Pentecost Sunday (2)

Intro

Have you ever taken part in a renovation project? If so, did you think ahead enough to take some before and after photos?

It is always amazing isn’t it when you look at a project before you start and then after it is finished at how different it looks.

This is especially true if what you were starting with didn’t look all that great to begin with.

In fact, if might even be hard to imagine how much better something could be when you are focused on all that is wrong with it when you start.

I don’t watch a lot of home improvement shows, but when I do, I can appreciate the big reveal and the comparison shots of the before and after.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a renovation project? If you could compare who you are now as a Christian versus who you were when you first put your faith and hope in Christ, would it look like someone did a renovation.

More than that would it look like Jesus took a wrecking ball to your old life and built something completely new from the ground up?

Today is Pentecost Sunday.

The day that we celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promise to pour out his Spirit on all those who he would call his children.

It is today that we celebrate the moment in history when God filled these earliest followers of Jesus with heavenly power to do the impossible.

To live differently than that had before and to fulfill a mission that would be impossible in their own power.

In many ways, today is viewed as the birthday of the Church. Because without the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, the Church would have been snuffed out 2,000 years ago before it ever really got started.

Today we are going to start a series on Pentecost and the difference that this one event had not only on those who lived through it, but for all who would come after and continue to receive this same gift.

A long awaited promise

2,000 years ago, people weren’t all that different from us. Like us they were working jobs, raising families, and trying make sense of the world they found themselves in.

Like us, they too struggled with insecurities, stress, unmet expectations, disappointment, and the devastating effects of living sinful lives in a broken world.

But Jesus changed all that. He came to show us a better way. By modeling what a relationship with God the father looks like.

And then making it possible to have that kind of relationship with the Father by dying on a cross to pay our sin debt and coming back to life resulting in the defeat of sin and death once and for all.

But that wasn’t all he did. He also made a promise before he left.

Luke 24:46-49 NLT 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

49 “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.”

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that everything that had happened; the arrest, the beating, the cross, all of it was so that a promise could be fulfilled.

But there was more to that promise. Not only did Jesus have to suffer, but after his suffering would come power. And Jesus wasn’t telling them something that hadn’t already been promised in the Old Testament.

Joel 2:28-29 NLT 28  “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. 29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.

You see, Jesus was preparing his disciples and ultimately, us today for a task that none of us could complete, at least not in our own ability and power.

In fact, Jesus reminds us of this fact in...

John 15:5 NLT 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus doesn’t mince words here. He makes it clear that without him, without his power, we are incapable of being the kind of people that God created us to be.

But, if we remain in him, then he can give us a power that produces in us things that we didn’t even know were possible.

A much needed renovation

So Jesus makes this promise and tells his disciples to wait. Then some 50 days after the resurrection, 10 since his ascension into heaven God makes good on his promise.

Acts 2:1-12 NLT On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome

11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

Here it happens. God pours out his Spirit and instantly this rag tag group of nobodies, at least in the eyes of society, are supernaturally empowered to speak in languages they were never taught.

And as people are witnessing this event they are amazed at what they are seeing and hearing.

Some, in their spiritual blindness ridiculed them and accuse them of being drunk. Listen, I don’t know anybody who when they get drunk can speak in a language they haven’t ever been taught.

Look at how verse 14 starts with these 4 words.

Acts 2:14 NLT 14 Then Peter stepped forward...

Peter, this was the same nobody fishermen who when Jesus needed him most, ran away and hid. Not only did he hide, but when given the chance to speak up for his rabbi, he acted like he didn’t even know him. Not once, not twice, but three times he denied even knowing him let alone following him.

This same Peter, now filled with heavenly power through the baptism in the Holy Spirit steps forward and preaches to a crowd of thousands.

I’m not going to read his sermon but I will give you the cliff notes.

I’m paraphrasing, but Peter goes on to say...

What you just witnessed is not a trick or the result of too much wine.

Instead, what you saw was the fulfillment of a promise.

And we have been given this gift not because of who we are, but because of who we serve. Jesus the Nazarene.

You know him because you killed him.

But God raised him from the dead.

So repent of your sin

Peter didn’t leave the crowd feeling real great about themselves. He was preaching at great risk to his own personal safety.

However, Peter did not speak his own words in his own power. He spoke the Holy Spirit’s words in the Holy Spirit’s power and the results were extraordinary.

Acts 2:41 NLT 41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

There is a stark difference between the pre-Pentecost disciples and the post-Pentecost disciples.

The former continually questioned Jesus, argued over influence and power, and betrayed and abandoned Jesus at the most crucial moments.

The latter boldly proclaimed the gospel of Christ, healed the sick and raised the dead, built the church, and laid down their lives for their Lord.

The pre-Pentecost disciples did not yet possess the fullness of the Spirit.

It wasn’t until they were filled with true post-Easter faith and had experienced the power of Pentecost through the baptism in the Holy Spirit that they were equipped for Spirit-filled ministry.

Application/Closing

Jesus has a task for you and I. A mission should we choose to accept it.

Acts 1:8 NLT 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We are called to be witnesses of what Jesus has done. We are to be telling people about him everywhere we go.

But we can’t do that on our own.

All of us need to be renovated by the Spirit. We need to have our old lives demolished in order to make way for something new. We all need a post-pentecost tranformation.

Our hearts and minds need to be renewed in the image of Christ. We cannot overcome the power of sin and the stubbornness of the flesh without the grace, power, and strength of the Spirit.

We have been talking a lot about sin lately and our need to deal with it. Our need to acknowledge it and and repent and bring real and tangible change into our lives.

But how in the world are we going to do that if we keep living like pre-pentecost people?

We need the power of the Spirit afresh in our lives. We can’t walk the path of Christ in our own strength. We need God’s help.

Have you experienced a post-pentecost transformation? Have you like Peter and the disciple received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and power that comes with it?

Because let me tell you this morning. There are a lot of Christians out in the world today living underpowered lives because of a lack of knowledge in this area or a lack of understanding.

And I’m not saying they aren’t saved or that they aren’t sincere.

But sincerity isn’t going to break addictions

sincerity isn’t going to fix your marriage

sincerity isn’t going to convince your loved ones to accept the gospel

sincerity isn’t going to change the world

sincerity isn’t going scare the enemy

sincerity isn’t going set you free

Only the power of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit can do that.

Jesus desires to fill every believer with this kind of power. He just needs a willing vessel. Are you willing to surrender completely this morning and be filled.

Let’s pray.