Lessons from Pentecost

This message was brought by Colin DCruz on May 31st, 2020 at Word of Grace. To listen to the audio please click here

Today is a historical day that marks the very beginnings of the Christian Church – it is celebrated as the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on 120 disciples gathered in one place in Jerusalem. This was the fulfilling of the prophetic word in Joel which says that the Spirit would fall on all flesh. Let us examine today 4 things that happened before and after this event.

1. Unity –

The effect of the Holy Spirit is great unity which is worked out in daily life. In Acts 2:44-45 says “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” As we share our possessions and we eat together and we share our lives, our unity is expressed. They longed to be with one another. In verse 46 it goes on to say “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”. Even in a time of social distancing like this we can share our lives through virtual media. The goal is to be united.

Even Jesus himself prayed this for us in John 17: 20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Jesus’ prayer for us is to be united. When there is unity, it releases a spiritual power through which the world will come to Jesus. Unity means that I put aside my desires and go with what is good for the whole church.   

In John 13:34-35 Jesus says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Love is expressed in Unity

2. Prayerfulness:

Acts 1:14 – They all joined together constantly in prayer.

They made the time and effort to be there. Change your schedule if you need to, but fit in with what we are doing as a church - prioritize prayer. There are great needs in our midst and great needs require great devotion to prayer. In Acts 3, even after Pentecost, the disciples were found praying- prayer is an important part of the early church and it should be an important part of the church now.

Acts 4:31 - After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. It was after they prayed that the place was shaken.

3. Filled with the Holy Spirit – The cowardly disciples became powerful leaders of the early church

4. Mighty in preaching the gospel

So let us examine ourselves and see where we need to grow. Is it in Unity, prayer, in being filled with the Holy Spirit or in preaching the gospel to the world?

Let us pray.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.