Reliving Pentecost: The Commotion Series

RELIVING PENTECOST: THE COMMOTION

THEME: MAKING THE CHURCH SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT.

TEXT: ACTS 2:1-13

People need something to talk about. It amazes me how quickly gossip can spread. Rumors in can circulate in hours. People make special calls on cell phones to inform others of gossip. Gossip is something people talk about. Sickness is some people talk about. Someone can have heart attack and in a matter of minutes half of the community will know about the news. The word on the street can travel fast. The local high school sports teams’ scores travel fast over the town. After a big game, the score is quickly known throughout the population. Every one seems to talk about the sporting events. It is the talk of the town. It is amazing how fast news can travel. Certain topic or certain conversations can move quickly from one person to another. News can spread.

On the day of Pentecost the news about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit caused a commotion throughout Jerusalem. It was the talk of the town. It was the news on everyone’s lips. Everyone was chatting about the event of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was big news in the city. It increased in its spread throughout the town. Everyone was talking about the disciples and the Holy Spirit that was given to them. On Pentecost, the Lord blessed man.

For the next four weeks, we want to relive the Pentecost experience. We want to recharge with the power of the Pentecost day. This day changed human history. We want to become in touched with the Pentecost moment. As a church of the first century, we need to travel back to the beginning of the establishment of the church to be reminded of the initial power of the church. For the next four weeks we are going to study on the day of Pentecost from Acts 2. We are going to be restored to the power of Pentecost in the 21st century. We want to study this teaching about this special day because this is the similar time on the calendar. The word Pentecost meant “fiftieth.” It referred to the fiftieth day after the Passover festival when the Jews would come back to Jerusalem. It is the celebration of the Feast of Weeks. It was the harvest festival which would be similar to the idea of Thanksgiving in the USA. All the Jewish males were expected to travel back to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast together. The city would be packed, as the people expressed their thanks to the Lord for the year’s provisions. The Lord is going to use this day to establish the church. And we are going to use this text of Acts 2 to restore the intentions of the church. So come with us as we celebrate Pentecost once again as week are in the days of Pentecost now.

All the talk started with the pouring of the Holy Spirit. Years ago Jesus promised to baptize his disciples in the Holy Spirit. John records this coming event in John 1:33 “And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ’He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” Now this promise has come to fruition in Acts 2:1-13. The text states “And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and marveled, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."