Something happened on the day of Pentecost that had never happened before. Something so significant happened that day that it ushered in a new epoch and would change the rest of history. On that day, Jesus poured out his Holy Spirit upon all his people, and it would be the defining event that set the stage not only for the book of Acts but also for the rest of time. (Watch the sermon here.)
It’s nearly impossible to overstate how world-changing this was. The Holy Spirit is God himself, the third person of the Trinity. Devout Jews in the Old Testament were fearful to even approach this holy God. And now this holy God was coming to live inside us in all his fullness? What does this even mean? And what are the implications of this?
Many of us today seek glory and significance. We chase thrills and pleasures and aesthetic enjoyments, and we’re willing to invest lots of time and energy to do so. Yet what could be more glorious and awesome and life-changing than having the holy and perfect God living inside you?
The apostle Paul describes an experience of God’s love being poured into the Christian’s heart through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). We can experience a love that is so much higher and better than any love in this world that it’s literally a foretaste of another world. God offers depths of love and joy and life and power that are beyond our wildest imaginations, and we can experience all this in our day-to-day lives through the Holy Spirit.
How do you experience the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in your life? Jesus died and rose again to bring you into this kind of life (see Acts 2:17-18, 32-33). Do you not hunger and thirst to experience life with God in this way? God has given us the best gift imaginable – through the Holy Spirit, he has literally given us all of himself. However difficult our life circumstances may be, he is with us in this astounding way. So let us yearn and pray for the fullness that God wants us to experience.
Congregational Meeting
Members of Redeemer West Side should plan on attending our annual Congregational and Corporate meeting next Sunday, May 7 at 12:00 pm. We will elect elders, diaconate and trustees, and hear ministry/financial updates. Non-members are welcome to attend.
Upcoming Events
- May 13 | Premarital Seminar
- May 19 | Redeemer Night
- May 21 | RWS Membership Class
