Everyone Can Proclaim the Gospel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHURCH

PENTECOST (חג שׁבעת, chg shb't, “weeks”; πεντηκοστή, pentēkostē, “fiftieth”). In the Hebrew Bible, Pentecost is an annual harvest festival that occurs seven weeks after Passover. It became an important Christian holiday after God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Jerusalem church on the first Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection.

Biblical Relevance

Pentecost in the Hebrew Bible

Leviticus 23:15–21 instructs the Israelites to hold an annual one-day harvest festival seven weeks, or 50 days, after Passover (see also Exod 34:22). This festival included extensive sacrifice (Lev 23:15–21; Deut 16:9–10; 2 Chr 8:13). At Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, Israelite farmers would start their journeys toward Jerusalem to present their firstfruit offerings (Wigoder, “Shavu’ot,” 707; Werblowsky, “Shavu’ot,” 628).

Pentecost in Acts

On the Pentecost immediately following Christ’s resurrection, God pours out (ἐκχέω, ekcheō) the Holy Spirit upon the Jerusalem church, thus enabling them to perform extraordinary deeds such as healings, speaking in tongues, prophesying, and inspired preaching. Fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 8) occurs on Pentecost while the disciples are gathered in a house

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Fire and Sinai

Fire and Sinai. At some point during the intertestamental period, the Jewish people had begun to observe Pentecost as a commemoration of the giving of the law at Mount Sinai—an event that involved a fiery theophany (Exod 19:18). VanderKam suggests that Acts 2 understands Pentecost to be a covenant renewal festival (VanderKam, “Covenant and Pentecost,” 239–254). Thus, Acts may be portraying the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 as the establishment of a covenant between God and the Church in a way reminiscent of the events on Sinai (Davis, “Acts 2,” 43–45; Witherington, Acts, 131).

Fulfillment of Joel. Peter quotes the Septuagint’s translation of Joel 2:28–32, which prophesies that “in the last days,” God will “pour out” (ἐκχέω, ekcheō) the Holy Spirit upon all “flesh.” Thus, all humans—regardless of age, gender, and social status—will prophesy, have visions, and have prophetic dreams (Acts 2:17–18).

For Luke, the extraordinary events of Pentecost inaugurate the miracles and wonders that occur throughout Acts (Treier, “Fulfillment of Joel 2:28–32”). Later, the Holy Spirit also fills the Samaritan and Gentile converts, who then become participants in the same signs and wonders described in Peter’s quotation of Joel (Acts 8:14–17, 25; 10:16–48; Conzelmann, Acts, 65, 84; Witherington, Acts, 134, 359–61).

EVERYONE CAN EVANGELIZE

1 Corinthians (3) The Wisdom of God and Paul’s Ministry in Corinth (2:1–5)

What Paul rejects is self-presentation and haughty speech. Garland puts it this way: “The gospel always points beyond humans to God and Christ and becomes garbled whenever humans exploit it instead to headline themselves as its stars.” The content of Paul’s message was simple and straightforward, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified,” and delivered with full confidence in the Spirit’s power to produce results

HOW SHOULD I PREACH

Illustration idea: How many of you have ever watched a sporting event, a Super Bowl or Monday night football game, and seen the giant sign saying "John 3:16?" How many of you have seen that? Well, Rockin’ Rollin Stewart is responsible for that happening. "Rockin’" is a nickname. His name is Rollin Stewart. His story appeared in People Magazine years ago, and it is a fascinating story. Rollin Stewart was an alcoholic. He met Jesus, accepted Him as his Savior, became a Christian, and God healed him of his alcoholism. One day, the idea struck him that if he could just get into major sporting events and put the word of God before the people, it would be seen by hundreds of thousands of people. So for a number of years, Rockin’ Rollin Stewart and his wife, Margaret, and a friend named William James, lived a very spartan life. They averaged driving 55,000 miles a year in an old beat up van, telling their story, and using the money they collected to buy tickets for major sporting events to hang out a sheet saying, "John 3:16."

Do you ever wonder how many tens of thousands have turned to read what that passage says?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Now, it might not be your thing to live a frugal life, drive around an RV, and attend as many sporting events as you can just to share a single bible verse. But that’s not the point. The point is that when you and I are saved then we are commanded to share the good news with others. This is called the great commission and you can read it at the end of the gospel of Matthew 28.

HOW SHOULD I NOT PREACH

GK Chesterton

“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it”

ACTS

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