Acts 2:1-7 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

Common men of no particular skills or training beyond having heard the Word of God, were now demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit. These were not prophets raised up and trained to serve God. They were fishermen for the most part. If God so chose to empower the lowliest of men with the Holy Spirit, there was hope for all mankind. That hope came in the way of a promises given by our Lord Himself.

Acts 2:32-33 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

All that God did in the Acts of the Apostles was to birth a new church in a time, place, and people that had to have strong signs and wonders to overcome the world they lived in.

Does the power of the Holy Spirit still abide in us today? Yes, but we are of a different time, a different place, a different people, and the Holy Spirit still enacts God’s plan in accordance with God’s will. We are an established body of Christ, matured in ways that God enacted in the epistles that followed Acts.

“The book of Acts is a transitional book. God at that time was authenticating His move with exceptional signs and wonders. If we elevate Acts above further truths and practices, such as we have in the epistles, I fear we’re prone to error.” Fred Pratt Associate Pastor and my accountability partner.

This is a valid concern, both Fred and myself have seen those errors leak into church life. Before I begin my next series on being sensitive to the indwelling Holy Spirit, I must address those errors of the past.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God has a plan for us all. God is all about the end game and how to enact His will to achieve that end. Now let us consider the times, trials, needs, and people of the first century church.

Rome ruled the known world at the time. Any threat to the rule of Rome was met with a horrible death.

The Jewish religion had a strong hold on the populace and any threat to that religious strangle hold meant being imprisoned and ostracized.

Jesus Christ has just ascended to the right hand throne of God. He has sent the Holy Spirit to enact God’s will and follow the plan set in motion by God the Father.

The people needed something more than a story, a witness, to overcome the odds they were up against them in Roman rule and the hold their church had on them. They needed to be empowered. The first century Christian church, this cult called the Way, needed a kick start. Then came the day of Pentecost.