“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”
Ezekiel 36:26-28 (NKJV)
A sound like a hurricane — confusion in the city — the wonderful works of God proclaimed — each one listening, hearing, marveling, in his own language the Gospel is preached! What could this mean? Peter stands among the Apostles and raises his voice:
Men of Israel! Hear these words . . . .
That day saw more power than any miracle yet performed. Not only a few, but thousands believe and lives are forever changed; thousands have their hearts awakened and their eyes opened to New Life in Christ. Hearts of stone made flesh indeed! The One who will empower mankind to live in righteousness has come.
The Book of Acts recounts the adventures of the apostles taking the Gospel to the world by the power of the Spirit. Their travels never cease. In fact, Paul ends his life preaching the Good News to the citizens of Rome, to all who would visit him in house arrest and hear, longing for his chance to entreat with Caesar himself. The book stops at twenty-eight chapters, but it does not end with Chapter 28; instead, there is strong implication that every generation to follow who hears the Spirit’s call and obeys His voice writes another chapter in the acts of the People of God taking the Gospel to the world by the power of the same Spirit.
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”
Titus 3:4-8 (NKJV)
Pentecost is a day to remember our beginnings as the People of God and to refocus our endeavors as the Church, as local churches. We are Christ’s ambassadors, made as such by the wooing and awakening of His Spirit. The Kingdom seed He plants in our souls germinates and takes root in our hearts and minds, bearing fruit in our actions, molding us into the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus. As we are shaped into Christ, so we share Christ. That is the pattern for disciples and the essence of discipleship.
May we not grow weary in the good work of the Gospel. May our mission not be supplanted by any man-made convention or selfish ambition. Though the race be long, let us be faithful to run it so as to win it. Take up the pen at Pentecost and write your chapter in the acts of God’s People empowered by His Spirit. Like the Apostles, you will find yourself preaching more about Christ and less of yourself. And may our prayer be that of the preacher of Hebrews: holding fast to our confession of hope and stirring up love and good works in one another, assembling for worship and pressing onward together until our Lord returns or calls us home (Hebrews 10:23-25).
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Glorify. Train. Engage. 