Pentecost Sermon – Rev. Simon J. Oriedo

Pentecost Sunday:

A Sermon Preached at the ACK St. Mark’s West lands during the Pentecost Sunday on 19^th May, 2013 in 7:30am, 8:30, 9.00am and 11.00am Services

Texts:

• Genesis11:1-9
• Acts 2:1-26
• John 20:19-23

Introduction and Historical Background of Pentecost

The word Pentecost is a Greek word, signifying the fiftieth part of a thing. Pentecost traces its root from the Jewish OT festival called the Feast of the First Fruits / Feast of Harvest / Feast of Weeks. The feast of Pentecost was instituted in commemoration of the giving the law on Mount Sinai through Moses. This took place fifty days after their departure out of Egypt. Pentecost is a very important festival observed by Christians. It falls on the 50^th day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and 10 days after his ascension to heaven.

There are three issues that I consider key to the Pentecostal Experience this year:

1. 1.      Pentecost Marks the Giving of a Spiritual Language to Believers

Spiritual language or tongue is not a learned language but inspired by the Holy Spirit. The manifestations and operations of the Holy Spirit were many; that of speaking with different tongues, was one of them, and was singled out to be the first indication of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke informs us that the evidence that the disciples had been filled with the Holy Spirit was that they spoke in tongues besides their native language:

Acts 2:4 “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesas the Spirit enabled them.”

It was not tongues which they had copied, learned or initiated by themselves but were as a result of the Holy Spirit’s enablement. The spiritual language or tongues are given by the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. Tongues were an outward sensible sign, for the confirming of the faith of the disciples themselves, and for the convincing of others.

1 Corinthians 14:22 “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers…”

What Paul tells the Corinthians was evident on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:5-13 “⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

The disciples understood one another and so were the unbelievers. They did not speak here and there a word of another tongue, or stammer out some broken sentences, but spoke it as clearly, properly, and elegantly, as if it had been their mother tongue, in which the builders of Babel failed after their common language was confused:

Genesis 11:7 “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

What is in a Common Language?

1. For the builders of the Tower of Babel, language was a means of achieving personal and selfish satisfaction; like in Kenya today
2. Differences in languages means: misunderstandings, conflict, tensions and confusion

What a paradox that on the day of Pentecost, the Judaisers (Judaism worshippers) from other parts of the world where they had been scattered spoke different languages yet on this particular day, they were re-united, each one of them hearing the message of God in his own language. On the day of Pentecost, God created one language, an understanding, out of the many languages.

1. 2.      Pentecost Brought an Inward Spiritual Transformation

In Genesis 2 the builders of the Tower of Babel were united for a selfish goal; to build a tower to reach where God was. They were trying to use their own knowledge, power and wisdom to be with God or to attain spirituality. However, we are warned that:

Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

On the other hand in Acts 2, the disciples were in one accord waiting for the Holy Spirit. They chose the way of humility as opposed to self righteousness.

Isaiah 66:2b “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”

Acts 2:1 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”

The unity; the togetherness the disciples exhibited was such that there was no selfishness among them but their focus was on God. Waiting for the Holy Spirit made the disciples all equally humbled. The impact this occasion made on their lives was evident. The coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples was made evident through the inward transformation and signs that all could see and hear. Simon Peter, the timid became a powerful evangelistic preacher; standing with the eleven and preaching the gospel.

We must take note that unity among people has power – it can be for evil purpose like in Genesis 11:1-9 or it can be for spiritual purpose like in John 20:19-23 and Acts 2.

1. i.                    The Holy Spirit is Responsible for Regeneration and Sanctification

A Christian cannot be a Christian without the working power of the Holy Spirit within him/her. We must appreciate the fact that salvation is a process of “becoming” which starts at salvation; becoming like Christ because of the sanctification process by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 44:3 – “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

1. ii.                 The Holy Spirit Gives Spiritual Power

The Holy Spirit empowers the believers for spiritual service. Believers need spiritual power to serve God successfully and to be fruitful. Christ himself began the ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:1-2; 14-15 ¹“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” ¹⁴Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.”

Before the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, he was just an obedient son to His parent and just a carpenter man. But the Holy Spirit on Him gave Him power. Jesus prescribed the same solution to his disciples – the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…

John 20:22 “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

The coward disciples and the betrayer Simon Peter needed the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:14 “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.”

Peter with the power of the Holy Spirit, preached on and on, and at the end of his preaching, three thousand got saved and were baptised. Today, the Church of Jesus is made up of coward Christians, Christians who have never experienced the power of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength”. Jesus Christ gives strength through the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”.

1. 3.      Pentecost Gave Birth to Missions and Evangelism

Before he left his disciples, Jesus promised them that the coming of the Holy Spirit on them will result in missions and evangelism:

John 20:21 “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.

The zeal and the involvement in missions and evangelism were born out of Pentecost. Thus Pentecost brought the beginning of the Gospel era. For the disciples, the day of Pentecost provided a unique opportunity in which to proclaim the Gospel. This in turn led to the birth of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 1-8:1a).

The Receiving of the Holy Spirit comes with a mandate “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:23). The gospel brings forgiveness of sins to a new life in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

Christians should not only observe the Day of Pentecost but celebrate the Pentecostal Experience as the disciples experienced first in Acts 2. For it is only then that:

1. i.                    Our languages can spiritually be sources of understanding as opposed to misunderstandings of negative ethnicity

On the Day of Pentecost, even though the disciples could speak in tongues; languages they had not learned, they could be understood as opposed to the Babel case where language created misunderstandings and scattering. The language given by the Holy Spirit does not create divisions, misunderstandings and enmity but understanding, unity and love. The language helps to build the church into an everlasting body of Christ as opposed to the Tower of Babel which is abandoned due to its self centeredness and personal egos.

1. ii.                 There will be manifestation of spiritual gifts in the church

What happened on the Day of Pentecost was not only for the disciples of Jesus Christ and the early church but also for the Anglican Church of Kenya and any church of Jesus Christ today. Jesus Christ is still filling believers with the Holy Spirit and all spiritual gifts are still being given by the Holy Spirit to believers today. None of these died with the last apostle as some believe.

1. iii.               The church everywhere and at all times must fulfil the Great Commission Mandate

The church exists to do missions and carry out evangelism in any form and using any tools. There should be no conflict in either using the traditional methods or modern methods for evangelism. Whatever, appropriate in any context can be used with a focus to having people getting saved and believers growing in the faith. The Church must multiply herself and plant churches. There is no “family” planning as far as church planting is concerned.

Pentecost Sunday, 19^th May 2013

 

Rev. Simon J. Oriedo (BSc, BD (Hon), PGD, MABS, MEd)

P.O. Box 14814 – 00100, Nairobi –KENYA