Pentecost For The Rest Of Us

One particular annual celebration in the Church calendar holds special meaning for me. It is Pentecost. This is because I was converted on Pentecost Sunday in 1984. And so, as a pastor I would preach on it every year and promote its celebration to those who have forgotten it.

Three main feasts in the historical Christian Calendar relate directly to Jesus Christ. Christmas celebrates the Incarnation of the Son of God.  Easter celebrates the redemption He accomplished for us in His Cross and Resurrection. And Pentecost celebrates His exaltation and giving the Holy Spirit to His Church.

The Historical Event


Pentecost is the annual celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, and the initial 3000 conversions at the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Originally a harvest festival under the Old Covenant, the first New Covenant celebration was the harvest of conversions.

Luke records the historical event of Pentecost in Acts 2 to encourage us with one of the basics of the Christian Faith. The Spirit’s role in the Church is to empower the Church for witness to Christ Jesus. This is what we see throughout the Book of Acts (i.e. Ac 8, 10-11, 15, 19). This is what we see throughout Church History. The Holy Spirit began a new ministry in and through the people of God in the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit indwells all the People of God.


The Holy Spirit empowers the Gospel, and He empowers the Church to preach the Gospel. Luke is telling us that we all as Christians are Pentecostal Christians. Forget the Pentecostal connotations and embrace Biblical language, or post-Pentecostal Christians, if you prefer. We are a Church empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel of Salvation.

An Unrepeatable Historical Event

Pentecost is an unrepeatable historical event. It is a climactic point in the History of Redemption, fulfilling many Old Testament prophecies of the time of the Messiah and the New Covenant.

It is not a paradigm for personal experience, as some have mistakenly interpreted it. Some use the event to promote various forms of Second Blessing spirituality. Others use it to raise expectations for large scale conversions. And other use it to mark out the parameters of their vision for communal living. And the list goes on.

The question is often asked, “what prevents us from being just like the early Church at Pentecost?” The answer is simple: Pentecost is an historically significant event in History of Redemption. It is non-repeatable, as much as the Incarnation, Cross and Resurrection are unrepeatable, to which Pentecost is itself is tied.

It is the wrong question to be asking. The better question to ask is, “in what ways are we to be like the early Church at Pentecost?” To answer this questions requires more thorough Biblical understanding, deeper theological reasoning and practical reflection on Christian living.

Today, we proclaim the same empowered Apostolic Gospel as those empowered by the Holy Spirit. We urge people to forsake this evil generation and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We welcome them into the Church as the Holy Spirit convicts and converts them. Together, we enjoy the blessings of God as a forgiven people and as people possessing the Holy Spirit.

The Repeatable Part is The Mission Part

Pentecost is about the Mission, which leads to the ultimate goal: the worship of God among all the nations. Missions is about God, who through the Gospel is gathering His elect from all people groups to worship Him in glorious joy forever and ever.

This is why we celebrate Pentecost annually, to remind us of our identity as the Church and our purpose as the Church. Let us pray continually for the outpouring of Pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit upon us. Let us do so for the empowerment of our Gospel witness for the expansion of the Church.

This is Pentecost for the rest of us, ever since that great day long ago, 50 days after Jesus’ Resurrection, and until the Day of His Glorious Return and His Kingdom. This is why I would preach a special sermon every Pentecost. Some of the passages are: Acts 2:1-47; Jn 3:1-15; Joel 2:18-32; Matthew 12:22-37; Galatians 5:16-26; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Romans 8:8-11; and Hebrews 8:1-13. There are many many passages to preach and teach the People of God about their great and full salvation!