The Power of a Changed Life
Pentecostal Power
Acts 2: 1-21
back in the OT we find a very interesting story about the building of the tower of Babel. This was early of course in history, population much smaller but the people had learned a brand new technology: how to make bricks. Now their buildings could be much larger. So they found a large open plain where they could live and they decided to build a tower there. They believed they could build a tower that would reach all the way up to the heavens...and what was their motive? “Come let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the whole earth.”
But instead the scripture says the Lord came down to see the tower they were building. The tower had not reached heaven at all. God had to “come down” to see the city.
The purpose of the tower was to unify them. They had one language and they wanted to gather everyone together through this one great achievement-a tower. But instead God reversed their plan, giving them different languages so they couldn’t understand each other. The tower intended to bring people together was the tower that scattered the people and drove them from each other. Know this truth. When we separate ourselves from God we will separate ourselves from God’s people.
Now their language, instead of being the same-all sounded like what we now call babbling...the tower of Babel. The place then becomes known as Babylon.....one of the most evil cities in history.
It reminds me of the Soviet astronaut who in 1961 became the 1st human to orbit the earth. The media quotes him as saying while he was in orbit, “I don’t see any god up here.” Many people today are still under the impression that we can somehow use technology to build something that will take us far into the heavens so that we can see whether there is a God or not. Amazing! We live out the scripture where Paul says they claimed to be wise; they became fools.
Now the day of Pentecost begins the reversal of this process. Languages developed and of course continued to do so all over the world-one estimate says there are close to 7000 different languages today.
Look with me at some of the differences we see in the Tower of Babel in the OT and the Day of Pentecost in the NT.
1. Babel is a symbol of rebellion; Pentecost is s symbol of unity.
2. At Babel the people wanted to make a name for themselves. At Penetcost the people wanted to glorify God.
3. After Babel the people could no longer work together. At Pentecost they started working together.
4. Babel was an example of man’s will. Pentecost was an example of God’s will.
5. Babel was bad news. Pentecost was good news.
6. Babel showed God’s judgment. Pentecost showed God’s blessings.
7. The message of Babel was we are gods. The message of Pentecost was we are God’s.
8. The message of Babel was God is nowhere. The message of Pentecost was God is now here.
What Pentecost says to us is that God is not far away. We do not have to build a tower to get to Him. God is now here. Pentecost gives us an example for the church to follow. It gives us some principles we can learn from. Because the church at Pentecost is much closer to being the church God had in mind than what we have today.
First of all in every God’s church we must have an atmosphere where God can move. Notice v. 1. When the Day came they were all together in one place. There was an atmosphere that brought them all together. They were waiting together because they knew in their hearts that Jesus would fulfill the promise He had made just a few days earlier.
Acts 1:8. None of them wanted to miss this. They didn’t know what was going to happen; they just knew they wanted to be part of it.
2nd, the church must be able to get the attention of people who were outside the church. Over and over throughout the book of Acts we see that the church was too powerful to be ignored. That was certainly the case on Pentecost Sunday.
* they hear a sound like a violent wind that fills the whole house
* they saw tongues of fire
* they are filled with the Holt Spirit
* they spoke on other tongues/languages
As a result we see that the people of that day were “utterly amazed” v. 7 and v. 12.
Listen, a dynamic church will attract attention when God is moving inside the church people outside the church will notice. And here is the reason. It is the power of a changed life. Now as is almost always the case, there were some who were amazed...v. 2:7 ..there were also those who were amused. V. 13.
We aren’t really persecuted so much but there are those who will poke fun at our faith. But we always need to remember that there will also be those who will be amazed. They will see something about us that is very different. In a very good way and they will be open to the gospel.
3rd, churches must open their doors to everyone.
In the early church there were those who didn’t want to allow Gentiles into the church. In the middle ages Jews were excluded because of the color of their skin. It was MLK who said that “11:00 on Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour of the week.
There can be no discrimination in the NT church. We cannot discriminate because of race. Jew or Gentile are welcome. Male. Female. Young. Old. All are welcome in God’s house.
Churches often have a tendency to look down on young people and say to them you’re not mature enough, too young; wait! Then we turn to older adults and say you’re too old to serve. One of the things I have discovered is that the longer I serve the Lord is that age is not so important. A young person isn’t necessarily immature, an older person isn’t always mature-age is not the factor. It is your walk with Christ.
God didn’t start using Moses until he was 80 years of age. Someone has said that Moses spent his 1st 40 years thinking he was a Somebody. In his next 40 years he realized he was a Nobody. His last 40 years he realized what God can do with a Nobody.
Finally, God’s church must forever lift up the name of Jesus. The questions is what does that mean?
John 12:32
John 3:14
John 8:28
So how do we do this? We lift up His name when we praise Him. This exalts Jesus. This calls attention to Jesus. We see Him lifted up at the time of his death on the cross. Lifted up for all to see-on a Mt called calvary-here was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.
This was not an accident that Jesus was crucified...not some unfortunate mistake..it is exactly what was planned. Satan thought he had won when Jesus was crucified and placed in the tomb. But on the 3rd day jesus came out of the tomb and at that moment Satan knew he had lost the battle. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was no longer just a prophecy. It was a fact that could not be ignored.
Mary Magdalene saw Him. Other women saw Him. 2 disciples saw Him. Simon Peter saw Him. 10 of the apostles saw Him. Then they saw Him at the Sea of Galilee. Then 500 brethren saw Him. Then Paul. Then James. And because they saw the risen Lord their lives were completely changed forever. An they left a message for you and I to share.
Nearly 200 years ago a guy named George Wilson was sentenced to die by hanging after he killed a guard during a robbery. President Andrew Jackson feeling merciful deiced to pardon him of his crime. To everyone’s surprise George Wilson refused it. This was so confusing to the court system that they had to ask the supreme court to rule on it. Chef Justice Marshall delivered this verdict: “a pardon is a parchment whose only value must be determined by the one who receives it. It has not value apart from the value the recipient gives to it. George Wilson has refused to accept the pardon. We cannot imagine why he would do so but he has. Therefore, George Wilson must die.
