Introduction

• You May be Seated Church… we are not going to be in James this morning because today is special…
• You see It has been seven weeks since we celebrated Easter.
  • Seven weeks since we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
  • Seven weeks since the rolled back tomb.
  • Seven weeks since the empty grave.
  • Seven weeks since Jesus in was mistaken as a Gardner.
  • Seven weeks since Jesus walked and talked on the way to Emmaus.
  • Seven weeks since Jesus walked through the doors, and shattered every doubt showing the holes in His side and His hands.
  • Seven weeks since Jesus called back Peter, restoring Him even after Peter had denied Christ.
  • Seven weeks since we celebrated that the grave has been defeated, that death has no more sting, and that sin has no more power over us.
    • Jesus won! Jesus wins! Jesus will always be the victor!
      • That is what we remembered seven weeks ago.
  • It has been Seven weeks.

• Seven Weeks Later, The Power of Pentecost.
  • Maybe you have heard the word Pentecost before, maybe you have heard about churches and denominations that call themselves “Pentecostal”.
    • Maybe you don’t know much about that word or the power it portrays…
      • Well I am going to teach you today, because today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost.
• You see in Leviticus Chapter 23 God commands the celebration of seven eternal feasts.
  • Now some people believe these feasts were only commanded for the Jews.
  • And others believe that we stopped having to observe these feasts after the death and resurrection of Christ…
  • But the truth is, God said we are to celebrate these feasts.
    • And He never told us to stop.
      • And some Christians say “That is legalism!” to which I respond “why do you need a law to celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will do?!”
      • At what point in History did Christians become so begrudging and boring that we are like “Eh, I don’t want to celebrate what God has done or will do… its so much work, all this celebrating… can’t we just be boring and depressed?!”
  • Well at Christian Life church we are endeavoring to celebrate the feasts once again,
    • Because I believe what God has done is worthy to be celebrated and what God is doing is worthy to be celebrated and what God will do is worthy to be celebrated! Amen?!
  • So what are the seven feasts, well let me just quickly tell you…

• Well there is the fall feasts which are:
  •   -Passover
  •   -Unleavened Bread
  •   -First Fruits
  •   -Pentecost
• Then there is the Spring Feasts
  •   -Trumpets
  •   -Atonement
  •   -Tabernacles
• Now each of these seven feasts has historical significance, remembering what God did and is doing.
  • And each of these feasts has prophetic significance, remembering what God will do.
    • Let’s look at the fall feasts first… (All of these slides already in Proclaim)
      • The Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teru’ah!
        • Historical: A feast of praise remembering all that God has done!
        • Prophetic: The rapture of the church will likely happen on the feast of Trumpets, the final trump!
      • The feast of Atonement, Yom Kippur!
        • Historical: A feast of repentance, remembering our sins must be atoned for.
        • Prophetic: The Lord will Return with the church (after the wedding feast) likely on the feast of Atonement.
      • The feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot!
        • Historical: Celebrating that God provided Shelter to the Israelites in the wilderness.
        • Prophetic: New Jerusalem will likely come down to earth on the feast of Tabernacles.
  • Now, you can go listen to the sermons from the end of Revelation to learn more about these events…
    • But if you are anything like me, you may be thinking “Hey! You can’t claim that these things will happen during these Jewish Holidays! NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR!”.
      • I mean that is my initial thought anyone talks about these prophetic events… and it is true… I don’t know the day or the hour… because I don’t know if the Rapture will happen on the feast of trumpets this year, or next, or in 10 years, or in 100 years…
        • But I pretty faithfully believe that it will happen on the feast of trumpets… and that the return will happen on the feast of atonement, and that New Jerusalem will come down during the feast of Tabernacles…
          • Why do I believe this, well there are plenty of scriptures hinting at it… but more than that… because the SPRING FEASTS… the spring feast have had all their prophetic value fulfilled already!
    • Let’s look at the spring feasts: (All of these slides already in Proclaim)
      • The Feast of Passover, Pesach!
        • Historical: Celebrating that the angel of death passed over the Israelites in Egypt.
        • Prophetic: Jesus, the Perfect Passover Lamb, is crucified on Passover.
      • Unleavened Bread, Chag HaMotzi!
        • Historical: Remembering to remove sin from our lives.
        • Prophetic: Jesus, whose body He called “The bread which is broken for us”, was buried on the feast of Unleavened bread.
      • First Fruits, Reshit Katzir!
        • Historical: Acknowledging the fertility of the Land God had given.
        • Prophetic: Jesus, who Paul calls “The First Fruits of the resurrection”, was raised from the dead on the feast of First Fruits.
      • The Feast of Pentecost, Shavu’ot!
        • Historical: Remembering that the Law was given seven weeks after the first feast of First Fruits.
        • Prophetic: The Holy Spirit was poured out on the church on the feast of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus rose from the grave.
• You see church, Christianity is not some Random happening of events that just so happened to turn out well for God.
  • NO! God has been planning all of this since before the creation of time.
    • And He revealed His plan for mankind… for our repentance, our salvation, and even our empowerment… God revealed all of this in Leviticus 23… it’s all a part of His plan.
      • Time is simply the pages of the book that God has already written… so it makes sense that He would put what He wants on the page that He wants to.
        • So Jesus dies on Passover, is buried on Unleavened Bread, Rises on First Fruits, and pours out the Spirit on Pentecost.
        • He will rapture us on the feast of Trumpets, we will return with Him on the feast of Atonement, and our eternal home, New Jerusalem, will come down to a newly refined earth on the feast of Tabernacles.
          • It’s all planned out, and it is all panning out, glory to God.
• AND TODAY, CHURCH, IT HAS BEEN SEVEN WEEKS SINCE EASTER. SEVEN WEEKS SINCE THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS.
  • TODAY IT IS PENTECOST, AND ON PENTECOST GOD POURED OUT HIS SPIRIT! SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT, AMEN?!

Acts 2:1-21 ESV  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  (2)  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  (3)  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  (4)  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  (5)  Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.  (6)  And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  (7)  And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  (8)  And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?  (9)  Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,  (10)  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,  (11)  both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”  (12)  And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”  (13)  But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”  (14)  But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  (15)  For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.  (16)  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:  (17)  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out 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;  (18)  even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  (19)  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;  (20)  the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.  (21)  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

• Point one this morning is about the Mighty Works of God! Because God has always been doing mighty works.

Point One – The Mighty Works of God! God Has Always Worked Mighty Miracles.

Acts 2:11 ESV  both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

• You see on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Disciples.
  • Jesus had promised the disciples that the Helper, the paraclete, the Holy Spirit would empower them.
  • And He told them to wait for it…
  • So they waited, and they did not have to wait long, because on the feast of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on them…
    • And what was the first miracle? The people from all over the world who were there in Jerusalem , they all heard the Disciples preach in their own language.
      • The disciples are up there preaching in these strange tongues… but everyone is hearing it in their own language…
        • And what is the message being preached? The message being preached on the day of Pentecost was all about the Mighty Works of God!
          • “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God”.
• So this morning, on Pentecost Sunday, let’s start off by just telling of the Mighty works of God, amen?!
  • Can we just remember what our God has done?
    • In Genesis God created the Heavens and the earth and all that is within them in just 6 days.
      • He rested on the seventh day.
      • He put man in a perfect garden where they could live forever if they never sinned.
      • But they did sin, so God cast them out.
      • Man continued to sin, so God sent a global flood to destroy all but Noah and His family.
      • In Exodus God sends 12 plagues to Egypt, freeing God’s people.
        • He splits the red sea.
        • He guides his people with a flaming torch in the sky during the night and a smoking pot during the day.
        • He talks to Moses like a friend talks face to face.
      • In numbers God cCauses the earth to swallow the rebel Korah, and even makes a Donkey speak!
      • In Deuteronomy God causes the sun to stand still.
      • In Joshua God destroys the walls of Jericho and splits the Jordan river like He did the red sea.
      • God uses 300 men to conquer 135,000 soldiers in the book of Judges and Causes a long haired man to lose his superhuman strength when he got a haircut…
      • In 1^st and 2nd Samuel we see God send supernatural lightning, hail, thunder, and diseases to destroy His enemies.
      • In 1^st and second Kings fire is called down from heaven, a widows son is raised from the dead, and we see Elijah raptured up in a whirlwind of fire.
      • Psalm 77:14 says “You are the God who preforms miracle, you display your power among the peoples”.
      • Through Ezra and Nehimiah the temple and Jerusalem was rebuilt because of miraculous favor from the king of Persia.
      • In Esther God made the King unable to sleep until the scrolls were read, saving the life of Mordechai and through that and Esther’s favor saving the Jewish people.
      • In Isaiah God causes the sun dial to move backwards!
      • The prophets in the Old Testament saw dreams and visions…
        • They saw creatures that were covered in eyes, they saw angels made up of wheels, they saw creatures that had different faces that looked liked animals.
      • Let’s not forget about the prophet Jonah who was swallowed alive by a giant fish and brought to where God was calling Him.
    • Now that is just a few of the miracles in the Old Testament… Now did God stop doing miracles in the New Testament? NO!
      • No! We see Just as many miracles in the New Testament.
        • Jesus, God in the flesh, preformed many miracles:
          • Jesus Healed the mother of Peter’s wife.
          • Jesus Healed the deaf mute of Decapolis.
          • He Healed the blind at birth.
          • He Healed the Paralytic at Bethesda.
          • He Healed The Blind Man of Bethsaida.
          • He Healed The Blind man Bartimaeus in Jericho.
          • He Healed the Centurion’s servant.
          • Christ healed woman with the issue of blood.
          • Christ walked on the water.
          • He feed the five thousand with two fish and five loaves.
          • Jesus Raised Lazarus from the dead.
          • Jesus Raised Himself from the dead!
      • Now let me ask you, did the miracles of God stop with Jesus? NO!
        • Peter healed a crippled man
        • The Holy Spirit causes earthquakes
        • Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead for lying
        • An Angel frees apostles from prison
        • Stephen’s face shines like an angel’s
        • Philip performs miracles in Samaria
        • Philip is transported to an Ethiopian eunuch wo then gets saved and baptized
        • Saul is miraculously converted on the road to Damascus
        • Peter raises Tabitha from the dead
        • Peter released from prison by an angel
        • Elymas the magician struck blind by Paul
        • Paul heals a crippled man in Lystra
        • Paul casts out a spirit of divination in Philippi
        • Paul heals a lame man in Lystra
• Listen Church! Christianity is a religion of miracles!
  • We say “open your Bible, read it, and do what it says” but you can’t open your Bible and read it and NOT find miracles.
    • There are miracles in this book Cover to Cover!
      • GOD DOES MIGHTY WORKS, GOD HAS ALWAYS DONE MIGHTY WORKS, GOD WILL ALWAYS DO MIGHTY WORKS, AND RIGHT NOW GOD IS DOING MIGHTY WORKS.
• Now there are some who would have you believe that God changes… that God used to be a God of miracles… BUT NO MORE.
  • For some reason they suggest God no longer does mighty works…. That there is no more miraculous Gifts of healing, or prophecy, or tongues… That God’s miracles have ceased.
    • Like, does your Bible not have the book of Revelation?
      • I mean there are two prophets in Revelation who literally breathe fire!
  • What is God some kind of fickle faucet with his power… like He just turned off his power for the past 2000 years and will turn it back on for Revelation?
    • Or is it possible that God hasn’t changed, that He is still doing mighty works, and that He want’s to do mighty works through you?!
• That brings me to point two… point two is that we are different, strange, and peculiar to the world.

Point Two – We are Different, Strange, and Peculiar to the World…

Acts 2:12-15 ESV  And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”  (13)  But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”  (14)  But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  (15)  For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

• On the day of Pentecost God poured out the Holy Spirit onto the disciples and gave them supernatural powers and gifts…
  • And the response from the world? THOSE GUYS MUST BE DRUNK!
    • Listen I believe that God can give prophetic words to people… that people can have words of wisdom and knowledge… that they can know things they should not be able to know… they that can have wisdom from God for situations they know nothing about…
      • That is strange to the world.
    • I believe that people can pray prayers of healing and that cancer can be defeated, that blind eyes can be opened, that the paralyzed can be healed, that the dead can be raised. I HAVE SEEN IT ALL WITH MY OWN EYES!
      • I have laid hands on the blind and seen their sight restored!
      • I have prayed for the cripled and watched as their limbs were restored in front of my eyes.
      • I have held babies who were dead and raised again!
        • ALL OF THIS IS STRANGE TO THE WORLD! THEY THINK I AM CRAZY! THEY THINK I AM DRUNK!
          • BUT IT IS NOT EVEN THE THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY Y’ALL.
  • I believe that we can miraculously be able to speak other languages, like the disciples in Acts on the day of Pentecost. I know a man this happened to on missions.
    • The world would say I am lying, but I know it is true, this man is my friend!
  • I believe that we can pray to God through our Spirits in a language no man understand… that we can sing with our spirits and that our mind doesn’t even get involved.
    • THE WORLD LOOKS AT THAT LIKE I AM A MAD MAN.
  • And I am ok with that, because they looked at the disciples like mad men! I am happy to be numbered with them!
• That brings me to point three. GOD WANTS TO POUR OUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT ON YOU! Decide who you want to stand with in the book of acts, do you want to stand with the mockers or do you want to stand empowered with the saints?

Point Three – God Want’s to POUR OUT His Holy Spirit on You!

Acts 2:1-4 ESV  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  (2)  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  (3)  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  (4)  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:16-20 ESV  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:  (17)  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out 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;  (18)  even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  (19)  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;  (20)  the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

• Listen, God has been doing something beautiful in our church…
  • Last week we preached on Grace Upon Grace, and I watched as dozens of people came to the altar to jump back into the grace they once new.
    • I see a church here ready to do great things for God.
    • We are refreshing ourselves, we are coming to the Good Shepherd to find that rest… His Rod and staff are comforting us, He has made us to lie down by green pastures…
      • And now, it is time to go to the next level…
• Some of you need the Holy Spirit poured out on you like it has never been poured out before.
  • You need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
    • You need to be anointed with the gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• You are saved, yes, and you have the Holy Spirit, yes… but I don’t want you to just HAVE the Holy Spirit, I want you to be soaking in the Holy Spirit… I want you to be drenched!

Act 2:17 ESV  “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…

• Let the Holy Spirit be poured out over you! GET DRENCHED!

Acts 2:4 ESV  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

• You have the Holy Spirit, Yes, but are you FULL of the Holy Spirit? Is it overflowing from you and blessing others… or is the Holy Spirit just a small tool you try to use from time to time.
• Do you have and are you using the gifts of the spirit?

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 ESV  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  (8)  For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,  (9)  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  (10)  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  (11)  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

• Do you have any of these spiritual gifts in your life? Has the Holy Spirit empowered you to prophecy? To pray in a spiritual language? To heal sickness and disease?
  • Has He empowered you with words of wisdom and knowledge?
  • Has He empowered you with the faith to move mountains?
  • Has He empowered you with the gift of interpretation or miracles?
• If not, WHY NOT?!
  • Have you asked Him? If not, WHY NOT?
    • Because it is strange? SO WHAT! WE SERVE A GOD THAT HAS DONE WAY CRAZIER THINGS THEN GIVING YOU A PRAYER LANGUAGE.
    • WE SERVE A GOD WHO HAS DONE WAY MIGHTER THINGS THAN HEAL SICKNESS.
    • WE SERVE A GOD WHO HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN PROPHECIES THROUGH PEOPLE… WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?!
      • THAT YOU MIGHT BE LOOKED AT LIKE A DRUNK!?!
        • FINE, I am in good company if the world thinks I am a peculiar person!

1 Peter 2:9 KJV  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

• We are a peculiar people… so let’s stop trying to act “normal” lets be all that God is calling us to be…

Conclusion

• So this is what we are going to do, something we haven’t done on a Sunday in like 8 years… I am going to pray, on this Pentecost Sunday, that God would pour out His spirit on you like He did on the feast of Pentecost some 2000 years ago for those disciples.
  • I am going to pray for spiritual gifts, I am going to pray for prayer languages, I am going to pray for miracles…
    • Some of you are baptized in the spirit already, and for you I will pray that God fan’s into flame the gifts He has already given…
    • But before we do all of that we must share the gospel… after all it says in our key verses this morning…

Act 2:21 ESV  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 

• Gospel Call

Acts 2:4 ESV  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Mark 16:17 ESV  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

1 Corinthians 14:2 ESV  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:39 ESV  So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

• Laying on of hands.

Aaronic Blessing