Pursuing a Present Day Pentecost

The following is from the evening worship service at Highland View Baptist Church on March 21, 2010.

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.
Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe that the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life. For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.
J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians 1:19-20, “How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.” When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us.
The question is simple. Is the power of God evident in God’s church today, or are we behaving like the former missionary and devising a plan to make things work? I fully believe that the picture of the man trying to get the car rolling through human power is fitting to describe the state of the church today. We are trying all of the popular fads of society. We are pursuing programs and gimmicks. We are catering to a generation of consumers instead of developing a family of Christian servants.
I’m afraid that much like that old car, the connection to our power source is loose at times. I believe that we could benefit from examining our connections, and tightening that relationship.
Like the car, when our connections are adequately secured, when we are joined with the source of our power, the engine roars to life. It is at that point, that we are able to be about the work that is demanded of us. When we are joined with Him, we don’t need to urging shove of those around us. Rather, God provides all the power that we need.
I want to take a few moments this evening and look at how to infuse God’s power back into the church. I want to look at the conditions that were present when the Holy Spirit arrived and God’s power emerged as a force unlike anything seen by God’s people before.
I would invite you to join with me in the second chapter of the book of Acts.

Read text. (Acts 2:1-13)

I love the story of the coming of the Spirit. I love the prospect and potential that we see as a Christian people when the Spirit comes in power. And while we cannot recreate this occasion of Pentecost, we can examine and secure the conditions that were present during this time.
Before we get into the conditions present that day, we need to consider the background of what is going on in this time. “Pentecost” actually means “fiftieth.” It is referring to what is also known in the Old Testament as the “Feast of Weeks” (Exodus 34) that is celebrated fifty days after the second day of Passover. It has also been called the “Feast of the Harvest” in Exodus 23. This was a celebration to mark the end of the grain harvest. On this Sabbath, there were two loaves of bread made from the new grain, and two yearling lambs were offered before God as a thanksgiving offering, praising God for the harvest. People were expected to attend this event, and they were required to bring a free will offering.
This event happened fifty days after the second day of Pentecost. We know that Jesus remained with His disciples for forty days following His resurrection. Understanding this, Pentecost could not have come more than ten days after Christ’s ascension. Finally at this point, the prophecy of Joel, and the words of John the Baptist were fulfilled. John said in Matthew 3:11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
On this day when God’s people were thanking Him for the harvest, God determined that it was time to begin His harvest of souls through the church. At this point, the world and the church would never again be the same.
It is important to note that we cannot duplicate the events of that day with the birth of the church. We cannot go to Jerusalem, enter the upper room, and wait for the arrival of the Spirit. Rather, God has already given every born-again believer the gift of His Spirit. We cannot duplicate the miracles of that day. That is God’s business.
While we can’t duplicate those miracles, we can try to create the same conditions. And I believe that if we create those conditions, we will be ready when God determines to send His Spirit in power. How we need another Pentecost! If we are to find it, we need to follow the example of the early church. They were first…

1.) United in Purpose (1:4-5)
“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
The young church was assembled together with one purpose. They came together to wait to see God move.
Now, that is challenging as a Christian today. It seems that we have become so used to going through the motions. We have duties and responsibilities to fulfill, programs to run. We have appearances to make, expectations to meet, and people to support. Many churches have orders for services that seem to be handed down by God Himself. We have become some accustomed to our traditions that often we forget to wait on God.
In the pastorate, there is the temptation to think that every moment and move must be planned. I mean, no one wants to come to church and just sit in the pew. We don’t want to come and stare at the wall. We often think that we must account for every moment that we gather together. And while I believe that good planning is important, we cannot allow it to dictate whether or not God will have a welcomed time and place in His house.
I love the picture of the early church. There were certain processes and programs that they would expect. However, there was an earnest and fervent desire to see the power of God every time they came together.
In the early church, for this short period of time, I am certain that they would gather with the hope and expectation that the Spirit would arrive at that time. I’m sure that there were those that speculated together at home as to whether or not this would be the day.
I love that thought. If we are honest with ourselves, how many of us come with the hope that the music service will be lively and the preacher’s message somewhat entertaining? How many of us hope to endure the service and possibly get something out of it, but we don’t consider the possibility that God could really show up in power?
We need to become like the early church. When they assembled, it was with common purpose. It was not to conduct a program, but rather to wait together for the movement of God.
As we come together, there are certain things that must be addressed. However, we should come, not with personal agendas, but with the common desire that we will see the face of God together. We should assemble with a common purpose. In addition to being united in purpose, they were also…

2.) United in Prayer (1:14)
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
The early followers of Christ were not content to merely sit around and discuss their problems with one another. While they were probably somewhat distraught and disappointed at Christ’s return to glory, they determined that they needed to bow knee together and begin to pray.
Now, we don’t have a transcript of their prayers, but I believe that they prayed for one another. They prayed for the brothers sitting next to them and their families. They prayed for Jesus’ earthly family and the trouble and ridicule that would almost certainly follow. They prayed for God’s will and guidance in their earthly ministries.
Now, this is another scene that I love. We have been discussing and studying the disciples during Discipleship Training. And I can almost hear the voices of the men that Jesus called from their daily routines. Can you hear the words of the rugged fishermen that are concerned about how to continue? Can you hear the voice of Matthew as he realizes that he cannot return to his former life, but his new one has just taken an extraordinarily difficult turn? Can you hear the requests of the women that Jesus loved and ministered to? What about the cries of Jesus’ own brothers that recognized what was happening and the future that awaited?
I do not consider myself to be equal with the men that Jesus personally trained in His earthly ministry. However, I think that I can relate to that scene. I can remember early days in the ministry where I still trembled at the thought of standing before a crowd and proclaiming the unwavering name of Jesus. I can remember the prayer sessions that Dave and I would have for each other, and those that God had given us a ministry with.
I believe that it was a scene of uncommon honesty and unexpected power. When the early church met together, they did not simply discuss their ideas and interpretations, they determined to go together to the throne of grace.
As God’s people, if we are seeking the manifested power of the Holy Spirit, we need to follow their example again. We need to bind together with the desire for God to move and bless our brothers and sisters. We need to lift one another up and ask God’s leadership and blessing on our church family.
There is nothing that we can do that builds unity like carrying one another’s burdens to God in prayer.
If we truly desire a present-day Pentecost, we need to be united in purpose, united in prayer, and also…

3.) United in Power (v. 2:3-4a)
“Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire and one sat on each of them. And they were all filled with the Spirit…”
The early church was united in purpose and prayer, and through the gift of God, they were united in power as well.
We see in the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit that all the believers had another common element. The power of the Holy Spirit filled each of them.
We see that the Spirit came and the power of God present in the Spirit was physically evident in each of believers. It was at this point that believers were eternally marked by the God’s abiding in them
While the early church in this Pentecost was able to declare that the power of the Spirit was physically evident to those around, the present church cannot make that same claim. Rather, there are plenty that give no evidence whatsoever to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The church is not currently united in the power of God. Rather, we are separated by our petty differences. We try to accomplish the plan of God through our own devices and agendas. And we do so because so many within the average church do not have the power of the Holy Spirit. They have never surrendered their hearts and lives to God, and therefore cannot know of His power.
There are those that suggest that one problem in the church is that believers all seem to be in different stages, and that is a difficult thing. However, the true lack of common power is found in the fact that there are more than expected that have no relationship with Jesus Christ. They simply do not know who the Holy Spirit is.
I want to make certain that we understand this: Church membership does not equal the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, there are some studies that suggest more than fifty percent of an average church membership believes that there are multiple ways to heaven, all religions are essentially equal, and their works influence whether or not they may get to heaven.
If a person is not willing to cling to Christ and pronounce Him as Savior, if they do not believe that the Father is one true God, then they are not marked by the power of the Spirit.
The early church was marked by united in purpose, in prayer, in power, and lastly by…

4.) United in Performance (v. 2:4)“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Not only was the early church marked by purpose, prayer, and power, but they joined together in the work as well.
We see that they all began to speak with other tongues. They were not given the power of the Holy Spirit to merely sit on it. Rather, they were called to put it to work. Because of their obedience, and the showing of the power that was in them, men came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Listen, salvation was never meant to be taken as a “Get out of jail free” card. Rather, it was intended to be a commitment to service of our Heavenly Father. God did not save anyone to merely sit. Rather, He saved us to serve. And quite frankly, a faith that won’t serve isn’t real faith.
The question begs to be asked, “How many Christians are putting to work the power that was given to them? How many of us are actively taking the power of the Holy Spirit to the lost world? And how many of us are content to just sit and absorb the Spirit?"
I firmly believe that one of the reasons why God granted the power to the early church was because they intended to use it for God’s kingdom.
We must seek to become more like the early church. We must be a church united- in purpose, in prayer, in power, and in performance.