Pentecost

By Ron.v.Leerdam

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Acts 2:1-8

Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:29-41

Lords Day 20 Q.A. 53 What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Second, he is also given to me, to make me by true faith share in Christ and all his benefits, to comfort me, and to remain with me forever.

Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,
We just celebrated Pentecost Sunday. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples to empower them for the task the Lord Jesus had called them to do. As the Father had sent Jesus, He sends them to make disciples of all nations, baptising and teaching them to obey all of Jesus commandments.

Down through the generations we see that God has continued to bless his church and add to the number that are being saved as they pass on the teachings of the disciples.

The Heidelberg catechism was approved as a summary of Christian teaching in 1563. Today we consider a brief summary of the work of the Holy Spirit, it is not exhaustive! The Nicene Creed – written in 325 states, ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. First of all the Heidelberg Catechism states the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity. ‘He, as well as the Father and the Son, is eternal God.’

Some people deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit. They would see the Holy Spirit as an it or thing or some mysterious force, without feelings or identity.

There are some ‘cults’ read the bible with the presupposition that there is only one God – Jehovah – and deny the TRINITY – ie. one true God yet 3 persons in the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Hence they look at every passage of Scripture from their preconceived ideas.

It is like looking at something with coloured glasses. If you have red lens in your glasses, they colour all you see as red, rather than seeing it as it really is. The evolutionist looks at the world and forms conclusions based or coloured by their belief that there can not be a creator God. My friends, if you hear the voice of God, do not harden your heart or twist the truth to suit your own evil desires. Remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
Do you remember what happened? They tried to bring glory to themselves. They wanted to receive the praise of people.

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. Acts 5:1-6

Sapphira also died at the feet of Peter. The clear teaching of this passage is that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit has been active throughout history. To disregard this teaching is to dishonour God Almighty and what he says concerning his nature and his being.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:1,2.

We read the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters before the creation of the earth. He was the life-giving principle of creation and renewal, setting things in order and putting on the finishing touches. Throughout history the Holy Spirit has revealed the wonders and will of the triune God. He spoke through Moses and the prophets and in the latter days, through Christ Jesus the Son of the Most
High God. To put the matter beyond doubt. The Scriptures warn:

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.

Don’t resist the Holy Spirit.

Normally speaking, you can’t grieve a force. The main aim of the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory and praise to the Father and apply the work of Jesus God’s Son to His people.

Look at the way the catechism sets this out, accurately reflecting the truth of the Scriptures. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son to apply the work of REDEMPTION which was wrought through the sacrifice of the Son. HE REVEALS TO US THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONLY TRUE SAVIOUR. He doesn’t seek to draw our attention to Himself. He is the breath of God, the glowing fire that kindles the flame of true faith within every believing heart. The Spirit is the Christians “vital breath” , his “native air”.

‘The Holy Spirit has been given to me personally, so that by true faith, He makes me share in Christ and all His blessings. In John 3 the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us of the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the person who renews the hearts of God’s elect giving them spiritual birth. He enables us to see the Kingdom of God. He enables us to see our poor sinful condition before a Holy, righteous and just God who must have sin atoned.

Either we can pay the penalty for our sin ourselves or have someone else pay the price. The wonder of the Gospel is that God himself in the person of Jesus Christ has come into this world to bear the punishment sinners deserve. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and short-comings, brings us to repentance and gives us faith so that we call on the Name of Jesus as our Saviour and Lord.

Remember the reaction of the Jews in Acts 2 as the Apostle Peter explained the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 3,000 people were cut to the heart and exclaimed, “Brothers, what shall we do? Repent and be Baptised, everyone of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been given to me personally. The Spirit of the Living God dwells within us. Sinful and wretched though we are in ourselves, not worthy of having God the third person living in our hearts, the Bible tells us and we know He lives in us. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out ABBA, Father. The fact that we can confess Jesus as Lord is evidence that the Holy Spirit lives within us. By true faith He makes me share in Christ and all His blessings. To share in Christ’s blessings means to be justified by faith. We have been redeemed from an empty meaningless life.

We already now experience in our hearts the beginning of eternal joy and look forward to the day of Christ’s return when we will have a perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally. ‘When we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.’ We are heirs of a most glorious inheritance.

The Holy Spirit is the seal of our redemption – testifying that we are citizens of God Having received the Holy Spirit means that we are being sanctified. We are being made more holy, more like the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit as he applies the work of Christ’s sacrifice to our lives. As time goes on we should be growing in faith and grace. Today there a people who would look for the SIGN gifts of the Holy Spirit – tongues and healing, but they are not the most important gifts of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately some would say that unless you can speak in tongues you are not a real Christian or at least, not a spirit filled Christian.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor. 13:1-13

It is love that is important. Love, Faith and Hope but the greatest of these is love.

We must exercise the gifts that Holy Spirit has given to us in love. There is a long list of gifts: teaching, leadership, serving, encouraging, contributing to the needs of others, showing mercy and showing hospitality, etc. There is not the time to consider the extremes of the “Pentecostal” movement, but let us remember that the sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence within a Church is the LOVE of Christ. Christ said to his disciples, they will know you are my disciples because you love one another. The fruit of the Spirit is obvious.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23.

The Holy Spirit is also called our comforter. In our day of trial, sorrow, temptation, doubt and fear, He is the one that is beside us all the way. He remains with me forever. No one can snatch us out of God’s hand. God will never leave us nor forsake us. The Holy Spirit is given to us forever, to comfort us, and make us share in all Christ’s blessings. He does this in much the same way as the floodlight shows us a building at night.

He illuminates the person of Jesus as we read the Bible. Our faith grows and matures as we feed on the living Word of God. When we open the Bible to read it we are to pray, ‘Lord speak to me so the I may hear your voice and know your truth and give me a heart-felt desire to do what you command. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is not to draw attention to Himself – just as the light is not what we want to look at. All you get from looking at a floodlight is sore eyes. The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the trinity who helps us to know Jesus as saviour and Lord.
I believe in the Holy Spirit.

AMEN.