If you would, please stand as we say together our memory Scripture for this quarter:
Romans 12:4-5
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
And our memory refresher Scripture is …
Colossians 3:23-24 NIV
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Please open your Bibles to Acts 2:1-21, 34-41 which we will read in a few minutes.
This past Sunday was the day that is generally designated as Pentecost Sunday on the church calendar.
It is also referred to as the day the church was born.
So, let’s set it up.
Jesus was crucified during the Passover Festival when all Jewish men were required to come to Jerusalem. During the Passover Festival the High Priest would sacrifice the Passover lamb and take the blood of the Lamb into the Most Holy Place of the Temple which was also called the Holy of Holies. To do this the High Priest would have to pass through a veil that was several inches thick and which weighed hundreds of pounds and this veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This would only be done once a year on Passover.
On that same day when there were tens of thousands of Jews from all over that area of the world, Jesus the Great High Priest sacrificed Himself as the Perfect Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of the sins of humanity and the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom as if God Himself had opened the way for us to enter into His presence.
And, indeed, that is what He had done.
After Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb the apostles hid in a room with the doors bolted and the windows locked.
Three days later Jesus rises from the dead with a glorified body and is greeted at the tomb by some women who had followed Him during His ministry and they run to tell the disciples who are still hiding in a locked room that Jesus is risen from the dead.
Other disciples are headed out of town saying, “we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel” while actually talking to the resurrected Jesus.
Over the next 40 days Jesus appears to as many as 500 disciples on multiple occasions.
And then after the 40 days are up Jesus ascends into Heaven and the disciples go to Jerusalem to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised.
At the end of the Gospel of Luke it says that the disciples, “stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”
So, now it is ten days later and once again Jerusalem is filled with tens of thousands of devoted Jews who have come from all over that area of the world for the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of the First Fruits.
And, this is where we pickup in Acts chapter 2.
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read Acts 2:1-21
At that point a great crowd has been attracted by the sound of a mighty, rushing wind and the incredible sound of 120 voices declaring the praises of God.
Then Peter launches into a sermon that starts out with a history lesson and ends with an accusation that brings conviction on many in the crowd.
So, let’s continue on by reading verses Acts 2:34-41
Now, just a side note here ... When it says in Acts 2:38, "And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit ..." it is NOT talking about any particular gift of the Holy Spirit. What it is actually saying is, "And you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift ..."
We will receive the actual presence of the Holy Spirit within us. We will receive the Giver of all gifts Himself!
Praise the Lord!!!!!!
Sorry for the tangent but it was necessary to make that clear because there is a lot of misconception regarding that phrase.
Now ... back to Pentecost ...
Many of the devoted Jews who were there at Pentecost had also been there at the Passover Feast when Jesus had been crucified.
This crucifixion was not something that had happened in secret. As one of the disciples on the road to Emmaus has said to Jesus, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
I wonder if many of these Jewish pilgrims had been turning those events over in their minds for the 50 days between the Passover and Pentecost …
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OK, now, let’s jump way back to the account of Creation in Genesis.
In Genesis chapter 1 it simply says, “So God created man in His own image.”
A simple, straight forward statement, but then in Genesis chapter two the Lord gives us a detail that is not mentioned in chapter 1.
Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
What was Adam before the LORD God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils?
Adam was just a lump of flesh and bones lying on the ground, lifeless!
What was Adam after the LORD God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life?
He was a living being.
From a useless lump of flesh to a being created in the image of God; fully capable of walking with the Lord and having fellowship with Him.
So, what on earth does that have to do with Pentecost????
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Jesus actually talked about the church in Matthew when He said that the truth that He is the Messiah, the Son of The Living God will be the bedrock foundation of the church.
At that time you could say that Jesus was planting the seed of the church or that the church was in a period of gestation and ready to be born.
So, after Jesus was raised from the dead and had ascended into heaven church did exist in a powerless form kind of like a baby with no strength.
For instance, yes all 120 of them were together in Jerusalem during the ten days between the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the day of Pentecost but it seems that they were not doing anything to further the kingdom of God. They were not being Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the farthest parts of the earth were they?
They were like a body with no breath. They were like a skeleton with no muscle.
They were powerless just like Adam before the LORD God breathed the breath of life into him.
Then came the Holy Spirit in power and might!
(Read Acts 2:1-13 again)
You see, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit there was power where there was only weakness before.
After that you couldn’t get the disciples to shut up!
In Acts chapter 5 we see the apostles performing many signs and wonders among the people. The apostles are arrested and put into jail. During the night an angel comes and releases them from the jail and tells them to, “Go stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life” in Jesus Christ.
The apostles are hauled in before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme court, and told, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this Man’s blood.”
Now the Jews must be thinking, “Don’t these men know what we did to their leader?”
The apostles don’t care, “Should we obey you or God?”
The Jews want to put them to death.
One of the Pharisees intervenes with a convincing speech so instead of killing the apostles they just flog them and send them out. And what did those apostles do? Run and hide?
Acts 5:41-42 NIV
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”
Did they just go and hide? No! Why not? Because they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
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So, how does this apply to us individually and to Crossroads Church of The Nazarene?
If we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will be powerful for the kingdom of God.
If we try to accomplish anything for the kingdom of God on our own strength we will fail!
The LORD God gave life to Adam’s lifeless body with the His holy breath.
God the Father gave life to a powerless church with His Holy Spirit.
Arcade Crossroads Church of The Nazarene will either be lifeless or powerful depending on how fully we rely on the Holy Spirit.
I love the Crossroads Church of The Nazarene and I love our church family.
But, what is it that makes the Crossroads family so loveable?
It is a relentless pursuit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit!
Quite a few of our memory Scriptures have to do with relationships with others within the church family.
Take for instance:
Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition ...”
Is this even possible without …
Matthew 22:37
“Love the Lord your God with all …”
What about 1 Peter 3:8-9?
“Finally, all of you …”
Is that even possible without …
Galatians 2:20?
“I have been crucified with Christ …”
I mean, even look at the second greatest Commandment,
Matthew 22:39
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Is that even possible without …
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“May God Himself, the God of peace …”
No! No! No! It’s just not possible.
When we look at the Crossroads Church and the love we have for one another and the desire we have for souls to be saved we need to realize that the things that make the church desirable are all a byproduct of overwhelming love for Jesus.
The search for church unity without the overwhelming love for and pursuit of Jesus will only result in division. The only healing for division is the overwhelming love for and pursuit of Jesus.
The pursuit of church growth without the overwhelming love for and pursuit of Jesus will only result in a shallow transient church; many in, many out. The only healing for a shallow, transient church is the overwhelming love for and pursuit of Jesus.
When the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost it was for one overwhelming purpose; to point to Jesus and the only true life that is found in Him.
Since we are filled with the Holy Spirit that is our purpose as well!
Do you want to make sure that Crossroads is always a loving church? Then don’t make the church your objective, make Jesus your objective for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom. Jesus will take care of His church.
(Possible comments about the past year in the life of Crossroads as pastor)
Final comments and benediction.
