We have talked before about the fact that historically churches of Christ have not emphasized religious holidays. Although in our homes we might put up trees at Christmas or hunt for eggs on Easter, our congregations may or may not mention those days at all. It would stand to reason then that you might not realize the significance of this Sunday: it is the day of Pentecost.The day of Pentecost that occurred in Acts 2 is one of the most significant days in the history of the church. In fact, Acts 2:38 is one of our favorite verses and the reason we say what we do when someone is baptized. As we are in the midst of our study about the church, I would like to point out five things from that chapter.
- The apostles are together (2:1). Maybe they’re just waiting for what comes next. Maybe it’s an intended time of fellowship. Or maybe that is just how they do life. Whatever the reason, community is important to them.
- The Holy Spirit is there (2:2-4). As we get into discussions about spiritual gifts today, we miss the importance of the work of the Spirit today. He gives comfort, assists us in prayer, and His fruit is shown in our lives just to name a few.
- God has a way of connecting people who will tell the story with people who need to hear it (2:5-14). We need to remember that did not stop on that day, and that we are those people who can tell the story.
- The story of Jesus is powerful (2:14-41). Even though we are not apostles speaking in languages we do not know, the story of Jesus we tell changes lives.
- The chapter begins and ends with being together (2:1, 2:42-47). Father, Son and Spirit are together. The apostles are together. His church did life together. The church still functions best when we do life together.
Brian