Pentecost Sunday sermon from Church camp 2010
Luke the one to record most reliable Historical account on Jesus
1. In the Gospel according to Luke, the passage ends with an unfinished service, just as it had begun. Throughout the passage the writer speaks of the "Earthly Christ."
2. Part two, the Acts of the Apostles. This appears almost to be a continuation yet this time the story is of the "Heavenly Christ". This also appears to be an unfinished account.
How often do we stop to think about Gods bigger picture?
We need to remind ourselves that he came to redeem a lost humanity. It is interesting that both these books refer to the importance of the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The ascension is vitally important in God's Plan. In culminates so much which had already taken place.
• With the ascension he ascended back to that place that was rightfully his anyway.
• The scriptures tell us that he returned in his bodily form.
• He went so that he could become an intercessor, a mediator in the Fathers presence, a sympathetic voice on Our Behalf.
• He who became a man and moved and walked amongst us was now highly exalted, as we sing, "He is Lord"
• As a result of the ascension nothing that took place prior to the ascension was in vain.
The Passover, Tabernacles and Pentecost are today three celebrated festivals. I hope that you as a church celebrated the ascension.
Pentecost is the time of the receiving of the Holy Spirit in that wonderful event in the upper room.
This event took place 10 days after the ascension and it signified the fulfillment of the Power of the Holy Spirit coming down as had been declared it would happen by Jesus. Jesus had told his disciples how it would happen and he did this just before his ascension.
This was the gift of God upon the redeemed that had been diligently waiting for something to happen. They had been faithfully waiting in expectation.
Men had gathered in the temple to celebrate Pentecost and it was about 9 o'clock in the morning and there came from heaven a mighty sound. The sound was so great that it drove the men out of the temples, they were curious to see what was happening. Roughly 120 of them had been together for 10 days waiting for God to fulfill his promise to them.
And then it happened.
And they were all filled with the Spirit and they began speaking in languages that they had not learned. You can just imagine the confusion amongst the people.
Although it was only nine in the morning the onlookers thought that they were drunk.
And they were reminded as we need to be reminded. "I will pour out my Spirit in the end times said the Lord"
Luke tells us that with this event they were:
• Empowered to share the Gospel.
• Equipped with Spiritual gifts.
• Embraced with love.
• Enveloped by awareness.
• Established in faith.
• Enjoined and united.
• Empowered in the Spirit
The entire occasion was such a moving one it was both tangible and audible.
What actually happened?
The Gospel gives the account before while the Epistle gives the account after.
Only in Acts does Luke give the account of what has happened.
He is highly descriptive as he recalls the Earthly happening that came from Heaven that day.
1. A promise that Jesus had made to them was being fulfilled. Luke 24:49.
2. The gift that had been spoken about was being received. The Holy Spirit in all its power.
3. A deposit was made on his behalf to them.
4. A renewal was being affected. Titus 3:5
5. A Baptism was being administered. From that day onwards they would be in a brand new state of being.
1 Corinthians 12:13 "In body and in Spirit"
6. A filling was taking place. Be filled with the Spirit continually. It needs to be an ongoing thing.
7. A seal upon their lives was applied. The promised Spirit had come upon them.
8. An anointing was received.
This was indeed a wonderful Pentecostal parcel. It allows us to have a fuller and more meaningful grasp of the Immensity of the occasion when the first church was born.
This event was in fact the first Holy Spirit communion. The invisible Lord was made visible to his people.
As Gods people today we celebrate as his anointed followers and we are to be like "Little Christs"
We are to be a demonstration of Him as members of His body anointed and gifted.
And so it is that today we find ourselves without excuse, God has given us all we need.
If the world has or is going to see Jesus, it is up to us the anointed and there are specific things that we have been commanded to do.
• We are to love one another as he has loved us.
• We are to take the great commission seriously. We are to make disciples.
• We are equipped to be the Church.
• We at Kloof Baptist are to be a Missional community and through us he wants and is going to build the church
• We are" IT" and it is up to "US" to put Jesus on display to the world.
It should be our prayer, "Jesus be Christ in me"
"By this shall all men know that you are my disciples" and as you are filled by the power of the Holy Spirit be bold empowered disciples.
Your career is not your calling. Yours is the opportunity to set captives free.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit and when this happens you will
• Give praise in Hymns and songs
Husbands you are to love your wives as Christ loved the church.
As Parents you are to bring up your children in Gods way.
As an employer be a reflection of Jesus.
As Christians be warned, don't try and wage the war against the devil in your own strength. Put on the full armour of God because that is your right.
It is a known fact that you don't need to tell a Spirit filled person how to behave, he does it naturally.
Make a concerted effort to say that you will reach that place where God can use you effectively.
Challenge for you today, "Are you prepared to be sold out to God?"
There was a wealthy man who had bought out the entire lots of land in Huddersfield bar one site occupied by a man who refused to sell out. The more offers he was made the more he dug his heals in. One day he said to the wealthy man, "Remember Sir Huddersfield belongs to me and thee."
And so it is in our lives that there may very well be a part where the enemy, the devil may still have a foothold. If this is the case he has every right to say to the Lord, "He/she belongs to me and thee"
Get him out completely and then he will never be allowed to make that claim again.
Give everything to him, all at the altar I lay and give it whole heartedly
It's jubilee time, it's party time.
No follower of Jesus has any excuse not be a "Little Christ"
Oh that it would be the prayer of everyone today,
Holy Spirit flow through me
Make my life what it ought to be.
Amen.
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