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᛭ INI ᛭

Pentecost is an amazing day! It fulfills the Old Testament harvest festival also called “The Feast of Weeks,” which celebrated the gathering of the wheat harvest. The Lord instituted it to foreshadow the Spirit gathering in all nations into the people of God. When it comes to harvesting, as you all know, it’s a very exciting time! There’s all sorts of things going on! Same thing “when the Day of Pentecost had fully come,“ all sorts of stuff happened!

(3. Look at what happened!)

Just look at what happened! There was a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire, apparently floating above the Apostles’ heads. And then the big thing, which we always remember, the Apostles preached in different human languages. The curse of Babel was undone! The preaching of “the wonderful works of God,” God’s salvation in Jesus’ death and resurrection was the one language to unite all languages! For “the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.” (Rom 1:16)

We don’t wanna forget what else happened, though. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Three thousand? Three thousand! What a number! We covet such a thing. Who wouldn’t?

(Transition)

But there’s more going on! Don’t just look at what happened! Look at what they did!

(2. Look at what they did!)

Well, there was preaching, of course. That was Peter. He preached Joel 2. He preached Jesus. But it wasn’t just Peter, it was all the Apostles. And the preaching was just Pentecost. They kept on preaching, and the people, the 3,000, kept on listening but that wasn’t all they did!

“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, the fellowship of the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.” They heard the Apostle’s preaching and teaching. They took part in the bread-breaking fellowship or communion. “The bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the body of Christ?” “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16) And they prayed; they worshiped together.

But this wasn’t just a Day of Pentecost sort of thing or a Confirmation Day only sort of thing, an occasional thing. Dictated by the Temple Worship in Jerusalem, “daily continuing with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” Dictated by the Synagogue schedule, those not in Jerusalem did such things weekly.

They “ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,” which lets us know they also “received their daily bread with thanksgiving.” Prayer and God’s Word probably invaded their homes, as even Luther’s Daily and Meal prayers in the Catechism continue to do for us. Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, with Scripture and another prayer to boot are used daily many times! “Pray without ceasing.”

(Transition)

Apostles’ Preaching and Teaching, Communing, and Praying—that’s what they did! No smorgasbord, all of the above because now we get to the last piece: not just what happened—3,000 added; not just what the Apostles or those 3,000 did—preaching (listening), communing, praying. No, we get to what the Lord did with it! Look at what Christ along with the Holy Spirit did!

(1. Look at what Christ along with the Spirit did!)

Jesus sent the Spirit upon the Apostles. His promise to all His ministers, and so, as He promises: “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Lk 10:16) Whoever listens to “the Apostles’ doctrine” preached and taught faithfully is actually listening to Jesus preach and teach. After all, who’s Peter? “Who’s Paul, then, and who’s Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?” (1 Cor 3:5)

The Spirit’s active in the Word and in faithful preaching and teaching. His work is evident in faithful hearing. The fruit of faithful hearing is repentance and faith. All Israel “heard” the LORD’s Word in the wilderness, but not all entered the Promised Land. “Having heard, they rebelled.” (Heb 3) “To those who did not obey,” who didn’t listen, and so repent and believe, “God sword that they would not enter His rest.” (Heb 3) “They could not enter in because of unbelief.” (Heb 3)

The Spirit wasn’t just active when the Apostles preached in other human languages, but “those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” But again it wasn’t just a one day thing! “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Jesus did by the Spirit, through His Word (the Apostles’ Doctrine—preaching!) and through His Sacraments (baptizing and communing—the breaking of the bread.)

(Conclusion)

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come” it was amazing day! Look at what happened! Holy Spirit, tongues of fire, preaching in many human languages, and 3,000—yes, 3,000—were made disciples through Baptism. Look at what they did! “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, the fellowship of the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.” Daily they did it. But more importantly look at what the Lord did with it! “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

CHRIST ALWAYS GROWS HIS CHURCH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT-FILLED WORD AND SACRAMENT.

That’s what He did in Acts 2. Those earliest Christians in Jerusalem were all in. They were all in on their faith in Jesus, but their belief in Jesus affected their behavior, because the Spirit was at work within them! Since, CHRIST ALWAYS GROWS HIS CHURCH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT-FILLED WORD AND SACRAMENT, they were all in on the Apostolic Preaching, on the Sacrament of the Altar, and on praying together. Without the Temple, the Christians outside Jerusalem were too, just weekly.

We want the church to grow, and we get all sorts of ideas about that. We look at Acts and were blown away. How’s that possible? (We wrongly believe such things are impossible.) But, why not be an Acts 2 kind of church? We long for those results, why not do what they did? Go all in on the Lord’s Word and gifts. It wasn’t just the Apostles but the people!

“A Christian is a walking sermon. They preach far more than a minister does, for they preach all week long.” (J.C. Ryle) Not just what you say, but your behavior preaches what you believe not just about Jesus but His Word and Sacrament. The very things Jesus and the Spirit used to “add to the church…” It’s easy to see with the Acts 2 Christians. Us, too!—we’re skittish, timid; we’re half-hearted; we’ve got other ideas…

“Don’t be deceived, God isn’t mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Gal 6) He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (2 Cor 9) Certainly true for gifts and offerings how much more so for the delivery of the Gospel, “the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.” (Rom 1)

So, is it some magic formula? The growth, the “adding to the Church” is always the Lord’s doing, His timing. Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. (1 Cor 3) Always “where and when it pleases Him, among those who hear the Gospel.” (AC V) Nevertheless, the Lord promises, and we see how the Lord did in Jerusalem, that He ALWAYS GROWS HIS CHURCH THROUGH HIS SPIRIT-FILLED WORD AND SACRAMENT.

᛭ INI ᛭