THE REIGN OF CHRIST ON THE EARTH BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE CHURCH: PENTECOST SUNDAY

INTRODUCTION

Please stand with me for the reading of God’s word.

Acts 1:6–8 NASB95

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Good Morning Life church

Today is Pentecost Sunday.

Today is the day we celebrate Jesus pouring out His Holy Spirit on to His Church.

Pentecost Sunday is the global expansion of Jesus’ ministry on the earth by the Holy Spirit, through the Church.

Pentecost Sunday is the manifestation of Christ reigning over the World by the Spirit, through the Church.

Pentecost was the day Jesus invited us and empowered us to participate in His ministry and reign, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s read what happened on that day.

Acts 2:1–4 NASB95

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THIS FIRE AND THE SOUND OF A VIOLET WIND TONGUES?

It is easy to get distracted from what is taking place especially with our modern minds.

Each element symbolized ancient understandings of God and therefore, there understanding of what was happening to them.

FIRE: Moses and God speaking through a burning bush / Israel being led through the wilderness by a pillar of fire, God consuming the sacrifice of Elijah with fire, Judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.

Fire represented Yahweh manifesting in power to lead, to commission, and to judge and consume.

WIND: The Spirit hovering over the face of the deep, The breath of life or wind, or spirit (same Hebrew word) The parted sea bed being dried by a wind for Israel to escape Egypt, The locusts that tormented Egypt God blew in on an East wind , Israel was fed quil God blew in on an East wind.

Wind was a symbol of God acting in mercy and judgment to rescue, feed, or judge.

LANGUAGES: Before the story of Babel there was one language. But due to humanities rebellion in building the city of Babel and the tower to try and manipulate the gods, God cursed them, and divided them by breaking the unity of language.

THIS IS THE IMAGE OF JESUS CONTINUING HIS MINISTRY BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH HIS CHURCH.

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PENTECOST IS ABOUT THE REIGN OF JESUS FROM HIS THRONE OVER THE EARTH, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH HIS CHURCH!

LET ME SAY IT ANOTHER WAY.

Pentecost is about Jesus continuing His earthly ministry through His Church in the power of the Holy Spirit!

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THIS BRINGS UP TWO QUESTIONS: WHAT IS THE MINISTRY OF JESUS AND HOW DO WE PARTICIPATE IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

First, what is the ministry of Jesus?

Ephesians 2:13–16 NASB95

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

God sent Jesus to reuntie the two kinds of People. Jews and Gentiles.

Untied in Jesus rather than seperated by race, culture, ethnicity, and the worship of false gods.

Built together to be a dwelling place for His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:4–6 NASB95

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

The ministry of Jesus was and is to untie the broken and divisive humanity into a people united in Jesus and reconciled to God the Father.

Galatians 3:26–29 NASB95

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Jesus came to reconcile humanity as one to God and to one another through His death, burial, resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Every believer around the world shares in the same Holy Spirit! Brothers and sisters no matter our physical or cultural differences.

THE MINISTRY OF JESUS WAS AND IS TO RESTORE FALLEN HUMANITY INTO ONE NEW PEOPLE, RECONCILED TO GOD THE FATHER, AND JOINED TOGETHER BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1 Corinthians 12:13 NASB95

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

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IF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IS TO RECONCILE HUMANITY TO THE FATHER AND TO CREATE ONE NEW KIND OF HUMANITY, HOW THEN, DO WE PARTICIPATE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT IS THE SPIRIT WHO EMPOWERS HIS CHURCH.

Not education / intellect/ charisma/ or even hard work. All these are good - pursue them all but remember you need the Holy Spirit to participate in the ministry of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit Empowers us to be Witnesses

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Jerusalem / Judea / Samaria / Ends of the earth.

We often want to jump to the ends of the earth before we even start with our own family.

Reality check: Jesus wants to minister through you to your family, friends, neighbors.

You are where you are for a purpose / don’t look to the future and forget about the souls around you.

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS US FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL.

John and Peter - Lame Man - silver and gold I do not have - rise and walk.

Acts 3:11–13 NASB95

While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

Miracles are not our power - remember it is by the power of the Spirit.

And miracles serve one purpose for the unbeliever - So they will hear the Gospel which is the means by which God gives faith and saves a people fore himself.

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES GIFTS TO UNIFY HIS CHURCH AND TO EQUIP AND ENCOURAGE HIS CHURCH.

Ephesians 4:11–13 NASB95

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Build up the church into the unity of faith and the knowledge of Jesus to a mature Church.

1 Corinthians 14:12 NASB95

So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

The gifts of the Spirit are not to show off, build pride, or so you can have a cool title.

The gifts of the Spirit operate so the church is edified by the Holy Spirit through the members of the Church.

LAST ONE I WILL MENTION BUT THERE ARE MORE. THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS HIS CHURCH TO BE A HOLY WITNESS.

One of the most affective and important roles of the church as a witness to Jesus is it’s Holiness.

We have all seen the scourge of the world fall on the church because of unholy men and women in power.

We are to be a Holy Witness. Not perfect yet but we all who have the Spirit should be moving towards a deeper Holiness.

Galatians 5:19–26 NASB95

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Fruit is the biproduct of a healthy tree or vine.

The fruit of the Spirit is the bi-product of a healthy Christian.

A healthy relationship with the Spirit of God in them.

The Spirit helps our lives look like Jesus

And yes this is the most effective means to participate in the ministry of Jesus.

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THE APOSTLE PAUL CALLS US TO BE CONTINUALLY FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The reality is we are still wrestling with our sinful nature.

We get beat down by the world / fall into sin traps / and at times can find ourselves in old patterns of sin.

What is needed is a refreshing of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you feel empty / no zeal in allowing Jesus to minister through you.

Maybe you feel hurt, bitter, broken, tired and far from God.

Today, I want to encourage you to simply open yourself to the Holy Spirit and pray,

Jesus, pour your Spirit fresh in me. Re-energize me by your Spirit so you can minister through me.

JOHN AND PETER WERE ARRESTED IN ACTS 4 FOR PREACHING JESUS.

Beaten and threatened they were let go.

They were scared and timid. They ran to the people of God and they prayed.

This is what happened next.

Acts 4:31 NASB95

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

If John and Peter needed a fresh refilling of the Spirit we all do at time.

Let today, Pentecost Sunday be the day you recieve a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.