These were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. A sermon for Pentecost - Durham Cathedral. 10 As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 11 and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? Pentecost is a special day for any Christian, but it is emphasised particularly by Pentecostal churches. He was just [snaps fingers] gone, He was there. 9 But Saul (also known as Paul),filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at him 10 and said, You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousnesswill you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? These accounts of like what we have read in the gospels and others for a 40-day period. That is how the mission of the Church is done and that is how then that vision of a community, of a Church, of a people who are rooted in the Word of God, who actually do care for one another, is accomplished; by no other means, by no other means. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. What Did Christ Teach the Disciples Before Pentecost? That power would come in the form of the Holy Spirit. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. An eyewitness account, there was a lack of belief that put them in the situation here that they did not understand and didn't believe that had actually happened. We've just read it. Read more. If we can make that decision and live with that reality that there is a God who lives, and before Him we stand every single day of our life and every major decision, every small decision of character, and the decisions that we make in the privacy of our own mind, and in our own actions that not everyone knows about, not even our mate, all are in accordance with righteousness and a desire for righteousness. 3. Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) | Bible.org And a voice from heaven like many waters, and the voice of thunder, and the sound of harpers playing their harps, they sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. But that was a life lesson that I had to learn. And in the room of the house where they were gathered, it obviously became a little bit too small for all that took place, because as these other people take note of it, you get the impression they moved out into a more public location in Jerusalem. "Behold, He said, My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Having said this, our Lord ascended into heaven. I began this lesson by suggesting that it is an example of a before and after presentation. But by doing so, when you read the account, you understand that they knew the Scripture, and they applied Scripture to their choice and their decision to replace Judas. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter and is when Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, (Pentecost from Greek pentecost, "50th day"), major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. The reason is that Luke ceases to use the termdisciplesto refer to the eleven or twelve in the Book of Acts. We just get a few snippets from the gospel accounts, at least, of this 40-day period. Things will only get better from here. When I got off the bus from my hometown, I was in this large room, this large terminal, it was as larger, even larger than this room here, which for me, from my small town was a pretty big thing to walk into, and I did, first time I had ever traveled. Ascension, in Christian belief, the ascent of Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection (Easter being reckoned as the first day). I wonder if more people came to Jerusalem for Pentecost in that year because of what had happened 50 days earlier, plus three, and they had heard about that. My point here is that Luke links the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of our Lord in the Gospels to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church in Acts. Jesus was coming back, just as they saw Him depart. Let's go into Luke's account. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. And it is also the mission of the Church, we see right here, it has begun. Between the Easter and Pentecost, there's a span of 50 days. The Holy Spirit would internally indict sinners regarding the righteousness of Christ because He cannot be seen any longer. Shavuot, also called Pentecost, in full ag Shavuot, ("Festival of the Weeks"), second of the three Pilgrim Festivals of the Jewish religious calendar. It was the Roman soldiers that had carried out the death of Christ and had sealed the tomb and a Roman guard had been placed there. Pentecost is a happy festival. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. In Ephesians 2, Paul contrasts the Gentiles in their unbelief with the Gentiles as saints, now a part of the church. They left the selection of these leaders to the people, but they did set the qualifications. And when they saw Him they worshiped him. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. In particular, Judas death was seen to be a part of the divine plan. They had a lot of fear. Finally, verses 15-26 are the account of the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle, a replacement for Judas. There were several festivals, celebrations, or observances that took place before Pentecost. But I had to go to St. Louis about 100 miles north of my hometown and pick up what they called an express bus, that would go through the larger cities. Some of the women mentioned in Acts 1:14 may well have been those who accompanied Jesus and His disciples, and who also contributed to His support (Luke 8:1-3). Saints Community Church - Instagram After seeing how God works through His Spirit in Acts 2 and beyond, who would ever want to go back to the old? The coming of the Spirit is described as: (1) the promise of the Father (verse 4); (2) that which the apostles heard from Jesus (verse 4); and, (3) that which John the Baptist foretold (verse 5). These events happened in the book of Acts within the Bible and proved a major turning point in the New Testament. Pentecost will instead be fulfilled at the Rapture of the Body of Christ The Mystery Age - One New Man, the Church, the Bride of Christ During the period until Israel does accept Jesus as Messiah to bring about His return, the time of preparation of a bride for Christ has been extended and the mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues. Behold I send the promise of My Father upon you, but tarryor waitin the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. When Jesus arose from the dead, He did not remain with them continually, as He once did. Our text also reminds us that whenever God commands us to do something, He will provide all that we need to carry out His command. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Apostle Peter explains the meaning of what was happening on the Day of Pentecost. A fellowship, a community, prayer, sharing food together, much like we do today. These are the ones who are not defiled with women, they are virgins, spiritual virgins. And of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in all the Bible occurred with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples, and the speaking in tongues, and a mighty rushing wind that we find it hard to imagine what it was like, because it's not part of our custom to try to pray that down today like some other denominations and religious forms do. It's God's Spirit that is the only thing that we can have to overcome those fears, because really, it's all the Church of God has ever had. And so two things create this vision and this mission. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Others have sought to justify this action on the part of the apostles. Zechariah's prophecy in chapter 14 shows that Christ will, on that day, set foot on the Mount of Olives. We're no different than them. Acts 2. Furthermore, He no longer comes and goes but rather remains permanently. The same Jesus who's been taken up will come in a like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Trials hit us that will shake our faith, test our faith. And so Christ gives them teaching and He gives them understanding. John has another set of accounts, and then he kind of ends and he leaves it wide open. 19 This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his house become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it, and Let another take his position of responsibility. 21 Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from usone of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us. 23 So they proposed two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. It goes on, "When He had spoken these things," in verse 9, "they watched and He was taken up in a cloud, received Him out of their sight. It is not my purpose here to allow these matters to sidetrack our consideration of the argument of this text. It comes from the ancient Christian expression pentekoste hemera, which means . At the end of John, you remember, John says, there were so many other things that He did in his life and no doubt probably part of that 40-day period that it would take volumes to teach it, and to record it during this period. People should see that in us. If we begin to look at one another as less than trustworthy, then that has other consequences in relationships, and that's taking place among the disciples here at this moment. The inference is, Dont just stand here; get going!5. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that is the way Christians understand God. I would like to look at Acts 1 in three segments: Verses 1-11 From Christs Resurrection to His Return, Verses 15-26 Filling the Vacancy left by Judas. He certainly became one of the boldest witnesses for the faith. What is so important about the selection of Matthias that deserves this kind of editorial space? Acts is the record of how our Lord is fulfilling the Great Commission by using weak and fallible men. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." So it was a bodily appearance that He made completely to them, and He showed them His hands and His feet. It says, "The eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. Acts 2 states early Christians were "filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them . Pentecost is one of the Great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion.
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