. When His presence comes into our lives everything else fades away! Fears flee and hope rises up as we are surrounded in love and in His power.

Point 1: Today is Pentecost Sunday – a day celebrated by the church throughout the world when God showed up in the Upper Room as described in Acts 2 and when He poured out His Holy Spirit on the church. Jesus told the disciples to go tarry and wait for this gift to happen and it did – God showed up through the presence of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is all about God’s Presence:

• His presence dwelling in us.

• His connection with us personally.

• His teaching us truth and guiding us.

• His empowering us in this life.

• His comfort and peace.

• His gifting for us.

The Holy Spirit and God’s presence changed everything for these disciples!

• The once afraid disciples became bold as lions.

• The fear departed and courage to stand up for truth prevailed.

• Their faith was set free and they were set free.

• Fisherman and ordinary people became phenomenal speakers and preachers.

• Ordinary men and women did miracles.

• Ordinary men and women spoke prophetic words to others which pierced their hearts to see God and experience God.

Let’s read our Scripture text for today: Acts 2:1-13

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God–fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome

11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Point 2 - Thoughts on our Scripture text:

What does Pentecost Sunday tell us? What does it mean?

Answer: It means God’s presence came and indwelt within mankind – our bodies became temples for the Holy Spirit – mankind was filled with the presence of God. They were not drunk with wine but filled with the presence of God – New wine – refreshing and it made them rejoiceful. It changed everything for these people.

God’s presence changes everything for those who experience it - when we experience His presence for ourselves as Jesus promised in Acts 1:4-5: “…Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father Promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” His presence ignites a flame in our hearts, minds and spirits. It empowers us to be who God called us to be! But we can only do the mission of God when we stay connected to His presence – it’s the life source for living a spirit-filled life – Connecting to God’s presence through Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the keys to living the abundant life spoken of in the Bible!

Listen to Jesus words in John 15

The Vine and the Branches

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.