John 14:15-17, 25-26 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you. “These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.”
Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday in the church year and Pastor Herk preached on an aspect of how to become a better disciple. The Holy Spirit has come to transform your heart, soul and spirit, to change your walk, talk and thought – the life essence of who and whose you are. The Helper was given first at Pentecost to the Apostles of Christ. How do you sum up this event and how do you apply it to us today? Pentecost literally means "the fiftieth day" and is the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed harvest.
Acts 2:1-11 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out. Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.”
All of us are looking to improve, because there are many things about ourselves that we’d like to change, by various means, for the better as an improvement. What is it about you that you’d like to change for the better? God is looking for our change for the better in you too. The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit includes a better understanding of God for us; who He is, what He is all about and more clearly how we are to live as God’s holy people. But, what are the things that God is planning on changing in us and how does He plan on doing that? Change #1 was what happened to Christ’s disciples. Jesus’ followers realized that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God”, but were still confused about His complete mission, their purpose and Jesus’ commission. The Holy Spirit brought clarity, enlightenment, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, which emboldens the human spirit with confidence because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, our inspiring Helper!
Change Number Two, after Peter preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Three thousand unbelievers were transformed that day; their whole way of looking at God, themselves and the world had changed by the Holy Spirit for the better, with the salvation by grace through faith and citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven in glory. They had been redeemed and reconciled unto God, found true peace through the Prince of Peace and knew Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Their Pentecost was “born again” transformational change from the inside out and eternal. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit within us, then we notice the godly change in our heart, soul and spirit; in thoughts, words and actions that are pleasing to God, praising and praying in holy and righteous relationship. Believers who are filled with, and are being filled by, the Holy Spirit think, speak and act differently … like the child of God they are.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on transformational change in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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