Imagine you are on a flight into Belfast. As you walk through the arrivals area you notice a famous inventor. You recently read this guys book and have a few questions to ask him. You make your way towards him but he is soon surrounded by admirers and so you can’t get close. To make matters worse a team of people wearing Sky News jackets approach him and escort him out of the building. It seems that now you will never get to ask the questions that were on your mind.
That evening you turn on the news. There is David Blevins and with him is the famous inventor. It’s an extended interview and David does a great job. He asks all the questions that were on your mind. Then something strikes you. When the famous inventor was in the airport he could share his wisdom with those few people who could get close to him. But because he was taken away by the Sky News and put on television he is able to share his wisdom with anyone who tunes in.
Something similar could be said about Jesus. During his earthly ministry he was with those people who were physically close to him. But he told those disciples that it was for their good that he should go, unless I go away the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you (John 16:7). When he walked this earth his influence was restricted to a few. Now that he has ascended to heaven, sent the Holy Spirit, and through the Holy Spirit he influences all people who are in relationship with him whoever and wherever they ar
I am useless at grammar. But there is a tense called the perfect tense. That’s a past event that has present consequences. For example ‘Dean painted the house.’ The action is done but we still live with the results. We could say that the day of Pentecost is a perfect tense event. It was a once off but we still live with the consequences. I want us to think about how Pentecost should affect us and in particular how it should influence our mission.
A unique event (1-13)
Jesus had told the disciples to wait in
Suddenly a sound like the
blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where
they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be tongues
of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. John the Baptist had promised that the day
would come when Jesus would baptise his people with the Holy Spirit and fire
(Luke
It seems that the believers moved out of the room where they were
gathered and came in contact with the crowds that were assembled in
When it comes to the gift of tongues mentioned in 1 Corinthians the
usual experience seems to be that the person speaks a non-human language. But tongues can also be spoken in human
languages (1 Cor. 13:1). If you were at
Café church when we did our series on spiritual gifts you will have heard David
telling an amazing story of something he experienced in a remote part of
The crowd who witnessed these things are amazed and perplexed and ask each other “what does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much to drink?”
A universal
outpouring (14-21)
Peter gets up and addresses the crowd. He begins by explaining that what they are witnessing is the fulfilment of prophecy given through Joel hundreds of years before. Note that the words from Joel begin by mentioning the last days and go on to talk of the day of the Lord. The day of Pentecost begins a new era. We are now in the last days. In these last days the Holy Spirit has been poured out to empower people to be God’s witnesses. The Church has been given what (more precisely who) it needs to fulfil its mission in the world. We are to tell all people that this is a time of opportunity, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But there comes another great day in God’s plan of events, the day of the Lord. That will be the day of God’s vengeance. On that day those who have handed their lives over to Jesus will be reminded that because of the cross there is indeed no condemnation for those who are in Christ. However, those who have rejected the Son will face the fearful and eternal punishment their sin deserves. Have we taken hold of the salvation that God offers at this time so that we will not be condemned when Christ comes to judge?
One of the things to note about this prophecy is that it speaks of
the Holy Spirit being given in a universal way.
I will pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I
will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophecy. In the Old Testament we can see that some
people were given the Holy Spirit some of the time. Now the gift is universal. If you are born again the Holy Spirit dwells
in you (
We could say that the Holy Spirit is the great leveller of God’s people. We stand with equal status before God. Each of us has the person of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. It doesn’t matter whether you are a child or a senior, in faith you are both the dwelling place of God. It doesn’t matter whether you are a professor with multiple doctorates or have the most humble of jobs, in faith you are both the dwelling place of God. In sexist cultures like that of the first-century Palestine it would have been so affirming for women to realise that, along with men, in faith they were equally the dwelling place of God.
But to talk about the Holy Spirit being the great leveller could be a little misleading. It might give us the impression of bringing people down to size. In fact it is about putting all God’s people on an altogether new plain of blessing. The same Holy Spirit that was with Jesus is now with me. Could we be more privileged than do have God the Holy Spirit dwell in us? Doesn’t this demonstrate something of our immense worth to God?
Do you have the Holy Spirit? If you are a Christian you do. You may not always be aware of him but he is with you all the time. He is with you as you praise God and when you belittle people who are made in God’s image. You can either please him or grieve him. He is with you when you pray and when you watch television. Does his presence encourage us or are we at times embarrassed to have him see what we think and do? He will produce his fruit in us. Are we co-operating with his work to make more like Jesus? The question for the Christian is not ‘do you have the Holy Spirit?’ Every believer does! But, ‘how much does the Holy Spirit have of me?’
An unmissable offer (22-36)
Sometimes we want to make the gospel sound more palatable. We are happy to talk about the fulfilment we
have found in Jesus, but slow to warn them of the judgement for those who
reject his mercy. We will talk of Jesus
being our friend, but do not mention that he is also a judge. We speak of the hope of heaven, but ignore
the reality of hell. One
Through miracles, wonders and signs Jesus had been accredited to them by God. Then ‘you with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.’ What a dreadful mistake they made. However, in their actions God fulfilled his purposes. In line with the promise of Psalm 16, which Peter quotes, God raised him from the dead and placed him on his throne. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear … Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
No wonder they are cut to the heart and ask Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, 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.” What amazing mercy that God offers forgiveness to the very people who crucified his Son. What amazing grace that he willing to come and dwell within them through the Holy Spirit!
As one commentator writes, ‘They had murdered God’s Son; he was offering them his Spirit … they had thrown God’s Son out of the vineyard in the hope of inheriting the vineyard themselves; now he was inviting them to receive God’s Spirit not just into their vineyards but into their very hearts, to be their undying life, to be the … guarantee of an infinite and imperishable inheritance.’ That same mercy and grace, sufficient and available to them, is offered to us. About three thousand became believers that day.
Finally, look at Peter’s heart for the lost. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Making people uncomfortable will not make us popular, but are we willing to do that as we warn people of their need of Christ. Pleading with people to think about Jesus might make us look foolish, but do we care enough to lose a bit of face.
Conclusion
I began by saying that the day of Pentecost was a present tense event. It was a moment of history that has consequences for the now. It’s a day that has changed God’s people and transformed our mission.
As his people we no longer have to wait for the power to be Christ’s witnesses, the Holy Spirit has been sent to equip us for that task. The Holy Spirit has been given to each of us reminding us that this mission is the preserve of a few specialists but rather belongs to us all. So, we go with a gospel that offers grace even to those who murdered God’s Son; we go with the good news that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; and we go with a passion for God’s glory and a heart for the lost.
Copyright note:
Unless
otherwise stated all Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.
[1] It had become associated with the giving of the law at Sinai, which the Jews believed took place fifty days after the Exodus.
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