Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
8/24/97 am
Are You Ready For Pentecost
Text — Acts 1.1-26
Pentecost! I believe, Pentecost was the day that God looked forward to since Genesis Chapter 3 and the fall of mankind. It was a time when man could be restored to the relationship with God that God intended from the beginning. Man could once again be without sin... God could live within His people. We in the church point back to this day with excitement and enthusiasm. Pentecost is our roots, our beginning, the church as God intended it to be.
Pentecost is the pivot point of the Bible, the point of transition:
- Between the Old Testament law and New Testament grace.
- Between Judaism and Christianity.
- Between the priesthood of Aaron and the priesthood of the believer.
- Pentecost is the turning point between the annual remembrance of sin under the law and the total remission of sin through Jesus Christ.
- Pentecost is the transition between the personal ministry of Jesus Christ and the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit.
You see, as long as Jesus was here in person, his ministry was limited to a given geographical location by his presence. In John 14 and 16 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. The apostles were just like children. When Jesus said I must go. They responded:
- Where are you going.
- Can we go with you.
- Who’s gonna stay with us?
Jesus promised them, I will not leave you comfortless... I will not leave you orphans. I will send the Comforter.... The Counselor... The Paracleet .... One who runs along beside you... The Holy Spirit. Then He went on to tell what the Spirit would do for them:
- Lead them into all truth,
- Convict the world of sin,
- Unrighteousness,
- And judgement to come.
Beginning at Pentecost, and continuing today the gospel of Christ has been placed in earthen vessels... THAT’S US! Jesus said, you will be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth.
Sometimes we have a real problem with the word WITNESS, and we shouldn’t. NO, we can’t witness as did the Apostles... Jesus is not asking us to do such. A witness does not have to be an EYE witness. A witness in a court of law is simply asked to tell what he knows.
Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Titus, and those scattered abroad in Act chapter 8, were not eye witnesses, but they went everywhere preaching the word. They went everywhere telling what they knew about Jesus. Those of the early church certainly felt a God given obligation to tell what they knew.... And so should we... And so should we.
You see the only limits on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, of the Gospel of Christ, are the limits that we place on it. Can I say it again? The only limits on the Gospel of Christ today are those which we place on it by our:
- Willingness or unwillingness,
- Our ambition,
- Our enthusiasm, to confront others with the message. To communicate Jesus to others right here in our own town or in foreign missions.
Are we ready for Pentecost? What church member this morning would not want to see Pentecost repeated in their lifetime?
- 120 in Acts one,
- 3000 in Acts 2,
- 5000 by Acts 4,
- Multitudes in Acts 5,
- Multiplied greatly in Acts 6.
Recently, I read a survey of those who attended services three time a week: Only 59% felt that they had any responsibility to tell others about Jesus. 27% actually disagreed with the whole concept of evangelism. Folk, we’re better Bible students than to think like this. We KNOW that we ought to be sharing the good news of Jesus with others. WHY? Because, in the churches of Christ, we do things out of a three pronged hermeneutic:
1. Direct command.
2. New Testament example.
3. And necessary inference.
The direct command is from Jesus, Into all the world, preaching the Gospel to every creature, and I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.
The command and the promise:
- The command is to go tell others.
- The promise is I will be with you always.
It’s ironic isn’t it, we want the promise, but we reject the command... Can’t do that can we?
The New Testament example is in Acts chapter 8, Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
I want you to note something here. Who stayed in Jerusalem?... And who went everywhere preaching the word? The Apostles of Jesus were not the only ones given the Great Commission. At least the early New Testament church didn’t think so. They are our example in evangelism.
The necessary inference is found in Acts 4.12, There is salvation in no other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Peter says, there is no other way for mankind to be saved outside of knowing Jesus. This necessarily infers that we communicate what we know to others.
In the First Century Church, the Gospel spread to the entire world in approximately 29 years. That’s what Paul says in Colossians 1.6. What a feat for the primitive Church... What a goal for us today!
Is it possible to repeat the results of Pentecost? Do we want to? We are restorationists! Will we restore: the excitement, the enthusiasm, and the growth revealed in the book of Acts? I believe the formula for success in evangelism can be found in Acts chapter one. Are we ready for Pentecost? Here’s the formula!
NUMBER 1, WE MUST HAVE AN OPEN BIBLE AND AN OPEN MIND.
Read verse 3 with me, After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. The book of Acts begins with Bible 101. Summer school A.D. 33, six weeks, 40 days of intensive classroom work. The teacher is none other than the resurrected Jesus.
Do you want a syllabus, an outline of the course? You got it. Turn to Luke 24.44 & 45. Remember this is Luke’s other post-resurrection narrative. Luke 24.44-45. He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Three things He taught them during this 40 day summer session:
1. He gave them an understanding of His Messiahship from the Old testament.
2. He brought to their mind his three and a half year ministry.
3. He opened their hearts and minds to proper understanding.
Jesus taught them how to use the Old Testament text: Moses, Prophets, Psalms to prove His deity.
We divide our Old Testament into 5 parts; Law, History, Poetry, Prophets and Minor prophets. The old Hebrew text only had three divisions... Moses... The Prophets.... And the Psalms. What we call WISDOM LITERATURE... Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.
When Paul taught in the Synagogues of Lystra, Derby, Thessalonica, Corinth and Ephesus; he used the Old Testament test to bring people to Jesus. QUESTION! Can we begin on any page, any open, in the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms and bring others to a knowledge of Jesus Christ... Which will result in baptism? Phillip could and did in Acts 8... Ran along by that chariot... Do you understand what your reading?... No, how can I except some man guide me... Phillip joined himself to the chariot and began with the same scripture in Isaiah 53... And that teaching resulted in the Eunuch being baptized into Christ.
- Do we know the Book?
- Are we ready for Pentecost?
- Are we willing to be taught and then to GO TEACH OTHERS?
SECONDLY, JESUS RECALLED TO THEM HIS MINISTRY... HIS TEACHING OF THE PAST 3 1/2 YEARS.
The King James says, These are the words I spoke to you while I was with you. Are we familiar with the gospels... Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?... Do we know Jesus? The lost must know Jesus. A group of Gentiles come to the apostles in John 12 and requested Sirs we would see Jesus. We too, must be able to show Him to others. Most of us know church doctrine, but do we know Jesus. Do we know the heart of Jesus?
I believe, the successful spread of the Gospel in Acts was, in a large part, due to the focus of their teaching... They wanted others to know Jesus first and foremost. It’s all right to teach church doctrine... Don’t you go home saying this preacher is soft on doctrine, because I am not. But, let’s teach Jesus and Him crucified. Then after they obey the gospel, we can teach them how to worship and behave in the church, the family of God.
I believe there is a key to the success of this forty day teaching session... Note verse 45 of Luke 24 ....He opened their minds.
Do you know why we are not prepared for Pentecost today in our churches? Because we go to our Bibles with a closed mind.. With our own preconceived ideas. The Jews of Jesus’ time were guilty of this. They missed Jesus, as the Messiah, because they would not approach scripture with an open mind. They went there proof-texting their own traditions.... Their own private interpretation. They approached the scripture with a Jewish prejudice... With an already made up mind. Don’t do that!! The Jews missed the greatest event in their history because of such an approach to scripture. Is it possible that some of us are missing great blessings, as God’s people today, because we are more interested in our own tradition than in truth? Great men of Acts: Peter, Paul, Stephen, Phillip, Apollos, James, Cornelius, the Ethiopian eunuch, the elders of Ephesus, and others were willing to look beyond tradition to truth. While the Judaizers, those of the Areopagus, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice Were unwilling to open their hearts, their minds to truth and as a result missed the blessing found in Christ, even their salvation. God meets man in his heart. Will we open our hearts to Him?
Back now to verse 3 of Acts 1, And He gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. We would call this course Christian Evidences. Wouldn’t you like to have been a student in that class? Are we convinced, really convinced, that Jesus WAS and IS the Son of God and that there is salvation in none other. We need a strong FAITH... A faith that comes from knowing the BOOK and knowing JESUS. Are we ready for Pentecost? Restoration of Pentecost today is possible only with an open heart... And an open Bible.
Number 2 - Note verses 9, 10, and 11. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
I am convinced that this angelic message rang in the ears of those who witnessed his ascension for the rest of their lives. The word in the Aramaic is Maranatha. It means Lord comes quickly, or Come O Lord. You see:
- These people wanted Him to return.
- They prayed for His return.
- They lived in anticipation of the second coming.
The concept stayed with the early Christian community. The Greek is Par-oo-see-ah. This word speaks to us about the imminent... For sure return of Jesus. Par-oo-see-ah speaks to us of a guaranteed event. Do we really expect him to come?... DO WE?... Do we expect His to return,
- Before we die?
- This year?
- How about tomorrow?
- Before this sermon is concluded?
The truth is... We don’t want the world to end. We’re trying to avoid, with all our might, the atomic holocaust!... Global warming... etc... etc. Our idea is, don’t shake this world, it may explode! Who would have thought we would ever prefer this world to heaven itself. You see, we prefer 27 Estes Drive, Bella Vista, Arkansas to 27 Golden Street, Celestial City. Something is wrong. Maranatha is our word. Do you know the word Maranatha is in your Bible? Read First Corinthians 16:22 KJV. It is there!!!
Here it is audience, the early church was evangelistic because they expected Jesus to return in their lifetime... Maybe today... Maybe today! And I am convinced we will be diligent in teaching our children, our neighbors and friends when we come to accept the truth... That Jesus is coming.
Of course, some are not looking forward to his return because they know they are not ready. Yes, I believe the Bible teaches us that we can KNOW. John says, My little children, I write you that you may know that you have eternal life.
Remember, Ne-Na-Ne-Tekil-Euparson. The fingers of a man’s hand wrote those words on the palace wall to King Belshazzar. He was scared to death before he even knew what the message said. Text says, his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other... Why? Because he knew any news from God would be bad news, because of what he had done and was doing.
Those in Revelation 6 are found asking for the rocks and mountains to fall on them... Why? Because they knew they were not prepared for the second coming. Are we ready for His return? Are we ready for Pentecost?
There is no reason for any of us to leave this building, this hour not ready. There will be no modern day Pentecost until we are ready for and anticipate his return. We must tell the world that He is coming again!
Number 3 - Note verses 12 and 14. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city... They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
In these verses we find three reasons why those of Acts 1 were prepared for Pentecost
First, they were obedient.
They returned to Jerusalem. You see, they did what Jesus asked in verse four. At his trial and death they ran, scattered like quail. Mark tells us that they were in a hurry, so much so that one ran leaving his clothing behind, some went fishing. But now they were prepared, ready... These were changed men.
What we’re seeing here is genuine New Testament repentance. Repentance is a change of heart, that is so strong, that it results in a change in the way we live. Church, we will never be evangelistic until we are willing to become changed people. Until we are willing to make Jesus’ agenda our agenda. What was His agenda?
- He came to do the will of the Father.
- He came to seek and save the lost.
- He came to call sinners to repentance.
- He came to serve, not to be served.
You see, we must become and do what Jesus asks us to be and do. Are we willing to be changed people? Are we ready for Pentecost?
Secondly, They were constantly in prayer.
We all need a deep abiding faith in the power of God through prayer. How many lost souls have I prayed for today? Have we taken any name before the throne of God this week, asking God’s help as we invite them to study or worship with us? Are we ready for Pentecost?
Thirdly, they were united, all joined together.
The King James says, with one accord. Turn one page in your Bible and look at Acts 2.1 When Pentecost does come what is still evident? They were one. Church, the biggest deterrent to evangelism, in our churches today, is disunity. While we argue over trivial matters that cannot be settled with a thus saith the Lord, the world goes to hell... And we think we are the church, the family of God. We are focused on issues, when we ought to be focused on SEEKING AND saving the lost, preaching Jesus. Paul told the Corinthians, I came to you knowing nothing... Preaching nothing, but Jesus and Him crucified. God! Help us restore the unity of Pentecost. And we can, if we’ll focus on preaching and teaching Jesus.
Pentecost will not happen today:
1. Until we make His agenda, our agenda.
2. Until we restore faith in the power of prayer.
3. Until unity is the rule more than the exception in our churches.
Are we ready for Pentecost?
The book of Acts is not just a history of the early church. It’s a handbook for Christian evangelism, a book of power. The book of Acts demonstrates the effect we can have on the world. If and when we allow our daily lives to be directed by the Holy Spirit of God.
The problem facing us in the closing years of this century is:
- Not a lack of power in the gospel,
- The blood of Christ has not been diluted,
- The Gospel message does not have a leak,
- Nor is the work of the Holy Spirit through the word any less effective.
The problem is me. Am I really ready for Pentecost? Here it is church, New Testament evangelism is an outgrowth of genuine New Testament conversion. Have we been converted or are we just church members?
“Give us a watchword for the hour,
A thrilling word... A word of power,
A battle cry... A flaming breath,
A call to conquest or to death,
A word to wake the church from rest,
To heed the Master’s high request.
The call is given, ye hosts arise,
The watchword is “Evangelize,”
To fallen man, a dying race,
Make known the gift of Gospel grace.
The world now in darkness lies.
O church of Christ, EVANGELIZE!”
Are you ready for Pentecost? You’re not unless you are a child of God. If you are not His child, then you are not ready for anything. You can become His child this morning by: Faith, Repentance, and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
How about those of us in the church? Will we commit today to restoring the excitement and enthusiasm for lost souls?
Perhaps you’re here this morning as a baptized believer and you are searching for:
- A church home,
- A family to belong to,
- A church to serve in,
- An Eldership to shepherd, guide, protect and discipline you.
You are welcome here. The invitation is yours... COME TO JESUS.
