Sermon Cloud

Pentecost Sunday

The Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to fill believers is a perfect example of the fact that we have to hunger and thirst for the things of God if we are going to experience them.  The disciples gathered every day for at least 30 days to pray and wait for the Holy Spirit.  They were doing what Jesus told them to do.  If we are going to receive all that God has for us, we are going to have to be hungry enough to do what the Bible says to do.  

Matthew 5:6
6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. NASB

6Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!  AMP

John 14-16 Jesus told them the Holy Spirit was coming, but in Acts He told them they were to wait for Him.  The end of Jesus ministry on the earth was full of His instructions concerning the Holy Spirit.  

Jesus earthly ministry was limited to speaking to those who were near him, the Holy Spirit has some of the same limitations.  We must draw near and listen to him in order to receive what He has for us.

Jesus was very specific in his instructions to the disciples.  They were to wait, not go any where until they had received the Holy Spirit.  They couldn’t just go fishing, bowling, or wherever they wanted to go.  He told them to wait there.  They were to wait together.  They basically had church every day for 30 days.  Imagine coming to church 30 days in a row and nothing happens the first 29 days.  Do you think you would keep coming back after the first week?  Second week?  Third week?

Acts 1:4-8, 13-14
4Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;
 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
 6So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
 7He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
 8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
13When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
 14These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Acts 2:1-4
1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
 3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

If we want to hear the Holy Spirit's voice, we will have to listen, take time.  The Holy Spirit is limited to speaking to people that will listen to Him, just like Jesus was when He walked the earth.  Ex of Paul & Barnabas being set apart by the Spirit during a special time of ministry.

Acts 13:1-3
1Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
 2While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
 3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

If you want the plan of God for your life, you’re going to have to be hungry enough for it to spend time worshipping God and laying aside other things in our life, fasting.  Creating an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can move, like the Apostle Paul did here.  The Holy Spirit already knew the plan, but he didn’t speak until Paul and the others sought after God.