The Day of Pentecost
Changed Lives
Shane Stewart
Connections Pastor
I remember once, I was at home by myself, and I started playing piano (not very well, mind you: Vicki is the piano player in our house). So there I was enjoying playing, I’d hit my stride, I was caught up in playing, I was “in the zone” when Vicki came home and realized I didn’t hear her come in.
So, she walked right up beside me, close to my ear, and said “Boo!”
Once I’d finished peeling myself off the roof and returned back to solid ground, when my heart stopped beating a double-time samba, I learned two things about reactions: there’s the immediate reaction and the long-term reaction. There was the reaction that caused me to jump and freeze at the same time (you know what I'm talking about), and the long-term reaction where I no longer play a musical instrument at home without facing the doors to the room (or the door to the house, if possible).
Acts 2:37-47 captures the two reactions to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Peter’s transformed preaching. The immediate reaction was that the people wanted to respond right away, so Peter called them to change the direction of their lives – to start following Jesus and be baptized and three thousand people did.
But the long-term response is the one that really grabs my attention: the people who started following Jesus continued to hear teaching (Sunday mornings are a great example of this at Faith), continued to fellowship (ie. getting together, cheering each other on), ate food together in each other’s homes, and prayed for each other. Doesn’t that just sound . . . lifegiving? To care for each other and be cared for by each other, that’s a profound change from the normal way of doing things.
Application
The challenge and opportunity for us today is simply this: why not invite someone out for lunch or over to your house today after service? It can’t be the whole church (that would be pretty impractical and take a lot of planning), but if you’re able, why not invite someone over or to join you when you go out after church. Laugh, tell stories, get to know each other, and encourage each other.
Shane Stewart
Connections Pastor
I remember once, I was at home by myself, and I started playing piano (not very well, mind you: Vicki is the piano player in our house). So there I was enjoying playing, I’d hit my stride, I was caught up in playing, I was “in the zone” when Vicki came home and realized I didn’t hear her come in.
So, she walked right up beside me, close to my ear, and said “Boo!”
Once I’d finished peeling myself off the roof and returned back to solid ground, when my heart stopped beating a double-time samba, I learned two things about reactions: there’s the immediate reaction and the long-term reaction. There was the reaction that caused me to jump and freeze at the same time (you know what I'm talking about), and the long-term reaction where I no longer play a musical instrument at home without facing the doors to the room (or the door to the house, if possible).
Acts 2:37-47 captures the two reactions to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Peter’s transformed preaching. The immediate reaction was that the people wanted to respond right away, so Peter called them to change the direction of their lives – to start following Jesus and be baptized and three thousand people did.
But the long-term response is the one that really grabs my attention: the people who started following Jesus continued to hear teaching (Sunday mornings are a great example of this at Faith), continued to fellowship (ie. getting together, cheering each other on), ate food together in each other’s homes, and prayed for each other. Doesn’t that just sound . . . lifegiving? To care for each other and be cared for by each other, that’s a profound change from the normal way of doing things.
Application
The challenge and opportunity for us today is simply this: why not invite someone out for lunch or over to your house today after service? It can’t be the whole church (that would be pretty impractical and take a lot of planning), but if you’re able, why not invite someone over or to join you when you go out after church. Laugh, tell stories, get to know each other, and encourage each other.
Posted in 10 Days To Pentecost