Majoring On Minors.
Acts 19:1-9
As believers sometimes we get fixated on the minute. -The things that really don’t matter. We begin to major on the minors.
That is actually what the Scribes and Pharisees did, they majored on the do’s and don’ts, and missed their renewal. -They majored on minors.
Jack Hayford writes, A heartfelt passion must be sustained in our lives as disciples of Jesus. Otherwise, Christian living becomes reduced to simply being nice girls and boys for Jesus, rather than living in the timelessly available resources of the Holy Spirit, fully empowered as witnesses of His life, love and power.
Jesus came to set mankind (Scribes and Pharisees included), free from the do’s and don’ts. The desire of Jesus is for all people to lose control, and be filled with the power of Pentecost!
It’s easy to get inward, (Me focused), to focus on the things happening to me. My- disappointments, my pain, and my setbacks.
It’s easy to stay focused on just what I know, and what has, or hasn’t been done for me.
- I challenge you on Pentecost Sunday to let go of control. -Give total control to Jesus!
Acts 19:1-9MSG 1-2 “Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?” “We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?” 3 “How were you baptized, then?” asked Paul. “In John’s baptism.” 4 “That explains it,” said Paul. “John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptized in John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.” 5-7 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day. 8-10 Paul then went straight to the meeting place. He had the run of the place for three months, doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real and convincing to them. But then resistance began to form as some of them began spreading evil rumors through the congregation about the Christian way of life. So Paul left, taking the disciples with him,…
Verse 10 states, Paul took these new disciples of Jesus and taught them for 2 years.
May 19, 2024 is Pentecost Sunday. Moreover, Over 2000 years ago, Pentecost Sunday was a time to celebrate the first-fruits.
Pentecost in Greek is the Feast of Shavuot.
Here’s where Pentecost begin, Leviticus 23:16-17NLT Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the Lord from the first of your crops.
This offering spoken of here is, Shavuot, Pentecost, first fruits.
In ancient Israel, the first fruits was cause for great celebration. And Shavuot ...is the day when the first-fruits of the summer harvest are presented to the Lord.
They would place the wheat in baskets, bind it together by weaving straw through the middle. They would load the wheat onto oxen, and lead the oxen, in a massive procession to the temple, to be presented by the priest before the Lord.
This first fruits would stand for all the rest of the harvest yet to be- reaped. Pentecost, 50 days- after Passover.
By the Hebrews obedience in presenting the first fruits to God, the rest of harvest fruits were deemed holy.
2000 years ago, God’s spirit was poured out on 120 disciples in Jerusalem… On the day of Pentecost/Shavuot.
Jesus states in, Luke 24.49 Tarry in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power on high.
In John 7, Jesus goes to the Feast of Booths. Sukkot, or commonly called the Feast of Tabernacles. -It occurs during the harvest season in September. This feast is to remember God’s faithfulness. It also teaches to remember how the Hebrews lived in collapsible tents.
-The Israelites moved as God moved!
Jesus proclaimed the fulfillment of Pentecost, or Shavuot at the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Here it is, John 7:38NLT Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’
Most theologians agree that Pentecost was the birth of the church, Acts 2:1-4.
And what is Pentecost? The Feast of Shavuot.
So who were the 120, on which the spirit fell that day? -The first-fruits of new life, bound and together on the very same day when the first fruits of the summer harvest were gathered together before the Lord!
Acts 2:1-4GW When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer. 4 All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
Wow, what happened? -It was now God, presenting His first fruits to the world… The first fruits of the age…
And in the city of Jerusalem where the first fruits must be presented and consecrated as holy!
So the pouring of the spirit on the 120, was the consecration of all the other fruits!
Just as Jesus’ sacrifice was the fulfillment of Passover, the coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Pentecost.
Because of Pentecost, the people of all nations and ages would come to new life. So the 120 spoke in the tongues of foreign nations…
Remember now the significants of,
Joel 2:28-29GW After this, I will pour my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams.?Your young men will see visions. 29 In those days I will pour my Spirit on servants,?on both men and women.
The first fruits represents all that is to come… They were the sign that people of every tribe and tongue, and nation would likewise be consecrated as holy and be given the same anointing and power…
They were our first fruits… That we likewise could live in the power of the spirit… And overcome the world.
The apostles were the first-fruits. Acts 2:38-39GW Peter answered them, “All of you must turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. 39 This promise belongs to you and to your children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships the Lord our God.”
The apostles were the first fruits. When you repent, welcome and receive Jesus you become part of the first fruits.
Are you tired of majoring on minors? Live this day, in their anointing and power, to spread the light, to touch the Earth, and overcome the world.
4 Truths about majoring on minors:
1. When you major on minors, You miss the newness of the Holy Spirit. You miss His timing. His refreshing.
Acts 3:19AMP So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day];
Again, 1. When you major on minors you miss restoration, miss refreshing!
-Repentance equals refreshing.
2. When you major on minors, the law frustrates you, because you can never get ‘one up’ on the law.
-You make your own laws and standards! You stay anxious, you frustrate yourself; moreover, you frustrate grace.
Galatians 2:21 states, If you set grace aside, (Do your own thing), you frustrate grace.
Galatians 5:16NKJV I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
3. When you major on minors, you can miss the presence, and anointing of God.
-You miss God’s best! You can have God's perfect will, or His permissive will.
Here’s God’s best. Acts 19:4b-7 and John the Baptist taught you to believe in and follow the one who was coming after him: Jesus the Anointed One.” 5 When they understood this, they were baptized into the authority of Jesus, the Anointed One. 6-7 And when Paul laid his hands on each of the twelve, the Holy Spirit manifested and they immediately spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Again, 3. If you major on minors, you can miss His presence, the anointing. -You’ll live in spiritual lack.
4. When you major on minors, you refuse God’s best, God’s kingdom, God’s anointing.
Once more, Acts 19:8-9NKJV And he (Paul) went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
Some grew, and some were heart hardened.
The Kingdom of God is now, It’s eternal, it’s alive, it’s full of life, and purpose. The Kingdom of God is anointing. -It’s knowing the God of the Kingdom better!
Two choices: God’s Kingdom, or a hardened heart of unbelief.
Romans 14:17AMP for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Here’s the Kingdom- Matthew 5:1-10NKJV And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers,?For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Benediction.
So what will it be, majoring on minors, (staying upset), or majoring on the eternal King, with the eternal kingdom! P.H
