Preach Pentecost

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Acts 2:1

Burns

In Judaism, Pentecost is seven Sabbath’s from Passover and is the 50th day (Leviticus 22). Passover is first mentioned in Exodus 14 and 50 days afterward the Law and Plan for Tabernacle worship is given at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19). Although both Passover and Pentecost had significant meaning in the book of Genesis, Moses is inspired to wait until the book of Exodus to introduce them to students of Torah.

Pentecost was also significant, in that, it was the day of the beginning of Harvests (feast of first-fruits). Seeds planted just a few weeks earlier, miraculously manifested fruit! Passover celebrated deliverance from death. Pentecost celebrated a New Life of separation and Worship.

It is no wonder that Pentecost would be chosen as the birthday of the New Testament (covenant) Church! New Life for a New Testament! The Day of Pentecost mentioned by Luke in Acts 2 was the 50th day after the Passover on which our Lord Jesus Christ has died. That Passover (A.D. 30) was accompanied by solar, stellar and lunar phenomena as well as a major earthquake. These things were very significant to the Jewish people and signaled that the coming Pentecost would also be significant. This is likely the reason Luke used special emphasis when describing all the places from which devout Jews had come and had taken up residence in Jerusalem (Acts 2:5,9-11). The Jewish community sensed something unique was happening and came to live (dwellers) in Jerusalem as they waited for Pentecost.

The Lord Jesus Christ had promised His followers that the coming Pentecost would be a significant one (Acts 1:4,5) and that they should wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit baptism came. Eight centuries prior (835 B.C.), the Jewish prophet, Joel, prophesied of the Holy Spirit baptism (Joel 2:28-29) coming just after solar and lunar signs. Jerusalem was filled with expectation.

The first century Christian message and experience of New Life through the Holy Spirit baptism is almost non-existent in Christian culture today. O’ that Christian ministers would be baptized again with that first century fire of the Holy Spirit and began to preach and expect the Holy Spirit baptism to come to their hearers. Christian ministers, lets preach Pentecost again. Preach the timeless Truths of first century Christianity and we will experience the transforming power of God in our world. Sunday, June 9 is Pentecost Sunday. It is the Day to preach and expect Pentecost (Acts 2:14-43).

---

Stephen Burns serves as senior pastor of Cornerstone Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church in Poplar Bluff. His and his wife Melody’s ministry journey began January 1988 in Tulsa, Okla. and they have served in congregations in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Mississippi before coming to Poplar Bluff.