Pentecost Revisited: The Holy Ghost is Still Available to All!

Trevor S Ferguson

May 23, 2021

 

Acts 2:1-8, 14-18, 37-39 (KJV)
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

 

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

 

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Today is recognized in the Christian calendar as Pentecost Sunday. In current Christian tradition, Pentecost is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday and commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, which occurred on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Jewish tradition Pentecost was one of three major Jewish Festivals, called the Feast of Weeks, Feast of Harvest or the Day of the First Fruits. This was celebrated fifty days after the Passover and commemorated the beginning of the wheat harvest. Some have also associated the feast of Pentecost with the giving of the law at Sinai. The feast of Pentecost was first mentioned in Exodus 23 and additional details given in Leviticus 23. All Jewish males were required to gather in the sanctuary on the day of Pentecost. This requirement for gathering of all males occurred only two other times in the Jewish calendar, i.e., the feast of the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. Given this requirement, devout Jews from every nation would gather in Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost.

Today we revisit the events on the first Christian Pentecost, to remind ourselves of the significance of this day and reflect on lessons to be learned from this first Pentecost. We emphasize today that the Holy Ghost is still available to all!

 

EXPOSITION

The bible tells us the Jesus was seen on earth for forty days after his resurrection and that prior to his ascension, recorded in Luke 24 and Acts 1, he commanded the that his disciples should wait on the promise of the father, before beginning their ministry as witnesses of him (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). Acts 1:4-5 and verse 8 are summarizes Jesus’ instructions prior to his ascension.

“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (Acts 1:4-5)

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

These verses clearly show that the Holy Ghost was promised by Jesus and was required for ministry.

The apostles along with other disciples, totalling approximately 120 believers, acted in obedience to Jesus’ instruction, found an upper room in Jerusalem and waited in prayer and supplication for the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise. The day of Pentecost proved to be this momentous occasion! The details are all recorded in Act 2. The world would be changed forever by the events of Pentecost. Luke’s record is clear and powerful. Let’s look again to Act 2:1-4.

 

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 

This account demonstrates to power of God to intervene in world affairs. While the disciples were probably expecting something spectacular, this must have blown them away! In the midst of a quiet prayer meeting, Jesus shows up and changes things forever!

First there was the sound – a mighty rushing wind. Then there was the vision – cloven tongues like fire. Then there was the experience – the infilling of the Holy Ghost; the Spirit of God taking residence in the heart of the believers. After that it was impossible to remain silent! The Bible says they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them ability to speak.

The choice of day was Divine! Right there to witness everything were Jews from virtually every nation with varied languages. They probably heard the sound of the wind, and then heard the noise resulting from the exuberant expressions of joy from the disciples, new filled with the Holy Ghost. The people were amazed, asking one another, how is it that these Galileans were now suddenly able to speak multiple languages. Of course, there were also doubters, suggesting that the marvelous event they were witnessing was due to a state of drunkenness.

Peter was quick to set the record straight. This experience had nothing to do with drunkenness; given the early time, only persons with severe alcoholism would have had an opportunity to get drunk so early. Peter however clarified that this was instead the fulfilment of Joel’s prophesy.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18 KJV).

Peter went on to complete his sermon showing that what they were witnessing, was a direct result of Jesus’ ministry. Although the Jews had crucified and killed Jesus Christ, God had raised him from the dead, consistent with David’s prophesy that the Christ would not remain in the grave, nor would his body be allowed to decay. Peter and the rest of the apostles were living witnesses of these things. Jesus of Nazareth, the same Jesus who was crucified, is risen from the dead and was now Lord and Christ.

 

Acts 2:37 tells us that after Peter’s message a great conviction fell upon the people, who then asked what should be done in response to this revelation. Peter then gave what has become, for many, the key verse of New Testament salvation.

Acts 2:38 presents the first stated doctrine of salvation in the church age and reflects the teaching and practice of all the apostles and members in the early church.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Let me emphasize this. The message of salvation taught by Peter, the 11 Apostles, Paul, and all the leaders of the early church was repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus and the infilling of the Holy Ghost! This was not a mistake or misrepresentation of the instructions Jesus gave. It fulfils all the commands in Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16: 15-18 and Luke 24:46-49. The precedence from church history is extremely clear. The early church baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and expected all believers to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I encourage all Christians to read the passages carefully and act accordingly.

I would like to bring this message to a close by emphasizing three key points (take home messages) to be noted from Acts 2:

Point #1: The Baptism of Holy Ghost was a definite and distinctive experience.

There is no still birth! When someone receives the Holy Ghost, they will know that something special has happened and will be able to pinpoint the day and time it happened.  (For me: February 23, 1986; night service, Beulah Pentecostal Temple). Galatians 4:6 tells us that God send forth the Spirit of his Son in our hearts crying Abba Father. Just as in the natural when we expect to hear a baby cry at birth as a sign of new life, when someone receives the Holy Ghost, we expect to hear a cry as a sign of this new birth.

The sign observed in the book of Acts is speaking in tongues. Several passages in expressly states that that the people spoke with tongues when they received the Holy Ghost. We see this in Acts 2:4; Acts 10:44-46 and Acts 19:6. Speaking tongues or glossolalia as termed by some, involves speaking a language that the believer has never learnt. It is not gibberish or incoherent syllables. It is an actual language, which may be known or unknown, or as Paul describes it in 1^st Corinthians 13, this may be the tongues of men or of angels.

Note also that speaking in tongues is not just for special situations where people need to hear the gospel in their own language. In fact, on the day of Pentecost all the Jews understood the Jewish language. There was no language barrier between Peter and the household of Cornelius, neither was there a language barrier between Paul and the men at Ephesus. Tongues therefore are a sign both to the believer and the onlooker as a supernatural act of God to verify the infilling with his Spirit.

 

Point #2: All believers in Jesus Christ should receive the Holy Ghost.

All 120 believers on the Day of Pentecost received the Holy Ghost. There was an unusual emphasis on the word all in Acts 2. In fact, the word all occurs 15 times in 13 of the 47 verses in Acts 2. I will just reference a few

Acts 2:1 – ALL with one accord in one place.

Acts 2:4 – ALL filled with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:32 – …  whereof we are ALL witnesses.

Acts 2:36 – Let ALL the house of Israel know assuredly …

Acts 2:38 uses similar terminology – repent and be baptized ever one of you …

There is a deliberate emphasis on ensuring that this was not a limited opportunity offering, but all those who desire to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost can have it.

 

Point #3: The Promise of the Holy Ghost is Still Available Today

Acts 2:39 is a critical verse here: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” The promise is extended to as many as the Lord shall call. If God called you, then the Holy Ghost is promised to you!

What then do you to do to receive the Holy Ghost? There are only two absolute requirements – repentance and faith. God will not come to dwell in a vessel marred by sin. We must repent. Repentance refers to a godly sorrow for sin, recognizing that we have sinned, asking God for forgiveness and pledging to live righteously, thereafter. Secondly, if we come to God, we must believe in Him – Hebrews 11:6.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

If we truly believe by faith and repent of our sins God will come in and fill us with the Holy Ghost – any day and any time. The promise is still available to you today!

 

APPLICATION & CONCLUSION

On this Pentecost Sunday, we have revisited the events of the first Pentecost and the marvelous events that heralded the beginning church age. Just as God stepped in on the first Pentecost, he can step into your life right now. Open your heart and let him come in.

We have also been reminded that the Holy Ghost is available to all believers. If you have not yet received the Holy Ghost, right now is a good time. Repent of all your sins. Believe God with all your heart. Come expecting a blessing. God is ready and willing to pour out His Spirit in you!!

 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:

Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
¹⁹  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
²⁰  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

Mark 16:15-18 (KJV)
¹⁵  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
¹⁷  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
¹⁸  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

 

Luke 24:46-49 (KJV)
⁴⁶  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
⁴⁷  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
⁴⁸  And ye are witnesses of these things.
⁴⁹  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

 

John 5:43 (KJV)
⁴³  I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

John 14:26 (KJV)

²⁶  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Price of Our Salvation

Trevor Ferguson 

April 3, 2021

Matthew 27:45-46

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

See link below:

THE PRICE OF OUR SALVATION

PURSUING YOUR PURPOSE DURING THE PANDEMIC

Trevor Ferguson

January 2, 2021

 

(Originally delivered May 31, 2020)

 

Jeremiah 29:1-14 (KJV)

1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)

3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

 

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 crisis has produced unprecedented change in the life of almost every person in the world. Never in our lifetime have we seen such massive change in such a short space of time. Almost every country is affected, with most countries having implemented some type of shutdown. In just six months, there have been over six million cases and almost 370 thousand deaths. Global travel has come to an almost complete standstill and nobody knows what the future holds! Countries are now trying to reopen, some cautiously and some not so cautiously, at all. There are fears of a second wave, which many believe could be worse than the first. There is still no widely available effective treatment and little chance of a vaccine becoming available before year end.

The crisis is here, and the end is not in sight!

 

So, what do you do during a pandemic? Do you become paralyzed by fear and do nothing? Do you hide in your home and hope the virus never come to your house? Do you act as if the virus does not exist, and carry on just as you were doing before? Do you try to convince yourself that the virus will be gone soon, and you will just get back to your old life?

 

The fact is that none of these approaches are likely to be effective! We will have to adjust to a new normal! We need a realistic response, built on clear biblical principles, that acknowledges the crisis, but is not based on fear or reckless abandon. Today we reflect on the passage from Jeremiah 29, where Jeremiah wrote to the elders in Babylon, providing them with guidelines for the Jewish people living in Babylonian captivity. I believe that the principles then can be applied to today's COVID-19 crisis and will suggest a path for us to Pursue Our Purpose During the Pandemic.

 

EXPOSITION

Let us take a few moments to put this scripture in context. Jeremiah was one of the major Old Testament prophets and prophesied during the period prior to, and during the early phases of the Jewish exile in Babylon. Jeremiah prophesied concern the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem, but was also a voice of hope, proclaiming God’s plan for the restoration of his people. In the passage in Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah writes to about three thousand Jews who were carried away in the early phase of the exile in Babylon. These included elders, priests, prophets, as well as members of the kings’ household. Jeremiah had previously prophesied in Jeremiah 25:11 that the captivity would last seventy years, but false prophets among the exiles had begun to prophesy that the captivity would be short, and the people would soon return to Jerusalem. Jeremiah sought to correct this false expectation and provided guidelines as to how they should operate in while in captivity. Verses 5-7 provide clear guidelines:

“Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”

In some ways then, we can liken the COVID-19 crisis to the situation faced by the Jews in captivity. They had experienced sudden and drastic change in their life circumstances; the future was very uncertain and there was no clear end in sight. Certainly then, we can learn something from what God said to them through Jeremiah at that time. I will use the instructions of Jeremiah as a guide to suggest an approach to the current crisis with four action points

Action point #1: Pause to Ponder and to Pray

Whenever there is a crisis, we must pause to see what God is saying to us. Firstly, we have to ask ourselves if we have departed from the path that God desires for us? Is God trying to get our attention? Human beings have a way of ignoring God when things are good. We feel self-sufficient and believe we can do anything and see no need for God. But when we get in trouble, our first tendency is to call on God. When we look in the Psalms, we see several passages stating that persons cried unto the Lord in times of distress. This can be summarized from Psalm 120:1: “In my distress I called on the Lord, and he heard me”. Psalm 107 chronicles the story of Israel and their various experiences. Many times, Israel went astray and found themselves in problems, but the Psalmist recounts on several occasions: 

“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses”. Again, we can summarize this from Psalm 107: 11-13:

“Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.”

C. S. Lewis puts it this way “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” So, when we see unprecedented events, whether in our individual lives, or globally as in this current crisis, our first activity should be to pause and ponder what God is saying to us. It is also important that we pray and seek his face. In 2^nd Chronicles 7:13-14 the word of God promises that if we pray, seek his face, turn from our wicked ways, he will hear from heaven and heal our lands.

“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 

Let us pause to ponder and to pray, so that God may hear from heaven and heal our land.

 

Action Point #2: Press on with Possibly Activities

This action point is based on our focus text Jeremiah 29:5-6:

Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. 

The verses say to us that we need to get on with our lives, despite the confines and limitations of our circumstances. We must acknowledge the crisis and the limitation of the COVID Pandemic, but we cannot allow ourselves to become paralyzed by fear. We should not be reckless and behave as if nothing has happened, but we must continue to lead full lives, adjusting to the circumstances we face. So, we put on our mask, we maintain our physical distancing, we wash our hands and cover our coughs, but we must keep going. If we can’t come out to the sanctuary, we attend church online, we can’t go to the classroom, we do our schooling online, we can’t go out to work, we work from home, we can’t go out to exercise, we exercise at home, can’t link up with friends, we link up online. In short, we adjust to our circumstances and keep on living.

We find some examples of this in the early church as well – persecuted by the Jews, the apostles left Jerusalem and went everywhere preaching the gospel; Paul was imprisoned and could no longer go on his missionary journeys – he wrote letters to the churches. These letters continue to instruct us today! So, what do you do when limited by life’s circumstances? We press on with possible activities.

 

Action Point #3: Peruse the Scriptures

As we press on with our activities, we must take time to study the word of God, so that we can understand the times and therefore know what to do. Often, the word of God has clear answers to some of the questions we have in these times. In Jeremiah’s time, false prophets had begun to prophesy regarding the exile and proclaiming that the exile would end soon and they would return to Israel within a few years, but Jeremiah had already prophesied that Israel would be in Babylon for seventy years. If they were clearly reading the scriptures and listening to the word of God, they would have had a much better understanding as to what to do.

Today, the scriptures continue to provide guidance. I will just mention two passages which provides some context with regards to the times.

Firstly, Matthew 24:4-8

^“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Secondly, Luke 21: 25-28

^“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Time will not allow us to look in any more details on these passages but let us be reminded that it is time that we begin again to study the endtimes!

Action Point #4: Personalize God’s Promises and Purse God’s Plan

For this action point we reflect on verse 11 of Jeremiah 29.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

The NIV rendition says it well:

 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I want to reassure someone today that God’s plans are for your good! You may not understand the place you are in right now, but God did not bring you this far to leave you. The troubles you are experiencing now is for a set time! COVID is for a set time! You will get out of this crisis and God will prosper you. So, we acknowledge the troubles of today, but lift up your heads, tomorrow comes; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Let us say like David said in Psalm 42:11:

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Let us personalize the promises of God and pursue his plans for us. His plans are for our good. He will prosper us, He will deliver us, He will save us and ultimately, he will take us to live with Him in heaven. We can lift up our heads, with great hope. The COVID crisis will not conquer us. God will come through for us and will give us joy and peace.

Trust him today!

  

APPLICATION & CONCLUSION

The word of God today reminded us that we can still pursue our purpose, despite the current pandemic. While we must acknowledge its limitations, we can press on with current activities and pursue God’s plan for our lives. Let us continue to trust him today

If you have not yet started your salvation journey, you need to do so today. It is dangerous to live in these uncertain times without the assurance of God’s presence in your life. I implore you to put your trust in Jesus Christ today. Repent if your sins, accept water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and ask God to fill you with his precious Holy Spirit. It is the best decision you could ever make and will give you the assurance of a home in heaven when Jesus comes back. God bless you today. In Jesus name.