On May 31st, members of the Europe Olivet Center had a joint Pentecost Sunday Service with London Immanuel congregation via an online livestream to commemorate the establishment of the Early Church with the Holy Spirit coming down.
Pastor Andrew explained the meaning of this new era through Acts 2:1-21, where the Holy Spirit can be received by everyone who believes.
After the Holy Spirit is poured down to those gathered, Apostle Peter stands and addresses the crowd, highlighting the prophecy from Prophet Joel: “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh” (KJV).
In creation, God created the flesh of man from the dust of the ground and put His Spirit inside of them. From the very beginning, we are not meant to be only flesh but through the breath of God man became a true living soul. Man should live by the Spirit, and live a joyful life with God, experiencing all the fruits of the spirit. However, man fell into sin and wickedness, and only focused on the flesh, seeking worldly pleasures and desires alone. Man’s sin escalated so much, that in Genesis 6 God even regretted creating man. When He saw the wickedness of man, He could only see this image of flesh and says His spirit cannot contend with man forever. It had become the place where the Spirit could not dwell.
Our lives were supposed to be abundant, overflowing with the fruits of the Spirit. However, without the breath of God, even though we live and breathe we live as if we are dead; there is no meaning or purpose. This was the tragic history of man who fell into sin.
However, the love and faithfulness of God remained with us despite our transgressions. Even though man lived like this, living by the flesh alone, the Father sent His Son. The cross atoned for our sins and cleansed us, allowing us to be brought back to the Father. Now through Jesus Christ, God pours out His Spirit once again. Pentecost is the day of great restoration, God fulfilling His desire from the very beginning and filling us with power of the Holy Spirit who gives wisdom, strength and understanding. This is an amazing gift. Now our lives can become where the flesh is led by the Spirit, and we can live life in abundance with God as He intended.
To those who have faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will be given freely. Like the day of Jubilee that the Israelites celebrated every 50th year, where liberty and freedom is proclaimed throughout the land. All debts were wiped out in this year and even servants were set free. The sounding of the trumpets proclaim complete liberation to all in the nation of Israel.
But this story of Jubilee is not just a story of the past, but it has become our story and our lives. Since the Fall of Man, people were enslaved by their sins, and chained to Satan. We were unable to break free from this life of sin, piling it up as debt against ourselves. However, the Lord has set us free! This was only possible through Jesus Christ and the cross of amazing love. He has cleansed us from all our sins; it is the perfect revelation of the Father’s love, and the power of this love gives birth to life.
Those receiving this love by faith are born again in the Spirit, and to those who have been reborn, they inherit the Great Commission. The Spirit of God wills us and guides us to mission and evangelism, and those filled with the Spirit of God – their mouths become like the trumpet proclaiming the Good News of universal liberation and forgiveness of sins to all mankind through faith in Jesus Christ.
Let us always call on the Holy Spirit to take over our lives, and by being empowered by the Spirit, let us take the love of Jesus Christ to all the nations.