Power. Purification. Proclamation. Acts 2:1-4AMP
Take an empty glove and tell everyone that it's a magic glove. It’s amazing because it can pick things up. 1. Watch it pick up this book. When it doesn't move, I suggest it might be too heavy, so I move to a smaller book. When it still doesn't work, I move to a piece of paper. -I neglected something important. A glove can't pick anything up without a hand inside it.
We can't do anything significant unless the Holy Spirit is inside us. Just as the glove can do nothing without the hand inside it.
The way I see it, the hand is a necessity, but the glove is an extra.
Church, we get to be a glove. The earthen vessel for God to habit. Our God lives in us. The Holy Spirit is the hand. He’s guiding, directing and leading our way with powerful insight, concepts and ideas. Fully gifted, filled with love. And never forget the anointing that lives inside of you, 2 Corinthians 4:7. P.H
The early church was birthed as our Chief and Commander, Jesus Christ paved the way, paid the ultimate price in every way, all for mankind. And then there were 12, and from, 12, grew, 120 men and women gathered in an upper-room in Jerusalem.
These 120 believers waited for 10 days. Luke 24:49KJV And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Acts 2:1-4AMP When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, 2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. 4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].
Notice, these 120 men and women were gathered together in an upper-room.
So they waited. And waited.
Think about the last 2 weeks of school. The wait is difficult, but it’s exciting. Waiting draws more interest, waiting has a way of moving the insincere and apathetic out of the way. This makes room for excitement.
The prophet Joel foretold of these coming events:
Joel 2:28-31AMP “It shall come about after this That I shall pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “I will show signs and wonders [displaying My power] in the heavens and on the earth, Blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
From this prophecy in the book of Joel 2, the church of the living God has grown- exponentially. And God’s Holy Spirit being poured out on all flesh is a game changer! P.H
- G. Campbell Morgan, “Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.” -And so they waited!
Here’s an interesting note on the possible symbolism of the signs of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost:
The Three, “P’s"
Power.
Purification.
Proclamation.
1. The first P- Power.
The rushing mighty wind—A symbol of the Holy Spirit’s Power (to convince, convict, and convert).
God created with his breath. The very breath of God, breathed words, everything visible and invisible.
Here’s power- Matthew 9:36-38TPT “When he saw the vast crowds of people, Jesus’ heart was deeply moved with compassion, because they seemed weary and helpless, like wandering sheep without a shepherd. He turned to his disciples and said, “The harvest is huge and ripe! But there are not enough harvesters to bring it all in. As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to thrust out many more reapers to harvest his grain!””
As God breathed life into Adam, so Jesus, “the last Adam,” breathes new life into His people. Jesus becomes, in Paul’s language, “a life-giving spirit,” 1 Cor. 15:45.
Pentecost was an epochal event, signifying the dawning of a new era. Pentecost would usher in the Holy Spirit.
Epochal event meaning, like the moment when man learned to make fire.
Maybe the day your braces were removed.
Epochal event like the day you got married, or your first child being delivered.
Epochal event like the day you got saved and became a Son or Daughter of God. P.H
Romans 8:29-31NKJV For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
1. He predestined, John 3:16.
2. He calls, John 15:16.
3. He justifies, Romans 5:1.
4. He glorified, Romans 8:31.
These events are epochal in that they mark the dawn of a new era of time:
Genesis 2:7ESV then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Where God breathes and blow everything lives! P.H
Jesus spoke of the coming of a new day. John 7:39ESV Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 20:22ESV And when He (Jesus) had said this, He (Jesus) breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
A little word the Lord gave me, In Acts 2, this move of God was the gospel wind. -The gospel wind blowing in. Producing prophesy. The gospel wind came with power from all high. -The truth foretold came blowing in. A mighty wind- A wind that would be powerfully violate. This wind would change everything.
John 3:8NKJV The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
“The gospel wind is blowing in!’ ‘We should boost only in the powerful words of the gospel.’ ‘Nothing under heaven is worthy, but the gospel.” P.H
2. Purification.
The cloven tongues of fire—A symbol of the Holy Spirit’s purification of sinners from the guilt of sin and the saints, from the pollution of sin.
THE FIRE:
H.A. Ironside told the story of pioneers who were making their way across one of the central states to a distant place that had been opened up for homesteading. They traveled in covered wagons drawn by oxen, and progress was necessarily slow. One day they were horrified to note a long line of smoke in the west, stretching for miles across the prairie, and soon it was evident that the dried grass was burning fiercely and coming toward them rapidly. They had crossed a river the day before but it would be impossible to go back to that before the flames would be upon them. One man only seemed to have understanding as to what could be done. He gave the command to set fire to the grass behind them. Then when a space was burned over, the whole company moved back upon it.
As the flames roared on toward them from the west, a little girl cried out in terror, “Are you sure we shall not all be burned up?” The leader replied, “My child, the flames cannot reach us here, for we are standing where the fire has been!”
Are you standing where the fire has been? What a picture of the believer, who is safe in Christ!
H.A. Ironside stated, On Him Almighty vengeance fell, Which would have sunk a world to hell. He bore it for a chosen race, And thus becomes our Hiding Place.
The fires of God’s judgment burned themselves out on Him, and all who are in Jesus Christ are safe forever, for they are now standing where the fire has been.
Ironside would preach, “We are standing were the fires been!”
3. Proclamation.
The speaking with tongues—A symbol of the Spirit’s worldwide Proclamation of the gospel in many languages during the church age.
Abraham Kuyper, “There is not one square inch of the entire creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, ‘This is mine! This belongs to me!’”
“Jesus is the only truth worthy to proclaim!” P.H
Romans 1:16-17NKJV For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
“As believers, the only justifiable boastful proclamation you should ever make is the gospel. In fact, we should boost in nothing but the gospel!” P.H
1 Corinthians 1:18-19NKJV For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
The gift of tongues heralded the gospel. The tongues brought forth a clear proclamation, Jesus saves, Jesus heals, and Jesus delivers! P.H
1 Corinthians 1:26-31NKJV For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
We glory in the Lord as we proclaim His faithfulness. We boost and glory in the Lord as we display His character. We boost in the Lord with our good deeds, our fruit. We boost in the Lord when we give. We boost in the Lord, when we touch others. We boost in the Lord’s greatness. As we boost in the Lord men are saved! P.H
So how many of you are ready to live this life in the spirit? -We accomplished this by faith.
The Holy Spirit has come to bring, Power. Purification. Proclamation.
Benediction. Remember, God’s all-powerful, God purifies, and God proclaims.
