Embracing Disappointment: The Power of Pentecost

I think that one of the most difficult virtues to acquire in life is the ability to handle disappointment the ability to overcome the frustration that inevitably comes with unfulfilled expectations I had a friend of mine once tell me use this metaphor he said everybody has landmines in their personality and landmines are hidden bombs under the surface and some people are wall-to-wall landmines and you have to tiptoe around them carefully because at the slightest irritation they explode other people are very laidback easygoing and they may only have one or two bombs planted in their field but W be tied the person who steps on it and you don't expect it and boom it explodes. [00:00:01]

Disappointments are particularly tough to handle when we have to wait for that which we want it's a delayed gratification and then after being patient and and after waiting the goods are not delivered remember back in the Old Testament when God spoke to the prophet abach because abach was complaining about all of the misery that was going on in the midst of the people and God spoke to him and talked about his promises and in the midst of the promises of God he said to his Prophet habach though they t wait for God will perform what he says he will perform. [00:02:40]

Now you know in the last few weeks we've looked at what has happened with the departure of Jesus his Ascension into heaven and his last instructions to the disciples was what you go back to Jerusalem and and wait you wait for you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you that's his last promise you're going to receive power like you can't possibly imagine it's a Heavenly power it's a holy power it's a Transcendent power and it's the kind of power that will come upon you after that the Holy Ghost is given to you but it's not going to happen today and it's not going to happen tomorrow but it's going to happen soon and you go back and you wait. [00:03:46]

The day of Pentecost in the Jewish calendar was the day of the annual Feast that was called the Feast of harvest or the Feast of the in gathering or sometimes it was called the feasts of weeks because the Feast of Weeks was called the Feast of Weeks because it was a festival that took place after a week of weeks a week has seven days and a week of weeks is seven times seven which is 49 days and so after those 49 days are accomplished the next day and this is coming from the celebration of the Passover a week of weeks after the Passover then the following day is Pentecost or the 50th so that 50 days after the great celebration of Passover is this Feast of the Harvest or the Feast of the end Gathering it was the Jewish Thanksgiving in the Old Testament. [00:05:10]

Suddenly that's the first key now what happens happens not gradually there's not a little buildup there's not a slight little Zephyr in the air that grows in Tempo and strength but suddenly instantly something radical happens and here's what it is suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing Mighty Wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting few weeks ago lioner sponsored a pastor's conference in one of our speakers was John Sartell who was our guest at a mission conference recently and John told the story of a 100 mph wind that blew through his neighborhood in Memphis a couple of years ago it wasn't a tornado but it was more than hurricane force winds. [00:07:15]

What happened on Pentecost was the rushing Numa of God the mighty power of the Holy Ghost came roaring through a room filled with people whom Jesus had selected to be there to receive power from Heaven to fulfill their mission in this world and what they saw they heard the wind what they saw was fire tongues of fire appearing over each one's head why fire because this was no ordinary wind this was the wind of God who in the standard theophany a theophany you recall is a visible manifestation of the invisible God and the most common manifestation visible manifestation of God in the Old Testament was through some kind of fire. [00:14:34]

When God gave the law to the people at Mount Si Flames were visible on the mountain all symbolizing the power of the Transcendent God the Majesty of God and the two elements of the symbolism is that God is first of all the source of light now we don't think a fire so much anymore as a source of light because we we only to use candles for decoration we use electricity but for the most of human history homes were illumined in the darkness by some kind of Flame by some kind of fire and our day is illumined by a star that is a ball ofar in the heaven and in that sense we do see the connection between light and Fire. [00:16:30]

One of the most important operations of God the holy spirit is to illumin the truth of God to put a search light on it for our understanding but not only does the far symbolize the Heavenly presence which is the source of light and the source of truth but far also symbolizes in biblical language AR warmth affection when Jesus rebukes the bad churches in the Book of Revelation I know your Works they're neither hot nor cold they're T they're lukewarm he doesn't want lukewarm Christians he wants Christians who are what on fire consumed with fire in their bones burning with a passion for the things of God. [00:17:47]

When the spirit comes upon a person he Kindles that spark he starts a flame that consumes the heart and consumes the soul so that that the affection that is born in us that hour is to increase in its intensity as we grow in Christ and the fuel for that fire is the word and prayer and the sacraments yesterday morning I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with Archie Parish who is this Church's Mentor in prayer and we were talk talking about the power of God the Holy Spirit igniting our prayer lives. [00:18:56]

Most Christians look at the day of Pentecost as something that happened once in the past that was very important and very marvelous but has no current significance and others you know like the Pentecostals they want to have a new Pentecost every 15 minutes as it were and he said they but we failed to understand in the church the ongoing lasting significance of this moment when the Jews were delivered from bondage in Egypt and they went and they Angel of Death passed over the firstborn Jewish boys because the blood was on the door God said every year I want you to celebrate this and remember this. [00:21:00]

The consequences of the Passover did not end after that first event we understand this a little bit when we talk about the cross the effects the consequences of the death of Christ were not just for the people who were eyewitnesses that day the atonement that he made for the sins of those who were there that day is an atonement that is still applying every every day to every person in our midst who puts their trust and hope in him the atonements efficacy the atonement strength the atonements application the atonements consequence goes on and on and on and on. [00:22:14]

Pentecost is a watershed moment in the history of the church it's just like the pass over it's just like the cross it's just like the Resurrection the day of Pentecost was that moment in Redemptive history where God unlocked the power of the Holy Ghost and gave it to his church not just for those who were gathered there that day but that power is given to the Church of every age and to every Christian who ever lives you shall receive power that wind that fire is as much for me today as it was for those folks gathered in the upper room we are to be people of the Holy Ghost as well as of the son and of the father. [00:23:59]