Empowered by the Spirit: Embracing Pentecost's Unity

Devotional

Day 1: The Arrival and Indwelling of the Holy Spirit Changes Everything

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked a turning point in God’s relationship with His people: no longer would the Spirit simply be with or around believers, but now He would live within them, empowering and transforming them from the inside out. This indwelling presence is not a temporary gift, but a permanent guarantee of God’s promise, equipping every follower of Jesus to live out their faith and fulfill their calling. The Spirit’s arrival is the fulfillment of God’s plan, bringing about a new era where every believer has direct access to God’s power, guidance, and comfort, and is never left to walk alone. [41:07]

Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to invite the Holy Spirit to fill and empower you today, trusting that He is present within you and ready to work?

Day 2: God’s Perfect Timing and Purpose in Redemption

God’s plan for salvation is not random or accidental; every detail, from the timing of Jesus’ death at Passover to His resurrection at First Fruits and the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, reveals a God who is intentional and sovereign. These feasts, rooted in the Old Testament, find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ and the Spirit, showing that God’s promises are trustworthy and His timing is always perfect. As believers, we can rest in the assurance that God is working out His redemptive plan in our lives, even when we cannot see the full picture. [59:16]

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (ESV)
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Reflection: Where in your life do you need to trust God’s timing and purpose, believing that He is working out His plan even when you don’t understand?

Day 3: The Holy Spirit as Our Guarantee and Seal

The Holy Spirit is not only our helper and guide, but also God’s guarantee—a deposit assuring us of our future inheritance and eternal life. Unlike earthly guarantees that can fail or fade, the Spirit’s presence in our lives is a sure sign that God will fulfill every promise He has made to us. This assurance gives us hope and confidence, even in uncertain times, knowing that our salvation and future with God are secure because of His unchanging faithfulness. [01:00:18]

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Reflection: How does knowing the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee of your inheritance change the way you face challenges or uncertainties today?

Day 4: The Unifying Power of the Holy Spirit

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit reversed the division of Babel by enabling people from every nation and language to hear the wonders of God in their own tongues, demonstrating that true unity comes not from human effort but from God’s Spirit. This unity is not about sameness, but about being joined together as one family in Christ, empowered to make God’s name known throughout the earth. The Spirit breaks down barriers and brings together people who are different, making the church a living testimony to God’s reconciling power. [01:14:05]

Acts 2:11 (ESV)
Both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

Reflection: Who is someone different from you—maybe in background, culture, or perspective—that you can reach out to this week, seeking unity through the Holy Spirit?

Day 5: Living Spirit-Filled: Surrender and Daily Filling

While every believer receives the Holy Spirit at salvation, living a Spirit-filled life requires daily surrender, allowing Him to fill, guide, and transform us continually. When we hold onto sin or idols, we hinder the Spirit’s work in us, but as we yield more of ourselves, He empowers us to live out our faith and serve others effectively. The Spirit-filled life is not about striving in our own strength, but about letting God’s presence overflow in and through us, making us vessels of His love and power. [47:46]

Romans 8:11 (ESV)
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Reflection: What is one area of your life you need to surrender more fully to the Holy Spirit today, so that He can fill and use you in new ways?

Sermon Summary

Today’s gathering centered on the profound significance of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, as described in Acts 2. We began by recognizing that every part of our time together—prayer, baptism, singing, teaching, and response—is worship. The focus was on helping each person, no matter where they are in their journey, take a step closer to Jesus: not just knowing about Him, but walking with Him and learning to do what He says.

We reflected on the story of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit came to dwell within Christ’s followers for the first time. This was not a random event, but the fulfillment of God’s intentional plan, woven through the Old Testament feasts—Passover, First Fruits, and Pentecost. Jesus’ death at Passover marked Him as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb, His resurrection on First Fruits as the first of many to be raised, and the Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost as the second “first fruits” offering, a guarantee of our inheritance and new life.

The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is not just a theological concept, but a living reality. Testimonies from our own community—stories of boldness, guidance, and everyday miracles—remind us that the Spirit is active, speaking, and leading us in practical ways. The difference between merely receiving God’s word and reproducing it in the lives of others is the Spirit’s power at work within us.

We also explored how Pentecost is a reversal of Babel. Where human pride once led to division and confusion of languages, the Spirit now brings unity, enabling the wonders of God to be declared and understood by all. This unity is not about sameness, but about the shared presence of the Spirit in every believer, empowering us to make God’s name famous and to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The challenge is clear: Are we living filled with the Spirit, or are we running dry, crowded by idols and distractions? The Spirit will not share space with our sin or self-sufficiency. We are called to surrender, to be continually filled, and to respond to what God is saying—whether that means stepping into a relationship with Jesus for the first time, seeking a fresh filling, or simply obeying the Spirit’s promptings in our daily lives.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Plan Is Precise and Purposeful God orchestrated the events of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to align with the ancient feasts of Passover, First Fruits, and Pentecost. This reveals that God is not random or reactive; He is intentional, weaving together history and redemption with perfect timing. Recognizing this gives us confidence that our lives are also part of His purposeful design. [50:07]
2. The Holy Spirit Is Our Guarantee and Empowerment When we surrender to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us—not as a temporary visitor, but as a permanent guarantee of our inheritance and new life. This indwelling is the source of our power to live the Christian life and to minister to others, not our own strength or effort. If we feel empty or ineffective, it’s often because we are not allowing the Spirit to fill and lead us daily. [47:46]
3. From Division to Unity: The Reversal of Babel At Babel, human pride led to scattered languages and division; at Pentecost, the Spirit brought unity by enabling all to hear the wonders of God in their own language. True unity in the body of Christ is not about uniformity, but about the shared presence of the Spirit, who makes us family across every boundary. This unity empowers us to fulfill God’s mission together. [74:05]
4. The Spirit’s Leading Is Practical and Personal The Holy Spirit is not just a doctrine, but a living guide who speaks, prompts, and empowers us in everyday situations—whether sharing our faith, making decisions, or responding to needs around us. Our role is to listen, obey, and reproduce what God is doing in us for the sake of others. The Spirit’s activity is meant to overflow from our lives into the world. [45:59]
5. Surrender and Response Are Essential The Spirit will not fill what we refuse to surrender. If our lives are crowded with idols, sin, or self-reliance, we will run dry and miss the fullness God intends. The call is to respond—whether by seeking a relationship with Jesus, asking for a fresh filling, or simply obeying the Spirit’s promptings. God’s work in us is not just for our benefit, but for the sake of His glory and the spread of the gospel. [52:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:20] - Berry Mountain Day & Hospitality
[12:17] - Helping You Follow Jesus
[13:11] - Why We Begin with Prayer
[13:48] - Baptism Celebration
[19:30] - Worship Through Song
[31:45] - Worship Through Praise
[39:12] - Acts 2: The Coming of the Holy Spirit
[44:04] - Receiving vs. Reproducing God’s Word
[45:16] - Testimonies of the Spirit’s Leading
[47:46] - Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit
[49:10] - The Meaning of Pentecost
[53:21] - Old Testament Feasts and God’s Plan
[58:57] - The Spirit as the Second First Fruits
[63:40] - The Experience of Pentecost
[67:41] - What Pentecost Means for Us
[69:03] - Babel, Division, and God’s Mission
[74:05] - Pentecost as the Healing of Babel
[76:45] - Responding to the Spirit’s Call
[87:14] - Announcements & Upcoming Events
[88:47] - Discussion Questions and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 2:1-13 (ESV) — > When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
>
> Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (ESV) — > But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Genesis 11:1-9 (ESV) — > Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. ... Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Observation Questions

In Acts 2, what physical signs accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit, and how did the people respond to these signs?
According to the sermon, how does the timing of Pentecost connect with the Old Testament feasts of Passover and First Fruits? [[53:21]]
What was the significance of everyone hearing the wonders of God in their own language at Pentecost? [[40:32]]
In Genesis 11, what were the two main reasons the people wanted to build the Tower of Babel, and how did God respond? [[01:10:23]]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says that God’s plan is precise and purposeful, connecting Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to the feasts. What does this reveal about God’s character and how He works in history? [[50:07]]
The Holy Spirit is described as both a guarantee of our inheritance and the source of power for Christian living. Why is it important to understand the difference between being baptized with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit? [[47:46]]
The event at Pentecost is called a “reversal of Babel.” What does this mean for the unity of the church, and how is this unity different from everyone being the same? [[01:14:05]]
The sermon shared stories of people sensing the Spirit’s leading in everyday situations. What does this suggest about the practical role of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s daily life? [[45:59]]

Application Questions

The sermon challenged us to consider if we are living filled with the Spirit or running dry because of idols or distractions. Is there something in your life right now that is crowding out the Spirit’s work? What would it look like to surrender that area to God this week? [[52:50]]
The Holy Spirit empowers us not just to receive God’s word, but to reproduce it in others. Who is someone in your life that you could encourage or share your faith with this week? What step could you take to do that? [[44:26]]
The unity brought by the Spirit is not about everyone being the same, but about sharing the same Spirit. Are there differences between you and other believers that have been a barrier to unity? How could you take a step toward greater unity this week? [[01:15:35]]
The sermon gave examples of people listening to the Spirit’s promptings in everyday moments (like at Walmart or the pharmacy). Can you recall a recent time when you sensed the Spirit nudging you to do something? Did you respond? What happened? [[45:59]]
God’s plan for Pentecost was intentional and perfectly timed. How does knowing that God is purposeful in history help you trust Him with the details of your own life? [[50:07]]
The Spirit’s filling is described as something that needs to be renewed daily. What is one practical way you can make space for the Spirit to fill you each day this week? [[47:46]]
The call to respond was clear—whether it’s starting a relationship with Jesus, seeking a fresh filling, or obeying a prompting. What is one specific way you sense God calling you to respond right now? [[01:17:47]]

Sermon Clips

But as we look at this, I'm also reading through the book by David Platt called How to Study the Bible. Some of you are in that class on Wednesday night. Some of you read that book and some of you have read Radical. But he makes the same comment in there. Platt says this. He says there's a difference between being a respect receiver of God's word and a reproducer of God's word. And your goal this morning is not to just receive what God says to you. Your goal is to take that and reproduce it to people around you. And the good news for you is that that's not about what I say. I don't need you to go reproduce what I'm saying. I need you to reproduce what the Father says to you, and he will put that in you this morning. [00:44:04] (39 seconds) #ReproduceGodsWord

And here's the deal. All of us, if we have Holy Spirit in us, we have heard that. And sometimes we have gone over there and checked on that person and it's been awesome. And other times we have not. And we've walked out and we thought, oh man, I really should have gone and done that. I'm just saying that because that's where we all live. So that's okay. But that's what Holy Spirit does in us. [00:46:58] (19 seconds) #SurrenderToSpiritDaily

When we are filled with Holy Spirit, we now have the power to live the Christian life and do the Christian ministry. So those of us that are trying really hard to live this Christian life and we're struggling like crazy, we may be struggling without the help of the Holy Spirit. And he says to us pretty clearly, look, you're not gonna pull this off without me. [00:48:10] (19 seconds) #GodsPlanIsPerfect

If you're living the Christian life right now and you feel like you're empty or dry or running ragged and you got nothing to offer, it is most likely because you have begun to fill yourself up with the wrong stuff. And Holy Spirit is not free to move in you. He's not free to fill you. He's not free to overflow. And Holy Spirit will not occupy the same page space as your sin pattern. He will not occupy the same space as your stuff that you've made idols and kept above the Father. So Holy Spirit is in you, but you're not giving him the freedom to fill you and flow out of you. [00:52:38] (33 seconds) #FreedomThroughJesus

Jesus was the ultimate savior that we all needed to set us free from captivity. I don't know if you know this or not, but before you met Jesus, whether you were 9 or 19 or 39, before you met Jesus, you were living in captivity to the things of this world. And the only reason that you are set free today is because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. And you surrendered your life to him. And he put Holy Spirit inside of you. And then you get to live that way for the rest of time. [00:55:26] (30 seconds) #GodsPlanIsEternal

But when our God says, I'm putting Holy Spirit in you to guarantee the inheritance that I promised you is coming, what he says and what he means is that I'm putting Holy Spirit in you. That guarantees as a deposit that I will come through what I've told you and you will be raised from the grave one day and you'll spend eternity with him in heaven. That's a guarantee that we get with Holy Spirit. [01:01:10] (21 seconds) #UnitedByHolySpirit

That's what he brings you. And I can't even grasp the fact that we have the same Holy Spirit as a church down the street. And the people that do it a little bit differently and talk differently and look differently and all the things. But what he says to them and what he teaches us as he brings Holy Spirit, he says, I am bringing back the unity of the family of God. And I'm doing it because now that we have come together, I can give you the power. And we will image him and make his name famous and not our own. And we will take the Gothic to the ends of the earth. That's what Holy Spirit's going to help us do. [01:16:10] (39 seconds) #DiscussHolySpiritWork

So my prayer for us today as we walk through this. What is the Father showing you? What is he showing you about your relationship with him? What is he showing you about Pentecost and what happened on that day? What is he showing you about how in your life you're running dry and you're not filled and you need a fresh filling from the Holy Spirit? Has he shown you that you don't have a relationship with Jesus yet and you're running completely dry and you're trying and you're figuring out how to do this Christian life, but you can't. And he's telling you you can't because you don't have Holy Spirit in your life. [01:16:49] (34 seconds) #ConnectAndGrowInFaith

I want you to say, hey, man, the pastor talked about this Sunday morning. Let's go through. Answer these questions, and I want you to tell each other, what do you feel like God's doing in you through the Holy Spirit? How do you hear from him? How does he lead you? And then I want you to discuss what the Holy Spirit's bringing, how he's doing. Unity in the body of Christ here at West Rome, throughout our area and throughout our world. [01:29:01] (19 seconds)

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