Mentoring Men for the Master

MEANING AND EXPERIENCE OF PENTECOST

 Today we celebrate the Pentecost.  What is Pentecost?  Pentecost comes from the Greek Pentekostos,  meaning fiftieth, for the Day of Pentecost occurred 50 days or 7 weeks after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Pentecost was one of the 3 great Jewish festivals.  But in Christian theology, it was the 2nd most important day in the history of humankind.  The first most important day was the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  The resurrection proved that Jesus had atoned for man’s sin and pardon was a reality.  If Jesus had failed to pay for one sin, He would not have  been raised, but He paid for all sins.  But man needs more than pardon.  He needs power, and power was given at Pentecost.  For on that day God in the person of the Holy Spirit entered the body of a every  believer.  Such had never happened before.  The Holy Spirit is God and was working in the Old Testament, but He came only upon certain individuals and could depart.  He came and departed from Sampson and Sampson did not even know it.

Now in order to understand the full meaning of Pentecost, we need to consider several things.  There are five commandments of God concerning the Holy Spirit:

  1. We are commanded to be born again by the Holy Spirit – note the 2 agents of the new birth in John 3:5.  The Word of God is preached, the Holy Spirit takes that Word and strikes a fire, leading one to repentance and the reception of a new life through the Holy Spirit.  When this occurs, the Holy Spirit is forever present in that person.
  2. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 5:18.  Why, if we already have the Holy Spirit?  Because while the Holy Spirit may be Present – He needs to be President.   You have the Holy Spirit through the new birth, but the Holy Spirit has you through the infilling.
  3. We are, in the third place, commanded to walk in the Holy Spirit – Galatians 5:11.  This means we are commanded and privileged to depend entirely upon the power of the Holy Spirit as we live this life.  Just as we depend upon our legs to walk step by step, we are to depend on the Holy Spirit to enable us to do all we do in the Name of the Lord.

So there are three truths you need to understand – the three P’s:  Present, President, and Performance.  Unless we come to this reality, we will still be under rules and regulations, like the law of the Old Testament.  Paul gave testimony to this experience in his own life and expressed it in Galatians 2:20.  Then he explained further in the next verse (Galatians 2:21) “I do not frustrate (set aside) the grace of God, for if righteousness came by the law Christ died in vain or for nothing.”

But how are we to come into His power and performance?  By obeying the 2 negative commandments concerning the Holy Spirit.

  1. We are commanded not to quench the Holy Spirit – 1 Thess. 5:19.  The word “quench” means “to stifle or put out.”  The Holy Spirit, like the wind, is ever pointing us to Jesus.  He speaks through the Word and the small inner voice.  If we will obey, He will keep leading us closer and closer to Jesus, but we can put out the fire.  How sad.  Are you obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit in your soul? 
  2. We are commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 4:30.  I spent a whole hour on this last week.  When you grieve the Holy Spirit, He cannot be President, He cannot perform His wonderful work.

What are the results of His infilling?  Acts 1:8.  Where were the disciples before Pentecost?  They were without power.  After Pentecost, they not only had God’s presence, His presidency, but His performance because they had the power whereof to do what Jesus commands.  Note John 14:12 – This was clearly seen on the Day of Pentecost.  More people turned to Christ on one day than in all of Jesus’ ministry.

Note the life of the local church following Pentecost – Acts 2:42-47.  The average church and Christian is bogged down between Calvary and Pentecost.  They have come to Christ for pardon but not to Pentecost for power.   Bethlehem means God is with us.  Calvary means God is for us.  Pentecost means God is in us, empowering us to live victoriously and to witness  boldly.

Conclusion:  There are three kinds of Christians:

  1. Row-boat Christians – struggling in their own power; stop to rest for a while, only to find that the current has taken them back where they started.
  2. Sail-boat Christians – let the wind do all the work; enjoy the high moments, but what happens when the doldrums come?
  3. Steam powered Christians – take the water of the Word and combine it with the fire of the Holy Spirit and there is constant power no matter what the conditions!

Which type are you?  The Holy Spirit has definitely called me to mentor men who experience His presence (the new birth), His presidency but also His power.  Will you be that man?