Pentecost; What next?
Acts Chapter 2:1-13
Prayer
Father today on this Pentecost Sunday, may your Spirit fall fresh on us and have us respond to your leading and your Spirit direct us into new truth… into living the abundant life that you promise to believers who have put their faith in you.
I pray that each one of us receives a word from you both corporately and individually. Amen.
Turn to Acts chapter 2:1-12 (Don’t read it yet)
Introduction-
We are continuing in our series “Toolbox of Faith”
We have looked at our faith and shared a few things that can define our faith and increase our faith.
Today, On Pentecost Sunday, I want to talk about the Holy Spirit of God.
I am not talking about a tool that you pull out of the FAITH toolbox this morning. I am talking about a person of the Trinity that you need to be walking with every step of the way in your life since you have committed your life to Christ.
We feel like once we come to Christ, that our salvation is secure in Jesus, that we kind of coast to the finish line praying that God will bless us and keep us safe and I am here to tell you that salvation of your soul is the beginning of the exciting times and what God wants for your life.
Let me set the text this morning- Acts chapter one
40 days after the resurrection, Jesus went about telling followers about the kingdom of God
After His resurrection, He presented Himself for all to see, spoke of his sufferings, allowed all the doubters to see him and spoke about believers coming together and waiting for God to do something amazing and different then they have ever seen.
He said come together… do not leave until it happens.
Jesus said-You have heard me talk about the Holy Spirit of God.
You have seen certain men anointed by the Spirit, but I want you to wait and be filled with the Spirit of God.
You won’t be given a date when it will happen but be together in one accord and be praying for it to happen.
When it does happen- He (Holy Spirit) of God will come and empower you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts Chapter 2:1-13 Read slow and with power
(Pentecost) 50 days they waited for God to come and baptize them and accomplish what He has said would happen.
The Spirit of God filled the room
The Spirit filled them and they began to speak other languages.
All these different nationalities heard God speak to them in their own native tongue.
They admitted they were amazed and perplexed. They asked the question- what does this mean? I would ask the question- What is next? What happens now!
Go back to chapter one and we know what happens-
They received power from God.
They were to use that God given power to be witnesses in all the world.
Jesus had to go so the Holy Spirit of God could come and they were to be witnesses to those they had contact with and spread the gospel message that they themselves were given.
Here’s where we miss a very important part of the plan of God
Jesus came/ incarnation
Jesus Died/ crucifixion
Jesus was resurrected… That is salvation, but He loves us that much that it does not stop there.
Jesus ascended to the Father
Holy Spirit descended so that we can have the power to live the lives that God intended for us.
Not only desires to save us but empower us to be his witnesses and live lives that are meaningful.
When we think of Pentecost, we often think Pentecostal.
When we think of Pentecostals, we think of a few denominations that have prided themselves on “fullness of the Spirit”
I want you to know that no denomination owns the right to Pentecost.
I come from that background and I respect and love my Pentecostal brothers and sisters but they are not the only ones that have the fullness of His Spirit!
I consider myself charismatic in nature but I am a Nazarene.
I believe the Nazarene doctrine and believe that the fullness of the Spirit is available to all who asked to be filled with His Spirit the same as every man and women that was in the Upper room waiting for the fullness of the Spirit.
The world today seems to base it on certain external things
Base having His Spirit on how loud and long we sing.
Wither we stand or sit during worship.
Wither you clap and move your hips.
All those things are fine and you are welcome to do that as the Spirit of the Lord leads you, but I want you to know that you can quietly worship, you can be sitting or standing. You may be on your knees and not moving a muscle and that can be worship.
You know when I know that the Spirit of God is moving!
When those that want to clap their hands can do so.
Those that want to be still and prostrate before the Lord, those in prayer can do so.
Those who are singing…can all do it together and it is okay!
Because the Spirit of God is the same but doing different things in different lives and He is freely able to move in the service and people are not limiting how He must move.
Dr. Jerry Vines said “The average Christian and the average church are somewhere stuck between Calvary and Pentecost. They have been to Calvary for pardon, but they have not been to Pentecost for power.”
The early church was sold out to Christ- They waited and experienced the fullness of His Spirit because they were desiring Him and anticipating His coming!
The universal church has lost enthusiasm of the gospel.
They have lost seeking His power to be operating in our lives.
They have lost the expectation that God is going to do something amazing when God’s people come together.
Do you do some pre-church before you get here?
Are you praying that God would anoint your pastor and worship team to bring us to worship and a word from God will be spoken?
Do you pray that God would use you in some way to bless someone that you will come into contact with?
Do you desire unity? Can you sit anywhere in the sanctuary or do you need to be away from so and so?
They were all together and they were in one accord. They were coming together in unity to see God do something amazing! Wow! No wonder God fell fresh on them with more than they could ever imagine!
“ Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it unto completion until the day of Christ.”
“In the last days, I will pour out my spirit on all people” I believe we are in the last days and I believe that God desires to fill His believers with His Spirit in these last days if we will ask Him.
Filled believers want to be around each other and they want to share the gospel to those around them.
(42) “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.”
We need to experience the awe moments! Where we come together and desire God to do something amazing!
We forget this whole church thing is not our idea. Jesus said I will build my church. I will empower my people in that church to do what they were called to do if we would let Him. Amen.
Bethlehem- God with us
Calvary- God for us
Pentecost- God in us
D.L. Moody-
“You might as well try to hear with no ears, or breathe without lungs, as to try to live the Christian life without the power of God.”
The apostles knew Christ. They walked with Jesus daily. But before Pentecost, they were a bunch of guys scared to share the gospel of Christ, choked under pressure, so Jesus gathered them together and instructs them to stay put in one place, in one accord, for one purpose!
The Holy Spirit of God will change for life forever!
Some of you would miss lunch for God to show up!
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit active in our lives gives us the authority to do the things of God!
They waited for the Spirit of God to fall on them. We are believers and filled with His Spirit and His Spirit dwells within us.
Before Jesus- The Spirit of God fell on them to empower them to accomplish a task.
Today- He desires to dwell within us and daily empower us to live abundant life.
Salvation for our soul
Guilt free living
Joy unspeakable
Victory over sin
Hope to get us home
This was evangelism explosion like never before!
Greek word for power- “Dynamas”- where we get the English word “Dynamite”
Something that has the potential to generate extreme reactions or to have devastating repercussions.
WE need that in our lives Amen! I need it, we all need it.
Ephesians 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil.”
I did not say that- God said it. take it up with Him. Do you need the Spirit of God working in your life?
1 Peter 5:8
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Jesus promised to send the comforter- and He has. The power of God to dwell within a believer to give him strength to live this life. It is the true meaning of inner strength. The strength of God working within us.
My question is…
Where is the power of God working in your life?
Where is the power of witnessing?
Where is the power over sin?
Where is our witness to this dying world?
The Holy Spirit is not an it! The Holy Spirit of God is a part of the Trinity- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
He is a part of the plan to sanctify his people and set them apart from the world so that we would draw the world to our savior.
No unbeliever can be filled with the Holy Spirit of God
No unbeliever can be Sanctified
For the believer, He is our protector, encourager, strength, and will even pray for us when we do not know what to pray.
Close-
The Spirit of God not only gave Jesus the ability to remain sinless, but empowered Jesus for ministry and being a witness.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit of God comes on you; and you will be my witness.” Acts 1:8
Let me close with an illustration-
I am a little older than some, but I began driving with a car that had no power steering! Yeah believe it- you really had to work at turning, if you were parking, you had to pull the wheel where it needed to be.
I believe that is the difference in people lives today, you can struggle and do things in you own strength or you can have the power of God working in your life.
One is limited and one is unlimited. Both eventually work, but one is a whole lot easier.
Which do you want this morning?
I cannot imagine life without the God’s Spirit directing my life.
I not only desire it, but need it, how about you?
Prayer-
