Pentecost Sunday Sermon
Sermon Series:
Sermon Date:
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sermon Verse:
Acts:2:1-21[1]Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.[2]Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.[3]Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.[4]They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.[5]Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.[6]When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.[7]They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Behold, aren't all these who speak Galileans?[8]How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?[9]Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,[10]Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,[11]Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!"[12]They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, "What does this mean?"[13]Others, mocking, said, "They are filled with new wine."[14]But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, "You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.[15]For these aren't drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day .[16]But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:[17]'It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.[18]Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.[19]I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.[20]The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.[21]It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Sermon Description:
<p>Pentecost was a Jewish festival that took place not long after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus had been raised. The disciples had seen him, resurrected and returned to them. Yet now he had ascended, and what about them? He told them to wait in Jerusalem until he would send them his Spirit to be with them. They waited. They waited and worried about what their future might hold. Was Easter something that had happened to Jesus, but not to them? Were they now in a position where they would be forced to take a deep breath, to clench their fists and move forward with a positive attitude, despite the absence of Jesus? Many of them felt fear and doubt and despair. Yet on Pentecost, there was a rush of mighty wind, tongues of fire-and the Holy Spirit prevailed. The church was born. The once disheartened disciples moved out, prodded, enabled by the Holy Spirit which gave that which the human spirit could not.</p>