When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
Acts 2:1-6 ESV
What a day that was! These people had been waiting for this moment, but they didn’t really know what it would be like. Jesus told them that they would be baptized with the Spirit. He went on to explain that the Spirit would come upon them. There’s a lot of debate about this historic moment and its exact nature, but three things stand out to me:
- They were all together. Some versions say they were in one accord. The point is, they were in unity and proximity. They shared an expectation that what Jesus said would inevitably happen. They were hungry.
- They had a powerful experience with the Holy Spirit. Whatever you believe about the fire and the wind, it’s clear that something tangible and powerful happened, and they all saw and felt it.
- The result was supernatural revival. They spoke in languages that were not their own. Y’all can argue about what that means. I’ll stick with the fact that the wind, the fire, and the noise drew them to the masses and the masses to them. This multicultural crowd heard them speaking in their own tongues. It doesn’t say that the Christians spoke in their languages. It says that the people heard them in their own languages.
Here’s the point: Let’s start a little bit of Holy Spirit revival today. First, get your heart right toward the people in your church. I don’t care what they said or did or didn’t do. They are your spiritual family. They’re human just like you. Forgive, forget, and get yourself together in one place. That’s how it works.
Second, turn up your expectations: The Holy Spirit wants to show off, but He’s a gentleman and won’t interrupt our coffee klatch, amateur concert, and self-help pep talk unless we want Him to. His desire is to move us out into the world and enable us to speak words that they can hear.
Out world needs fresh fire and a fresh wind. The aim of our gathering as the church is to be purged with fire, empowered by the wind, and blown out into the midst of the mess. If that ain’t happening, we’re not ready yet. Let’s get ready. Let’s get our hearts right, get together, and let God be God.
pastorvirgil.com 