Pentecost ’25

Pentecost

Acts 18:19–21 (NLT) 19  [Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila] stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21 As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Acts 18:24–28 (NLT) 24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

Acts 19:1–7 (NLT) While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Charles Spurgeon – “A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit’s aid than he can create a world.”

John 14:8–17 (ESV) 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth…”

Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

1 Corinthians 12:4–13 (ESV) 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good:

1. 8 …the utterance of wisdom,
2. the utterance of knowledge …
3. 9 …faith
4. gifts of healing …,
5. 10  …the working of miracles,
6. …prophecy,
7. …the ability to distinguish between spirits,
8. …various kinds of tongues,
9. ….the interpretation of tongues.

• We are told to eagerly desire Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 14:1-5 (NIV) 1  Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Acts 19:1–7 (NLT)

3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.

And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

• There’s something more, something greater than recognizing you need to repent and change your ways

Acts 20:21 (NLT2) 21  I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

• Practically everyone knows that, though we tend to say things like Nobody’s Perfect
  • Nobody’s really grown into all we are meant to become
  • Problem is we use that phrase to excuse our immaturity

Acts 19:1–7 (NLT) 5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

• What does it mean that they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus?

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV) 3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Acts 19:1–7 (NLT) 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

1 Corinthians 14:3 (NLT2) 3  But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

Revelation 2:1–7 (NLT) “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus…

4 “[But] I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.”

• The Holy Spirit wants to constantly renew us, so that our love won’t grow old or cold