The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

The HIS-story of Pentecost is familiar, and it should be. Pentecost changes everything. In a moment the entire order of humanity changed. Once beloved creatures now we become children of the loving Father. Because we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but to receive the Spirit of adoption. Pentecost is not the idea of God. Pentecost is not the idea of a piece of God. Pentecost is the real presence of the Living God, the hope of Glory in you. Pentecost changes everything about who you are. The Bible says that there was a new wind from heaven that filled the space. A violent wind that was set loose upon the earth with a fresh breath of hope and empowerment. Tongues of fire and flames begin to separate and rest on each person that was in the room. The church was born from the wind and fire of Pentecost. A change was manifested among the followers of Christ that were afraid and hiding wondering if their lives were going to be taken to a boldness declaring the wonderful works of the Lord.

Pentecost is the Greek word, transliterated for our English word 50 or 5, “PENTE”. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks and one day after the Feast of the Passover. It is 40 days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ while He was still here on Earth and 10 days after He ascended back to heaven. God sends down the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, where this gift indwells in the church corporately and indwells the Christian believer individually, drawing us into the life of the triune God.

Jesus Christ, who is the first fruit of the dead because of His Resurrection, prepared His disciples for what was going to happen. Jesus reassured them with a promise that God the Father, would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and within them. The greatest gift Christ could offer was not just the promise of spiritual gifts or spiritual fruit but the promise of the very person of the Spirit within them. This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost in (Acts chapter 2), when the Spirit publicly fell upon God’s people and supernaturally endowed the proclamation of the gospel to the nations. Every Christian believer has received God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. Can I get a witness this morning.

The New Testament records this radical shift. We don’t have to go to the temple in order to encounter His presence or stand in the sacred realm of the Spirit. We have become God’s holy dwelling place. I’m glad that this church is God’s holy temple. A place where we all come together on one accord. The Holy Spirit applies the benefits of salvation. When we repent of our sins and turn our life over to Jesus Christ. Just like Jesus gave his instructions to His disciples. He has given every Christian believer instructions to be His witness. The Holy Spirit that I am talking about did not come to make us tongue talkers. The Holy Spirit did not come to make us dancers. No, no the Holy Spirit come to make us roll on the floor. The Holy Spirit that was promised by Jesus and came to us a gift from God our Father, came to make us witnesses for Jesus, witnesses for the church that Jesus started. I want to point out four modes that will allow us to be His witness. Do I have a praying church this morning? Jesus demands us to be in

I. Participation Mode

II. Manifestation Mode

III. Observation Mode

IV. Proclamation Mode

My Bible tells me that while in the Upper Room, they were all one accord, in one place, all in agreement on the same subject, on the same belief and in one place. If you know anything about being in the high school band. The first thing you do is to get your instrument in tune. If band instructor plays Middle C. Then all the players would tune their instrument to Middle C. Every instrument would then tune their instruments to middle C, so one harmonious sound could be heard. That is a an example of being on one accord, or being in unity. When you practice in a choir, before you start singing, you warm up your voices by singing the scale. When you perform on in choir, every member is on one accord, harmonizing their voices, wearing the same outfit, why? Because no needs to stand out like a sore thumb. You should all be on one accord.

On Communion Sunday, Deacons should be in their black attire. Deaconess should be in their white attire, Trustees should be in their black suits, white shirts, and white ties. Greeters should be in their greeting attire and here PCOG clergy should be in their collar. Why? because we are all on one accord fellowship as the body of Christ. We must remember that we are a fellowship of believers and Acts chapter 2 and verse 1 states, that they were in one place, all together, or all with one accord and in verse 44, “all that believed were together, and had all things common.”. Yes, we are in uniform, but the Holy Spirit does not call us to uniformity. The Holy Spirit call us to be on one accord or in unity.