THE CHURCH EMPOWERED
ACTS 2:1-2; 17-18 NKJ
ACTS 2:1-2; 17-18 NKJ
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 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.
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus had instructed His disciples and followers to wait for the promise of God. In the first chapter of Acts, He told them they would be empowered when the Holy Spirit came upon them.
So, the 120 waited in an upper room. This group also included Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The Day of Pentecost was a Jewish feast day 50 days after Passover. Pentecost is the Greek name. The Jewish name was Feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks. It was a celebration of the early weeks of harvest. With this being a big feast, it makes sense that people from all over the world were in Jerusalem on that day.
When this group of disciples was praying and waiting, a loud sound like a rushing mighty wind filled the house and was also heard outside the house because it drew a crowd. The Holy Spirit manifested as fire, sat on each of the 120, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues. As they spilled outside, different Jewish men from all over the world heard them speaking in their languages. Many were amazed, some mocked, but as they stuck around, Peter began to speak to them.
This was the Peter that was afraid to identify with Jesus just a couple of months earlier. Now empowered, he speaks boldly and shares a startling fact. Now in this day, God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. No longer would the empowerment of the Holy Spirit be limited to a few chosen ones. Now all who call on the name of the Lord could be saved and receive this gift of the Holy Spirit. And this also included women.
After Peter spoke, 3000 people received Jesus and were saved. What a powerful beginning to a powerful church.
APPLICATION:
We are still living in the same days. All who call on the Lord can be saved, and not only born of the Spirit, they can receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. And though we may not preach to thousands as Peter did, the Holy Spirit will empower each of us to be a witness of the fact that Jesus is alive. And empower us to fulfill the assignment God has given each of us to do. Culture may have changed these last 2000 years, but the world still needs Jesus, and God is still empowering the church to reach lost dying humanity.