Pentecost Sunday 2025

Introduction

Acts 1:4 “4 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.”

Acts 2:1–4 NIV

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Pentecost is about celebration

Old Testament – Pentecost was a festival where every Jew who lived within 20 miles was compelled by law to attend.

Pentecost means – “The Fiftieth” and was a celebration the fiftieth day after Passover.

A celebration of the harvest For Israel, it was a harvest of grain

Agricultural significance in that the Jewish nations offered two loafs in gratitude for the seasons harvest. e. Pentecost because it marks the birth of the church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18 “I will build my church…Gates of Hades will not prevail”) and the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit upon humanity (Joel 2:28). As such I thought it would make sense to discuss the Holy Spirit today and His role in the Church.

Its the Birth of the church

They celebrated the Law being given to them now we celebrate that Christ has come

Pentecost is about Prayer

John 14:16 “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—”

Pentecost is about power

Consider this -

As a result of Pentecost, the disciples became apostles. They only watched Jesus do things. They were spectators. They only stood back out of the way and observed what God was doing.

But after Pentecost they became participators. Once they followed Him, but now they went on His behalf to proclaim to the world what He had done.

Acts: Commentary Chapter 2

Jesus said that He, through the Spirit, would provide four things, noted in the Gospel . The Spirit would give them

• The Right Thing (“what” they would say)

• The Right Words (“how” they would say it)

• The Right Way (“wisdom” to say it well)

• The Right Time (“in that hour” appropriately applied)

Luke 12:11–12 “11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.””

Luke 21:14–15 “14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

Matthew 10:19–20 “19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Mark 13:11 “11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

Pentecost is about Change

What shall we do?

Acts 2:37 “37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?””

They were cut word used is not used anywhere in the NT. It means to :

Acts Chapter 2

pierce or penetrate with a needle, lancet, or sharp instrument;

John 16:8 “8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:”

Acts Chapter 2

(1) Their sorrow that the Messiah had been put to death by his own countrymen.

(2) Their deep sense of guilt in having done this. There would be mingled here a remembrance of ingratitude, and a consciousness that they had been guilty of murder of the most aggravated and horrid kind, that of having killed their own Messiah.

(3) The fear of his wrath. He was still alive; exalted to be their Lord; and intrusted with all power. They were afraid of his vengeance; they were conscious that they deserved it; and they supposed that they were exposed to it.

(4) What they had done could not be undone. The guilt remained; they could not wash it out. They had imbrued their hands in the blood of innocence, and the guilt of that oppressed their souls.

(5)This expresses the usual feelings which sinners have when they are convicted of sin

One pastor said this about the Holy Spirit

Jesus knew something had to be done to prevent the disciples from making some big mistakes with their new found faith.

For example:

· Peter was a loose cannon.

· James was often passive and insecure.

· John may have been naïve and too trusting with certain people.

· Judas was a thief.

· Thomas was (no doubt) fearful and a skeptic.

Unless these misfits received the Holy Spirit, they would have destroyed Christianity before it ever began.

Each of them needed the Holy Spirit to give them:

· Strength for their weaknesses.

· Stability for their foolish behavior.

Jesus was ready to entrust the future of Christianity to these men, but not until they had the power of Pentecost

John 4:24 NIV

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Pentecost is about you