We celebrate today Pentecost, It is a celebration in the life of the Church today but how sad it is that as we come here to celebrate, most of the world outside has so little idea what it is all about.
It’s a celebration; we believe this to be the birth of the Christian Church, as we know it.
Some 800 years before the birth of Jesus Joel prophesied, and what did he prophesy, if we were to read the whole book his prophecies become apparent prophesies of Gods judgements, blessings and in these he moves people to repentance. He prophesied of end times and many feel that at Pentecost and beyond we have indeed entered those times.
I said before about a feeling of sadness, how sad we get so little response from the outside world, how sad that in these millennium years many have still to hear about Jesus and what he did and indeed still does for them. How few have accepted him for the Lord and saviour that he is.
Much we have you and I today to celebrate, we have this event we call Pentecost, it was a celebration the end of the harvest 50 days after the Passover celebrations, known as the feast of the harvest and days of the first fruits, but the descending of the Holy Spirit was to transform this Jewish festival into a Christian Anniversary indeed out of it was to come the birth of the Christian church of today.
I want to tell you this event was born of a promise see Luke ch 24 v 49 “ Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with the power from on high ” Oh it was a command alright and it was from the highest source, but it was a promise and that promise was wait where I tell you and you will receive. And receive they did the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes in the life of the church today we can get to thinking that were givers you and me, always giving of our time, skills and money but you know we are receivers a million times over aren’t we? Wait and give was the message? No wait and receive was Gods message, wait for the power to do the work he has for you, you can’t go it alone, stand not in your own strength for the flesh is weak, but stand in Gods strength. The work is Gods work whatever he calls you and I to and he will equip us accordingly, what we will in due course receive is our Heavenly reward, fellowship eternal with God, we can’t earn it but it’s Gods gift to us who call upon his name accept him as Lord and Saviour and do his will accordingly.
Gods timing was perfect it always is, not like ours, we want to work how we see fit and at the pace we set but God knows the whole picture so to speak and his timing is perfect.
The people had gathered for the festival and it was all for maximum affect that the Lord chose this time to fulfil prophecy, and this was indeed Gods prophecy, we read, there was dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every nation under Heaven. They may well have come for the festival but our Lord had something else something far more spectacular for these people. This day they were to become the first fruits, members of a new Church, Gods Church, the Church of Jesus the Messiah.
There was a new message for a new people, it would be heard in every language and by every people. They were to speak it as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance, the wonderful life saving, life changing works of Jesus, his promises eternal given to all men, spoken to all men in language they could understand, by Gods chosen people for all Gods people everywhere.
Say brother do you ever feel that the preacher talks above your head? Do you ever feel that the message of the Gospel isn’t put to you so that you can understand? Do you ever struggle in your mind for understanding with something that you heard preached, I do and you know often that’s the world getting in where it shouldn’t because scripture leads me to believe that from this day that Gospel was spoken In everyman’s language. That Gospel message is as much for you as it is for the learned Bible scholar. You pray about it and the Lord will bring you understanding that the greatest scholar could never find with all his ability, when the Lord has something for you he gives it you unreservedly, just as he does his Grace day by day, isn’t that so. I once claimed that in conversation with my father, I still believe that to be true you know but he did correct me when he said, but the Lord will expect you to do your bit, that’s certainly worth thinking about too isn’t it?
That message was that Jesus had been crucified, that message was that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for, that message it was and is that Jesus rose from the dead, he had conquered hell, that message is that he had risen and was taking his place at the right hand of the Father as Lord and Saviour that he is. Oh that message it was and it is that he desires his place in the hearts of men and women today, even your heart and mine.
Oh there was a question, confronted with the facts that faced them, confronted with the fact that they had crucified the Saviour the utter despair, we read they asked “ men and brethren what shall we do ”.
The people who asked well we might not link ourselves with any of those places mentioned in our Scripture, but the fact is that these people are the same then as today they are our people, people from all walks of life, people from our villages and town, folk from Banks, Hesketh Bank, Tarleton, Mere Brow, Southport. Our country yours and mine, Our Nation, to all Earths people everywhere. Brothers what shall we do?
Now its worth mentioning that Luke addresses his Gospel and his book of Acts to Theophilus, the name means friend of God or lover of God in short all who would be earnest seekers after Faith and that means by the virtue of where we are today indeed you and me.
What shall we do you and I, firstly this was a celebration and events make it a greater celebration still, what shall we do.
Celebrate that’s what for Paul writes again and again in his letters “ Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice ” and so how we should celebrate indeed the events of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit then and now and the eternal Promise of Salvation.
Discover for our selves Gods Holy Church, through Jesus the Church incorruptible for this indeed is the birth of the true Church incorrupt higher than any denomination for his Church will stand forever for he promised that even the gates of Hell should not prevail against it.
Communicate the Gospel, the tongues of fire and the speaking in tongues must not be seen here in any light of controversy as it so sadly often is today, but it was to be all about communication, so that all should hear the wonderful news that Jesus really saves. The Gospel was written with you and me personally in mind, I’m sure I’ve spoken of it before but in Billy Brays book the Kings Son it says of him that Billy himself discovered early on in his Christian Life that his candle, that is his faith, grew not the duller but rather the brighter for it’s lighting of others, its leading of others to Christ. You see you don’t need to keep the love of Jesus to yourself to protect it as we do with so many earthly things but rather it grows and develops through its sharing with others.
That message of Pentecost then as it is now; well it’s ultimately all about Salvation, and the sharing of that great Salvation. The Holy Spirit descended then as it does now and anoints those who call upon the name of Jesus with its power, Pentecost was just the beginning of that and what a great beginning it was. The Holy Spirit empowers and equips it communicates with the willing hearts of men and women, it is inexplicable in human terms as it is inexhaustible, it is all about the all encompassing Love of the Saviour for a lost and a fallen race.
It is Salvation and light and life it is all about the Saviours Grace, unmerited mercy in abundance. Most importantly it is freely available this very day to all who would ask earnestly after it. Even you and me.
Lastly the Bible teaches me that there is no limit to Gods Grace. Wesley was able to write with conviction that great hymn No 77
Thy sovereign grace to all extends immense and unconfined from age to age it never ends it reaches all mankind. Throughout the world its breadth is known, wide as infinity, so wide it never passed by one or it had passed by me.
You know there’s no-one here beyond redemption, you are not beyond the saviours reach, whatever you did whatever you do he can forgive, wherever you go he goes with you, whatever burdens and cares are yours he feels and truly shares them with you.
Joel prophesied about end times, many believe we may have entered them, Scripture teaches of a time of which no man knoweth for the Lords second coming in the which all men shall face judgement.
You see it’s important that we know that one day we all face a judgement. One day we shall stand and face the accuser and we shan’t be able to plead as the Americans are so fond of doing the 5th amendment or deny our whereabouts, or place ourselves somewhere else at the time of the crime, your life is like looking into a goldfish bowl to God, even clearer than that he sees your thoughts, there’s no lack of evidence it’s that clear to him that you’ll be speechless when faced with it, you can’t hide even your deepest thoughts from Almighty God. Read it for yourself if the preacher hasn’t made it abundantly clear to you. Psalm 139, its all there.
There used to be a popular record out some years ago and in it the chorus went No limit, No Limit, There’s no limit. Friends there’s no limit to Gods Grace, no limit to the love he has for you and no limit on the rewards that wait for you when you reach glory to share with him forever.
I would stand here a liar and a cheat if I told you however that there was no limit on the time that you or any of us has left, a liar I would be if I told you that I knew how long each one of us had, for scripture makes plain reading that of that day and hour knoweth no man.
In closing I want to ask you
Are you a part of Gods Holy Church, have you worked out for yourself that Salvation comes through Christ alone.
Have you understood even this morning the words of the Gospel have they been brought to you in a language that you can understand.
Do you understand that this Gospel was written for you, this Saviour he died especially for you and this great Salvation is available personally for you?
The hymn writer wrote the words
Oh be saved his grace is free
Oh be saved he died for thee
May our Lord richly bless you as you think upon these things?
AMEN
