One-Week 1

Today is

Pentecost Sunday

But coming up to it - we need to make sure we’re on the same page as the original disciples.

Luke 24:46–49 NIV

He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. 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.”

So Jesus charges the early disciples with this mission -

Preach repentence for the forgiveness of sins to all nations

He says, you know these things, you saw them. And the job is to tell everybody else.

Then he says, BUT wait until I send you the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15–17 (NIV)

“If you love me, keep my commands.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

the Spirit of truth.

Later on, he explains:

John 14:26 NIV

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

So Jesus says,

We need the Spirit to be able to preach the Gospel

All of our head knowledge, all of our strength and wisdom - it’s nothing.

So the disciples were living in this time, where the Spirit was going to come into the world.

Acts 1:4–8 NIV

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What’s the big, big point here?

Jesus sent the Spirit so that we could witness

The Spirit wasn’t FEEL-GOOD / WAY TO FEEL SUPERIOR

Jesus said - I HAVE A MISSION. SENDING SPIRIT TO GET IT DONE.

Now, the disciples had a good question. ‘You’re sending the Spirit - are you now going to restore Israel?’

This was their way of saying - Lord - is NOW the time you’re going to be that messiah we were always taught to expect?

We may not be asking that question, but i’m sure we have a lot of other ones.

What’s the plan for my life?

What’s the future going to hold?

What am I going to say?

But Jesus redirects them. He says - not your job to know everything.

It IS your job to witness - to everyone you can

And this is the crux of our vision as a church, and as a denomination.

Every one of us is here to reach every one we can.

Jesus doesn’t tell them, i want you to witness - at least as far as you’re willing to walk.

He says - i’m gonna send you EVERYWHERE.

Some of us, that means to friends and family. Some of us, that means going into ministry or missions.

But all of us - it means a burden on our hearts to reach someone else who doesn’t know Jesus.

And this stands in line with what a LOT of denominations and churches are driving towards in the coming years. We’re coming up to the 2,000th anniversary of Pentecost.

Our specific denomination has partnered with a bunch of other ones to put forward a simple vision.

We are here to make sure we can preach the gospel of Jesus to every single person on earth by 2033.

And we have a role to play. We have the town of Marathon.

And

We can reach everyone in Marathon

But this isn’t just a geographic area. We’re not witnessing to grass, or rocks, or parking lots.

This town - it has our friends. Our family. Our coworkers. When we say we’re here to reach Marathon, it’s not some blurry, generic call. We KNOW the people here.

And I truly, truly believe we could present an opportunity to hear the gospel to every last person in our town.

But here’s the thing -

It starts with the Spirit - and all of us

Here’s a timeline of what happened at Pentecost.

Acts 2:1–4 NIV

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:14 NIV

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

Read acts 2, it’s an amazing sermon.

Acts 2:36–38 NIV

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:41 NIV

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The very, very first thing the Spirit did, the first action of the first person to have the indwelling Spirit sent by Jesus - was to go out and preach the gospel.

God is here, willing to give the Spirit - so that we can go out and share the Gospel

And we need to follow those same instructions from Jesus. Pray to receive the Spirit, then go out to share the gospel.

We’re gonna take some time right now just to open up the altar for prayer. We invite you - come on up.

But we need to be clear. We’re here to invite you to receive the Spirit - in order to witness. We can’t ask for one without the other.