Pentecostal Power
Narrative Sermon
May 31, 2009 FBC, Chester Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
A Pentecost is one of my people’s three national feasts (Passover & Tabernacles)
1 YHWH has used this feast as a time to do new things, move in new directions among my people.
a In Genesis, the first book of the Torah, YHWH sent Father Noah a bow in the skies, a rainbow, as a sign of His covenant at what would later be the Pentcostal feast.
b In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying,16 "Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.17 "Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."Gen 8:14-17 (NASB)
aa The date given is the 27th day of Iyar, about a week before the 6th of Suran, the date that would late be designated as Shavuot (Pentecost).
bb My tradition teaches that God made the rainbow on Shavuot.
2 The days of conscience gave way, & human government came.
B In Exodus, the second book of the Torah, YHWH spoke & showed His glory to Moses and the assembly of Israel at Mt. Sinai.
1 My people had been delivered by God & redeemed by the blood of the Land, crossed over the Red Sea on dry ground, & fifty days past we found ourselves at Mt. Sinai (Pentecost means fifty).
a In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 3 Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:4 ’You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.5 ’Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." Ex 19:1, 3-6 (NASB)
aa Arriving at the mountain where the Law would be received by Moses from the Lord, Moses said...
bb He said to the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman."16 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Ex 19:15-16 (NASB)
Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder .20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.Ex 19:18-20 (NASB)
b On that day, & three days following, my fathers saw smoke (glory), fire fall on the mountain; trumpets blow louder, louder.
c Father Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the Law on two tablets.
aa In fear, my people reverted back to worshiping the image of a calf.
bb After the fire & smoke cleared, 3,000 Israelites were slain out of judgment for their disobedience.
2 Pentecost (Shavuot) is the feast we celebrate YHWH giving us the Law.
a Before Elohim would allow my people entrance into the Promised Land, He brought them instructions on how to live.
b God gave the Torah to God’s peoples to teach God’s people how God’s people are to live.
c Stones from Mt. Moriah, from moreh, which means teacher.
d Shaddia transitioned to the Law at this Pentecost.
B My sons & I have been coming to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, as my father and my father before him for generations, but this year’s Shavuot was anything but ordinary.
1 In the past, we’d bring our omer (sheaf/tithe) of wheat to the priest.
a Barley was brought at Passover (1st of the winter crops to come in); wheat was the last when we brought our first crop to the temple.
aa We believe if we bring YHWH the best first; and not the leftovers, He’ll bless the leftovers to abundantly meet our needs.
bb The firstfruits represented an entire crop!
cc The priest would have bread made from the very best of the wheat.
b ’You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths.16 ’You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.17 ’You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah ; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord.Lev 23:15-17 (NASB)
aa The bread was made with leaven (yeast), which was unlike the Passover bread made without it.
bb The Passover bread represented the Messiah (sinless, without blame, without flaw, perfect); the Pentecost bread represents me (sin, blame, flawed, imperfect), & even the very best I have to offer God is tainted with sin.
c The high priest waves my loaf before the Lord, & the Lord makes them holy for the priest. ’The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the Lord; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest.Lev 23:20 (NASB)
2 In the past, God has used Pentecost to mark new directions, and past events suggests future trends.
C This Pentecost, we were prepared with our wheat and were making our way to the temple when God did something new.
1 As we passed by a home near the Temple Mount, we couldn’t believe our eyes.
a We knew that at this house were men who had followed a suntanned Nazarene named Yeshua, who claimed to be the Messiah, who had been crucified, buried, & 3 days later reportedly rose again & appeared to over 500 people.
aa Just last week I heard He rose in the clouds & promised to return soon!
bb We’ll see
b The whole house was filled with a violent, rushing wind that quickened all inside & in the wind were tongues of fire that seemed to sit on each person that was there.
aa Each person who had followed, trusted Yeshua were filled with His Spirit and spoke in tongues that were not theirs.
bb This outpouring of God’s Spirit got everyone’s (Arab, Greek, Roman, Jew) attention, & they were amazed.
2 Then one of the 12, Peter, just filled with the Spirit, preached how Yeshua was the Messiah, had been crucified, raised, & today was fulfillment of Joel’s prophetic words: “And it shall be in the last days, God says, ‘...that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind.’”
a His words pierced my heart, & I asked Peter, “What shall I do?”
aa Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 (NASB) bb I did, and He did, and He came
b My High Priest, Yeshua, lifted my sinful, broken life before the presence of the Father & made me acceptable, consecrated by the virtue of His grace.
aa His Holy Spirit, like the Law, was given to me to teach me how to live like God’s child. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26 (NASB)
bb God did something new! Age of Grace!
3 Not only me, but 3,000 of my fellow Jewish brethren came to Yeshua of this Pentecost. So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls .Acts 2:41 (NASB)
a It is clear that when the law was given, 3,000 Israelites at Sinai were killed, & when grace was given, 3,000 were saved at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
b The birth of the Church, Age of Grace began at Pentecost.
D If the past events suggest future trends, then remember Shavuot/Pentecost.
1 The next transition will begin with a trumpet, clouds, & Yeshua will call us up.
a When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder .20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Ex 19:19-20 (NASB)
b When all these things reached a fever pitch, Moses was called up.
2 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess 4:16-18 (NASB)
3 Pentecost is the birthday (transition between conscience, human government, law, grace) of the Church, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
a What if the trend continues?
b Yeshua is still Messiah, lifting up broken lives & making them acceptable before the Father.
4 Repent...
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