Series: “Power From On High” Sermon#1: “Whatever Could This Mean?”

Series: “Power From On High” Sermon#1: “Whatever Could This Mean?”

Acts 2:1-12 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. …

 … And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. …

 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? … speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’”.

Understanding what happened at Pentecost is the foundation for everything we do as followers of Jesus in this community called “The Church”.

Genesis 1:1  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Heaven.  Two Intersecting Realms   Earth

Genesis 1:2. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

Heaven.  Two Intersecting Realms   Earth is marred

God is working to restore the Union of Heaven and Earth.

Genesis 1:26,28 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion … Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;’”

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

God could not realise the restoration of the union between heaven and earth with an UNAUTHORISED MAN.  Man rejected his union with God. In one generation we have murder.

Genesis 15:17-18 “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch (Fire) that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.”

Exodus 3:2 “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.”

Exodus19:18 “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.”

Leviticus 9:23-24 “Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar.”

2 Chronicles 7:1 “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”

God is not satisfied to be contained in a box.

God wants a complete union of heaven and earth. Restoration of all things.

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”   Jesus is the temple and the sacrifice.

John 1:51 “And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”

John 5:25-27 “Son of God … and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”

Jesus is where there is the UNION Of:    Heaven    Two Intersecting Realms    Earth

John 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”    In Jesus the eternal purpose of the UNION of Heaven and Earth is realised.

Luke 3:16 “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’”

Acts 1:1-9 “… presented Himself alive … speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God … receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you … be witnesses … He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

Hebrews 9:12,24 “…but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. …For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;”

Jesus ascended and took earth to heaven. BUT, what about Heaven on Earth?

Acts 2:1-3 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.”

The Church is now the UNION:   Heaven     Two Intersecting Realms    Earth

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, … you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Colossians 1:27 “God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you (Plural), the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory.”

Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT “… to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

Romans 8:19  “For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].”

Revelation 21:1,3 “Now I saw a new (kainos) heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”

Revelation 21:22 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb”

We are the means for the Union of Heaven and earth.

We are the means for the eternal purpose to be realised.

We are where people encounter GOD!

Impact Church is where the UNION:    Heaven    Two Intersecting     Realms Earth

Pentecost is not a wonderful charismatic meeting.

Pentecost is your new identity as the living, walking, breathing intersection between Heaven and Earth.  

You are a burning bush.

You are a dispenser of Heavenly Things.