Pentecost Sunday 2021 (05/23/2021)

Pentecost Sunday 2021 (05/23/2021)

May 29, 2021

OPENING STATEMENT: Jesus appeared to His disciples 40 days after His resurrection and after His ascension, He instructed His disciples to doing something that most of us don’t like to do -WAIT!

Read Acts 1:1-8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-8 NKJ)

The final instruction was to stay and wait for The Power of The Holy Spirit

As a matter of fact, His last instruction is to not do anything else but to wait.

Wait for what?

The Power and the timing of the Holy Spirit.

Whatever God has called you to do? You cannot do it in your own strength. You need The Power of The Holy Spirit.

How about loving your enemies? Matthew 5:44

“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 NKJ)

Now that’s a tough principle, right? In our own strength, it is absolutely impossible!

Godly Principles without Godly Power to live out those principle is a dead end.

Jesus did not come just to give us a series of tough principles only. Jesus also came to give us the Power to live out those principles.

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever (John 14:15-16 NKJ)

If you call yourself a Christian (a lover of Jesus) obey my principles. BUT you will not be able to obey them in your own strength. You need the power of the helper.

That is why the last words of Jesus before the ascension in Acts 1:8 matter so much:

Don’t leave Jerusalem but wait. Wait for what? The Power of The Helper!

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”

Wait for what? The Power of The Holy Spirit

WHAT TO DO YOU WHILE YOU WAIT?

You Pray!

Read Acts 1:12-14

14 THESE ALL CONTINUED WITH ONE ACCORD IN PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Prayer and supplication mean to pray without ceasing until you receive your answer.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJ)

Pray without ceasing.

There’s a shift in your attitude when you pray: You rejoice! You give thanks!

Your focus is no longer on your problem but on Him.

That’s exactly what the disciples did. In that upper room they prayed without ceasing. 10 days later. On the Day of Pentecost. Their prayer was answered. The Power they have been waiting for came.

Read Acts 2:1-4

Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4 NKJ)

Without the Indwelling Empowerment of the Holy Spirit you are helpless.

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever (John 14:16 NKJ)

Without the Helper, His indwelling ability, His empowering ability, His leadership, you are powerless.

The Father creates – The Son Redeems – The Holy Spirit Empowers

Without the Holy Spirit we will spend the rest of our lives roaming and searching for a connection to God.

CONCLUSION

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

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