Pentecoost

Ever watch Star Wars: A New Hope, in the end when Luke Skywalker fires his missiles into the vent destroying the Death Star. I want you to think about that moment, here you are watching this movie and here is the climax and the movie ends. Just ends, no afterwards, no celebration, no nothing, movie over every body go home.

That is what it is starting to be like for many Churches, they start their year in the fall usually after Labor Day. Set out with plans of what they are going to do over the year, then start moving toward Christmas then to Lent and Easter. Then it’s that’s it movie over come back next year after your summer break.

These peoples are faithful just their faith stop at the Death and the Resurrection of Christ Jesus. It goes no further then the Cross just stops right there. That’s it, “He is risen and will come again…” they miss the whole next part of the story in some case even forget or ignore the next part of the story. In doing so they miss some important stuff, like the story is not over, there is more to come, like the day of Pentecost. The official birth of the Christian church, the day God gave all of mankind the chance to be his children, the day God pour out his spirit onto us. On that day we who believe, became sons of God. But many modern churches just let that day go right on by, don’t believe me drive around home many Churches have anything out about Pentecost, how many hold special services, other then your Catholic churches, and some others most don’t have anything out there and even with the Catholic churches most don’t make any special mention of Pentecost. But why is this day so important, what really happen this day. I know may of you read it, some even study this day but do you really understand what happen that day, what did God do that day that makes it for the early church one of the most important days, at a time before Easter, or Christmas this was the day that all the church looked forward to this was the day they all celebrated.

Open with me to Acts 2:1-5
And in the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost, they were all with one mind in the same place. And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven, as being borne along by a violent wind! And it filled all the house where they were sitting. And tongues as of fire appeared to them, being distributed, and it sat on each one of them. And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave ability to them to speak. And Jews were living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation of those under the heaven heard them. “LITV”

So lets see you have 12 disciples all gathered together, some house does not say where but we can guess it was some house either on an open public square or near a very public place because “devout men from every nation … heard them”. We should also notice that these very same men who a few weeks earlier were hiding in fear these same men who abandon Jesus on the Cross. Peter who himself denied Jesus, now stood together and now being filled with the Holy Spirit spoke, to all those who could hear. Man what I would give to see that, to hear what these men were saying.

But this sound occurring, the multitude came together and were confounded, because they each heard them speaking in his own dialect And all were amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Behold, are not all these, those speaking, Galileans? And how do we hear each in our own dialect in which we were born, “LITV”

They were confounded, these devout men were confounded, not by what was being said but because they heard them speaking in his own language. A old teacher and friend used to say “When God wants to make a point, he makes sure you know it.”
Here you see it, those speaking were Galileans and yet all of those around them heard in his own language.

Now before we go into this lets look at some here, 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire, the official language was Latin, most people spoke, read and wrote Greek for trade and commerce. Yet rarely did anyone ever learn to read and speak more then their native language and Greek. And here you have these Galileans speaking many different languages. Let’s count them though and I want you to note something here. 12 Galileans are speaking:

1) Parthians - Arsacid, Pahlavi
2) Medes - Medic
3) Elamites - Elamite
4) Mesopotamia - Akkadian, Eblaite, Phoenician, Semitic, and Sumerian
5) Judea - Hebrew
6) Cappadocia - Cappadocia (A Greek Dialec)
7) Asia (Minor) - Syriac, Armenian, Aramaic
8) Pontus - Pontic (A Greek Dialec)
9) Phrygia - Phrygian
10) Pamphylia - Pamphylia (related to Greek)
11) Egypt - Egyptian (more likely Demotic or Coptic)
12) Romans – Latin possible Greek but lets say Latin
13) Cyrene, Libya - A Greek colony of Libya thus most likely Greek
14) Cretans - Cretan (A Greek Dialec)
15) Arabians – Persian

15 groups of people and perhaps as many as 22 or more languages, think about it 12 Galileans speaking on this day to all these diverse people each in their native language. God want to get his message heard don’t you think.

And what were these 12 Galileans speaking
Acts 2:11 …speaking the great deeds of God “LITV”

They were speaking the great works and deeds of God, here they are telling the whole known world that pay attention there is something going on here and God the Creator, the maker of Heaven and Earth, He’s about to do something. And reading in verses 12 you see those who heard this were amazed, puzzled wonder what is going on here. What is this all about? Some even try to explain that these were just drunk with too much wine? Amazing how there is always some who try to explain God away, who refuse to see God’s handy work and want to explain it as something anything else.

Acts 2:12-13 And all were amazed and puzzled, saying to one another, What would this wish to be? But ridiculing, others said, They are full of sweet wine. “LITV”

Let’s read further:

Acts 2:14-19 But standing up with the Eleven, Peter lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, Men, Jews, and all those living in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words: For these are not drunk, as you imagine, for it is the third hour of the day. But this is that which has been spoken by the prophet Joel, "And it shall be" in the last days, God says, "I will pour from My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;" "and your young men shall see visions," "and your old men shall dream dreams; and also I will pour out My Spirit on My slaves and slave women in those days," and they shall prophesy. "And I will give wonders in the heaven above," and miraculous signs "on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. “LITV”

Now before I go further, for those are reading ahead, let me explain something that we miss in the English Version of the Bible
In Greek, and Hebrew there are Pauses, a pause is this will happen, pause, then next this will happen. An example would be if I were to do a story about History of the United States, I might say, After Jackson defeated the British in New Orleans he was elected President ‘Pause’ Yet soon the country was tested again in civil war. My story is more about the American conflicts and not about the expansions of the 19th century then the pause would tell those either listening or reading that there is more details here but not important for my story. In the Greek these are written out with the Greek letter omega ὁ all by it’s self. So let’s keep this in mind please I get in enough trouble by myself I don’t need people saying I am preaching the end of the world.

Acts 2:20-22 omega ὁ The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the" "coming of the great and glorious" "day of the Lord. And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Joel 2:28-32“LITV”

Now here it is Peter who just a few weeks ago was hiding from these very people, who feared for his very life. Now here he is standing up and speaking forth God’s own promise. Here Peter is just like Jesus did so many time explaining in plain language what God was doing. He laid it all out there for everyone to see, this is what God is up to saying folks pay attention pay real close attention.

And for the update for some of you who have heard this before, this next bit is from the Message version of the Bible. (George)

Acts 2:23-37 this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all: I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side. I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I've pitched my tent in the land of hope. I know you'll never dump me in Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death. You've got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around. "Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried--his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah--'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt--God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross. Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?" MSG

Peter just lay out what God’s plan was, he just in a few minutes explain what God was doing and then those listening ask a this simple question. What do we do? These men just heard all this, they listen as Peter laid at their feet everything that God did, every thing David saw and these men these simple people came to realized the truth, right then right there they realized how they played a part in history, and now were asking what to do next.

But instead of me answering this question how about we let a person far more wiser then me answer the question

Acts 2:38-40 Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away--whomever, in fact, our Master God invites. He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!" MSG

Turn to God and be baptized, not turn to the world, don’t go over there and talk about what you think, don’t hold committee meetings and councils about these issue. Don’t say you know all this is true but hey I am one person I can do anything by myself. No very clearly Peter says, turn to God so your sins are forgiven. God who just given his only begotten Son to be sacrifice for you sins, God then raised him up, turn to him and be baptized. After everything was done God wanted you to be his child, after all this God had a plan a plan to open up his Holy Spirit to anyone who would answer God’s invite.

After all that what more is there
Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
Not only for those there but notice for them and their children but also to all who are far away all over the world in fact look careful another one of those hidden gems let look at the literal translation for this on

Acts 2:39 as many as the Lord our God shall call

Don’t you just love it, as many as God himself shall call, not Peter, not a pope, not some committee, or some out reach mission. God will call, I make a point here because of this so many time I hear Christian outreach either talk about how many they convert to God, or even worse in my opinion how many they turn to God, they pass their pamphlets that do more harm then good. Yet here you see here very clearly. God will do the calling, who are we to question who God calls, God calls them that’s it. As some of you may have heard me say before “It’s our job to bare witness, it’s God just to do the rest” Many times in talking to unbeliever, many of which are atheists, the most common thing I hear is how Christians are always trying to convert or push God onto them. People here it is very clear, as well as else where God will do the calling, we are just to bare witness, we are just to speak about what we know. No where is it written we are to force, convert or guilt anyone into believing, just bare witness. If they listen find, if not the find God Bless them too.

Ok enough on this, back to Peter, he goes on telling them to get out of this sick and stupid culture. Again you see something here, God called the Israelites to be a culture set apart from the world, live in it yes but don’t be apart of it. And now here you see Peter saying the same thing as Christian we are to have our own culture set apart from the world. Live in it but do be apart of it. Much like the ancient Israelites we are to be an example how to live your life for God. As we finish out

Acts 2:41-47 Then truly the ones gladly welcoming His Word were baptized. And about three thousand souls were added that day.
And they were continuing steadfastly in the doctrine of the apostles, and in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came to every soul, and many wonders and miraculous signs took place through the apostles. And all the believers were together and had all things common.
And they sold possessions and goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. And continuing steadfastly with one mind day by day in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food in gladness and simplicity of heart,
praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the assembly, the ones being saved from day to day.“LITV”

They bared witness, they fellowship one with another, broke bread, prayed and worship God, and those who saw this heard God’s calling and came. And on this day, some 2000 years ago, ended one part of the story and started a new chapter, and the story is not over yet for we all here have heard God’s calling and seen with our eyes God’s great work. Therefore we bare witness to all those who are in the world. That this day that we are of God, we are his children by adoption, we are part of his family. We should fellowship with the family, serve those in need whoever they are as a family, not judging a person on their past but on what they are doing now, not looking back but looking forward in faith. Knowing and understanding that we are not of the world, and although we live here in the world our home is there with our Heavenly Father and one day soon we will go home.