“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”
Acts 1:4-5

Celebrated fifty days after Jesus went to the cross, Pentecost is an important calendar event in the life of the church that celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Holy Spirit was a promise given by God and prophesied long before. In this week’s Pentecost message, Pastor Josh Kelsey reveals the blueprint for the Holy Spirit in our lives and how transformation is possible today.

The Arrival of the Holy Spirit

• Through the Holy Spirit, we no longer live in a wilderness but a fertile field that will become a forest.
• Without the Holy Spirit, we are but a dry land and our hearts are like stone (see Ezekiel 36:26).
• Jesus is the perfect example of what it looks like to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit as a human.
• We know the heartache that comes when a friend moves away or someone close becomes distant. The disciples felt this way when Jesus ascended to heaven.
• “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” John 14:16
• When Jesus says “he will give you another,” the word another means “just like” or “the same as.” Who Jesus was, the Spirit is.
• The disciples experienced God with them in the form of Jesus, but the Spirit is God within you.
• When you see who Jesus is, that is who lives within you forever.
• “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:17
• The way the world operates cannot receive this Holy Spirit because there’s no way to earn or achieve this Spirit.
• If we aren’t careful, we can fall into a performative Christianity that says, “If I serve, then I will receive more of God.”
• But we receive more of God in humility and surrender. Only then are we empowered by the Spirit to go out to serve, lead and share the good news.
• We can be around the activity of God but not have the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.
• The Holy Spirit is not reserved for someone with a title but available for every single heart.
• Some of us want a different kind of life, but we aren’t wanting to follow in obedience to what Jesus has spoken.

The Reaction to the Spirit's Arrival

• The Spirit of God brought people together. They were gathered in the upper room awaiting the promised gift of the Spirit.
• The blueprint for the church is gathering and being filled with the Spirit. Gathering is the key.
• When we view showing up to Sundays and Dinner Parties as optional, we’ll find that the Holy Spirit ends up being optional in our lives.
• There was no countdown to the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The disciples didn’t know how many days they would need to wait.
• The promises of God don’t come with timelines or countdowns. We have to be patient and rely on each other for encouragement.
• The passion that we have for Jesus is magnetic. The “multitude came together” (Acts 2:6) when they heard the rushing wind and experienced the hunger of the disciples.
• “And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’” Acts 2:12-13
• There are two reactions to the coming of the Holy Spirit: amazement and curiosity or mocking and criticisms.
• When we fill ourselves with something like wine, we lose our inhibitions, becoming bold and acting as if everyone should listen to us. Being filled with the Spirit gives you boldness and authority without the hangover.
• Do you run to the substances of this world and wonder why you aren’t truly free? Sin and short-lived pleasures will leave you empty.
• Even the best of things that God created are not meant to fill us. The only thing meant to fill us is the Holy Spirit.
• You must exercise humility in order to receive the Holy Spirit.

The Effect of the Holy Spirit's Arrival

• “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:37-38
• Peter opens up the scriptures, preaching a powerful message to those who gathered.
• Conviction cuts you to the heart, cutting through the niceties of Christian culture and all your facades.
• We don’t need to settle for “faking it until we make it,” but allow the truth of God to cut us to our heart.
• When you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, what do you do? 
• Once we repent, we are immersed in the Lordship of Christ. We come under the name or reign of King Jesus.
• If we are not defensive but humble, then the promises of the Kingdom of Jesus become our reality. We’re no longer slaves but free. We’re no longer orphaned but adopted.
• You’re worth more than your addictions or a relationship that doesn’t truly honor you. That is a low view of yourself.
• No longer do we need to grovel in pig's food, wondering what the Father is serving at his table.
• You are royalty in waiting. You are a child of the Most High God.

Dinner Party Questions

1. The Spirit is not just with you but within you. How does this affect your daily life and the choices you make?
2. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is just like him. How have you seen the Spirit show up in your life with the attributes of Jesus?
3. How can you humble yourself to receive more of the Spirit? What does surrender look like in your life?
4. What does repentance look like in your life? How do you respond to the Spirit’s conviction?