World-Changing Faith

Aside from Mother's Day, this past Sunday was also the celebration of Pentecost or, as I and others like to call it, the birthday of the Church. And like most people, I enjoy a good birthday celebration. Since Easter I had looked forward to Pentecost because I love the story of how the Christian movement began with the coming of the Holy Spirit. It's one of my favorite stories in the Bible, and one that has not lost its relevance in our modern world.

In most towns and cities around the United States it is almost impossible to walk or drive one mile without passing at least one house of worship. So many cross-topped steeples, so many offering plates and pews, so many pulpits and long-winded preachers offering the world a message. Just what that message might be depends in large part on the name over the door, the up-in-lights denomination out front. It seems there is a church for every taste these days, and no shortage of people at the religious "buffet line" seeking out some place, large or small, that suits their beliefs.

Maybe that's why I like the story of Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit so much. Before that day, before that moment there was no Church, no bold ministry, no fiery sermons that inspired people to seek a real and personal relationship with a risen Savior. You couldn't walk down the street and pass a series of church buildings wondering what was being taught. But on that day something remarkable happened. On that wonderful day things changed forever. A relatively small band of faithful people, just 120 dedicated folks, obeyed Jesus' command to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Comforter and Helper. Then, when the Spirit came and filled them with boldness, giving them the words to speak, they emerged from their meeting place into the thousands who had come to investigate that great sound from heaven.

Luke, in the book of Acts, describes the sound like that of a rushing, mighty wind, something we might equate to the "freight train" sound of a tornado or the howling of a fierce hurricane. Time and again I've heard people on television talk about how terrifying that sound is, how it instilled such fear that they ran for their lives. But the sound on Pentecost was a little different. The crowds started running, but they ran toward the sound, trying to figure out what it was. The first recipients of the Holy Spirit were also inspired to run, but it was to run to their neighbors, their friends, and even total strangers, and share the one message of the Cross and of the salvation that a risen Christ purchased for all mankind.

What were the results of that first great revival on the day the Church was born? Well, many mocked but others believed. Three thousand souls were saved that day, and those people carried the great message, that single and united message of Jesus back to their homes, and the Church began to spread. The fire of the Holy Spirit ignited the hearts of the 120 disciples, and then it began to spread, catching the whole world on fire.

The reason this story is so important and special to me is because of two verses of Scripture (from NKJV):

"For I am the Lord, I do not change…" —Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." —Hebrews 13:8

If the Lord God does not change, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, then that means that the Holy Spirit is still alive and well and working with the same power as that Pentecost day. Thousands can still be saved, the winds of God's Spirit can still blow through this world and change lives, and the fire of that same Gospel message can still set hearts ablaze with hope and with love. What is required is that we get back to the basics.

The 120 disciples represented one Church, one Savior, one message, and that is the key to our success today: being in one accord within our spirits. I am not saying that one denomination is better than another, nor am I advocating that we all take our names and heritages and throw them on the rubbish heap. But I wholeheartedly believe that if we set our focus on Jesus and His desire to save souls, preaching His Gospel in love and unity, we can see our world change, no matter what our church name might be.

Can you imagine how wonderful it was for those disciples to tell their story to the crowds that day? Can you imagine how wonderful it was for those who heard that message and accepted Jesus to then go back home and tell others? That has been the backbone of God's Church for 2,000 years: one person telling another person, "This is what the Lord has done for me, and He can do it for you, too." So don't be afraid to tell YOUR story. You are the best qualified person to do that, and your story, your unique experience with the Lord, can change lives today. Whether you come from a small church or a large church, a congregation that's been around for a few weeks or one built centuries ago, you can make a difference.

God's Spirit remains the same, and so the effects His Spirit can bring must also remain the same. It's time we as Christians allow ourselves to be affected by the Holy Spirit's fire, fueled by the infinite love of Jesus Christ for us. It's time we as Christians caused a little noise that makes people want to know what's going on. It's time we as Christians look at the Church not just as some bygone era of history or as individual buildings and conferences, but as one body of believers reaching out to a lost and dying world, offering them the one true message of the life, grace and peace of Jesus. If we do this, and we CAN do this, then we will see our world change as well. Just let the Holy Spirit guide you, and you might be the candle that ignites our world.

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