The preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost “cut to the heart” and led to the conversion of 3,000 people. That’s a sermon! I submit to you that had he preached the exact sermon to the same people before Pentecost, the results would have been dramatically different I also believe that Peter would have been incapable of such preaching before the outpouring of The Spirit.
This glorious event (Pentecost) has been mercilessly analyzed and frittered away into the pigeon-holes of higher, and mostly lower, criticism for centuries. The most pitiable exposition of acts 2 is the one that goes…”this outpouring symbolizes God’s gift of The Spirit to the church and later at the house of Cornellius, yet another symbolic outpouring showing The Lord’s acceptance of the gentiles”. Yep, that was it, one measured and metered dose for all the church for all time. Christ said:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me….” Acts 1:8a. Peter and company, just days before Pentecost, after having been in the presence of the resurrected Jesus for 40 days were still asking stupid questions like: “Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The sermon of Peter after the pouring out of the Spirit and the results of that sermon demonstrate a dramatic change… the power to be a witness was now evident.
John 7:38-39 says:
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (KJV)The word “given” has been added. The original text says: “…the Holy Ghost was not yet because that Jesus was not yet glorified”. The Holy Ghost poured out at Pentecost was the Spirit of the glorified Jesus, come down to continue His work through the medium of His followers. Andrew Murray, as only he can, writes a most eloquent meditation of this matter in his book “The Spirit of Christ” chapter 5. You can read the chapter on the CU website at this link:
http://articles.christiansunite.com/article1773.shtml It saddens me to see western Christianity becoming, more and more, a kind of clearinghouse for insipid, “me-centered” self-help and motivational drivel. My motive in this writing is to stimulate some fellowship and discussion about what my heart tells me is our greatest need as Christians today…Pentecost; not so we can speak in tongues (though I do) or bark, laugh and carry on, but that we might wait in one accord, with prayer and supplication for that which has birthed every great move of God and has brought about the major corrections (called revivals) in the advancement of His Kingdom.
This may be a little long so I will call it “part one”. Later, if anyone’s game, I would like to share some of the many precedents in scripture for this topic.
Agape
Bairn (old Scottish for child)
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