Pentecost

I. 1:4-5 UNITED IN PURPOSE

3w· They waited on the Lord together.

· This same trait should mark the church. Ill. Phil 1:27 – We are told to “strive together”. This phrase means “to work together as athletes”. We are a team! We are to work together, for the glory of God, carrying out His will in the world.

· We each have different functions, 1 Cor. 12:7-26, but we should all have the same goal, 1 Cor. 10:31. (Ill. There are some glory hounds, Diotrephes, 3 John and James and John, Mark 10:35-37 – Don’t get caught up in their antics, do what He has called you to do and be what He has called you to be!) (Ill. That is why we need Eph. 4:1-7; 4:31-32.)

· We may have different ideas, but once a consensus is reached, we should break out of our huddle and stand together! Satan is a divider, 1 Cor. 1:10; Christ is a uniter, Eph. 2:14-15.

II. 1:14 UNITED IN PRAYER

· They prayed together. They prayed with and for one another.

· Nothing builds unity in a church any more than carrying one another’s burdens to the Lord in prayer, Gal. 6:1-5. (Ill. There is a bond that develops between people who pray together!)

· When we pray for others, we are less focused on ourselves and our own problems, Phil. 2:1-4.

III. 2:3-4a UNITED IN POWER

· They were “all filled with the Holy Ghost”. The unity of the early church came about because they were all right with God and filled with the Spirit of God. This unity produced amazing results: They preached the same message, 2:11; They believed the same things, 2:41-44a; They carried the same burdens, 2:44b-45; 4:34-35. They loved the same things, 2:46-47.

· One of the problems in the modern church is that the members are in all different stages of spiritual development. Some are saved but immature. Some are saved and growing. Some are saved and Spirit-filled. Some are not even saved. This diversity makes for difficulty in the family.

· There is no way around diversity, but God’s will for us every single saint to be filled with the Spirit, Eph. 5:18. (Ill. Present Tense; Imperative Mood; Passive Voice) (Ill. To be filled means “to be controlled”. When He controls me and He controls you, we will walk together in His power for His glory!)

IV. 2:4b UNITED IN PERFORMANCE

· “…all were filled…and began to speak…” – Each one was busy doing their part!

· God saved no one to sit; He saved all to serve – Eph. 2:10; James 2:18 – A faith that won’t work isn’t real!

· No task is unimportant or small; each is vital to the success of the church. (Ill. Hur –Ex. 17 and Bezaleel, Ex. 31:1-5; Ill. The Psalmist – Psa. 84:10) (Ill. Prayer, Witness, Workers, Cleaners, Mom & Dad, Josh, Teachers, Deacons, Giving, etc.)

· Are you doing what He wants you to do? Are you doing all you can do? (Ill. Mary – Mark 14:1-9 – Ill. What she couldn’t do!

Conc: We need another Pentecost! It will come when walking and working together!

As Vance Havner said, “Snowflakes are fragile things, but when they stick together they can stop traffic!” In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. “What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?” asks Linus. “These five fingers,” says Lucy. “Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.” “Which channel do you want?” asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, “Why can't you guys get organized like that?”