“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” (Acts 2:1-4, NLT)

It began with a rush of wind and tongues of fire. It ignited, supernaturally, not only those present but the world itself. It affected thousands of people within days, millions of people within a few hundred years, and billions of people today.

Sunday, May 24, is Pentecost Sunday. Given different names by different Christian traditions, it is a day to celebrate the beginning of the church of the Risen Christ, the community of believers in Jesus of Nazareth who was raised from the dead. Called to be in the world but not of the world (John 15:18-19, 17:13-16), they proclaimed, and became, the Kingdom of God on earth.

But that was two thousand years ago, right? What possible meaning could Pentecost have for us today?

In a word, everything.

Like the death and resurrection of Jesus, which prefigures our own death and resurrection, the descent of the Holy Spirit on that first Christian Pentecost prefigures the life-giving action of the Holy Spirit (thus, the wind-breath of God) and the transformative action of the Holy Spirit (thus, the fire) in our own lives. Similarly, three of the primary purposes for God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to the early church are still just as real, and still just as necessary, today.

Work

Every parable told by Jesus was a story of action. Someone went somewhere and did something that Christ then showed either advanced or hindered the Kingdom of God. He did this for a very specific reason: when He ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:1-11), His followers would need to take action to bring forth a new world out of the old.

Today, that work is far from over.

Every believer in Jesus Christ is given the power (“empowered”) and the means (“equipped”) by the Holy Spirit to serve the Kingdom of God. Determining what those means are, and what that work will be, requires both prayer and discernment, because each person receives unique gifts from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Some gifts are nothing short of miraculous; most, however, fulfill God’s plan, as so beautifully articulated by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, that we are to do, not extraordinary things, but ordinary things with extraordinary love.

As you discern your life’s work for the Kingdom of God, evaluate (1) what you love to do, (2) what you do well, and (3) what the Kingdom needs. At the intersection of these three paths is your true vocation – not a job just to earn money or pass time, but a way, perhaps the way, to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Finding it will ensure that you find the peace of God, “which exceeds anything we can understand” and “will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NLT).

Worship

The power of the Holy Spirit also gives a believer the ability to worship God the Father “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24, NLT) through His Son, Jesus Christ, just as the early church was called to do. Such power includes the courage and strength to worship as a Christian despite threats of imprisonment, torture, and even death – as we still see happen in this fallen world. “I will kiss the rope that hangs me,” one modern day martyr stated, “but I will never deny my faith.”

Witness

Jesus gave His followers what is often called The Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV). This was a daunting task two thousand years ago just in terms of geography and distance, not to mention the constant threat – and eventually the constant fact – of their imprisonment, torture, and death.

Today, evangelizing, that is, helping to spread the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ, can be done closer to home and under far less stressful conditions, but the threat of rejection is still present, and, in various parts of the world, witnessing as a Christian – indeed, just being a Christian – still carries with it a sentence of death. Human reason and human passion for a worldly cause cannot explain such action, but the power of the Holy Spirit can – and does.

As long as there are souls in need of saving, heroic men and women will disregard their own personal comfort and safety to witness to others about the Risen Christ so that none are lost (2 Peter 3:9). They need our help and our prayers – and our solidarity with them.

Now, it is our turn

The power of the Holy Spirit was not given to the members of the early church to make them comfortable, popular, or safe. It was poured out on them to embolden them, empower them, and equip them to do whatever was needed for the glory of God, the service of His Kingdom, and the salvation of souls. Countless men and women took up the banner of Jesus Christ and did exactly that. The challenge, and the task, are the same for us today.

The power of the Holy Spirit is in you and upon you. What will you do with it today?

-- Dr. John Morris

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