Sermon by Tim Finlay
Matthew 16:18: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is the beginning of the church era. God tells His people what He is going to do in the Bible.
Luke 3:16: "John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'"
This talks about the ministry of John the Baptist. Here we have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:3-5: "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'"
Here it talks about the kingdom of God.
Acts 2:1: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place."
What is Pentecost? It is first mentioned in Acts 2. The word Pentecost is not mentioned in the Old Testament.
Exodus 23:14-17, 19: "Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God."
There were three festivals that were commanded to the Israelites—the festival of unleavened bread, the festival of harvest and the festival of ingathering. This celebrated the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19 and 20 is the torah reading of Pentecost which again is the giving of the law.
Habakkuk 3:3-6: "God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal."
This is a tremendous vision of power and majesty. We see a similar manifestation of God on the day of Pentecost. Read Acts chapter 2 for the background on Pentecost. The people that were gathered on the day of Pentecost came from many different places and all heard Peter's sermon in their own languages. The Spirit of God overcame the languages. The era of the church begins at Pentecost and is the beginning of the last days.
Sermon summary prepared by local Glendora church member Charlie Schreiner.