The Name of the Lord
Notes
Transcript
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.
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.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
This Is The Day...
This Is The Day...
The world hasn’t been the same since the Day of Pentecost
The fearful 12 in the upper room would become bold
They had walked with Jesus for three years!
It wasn’t until the Spirit came that they understood Jesus
All but one would die for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This day led to the transformation of the Roman Empire
It has now spread to all corners of the globe
Right down to you
The Day of Pentecost is a promise fulfilled...
Promises
Promises
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
That law is summarized by Jesus in Matthew 22...
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
This is the same Spirit of power that Jesus promised as he ascended into heaven...
And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
And this is the Spirit that gives so many gifts to those who receive Jesus...
Gifts of the Spirit
Gifts of the Spirit
And Peter said to them, “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.
Perhaps the greatest gift is that when God wrote the law on our hearts, we received the ability to love God and our neighbor.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
What does loving God and neighbor look like?
Romans 12 - Prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, leadership, mercy, and cheerfulness
1 Cor 12 - Administration, discernment, healing, tongues and interpretation of tongues, wisdom, faith, fear of the Lord, distinguishing spirits
Every time you exercise one of those gifts in service to your neighbor, you are using your spiritual gift.
Now, the question is sometimes asked, how do I know if I have a particular gift?
This is where we get into the fruit of the Spirit.
Fruit of the Spirit
Fruit of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
If you want to know whether you have a particular spiritual gift, simply look at it this way.
When I exercise that gift, or imagine exercising it, is there love?
Can I do it in a way that maintains peace, or does it create anxiety and division within myself and others?
How about patience, kindness, goodness?
How about faithfulness to God and His word?
Can I exercise that gift gently and with self control?
If those things line up, then you can most assuredly know that the Spirit is alive and well in you when you exercise your spiritual gift.
Our Struggle
Our Struggle
You’ll notice that just about everything I’ve stated this morning is Scriptural.
That’s not to impress you.
It’s because it’s so tempting to say things contrary to what Scripture says as it relates to the Spirit.
The temptation for me is to bypass the charismatic gifts, as they’re often referred...
...Things like tongues and prophecy and healing
The problem is that every time I tell the Bible what it should say, I lose peace.
How many of you have ever started speaking in a strange tongue and you weren’t even trying?
When I was 17 or 18 I was laying in bed and felt a surge of power and focus unlike anything I have ever experience.
It’s like language I didn’t understand was speaking through me in ways I can’t even explain.
Throughout my life I’ve had experiences of praying for people and seeing them healed.
Would you all understand if I said, I’m not really comfortable with it?
Part of me is glad to have had those experiences, but part of me not so much.
I resisted leadership for 20 years...
For 20 years God wouldn’t give me peace...
I look at it this way…I’m not telling God He can’t, and I’m not telling God He must.
I’ll let God be God!
I’ll let the Spirit lead where it leads...
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Where Is The Spirit Leading You?
Where Is The Spirit Leading You?
How many of you have wanted to say “no” to leadership but you knew you were called to lead?
How many of you don’t want to speak up but you know God gave you wisdom?
How many of you have the gift of encouragement and joy…You have a SONG IN YOUR HEART!
But you’re nervous about exercising that gift?
That one was for someone, and you know who you are!
How many of you are so busy killing the Spirit in you that you’re angry and trying to kill it in others?
Remembers the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control...
The Spirit of God will lead us into places that scare us, but that’s where we meet the power of God.
There’s no power in remaining comfortable.
When you sense the Spirit moving in your life, but you have a voice in your head that says “I can’t,” you’re right.
You can’t, but by the power of Christ Jesus, you can do all the things God calls you to do.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Live by the Spirit and you will see just how much God can do in your life for the good of the world.
Amen
