05.28.23

Scripture Reading - Acts 2:1-21

Message “Nobody Ever Said This Was a One Time Deal”

Today is Pentecost Sunday. It’s been 50 days since Christ’s death and resurrection and 10 days since his ascension into heaven. So His followers had remained in Jerusalem, waiting for the gift. This was what He had told them. Luke had recorded this in his gospel, 24:49, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Luke who also writes Acts gives us the specifics of what happened on the day of Pentecost. We heard those events in the text we just read. All the disciples were gathered together. And there was a sound of a mighty rushing wind and what appeared to be tongues of fire landed on each one of them. And Luke records they all spoke in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

And Luke tells us the crowds came running to see what was going on and were amazed when they heard these men speaking in their languages. Luke tells us that Peter, with a newfound boldness, gets up and proclaims the message of Jesus Christ.

And you and I who are here today, get to close our Bibles and say, “what an amazing act of God.” But is there, perhaps, a part of us that thinks “is this only something from the past?” In other words, is there a part of you and me that wonders if this is a one-time deal? Or is it possible that something like this could happen again?

Now, how we answer this depends on what we are trying to see happen again. There were several things that Luke recorded for us in this event. First, the disciples were all together in one place. Second, there was the sound of a mighty wind. Third, were the tongues of flame landing on each of the disciples. Fourthly, was the bold preaching of the gospel, and for some disciples, in a language different than they learned.

So if we are looking for this kind of external occurrence to be duplicated, we might be disappointed. And from that perspective, we might say it was a one-time thing. However, I am convinced that God desires to fill His people with His Holy Spirit. I am convinced that the empowering presence of God that came upon these disciples on the day of Pentecost through the Holy Spirit can happen over and over again.

But it’s not through mixing together the right elements. It’s not like a recipe you can repeat. Put all the right things together and wham-o, instant Holy Spirit presence. But it also won’t happen by accident. It might happen by surprise, but it won’t happen by accident.

The disciples experienced the empowering of the Holy Spirit in part because they were seeking it. In part because they were expecting it. In part because they were hoping for it. In part because they were praying for it. Just like God, the Holy Spirit