Pentecost - With Great Power!

Though some were lovingly visited every day by their families … for many others it was a place where they had been dumped so that their children wouldn’t have to bother with them. They were sad, & they were lonely.

One day, after this professor had made his weekly visit to those elderly people, a student told him how wonderful it was that he had the "love & gift for that sort of thing.”

The professor replied, “A love for it? A gift for it? Do you think I enjoy smelling urine, stepping over bedpans, or talking with someone who drifts off into senile daydreams in the middle of a sentence? Enjoy it? You’ve got to be kidding!”

The student was stunned. “Then why do you go out there every week?” “Because,” the professor answered with a smile on his face, “that is where Christ would be, & that is what Christ would do. And I am a follower of Christ.”

Filled with a deep concern for those who were lost in sin, the one thing the apostles were concerned about was sharing the good news about Jesus. They marched forward with their banners waving, turning the world right side up.

III. GREAT WITNESS

Now a 3rd essential characteristic of the church is a great witness. Listen to vs. 33, "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all."

The church was united & generous, & as a result the church had a great witness, a great testimony to the world. They saturated Jerusalem with the message, then Judea & Samaria, & the uttermost parts of the world.

Here & there - in the alleys. the byways, on the streets, in the homes, in the catacombs - wherever God leads them, they are telling others, "Have you heard? Jesus is alive. The tomb is empty. He has conquered death. And He gives us everlasting life. Have you heard about Jesus?"

ILL. One of the most touching moments of the 2000 Sydney Olympics was when Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea swam in the 100-meter free-style qualifying heat.

The 22-year-old African had only learned to swim a few months before, had only practiced in a 20-meter pool, & had never raced more than 50 meters before.

By invitation of the International Olympic Committee, under a special program that permits poorer countries to participate even though their athletes don’t meet customary standards, he had been entered in the 100-meter men’s freestyle.

When the other two swimmers in his heat were disqualified because of false starts, Moussambani ended up swimming alone. He was, to use the words of an Associated Press story, "charmingly inept."

He never put his head underwater, & flailed wildly to stay afloat. Some spectators even thought he might drown!

Even though his time was over a minute slower than what qualified for the next level up, the capacity crowd stood & cheered him on. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the wall of the pool & hung on for dear life.

When he had caught his breath, Moussambani said through an interpreter, "I want to send hugs & kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going." Contributed by: Bruce Emmert, SC

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