This morning during my prayer time I was rereading the story of Pentecost from Acts 2. What an amazing account of the coming of the Holy Spirit, bringing the power of God into the early church. Though I've read the story hundreds of times, something struck me this morning. This revelation came during the part of the story where Peter is preaching and everyone in the crowd hears the message in their own language.
We will be celebrating baptism this Sunday at all campuses. If you would like to be baptized, but have not yet contacted us, please email steve@rock-church.org.
This was a miracle, the very thing we talked about this past Sunday as we launched our new Supernatural series. It was a sign and a testimony, demonstrating to all the power of God working through the disciples. But it dawned on me that there was also a very practical component of this miracle. It allowed every person to hear the gospel in their native language. How important is that! Imagine the difference it made for those people being able to hear the good news of Jesus proclaimed in a way that spoke directly to them.
It reminds me that even today, when we share the gospel, we need to speak people's language. And what I often need to remind myself of is that just because I'm speaking English to someone else who speaks English, doesn't mean I am speaking their language. Speaking their language means not using "churchy words" that only long time Christians understand. Speaking their language means understanding contemporary culture well enough that we can use illustrations that are relevant and relatable. And speaking their language means being vulnerable enough to enter their world and communicate in a way that connects to their personal experience. The apostle Paul wrote "I have become all things to all people that I might win some for Christ." If we are going to reach people with the hope of Jesus, we need to enter their world and speak their language.
This Sunday is Pentecost. The day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian Church. We will celebrate baptism and welcome new members. And we will continue to dig into the supernatural aspect of our faith as we explore the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is an incredibly important day in the life of the church. I look forward to us all being together to celebrate it!
P.S. I would invite you to wear something red this Sunday. Red is the color of Pentecost because it reminds us of the spirits coming down as tongues of flame over the disciples.