Journey to Pentecost

April 28, 2010    John 21.19

Let’s face it.  None of us are really like Abraham or one of the disciples.  Abraham was instructed to take a journey to a place he didn’t know existed.   Abraham, by faith, went out – not knowing where he was going.  Wow!  Think about that for a minute.  Can you see your son or daughter coming into your room late one night and informing you, “I’m leaving.  I’m going to follow Jesus.  I don’t know where He is leading me yet by I know I have to leave tonight.  See yo later.  I’ll call when I get there!”  Oh, I can imagine what you’re thinking now. 

What about the disciples?  Two words.  “Follow me.”   They sold their vocational businesses or turned in their resignations and wham, bam, slam…they were on a journey to God only knows where.   Is it that simple?  Have we so complicated following Jesus that we need spiritual GPS systems to get where He wants us to go?  Have we moved away from what Paul called the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11.3)?  Are we that difficult to lead?   Really?

The Greek word for follow in this passage means “accompany”.   In other words Jesus was saying, “Come with me.”  “Walk beside me.”  “Stay with me.”   “Let’s go together.”   The idea here is Jesus was saying I will be with you and you will be with Me.   Jesus was making this relatively easy for Simon Peter.   Jesus was creating a partnership.   He was creating a co-op.  He did an outstanding job!

How difficult do we make following Jesus?  How hard to we make it to listen to His words.  When He promised you and I the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a gift – He never intended it to become the debated and argued issue it has become.  He just said, “Here it is.  This is my Father’s promise to you.”  He offered it with the intentions of you receiving the gift as easy as it was for Abraham and or the disciples to follow Him.  Just put yourself in gear.  Engage the promise.  Act on it and receive it.

Let me share something here that I will reiterate again and again for my readers.  The gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 that God gave to the church is not the same operative in the church that is found in 1 Corinthians 12.   The word translated gift in Acts is dorea.   The word for gift in 1 Corinthians 12 is charisma.  Two different gifts – one Spirit.  The gift or the dorea found in Acts 2 was the personal promise gift given to the believer.  Tongues is an initial evidence for reception of the gift as much as getting wet is evidence to being baptized in water.  Tongues in Acts is not the same tongues found in relationship to the charismata in 1 Corinthians 12.   Tongues in relationship to the gift or dorea is receipt of the gift.  It is for personal usage.    Tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 is for corporate usage and manifestation.

When seeking the fulness of the Holy Spirit – approach praying for the reception of the gift out of a hunger for the gift.  Pray that there will be an evidence to your personal reception of the gift.  Evidence to a container being filled or baptized is that the container is wet on the outside and on the inside.  There is an external physical evidence.  When we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit we are favored with an evidence to gift by the external manifestation of tongues.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Follow me.”   The verbal challenge was easy.  The greater challenge we in accepting it.  Don’t make receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit difficult.  Follow him.  Let Him lead you.  Let Him guide you.  Finally, ease up…let Him speak through you.  Don’t complicate the reception of this gift.  Just receive.  Do what Jesus said to do, “Follow me.”