The Day of Pentecost, pt. 2
Acts 2:1-4
Powerpoint for this and hundreds more free sermons at our website:
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons.html
A sundial was given to a group of people who lived in a jungle. To them it was a fetish. They built a house over it to keep it safe and holy. This kept the sun away from it and made it useless. They beautified it but made it without purpose. It reminds us of a powerless Christianity. The Holy Spirit, if He is treated at all, is treated as an emotional high or a theological concept, rather than the supernatural person He really is.
Last week we said: This is a very controversial chapter! Many denominations build entire belief system around it.
Some set it aside, afraid of looking like they are holy rollers…but let’s not be afraid of it [Pentecost is a great word!]…the truths here in ch. 2 are needed badly right here, right now!
Most Christians/churches, are bogged down somewhere in-between Calvary and Pentecost…they’ve been to Calvary for pardon, but not to Pentecost for power.
2 things:
1. The Meaning of Pentecost
v. 1 “fully come”
Pentecost was actually a Jewish celebration, held for 1,500 years by this chapter!
1st Feast--Feast of Passover—
Celebrating deliverance from Egypt.
Unwittingly predicting the death of Jesus on the cross
Here’s the point: when Jesus died on the cross, the feast of Passover was “fully come”! So, we no longer celebrate Passover, for it was just a type/symbol…but we have the real thing now!
A 2nd feast pointed to burial of Christ…
Feast of Unleavened Bread
Yeast/Leaven is symbolic of sin
Jesus body is buried (put into the ground)
Unleavened bread (he was without sin)
The 3rd was the feast of Firstfruits:
Every year they would take the firstfruits of their crop and offer it to the Lord, thanking the Lord for the harvest.
Predicting the resurrection of Christ!
The 4th feast was called the Feast of Pentecost
Pentecost means 50th…it always came exactly 50 days after the feast of firstfruits.
We know the feast of Passover predicted His death on the cross/unleavened bread His burial/firstfruits predicted His resurrection…what did the day of Pentecost predict for 1,500 years? The coming of the Holy Spirit!/birth of the NT church!
So, when the Holy Spirit came, the feast of Pentecost was fully come!
Guess what feast is next…#5? The feast of trumpets!
It always begins w/ the blast of a horn! And what’s the next event in Bible prophecy? The rapture! [announced w/ the trump of God!]
That’s the meaning of Pentecost, now…
2. The Miracles of Pentecost
3 miracles on the day of Pentecost:
a miracle of sound/sight/speech
Sound: rushing mighty wind/like a tornado passing thru the very room! [ever heard that in real life, anyone?] They say you’ll never forget it!
Sight: cloven tongues of fire/each of the 120 of them had a flickering flame which sat on top of their head! Like human candles!
Speech: other tongues
The Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost in a sound to awaken them, in a wind to move them, in fire to enlighten and warm them, in tongues to make them speak. This is a very fine statement of the case. Out of this grows this query: Are we awake today? Are we on the move for Christ? Are we enlightened and on fire for God? Are we using our tongues for Him?
The Miracles of Pentecost: [just the first today!]
In the Bible, wind is a symbol of the Holy Spirit…
For 3 reasons:
1. Because it is invisible
You can’t see wind…effects? Yes, but not the wind. Can’t take a picture of the wind. [contrary to what you may have heard you it can not be broken!]
Jn. 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
“I’ll believe it when I see it, but not until!”
Many things are very real and yet you and I cannot see them:
Colors in rainbow—naked eye can see 7 basic colors there/but scientists say if you look thru a special lens you can see thousands! They’re there!
Take somebody steeped in sin, let the wind of the spirit sweep across their soul, and you’ll see the difference!
I Cor. 6:9
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
6:10
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
6:11
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The wind is invisible…can’t see it/but effects! You can always tell where it’s been!
There is a mild southerly wind in Europe called the foehn. It blows up from the Mediterranean Sea bringing spring-like weather right in the midst of winter. So, too, even in the dark winters of the soul, it is possible to feel the gentle warmth of the presence of God and the blessed influence of the Holy Spirit.
2. Because it is irresistible
You can’t stop the wind/control it…w/ all our scientific expertise, if a hurricane is approaching the shore, there’s nothing we can do to turn it!
Ill.—a preacher was going to preach on the wind being a symbol of God/asked himself, who would know the most about the wind?/I know, I’ll talk to that old sea captain I know…he’ll know about the wind!…he sails by the wind./went and asked him, what do you know about the wind/answered, I’ll tell you the truth, I don’t know much about the wind, it’s so mysterious…but I’ll tell you what I do know: how to set my sails!
At GBC, we need to get things in order, yes, that’s chapter 1, but now in faith we need to set our sails to catch that wind!
Invisible/irresistible…
3. Because it is indispensable
You can’t get along w/out it! Remember story of Ezekiel [ch. 37] Valley of dry bones, old battlefield…
[see sermon]
“Prophesy to the 4 winds” [life came in!]
We are wasting our time unless the breath of God breathes upon our efforts!
Just as we cannot fly a kite without the wind, our lives cannot be truly spiritual without the Holy Spirit.
Do you see the wind? No! But do you sense it?/hear it?/see the effects? Yes!!
Praise reports!
