Pentecost Sunday is a day of celebration for Christians of all denominations and traditions. During Pentecost Sunday, which was this past Sunday, we reflect on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that took place on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Luke, the writer of Acts, states,
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4, ESV).
In his sermon in Acts 2, Peter describes this outpouring of the Spirit as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy in Joel 2:28-32. This prophecy is one of tremendous hope as it concludes by stating, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Jl. 2:32, Acts 2:21). What does Pentecost mean for us today, and how do the events of Pentecost in Acts 2 affect our work?
God Is With Us
Pentecost is a powerful demonstration that God is with us. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 is a reminder that God will never leave us alone to carry out his will for our lives.
Regarding Jesus’ ministry on this earth, it is easy to see God’s presence with us. The Son of God put on flesh and became a man like you and me, and through his incarnation, he was able to be an acceptable sacrifice for you and me, someone who never sinned but who could pay the debt for our sin. God was visibly with us.
For Christians living in the post-ascension era, we do not see Jesus visibly in front of us. The outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 is a powerful fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in Matthew 28 to never leave his followers alone. During his earthly life, Jesus was in one place at one time, but the Holy Spirit can be with all believers in all places at the same time. The outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 is a reminder to Christians today that God is with us, and we have power of the Spirit working in our lives so we can be “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We do not have to live life nervously, but we can live in the power of the Spirit as witnesses of the beautiful gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God Is At Work, So We Should Be Too
Pentecost is also a reminder that God is at work in our lives. We cannot afford to lose hope because of the brokenness we see in this world, but our hope is in Christ.
During the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, devout Jews in Jerusalem could hear the people speaking in tongues, in their own native languages (Acts 2:4-11). They said, “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). Through this outpouring of the Spirit, people were speaking in the tongues of numerous languages, testifying of the “works of God.” The power of God was not limited to one group or one language, but “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” were all able to bear witness with what God was doing in Acts 2. God is at work, and he is drawing unto himself people from every people group and ethnicity in this world (Rev. 5:9, 7:9).
If God is at work, we should be working too. Now is not a time to be idle because there is too much at stake. God has a calling for each of our lives, and in every circumstance we should testifying of “the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). Christ has overcome sin and death, he has sent us the Spirit to empower us to be witnesses, and our vocational calling is a key area where we are to work for the glory of God.
Since God is with us, and since he is working through us, our calling is not just a job that places food on the table, as noble as that is, but it is an opportunity to participate in God’s redeeming work throughout the earth. As our workplaces become increasingly pluralistic and diverse, we have the message of hope that is applicable to every person from every background.
Will You Be An Employee of the Gospel?
When you go to work tomorrow morning, you have a choice. You can serve your own agenda, or you can ask the Holy Spirit to equip you to be a faithful employee and witness of the Gospel. We do not work alone, but we have the Holy Spirit in us who will empower us to take ground for the Kingdom of God.
Don’t underestimate God’s ability to draw men and women unto himself through you. You do not just have a job, but you are called, and you have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ. As we reflect on Pentecost Sunday, let’s remember that God is with us and he is at work. Now is not a time for idleness but for bearing witness to the work of God throughout the earth.
