1993

The title of my sermon today is... 1993. 1993. Was anybody here born in 1993?

Besides her dreaming. And Neil dreaming too.

No one in 1993. I guess they are. Is your son? How old is your son? No. Oh, he's before that time.

You remember where you were? Okay. Well, is 1993, how many days are left till Christ's return? Have you ever thought about that? Hmm. That means in January of 2030 Christ would return if there's 1993 days left.

But I'm not a prophet. And that's not what the number means.

Does anybody remember? He remembers in 1993 where he was. Do you remember where you were? How many people were living in Florida in 1993? That's about half. I can't put my hand up because I wouldn't come until 2012.

So, 1993. Do you remember what one picture of the year in 1993? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm? Well, they'll show you. Do they remember that one? The Unforgiven. Hopefully that's none of you and you're all forgiven. But that was Picture of the Year, won the Oscar in 1993. President Bill Clinton was sworn into office in January of 1993.

Everybody remember Bill Clinton? Yes. Yes. Also, in 1993, in the spring of that year, at the time of the Holy Days, was the government's assault, federal assault, on the Branch Davidians. Remember that?

Fiasco? No.

The Branch Davidians also kept the Sabbath Day and the Holy Days. But they also kept a lot of other things. That's the reason they were raided.

Well, today's sermon is on none of those topics.

I asked those questions so that you could focus on the number 1993.

1993. Well, tomorrow is Pentecost. We know that. What does Pentecost mean?

Fifty. Count fiftieth.

Good. Looks like we're going to have a nice sermon today. This is a little interactive today. This is a build-up to tomorrow.

We will be here for the High Holy Day.

Pentecost is also known by two other phrases. Do you know what they are? Say that again.

Feast of First Fruits. Yes. Hopefully we're all first fruits in here.

Anything else? Feast of what? Weeks. Yes. How many weeks? Seven. Very good.

I haven't wasted my thirteen years here.

But tomorrow is the 1993rd anniversary of Pentecost in the Church of God.

It was instituted in the Church of God. Before that, it was the children of Israel.

Judah celebrated it, but after Christ's death, the Church was formed. The very Church that you are part of, we take our roots all the way back, 1993 years ago.

And they kept, that Church kept Pentecost. We keep the Pentecost because of that.

And 1993 times since Christ died has the Church of God assembled on the Feast of Pentecost.

That's for tomorrow.

I might just have touch on that tomorrow. It'll be here. Maybe you can interpret. I don't do baby talk, so.

Yes.

But you, whoever you are, most of you know what the Feast of Pentecost is about.

You know a little bit about the history of this Church. It's very beginning because that's where the Church of God began, according to Scripture.

So, what happened 1993 years ago tomorrow? Why is it called the Feast of First Fruits? You know what?

Your first fruit. Is it because you're fruity?

Say that again.

The first of the... Yes. Remember, in the spring holidays we went into the Wave Sheaf offering and Jesus Christ was then presented before God and He was the first of what?

The first of the first fruits. And as you get into this time, if you were farming right now, you would realize.

Wow! Harvest. The spring harvest is done. Wow! Look at this. We'll talk about more of that tomorrow.

So many of us are removed from farming. And just how important it is. It was to raise crops. If you were in the Midwest being a farmer, you would know exactly why this time.

If you were to live back at that time, you would know how important it was. And we'll talk a little bit about that.

Let's go to, if you will, go with me to 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15. I'll read from here. Being from the New Living Translation helps us.

It says, but in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of the great harvest of all who have died.

So, you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, which was Christ living.

And then he says, just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, we were born of the ground, everyone who belongs to Christ will...

Oh, it's about a new life.

He shall be given a new life, but there is an order to this resurrection. Christ was raised as the first of the harvest.

Christ was raised as the first of the harvest, then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

So, it's about...this is about the harvest of mankind.

And there are, just like in farming, you start planting early in the year, and by this time you can get almost all of the first fruits.

A harvest.

Forty-nine days ago, a wave sheaf in Israel was waved so that they could go and present the first of the grains to God.

And he would accept it, and then for the next 50 days, all the farmers, all the people could harvest.

Can you imagine how big that was to those who had had a lean year and was just getting by on whatever they had left?

Because there wasn't Publix, Kroger's, whatever you have, Trader Joe's, even, as he said, Whole Foods.

There wasn't a Walmart. There wasn't that.

So, you could see how this...tomorrow we're talking about a big feast we're going to have here. Why? Because it's symbolic of how it should be.

People were excited. They were bringing...they had plenty of crops to bring in because they had done the first fruit harvest.

And just like when Christ returns, it's the first who will be raised from the grave, who will be changed in a moment and twinkled in life.

So, let's talk about that inaugural service that day. We won't talk about it tomorrow. I have something totally different that I'm going to bring tomorrow.

But I want you to think about that day. Who gave the sermon that day? Who? Peter! Peter gave the sermon that day. Greetings! Nice to see you.

Did he give an impressive sermon? Have you read it? I've never gave such an impressive sermon that thousands were baptized after it.

I gave a sermon here a time or two and somebody was baptized. I gave a sermon and you were baptized. But never like that! Never that impactful.

So, let me ask you what natural phenomenon happened that day? Anybody? That's a natural? What natural phenomenon happened that day? That doesn't sound very natural.

The flame! The flame! The wind! The wind! That's a natural phenomenon in case you haven't been here during hurricane season or stormy seasons. The wind! It's natural!

But then there were, as you mentioned, some unnatural things. Unnatural things.

Yes! Yes!

And so, people were talking in tongues. Because there were tongues of fire over each of their heads. Right? That had to be weird. But then they'd be talking.

How many of you speak more than one language? I know Fatima does. Does. One, two. You speak patois? Okay. Jamaica speaks patois. I know. You can say things that I don't even know. And it's supposed to... I've spoken dialect. No.

George does. You speak patois. And you speak... Chicago? Oh, I don't even know that one. But it's from the Philippines. So I understand that it's a French. Right? So that had to be strange. Unnatural.

I know I only speak two languages. I took French in high school, but that didn't carry on until I got out of high school. But I speak English and Southern.

Y'all know what I mean? Get on out of here. That's my Tennessee roots. But let's go and look at that. Let's go to Acts 2. That tells us everything we need to know about what happened all those years ago. At the beginning of this Church of God. Acts 2. Let's start in verse 1. Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, what does that mean? What does that mean? Fully come. There's a count, isn't there? So it was the counting of weeks plus a day. So it's the 50th. So the 50th was there. Just like tomorrow. We'll meet here. There's no doubt. This is the 50th day from the... ...morrow after the Sabbath during the spring. Only days. They were all with one accord in one place. Where was that place? Anybody remember? The upper room. Ah, Bruce. The upper room. They all met and... how many were there? 120.

Will you base your salvation on that number? I can't because it says about. I don't know whether he just wasn't there and everybody had to be counted. But imagine when we're full, every seat here is full, we have about 60 people.

So the room had to be almost twice this size, didn't it? Now that's a big, large upper room, isn't it? Let me ask you this question since we're doing this about this Pentecost. Remember Christ, just before Passover night, sent his disciples, two of them out to find a place to keep the Passover. Do you remember what that place was described as?

A large upper room. Is it possible that this was the same room? Very possible because they would have known where to go. But we don't know. But it is interesting. Let's go back to our script. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven. So... God sent this sound, this wind, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. So they were actually sitting not standing. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one set upon each of them. Can you imagine that sight? I mean, think about it. They came to worship God. They had no idea this was about to happen, did it? They had kept the Sabbath. They had kept the Holy Days many times before. But all of a sudden, if I had a tongue of fire on top of my head, would I be able to see it? No. But would I be able to see yours? Yes. Would that freak you out? Would you go, is that me too? Yes. I mean, this was a unique sighting. This was empowering to them because it was not just another normal high day. This Pentecost was unique. Christ had actually told them they need to be there. And for 10 days they had not seen Him. They only saw Him for the first 40 days after His resurrection. So for 10 days they hadn't seen Him. Let's go on. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Isn't that interesting? All filled. And began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. So who's speaking? The Spirit. They were speaking through the Spirit. The Spirit was speaking through them. It was interesting that I watched a YouTube video of a faith healer that went up and down the United States coast and across from east to west and had over 3,000 different little assemblies as He would speak in tongues and call people up to be baptized. And I was interested in Him because He no longer does that. As a matter of fact, this preacher of the Lord, as He once called Himself, a prophet, doesn't keep anything anymore. And so they asked Him about this. You know, once you spoke in tongues because that's what He was known for. He's able to heal people. You can see it on YouTube, I don't remember. It's been a couple years since I watched it. And so the interviewee said, well, no, I never did any of that. He said it was all just a show. I'd have people in the audience out there that I would heal, that I already knew before that I paid them a little money, and they would hobble up and then they'd go back. And He said, well, what about speaking in tongues? He said, I made all that stuff up. He said, because I was speaking in a language and nobody understood it, so they couldn't say that. Because He said, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I say all this stuff. And nobody could argue because of the unknown tongue, so they just made up these words.

But that didn't happen here, did it? Because it wasn't gibberish. It was made up of words because, let's go down and read, in verse 5, Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

That's a lot of nations. That's a lot of different people. And when the sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused because everyone heard them speak in His own language. So you have Jews that were from Greece, Rome, they would have heard in Latin. There were the Carthanians, the Carthanians, all these different languages. They came there to worship, but they were hearing it in their own language. Now can you imagine that? They were outside of these windows and...

What if there were 50 or 60 different languages? They heard it in their own language.

We're having him leave because he's speaking gibberish, so we don't know what he's speaking about. So, Winston was taking all back to his people.

Yes.

Now, many of you, and I know you speak Spanish and English, imagine speaking a language you didn't even know. Can you imagine that day? Something's coming out of your mouth that you don't even know? Because it is in the speaking. Matter of fact, I had ministers. I had two ministers growing up in the church that said the only miracle was the hearing. That's not what the Scripture says. It's in the speaking and the hearing. I don't know where they got that, but of course back in those days you didn't challenge your minister. You didn't go, I think you got that wrong. Which is your job? May I say, by the way? It is your job, if I get something wrong, to tell me. But it was in the speaking and the hearing. So let's go down and finish these verses. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, look! Are not all these who speak Galileans? How would these Galileans or rural people, farmers, fishermen, how would they know different languages? And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born? And then it goes into the Medes and the Elamites and all these various places. They heard it. How powerful that must have been that day. Powerful to those who are hearing it and powerful for those who were saying it. So, I'll go back to my question. Why would this be the start of the Church of God? Anybody have a thought? In your opinion, why would this be the start of the Church of God? That has lasted for how many years? We're going to have to do it in 1993. There we go. I have to put it back up there. That's my purpose. It's in 1993. Anybody have any thoughts? Spread the Gospel around the world. Spread the Gospel? Yes, because it's not just one answer, is it? Why was the Church started? Why do we have a Church today? Here. What is our purpose? Say, to preach a Gospel? That's His. Then it says, preparing a people. Preparing a people for what? Prepare them for their destiny. They were to be doing the same thing. So, why would this be the start? Why would it not be the start when Jesus Christ said, unless I go, He, it, Holy Spirit cannot come. So, He's gone. And now, the Holy Spirit is going to be given. What better place to start? Because it said, about 120 were filled with the Spirit. You think they're prepared? Here you have Peter, who just 50 days before was cowering down, cursing like a sailor, and running away, saying, I didn't have anything to do with this man. Now, He's standing up, giving one of the most powerful sermons ever given. The Holy Spirit was moving, and it still moves today.

The only thing that limits that Holy Spirit is us, because it's the Spirit of power, very essence of God, as we will talk a little bit about tomorrow. So, how many people on this day, 1900 and, how long? 93 years ago, how many people were baptized? Remember? Okay. 3000? How many people say 3000? How many people want to bet their salvation on that? Ah, about 3000. Do you remember they didn't have people who checked off the road? Well, wait a minute. They're here, they're here, they're here. I'd just like to be precise, if you know, if somebody wants to corner you. So, let's go. In Acts 2, let's go down to verse 34. And I do that right, Acts 2, verse 34. This is part of Peter's sermon. As he says, for David did not ascend into heaven, but he says, the Lord said to my Lord, you went back there, there were two? Yes. One definite proof. Old Testament, there were two. Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Prophecy is coming up. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Powerful sermon. Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all, everybody here, all, all who are far off, as many as the Lord God will call. Hmm. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. Okay. How many disciples were there? Apostles now in that room? Twelve. Very good. And how many were baptized? About three thousand. Very good. Tried to get you there. Mother, Father, may I? About three thousand, right? How long did that take? I think I baptized eight people in a day. The most I have. Six, or eight? I can't remember when I did that. I think it's six. That's a far cry from that many. So this was a tremendous day. And then they were in Jerusalem. Where did they baptize them? They didn't have the Atlantic Ocean that we have here. So they maybe was a pool of salons? Where? Think of the logistics of that. If somebody said, well, Chuck, you're going to baptize 200 tomorrow. You know what I have to do? I have spent a night figuring out the logistics. How are we going to do that? Where are we going to do it at? And then we need another room. So this was such a unique day that sometimes we don't think about it over the years. We just, okay, it's another holy day and we keep it. It was big. Very, very big. It was exciting to be there. You think the next year? I mean, if I was there, if I were there, the next year I'm going to be thinking, where's those tongues? Where's the wind? Because that had to make such an impact that you didn't forget it. And when it didn't show up, you go, okay, that was an anomaly. But you would remember what it was like and how powerful that actually was.

So it helps for us to picture that day. That's why I'm taking the extra time to get you involved and get you engaged so that you can hopefully, tomorrow, realize that this is a big anniversary. About 120. Who were they? Anybody know? The Apostles? Right? Okay. That's 12. Still got 108 to go.

Well, if we go back to chapter 1, I don't think you have this. I don't know. I'm just throwing this out there. It named all the disciples who were there. Well, maybe I do. I did give it to you, didn't I? Okay. Let's go to Acts 1 and verse 13. And we'll go back to chapter 1. And we'll go back to chapter 2. I did give it to you, didn't I? Okay. Let's go to Acts 1 and verse 13. And when they had entered there, they went up to the upper room where they were staying.

Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James, the son of Alphas, Simon the Zealot, Judas, the son of James. And then it says in verse 14, these all continue to want to accord prayer and supplication with the women. Okay, let's stop there. Because I just love these things when they throw them to you in the Bible and then go, you're supposed to think. You're supposed to think. You're not just to read Degas as a bunch of women. It says, what? Mary was there.

Right? It says Mary was there, the mother of Jesus with his brothers. How many brothers did he have? Three. He got five, he got three. Do I have six? Do I have seven? Do I have seven? I got eight. Speaking in, that's my tongue. We know James is one of his brothers, don't we? He wrote half brother. His other brother was Jude, right? His other brother, he had one brother named Simon.

And he had another named after his father. What was his name? Joseph. So you had four of the brothers here. That was with the mother. Now, did Jesus have any sisters? How many? Three. Okay. Do you know their names? Because I don't have their names. I know there's more than one, so there's two, and we have a definite three here. We can base our salvation on three sisters. About three. How about that one? I like that one better. About three. About three. Which means it could be two, it could be four. About. Do you think they were there? Do you think they're part of the women? I do. Because his brothers all followed.

Are there any other women? Mary Magdalene. Mary and Martha. Do you think Lazarus was there? Probably. I doubt he was sleeping. He was raised from sleeping. Think about, I mean, we don't know all of them. It's been, what, 11 years ago I gave a Bible study on that.

And just wanted everybody to put, and I put down, definite, maybe, possibly. Of all the people who were there. But think about the 120 in that room. They were the who's who in Jesus' life, wouldn't they? Weren't they? Is it important for us to know? I think it's important for us to know who was there, and even think about, because they're first fruits, aren't they?

They were given God's Holy Spirit, and so unless they lost it, was taken from them, they're going to be at the wedding supper, aren't they? They're going to be in the kingdom of God. You might be sitting next to one of those at the wedding supper. That is such an amazing event that took place. Salome? Anybody else? Any other women? Just go back and look in your reading sometimes and see all the women that Jesus Christ, His life touched them.

When other men wouldn't even talk to a single woman, wouldn't talk to most women in public, Jesus Christ talked to everybody! They realized this was a different individual, and God was calling 120 first, and then about 3,000. 3,000. So the New Testament church kept Pentecost, a Jewish Holy Day. Are you telling me it wasn't?

It was a Jewish Holy Day. I can take you to Deuteronomy, I can take you to litigues, I can take you to Numbers. Who's Holy Day? God's Holy Day. I knew where you were going. So, who do we worship? God. We don't worship the Jews, we don't worship the Holy Days, we worship a God on a Holy Day. Because He commands it, not only in the Old Testament, but the New Testament.

I wonder if I could go with me to Acts 20. Acts 20. Verse 16. For Paul, of course, who wrote the book of Acts? Luke the physician. Very good. He says, for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on Pentecost.

I've read a commentary that said, well, just because he wanted to be there on Pentecost didn't mean he kept it. Because he was a minister to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles didn't have to keep it. That commentary has holes in it. Because Luke is writing this. Who was Luke? Besides a physician? He wasn't one of the disciples. But he was a Greek. Writing to Theophilus, the Greek, who asked him to do this. So he was describing this.

Here, Luke is telling about Paul, wanting to be somewhere at Pentecost. Those are in God's church. Those who keep the commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That's us. But we keep the Holy Days. We know exactly what someone is talking about. I can make this statement that just a few weeks before the Feast of Tabernacles, I have a wedding to perform in Tennessee.

You know exactly what time of the year that is, don't you? Are pretty close. Well, I'll get to visit this church before Passover next year. Or I'll see you a week before Pentecost next year. Do we know what that means? Why do we know what that means? Because we keep those days. Luke kept those days. Paul kept those days. It's part of our life. It is what we pray.

I very seldom hear somebody say, I'll come visit two weeks before Christmas. We know when Christmas is because everything shuts down. But besides that, we don't use that as a reference. Typically, we do. This was being used as a reference of time. Where he was going, he was going to be there. And it's a part of his life, as it is a part of ours. If I said, where are you going to the feast this year? You'd tell me. I know when that time is.

You don't have to give me the dates. I know when it is. And I know you're going off to keep the feast of tabernacles. And you're going to be there for eight days. You're going to be worshiping God. This is what the church did. This was a part of the church because the church before, in the Old Testament, was Judah. It was the twelve tribes, and then ten gave it up. And so then it was left, and Jesus, oh, God was hoping that, okay, now Judah will keep it. But what did they do? Nothing. They went after other gods.

So that's when Jeremiah 31, 33, I will write my laws in your, and where else? Mind and in your heart. Well, how does he do that with the Holy Spirit? So it's no longer just up here. Oh, wait a minute. It's Friday night. I've got to stop working. No? No. You know it's time to worship God. It's that 24-hour period of time. That's what he wants us to do.

If possible, was that important? Now, go with me so I can, by the mouth of two or three witnesses, so let's put two in there. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 16. Just over there. 4, 1 Corinthians 16 and verse 8. Paul talking about going, passing through Macedonia. But I, Terry, writing the church in Corinth, would have known what he was talking about. But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. Pentecost was big. It was a marker. It should be a marker to us every year. It has to be, because that's the time that Jesus Christ designated, that he would finally deliver the Holy Spirit.

So, like about 120, I have to catch myself, because it's so ingrained in us that we want to quote the Scripture, say, don't add or take away. That's what I strive to do. But, as you can see, I don't always do it. So I want to help guard my tongue and make sure that I get something, what the Scripture says. But about 120, like the disciples, because they were called disciples who were there.

Am I correct? There are also 12 apostles there, weren't there? If you go back to Acts 1, I don't have this in the PowerPoint because stuff, sorry guys, stuff just popped in my head. Things just popped in my head. But in Acts 1, they have to replace Judas, right? And they had two men. Do you remember their names? Matthias. Matthias, you remember one. And so you always remember the winner, but who was the loser?

Justice. Justice. How would you feel if you were justice? Yes. Let me ask you a question as I finish the sermon up in case you're going, how long are you going on today to go? Will you call Peral Beach and tell them I won't be there then? I said you always freak up, you know. But think about how you would feel. Do you think justice was one of the 120? Yeah. Just because you're not an apostle, you are, he had followed. What did he say? Therefore, these men who have accomplished, this is Acts 1 and verse 21, therefore, these men who have accomplished, accompanied us all the time that Jesus went in and out amongst us.

For three and a half years these two guys, do you think they were one of the 70s? Two of the 70s that he sent out? Good chance if they were with him all this time. Beginning from the baptism of John, to the day when he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. And they proposed two. Joseph called and was surname Justice and Matthias, and we know Matthias was part of those.

What a day for him! But let me answer your question. Since I've had so many good answers, you guys answered everything. They made him an apostle. What day did they make him an apostle? When? Was it Pentecost? Close to it. Close to it. Are we close to Pentecost today? When is the Sabbath? Saturday? The day before the first day before Pentecost? Is it more likely that this took place? The Sabbath before the day we're here? Like today? Why do I say that?

Go over to chapter 2 where we just started. Because it tells all about they cast him their lots. And he was numbered with the 11 in verse 26. Then verse chapter 2, now when the day of Pentecost had fully come. So doesn't it make sense that it took place on the eve of Pentecost? That's what I believe because I read and we can put it all together. There. So the disciples were all there. The apostles were all there. Peter, Paul, and Mary, not the singing group.

Peter was there. Paul was there. Mary was there. Whoa. Very good. I was hoping that somebody would catch me. Paul wasn't there yet, was he? He wasn't. Brethren, we will keep the Feast of Pentecost tomorrow. Just like the church did, 1993 years ago. We will have a service. We will praise Him. We will have a service. I'm not promising any wind. I'm not promising any five tongues of fire.

But I will promise you that in this room tomorrow, the Holy Spirit will be alive and well. And it will be present. And where two or more of mine are gathered together, God will be there. Is there any better reason to come tomorrow than those great promises that God's going to be here? The 1,933rd, 93rd, keeping of Pentecost is tomorrow. It should be memorable.

How many more are left we will be able to spend together? How many more of us will be here to celebrate together? We don't know. But there's one thing we can know. God's going to be here tomorrow. I'm going to be here tomorrow. And I want to see all of you here tomorrow as we keep the Feast of Pentecost.