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Greetings FCCB’ers!
I hope that you are doing well. Happy to report that this is the first day of February and of course I am trying not to get too excited, but winter is maybe slightly over halfway over? Hope I didn’t jinx anything! So I heard that there is a football game on Sunday night :). Should be a good game. If you don’t have plans, please feel free to join us in the FLC to watch it on the really BIG SCREEN! Game starts at 6:00 pm, so feel free to pop by for a quarter, a half or even the whole game. If you come please bring snacks and sodas, juice or water. We may order a few pizzas in the first quarter, but food wise we’ll be pretty low key! A big thank you to Carl Kuczun who offered his services to broadcast it. Maybe he will provide play by play also!
Please be praying for the youth, Pastor Tom and other leaders as they head to Camp Berea for the Deep Freeze Retreat. I hope you all have a great time!
This Sunday Mike Elmer will be leading us in Sunday School as we continue walking through 1 Peter. A big thanks to David Allen for so capably leading over the last few weeks. Mike will pick up where David left off with 1 Peter, chapter 2. Hope to see you there at 9:00 am!
Last week Pastor Tom got us off to a great start in the Book of Acts as he preached through Acts 1:1-11. He laid the groundwork for this amazing book with some vital historical background as well as Luke’s context for the letter. Acts is a large book with a lot going on, so we’re taking a high level view of the book. We won’t get to every chapter, but will touch on most of them. We are thinking our study may extend up to the summer months as God leads us. This week I’ll be preaching on Acts 2:1-24. The chapter starts with the verse, “when the Day of Pentecost came, there were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (v. 1-2).
Wow, to be there for that moment– unreal! This is the catalytic event, after the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord, when everything starts to move. The disciples are in a house, huddled together. The Lord’s power breaks into their midst in a mighty way. Up to that point, what did Pentecost signify? For the Jews it was traditionally a joyous time of giving thanks and presenting offerings for the new grain of the summer wheat harvest. Perhaps nearly a million people would have descended on Jerusalem around that time for the celebration. It was at this one time and place that the Lord’s presence was made manifest, moving the believers to a significant next step, “they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (vs. 3)
The Holy Spirit was moving mightily in the room and the disciples were speaking in ways that no one had ever heard before. A term that I like is that it was if they were “moved along by the Holy Spirit.” Due to the harvest festival going on in Jerusalem there were “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” (v. 5). In hearing this sound the people were totally stunned because the disciples were speaking in their native tongues. “Aren’t all those who speaking Galileans? Then how come each of us hears in our native language?” (v. 7-8). This was truly stunning and caused widespread amazement as well as confusion. Nothing like this in human history had happened before. People tried to discern what was unfolding. I love verse 12 that states, “amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?'” This was a teachable posture that many took in seeking God for answers. Is this the posture that we take in seeking to understand the Lord’s wonderful and mysterious ways?
Meanwhile, another group of people decided to rain on the parade and mock the disciples. To explain away what was happening to them, people blamed the situation on alcohol, mocking and making fun of them. Many people say we are just imagining things or praying to some “pie in the sky” God to explain away God’s supernatural work in people’s lives. Say what they will, we know the living God is real. The Lord has His way in all things. Mockery and/or skepticism will ever thwart the purposes, power and plan of God. The disciples knew this wholeheartedly. They were simply stepping out in faith and watching God move in a mighty way!
Then in verses 14-24 Peter stands up and speaks, boldly stating that the people were not drunk, but rather carrying out God’s call through the power of the Holy Spirit. He quotes the famous verses from the prophet Joel, “your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (v. 17). What was happening was a direct fulfillment of this prophecy from Joel. It was all about Jesus and His power. Peter continues his speech in verse 22 and states, “fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.”
In other words, Jesus was given to you. You saw all that He did. With the “help of wicked men” Jesus was put to death, but He rose, “because it was impossible for death to keep hold of him.” Amen! This same Lord is the Lord who has called us. We live with the same power of the Holy Spirit in us as believers. While we may not see things exactly like this in our day, who is to say that we won’t see another powerful movement of God in our generation? Lets pray for it! In the day to day reality of our lives do we really believe this? Do we really believe in the power of God in our lives to
Maybe take a minute and write down areas of your life where you struggle to believe this. Ask the Lord to remind you of His work in your life.
May He have His way in us as individuals and in our church!! And let’s watch and wait to see all that He will do! I look forward to the ride! See you Sunday!
Blessings, |
