(Courtesy of Greg Denham) Many these days are praying for a Jesus stream – a fantastic work of the Gospel in our era! however in an effort to take into account who a Jesus-follower is nowadays, we deserve to be aware who we were as Jesus Christ-followers and Pentecost is the floor floor. it is the ground flooring of the starting of THE Jesus Revolution. It may be spoke of then, that the manner forward is the style returned. So let's appear again! The context of Pentecost concerns.
Jesus advised the disciples after the resurrection to attend in Jerusalem for the promise of the father (Acts 1:4). We now be aware of that there become a particular day in mind for that promise to be revealed, the day of Pentecost. at the present time is likely one of the three pilgrim fairs required by the Lord (Exod. 23:14-17; 34:18-24; Duet. 16:16-17). "Pente" capability fifty. It refers to counting the harvest fifty days after Passover. The Hebrew identify is Shavout, which means "weeks". it's a harvest festival celebrating the conclusion of the barley harvest and the first fruits of the wheat harvest. Yet on the minds of the a whole lot of heaps attending that Pentecost, changed into the perception that the Torah (the primary five books of Bible) had been given on Pentecost 1300 years previous. The Jewish lifestyle is referred to as Zman Matan Torah, "the season of the giving of the law," when the Lord separated His individuals from Egypt and known as them into relationship with Him. it is when the earth shook with flashes of lightning and God spoke in thunder!
What took location fifty days after Jesus gave His existence on the pass – "when the day of Pentecost had utterly come" (Acts 2:1) – exhibits that the parallels between the giving of the legislations and the ground floor of the Jesus Revolution are unmistakable. God validated His presence atop Mt. Sinai 1300 years earlier; on the ground flooring of the Jesus Revolution atop Mt. Zion, God established His presence, vigour, and intention to 120 Jewish believers. On Mt. Sinai God gave His commandments on tablets of stone written with the finger of God; on the ground floor of the Jesus Revolution atop Mt. Zion, the Spirit of God wrote the Commandments on human hearts. At Mt. Sinai 3,000 have been judged as a result of idolatry; on the ground ground of the Jesus Revolution atop Mt. Zion, 3,000 people came to faith in Jesus Messiah!
In essence, the talents of God became exploding through the trustworthy remnant of Israel within the one hundred twenty followers of Jesus atop Mt. Zion. They had been the remnant that turned into publicly and divinely recognized with tongues of fireplace above their heads and given the gift of tongues to communicate the outstanding works of God to a world gathering from fifteen diverse geographical locations with lots of languages (Acts 2:3; 5-11).
Peter, after being empowered and gifted with the aid of the Spirit, declared that Jesus in His death, resurrection, and ascension turned into developing all things new in Himself and would return to establish His kingdom on the earth in the city of Jerusalem. the brand new Covenant that had been inaugurated with the aid of Jesus' blood on the pass on Passover (Nisan 14) become now remodeling 3,000 Jews who had repented and had been being indwelt via the Spirit of God (Acts three:37-forty one). any more, the countries of the realm may enter the new Covenant that had been given to Israel to bless the world through the Messiah of Israel, and could now also adventure the outpouring of God's Spirit (Acts 2:sixteen-21; 39).
The context of this displays an unstoppable plan of God! both Passover and Pentecost were prophetic! Their most fulfilling achievement is within the person and work of Jesus Messiah!
Years in the past, the apologist and Christian philosopher Francis Shaeffer become requested, "what is the most appropriate impediment to the modern church?" His answer became charming each in what he didn't say, as well as what he did say. He didn't say that the fundamental complications had been the "ism's" in lifestyle (i.e. sensualism, materialism, atheism, relativism) but rather he mentioned, "The real difficulty is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, individually corporately, tending to do the Lord's work in the vigour of the flesh as opposed to of the Spirit. The central issue is always in the midst of the individuals of God, no longer within the instances surrounding them."
Rediscovering the ground ground of the Jesus Revolution in the first century in its long-established context, can deliver renewal and even a reorientation to God's intended route and mission for the church!
below are only just a few examples.
First, the context of Pentecost tells us that God's applications for our lives are only achieved in His energy! Jesus observed "for John definitely baptized with water, however He also referred to, "you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has encounter you; and you will probably be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:four-5; eight)
The Spirit's work is comprehensive. He indwells the believer and gives assurance of being a toddler of God (Romans 8:16). He brings a believer into intimacy with Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). The Spirit comes upon the believer to empower with divine gifting for divine mission (Acts 1:sixteen). Zechariah four:6 reads, "It's now not by means of vigour nor by may nevertheless it's through my Spirit says the Lord". The Spirit of God is the supply of our electricity in all areas of our life. We deserve to be "stuffed with the Spirit" on an everyday basis (Ephesians 5:18).
2nd, the context reveals that Peter turned into addressing a specific viewers, "You men of Israel …" (Acts 2:22). In precept, it speaks of a priority often unnoticed. In Romans 1:sixteen Paul wrote, "For i am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the energy of God to salvation for everybody who believes, for the Jew first and additionally for the Greek." Romans 1:sixteen is written in the latest demanding which means that if the Gospel continues to be the power of God "unto" salvation and continues to be for "all who accept as true with," then the Gospel is nevertheless "to the Jew first." The term "first" doesn't basically speak of sequence however precedence. [1]
Later, Peter underscored an "eschatological hyperlink" to Jewish evangelism with the aid of asserting, "Repent hence and be transformed, that your sins can be blotted out, so that times of fresh may also come from the presence of the Lord, and that He can also ship Jesus Christ, who turned into preached to you earlier than, whom heaven have to acquire unless the instances of restoration of all issues, which God has spoken by means of the mouth of all His holy prophets on the grounds that the realm started." (Acts 3:19-21)
This coincides with Jesus announcing, "For I tell you, you are going to now not see me again unless you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matt. 23:39)
And Revelation 1:7 reads, "Behold, he's coming with clouds, and each eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. in spite of this, Amen." The truth is, before the realm "sees Him," Jerusalem will "flip to Him"! (Zech. 12:10) "And so all Israel could be saved..." (Romans 11:26)
which you could see then that there is a fine non secular combat within evangelism that we deserve to be privy to. because, if Jerusalem will no longer see Him until she welcomes Him lower back, then no eye will see Him except Jerusalem receives Him! [2] The floor flooring of the Jesus Revolution reminds us that we can not allow Jewish evangelism to develop into the "notable Omission" of the extremely good commission. [3]
Third, the context of Pentecost reveals that the bullseye of the church's mission and preaching is the person and work of Jesus! Peter proclaimed "You men of Israel hear these phrases, Jesus of Nazareth …" (Acts 2:22) keep the focus on Jesus, His dying on the cross that bridged the gap between God and man and His resurrection that demonstrates he is developing all issues new in Himself. Jesus mentioned, "i'm the manner, the certainty, and the life. no person comes to the father apart from through Me." (John 14:6) Acts four:12 reads, "neither is there salvation in every other, for there is not any different name beneath heaven given amongst guys through which we should be saved." there's one reason and one intent only why someone has everlasting lifestyles in a correct relationship with God; it is by using making the appropriate decision to follow Jesus! (John 14:6; Romans 10:13; Acts four:12; John three:sixteen)
Fourth, the context displays the importance of repentance. On the day of Pentecost, the individuals were "reduce to the heart" and mentioned, "men and bretheren, what lets do?" Peter answered, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and also you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your toddlers, and to all who're afar off, as many because the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:37-39)
The observe "repent" is in fact a Greek word – metanoia. Metanoia skill to alternate the way one thinks, which results in a lifestyle exchange from a self-headquartered existence in rebel to God, to a complete allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The name to repent and the promise to get hold of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins remains these days. basically, God commands all men to repent! "truly these instances of lack of awareness God disregarded, but now commands all guys in every single place to repent as a result of He has appointed a day on which he will choose the area in righteousness via the man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by elevating Him from the useless." (Acts 17:three-31)
The great evangelist D.L. Moody put it this way, "Repentance is getting out of 1 coach and moving into the different. you're within the incorrect train; you are in the large path that takes you right down to the pit of hell. Get out of it to-day. right-about-face!"
finally, the context of Pentecost reminds us that God's plan unfolded in a Jewish context. here is essential to appreciate when we look at the Scriptures. We want amazing academics these days! We want extremely good evangelists today! We need a church grounded within the truth and empowered with the Spirit to make Jesus common! it is a JEWISH CONTEXT it really is the foundation for an correct exegesis of scripture and for expository preaching and evangelism and Gospel contextualization in our 21st-century international viewers.
[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the new testament and other Early Christian Literature, trans. and rev. W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, second rev. F. W. Gingrich and F. W. Danker (Chicago: institution of Chicago Press, 1979), 726; Wilhelm Michaelis, "proton," in Theological Dictionary of the new testomony, ed. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, trans. and ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968), 6:869.
[2] "Our fingers are stained with blood" Michael L. Brown pg. 226 publisher: destiny graphic
[3] Dr. Mitch Glasers Lecture Notes Talbot Theological Seminary
Greg Denham has been a lead pastor for thirty years and is presently the Senior Pastor of upward thrust Church (a new church plant in San Marcos, Ca.). he's the founder of "The Context circulation", an author, and spearheads each year "pals of Israel Weekends" to battle anti-Semitism and champion friendships between Christians and Jews.
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