Charlotte’s Hope Church
Acts 2 - Pentecost - the Gift
Now What? Wait…
Jesus made it clear when He appeared to His disciples after the resurrection – God was in control, the commission He had given them was clear, and now the gift they needed was on the way.
Luke 24:46-49 NIV
Acts 1:4-5 NIV
Acts 1:8 NIV
Baptism with the Holy Spirit - The Power of God for the People of God to do the Mission of God. (Great Commission and Great Commandment)
What Happened? They waited and received the gift.
Acts 2:1 NIV
Pentecost - “Pente” means 50
50 Days after Passover
Celebration of the Harvest
Celebration of the Giving on the Law on Mt. Sinai
Acts 2:2-4 NIV
On Mt. Sinai – the external law was given in a display of fire, wind and waiting for Moses to come back down off of the mountain.
But now, the Promise of the Father is given - the Holy Spirit who writes the Law on our hearts and guides and empowers us to walk in its truth – again in a display of His power.
Acts 2:5-13 NIV
John 16:7 NIV
How did this happen?
1. The disciples were WAITING on the Spirit, not SEARCHING after him.
God knows where you are and it is His will that you will be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.
How did this happen?
2. They waited in the PROMISE OF GOD by FAITH.
John 14:23 NIV
God’s will for your life is not RATIONAL, IT’S RELATIONAL.
It's where we are IN CHRIST, not where we are IN LIFE.
How did this happen?
3. They waited in their WEAKNESS.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is found in the humility of emptying ourselves and recognizing that we have nothing to offer… empty vessels…knowing that without Him, we can do NOTHING.
How did this happen?
4. They chose to OBEY, to REMAIN IN HIM.
There are times that we are asked to wait on the Lord and it truly is ALL ABOUT US.
We learn to trust in God’s WISDOM to lead us down the right path, in his GOODNESS so that we develop a tenacious optimism even when we can’t see the end of the tunnel of our need, and in his POWER to keep us strong as we wait for him to work.
There are other times that we are asked to wait and IT’S NOT ABOUT US, but for the Lord to PREPARE OTHERS and SITUATIONS.
Luke 24:46-47 NIV
1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV