Saturday, August 8, 2015

The Table Is Set

Acts 2:1-16
 
“1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;”
 

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost fell and 120 men and women and all of them were filled with the Holy Ghost.  Tongues of fire sat upon their heads and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
 
People who were in Jerusalem for the feast from everywhere witnessed this supernatural manifestation from heaven.  Just like it was back then, it still is to this day, when the Spirit of God moves there will always be a variety of people that will show to witness it.  Of course there must be present the people of God or there will be no manifestation because the Word says there must be at least 2 or 3 “gathered together in His name.  But there will also always be skeptics, doubters, mockers, the fearful, and the pious religious self-righteous scoffers as well.
 
But thank God, most of the time, mixed into the crowd there are usually the hungry and thirsty that are looking for something real, those that are tired of religion and tradition and they are ready to receive.
 
I used to waste a lot of time and energy on doubters, critics, and religious people, trying to convince them that they were missing out on the fullness of God’s gifts, trying to create a hunger in them so that they would desire more and have more of His presence.  Attempting to make them reach for more and become passionate for a visitation from God.  But I have to say I have abandoned that mission, my assignment has been redesigned, I don’t have time to run you down and force feed you God’s gifts, so I am here for those that are hungry and thirsty.
 
I’m going to attempt to teach the teachable, I am going to preach the Word, I am going to set the table, I am going to lay out a feast of God’s power and His anointing in front of you, I am going to ring the bell and call you to the table, and if you’re hungry and thirsty you’ll come and get it.
 
These men and women were under the power of the Holy Ghost and people began mocking them and saying that they were drunk, “These men are full of new wine.”
Peter answered their criticism by saying, “These men are not drunk as ye suppose.”
 
In other words:
The bars are not even open yet, this isn’t happy hour
This isn’t Jack Daniels or Bud light
It’s not the kind of intoxication that you think
It’s not the kind of spirit you’re used to
You can’t get this out of a bottle.
 
Then Peter begins:
“16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:”
 
All Flesh:
This is not a Baptist thing or a Methodist thing, or even a Pentecostal thing
It’s a Spirit Thing.
It’s not given to an organization or a denomination
It’s given to all flesh
White flesh, black flesh, brown flesh, red and yellow flesh.
It’s for the rich the poor
It’s for male the female
It’s for the young and the old
 
There are only two requirements to receive this last day out pouring:
You have to be flesh
You have to be thirsty
 
David said: “God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” (Psalm 63:10)
 
David was saying, I have a thirst that nothing in this world can quench.  I have searched for it but it cannot be found here in this world which is a dry desert land.  It is a land that leaves my soul parched and the only thing that can deliver me from dying of thirst is the Spirit of God.
 
If we came to every service with that kind of passion and pursuit of God, we would never have a dry service, because that kind of thirst will break open the heavens every time.
 
Isaiah also had that kind of thirst – “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,”
 
One hundred and twenty of God’s children shut themselves up in a room and declared that they weren’t leaving until the rain fell.  They declared by their presence and their persistence that they were drought stricken, their spirits dry to the bone, and bound to die of thirst unless the heavens opened.  Then suddenly, after praying for days, after persistently knocking on heaven’s door, after declaring their need to be refreshed in their spirits, Heaven responded and the Spirit of God rushed in like a mighty wind and filled them all.

Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven:
Not from the synagogue
Not from the scribes and Pharisees
Not from the supermarket
Not from the radio or television or the internet.
But from heaven
 
It was known instantly that something holy, something divine, something supernatural was taking place:
It came as a mighty rushing wind
It arrived with ferocity, intensity, power
It didn’t just drift in like a gentle summer breeze
It blasted through that house like a tornado
And it filled all the house where they were sitting
 
The presence of God does not just come to touch you, it comes to envelop you, and the very atmosphere around you will become thick and saturated with the glory of God.  There is a presence of God that is so heavy and so tangible and so powerful that you can’t even move.
 
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 - “13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
 
Isaiah said:
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”
 
Then it goes on to say: “The house was filled with smoke, and the door posts shook at the voice of God”.
 
When the glory of God comes, He doesn’t come to touch us and make us feel good, He comes to fill us and transform us.  That’s why backsliders don’t want to come to church, they know that if they come into His presence He will change them and they will have to stop living for themselves.  I know, because the first day I walked through the doors of my church and into the sanctuary I knew I was in His presence and I knew I was done running from His will.
 
We cannot be effective in the Lord's work without being full of His power, and we can’t be full of His power without being full of His Spirit.  We’re not qualified till we’re full:
Full of the Holy Ghost
Full of Faith
Full of Power
 
Luke 24:49 Jesus knowing full well the work that needed to be done, told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of power from on high.
 
Peter being full of the Holy Ghost and full of holy boldness, and full of power, lifts up his voice and declares.  THIS IS THAT!
 
Joel said, and Peter quoted him:
When this is that gets here your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
 
Then he said there would be visible wonders in heaven above and on the earth there would be visible signs of blood and fire and vapour of smoke.  And there would be a great harvest of souls.
 
I can almost hear someone responding to what I’m saying, “We are not to seek after signs, we are not supposed to follow after signs. I understand that, but my God if you're on the right road you should see a sign every now and then to confirm it.
 
I have rode my motorcycle many miles for ministry and pleasure.  There have been times I have traveled unfamiliar roads, and I thought I might be going the wrong direction, that I might be on the wrong road, but then I would see a sign and breathe a sigh of relief because the sign told me I was on the right road.
 
If we're on the right road, the bible tells us we should be seeing signs and wonders.
Let me go a little farther: The bible actually says signs should follow every true believer.
 
I do believe we’re living in the last days. And the power of God has not diminished, and God has not changed his mind.  But the church has gotten lazy, selfish and worldly.  If we’re going to see another visitation of Pentecost and Pentecostal power, the church has to get back to the upper room.  We’ve got to free ourselves from the gravity pull of worldliness and indifference.  We’ve got to shake loose from all this worry, anxiety, and fearfulness.  We have got to get behind closed doors, get down to business with God, and Cry out till heaven opens and earth shakes.

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