Sermon Central
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What Now?
Contributed by Delray Lentz on Nov 15, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Did you read something new? Familiar passage with new eyes? I hope you did?
On the Sunday following Resurrection Sunday, I expressed my concern of how we’ve had this climactic week, then we go back to “business as usual”.
I didn’t realize until this week, that we see this very thing in Acts.
Our key passage today will be in Acts 2:1-4, but I want us to begin in Acts 2:37
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Title of today’s message is “What now?”
--prayer--
A few days ago, I called for technical support for an app I was using.
The person on the other end of the line was speaking English, I just knew he was, and I’m sure after my asking him to repeat EVERYTHING, he was probably wondering if I spoke English.
Reminded me of a scene in the original Pink Panther- I’m here to fix your phone.
Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word.
Today, I’d like us to consider a few things.
• Why the Holy Spirit came?
• What is Pentecost?
• And Now what?
Been a few weeks, but today we will do some scriptural gymnastics. You might write the addresses of the verses, but no need to go to each verse at this point.
Let’s begin by reading a passage in the OT
Joel 2:28-32 (read from my bible)
v.28 (read then say) The Holy Spirit will come to indwell and empower.
v.31 (read then say) Make us ready for the coming of the Great Day.
v.32 (Read then say) whoever calls, deliverance
Encourage you dig a bit and discover
“remnants”. I’d be curious to hear what you learned.
Let’s look at what is Pentecost
Leviticus 23:15-16 read from my bible
Called the feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks
-hold on to “first-fruits” for a minute.
We see that Pentecost means 50
What is Pentecost?
• Pentecost is a time to offer to God.
o You may be asking yourself “what do I have to offer to God”
o If you truly don’t know the answer to that, please see me after service today, so we can pray about it.
• Pentecost is Unity
o Acts 2:1 “when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
o Acts 2:46 “so continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate food with gladness and simplicity of heart”.
o Go back on chapter to look at unity for a third example. Acts 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”.
? Powerful things happen when we pray as a church in one accord!
• Pentecost is a sound from heaven.
• v.2 and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
o You may hear someone say “I need Jesus” or Jesus please save me”.
? That is a sound from heaven to you.
o Yesterday @ fundraiser
• Pentecost is hearing
o v.8-13 sometimes we hear but don’t listen.
o All these people heard, but watch what happens in v.13-“others mocking said “they are full of wine”.
? Ashbury University
• Pentecost is harvest
o We saw in Leviticus 23, that Pentecost is harvest, let’s look at:
? Luke 3:17 “his winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn, but chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire”
? I want to be the wheat in His barn, not the chaff in the unquenchable fire!
Definitions:
Revive- restore to life or consciousness
Revival- A restoration of spiritual consciousness.
A bringing back to life a spiritual
consciousness.
Read Acts 1:8
Power for what?
I think we can find the answer in Acts 2:32-33
Read from bible
This is the same Peter that only weeks before had denied Christ 3 times.
What changed?
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Peter.
Let’s go to v.37
Read 37-39
Read v5-13
V6- read again
o This is sort of a reversal of what happened in Genesis 11:1-9 read it
V8-read again, say “everyone”
Now that we have looked at
Why the Holy Spirit came
What is Pentecost
Let’s close with:
What now?
The church began with Pentecost and will continue until Christ comes back to get us!
v.41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand were added to them.
Can you imagine being in that crowd that witnessed that?
Scripture tells us we are in that crown and we are to call down revival through the Holy Spirit
Pentecost is revival, and NOW is the time!
