The crowds are gathering in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. Caiaphas is still trying to manage the fall out of his lies and matters are getting even worse as Pilate shows up to the festival himself. One more guest also shows up to this festival; one that would mark the disciples and followers of Christ to this day. The Holy Spirit transforms the believers with courage and boldness to preach the Gospel. Revival breaks out and over 3000 people begin to follow Christ following Peter’s first sermon. Wow! Isn’t it amazing what can happen when God’s Holy Spirit moves on believers. Things happen. The Spirit always brings action.
Pentecost: The harvest festival, or Feast of Weeks, that happens 50 days after Passover. It is one of the three major festivals in the Jewish calendar. People would travel to Jerusalem to give offerings of bread at the temple and give thanks for God’s gift of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai after Israel escaped Egypt.
Acts 2:1-4 are verses we often quote to share our theology of Pentecostalism. When they were in one accord…. in the same place…. then suddenly a sound like a violent wind came from heaven and filled the place where they were sitting. They saw what looked like flickering fire hover over each person… and ALL of them were filled with the Holy Spirit….then they were able to speak in other languages as the Spirit led them….
No one can say they have ever seen the wind but everyone can say they have seen the effects of what the wind has done. Everyone can see what the wind can do. You can feel the wind, especially on a cold winter day but still not see it. The currents and movements of the wind is a force of nature that we all have experienced but never visibly seen. God’s Spirit works in the same way. It is always working around us and in us in unseen ways with clear and undeniable results, but it can not be visibly seen in the same way the wind can not be seen.
This particular event was different from all the prior Feasts. Jesus had just been crucified and the word of His resurrection was circulating. In a room above the ground floor, 120 followers of Christ were meeting and the Holy Spirit unleashed His power and filled them in an undeniable way. When they received, their reaction was not to hide inside or to stay together just to talk about what had happened. They were propelled into action. They were so visibly changed that people began to make fun of them and claim they had been partying way too much. They accused them of being drunk.
Peter made sure the people knew that their actions were not from the effects of alcohol. He began to quote the Old Testament prophet Joel about what they were actually seeing. He continued to preach that Jesus was indeed alive and was offering to forgive them of their sin and bring them a new life if they would simply believe.
Pentecost is noted as the “Coming of the Holy Spirit”, but the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, has been working all throughout history. Pentecost marks a highlight of His visible presence and a reality in the believers’ everyday lives. The arrival of the Holy Spirit was not only to display power and create excitement but really to further the message of Jesus to bring people to faith.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit remains the same to us. The Spirit is God’s presence on earth today. The Spirit's role is to bring understanding of Jesus’ teachings, to glorify God and to work in our lives as we occupy our position in the church. We often refer to the Spirit as the Comforter, the Advocate and the Helper.
The Spirit's action boldly proclaims truth, displays miraculous signs and healing and solidifies unity to the church. The disciples were so radical in sharing what they believed that the Jewish leaders tried and tried to shut them up. Peter and John were actually brought before the Jewish leaders' court room and questioned and they both boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the One who brings salvation.
From denying Christ three times before the crucifixion to taking a stand in court, Peter’s transformation was supernatural. Peter's change was definitely one of the most visible but was certainly not the only one. Acts 4:29-31 says that many followers were boldly speaking the Word of God.
Unity was a result of the Spirit’s work in the early church. Acts 4:32-33 tells us how the believers formed community and shared their belongings to the extent that everything was available to meet the needs of everyone. We have to notice how they cared for one another. Unity wasn’t the only work to take notice of. They prayed. They prayed and they prayed. Remember just a few days earlier (Acts 1:8), they were really concerned about when Jesus was going to take over the political power and rule. But now, the Holy Spirit brought them to a deeper understanding and perspective of God’s greater work in eternity. That work being a transformation in the followers by the Holy Spirit from the inside out to empower them to draw other people to His healing redemption and relationship with God.
No one can say they have ever seen the wind but everyone can say they have seen the effects of what the wind has done. Everyone can see what the wind can do. You can feel the wind, especially on a cold winter day but still not see it. The currents and movements of the wind is a force of nature that we all have experienced but never visibly seen. God’s Spirit works in the same way. It is always working around us and in us in unseen ways with clear and undeniable results, but it can not be visibly seen in the same way the wind can not be seen.
This particular event was different from all the prior Feasts. Jesus had just been crucified and the word of His resurrection was circulating. In a room above the ground floor, 120 followers of Christ were meeting and the Holy Spirit unleashed His power and filled them in an undeniable way. When they received, their reaction was not to hide inside or to stay together just to talk about what had happened. They were propelled into action. They were so visibly changed that people began to make fun of them and claim they had been partying way too much. They accused them of being drunk.
Peter made sure the people knew that their actions were not from the effects of alcohol. He began to quote the Old Testament prophet Joel about what they were actually seeing. He continued to preach that Jesus was indeed alive and was offering to forgive them of their sin and bring them a new life if they would simply believe.
Pentecost is noted as the “Coming of the Holy Spirit”, but the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, has been working all throughout history. Pentecost marks a highlight of His visible presence and a reality in the believers’ everyday lives. The arrival of the Holy Spirit was not only to display power and create excitement but really to further the message of Jesus to bring people to faith.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit remains the same to us. The Spirit is God’s presence on earth today. The Spirit's role is to bring understanding of Jesus’ teachings, to glorify God and to work in our lives as we occupy our position in the church. We often refer to the Spirit as the Comforter, the Advocate and the Helper.
The Spirit's action boldly proclaims truth, displays miraculous signs and healing and solidifies unity to the church. The disciples were so radical in sharing what they believed that the Jewish leaders tried and tried to shut them up. Peter and John were actually brought before the Jewish leaders' court room and questioned and they both boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the One who brings salvation.
From denying Christ three times before the crucifixion to taking a stand in court, Peter’s transformation was supernatural. Peter's change was definitely one of the most visible but was certainly not the only one. Acts 4:29-31 says that many followers were boldly speaking the Word of God.
Unity was a result of the Spirit’s work in the early church. Acts 4:32-33 tells us how the believers formed community and shared their belongings to the extent that everything was available to meet the needs of everyone. We have to notice how they cared for one another. Unity wasn’t the only work to take notice of. They prayed. They prayed and they prayed. Remember just a few days earlier (Acts 1:8), they were really concerned about when Jesus was going to take over the political power and rule. But now, the Holy Spirit brought them to a deeper understanding and perspective of God’s greater work in eternity. That work being a transformation in the followers by the Holy Spirit from the inside out to empower them to draw other people to His healing redemption and relationship with God.
With all the the exciting things that the early followers experienced we can’t forget the magnitude of challenges and persecution they faced. They also had their daily lives to live along with being a part of the church. Life is busy. Everyone is busy. We are so busy being busy we sometimes miss God trying to blow His Spirit through our lives. If the early believers had been as busy as we are, being busy, I wonder what the church would look like today? We must remember that the church can not exist with out your family, but really your family doesn’t exist without the church. Here are a few things we can do to rely on the power of God’s Spirit, peace and power evident in our lives.
1. Tune In
Read Roman 8:5. Where is you attention? What is your mind set? What are you filling your life with on a daily basis? We need to turn our minds and focus our hearts towards meeting the Spirit of God and using the gifts He has given to us to fulfill His will for us. (Read 1 Corinthians 12-14) We need to seek guidance and listen for direction. (Read John 16:13-15)
2. Be Bold
Read Zechariah 4:6. At most, on our own we are much like Peter was prior to Jesus’ last conversation with him. Like Peter we sometimes fumble around in our inconsistencies, our weaknesses, and fears and allow them to stop us from being and doing what God has called us to. Read 2 Corinthians 3:17 and pray for His direction and guidance in your life.
3. Embrace Community
God himself is not solo. God is a community in Himself. Our service to Him likewise must be lived out in community. We can not love God and not love people. Loving people is an action that is far more than just saying, “we love people.” We need support, encouragement and accountability from fellow believers. “Doing Life Together!” Read Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 4:32-35
READING:
Read the following verses and write down what they mean to you. How do they encourage or challenge you?
2 Timothy 1:7
Galatians 5:22-23
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Romans 8:26-27
1 Corinthians 2:10-12
1. Tune In
Read Roman 8:5. Where is you attention? What is your mind set? What are you filling your life with on a daily basis? We need to turn our minds and focus our hearts towards meeting the Spirit of God and using the gifts He has given to us to fulfill His will for us. (Read 1 Corinthians 12-14) We need to seek guidance and listen for direction. (Read John 16:13-15)
2. Be Bold
Read Zechariah 4:6. At most, on our own we are much like Peter was prior to Jesus’ last conversation with him. Like Peter we sometimes fumble around in our inconsistencies, our weaknesses, and fears and allow them to stop us from being and doing what God has called us to. Read 2 Corinthians 3:17 and pray for His direction and guidance in your life.
3. Embrace Community
God himself is not solo. God is a community in Himself. Our service to Him likewise must be lived out in community. We can not love God and not love people. Loving people is an action that is far more than just saying, “we love people.” We need support, encouragement and accountability from fellow believers. “Doing Life Together!” Read Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 4:32-35
READING:
Read the following verses and write down what they mean to you. How do they encourage or challenge you?
2 Timothy 1:7
Galatians 5:22-23
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Romans 8:26-27
1 Corinthians 2:10-12