Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday.
The Collect.
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GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout Whitsun Week.
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ND when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:1-11)
This text today is about prayer as much as it is about Pentecost, for the matter is all wrapped up together in the wonderful manner of working of God, the Holy Ghost.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” This is an example to us of how a church should be – one accord, one place.
The common prayers of the Apostles were joined together as one voice, and that voice was also the Voice of God for, if we pray in His Will, the prayer is a repeat of His Word for us. Common prayer is strong in its effect and reception by God.
Prayer is not unlike an echo. It rises to Heaven and, if it be a Godly prayer, is resounds from Heaven with a thunderous echo.
Prayer truly is an echo, only the echo is not God’s. It is our spirits echoing, in humble prayer, the will of the Lord. He thunders and we echo that thunder in our hearts.
Our truest prayers are but the echo of God’s promises. And our echoed prayer is answered with echo after echo from God – very much like two mirrors facing so that the resulting image advances into infinity.
We are now about to witness in the text an illustration of the working of that Spirit called Holy – the Holy Ghost! Please note from whence the sound of His Voice originates:
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
From Heaven. No will of God originates on earth, but from heaven. That is why our prayers must ‘echo’ the will of God for us.
A rushing might wind: A symbol of the Holy Ghost, almost always working in the silent chambers of the heart, here is so powerfully present in its coming that it resembles a mighty gushing wind of tremendous force. There is no corner of the house that is not filled with it.
It is like the wind in at least four particulars:
In His —
1. Secret coming.
2. Powerful shaking.
3. Purifying blowing.
4. Soft refreshing.
Like the morning dew, no one can observe its coming, but the evidence of its presence overwhelms the company.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Notice the Holy Ghost is like a FIRE!
In His —
1. Bright shining.
2. Genial warming.
3. Destructive burning.
4. Rapid spreading.
As Matthew Henry notes: “The Spirit, like fire, melts the heart, burns up the dross, and kindles pious and devout affections in the soul; in which, as in the fire on the altar, the spiritual sacrifices are offered up.”
Pentecost began with fervent prayer in the Wilderness, and so does the same occur here at our day of Pentecost following, by forty-nine days, the events of Holy Week.
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. (Lev 23:15-16)
This is the seventh week (or 49 days of the morrow) following the Sunday of Resurrection! Once again, fervent prayer is offered and the Holy Ghost answers that call.
We note in the events of this moment that the Holy Ghost had the efficacious benefit to change the hearts of men instantaneously to believe on Him whom they had pierced.
Let us examine this effect:
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
What do these other tongues mean and how were they manifested to those around?
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
There were present representatives from every known nations at Jerusalem. They all spoke in ‘foreign’ languages. This must have been a confusing moment?
Not so!
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
They were confused, not because they could not understand the words spoken by the Apostles, but because they COULD!
And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
I am sorry to tell you this, but all those so-called churches who teach that these tongues were utterances of ecstasy that no one else could understand are teachers of false doctrine. They are heretics or edon!
If a man or woman stands up in a church and begins to speak in a babble that no one can understand, does that edify the church? Does it please God? The word babble comes from the Tower of Babble which, because of their sin against heaven, God confused their languages so that each spoke a language the other could not understand. It sounded like babble, babble, babble, or the language of Babel.
The Holy Ghost will not come to you with an uncertain sound.
Paul describes this practice in 1 Cor 14:8-9
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
Does God intend confusion to be a reverent manner of worship?
Again Paul says: “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Cor 14:33)
The Holy Ghost is an agent of peace, goodwill, love, and obedience. If you hear His Voice, you will not hear the voices of false friends calling you to dress in sexy or inappropriate ways. You will disregard the voices pleading you to go where you should not, or do things you should not do. Do you truly love God? Then obey His Holy Spirit in your daily lives!
