Pentecostal Living - Living a Spirit-filled Life - 6 "P"s

Ephesians 3:16 (NIV)

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

On the Day of Pentecost (we celebrated it on Sunday - 50 days after Easter), ‘the believers were filled with power from on high’ (Acts 1:8), which radically changed their lives. Today God is still doing the same thing. We were never meant to live in our own strength, but in God’s strength (Eph 6: 10), and it is up to us to access the heavenly resources and power available to us to live by God’s power. This is why Ephesians 5 tells us to go on being filled.

Pentecost, though, is about more than accessing God’s power for our own personal edification, as wonderful as that is. God’s desire for us to enjoy Spirit filled living goes way beyond ourselves, as we’ll see below.

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The Purpose of Pentecost:

To baptize the church in the Holy Spirit for nothing less than World Wide Evangelisation and Making Disciples of all Nations (Mtt 28; Mk 16). It’s about being EMPOWERED FOR SERVICE, just as Jesus was when the Holy Spirit filled Him (Mtt 3:13) to proclaim the Kingdom, heal the sick, and save the lost.

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The Power of Pentecost:

The mighty Baptism in the Spirit, Jesus promised (Acts 1:8), and John the Baptist and the OT prophets foretold (John; Joel 2:28’32), with the initial evidence of praying in tongues (Acts – in every case). Dunamis miraculous power fills us! Gifts of the Holy Spirit become available (1 Cor 12).

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The Partnership of Pentecost:

The formation and empowerment of the church, the local church being the earthly expression of the Body of Christ in action. We can’t go it alone. We must be ‘in’ fellowship, devoted to it, as those early saints in ‘Acts 42’ showed. God’s wisdom is seen here: more is accomplished in numbers /partnership, not to mention that we are designed to live in loving relationships.

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The Prayer of Pentecost:

OTHER TONGUES. What an amazing gift. As we pray in tongues our spirit is built up, we speak mysteries to God, and our intercession is Holy Spirit filled (Read 1 Corinthians 12-14). Also the ‘all kinds of prayer’ animated by the Holy Spirit, we see in Ephesians 6 is a part of this. Pray constantly, be devoted to it like the early church....The power of God is released!

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The Perseverance of Pentecost:

The Story of the church is one of perseverance against all odds. The Holy Spirit helps us ‘not to give up’, but rather to persevere.

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The Proclamation of Pentecost:

THE GOSPEL. Peter immediately preached the gospel. The Holy Spirit helps us to proclaim the gospel, our most important job.

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Sunday Evening
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Christies Beach,
South Australia, Australia.

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Jesus Goes With Us

Mark 16:14-15, 19-20
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.