The Power of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-4; 13-41

 

God loves us totally and completely, and He has given us everything we need to be entirely successful in every area of our lives!  This does not mean we will not have problems… those are part of the human experience… it just means that our heavenly Father cares for us.

The Disciples were in shock!

          When we stop to consider what the disciples had been through the 2 months or so before Pentecost, we can better understand that they felt like they had been caught up in a whirlwind:

          Triumphal Entry

          Crucifixion

          Resurrection

   Jesus only made periodic visits during the 40 days between Easter and Ascension

   They were still expecting Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom on Ascension Day 

Fortunately, after the angels told them what to do, they were able to get on with the business at hand. First they elected someone to take Judas’ place, and then they began to wait on God to receive their instructions.

The Birth of the Church!

       On that exciting day they were all praying together when The Holy Spirit appeared in a dynamic manner!  God likes excitement!

1.     They were all together… in one accord… and waiting on God.

2.     The sound of a rushing mighty wind – so powerful that it filled the entire house where the 120 had    gathered. If anyone was sleeping they were suddenly awake!

3.     A big fireball arrived… divided and sat upon each of them as a tongue of fire.

4.     They were filled with the Holy Spirit and things were never the same!

Remember how God used a burning bush to get Moses’ attention? Now He had the attention of the early church. When the Holy Spirit fills the believer’s heart, He gives empowerment and purification.

When the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai, the scriptures tell us that “There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace; the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.” Exodus 19:16-19

John the Baptist had announced, “After me will come One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Matthew 3:11

The Spirit, like fire, melts the heart, burns up the dross, and kindles a strong desire to change the world for God.

They had received the Holy Spirit at salvation. This was different. Many of us believe in a second work of grace where we make a total commitment to God. This commitment has to be renewed now and then. They received the Spirit in Acts 2… in Acts 4:31 the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit was so dynamic it shook the entire house!

Peter was changed forever at Pentecost!  Note that he did not apologize for his past; he forgot all about it and charged forward in Holy Spirit power.  We would do well to do the same thing. Philippians 4:13, 14 states, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Remember how the disciples used to argue about who would be the most important? That was gone!

A fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit will revitalize a church. Will we become alike – like identical twins or triplets? Not a chance! We all have different talents and interests. But we should have a great zeal for harmony AND move forward to accomplish God’s will for our lives.

Another powerful event took place after Peter preached. Look at Acts 2:37, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and (asked), ‘Brothers, what must we do?’ ”

Acts 2:41 tells us that about 3,000 people repented and joined the church that day.

In the Old Testament “Pentecost,” also called the Feast of Weeks, took place 7 weeks after the Feast of the Firstfruits. It was the start of the barley harvest. Some have suggested that God chose Pentecost because here we see the first fruits of Christianity after Jesus returned to heaven. It was the assurance that the Church could continue under the leadership of the apostles – with Jesus gone from the scene.

Let’s look at our own lives for a few moments. How are we different from non-Christians?  If all we have experienced is the joy and excitement of getting saved – of going through Confirmation and Water Baptism, we have fallen short of what God has called us to do!

God wants to bless us. He wants to meet all of our needs. All He asks is that we do what He has called us to do.

When Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled,” He was talking about more than getting saved. He was talking about us becoming more and more like God!

Jesus frequently chided the apostles for their little faith. While Jesus and the inner circle of Peter, James and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration, a man brought his son to the other disciples for deliverance. They were unable to do so.  See Matthew 17:14-21.

As we have discussed before, we have to be submissive to God’s will. And sometimes, like the disciples, we fail. Don’t give up! Keep pressing in. Even Jesus was limited in what He could do because of the unbelief of those around Him.

To the questioning disciples he answered, “Because of your little faith.”

I can tell you this: To be truly successful in serving God, we have to be committed to serving Him 24/7. We can’t pick and choose what areas we are going to serve God in.

In preparing this message I had to look at my own faith… not too impressive!  Is this because of what I have gone through personally?  Of course – that’s how God gets our attention.  He does not cause it… but when it happens, He takes advantage of it.

We all love Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Wow! How good can that be! However, we must look at the setting…  Romans 8:18-27

But, let’s also look at the end of this chapter!

Indeed, there are battles past, present and future, but the glorious power of the Holy Spirit can get you through every one of them!

Sincerely, Pastor Leon