Sermon Central
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The Day Of Pentecost
Contributed by David Cramer on Sep 13, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Learning from the darkness.
This past Sunday was considered to be the Day of Pentecost
Did you look on your calendar?
What is it?
For ’day of pentecost’
And when the DAY OF PENTECOST was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the DAY OF PENTECOST.
What does that have to do with Me?
Well Amazing Things Happen!
The Day of Pentecost was and is a gift from God.
It was a moving of the Holy Spirit
When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen:
barriers are broken,
communities are formed,
opposites are reconciled,
unity is established,
disease is cured,
addiction is broken,
cities are renewed,
races are reconciled,
hope is established,
people are blessed,
and church happens.
Today the Spirit of God is present and we’re gonna‚ have church
So be ready, get ready...God is up to something...
discouraged folks cheer up,
dishonest folks ’fess up,
sour folks sweeten up,
closed folk, open up,
gossipers shut up,
conflicted folks make up,
sleeping folks wake up,
lukewarm folk, fire up,
dry bones shake up,
and pew potatoes stand up!
But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up.
Water Baptism and the Day of Pentecost
What were his commands?
What proofs did he show?
With the exception of our Lord’s command that the disciples wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit, the Bible does not record the specifics of either our Lord’s words or actions.
I believe there is a reason for this. Nothing needed to be added to the knowledge about the teachings and works of Jesus than that which is contained in the four gospels.
The nature and power of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God had been well documented in those writings. The time had come for the person and work of Holy Spirit to be revealed. His mission was, and still is, to reveal Jesus Christ to the world.
Without Holy Spirit all we would know about Jesus would be the historical records.
With Holy Spirit we are united to Christ and his life and power becomes ours.
Some of us are not. Some of us are missing out.
It’s like having a beautiful 1000 piece puzzle, a landscape of the beautiful Colorado Mountains at the beginning of spring. You have been working on it for weeks and you realize that 1 piece is missing.
Water Baptism and the Day of Pentecost
The Book of Acts opens with a description of meetings that Jesus had with His disciples before his ascension. Momentous days lie ahead and only Jesus knew this. Our Lord took time to give commandments and to speak about things concerning the Kingdom of God. He also showed them many infallible proofs that dispelled any doubts they might have about His resurrection from the dead. (Acts 1: 2-3). It might well be asked, what did Jesus say about the Kingdom?
Are you missing something?
It’s like spending time making your favorite pie alamode.
You mix the ingredients for the crust and roll it out.
You pick it up and put it in the pie pan and then put in the filling.
You put the top of the pie on and bake it.
The smell fills the house and then the timer goes off.
You open the oven and take out the pie and put it on the rack to cool down.
You open up the cabinet and get out a plate and open the drawer and get out the utensils.
You open up the freezer and realize that there is no ice cream.
The creative acts of God are described in the Bible as coming from all three persons in the trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All three were present and active when the earth was created in the beginning. What can be termed as the re-creative acts of redemption also involve all three persons of the trinity.
The Father planned redemption and gave his son to the world as a love gift.
The Son readily accepted his Father’s will, left his place in glory, became a man, and died for the sins of the world.
The Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost to work tirelessly in both the church and the world. He fills the church and endows it with gifts. In the world he functions as the one who convinces mankind of its need for the gospel.
The word "Pentecost" was the name given to one of three principle feasts observed by the nation of Israel.
First, was the Feast of Passover, which commemorated the deliverance of Israel from oppressive and cruel slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. God delivered his people Israel by protecting them from judgment through the covering of their households with the blood of a lamb that was slain. The Feast of Passover began on the 14th day of the first month of the year and lasted 7 days..
