Applied Pentecost
By: Pastor Donny Granberry
Sunday a week ago I preached about “The Applied Blood of Christ.”
This morning, our focus will be “Applied Pentecost.”
ILLUSTRATION
Charles Crabtree, former Assistant General Sup. of the Assemblies of God told this story.
He said this, I met a distinguished-looking gentleman in his mid-40s, who immediately began to impress upon me how educated he was.
After a few minutes of a well-rehearsed oral résumé, I must confess I was impressed.
He had several advanced degrees from an outstanding college and a prestigious university.
I mentioned our conversation to the pastor who informed me that the man was a professional student.
"He has never held down a decent job," the pastor said.
"His wife works day and night to support the family and pay his school bill."
He has never applied his education to benefit his family in any way.
While advanced degrees are laudable and often necessary, they are worthless if there is no application in real life.
It would be interesting to ask the man’s wife how impressed she is with her husband’s education.
Sadly, many people wish to impress the world with their long association with and knowledge of a particular religion or denomination without an attending personal witness of how their stated religious views and associations make a difference in their lives.
They are all profession and no practice.
They have learned the concepts and ideas of a religion, but they have not learned a working faith; that is, an applied faith which is at work Monday through Saturday.
Pentecost came to this world as a gifting of God to His people for the express purpose of moving a religious faith out of the realm of thought to action, from promise to possession, from helplessness to supernatural power.
But most of all, Pentecost is to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior and the source of a new, abundant, overflowing life that changes everything.
The book of Acts speaks of the infilling, the indwelling, and of the overflowing of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1-4 NIV
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
In these scriptures we discover the Holy Spirit given, yet not the Holy Spirit applied.
They had received, but were not applying as of yet.
As we continue to read, we discover the impact when the gift of the Holy Spirit is applied.
They ask the Question, “What does this mean?” He tells them that this is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.
He then tells them: Acts 2:22-24 NIV
2 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Now we are seeing Pentecost applied, and the results were 3,000 people giving their lives to the Lord.
Some people today have trouble defining and intellectualizing Pentecost.
They are desperately trying to explain the unexplainable and analyze supernatural life.
They remind me of the scientists who proved beyond any doubt that a bee with its large body and small wings cannot fly. One problem: The bee stung their theory to death.
From the beginning, Pentecost was intended to be applied in reality, not in theory.
In His wisdom, God took the baptism in the Holy Spirit out of the theoretical by giving the believer an undeniable physical evidence when the believer was filled. That evidence is speaking with other tongues.
When a person becomes hungry for the gift of the Holy Spirit, that person does not have to be in doubt or in question whether he or she is filled.
The fact is those who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues.
Someone says to me, "I have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, but I haven’t spoken in tongues."
I say, "The promise of the Father without tongues is just that … a promise.
The promise without tongues is not a possession any more than a promise of a gift is not the reality of the gift itself.
I believe I will receive a gift, but I cannot apply the gift until I have taken possession."
The forefathers of this great fellowship came together in 1914 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with one of the main focuses being the desire to affirm our position on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
They came from many different denominations, (Holiness, Methodist, Church of Christ, Baptist, Lutheran, and many others).
Their desire was to begin a movement that would perpetuate the Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit in such a way that it would literally change the world.
Little did they realize the impact that it would have?
In a short period of time, 94 years, The Assemblies of God has grown from 300 members strong to over 67 million today.
This fellowship has blessed by God and has the favor of the Lord upon it because we have applied the Holy Spirit in our endeavors.
The day that we cease to be a Pentecost Applying movement will mark the day the downfall of this fellowship would begin.
The world is not looking for another religion, or religious sect, they are looking for something that is real, something substantive, something that does not just sound good and feel good, but that will change their lives.
That my friend will only happen through a genuine experience with the person of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus operated through applying the Holy Spirit in His ministry.
When John sent some of his followers to ask if he was the Christ, or if they should look for another, Jesus told them this; Luke 7:22
Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
Mark 16:17, 18, & 20 KJV
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
(Application) 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
Application brings proof, or results.
The world is looking for applied Christianity.
The answer to that need is a church hat is empowered by the Holy Spirit in New Testament fullness with signs and wonders.
It is difficult to argue about the supernatural when the evidence is physically seen and heard.
Our forefathers came into Pentecost because they saw and heard applied Pentecost.
Thousands came out of dead, cold, analytical religion because they saw the mighty works of God in miracles of healing.
Others came into Pentecost because they heard anointed preaching and singing.
There was a dimension of God’s presence and power beyond human ritual and form.
Still others came into Pentecost because they heard about the fullness of the Spirit and then saw the results of that fullness in transformed lives.
Pentecost is the undeniable witness of a living Christ through human instrumentality.
Pentecost is more than a doctrine to be questioned and analyzed; it is a reality to be sought after and possessed.
Pentecost is proof positive that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church that believes the promises of God are applicable to the realities of life.
