1 When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 “And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
Acts 2:1-8 NKJV
In every recorded outpouring of the Spirit there is some manifestation that is obvious to others, both inside and outside the group. In this first event, the crowds in the city were drawn by a sound. Maybe they heard the wind or the people speaking. When they arrived, each person heard them speaking in his own peculiar dialect. They were amazed. This was all preceded by the arrival of the Spirit upon those gathered in the room. They experienced the sound of wind and the sight of falling fire. Then they all spoke with new tongues. All in all, quite a production.
As we gather with the saints today, let’s note 3 things that preceded the outpouring:
- There was an appointed time. Appointments with God are important.
- They were all gathered in one place. This was a group experience.
- They were expecting something, to be baptized with Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), though they weren’t sure what that would look like.
Today is the first day of the week, the appointed time for our gathering. Our job is to gather and expect God to move by His Spirit. We don’t have to know what He will do, but we know it will be wonderful and tangible. Let’s come expecting.
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