In the Spirit: Pentecostal Power

Intro

Continuing our series

Today is Pentecost Sunday

following service, for anyone who is interested, we will have a time of prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to fill us

Redvers, Darren will be leading you through the after service

Carlyle Campus and Online, if you want to participate, we are just going to allow some time for transition and we get started

Have you ever been filled with the Holy Spirit?

Pentecost Story

we are going to read the story in Acts 2 and take time to look at some important points in the story, to help facilitate our own Pentecost experience

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Initial Event

they were unified

the Spirit rested on them

they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues

same thing we see in the Baptism of Jesus

came up during our reading plan that we’ve been doing through faithlife

Matthew 3:13–17 ESV

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Spirit rests

I want you to focus in on the idea of rest

What kinds of words come to mind when you think of rest?

Rest brings to mind different ideas, but also brings to mind things that are contrary to rest

rest brings to mind things like peace, stillness, serenity, grace, gentleness. Rest brings to mind quietness

What rest does not bring to mind is chaos, anxiety, fear, force, power, crammed in.

Sometimes, not always, we want the Holy Spirit to barge into our lives. Our minds are focused on everything we need to get done or after comes after our prayer time. We want to maintain the high intensity life, yet expect the spirit to move

But in both of these stories, we see the Holy Spirit resting. Like the dove, it gently floats down and settles on the person.

The Spirit Inspires Action

the disciples are not just merely filled, and they can check that box in their spiritual checklists

they begin to speak

the Greek word translated here is used when someone who couldn’t speak suddenly can speak

the disciples were hiding and not speaking, to not being able to be silent any longer.

what happened as they spoke?

Acts 2:5–13 ESV

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

They spoke, and people listened

The disciples jumped to action, declaring the glory and praise of Jesus

the power that now filled them enabled to do something that they had never done before

often we are eagerly seeking the filling of the Spirit or the gifts of the spirit for the spiritual high that we get from having a gift of the spirit. The reality is that the gifts aren’t just for building up self; it is for the benefit of the church community, both those who attend, and those who don’t come out yet

it may not be immediate action like the apostles, but the empowerment of the spirit will lead to action, and there must be a willingness to act with this newfound power that now fills you.

in fact, the Apostle Paul believed that the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers was so important, he says this in 1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Paul Claiming to be Simple

when it comes to being a preacher of God’s word, Paul was no slouch

he had the OT memorized, and he was trained to be a spiritual leader and communicator of God’s word

but for Paul, his skills and abilities were not what was going to solidify the faith of the Corinthian church

Paul knew that the experience of God’s power in the life of the believer would lay a far stronger foundation in the times of trail to come

In small group, I shared a statement that I think fits with this morning’s thought

“The Western Church is the most educated it has ever been in all of history, yet we have the least to show for it.” - Ray Duerksen -

Knowledge isn’t Enough

If knowledge was enough for the church to be effective, then the church of North America should be the most fruitful church the world has ever known.

Yet consistently, we see the church exploding in areas that don’t have access to our wealth of knowledge. Why?

Because in most of these areas, they don’t even have a bible to call their own. It is too dangerous for them.

So how do they grow? They grow by the power of Holy Spirit. Our access to know isn’t the same, but our access to God’s Spirit is. The question is, are we willing to take advantage of this great gift God has given us?

Let’s Pray