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What is the purpose of Pentecost?

2000 years ago, Jesus died on a cross at Calvary for our sins. He was buried and then God raised Him from the dead. After that He told His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

After waiting on the Lord, on the day of Pentecost, God poured out His Spirit and they spoke in other languages supernaturally. This experience was largely lost to the Church until the early 1900s, when brave men and women faced harassment and persecution and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

The purpose of Pentecost was not just so we could experience ecstasy, although it is a wonderful experience. But God sent His Holy Spirit so we could have God’s power in our lives to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. If ever we needed that power, we need it today. We need the baptism of the Holy Spirit and we need to use that power to reach the world for Jesus.

There is a tendency in the Church to go back to comfortable, man-pleasing religion rather than to follow the Scriptures and reach into the things of the Holy Spirit. This message will challenge you to press into all that God has for you in Christ, and to discover the true purpose of Pentecost.

NOTES: THE PURPOSE OF PENTECOST

READING: Acts 1:1-8

“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, KJV.

MAIN THOUGHT: We need the power of the Holy Spirit to reach this world for Jesus.

If Jesus needed power in His life to bring men and women to himself. If the early church needed power to turn the world upside down, what would make us think with the proliferation of evil and deceit in the world today. that we don’t need power today. We need the power of the Spirit. 

THE PROMISE OF PENTECOST

“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, KJV.

If I made you a promise and then failed to fulfill it, what would that make me. God has promised you the spirit. Too many Christians ball and squall and beg for the Holy Ghost, when all we need to do is believe His promise and take it by faith. They had to wait for the day of Pentecost, but today, Pentecost has come. There is no more waiting.

THE PASSION OF PENTECOST

“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” Acts 1:14, KJV.

Accord—one accord, one mind, one passion; Gr. compound word meaning to “rush along” “in unison” 

THE POWER OF PENTECOST “ye shall receive power.”

“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.” Acts 2:1-4, KJV.

This started a brush fire that is still burning today. 

Charles Parham challenged is Bible School students in Topeka, Kansas to study the Bible and determine what was the most common manifestation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. While he was away on a preaching engagement, they studied and concluded that speaking in other tongues (languages) was the key manifestation found throughout the New Testament. On Jan 1, 1901, Agnes Ozman, asked Parham to lay hands on her to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As he did, she abruptly erupted, speaking out in a foreign tongue. It was found out later, through a linguist that she was speaking and also writing in perfect Mandarin Chinese. Others also spoke, in 21 known languages. There were also many other signs, such as trances, visions, and dreams. One of Parham’s students was an African American man named William Seymour. He had to sit outside the classroom and listen to the teaching because of racial segregation laws. But he sat and took it all in and taught it to black congregations in Houston, TX. He then was invited to pastor a church in LA. His text was Acts 2:1-4 and he was immediately removed from the church and the doors were padlocked. He then began preaching at a home on Bonnie Bray St. where many where filled with the Spirit, spoke in tongues, played the piano supernaturally, fell out under the power and more. In 1906 these meetings were moved to a livery stable on Azuza St., LA. where the incredible outpouring of the spirit began. This is the roots of the Assemblies of God, all other Pentecostal denominations and the Charismatic movement. Now 600 million people worldwide are Pentecostal or Charismatic, about 1/4 of the Christians in the world. 

THEY spoke in tongues as the SPIRIT gave the utterance. The Holy Spirit gives the inspiration. You do the talking. It can be:

• Known Languages & Unknown languages
• As a message to the church
• As a prayer language for personal edification
• And for supernatural intercession according to will of God.

Steve Perschau, asst. pastor at AG Gaylord came to our Believers School of Ministry. I encouraged the class in the value of speaking in tongues, and shared with the class about ministers who had seen great results. Jackie Pullinger. He started praying in tongues on his way to work and back. At first, nothing seem to change. But suddenly, people started to receive instant healings when he laid hands on them. Power started to flow through his fingers. That’s the purpose of Pentecost. Power to pray, Power to heal. Power to witness. Power to preach. 

THE PURPOSE OF PENTECOST

“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: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 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: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:14-21, KJV.

This man, who once was so filled with fear that he denied Jesus, was now filled with a holy power from heaven. He stood in the face of opposition and mockery and declared the Word of the Lord. He laid a biblical foundation for what was happening and then explained the purpose of all this. Not goosebumps, no Holy Ghost parties. Yes, the Holy Ghost will make you happy, but it comes right down to this: “Whosoever. Whosoever. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. The purpose Pentecost is souls. It is that men and women, boys and girls would be saved from eternal damnation and receive eternal life. The Peter told them about Jesus death and resurrection, told them the THEY killed the Lord, and called them to repentance.

THE PEOPLE OF PENTECOST

“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? 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. 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.” Acts 2:37-39, KJV.

This is about real people. It’s about you. It’s not just a history lesson. We are not just discussing the roots of the Assembly of God. This is about you! What will you do with Pentecost? Will you repent? Will you press into the power? Will you speak in new languages as the Spirit gives you utterance? Will you be a witness for the Lord? This promise is to … all that afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. Will you obey the call today?

Pray for the Rain of the Holy Spirit

BSOM262: You Can Receive More of the Holy Spirit [Audio & Video]