Pentecost: A Great Work of God (Acts 1:1-2:12)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
23 May 2021
What happened on the day of Pentecost was a great work of God. The Holy Spirit came upon the early church which bore a powerful testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Day of Pentecost was foreshadowed in the book of Deuteronomy 16:9-12 which foretold what God would do — and he did it!
On the Day of Pentecost the Lord drew his disciples into his great work. We also, modern days disciples, are participants in God's great work.
The church participated in three ways.
It obeyed the commands of God. Who but true disciples of Jesus desire to obey God's commandments? The early church obeyed commandments (1:2; 1:4). God blesses obedient churches.
It proceeded with expectation. The church met in the upper room expecting something to happen. We ought to live in expectation of the great works of God.
It partook in the fulfilment of the prophecy. The early church was baptised with the promised power. We can partake in the fulfilment of prophecy by proclaiming the gospel and living lives worthy of our holy calling.
The Holy Spirit has never left the church. We have the Holy Spirit (John 14:16; 1 John 2:20; 4:13).
The fact that we do not see many souls being saved does not mean we do not have the Holy Spirit. The prophet Isaiah was instrumental in the saving of Jerusalem from captivity. A hundred years later the prophet Jeremiah was not successful in saving Jerusalem from the Babylon captivity. But this does not mean that Jeremiah had less of the Spirit than Isaiah. God had his purposes and these men were used by him in the working out of that purpose.
God continues to do his great work. We see this by observing his work over the centuries particularly in the western church.
The 16th century was the century of gospel recovery and the message that people are saved by faith apart from works. It was the age of Luther and Calvin.
The 17th century was the age of consolidation. It was the age of Protestant Creeds and Confessions which spelled out what the Reformed Church believed in.
The 18th century was the century of revival and awakenings as the evangelical gospel was powerfully proclaimed and thousands of people in the United Kingdom were converted.
The 19th century was the age of missions as Christians from Europe and Britain crossed the oceans to reach the wide world with the gospel.
The 20th century was the age of the indigenous churches emerging from the earlier missionary effort. These churches, established and growing, became missionary-sending churches.
We are now into the 21st century which might well be the century of the oppressed church faithfully preaching the gospel in all the world. Dark forces seek to destroy the Christian church but God's people are being called to be faithful in the midst of this world-wide opposition. This century may be a century of martyrdom.
Despite oppression and persecution Christians will be faithful. They shall proclaim the gospel. We are already seeing the church make use of modern technology and sending out the good news through the internet. The gospel will be preached in all the world and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14).
Pentecost was a great work of God. Be encouraged. Be active in sharing the gospel. It is God's work and we are part of it.