Pentecost 2021
Please stand with me as we go over our current memory Scripture:
Matthew 5:6-8
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
And our memory Scripture “refresher” verse is:
Isaiah 40:28
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.”
Today we will be reading from Exodus 23:14-19
Later on we will also be looking at Acts 1:3-5, & Acts 2:1-4
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Last week we talked about the Ascension of Jesus back into Heaven. That event took place 40 days after His Resurrection from the dead. And, Pentecost Sunday takes place 50 days after Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead.
Now, the Ascension of Jesus actually falls on a Thursday and some churches hold a special service on that day. We, however, simply move it to the following Sunday and the Lord is glorified just the same.
Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost Sunday were not always called by those names.
The original name of what we call Resurrection Sunday was the third day of the Feast of the Passover or the third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
And, what we call Pentecost Sunday was the Festival of the Harvest. These days of remembrance were put into place by the Lord approximately 1,500 years before Jesus Christ was given to the Jewish people as their Messiah.
Let’s read the Words of Yahweh as they were given to the Israelites through the Prophet Moses in Exodus 23:14-19
(prayer for help)
Those commands were given to the Lord’s people as they are recorded for us in Exodus 23 but this group of commands starts back in Exodus 21:1 with the words, “These are the laws you are to set before them …”
What are the purposes of the two great Feasts we are remembering? Let’s jump back to 1,500 Years before Jesus …
What were the people of Israel to remember during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (bread made without yeast)? Israel was in bondage in Egypt and Yahweh had sent Moses to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land. Yahweh had sent nine previous plagues but the Pharaoh would not let them go. The final plague would be the death of the firstborn of every household in Egypt and only the households that had the blood of a spotless lamb on their doorposts would be spared. They were to remember that night when Yahweh passed through Egypt bringing death to the firstborn of each household that did not have the blood of a spotless lamb on the entry way doorposts. And they were to remember the day they were delivered from Slavery in Egypt.
They were to remember two things; bread without yeast which represented sin and the blood of the spotless lamb that preserved their lives.
Now, let’s jump ahead 1,500 years to the Feast of Unleavened Bread or the Feast of the Passover and Jesus is there.
As we said earlier, yeast represented sin in the Bible and Jesus is the Bread of Life without “yeast”, Bread of life without sin. Only the blood of a spotless, perfect lamb could protect the firstborn in the house from death at the hand of the Lord. And so, Jesus the Sinless Lamb shed His blood for us on the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread or the Feast of the Passover.
Was that just a coincidence that the sinless Lamb of God, the sinless Bread of Life shed His blood on the cross of Calvary 1,500 years later during the Feast of the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
And, was it just a coincidence that on that very day, all the men of Israel were commanded to be gathered together for the Feast? The Lord God Almighty has impeccable timing doesn’t He?
OK, now let’s jump back 1,500 years to the time of the Festivals as described by Yahweh to Moses in Exodus 23.
Fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread all the men of Israel were commanded to gather for the Feast of the Harvest of the First Fruits of their fields and vineyards and orchards! They were to give thanks for the gift of the Lord’s, provision for the year to come. This was in acknowledgment that all of the coming harvest was due to the hand of Yahweh, the Lord. They were to give thanks for the Lord’s provision that had already taken place and for the harvest which was still to come.
Now, we jump forward 1,500 years to the Feast of the Harvest of the First Fruits that is taking place 50 days after Jesus has risen from the dead.
All the men of Israel are to gather once again in Jerusalem just as they had done 50 days ago only this time Yahweh the Lord is going to give something much greater than a physical crop which would provide for a physical life. Instead, He is going to give a spiritual gift that will not just fill our stomachs but our entire being as well. He is going to give us a spiritual gift that will enable us to find eternal life in Jesus Christ the Lord.
OK. So, let’s take a few moments and turn to Acts 1:3-5, & Acts 2:1-4
OK, so, what’s happening here?
Jesus told them, “Acts 1:4-5,
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but IN A FEW DAYS YOU WILL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
Acts 1:15, “… a group numbering about a hundred and twenty …”
Acts 2:1-4,
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
So we see that this Gift of the Holy Spirit was given exactly on the Day of Pentecost when the Feast of the First Fruits was to take place and all of the men of Israel were to gather in Jerusalem.
Another coincidence? No!
What else do we see in these verses?
“A sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven ….”
OK, this is important. There are at least a couple of dozen references to wind in the New Testament. We know what it feels like to be out in the wind and these 120 disciples knew what it felt like and they knew what wind sounded like, too. But, here there was the sound of a mighty, rushing wind but there was no wind, just the sound of a mighty wind from Heaven.
And this sound of wind did not arrive unaccompanied …
“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire …”
Apparently these tongues of fire were in a group, something like a cluster of flames and yet they did not stay together but we read that … “They … SEPARATED AND CAME TO REST ON EACH OF THEM …”
They knew that Jesus had said they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But, what did that really mean? What were they expecting? The word used here for Spirit can mean breath or wind or the non-physical essence of a person, in this case it was the non-physical presence of the Third Person of The Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
And, it goes on to say that, “ALL OF THEM WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT …”
THIS WAS THE GIFT THAT THE FATHER HAD PROMISED!
So … what does this mean to the church as a whole and what does it mean to us as individuals?
Let’s look at the question of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the church first.
Let’s assume that a great awakening has occurred in a church and the church is fervent for the Lord. They are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit and are growing spiritually and in attendance. A new couple starts attending. The husband and wife both are professors of Biblical studies with PhD’s and they teach at a local Christian university and they are soon requested to take over teaching one of the adult SS classes.
As they start teaching, the people start hearing things that are unlike what the pastor teaches from the Bible. The pastor only has a two year degree and so many of the congregation assume that the professors must know more. For instance, the pastor teaches that Jesus really did feed five thousand with a few loaves and fish that He had miraculously multiplied. The professors teach that all of the people had food with them but were afraid to take the food out until after Jesus had His disciples distribute the bread and fish.
This is very important. The relatively uneducated pastor says, “Jesus performed a mighty miracle!” The professors say, “This is a nice story we can learn from, but it was not really a miracle at all.”
And, the devil casts doubt as he always does asking, “Did God really say it was a real miracle and not just a lesson?”
That’s the way the devil tried to deceive Eve back in Genesis 3:3.
At this point the people in the congregation have a decision to make. Either they can that the Bible means what it says it means or they can start to be swayed into believing that the Bible says some things are true but others things are only there to teach us moral lessons; how to be a better person.
The choice they make will determine the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in that congregation.
In another instance the pastor says, “God loves everyone and even though homosexuality is applauded by our society today it is still a sin and because God loves everyone the homosexual can be saved and by God’s grace he can turn away from his life of sin to the glory of God.”
While the professors say, “God loves everyone even homosexuals because they were born that way and they don’t need to change at all just because some people read the Bible literally.”
And the devil says, “Did God really say that homosexuality is a sin?” casting doubt about God’s Holy Word as he did with Eve back in Genesis 3.
What do you think of these examples? Do they present a crossroads where choices will be made? Will one path lead to the Holy Spirit being quenched and rejected to the point where the church will soon be a church without the presence of the Holy Spirit?
On the other hand, will the decision to hold firmly to the Word of God keep the church vibrant and bright with the Light of Jesus?
Could the path of unbelief lead to Jesus finally saying, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand (the presence of the Holy Spirit) from its place (your church).”? Revelation 2:5
Could this ever happen to Crossroads Church of the Nazarene?
Yes, it could if we are not diligent in loving and obeying our Savior.
If we are not diligent in knowing God’s Holy Word!
Will it ever happen to Crossroads? God forbid! May it never be!!
That is the relationship between Holy Spirit and the church.
What about the Holy Spirit and the individual person?
OK. Let’s say that two people are in a church and they are both hearing the Word of God being proclaimed that they can be filled with the Holy Spirit and live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is there just like on the day of Pentecost. His presence is very real but not visible as it was on that day. Both people come under conviction because they are living half-hearted lives. They want the benefits of being a Christian but they also have sin they do not want to give up.
One person says, “You’re right God. I’m sick of living my life in sin and I want to live for you. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and teach me how to be a person who brings honor and glory to Your Holy Name.”
When the Holy Spirit is welcomed into a person’s life in that way it is like one of those “tongues of fire” is dispatched to that person and they are filled with the Spirit. Not just a little piece of the Holy Spirit but all of Him.
On the other hand the other person may tell the Lord, “No. I’m happy with the way I am. May be later.” And he rejects the invitation of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was there in that meeting and available to him but the Holy Spirit will not force His way into anyone’s life.
You, see, when Jesus shed His blood on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins it was sufficient for the forgiveness of everyone’s sin. But, the forgiveness is only applied when a person comes to Jesus by faith in repentance.
It is the same with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is available for you and for me and for everyone who will seek Him.
What is the example we see in the second chapter of Acts?
They gathered in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded them to do.
What if Jesus commanded you to go to a quiet place alone with the Word of God so you could seek the fullness of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? Would you do so? Would you turn off your phone and get alone with Him?
What if Jesus told you to wait for Him? He didn’t tell the disciples how long to wait. He just said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about.”
What if some of the disciples had only waited nine days? What if after eight days some of them had said, “Listen, I’ve got things to do and I can’t just sit around here forever. If something happens let me know and I’ll see if I can get back here before it’s all over.”
If you are seeking the filling of the Holy Spirit you may have to wait on the Lord for a while. Why? There may be some known sin or disobedience you refuse to deal with.
I’m not saying you need to be perfect before you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Once you surrender to Him, He’ll clean you up.
But, what if there is something you know about that you absolutely refuse to let go of? Jesus knows your heart and He knows that your desire for that sin is greater than your desire for Him and He will let you stay in that condition until you repent and turn to Him … if you ever do …
When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit they are just as sure of it as the people in the upper room were on that day of Pentecost almost 2,000 years ago.
Do you have the assurance that everything in your life is pleasing to the Lord? That His Holy Spirit is at home and feeling comfortable in your heart?
Today may be the day of Pentecost in your life.
Are you willing to wait on Him?
Are you willing to surrender to whatever He wants?
Trust Him. It will be worth it!
Final thoughts and prayer.
