Pentecost 2026

KiDZ Message

Read Acts 2:2-4

Play video of this being read in multiple languages simultaneously

New International Version (2011) Chapter 2

“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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Jesus told his disciples that God was sending a helper to them.

Pentecost is the day when the helper showed up bigtime and has been with Jesus’ followers ever since.

You have been learning about the fruits that show up when you are close to the Holy Spirit

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control

The Holy Spirit does AMAZING Things through us when we stay in step with him

He is helping people be close to God

He is bringing all of our differences together for the good of his world

He is fixing things that are broken

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave the disciples power…Not just to feel something, But to tell people the good news about Jesus.”

The good news that

Jesus made you,

Jesus loves you,

Jesus knows every pain you feel and every pain you cause,

Jesus died for you and rose from the dead for you

Jesus is making everything better again

Jesus wants everyone to join his family.

I wonder who the Spirit will help YOU to share the good news with?

Pray

Main Sermon

On-Ramp

We just heard one of the most important moments in the entire Bible.

It’s a powerful story in and of itself

If you look closely at the details there are a ton of fascinating layers of meaning

I believe that when you look closely and with an open heart this story will challenge you

It will ask you to examine the life you are living. To notice who and/or what your have been walking in step with.

In light of what God has done, it will invite you to align your life to the movement of the Holy Spirit

You are walking in step with something

—but that thing may not be what you think it is.

You don’t choose whether you’re being formed—only what is forming you

Scripture Exposition

Turn to Acts 2

Context: Pentecost (feast of tents)

Harvest festival that people would travel to Jerusalem for (where first fruits were given)

50 days after Passover (What Jesus was celebrating during Holy Week)

By this time, it was associated with God giving the law at Mt. Sinai

v. 2-12 — What Just Happened (3 min)

Sinai Connection: Fire, Wind, Presence of God, Gathered people

Q: “Where have we seen this before?” (Sinai)

Q: “At Sinai—where are the people?” (distant)

Q: “Now—where is the fire in Acts 2?” (on people)

“What used to be distant is now within”

Babel Connection: Language / confusion

Q: “What story does that remind you of?” (Babel)

Babel → people can’t understand → scattered

Q: “Acts 2 Different languages—but what happens?” (understanding)

Q: “Do you see what God is doing?”

What used to divide, God now uses to unite.

What used to separate people from God… and each other, God is overcoming through His Spirit

v.13-36 — What It Means (3–4 min)

People think the disciples must be drunk because they don’t understand most of them.

Peter stands up to explain by reminding them of 3 scriptures

Joel v. 16-24

v.17-18 - This is happening before their eyes

I would argue it is continuing to happen to this day.

Since Pentecost, we have been in the last days that Joel talked about.

Notice WHO, it’s everyone. It’s not just the powerful and educated, it’s young and old, men and women, servants and free.

v. 19-24 - These things happened on the day of Jesus’ Crucifixion.

Jesus, the person the crowd heard about and possibly saw, rose from the dead.

David v. 25-36

The Israelites saw David as a savior

They understood the scriptures to point to a messiah from David’s line.

Peter tells them that these things that sound like David was talking about himself (v. 25-28 & 34-35) were actually David talking about Jesus

v. 27 David said “you will not let your holy one see decay” - yet David died and is still dead

Therefore David wasn't talking about himself, but someone else.

Peter says that all these “drunk” people are those who saw Jesus alive

v. 34-35 David didn't ascend to heaven, but Jesus did!

Peter made a case here for the validity of Jesus as the actual messiah that the Prophets of the Old Testament had been pointing toward.

If he is right, and the evidence is valid (his reason, the miracles, and what was happening before their eyes) then as he says in v. 36...

Jesus is both Lord (ruler of your life) and Messiah (your rescuer)

v. 37-41 - What You Do With It (3–4 min)

The right question to ask then is in v. 37… “what do we do?”

Repent (turn toward Christ)

Be Baptized in the name of Jesus (die to your old self and be re-born as his)

Receive the Holy Spirit (accept the Spirit’s leading)

Save yourselves from this corrupt generation (walk away from whatever you were walking in step with before)

Breathe for a moment & summarize

We saw the significance of this moment.

A new Sinai where God speaks directly, instead of through a representative

A new Babel, where language unites difference rather than separating or assimilating.

Jesus is the center point of it all.

What you are seeing is not just what happened, but where God is going

These folks thought they were walking in step with the God of Israel

But they just cried out for the crucifixion of their own savior and Lord

You are walking in step with something

Is it the Holy Spirit, or is it something else?

You don’t drift into step with the Spirit—you drift into everything else.

“So maybe what Peter is saying is, Stop letting this world set your pace.

“Step into the life God is leading”

IV – Application (4–5 min)

As we head into this summer—especially with prayer partners—this matters.

To stay “in step” with the Spirit is not “God help me with my life, because I can’t do it on my own?”

The Spirit didn’t come to keep up with your life—He came to lead it

It is “God, this was always your life, you are Lord, help me go wherever you lead me.”

To be in step with the Spirit means you stop setting the pace…and start trusting where He’s leading.

For some of us, the thing setting our pace is just… busyness. We wake up, react, move, respond… and never actually ask where we’re going.

We are being driven by forces that are invisible to us. they may be of God, they may be of the Devil, but we aren’t even aware of them, so we don’t know.

Reflect:

1. What is setting my direction and pace right now?

2. Where is that pace taking me?

3. What would it look like to adjust to the Spirit instead?

V – Conclusion (2 min)

This is not something you figure out alone—this is something you bring into conversation this week.

Final Teaching Line:

Pentecost is not just about power— it’s about where God is going.

Final Challenge

“So as you walk into this summer, don’t just ask God to keep up with you.”

“Ask what it would look like to keep in step with Him.”

VI – Prayer (1 min)

Confession: “Where we’ve followed other rhythms…”

Invitation: “Help us recognize Your pace…”

Surrender: “Teach us to walk with You…”

Benediction

Go in step with the Spirit— and may your life reflect the presence of Christ in you. Amen.