Pentecost, Nora Kelly, www.cbac.org/publications.html
SERMON, MAY 31, 2009, PENTECOST SUNDAY
by John Turner
Acts 1:12-14, 24-25; 2:1-4, 36-47
THE FIRST CHRISTIAN PENTECOST
On the fortieth day from the resurrection, Jesus, the divine Son, ascended into heaven to be in the place of authority at the right hand of the divine Father. For the next several days, the apostles, along with the women who had accompanied them on their mission trips and some other believers, including Jesus’ family, about 120 in all, gathered regularly in an upper room in Jerusalem and devoted themselves to prayer. Among other things, because Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide, they selected a replacement for him. And, they asked to be filled with the power from on high that Jesus had promised them.
On the tenth day from the ascension, the fiftieth day from the resurrection, the Sunday of the Jewish Pentecost festival, when they were gathered and praying, the house where they were was suddenly filled with a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and an appearance like flames rested on each one of them. And they began to speak in languages that they had not learned as the Holy Spirit directed them. As they rushed out into the streets and as the Pentecost pilgrims saw and heard them, there was much astonishment, for the pilgrims heard the believers speaking not in Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek or Latin that they might have been expected to know, but in the native languages of each region from which the pilgrims came, from all the countries of southeastern Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa, praising God and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
PETER'S EXPLANATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
Some accused the disciples of being drunk, but Peter stood up and explained that it was too early in the morning for drunkenness and that this was instead a miracle of God fulfilling the prophecy of Joel that all God’s people, young and old, male and female, of all social statuses, would be inspired to prophesy, that is, to declare God’s immediate word for his people. Peter further asserted that the miracle was evidence that Jesus who had been crucified was now risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sending the promised Spirit upon his followers. Based on this evidence he declared that they had reason to know that the crucified Jesus was both Lord and Christ.
Based on the evidence, many hearers believed what Peter said about Jesus. In other words, they had faith. They asked what more they needed to do. Starting with their (1) faith (hold up thumb and follow with fingers), Peter instructed them to go on (2) to repent and (3) to be baptized. They would then (4) receive forgiveness of sins and (5) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Say it with me: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Forgiveness of Sins, and the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Those instructions define the foundation of Christian life and of the church of Jesus Christ. Peter assured them that the promises implied in these instructions were “for all whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” We may assume that those whom the Lord calls coincide with “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord” whom Joel had promised would be saved. Those whom God calls are the same as those who call upon the Lord. Those who call upon the Lord are the same as those whom God calls. So much for the battle between free will and predestination. It is not either-or. It is both-and.
AMAZING RESULTS THEN. HOW ABOUT NOW?
With this invitation to believe and be saved, the 120, who had gathered in the upper room, that very day baptized 3000 new believers, an average of 25 each.
Drop realism for a moment and think about it. On a typical Sunday, about 60 of us gather here. If, not just in one day, but--let’s give ourselves some leeway--in the next 365 days, each of us brought 25 more, we would have 1500 by the end of the year. If even 3 of us each brought 25 or if even 25 of us brought 3 in the next year, our attendance would more than double. We can accomplish much less than the first believers did on their first day in public ministry and still grow by leaps and bounds.
You say that this cannot happen? Why do you say this? Because you have not seen it happen before? That is not reason. It had not happened before Pentecost Sunday either. It was a miracle. If miracles still happen, and I assure you that they do, anything can happen that God wants to happen.
So the real question is:
“Why might God want sudden growth in this congregation?”
I think that we can look ahead in our passage in Acts to glimpse why God might want sudden growth in this congregation. The Jerusalem church did not stop at 3,120. It kept growing daily. Apparently God wanted the growth that began on Pentecost Sunday to keep going. Why?
WHAT THE EARLY CHURCH DID
Let’s read Acts 2: 42-47: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."
In short, the early believers spent a lot of time together in activities that promoted spiritual growth.
(1) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. We do that when we study the Bible together.
(2) They devoted themselves to fellowship. We may think that this means recreational activities or potluck dinners. Those are fine, and there is a place for them because they open doors for other things, but I suspect that the term fellowship referred more to the time we spend encouraging and supporting one another in our Christian goals, in becoming less like the unbelieving world and more like Jesus, in finding the courage and vision and equipping and empowerment to serve Jesus effectively.
(3) They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. This likely referred to two things at once: (a) eating together was a way to facilitate being together and a way to equalize providing for those in need; and (b) in the course of their meals together they observed the Lord’s Supper as a reminder that their life together was founded on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and that their life together now looked forward to the coming Messiah’s banquet in the new heaven and new earth.
(4) They devoted themselves to the prayers. We have no reason to think that they had a book of prescribed prayers as early as approximately 33 A.D. when these events were taking place or even as early as 62 A.D. when Acts was most likely written. So, when it says that they devoted themselves to the prayers, it probably means that they devoted themselves to agreeing in faith and love with whatever spontaneous prayers were raised by their fellow believers. More to the point, I suspect that their devotion to prayer was the most basic purpose in their being frequently together. It was in prayer that they claimed the promises of God contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was in prayer that they sought to grow in Christlikeness. It was in prayer that they sought the leading and empowerment of God for mission. It was in prayer that they opened themselves to the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. It was in prayer that they prepared themselves to be agents of the reign of God. It was in prayer that they submitted themselves to obey God’s guidance and to play their proper role in the life of the church. Devoting themselves to prayer was the key without which the rest would not have happened.
Because they devoted themselves to prayer, awe came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Because they devoted themselves to prayer, they generously entrusted their material resources to meet the needs of others in their fellowship. Because they devoted themselves to prayer, they celebrated the positive possibilities in every occasion, receiving their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.
It was their devotion to prayer that made them outstanding and attractive people with whom others wished to join themselves. “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
WHAT MIGHT GOD DO HERE AND NOW?
I do not have a prophetic word about what God will specifically do to grow our church if we will seriously devote ourselves to studying his word, to encouraging spiritual fellowship, to worshiping around the Lord’s table, to meeting one another’s needs, and, undergirding it all, to praying. But I believe that he will notice and bless our activities and that he will add to our numbers.
I believe that this congregation fills a special niche in Berryville and Carroll County:
· We seek to be Bible-based, Christ-centered, and Spirit-led.
· We seek to be faithful, obedient, and Christlike.
· We seek to grow steadily and continually in our spiritual lives.
· We seek to be gentle, loving, and nonjudgmental.
· We seek to show our faith and love in tangible ways.
· We seek to keep the main thing the main thing and not to get sidetracked chasing divisive or faddish theological rabbits.
· We seek to speak to our time and place without compromising the eternal gospel.
· We seek to reach out to people who need to know God.
If this is what people are looking for, I believe that they can find it here. If that is the sort of church God wants to bless, I believe that we are seeking to make ourselves available for the blessing.
I believe that, as we get better at succinctly describing who we are and what we are trying to do, and as we become more focused in pursing our mission and calling, more and more people will join with us.
In the meantime, we must devote ourselves to praying for the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit. It is the living presence of God powerfully active among us that makes all the difference. That comes only in answer to prayer.
The church that grows on solid foundations will be one that devotes itself to prayer.
The church that devotes itself to prayer will be one that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
The church that is filled with the Holy Spirit will be one that is powerfully effective—in word and deed—for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The church that is effective for the gospel will be one that grows and grows and grows—spiritually and numerically.
Let’s be that church! Let’s get on a solid foundation and devote ourselves to prayer.
Let's be that church!
The picture shows a version of the hymn we know as "Amazing Grace" as it was published by its author John Newton under the title, "Faith's Review and Expectation" with the scriptural basis given as 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. The verse that begins, "When we've been there ten thousand years," is not there because Newton did not write it. It was added later. See the whole hymn at
