For Those Not Familiar with an Anglican Service there are four readings before the Message. On This date they were: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35,37; Romans 8:14-17 and John 14:8-27.
This is Pentecost Sunday...... Today the liturgical color is red .... The color representing ......the Holy Spirit.
"Pentecost" ... designates ... the 50th day ... after Passover.
Pentecost is a Jewish Feast Day....... Also, known as the Feast of Weeks ... or the Feast of Harvest.
It was on this day, .... that the Holy Spirit ... was poured out on 120 Followers of Christ .... who were gathered in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:15)
It was on this day ... that the Church was born.
Born in a Blaze of Glory... In A Blaze... of Fire.
Experiencing Pentecost ... the coming of the Holy Spirit into one's life... it is clearly ... one of the great experiences ... for any disciple ... of Jesus.
However, ... For some ... Any Message ... or discussion ... about the Holy Spirit ... seems to create a spirit of ... anxiety.
The idea ... of God filling a person with His Spirit, ... makes them feel ... a little uneasy.
And some feel uncomfortable ... discussing anything ... having to do with ... the supernatural.
It all sounds too mystical, ... to other worldly.
For others, ... such discussion brings forth a feeling of culpability ... or shame.
They hear of the ... miracles, ... of the anointing's with signs and wonders ... and question ... if they are for our time.
They wonder if God still manifests his gifts here on Earth.
And if they are for our time, ... why don't we witness them more often.
And some wonder ... if it has to do ... with them.
Is there something that ... they are missing? (Pause)
Beloved ... count it as joy.
For there is no greater experience ... than having the Holy Spirit ... present ... and active ... in your life.
There is no greater comfort and companion ...than living in the purity, ... sanctification ... and justification ... of our God.
It seems to me ......that The Average Christian.... And the Average Church ... is Bogged Down Somewhere Between Calvary .... and Pentecost.
They have been to Calvary for Pardon, ... for forgiveness...... but they Have Not Been to Pentecost .... For Power. (Pause)
We have all heard business men and women say, ...... "It is hard to find good help ...these days?"
Well for those that call themselves a follower of the Christ .... we have the ultimate Helper....... the ultimate counselor.
We have The Holy Spirit .... who resides .... within us. Within our very being. (Pause)
Bethlehem means ......God with Us.
Calvary means ....... God for Us.
But Pentecost ... Pentecost means ... God in Us.
The great evangelist D.L. Moody said, ... "You might as well try to hear without ears, ... or breathe without lungs, ... as try to live a Christian life ... without the Holy Spirit of God ... in your heart." (Pause)
Far too Many Christians today .... are much like the Ephesian believers ... spoken of in Acts.
Paul asked them ...... (Slow) Did You Receive the Holy Spirit When You Believed? (Acts 19:12)
They Replied .... we did not even know that there was ......a Holy Spirit. (Pause)
Many do not understand the role ... of the Holy Spirit.
For they have not appropriated the power of the Holy Spirit .... in their lives. (Pause)
What We Need Today Beloved.... Is the Wind ... And the Flame .... Of Pentecost.
Some have described present Christianity ......As, ....... The Time of ... Quote ... "Pentecost Substitutes."
Lacking the real power .... Lacking the real fire from God ... many try to produce... their own ... fireworks.
We are living in the day of program and promotions, ... trying to duplicate ......the excitement that God the Holy Spirit ...brought ... on that glorious day.
These are the days of ... Pentecost ... Substitutes.
We whip up our own flames .... our own fire, ...... but we lack the reality ...... and the warmth ...of what is real.
The real flame ... is the Holy Spirit ... Who lives, ... Who abides ... within each one of us. (Pause)
I appreciate what Dr. Vance Havner ... said some time ago.
The average one of us ....is so afraid of getting out on a limb ... that we never even bother ... to climb up the tree.
Beloved, .......... Through the years ... We have Seen Abuse and Misuse.... of the Spiritual Gifts ... And of ....... God's Power.
We are So afraid of ....... Excesses.
We are so Afraid of ... those.... who go to Extremes.
Yet, ...We Must .... We must Not Allow Them ...To Push Us Away ... From that ... which is Real!
Or as My Great Grandmother would say:
Don't throw the Baby out ... with the Bathwater.
So today, ... I want to speak about... Pentecost.
Not Pentecostalism, ... Not A Holiness Church ...Not some special belief.
But the Special Promise ... that was sent to us ...by Jesus... Himself. (Pause)
Pentecost ....is not ......a Denomination.
It is an encounter ......that every Blood Bought Child of God ... Should Receive." (Pause)
We are privileged ... to live in a generation ......when God Again ...is pouring out His Spirit.
The Rain of the Holy Spirit ...is falling on the Dry, Religious Ground ...of our day.
The Holy Spirit is raining down upon us ......to prepare the Precious Fruit of the Earth ... for Harvest.
And Beloved ... Harvest ... is at the Heart ...of Pentecost.
In Peter's sermon in Acts ... Peter replied, BIBLE "Repent and be baptized, .... every one of you, ...in the name of Jesus Christ ...for the forgiveness of your sins ... And you will receive .... the gift of the Holy Spirit. .... The Promise is for you ...and your children ...and for all who are far off... for all whom the Lord our God ... will call." END (Acts 2:38-39)
This Outpouring of the Spirit ....is not a Special Blessing .... for a Special Few .... in a Special Age.
It Is for All ...... All who have Truly Repented ... And Believe in the Gospel.
It is for all ...... All who have Found Remission of Sin ... in the Blood of the Lamb.
The Promise is for you ....and for your children ....and for all .... whom the Lord our God ... will call.
What a precious gift.... What ...a precious Promise.
The Real Question ... is Not ...whether as a Christian ...you Have A Right to the Gift of the Holy Spirit, ...
But whether ... you have... Claimed that Right.
Weather you have Availed yourself ...of this Glorious Promise. (Pause)
Many ... have allowed the Devil ... or Religious Tradition ... to rob them ...of the Power of God.
Peter said the promise is unto ...... you.
That The Promise is to all .... To All who have heard his voice, .... And to your children, ... and to all ... that are far off.
Far off....... that is ... throughout the ages, ...even unto ...this Century.
The promise is for you ... the promise is for me.
The Promise is for All.... all who call ...Jesus their Savior and Their Lord. (Pause)
When someone receives salvation, ... they are placed ......into the Body of Christ.
Beloved... All that have been saved .... receive the Holy Spirit.
Yet many that have received salvation .... and received the Holy Spirit ... are not filled with ... the Holy Spirit.
They Ought to Be, .... they Can Be, .... but many chose ... not to be.
What was the Promise ... that God Made?
It was The Pouring Out of the Holy Spirit ... upon all Flesh.
Upon who? ... Upon all Flesh.
On the Day of Pentecost, ... the crowd was amazed ... because of the miracle.... of Tongues.
In Essence the crowd was saying, ......What is going on?
Are all of these ... filled with new wine?
Peter answered, BIBLE No, ... this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "......'In the last days, .... God says, .... I will pour out my Spirit on all people. .... Your sons and daughters will prophesy, ... your young men will see visions, ... your old men will .... dream dreams. END (Acts 2:16-18)
I am still leaning toward that young men ... vision choice.
Jesus after the resurrection ... was with the disciples .... He breathed on the them.... and said to them ... "Receive the Holy Spirit". (John 20:22)
And when he did ...... what happened?
That's right ... They received the Holy Spirit.
Yet something else, ...... something greater ... was to transpire.
He told the disciples ... to stay in Jerusalem .... until what?
(Slow) Until you receive ... power from on high.
Hear God's Word: BIBLE "While staying with them, .... he ordered them .... not to leave Jerusalem, ...but to wait there ...for the promise of the Father. .... "This," he said, ... "is what you have heard from me; ... 5 for John baptized with water, ... but you will be baptized ...with the Holy Spirit... not many days from now." END (Acts 1:4-6)
Jesus breathed on them ....and they received the Holy Spirit ......yet they were ordered.......... they were commanded ....by Jesus .... not to leave Jerusalem.
Why? ... for you will be Baptized ... with the Holy Spirit ... a few days from now.
This encounter with the Holy Spirit ....is not some Intangible Mystical Experience ......that Automatically Happens.
In Luke ... Jesus shares with us this promise: BIBLE "How much more ... will your Heavenly Father.... give the Holy Spirit ....to those who ...... Ask Him." END (Luke 11:13)
The Holy Spirit is given... to those who what .... Ask him! (Pause)
D L Moody was once asked ... why he urged Christians ....to be filled constantly... with the Holy Spirit.
"Well,"... he said, ......"I need a continual infilling ... because I ... leak!"
Beloved ... we all leak.
We all need to be filled a new ....... to be filled consistently ......with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus breathed on the disciples ....and said .... receive the Holy Spirit.
Then He Commanded them ....to wait in Jerusalem until ......they received...... (Slow) power from on high.
If this were not a definite and distinct encounter with the Holy Spirit, ...... then the disciples would not have known ... if they had complied with ... Christ's command. (Pause)
Well ... Ten days after Jesus ascended into Heaven ... the Blessed Promise ... Came.
And the Faithful Ones ... those who had obeyed and waited ... were Filled with the power ...of the Holy Spirit.
Peter Declared, .... "This is it!" ...... This is the Fulfillment ... of the promise!" (Acts 2:16)
The Biblical Record ....in the Book of Acts ... indicates ... that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, ......the disciples, ......and other women ... and brethren ....... received that Promise.
And The infilling .... of this power from on high happened ... again and again and again.
Acts Chapter 8 .... speaks of a revival ....in Samaria ......where A Deacon Preached ... and many believed ... and were baptized. (Acts 8)
Yet Later.... after their water baptism ....... the scriptures tell us ... the Apostles came ... laid hands on them ......and they received ... the power of ... the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 10, .... the whole Gentile household of Cornelius ...sat and listened.... As Peter preached the Gospel .... unto them.
While Peter was preaching, ...... "The Holy Spirit fell on all of them ... who had heard the Word." (Acts 10:44)
In Acts 19, .... Paul found certain disciples, Believers, in Ephesus .... who did not know anything .... about the Holy Spirit.
Paul laid hands on them ... and they were filled ... with the Holy Spirit. (Pause)
Jesus said .... How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit... to those ... who Ask Him.
Beloved ... The Holy Spirit is our Helper.... The Holy Spirit ....is our Comforter.
He leads us .... If...we allow him. (Long Pause)
A story is told of a certain guide ... who lived in the Arabian Desert ......who never lost his way.
He carried with him ......a homing pigeon .... with a very fine cord .... attached ......to one of its legs.
When in doubt as to which path to take, ....... he threw the bird ... in to the air.
The pigeon.... quickly strained at the cord ...... to fly in the direction ... of home, ...... and thus led the guide ... accurately ....to his goal.
Because of this unique practice ... he was known as.... "The dove man." (Pause)
The Holy Spirit, ...... the Heavenly Dove, ......is willing and able ......to direct us ... in the narrow way ......that leads to... an abundant life.
Beloved ... There is a great peace ... There is a great joy ... that always seems to accompany .... the presence of the Holy Spirit.
And when the people of God ... come together ... ...when they yield to the leadership and direction of the Holy Spirit ... a beautiful symphony ... will come forth.
We are each a part of the Body of God ... We are each gifted ... we all have been given voices.
And when we watch, ... when we listen ... we will meld together.
We will join heart, mind and soul together... as one.
Each doing our best ... for our Lord ... and for one another.
No one ... yearning to shine brighter, ... knowing that real music of heaven ... happens in community.
That is the power of the Holy Spirit ... that is the power of Pentecost.
That is the Promise ... of the Father ... realized in the lives ... of human beings.
O' Beloved ... We must yield to the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Who abides within your very being.
And when we do ... it is Sacred, ... it is Holy, ... it is Pentecost.
Amen and Amen!
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