Requirements Of Pentecostal Power

The Requirements of Pentecostal Power

Text: Acts 2:1-13

Introduction

1. Illustration: The Good Life: Recent Roper ASW research reports that 89% of Americans consider owning a home necessary to having a good life. The next top requirement is good health (87%) followed by a happy marriage (81%). 52% say a second car is essential to a good life, up from 43% in ’99. 48% claim a vacation home is necessary while 47% consider overseas travel integral to a full life. (Gazette 7/26/03)

2. One of the main requirements for living a victorious Christian life is walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. However, walking in Pentecostal Power has certain requirements.

a. It requires obedience.

b. It requires openness

c. It requires vulnerability

4. Read Acts 2:1-13

Proposition: Walking in Pentecostal Power requires a life totally surrendered to the Holy Spirit.

Transition: First...

I. Pentecostal Power Requires Obedience (1)

A. Together In One Place

1. Our text begins with the phrase "On the day of Pentecost..." In order to fully understand what happened on that first Pentecost, we must understand two important things about that day.

a. What Pentecost was.

b. What Pentecost is.

2. First, let us consider what Pentecost was.

a. The word Pentecost means “50.”

b. Held 50 days after Passover, Pentecost was also called the Feast of Weeks.

c. It was one of three major annual feast, a festival of thanksgiving for the harvested crops.

d. Deuteronomy 16:16 (NLT)

“Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.

e. All Jews were required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate this festival, a fact that will play great significance in the events to come.

3. Second, let’s consider what Pentecost is.

a. On this particular Pentecost, God fulfilled a promise that He had made many years earlier.

b. Up until this time, God was very selective as to whom He placed His Spirit on. Usually, He placed His Spirit only upon major leaders like Kings, Prophets, and Priests.

c. However, the Prophet Joel had declared Joel 2:28-29 (NLT)

“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.

d. Through Joel, the Lord promised that He would no longer be selective. He would give His Spirit to anyone who asks.

4. Luke tells us that on this day, "...all the believers were meeting together in one place."

a. The fact that they were all together is an act of obedience.

b. Luke 24:49 (NLT)

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

c. Jesus knew that they were not yet ready to do what He wanted them to do. They would need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish their mission.

d. Therefore, He told them to wait, and they did what He commanded them to do.

5. Now look at the results of their obedience.

a. It created unity. The word translated “together” (Gr homothymadon), meaning likemindedness, occurs twelve times in the New Testament, eleven of which are found in the book of Acts. Their physical togetherness created a spiritual togetherness.

b. It created tremendous effect. The impact of what happened to them on those who witnessed it would not have been as effective if only a few of them were present.

c. It created blessing. The Bible is clear that obedience brings blessing. What would have happened if they had disobeyed the Lord? Thank God we will never know.

B. Obedience

1. Illustration: Finney noted this about obedience and sacrifice, “Revival is nothing more or less than a new obedience to God!”

2. Obedience brings Pentecostal Power.

a. Obedience brings blessing - spiritual blessing.

b. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an option; for Christians it is a command.

c. Ephesians 5:18 (NLT)

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit...

d. God did not give us this precious gift to ignore, but to equip us with His power.

3. Obedience brings Pentecostal Revival.

a. The baptism of the Holy Spirit creates in us a new hunger and passion for God.

b. It causes us to place pleasing God as our number one priority.