Pentecost and the Movement of God

May 26

I like to imagine what would happen if the Spirit fell upon a group of disciples today, just as he did at Pentecost. Imagine the sensation. Within hours there would be a live video feed going out to the world as the crowds made their way to this holy site.

Then the debate would erupt on social media as to whether this is a genuine move of God.

We are in as desperate need today for the power of the Spirit as that ﬁrst generation of disciples. But how are we to recognize a work of the Holy Spirit? Pentecost shows us that when the Spirit moves in power, we’ll see the life and ministry of Jesus lived out by disciples in communities, spreading from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

The Spirit serves the expansion of the Word. Luke says it is the Word, not the Spirit, that grows, and the outcome is communities of disciples. And so, on the day of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Spirit reaches its climax in the proclamation of the Word to the nations and the formation of the church in Jerusalem.

Out of the nations of the world, the Holy Spirit creates the people of God—Jews, Samaritans, Ethiopians, Romans, Syrians, Greeks, Galatians, Lycaonians, Macedonians, Achaians, and Asians—united in their faith in Jesus as Savior and King. This work of the Spirit is at the heart of God’s mission.

The Spirit breathes life into this movement of God, directing, intervening, propelling, correcting. There are apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and elders, all gifted by the Spirit, but they don’t direct the movement; the Spirit does, and he uses whomever he chooses.

As the movement expands, it is the Spirit who forms new disciples into churches and strengthens the life of the churches, enabling them to live in the fear of the Lord, encouraged and increasing in numbers. When Ananias and Sapphira deceive the community, it is the Holy Spirit who protects the purity of God’s people. When the mission to the nations languishes, the Spirit uses persecution to get Philip to Samaria. When the Samaritans believe, the Spirit conﬁrms their place among the people of God. It is the Spirit who brings Peter to the house of Cornelius; and as Peter preaches, the Spirit falls upon Gentiles, demonstrating acceptance by God through faith in Christ alone. The Spirit is given to the Samaritans and the Gentiles, just as it was to the Jews at Pentecost. The Samaritans and Gentiles will also bear witness to Jesus throughout the world. When the barrier between Jewish and Gentile disciples must be removed, it is the Spirit who guides the Jerusalem Council. The Spirit appoints both leaders within the churches and leaders who multiply churches in new ﬁelds.

It is the Spirit who blocks Paul and his missionary band from pushing further into Asia Minor, and it is the Spirit who then ﬂings open the door into Europe. After his ﬁnal mission as a free man, Paul is compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, which brings about his arrival in Rome, where he will bear witness to the emperor. The book of Acts ends with Paul in chains, awaiting trial in Rome. The missionary is bound, but the Word still goes out in the power of the Spirit. The mission will continue, despite what happens to Paul. The story is not ﬁnished, and so the Holy Spirit continues to work, as a new generation of disciples accept the challenge of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Without the work of the Spirit, there would be no proclamation, no conversions, no churches, no power to release Satan’s captives, and no missionary movement.

When the Spirit came in power at Pentecost the Word went out into Jerusalem bearing the fruit of disciples and churches to the glory of God. That’s the “why” of Pentecost—a missionary movement headed to the ends of the earth. Every people. Every place.

This is an edited extract from Acts and the Movement of God.