Acts Of The Apostles (3of 39)

• The greatest day in our church, was after we all had worked and sacrificed for a long time to build it, and had it completed, and were finally able to dedicate it to the Lord, and begin worshipping in it."

• Others might say the greatest day in our church, was when we made the last payment.

But if you asked some of the church members of the New Testament church what is the greatest day of their church was, I am sure most of them, if not all of them, would say, it was the day of Pentecost, when God filled His people with His Spirit.

God so filled the church with His Holy Spirit, that as Peter preached that day three-thousand got saved. I did not say three hundred, it says three thousand were added to the church that day.

You can find the oldest preacher alive today, and ask him if he had ever heard anything that can surpass what took place on Pentecost, and he will tell you he has never heard anything that could surpass what happened at Pentecost, or even come close to it.

The Lord had told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they had been endued with His power. They obeyed His command, and now He rewarded them for their faithfulness.

Let’s look at Acts chapter two. We see-

I. THE MIRACULOUS

In Acts 2:1-4, we read, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

This was some church service. The Bible tells us of several miraculous things that took place. Look at verses 2-3, we see:

• (Verse 2) “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”

• (Verse 3) “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

No one has ever witnessed, and been able to document, anything that has surpassed what took place on the day of Pentecost.

According to Acts 1:15, there were about 120 disciples who had gone to the upper room, to obey the command of God for them to tarry in Jerusalem, until they were ENDUED WITH POWER.

Up until that time, the only "baptism" they knew of was the water baptism of John, but the promise was made that they would be baptized in the Holy Ghost.

In verses 1-5 we have this promise being fulfilled.

Let me show you why I say this was one of the greatest days of the New Testament church. It was a day of miracles:

A. THE MIRACLE THAT THEY WERE ALL AT ONE PLACE AND IN ONE ACCORD.

This was a great miracle in itself; to have one hundred and twenty Christians, together in one place, and all in "one accord.”

You can go to any Bible church in this nation, and you will find God doing some great things. But while you may find God doing some great things in their midst, you will still find professing Christians at the beaches, or in the mountains, or complaining because they do not like the way things are going.

However, this great church that God filled with His Spirit, had one hundred twenty people, all IN ONE PLACE, AND IN ONE ACCORD.

Every church prays for such a miracle to take place.

But we see another miracle, the-

B. MIRACLE OF "...A MIGHTY RUSHING WIND.”

Notice, scripture does not say that it was "a rushing mighty wind." The scripture says "...as a mighty rushing wind.

The wind is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

Illus: We have seen hurricanes blow with such force, that we became fearful.

The wind is POWERFUL. This is why God used the wind as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Notice the parallel characteristics:

• The wind cannot be seen, nor can the Holy Spirit.

• The wind is everywhere, so is the Holy Spirit.

• Mankind can not control the wind, nor does he control the Holy Spirit.

The Jews had celebrated the feast of Pentecost fifteen hundred times before, but this time, as they celebrated, it was different. Scripture tells us at the time of this celebration, "…the day of Pentecost was fully come…”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THE DAY OF PENTECOST HAD COME?

• Before this, it was the celebration of the birth of a nation. Look at Exodus 19:5-6.