Pentecost Sunday
WHAT IS IT?
Pentecost Sunday is the Church’s celebration of God’s gift of His Spirit to His people on the Day of Pentecost, which was a fulfillment of God’s promises recorded in Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 1:4-5
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”
“And while staying with them he [Jesus] ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
In Acts 2, Luke records this monumental event:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Jesus told His disciples that after the Spirit was given, these ordinary people would be His ambassadors all over the world, not because they’re great, but because the Spirit would give them the very power of God to accomplish God’s mission to redeem sinners and bring about a new creation.
Pentecost Sunday is the Church’s celebration of God’s gift of His Spirit to His people on the Day of Pentecost, which was a fulfillment of God’s promises recorded in Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 1:4-5
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”
“And while staying with them he [Jesus] ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
In Acts 2, Luke records this monumental event:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Jesus told His disciples that after the Spirit was given, these ordinary people would be His ambassadors all over the world, not because they’re great, but because the Spirit would give them the very power of God to accomplish God’s mission to redeem sinners and bring about a new creation.
8 REASONS PENTECOST IS WORTH CELEBRATING
- The gift of the Spirit proves that God is true to His Word, and is therefore trustworthy.
- The Spirit is responsible for the regeneration of sinners, giving the gift of faith in Jesus that leads to eternal life. The Spirit is also the down-payment of the Christian’s future glorification - the physical resurrection of the saints with glorified bodies in a glorified creation.
- The Holy Spirit provides supernatural power for the work of gospel ministry, including the desire and ability to love others as Jesus has loved us.
- The Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost guarantees conviction of sin, regeneration, and progressive sanctification.
- The Holy Spirit inspired and gave Scripture as the authoritative bedrock for all Christians everywhere, and continues to convict of sin through the faithful proclamation of Scripture.
- The Holy Spirit guarantees the successful advancement of personal and corporate sanctification. What God begins at the moment of conversion He finishes by His indwelling Spirit.
- Pentecost was the reversal of the story of Babel. At Babel, God scattered the nations and confused their languages. At Pentecost, God brought the nations together to His Son, and by the power of the Spirit unified the hearers in such a way that each person heard the gospel in his or her own language.
- Pentecost was also the redemptive antitype of the giving of the Law. When the Law was delivered at the base of Sinai, God’s people had committed grievous idolatry and abandoned the Lord. Thus, 3,000 perished at Moses’ command. At Pentecost, 3,000 souls were saved after they repented and believed the good news about Jesus.
- The Holy Spirit provides ongoing, experiential, personal assurance that God’s love is real, and that it is incredibly personal. God loves each of His children with all of Himself.
About the Author:
Michael Cox is the Discipleship Pastor at Living Stones North Valleys and serves on staff for Living Stones Churches as the Art and Series Director. You can reach him at michael@lschurches.com.
Michael Cox is the Discipleship Pastor at Living Stones North Valleys and serves on staff for Living Stones Churches as the Art and Series Director. You can reach him at michael@lschurches.com.