The Birth Of The Church

The Birth of the Church

Understand the Church is not a physical building, it’s not an organization or denomination, it’s not a particular ministry, the Church is made up of the body of believers that are called by His name according to His purpose. The Church is people called out of people.

The birth of the Church is of utmost importance, understanding when the church began helps identify it and determine the laws that govern it. In other words it helps us to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

The Church was established or birthed on the Day of Pentecost. It was not always in existence; however, was always in the mind and heart of God (Eph. 3:3-6 & 8-11, Eph.1: 4).

Understand that the church could not have existed before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ or else it would have existed without the blood of Christ – Acts 20:28, the Holy Spirit – John 16:13, The New Covenant – Hebrews 9:15 – 17, The Lord’s Supper – Matt. 26:28, The Gospel (good-news) 1st Corinthians 15:1 – 4, The headship of Christ – Eph. 1:19 – 21, and Salvation – Eph. 1:7.

Acts chapter 2 begins with these words “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” We see that the Church began on the Day of Pentecost. .

The question now is What is Pentecost?

PENTECOST!!! TODAY IS PENTCOSTAL SUNDAY

Pentecostal Sunday is the day known as the birth of the church. Sadly in many churches Pentecost/Pentecostal Sunday is one of the most neglected events of the church calendar.

Pentecost was originally an Old Testament festival, the only festival for which no specific date is given in the Bible, it is called the festival of weeks. Leviticus 23:15 however instructs the people to count 7 weeks from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering.”

According to our American calendar this celebration of Pentecost occurs in May or June because it is 7 weeks, 50 days after Passover, Resurrection Sunday, or more commonly called Easter.

The number 7 is God’s number it represents spiritual completeness and spiritual perfection.

The number 50 stands as the beginning of the era, which is beyond the limitations of this world, it represents eternal and heavenly fulfillment, it is 7x7, which is complete perfection of spiritual things plus 1, which represents God, “Beginning”. It is not composed of another number; it is independent of all other numbers. It is the source of all numbers; therefore, denotes the beginning. It represents Divine unity, supremacy, and independency; it is sufficiency, which needs no other, and independency, which admits no other. The number one is emphatic, declaring the unity of worship. It represents the One and Only true God who is self-sufficient, the beginning, the alpha and omega.

*Remember Easter was April 20th 50 days later, 7 weeks, the 7th Sabbath is June 8th, today, Pentecostal Sunday, the day of the perfecting of spiritual things.

The Hebrew word is “Shavuot” the Greek word is “Pentekostes” which means 50. Shavuot or Pentecost is a day to celebrate hope, a hope evoked by the knowledge that God through His Holy Spirit is at work among His people, the Church. It is a celebration of newness, renewal of purpose, mission, and calling. On Pentecost we have fulfillment of the mission of Christ and the beginning of the Church.

Pentecost/Pentecostal Sunday is also called apocalyptic day, which means the day of final revelation, eschatological day, which means day of the final and perfect end, and Trinity day, which is the fullness of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost revealed unto mankind.

The reason Pentecost is so important to the church is that without His presence and power, the church (you & I) would have died out long ago. It is because of what took place on Pentecost that places within us the power to accomplish that which is impossible in the flesh.

*Pentecost should not be a celebration of an event, which took place centuries ago, but a celebration of what must and should happen to us in church today.

The 1st Pentecost was not a to-be-repeated event. The sights and sounds were non-reproducible, just as were the events surrounding Christ’s birth. However a personal Pentecost is the birthright of every born again believer. The infilling of the Holy Ghost is for all of us today.

Nevertheless, there are some prerequisites before experiencing a personal Pentecost.

1. We must be obedient – Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.

2. We must Seek Him – We have to get tired of carnal thinking and desire all that God has to give.

3. We must surrender – We must yield our minds, heart, body, spirit, emotions, will, and ambitions totally unto the Lord.