Pentecost: Promises Kept

PENTECOST: PROMISES KEPT!

Acts 1:1-8, 2:1-47

Big idea: Pentecost is more than just the historical birthday for the church; it is the source of joy, presence, and power for us today.

INTRO

Today is “Pentecost Sunday.”

In the Old Testament, Pentecost ("the Fiftieth [day]") is a prominent feast celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai. It was celebrated 50 days after Passover and is known as “The Festival of Weeks.”

In the New Testament, it was at Pentecost (50 days after Jesus’ resurrection) that the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Christ. This, of course, is more than coincidence. Giving the Holy Spirit to indwell His people is a sign from God that there has been a clear break – a fulfillment / completion of the old covenant and the beginning of a new covenant (relationship) with his people. The Spirit’s descent is a sign that Jesus’ work was satisfactory and that we are not obligated or expected to honor the old covenant any longer. It has served its purpose – it is completed and in the past. The New Testament writers make this clear.

• John’s Gospel says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (Gospel of John 1:17)

• Paul says, “You are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

• Peter’s sermon on Pentecost proclaims that God has poured Himself out of all flesh – men and women, and that Jesus is the promised messiah. He tells his listeners that they are witnessing the beginning of the messianic age!

• It is Luke who gives us the account of Pentecost (Acts 1-2) and there is much in this event that looks back to the Old Testament.

 The very decent of the life-giving Spirit (the word “Spirit” means literally “breath” or “wind”) may itself be a allusion to God breathing life into us at creation. It is, after all, through the Spirit that we are born again and made new creations.

 The tongues of fire may be an allusion to the burning bush experience of Moses where he was called, equipped and commissioned.

 In the Old Testament God’s visitation was sometimes accompanied by signs of wind and fire (1 Kings 18:38; 19:11-13; Ezekiel 37:9-14).

 The many foreign languages spoken that day may be a hint that God is indeed going to fulfill His promise to make his people “priests to the nations.”

Since the earliest days Pentecost has been described as the “Birthday of the Church.” Pentecost, you see, is a shift in relationship. It’s a big deal – it makes everything different. The church has always taken time in worship to reflect upon the Pentecost’s gift of the Spirit. Sermons, prayers, readings, even some composers have helped us understand its importance. Composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, for example, have composed several works specifically for the celebration of Pentecost.

Something new and wonderful happened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost didn’t it? Cowardly men were transformed into articulate men of conviction, purpose, courage, and power. They were enabled to proclaim the Gospel and expand the church rapidly once the Spirit came. In just a few decades Jesus’ Church could be found in every major city in the Roman Empire.

Pentecost, you see, marks a shift of emphasis by God away from just the descendents of Abraham (Israel) to “all nations” (Matthew 24:14).

Pentecost shapes our identity. The presence of the Holy Spirit is a core element of how we understand ourselves as the people of God. God created a people that He calls His Church and the Holy Spirit is His gift to the Church assuring that He will keep His promises to us.

What I want to do this morning is submit four ways in which Pentecost fulfills God’s promises to His people. In Acts 1:4 we are told to “wait for the gift my Father promised.” In many ways, the Holy Spirit is like an engagement ring; He is the guarantee of God’s promise. In fact, He is also the fulfillment of God’s promises (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; Acts 2:33).

1. The Holy Spirit is the Fulfillment of God’s Promise to Dwell With His Church

Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt the commitment of the other party was fickle or even conditional? In such relationships you fear that if you do not “please” the other person or cater to their whims they will leave you for another. You fear you will hear the words “I don’t love you anymore.” God is not a fickle friend. God is the more trustworthy partner is this relationship and He has given us His Spirit as a guarantee of His commitment. Ephesians 1:13-14 says “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”