Pentecost

Well, good morning, everyone. Good to see all of you, and welcome to our Pentecost services for the Raleigh and Ashboro and Greensboro churches here in Pittsboro. We hope that everybody has had no trouble finding the location for the services here, and we do welcome everyone this morning. Welcome to God's Own Special People. That's the title of the first message this morning, Pentecost, God's Own Special People.

You know, it's an honor and a privilege to be here and be able to worship our Creator who gives us this beautiful day, gives us each breath of life, each day that we live. It's a beautiful day that He's given to us, and it's a wonderful meaning this day of Pentecost. Well, let's go into some verses in the Bible as to why are we here on a Sunday? We don't usually meet on Sunday, but once a year we do, because Pentecost always comes up on a Sunday.

We are here in simple, childlike obedience to God, because we want to do what is pleasing to Him. That is what is in our hearts. We want to obey His command to keep His holy day today. Let's turn over to Leviticus chapter 23 and briefly review why we are here this morning. It's always good to be reminded of this. We are here to simply obey our God, even if we did not understand what this day means. And God has granted us that understanding what this day means in His great Master Plan.

But you know, even if we did not understand what this day means, we would still be here keeping it. Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Armstrong kept the Holy Days for many years, not understanding what they meant.

They just knew that God said, keep them. And so they kept the Holy Days in simple obedience to the great God, our great God. Well, Leviticus chapter 23 and verses 2 to 4 commands that we do remember the Sabbath day, that we do keep it holy. It is a holy convocation. Work may be done six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God. But in verse 4, we have in the rest of this chapter the seven annual festivals of God. Beginning in verse 4, we have a verse that introduces the seven holy days.

These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the 14th day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And then verse 6, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These days we have kept already this year. But then beginning in verse 15, we have this day that we are now keeping. Verse 15, you shall count for yourselves from the day that, or after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths shall be completed.

Count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Brethren, this is that 50th day. The 50th day from the Sunday that occurs within the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In verse 17, you shall bring from your habitations two wave loaves of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be a fine flower. They shall be baked with leaven.

They are the first fruits to the Lord. You know, all this is symbolic. Very important symbolism. This is the Feast of First Fruits. It is called that in Exodus chapter 23, the Feast of First Fruits. They are the first fruits to the Lord. And notice they are baked with leaven. You know what that means, brethren? It means that we do have yet things that we need to think about this morning. There's yet spiritual leaven in our lives that we need to deal with.

And God wants us to think about that on this day of Pentecost. In 11 that is there, He wants us to come to see it, to purge it out. He wants us to be going on toward perfection from the heart and with the power of His Holy Spirit growing and overcoming. Yes, they shall be baked with leaven. Very important symbolism that we do yet have leaven. What leaven is there yet in your life? It'd be good to examine yourself, this Feast of Pentecost, and ask yourself that question. What leaven do you yet need to deal with? You know, you don't have to answer for my leaven or somebody else's leaven, but we do have to answer for our own leaven.

The sins, the spots, and the blemishes that might yet remain in our lives. I'd like for us to think about that this morning. You know, this day is very important that we examine our hearts and minds for any leaven that God wants us to recognize and deal with. Well, you know, Pentecost always comes up in the spring of the year, around this time of the year, in late May or early June. In ancient Israel, it was the time of the early spring harvest.

There were two harvest seasons in ancient Israel, the early spring harvest around this time from beginning even at the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and extending on over to this time, the time of Pentecost. Then in the fall of the year, there was the big harvest, the big end gathering that occurred in the fall of the year.

This is symbolic of the spiritual harvest seasons of God. Pentecost represents the first fruits. It represents the ones that will first of all be prepared to be in God's kingdom. Now, in the Old Testament, we don't find the name Pentecost. It's called the Feast of Weeks. It's called the Feast of First Fruits. It's called here in Leviticus 23. It's not called anything.

It just says, count to 50. There's no name given for it. But in the New Testament, we find a name given to this day. In the Greek, it is... well, in the English translation from the Greek, it is Pentecost. Pentecost simply means fiftieth. That's all that it means. Fiftieth. This is the fiftieth day from that first day of the week within the seven days of Unleavened Bread.

We find several references to the church keeping Pentecost in the New Testament that will not turn to right now, but you could go to Acts 2, verse 1. The church we are a member of was founded at its beginning, its birth on this day. It began with 3,120 people in the church, and it was only one day old. That's a big beginning. A very big beginning. You'll also find references to Pentecost in Acts 20, verse 16, and 1 Corinthians 16, verse 8.

Let's ask ourselves this morning, why is this day so important to us?

Did we realize that Pentecost, understanding what it means, should have an impact on the way we conduct our lives? It should govern our thoughts. It should help to inspire us every day that we wake up as we go through the day and when we come to bedtime at night, understanding what Pentecost represents ought to motivate us. I hope that after this day and the messages that we have today, that you will have a greater zeal and excitement and determination yourself to grow and to overcome and to be in God's kingdom. Let's first of all get right to the heart and core meaning of this day. What does Pentecost mean? Pentecost answers many of the nagging questions that human beings have. For example, this question, what has God been doing for 6,000 years?

You know, most people in the world believe that God has been trying to save the world.

We know that is not the truth at all. But what has God been doing for 6,000 years?

What has God been doing to solve all of the problems and the evils and all the suffering that we see on the earth today? Oh, brethren, there's so much suffering going on in our own country. There's so much suffering, so much warfare, violence and bloodshed going on in different parts of the world. And now a nation that might just use nuclear weapons apparently has them and is developing, trying to develop the means to deliver them.

We have another group, a terrorist group, that would like to take over nuclear weapons in Pakistan.

This is the world that we live in. And many people fear that nuclear weapons will end up in the hands of the wrong people who will not be afraid to use them. This is the world that we live in. It gets worse every day. The question is, what is God doing to try to solve all the suffering and the problems that we see on the earth? Is He doing anything? Maybe He's not even... is He concerned about it even? Is He just up in heaven not doing anything? Kind of idle?

Well, let's see that He has been very busy for 6,000 years, and He is very busy today.

And He'll be very busy tomorrow and in the days leading up to the Second Coming of Christ.

Today, most of the world is deceived. They've been deceived by a counterfeit Christianity that began in the very days of the early Church. Yes, a great false Church system began with false teachers and false ministers in the very early days. And after 200 or 300 years, this system came together and has dominated the religious scene in the Western world, believed to be Christian but is actually a counterfeit Christianity. And that's what we see all around and about us today. Oh, it's sincere. There's no doubt about that.

But wrong and not keeping God's Word, not following the teachings and the example of Jesus Christ and the early Church. But God, during this time, has been very active.

Jesus said He would found His Church in Matthew 16 and verse 18, and He did on the day of Pentecost, this day. And God has been very busy calling a few, a small number of people to that Church that Jesus founded. God has been opening hearts and minds to understanding. He's been giving repentance. One verse from Jesus says that no one can come to understanding unless the Father draws Him. No one. You and I are not here today because we just thought in our minds, well, I think I'd like to be in the true Church of God. I think I'd like to understand the truth. I'd like to be one of the first fruits. That's not the way it happened. If you even begin to think that way, you need to rethink it. You're here because God chose you. Jesus told His 12 disciples, you have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you. And God has chosen each and every one of us. We need to see that calling. It is a unique and high calling. I'd like to put it in its perspective today as just how great a calling it is. It's been given to us to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was asked in Matthew 13, why do you speak to them in parables? Many people think He spoke in parables so people could understand. He said, no, because it's not given to them to know, but it's given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. And a few verses later, He said, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. God's been very busy these past 2,000 years. He's been training people, preparing people, and He continues to do that today.

And that is the crux of my message this morning. Pentecost, God's own special people. And it's on the bottom part of our church seal, which we don't have up here this morning.

So I'm not able to use that, am I? We usually have it there. But at our church services, we have our church seal, and at the bottom of it, it says, preparing a people. And that's what God is so busy doing. I don't think we ourselves fully get it. We don't wake up each day realizing what God is going to be doing in our lives as much as we need to. I'd just like for us to have that imprinted upon our minds today so we can wake up Monday morning and the rest of this week and days ahead every day realizing, well, God's got some things in my life to work on today. He's got some more preparation to do on me and in me. Brother Pentecost this day pictures the first fruits to salvation. In Romans chapter 8 verse 23, we are called the first fruits of the Spirit. Romans 8 and verse 23. The first fruits of the Spirit. You know what that means? It means that later on there are going to be second fruits, right? First fruits now of the Spirit. Second fruits are going to come later during the millennium and also during the time of the Second Resurrection. That's when all the masses of humanity will have their day of salvation. James chapter 1 and verse 18 says that we are a kind of first fruits of His creatures. That's what we are. I don't think many times we think about it as much as we should. We are a first fruits of the spiritual creation of God.

What has God been doing for 6,000 years? He has been carefully calling and preparing a people.

That's what He's doing today right now. As our church seal reads, preaching the gospel, preparing a people. And that's what Pentecost is all about. For 6,000 years God has been calling and preparing His own special people to reign with His Son and bring salvation to all of mankind.

Now these special people of God have had to be different. They've had to suffer persecution and opposition and death, often at the bequest of the counterfeit Christian church.

To suffer persecution and death. They've had to come out of the world and be separate. The faith chapter is a good example of how they've had to be different. They've had to be willing to suffer and go through pain and even to the point of death. The faith chapter, Hebrews 11, shows the suffering of the firstfruits down through the ages up to the time of the church. There could be a very long and extended faith chapter, if God wanted to, of all the suffering and the martyrdom of His people. When you think about it, there's been suffering in our lives, too. We've had people that have lost jobs. We've had people that have had various difficulties, opposition. Yes, we've had people that have been in prison because of what they believe in our time.

So there's been some suffering. In my life, it's not been easy. It's been a challenge. It continues to be a challenge to be a Christian, to come out of the world and be separate. Suffering is certainly a part of the program. Let's turn to Hebrews 11 and verse 35 and notice that there's a better resurrection that God has in store for the firstfruits, for His own special people.

Yes, there's a better resurrection. That's what we must keep our minds on. That's what motivates us. It's a high calling. Pentecost, this mysterious day that we understand, that the world does not understand, shows a better resurrection. It shows a high calling for God's own special people.

In Hebrews 11 and verse 35, women received their dead, raised to life again.

And others were tortured. Oh, this chapter goes through a lot of the sufferings of the firstfruits in the Old Testament times. So all kinds of torture, not accepting deliverance. And why? That they might obtain a better resurrection. That's what keeps motivating us forward.

What keeps us going forward to be different. It's not easy to be different. It'd be much easier just to fit in. Fit into what everybody else is doing. But no, we must be a separate people and different. It's because of the better resurrection. You know, God has a solution, and He is working on that solution every day for the problems in the world today.

He is training and preparing a people to reign with His Son at His return.

In Revelation chapter 1, let's read a few verses about our high calling, what God has in mind for us in the future. And Pentecost shows that we are preparing for this. Oh, what a high calling it is. It's so high that I think our minds have trouble taking it in. That one day we might be able to assist Christ in straightening out the problems on the earth. You know, I don't know about you, but you think about all the suffering that is going on, all the disease and the sickness, the bloodshed, the misery and the suffering on the earth today. I guess I wouldn't mind if I knew just exactly how to do it in just the right way to be able to help to make things better. How about you? I wouldn't mind doing that. If I knew a way that would be the right way, just the right way to do it, to help to make things better for mankind, that's what our calling is all about. We are going to know the right way to do it, just the right way to handle everything and begin to make things better on the earth. That's our calling. Not now. We can't change the world now, but at the coming of Christ. Let's read Revelation chapter 1 and verse 5 about this high calling. From Jesus Christ we get this grace and peace from Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. And there's the Passover. That's how we're forgiven.

God just cleans us up. He washes away every sin. Recently, in regard to how merciful God is to us, I've been thinking that God just is always continually forgiving us. We've followed all of us so far short, but he continues to give us a fresh start. Just continually giving us a fresh start. Cleans us up. Sins removed as far as the east is from the west. Not even remembered by God anymore. So put away, he just keeps giving us a fresh start. I'd like to apply that to our relationships too. Husbands and wives, be forgiving. And families, be forgiving on your job, your neighborhoods, wherever you are with human beings. If they do you wrong, be forgiving.

Hear with each other in the church, be forgiving. No grudges, nothing that puts a distance between us and others. Continually give other people a fresh start. That's what God is continually doing. Forgiving and putting away sin, covering sin. So should we. If we have any relationships here that are not right, let's be forgiving and give each other a fresh start. Want each one to be in God's kingdom, to be a member of God's family. That way we begin to tap into the love that God has, as demonstrated at the time of the Passover. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests to his God and Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him, and all of the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. You know, when you think about that verse, those who pierced him won't see him when he comes.

They'll see him a thousand years later. They will see him in the Second Resurrection. So this has to include the entire time of salvation after Christ returns. But in verse 6, we are being made into a king and priest, to our God and to our Father. In Revelation chapter 2 and verse 26, we're going to reign on the earth. Yes, we are going to begin to set things straight. We're going to be patient, loving, kind, yet firm. We're going to, as it says here, rule firmly as needed.

Revelation 2, 26, He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to Him I will give power over the nations and shall rule them with a rod of iron. There's the firmness as needed. As the potter's vessels, they'll be broken two pieces. And in Revelation 3, in verse 21, to Him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. So, brethren, that is what the first fruits are being prepared for. Is God doing anything during these 6,000 years? He is developing a governmental team for teaching and leading mankind at the coming of Christ. And these people, these first fruits come from every age. Abel will be there. And Noah will be there. And Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph will be there. And Samuel, and David, and the prophets. And then in the New Testament, the apostles, Peter, and Paul, and church members, those 3,000 that were baptized on this day, if they went on to overcome, will be there. And others that God called down through the ages until today. Think about that, a governmental team that has been in formation for 6,000 years. And God is very carefully preparing these. He's very carefully preparing you. He's etching his nature and character, his way into you every day, every moment. There's a spiritual creation going on. Little by little, you're taking on a different nature. Little by little, you're becoming a new creation. Little by little, that leaven, the spots and blemishes, are being removed through the power of God's Holy Spirit. God is preparing a team to govern with Christ. In chapter 5 and verse 10, this team will rule on the earth. Revelation 5 and verse 10 has made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. I'll tell you, the false gospel of this world has people going up to heaven. It believes in the immortality of the soul, and people go up to heaven when they die. That's a false gospel. The true gospel is so wonderful by comparison. God is preparing a governmental team, and when Jesus Christ returns, the Kingdom of God will be set upon the earth, and God's government and God's way will be administered to all of mankind. That's the true gospel of the Kingdom of God. Let's go to Revelation 20 and also read about our high calling. Oh, what a wonderful calling it is! I just hope we can zero in on it today. In Revelation 20 and verse 4, I saw thrones. Who's going to sit on those thrones? Well, firstfruits are going to sit on those thrones. They, and it will be the firstfruits, set on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, people who were martyred, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, or had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So that's how long it will go on, one thousand years. Then actually, we believe that it may be up to a hundred years in the Second Resurrection period when the masses of humanity from this age will be brought back to life. And that's the, that's mentioned in verse 5. The rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. And then it gets back to the First Resurrection. Verse 6, blessed and holy is he who has part in the First Resurrection. Over such the Second Death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and reign with him a thousand years.

Brethren, I just think I look at myself and I look and I do stay in touch with our members. I just don't think we see quite as much or quite as clearly as we need to our high calling. And think about it every moment and let it motivate us every moment and every day to grow and be different.

Don't you think we'd all live our lives a little bit differently if we did keep it right in the forefront of our minds? What about those arguments, those sharp words between husbands and wives sometime? Or maybe parents hollering, shouting at their children, maybe instead of being a bit more patient and teaching them. What about your temper and attitude that you sometimes get into? If we were to keep our calling right in the forefront of our mind, we might begin to not do some of those things. Not nearly as much anyway. I'm saying that we ought to. I'm saying this day and what it means ought to change the way we live our lives. If we really comprehend what this day means, it will affect our code of conduct by which we live each day.

Young people, here you are. Some of you are maybe 10 years old or younger. Some are 12, 15, 18. Some are young adults, college age. This high calling is offered to you, but you have to see it for what it is. You can't come in on your parents' shirt tail or coat tail. You've got to come in on your own merits. When I was about 15 years of age, I began to study the Bible. I know that a young person can do it at that age. I think he can begin to see the truth at a younger age. I know that Samuel was very young when he began to obey God, and he did not let the words of God fall to the ground. Samuel, very young. So young people, you can begin to set your focus on a high calling. You can be a first fruit, but God's not going to force you to. You've got to want it, and you've got to be willing to pay the price. And the price is your life. Your life, literally, if God brings it to that point.

Our life is on the line. You know, brethren, our spiritual ancestors have lived and died for this way of life, and we are no different. We don't know what the days ahead might hold.

And our life is on the line as a living sacrifice each day, but also as a martyr, as a martyr, if God were to require. And if we don't feel that way deep in our heart and mind, if our commitment is not that deep, then Jesus said we can't really be a Christian, unless we do put our forsake our own life and hate our own life in comparison to doing the will of God and what is pleasing to God. It's a high calling. It's a better resurrection. But we have to come out of this world and be separate and different. We have to grow and change. Do we see why Pentecost should change our lives, to reign with Christ? It truly is a high calling, and it does a better resurrection.

You know, we've already begun to see this, but our calling is more than eternal life.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'd be well satisfied, wouldn't you, to just know that I would be given eternal life. And I don't know that now. I don't have it made. I'm like Paul. I'm not apprehended yet. I've not gotten there yet. But I'd be very happy to know that I just had made it to have eternal life in God's family. I'd be well satisfied with that.

But our calling is more than eternal life. To reign with Christ during the thousand years.

That's a special honor, a special privilege. Let's go back one chapter to Revelation 19 in verse 6.

I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. This is when Jesus Christ then returns to the earth as King. Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. To her it was granted to be arrayed in this honor that is granted to the wife of the Lamb. To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints, it's the holy righteous coat of conduct by which we live, the holy and righteous laws of God.

Verse 9, He said, Write, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Several verses in Paul's writings also bring out that we are the espoused bride of Jesus Christ.

We're going to be in a marriage with Jesus Christ. Our calling is much more than, I don't want to use the word just, much more than eternal life.

We can't say just eternal life. It's much more than eternal life.

It's to be as a first fruit a member of this bride of Christ who will be given such honor and will reign with Him at the beginning of the Second Coming of Christ.

Again, I don't think our minds really take this in.

But if we do let God prepare us, one day we will be in that bride, if we are made ready, and granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. The fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

One day that will happen. If we grow, if we overcome, we don't give up, keep on going.

We do have to take on the holiness and the righteousness of God's divine nature.

Yes, 2 Peter 1 brings that out. We do have to go on to take on a nature that is very different than the one we were born with, very different than human nature.

2 Peter 1 and verse 2. 2 Peter 1 and verse 3, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us to glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you might be partakers of the divine nature. We must first of all then take on God's divine nature. Ephesians chapter 5, we must be cleaned up from any spots and blemishes. That leaven that we mentioned in the loaves of bread for the first fruits in Leviticus 23, that leaven we have to keep working with it and be cleaned up of it. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25, husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. That He might present it to Himself a glorious church. That's what we have to become, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So we have to go on then, verse 27, to be without spot and wrinkle or blemish in preparation to become the bride of Jesus Christ. Yes, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, which was given on this day, that is possible. We can't do these things with our own power. We need the power of God's Holy Spirit if we are to be able to overcome and to have the nature of Jesus Christ. I'd like to encourage everyone to study and read and really identify with our booklet on transforming your life, the process of conversion. That booklet explains about what we struggle, our battle. It explains about repentance and about baptism. It explains about using the power of God's Holy Spirit. We just need to yield ourselves to God and ask Him to fill us with His Spirit and help us to grow and help us to get rid of any of the spots and blemishes that remain and to serve Him from the heart with all of our hearts and minds and with all of our being. Yes, that would be a great booklet to read. There's also a section on pages 56 and 57 that addresses how to stir up God's Spirit. Have you let God's Spirit become a bit dormant? Well, you know, we all need to stir up God's Spirit even every day and go forward with God's Spirit giving us the power to conduct our lives in the right way. We certainly need our daily Bible study and prayer and fasting on occasion and just using the power of God's Holy Spirit to grow and to overcome. All of us are part of being made ready. If we are to be a part of the bride of Christ, then we have to go on and be made ready. We have to go on to overcome and to put out the spots and the blemishes in our lives. Well, how can we go forward from this day with renewed zeal and determination? How can we stir up the Spirit of God? Let's read a couple of passages in conclusion. Let's go to Philippians chapter 3 and verse 12. The Apostle Paul just set his mind on God's kingdom, and that's what we need to do. Philippians chapter 3. He realized what God's calling and that it was great, it was high, it was a better resurrection.

Here's what he wrote. Here was his attitude of determination. Philippians 3 and verse 12, not that I have already attained or am already perfected. And I think we all feel that very same way. No, we're not there yet. We're not perfect yet. But he says, I press on, I press on, so must we, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

So we need to keep on pressing forward toward what God has in store. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and we should do that. We've made our mistakes, we've had our shortcomings.

Let's just ask God to forgive us, and we can forget those things behind, and reach forward to those things which are ahead. Look at verse 14. Here's what we must also do. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So Paul was driving himself. He was pushing himself, prodding himself. Brethren, we must do that, too, every day. Pride yourself in prayer, pride yourself in Bible study, in meditation, in fasting, thinking about God's kingdom all the time, every day. Everything fits within the context of the kingdom of God, which we seek first. You know, for verse 14, the King James version says, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The new international version says, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. It's like somebody in a race in this verse. He's going toward the trophy. He's going toward winning the prize for which God has called us. The Living Bible says, and I like this, I strain. I strain to reach the end of the race. Here's a runner that's going around. He's tired. He's weary, but he's straining with every fiber, every muscle that's in his body to come to that finish line. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us.

And I hope all of us will strain on forward as well. I hope this day of Pentecost will motivate us, help us to get more clearly in mind God's kingdom and the calling of the first fruits.

You know, this day ought to change our lives. It should really help us as we keep it year by year to more clearly focus and be more motivated toward our high calling. I mean, what a prize awaits the first fruits is not eternal life only. It is reigning with Christ as his bride.

We need to strain to reach the end of our race and receive that prize.

So this Pentecost lets more fully recognize what God is doing. I'd like to end on this note of who are we anyway. Sometimes I think we don't really behave as well as we should.

And maybe as zealously as we ought to be because we don't constantly keep in mind who we are. Who are we? Well, let's turn for the concluding verses over to 1 Peter 2.

Who are we anyway? We need to keep... Of course, I've been talking about that the whole first sermon here, but we need to keep it constantly in mind who we are. These verses just put the spotlight on who we are. 1 Peter 2 and verse 9. But you, that's us, in God's church, you are... What are we? Who are we?

Brethren, this answers the question who we are. I believe if we realize it deeply, it's going to affect the way we live our lives. When you go back to work tomorrow morning, it's going to affect your day tomorrow. If you know who you are, if you keep thinking, boy, I'm a chosen generation. Think about that. Chosen by God. We didn't choose ourselves. God chose us to be first fruits and prepare us to be the bride of Christ.

Help us a lot tomorrow morning to think of the next description of us. A royal priesthood.

A royal priesthood. Well, the priest is one that ministers and serves. He is there to help people. He ministers to people. He tries to help them every way that he can. And royal, that denotes ruling, reigning. We will be reigning as we teach and minister. A royal priesthood. A king and priest.

And look at the next description of us as to who we are. A holy nation.

Verse or two later says, we once were not a people. But now we are the people of God.

We are a holy nation of people of God. And then notice this next expression.

His own special people.

You know, this should not make us feel any thoughts of pride or vanity.

It should really humble us to think that we are God's own special people. In our booklet on the Church Jesus built, the very first chapters on God's special people.

God's own special people.

You know, think about these things. We are a chosen generation. That's who we are. We're a royal priesthood. We're a holy nation. We're God's own special people to proclaim the praises of Him that's called you out of darkness into His marvelous life.

For 6,000 years, God has been carefully preparing His own special people.

That's who we are. A chosen generation. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. His own special people.

Let's rejoice today as we think about these things in our worship and in our fellowship. Let's think about them also tomorrow and in the days ahead.

And so to God's own special people here, let's have a wonderful day of Pentecost.