Sermon - Jeff Raines - Where Were You When the World Changed? [Acts 2:1-4]

Today is a big day on the church calendar: Pentecost.  

There are two groups in Acts 2, the early days after the resurrection.  

The first group is the disciples of Jesus who were asking “What’s next?”  “Is this the end?”  Jesus tells them the timing of the end is not for them to know, but they are to be witnesses and to make disciples, to wait and to pray.  That is also our job as disciples of Jesus now!  

Pray for direction in your life, pray for people to know Jesus, pray for the healing you need, for our city and our nation, for the violent places in the world.  We start by waiting and praying which lays the groundwork for what God will do next in our lives.  

In Acts 2, we see tongues of fire and a miracle of languages coming over the disciples.  The tongues of fire mirror the pillar of fire that led the Hebrew people through the wilderness to the promised land in Exodus.  The understanding of different languages is a reversal of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages.  God’s Spirit is at work!  

The second group in this story is the crowd, jeering and saying that these disciples have had too much wine.  

Peter then stands up and preaches about and explains what is happening, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God has arrived in Jesus Christ.  

As disciples of Christ, we WITNESS to this outpouring of the Spirit, that Jesus is alive, that the Kingdom of God has arrived in Jesus Christ.  

“When it comes to Pentecost, it is far more important that you are out there in the wind and letting it sweep through your life and your heart and your imagination and your powers of speech and transform you from a listless or lifeless believer into someone whose heart is on fire with the love of God.”  NT Wright 

Which group are you in?  The disciples or the crowd?  Either way, there are action steps for both groups: 

Disciples:  witness, wait and pray 

Crowd:  repent and be baptized 

Three thousand believers were added to the followers of Jesus that day in Acts chapter 2!  

We are either a missionary or a mission field.  

May the Spirt of God move and blow through our lives, transforming us.  The Spirit of God burns through our complacency and the walls that we’ve built, to love the world that Jesus died for.  Are you ready to let the Spirit lead your life?  

The Gospel invites us in.  If you’ve never turned to Jesus, you’re invited turn from your sins and follow Jesus’ way!  

Where are you this Pentecost?