Praying Our Way To Pentecost

Praying our way to Pentecost

Introduction- Good morning Church

I think if we took the time to look at the church:

We would see that the church is more than brick and mortar, a building.

It is more than what happens inside that building.

The church is the body of Christ (physical) and it is each and every one of us who profess Christ as savior.

When we realize that and don’t try to make everything the church does happen inside that box or building, or determine if the church is a success based upon how many people are in the building on Sunday morning, I believe we will see the church the way the Lord sees it.

The early church met in homes. The early church learned about the church after following Jesus and doing what Jesus did

The day of Pentecost was followers of Jesus waiting on God to empower them to be the church, yes, the church was started after Pentecost, Jesus Himself instituted the church and said that the gates of hell would not and could not stop the church of Christ.

Prayer- Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. The 50 days after the ascension of Jesus where the Holy Spirit of God fell and filled believers with His presence. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit into a believer’s life can transform the person and through that person can change a world. We take a moment this morning to allow you Lord to speak to the hearts of your people and that today we would be the people you desire us to be and accomplish those things that you said we could when you have empowered your people to be the church that you desired us to be, in Jesus Name! Amen.

When you think of Pentecost, we are drawn to Acts 2 where the 120 believers and followers of Jesus were in the upper room waiting on God to do something amazing.

You cannot deny that when the Spirit of God fell that people in the room spoke in many tongues or languages.

You cannot deny that those who heard these tongues in their own language were amazed that Galileans spoke to them the truth of God.

But to think that Pentecost was strictly about the speaking of other languages is to miss the message of the gospel and miss the church being empowered to go into the world and make a difference.

After a 36 day prayer devotional that lead us to Pentecost, we see very quickly that prayer is more than asking God for what you need, it is more than seeking answers, it is drawing near to God and allowing God to draw near to you. It is inviting the Holy Spirit of God into your life and allowing Him to empower you for service.

They were in the upper room ten days waiting on God and not knowing exactly what they were waiting on- I think anticipation has value as we wait on God. They were in prayer in one accord desiring for God to show up and He did not disappoint. The lessons learned were many.

Matthew 6:6- “But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 7:7-8- “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

John 14:26- “ But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”

I would like for our main text this morning one verse Acts 4:31

Acts 4:31- After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Let that sink in and repeat verse

We need God’s plan, God’s purpose to be fulfilled in our lives and in our churches. The disunity in our culture and the decline in ministry must be abated. We must turn to God for His leading, we must seek His will in prayer together. This time of prayer will be unifying for us as a region. God says when we seek after Him with all our hearts, He will be found. (Jeremiah 29:13)

I believe the most important decision a person will ever make in their life is wither they will accept Christ as their Lord and savior. The second most important decision for a believer is wither they will surrender to the Lord and allow the Holy ‘spirit of God to empower them and lead and guide them in their lives and their decisions of life.