Sermon Central
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When Pentecostal Power Comes
Contributed by Ralph Juthman on May 25, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: A Pentecost Day message, on the importance of Pentecost, from a Petnecostal tradition
WHEN PENTECOSTAL POWER COMES p.2
Theme: ACTS, The Church Encountering God
P.S. The power at Pentecost continues to be the spark that fuels the ministry of the church today. It is my hearts cry for a fresh move of Holy Spirit in my life, church and nation.
INTRODUCTION:
There is a story about a vaccum salesman down in Tennesee. He was out in rural Tennesee. He had a his vacum cleaner and all of this tools and everything, and he went out there and he told a lady, "I’ve got the most exciting vacum cleaner you have ever seen. It will clean your house from top to bottom...you only have to pay so much down." And the lady said, "It sounds real good." He said, "You see that big pile of dirt right there on the floor with all those fur balls and bugs and things." He said, "My vacum cleaner will just pick up all those things up just like that and if they don’t, I’ll eat it." She said, "well you might as well get your knife and fork, because we do not have any electricity out here!"
The moral of the story is, You will be sucking up dirt the rest of your life if you do not have the power.
Power is the one thing nations, politicians and businessman covet. But the power that we need is not an earthly power. God has promised believers Spiritual power.
Vance Havner once rightly said,
‘We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.’
The early church had none of the things we think are so essential for success today…building, money, social status, technology, high tech, contemporary worship band…and yet, the church won multitudes to Christ and saw many churches established throughout the Roman world. Why?
Because the church had the power of the Holy Spirit energizing it’s ministry. They were a people ignited by the Spirit of God.’ ( W.Wiersbe)
The church today needs to discover once again that we have an unchanging God .We need once again to discover the power of Pentecost.
That same Holy Spirit power is available to us today to make us more effective witnesses for Christ. The better we understand His working at Pentecost, the better we will relate to Him and experience His power
What is Pentecost?
It is the fulfillment of God’s promise to His disciples, that they would receive power in order to accomplish His purpose to be witnesses
We are far removed from the Upper room, and generations removed from Azusa St in 1906. So, what difference can Pentecost make to you and me in 2010?
1. Pentecost Provides PURPOSE
Notice with me the PERFECT TIMING , “When the DAY OF PENTECOST CAME…’
Pentecost is from the Greek word meaning 50th. It is referring to the 50th day after the Passover. The Passover was sacrificed on the 14th day of the first month of the year (Abib). The third day following that sacrifice a sheaf of barley harvest was offered to God. That sheaf was the firstfruits of the harvest.
Lev 23:15-17 "’From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD.”
Why is all that important? Because the typology teaches us that Pentecost is about the harvest. Jesus established the connection in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Any time the church loses sight of that connection she gets into trouble. The Holy Spirit is poured out on the Day of Pentecost for the harvest of souls. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness. That’s the express purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
On that day 3000 will be saved and be filled with the Spirit and then return as witnesses throughout the Roman world.
When Pentecost comes, it will always align us with God’s purpose. His purpose is the HARVEST!
2. Pentecost Produces UNITY…
One of the common criticisms concerning Holy Spirit Baptism, is the fear that it is an experience that divides the church. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The fact is, nothing unites the church more than when the Person, Power and Presence of Holy Spirit fills a church.
