What Does It Mean?

Well, good afternoon, everyone. Beautiful music. Thank you, Marley. Really appreciate that. What a great reminder how much God cares and loves for us, no matter what. We have an awesome God. We are certainly reminded about that on this day of Pentecost. I have a deal for you. Here we are after lunch, and if I talk, will you stay awake? That's the deal. I did hear a story about a group, kind of like ours got together on a holy day, and they got into the room, and there happened to be two flags up on the stage, one on one side, one on the other. And of course, one of the little boys saw that, and he said, Mom, what does that mean? And Mom said, well, you know that flag. That's the United States of America. That's our flag, America's flag. He said, yeah, I know, but what about that other one? And Mom said, well, that's in honor of all those who have died in service. Little boy thought. He said, morning or afternoon? So we don't want any casualties this afternoon, that's for sure. And sometimes it can be a little challenging to know what the meaning is. What does it mean? There was a little boy who had a friend of his wanted to come to church because he went every Saturday, and that just seemed so odd to his friend. And so his little friend went with him one Sabbath. And so as church began to get started, there was a man that walked up to the podium. And of course his friend said, what does that mean? And his buddy said, well, it's time to sing some songs. That's the song leader. And so they finished that, and then sure enough, another guy comes up and he says, what does that mean? He said, it's time for the sermonette. And of course, this went on. Finally, it became time for the sermon. And he noticed the pastor walked right up there, and he took his watch right off of his wrist, and he set it right down there on the podium so he could see it. And the little boy said, what does that mean? And his church buddy said, absolutely nothing. Well, it is a reminder because I think there is a Pentecost question. And it's just that. What does it mean? What does it mean? If you turn with me over to Acts 2, verse 1, it rehearses the New Testament Passover and what happened on that day. You probably read this as you were preparing for Pentecost. Amazing. We haven't heard parts of this story yet today, but let's just rehearse the beginning of Acts 2. And notice something that leads to that very question. Acts 2, verse 1, it starts by saying, the day of Pentecost had fully come. They were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

That was an all, verse 3. Then there appeared to them divided tongues of fire, and one sat on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And of course, these tongues, the Greek word there is glossa. They were speaking languages, known languages, as God's Spirit moved them to do just that. But they weren't alone. In Jerusalem, there was a lot going on because it was the time of Pentecost. The Holy Day was there. And so, verse 5, they were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews devoured men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and they were confused because everyone heard them speak in their own language. Now that word for language is a little different than the last one we saw about tongues. That word is de-electos. So not just languages, but specific dialects.

And so, you're probably familiar with different dialects if you took German. Was it high German or low German? Or if you're American, are you a Yankee or are you a Southerner? We have dialects even within our own country. And so, these individuals were hearing their own very specific dialect, the way that they were used to hearing and talking. They heard just that. So no wonder, verse 7, they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, look, are not all these who speak Galileans? Now that's because Galilee wasn't known to be the ultimate mecca of education. It was like, well, that's backwoods up in Galilee, and yet here they are talking all these languages. He says, how is it that we hear each in our own dialect in which we were born? Parthians and Medes, Elamites, dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya joining Cyrene, visitors both from Rome and Jews and proselytes. So you can see this huge array of people, the Cretans and the Arabs. It says, we hear them speaking in our own languages, our own tongues, our glossa, the wonderful works of God. So obviously, they're not just babbling because there were specific things they were hearing about God and His purpose and His plan, the wonderful works of God. And so naturally, it would follow, verse 12, they were all amazed and perplexed, and they asked the Pentecost question, whatever could this mean? What does it mean? I mean, we're familiar with that story.

And to answer that very question, what does it mean is absolutely critical to every single one of us. In fact, if you don't know the answer, you're in trouble because then the church cannot fulfill its responsibility. If you can't answer that question, what are we doing? What is the church about? What is the purpose that God has in mind for the body of Christ? And so we have to answer that question.

We have to know in our deepest heart what that is all about. And so if we're going to interpret that, where do we start? Well, good interpretation. Well, we've got to read the verses around that. That's certainly something that we can do to get the intent and the right interpretation of what that passage might mean for us today. But if we're going to do that, I think we have to go back just a little bit. If we go back to the beginning of Acts, if you turn the page, to Acts 1, I think this section of Scripture gives us the light in which we need to interpret whatever could this mean.

What does this mean? Well, before Christ ascended to heaven, He was with the disciples for 40 days before that first New Testament Pentecost. And just before He departs, Luke records for us what Christ told them. So in verse 4, Acts 1, it says, they were assembled together, and He, Christ, commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which He said, You've heard from Me.

And then Christ explains a little bit. He says, John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they'd come together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

And He said, it's not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But there's something you've got to know. Verse 8, You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. To the vast extremes, the uttermost parts of the earth, this message must be witnessed.

So what does it mean? What does the Pentecost question point to? Well, obviously, it says every true disciple has to receive the Holy Spirit of God. And we must rely on the power of God if we're going to do spiritual things. I mean, there's plenty of things we can do on our own power. But if it's going to be a spiritual thing, it has to be done by the power of God's Spirit and that power dwelling in us. It wasn't just a temporary thing to happen. This was the dawning of the church.

Not the church in the wilderness, but the church of God, the New Testament church of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. And so when we ask that question, what does it mean? We begin to see all that this is doing is pointing to what needs to be accomplished, what the plan of God is going to accomplish, and in fact, what the church of God must do to accomplish what God has in mind.

If we're due the work of the church, we have to fulfill this meaning. So let's ask the question then. What does the work of God depend upon? You. It depends on you because you have a vital part to play. God's Spirit empowers you, and each one of us collectively are to be this witness that Acts chapter 1 talks about. All of us, not just some entity in Cincinnati doing this, a home office. Is that a home office responsibility? Is that just a pastor's responsibility? Or is that a job God has given to every single one of us?

Well, we see you have received power. You should be a witness. And so the point of Pentecost is about mission, the mission of the church, which we can't just relegate to some entity. That means it's our mission. It's my mission. It's your mission. It's your God-given mission. And so as a part of the United Church of God, we know our mission statement reflects the answer to this Pentecost question. The mission of the church of God is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in all the world, make disciples in all nations, and care for those disciples.

That's the mission statement of the United Church of God. That's a biblical statement that begins to answer that Pentecost question. Because, yeah, that is the meaning. The meaning of Pentecost is that God is equipping His people. He's equipping the church with the power of His Spirit. Why? So the mission can be fulfilled, so that we can fulfill this mission. And so when we think of the mission of the church, what is it that comes to your mind? Think of the mission, or maybe you think of the commission for the church. What's the great commission for the church?

Well, Matthew 28, verse 19, talks about that. Didn't we just sing that? How did that song go? Go ye therefore into all the world.

But only do the home office will take care of all of that, and the ministers will have to do that, and I don't have a part to worry about. Oh, no, the song doesn't go like that, does it?

No, we all have a part to play. We all have to be the witness. And so that mission has to be fulfilled, but it's more than just the great commission in that sense. Yes, we go, and we make disciples of all nations. And whether we read that in Matthew 28 or Mark 16, yes, we observe all things that Christ commanded, but we recognize the power to do just that came at Pentecost.

Or more specifically for you and me, it came at our baptism, when we were baptized and we repented and we had hands laid on us and we received God's Holy Spirit. And so it doesn't stop with somebody else doing that job. If we're going to accomplish the mission, it must be rooted in every single one of us, every one of us, if the church is going to fulfill its duty. And so if we do, phenomenal things will happen. Have you ever wondered, well, why hasn't the church grown? Why isn't the gospel going out in more power and more authority? And maybe we point fingers at, well, they're not doing their job. Or I guess the office isn't managing this well enough. Or my pastor gives lousy sermons. Well, is that what it does? Does it say, well, this will power your pastors to do the most amazing job with their sermon? God doesn't say that. It talks about being a witness of who you are and what you believe and why you believe it and why you're different. And being able to verbalize those things with others is part of the mission. How do you make a disciple if no one ever talks? And so when you look at this, we see the power of the Spirit is what enables us to accomplish that mission. And boy, when you talk about the accomplishments of what can be done, I think of what it says over in Matthew 16 verse 18. Here, Christ told Peter something amazing. Maybe we take it a little bit for granted when we read what Christ told Peter, but I think he's not only telling Peter these things, he's also reminding every single one of us about that mission and by the power of God's Spirit, what can actually be accomplished. So in Matthew 16 verse 18, Christ says to Peter, you are Peter, and on this rock, on the rock of Christ, I will build my church, is what Jesus said.

But notice the amazing accomplishments that can take place. So when Christ's church is built, when it's edified, it says, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Ready to take on the gates of Hades? We better be. We better be, because, okay, you can look at this and say the grave, Hades, that's the word for the grave. The grave has no power over the church. The gates of hell, some translations say. You can't keep it out. One of the interesting translations is the voice that says the church will reign triumphant even at the gates of hell.

And so when you recognize this, we realize the strength and the stability of the church, even when confronted by death. We recognize death is not the end of the story. God has a solution for death and its power. And even death cannot slow the church down.

But I think more importantly when it talks about the gates of Hades, symbolically, that's used for councils and designs and evil purposes. The gates of hell that would try to hold us back, hold us out. Remember what gates of a city were to do? If a city was a walled city, they had a gate to keep out its enemies. Well, the enemies of death and Satan and principalities that oppose God is everything that's right and good. That's us. That's the church. And this is reminding us that evil forces and destruction cannot hold us back, that we will tear down those gates. The gates of evil and sin, persecution, even heresy cannot stand up against the church of God. That's our mission. We're going to tear down those gates by the power of God's Holy Spirit. And that begins to answer that question. What does it mean?

You certainly begin to see it's not just about me personally. It's not about, well, you know, I was baptized 40 years ago and I received the Spirit and I'm cool with God. You know, it's all about my personal salvation. No, it's not. It is not just about your personal salvation. Yes, that's important. That's the first step. But at your conversion, you became a part of the body of Christ. You became part of the church of God. And God has given this mission to all of us collectively, that we are to fulfill that very purpose, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations. And that involves every single one of us beginning at our own personal Jerusalem. And so it's not a focus on self, for our own interest, for our own happiness, for everything about me, but it's about doing the mission. Because if the church loses this outward focus, we lose our purpose. And God has something else in mind. He has a vision for what He wants His church to accomplish. And in fact, the United Church of God has a vision statement that encapsulates the mission and how it should be accomplished. And so the vision statement of the United Church of God says, we are a church led by God's Holy Spirit. So it starts by answering that Pentecost question. We've received the power of the Spirit of God. And what results?

Well, that vision statement says we are joined and knit together by what every member supplies. With all doing their share and growing in love to fulfill God's great purpose for humanity, to bring many children to glory. Now that vision statement is taken from Ephesians chapter 4.

Let's look at exactly what Ephesians chapter 4 says, because I think there's a couple of things that are going on here in order to accomplish the mission and fulfill this godly vision. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 is where this, I think you could say the inspiration for the vision statement comes from. And notice what it says here in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15. We see that Pentecost question being answered here. Picking up the thought, it says, Speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ.

Okay, each one of us have that personal responsibility to put on Christ, to be Christ-like individuals. But we know it doesn't stop there, that it goes beyond that collectively as the church, as His called out Christians. We have a mission that we're given. And so it says, verse 16, from whom the whole body, that's all of us, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes the growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. So we see a couple of things going on here, that the church will grow if we are fulfilling the meaning of that Pentecost question. If we are accomplishing the task that God has given to us, it says it causes growth.

And I think that points first to spiritual growth within the church, edifying itself, building itself up. But if we're being built in love, can that help but be catching to others, to our neighbors, to those who we work with, to those we come in contact with, for those who asked us, why are you different? How can you look at life differently? How can you look at what's happening in our world and have a totally different perspective than everybody else I know? We see that happening here in Ephesians 4. In fact, maybe two things we can notice specifically. If you notice, Paul does say, every part does its share. Yes, we have a collective individual responsibility to do our part. But it's also interesting that Paul doesn't say by what every member supplies. It doesn't say that, does it? Do you notice what it does say? By what every joint supplies. Now, it doesn't leave out individuals because then it follows up, every part does its share. Yes. We're going to talk about that later, maybe another day. But I want to focus on this aspect of what every joint supplies. What are we talking about there? What is a joint? What exactly is that? I got to thinking about it the other day and I remembered way back in my past as a poor student going to the university. I was always on the lookout for something I could use in my apartment because it didn't come furnished. And I was with a bunch of other guys in this apartment. And like one day I was walking by this dumpster and I saw this table. It's like, oh, that would be perfect to put right next to my bed. I could put my books on there. That'd be awesome. So I grabbed it and as I was grabbing this table out from the side of this dumpster, I noticed it only had three legs. So I thought, oh, it's broken. But actually I got to look at it. It's not broken. It was a three-legged table. And so I thought, oh, that's cool. It'll be different. You know, it'll be a little off-kilter maybe a little bit. But I figured three-legged tables can actually be pretty sturdy. So I brought that table home and really thought, oh, that's going to be perfect. So I got it set up next to my bed, took a bunch of my books, set it on the table, and boom, the legs went right out from under it. I knew it was shaky, but I didn't think it was that shaky, but it just fell apart. Just fell apart. So I thought, oh, maybe I should just throw it away.

But my dad came to mind being the carpenter that he was, it's like, I can fix this thing. I can fix it. So what did I do? Well, I looked at those joints, started putting those legs back in place with a little bit of wood glue, got a couple of clamps and clamped those legs because they were just, if I just stuck them back in there, it was too wobbly. It was going to fall apart. They were loose. There was nothing wrong with the legs, nothing wrong with the tabletop. All the parts were fine, but the problem was the joints. They needed to be glued and clamped. And so I stuck it back together, clamped it down, and a couple of days later, oh, I had a table that was pretty solid. Could put the books on there and didn't collapse. Think about that in relationship to what every joint supplies. Where did the power for the table to hold my books come from?

It didn't come from just the legs. It didn't come from the tabletop. It came from the joints. It was the quality of the joint that held the table together. If the legs weren't solidly secured to the tabletop, it was going to fall apart. But once it was together, it was solid. Without that joint, it was useless. So think of that in terms of the church for a moment. Isn't it the joint, the bonding that we have between us that makes the church strong? An individual can be strong on his own, but can they accomplish the mission of the church by themselves? No, it's not possible. For the church to function properly, we have to have solid bonds, solid relationships, solid joints between ourselves. If we're going to accomplish the mission, Ephesians 4 gives us that direction, that vision for the church. If we're going to do this, yes, we have to do our share, but we better have rock-solid relationships and joints between us, or it won't happen. It will fall apart. God gives us His principle all the time. This principle all the way back in Ecclesiastes, if we take a look here, a familiar section of Scripture, but certainly makes the point. Ecclesiastes 4, verse 9. Ecclesiastes 4, verse 9, here Solomon giving some wisdom of the day, passing that on, and it definitely has this connection to the vision for the church of God, what we need to be in order to accomplish the mission of taking the gospel to the world. Ecclesiastes 4, 9, it says, two are better than one.

They have a good reward for their labor, and it even gives an example. If they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who's alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. That gives another example. Again, if two lie down together, they'll keep warm on a freezing cold night. But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and a three-fold cord is not easily broken. So here we see the benefits from joining people together. Strong relationships. He says it provides security. It provides warmth. It provides strength. And so we recognize this. It's not just about a body growing bigger. Numbers doesn't tell the whole story, even when it comes to the church. But it is talking about the quality, the quality of the church, the spirituality of the church, by joining people together. So if you think about joints, think about bonds and relationships and connections in the church for just a moment, think about that. How many joints are there in a body? I don't know how many are in a physical body. But if we broke it down a little easier so I can comprehend it, the smallest group you can have is the one that's described here in Ecclesiastes. You could have two people. And two people make one joint, one bond, one relationship there. That's probably the smallest group that you can have. Now if you have three people, then you have the possibility of three connections, three relationships. And now it becomes exponential. A body of four can have six joints, six bonds, six connections.

If you have six members, now how many connections do you have? So that they're all connected, we jump to 15 bonds, 15 relationships to connect all the parts. And it grows exponentially as the number of members, the number of possible joints, it just explodes. So that if there's 10 members, how many joints does that equal? Mathematicians out there. 45. 45 possible joints. Jump to 50 members. Wow, the number just skyrockets. Over 1200. 1200 relationships. 1200 bonds. 1200 joints in a body of 50 members. And here we're told we're to be a body that is joined and knit together. Joined and knit. If we're 100 people, 5,000 joints. 5,000 possible connections. And so you can see how challenging that becomes, because the welfare of the church, like that table, depends on what every joint supplies. What every connection, what every relationship. And so is it fair to say our character, the character of the church, is displayed by the quality of our relationships with each other?

I think that's part of the meaning at Pentecost. And that's certainly reflected in what was happening with the early church, the quality of the connections between us. I mean, just imagine it all began with Jesus Christ. Christ sacrificed His life, yes, for reconciliation, or to say it differently, for connections, for relationships. To have a right relationship with God, Christ had to sacrifice His life. So that would be a joint, a relationship between us and God. And that relationship then should be spread between each of us, between all of us. Because Christ said, just before the crucifixion, His disciples would be known by their offerings? Oh, no, it wasn't that. By their love, by their relationships. He said, love one another as I have loved you. So the depth of their relationships with each other would be a reflection of whether or not the vision of the church is being fulfilled. So God is looking for growth, in a sense, from every single joint, every new possible relationship, the connections between us. They must be developed. They must be grown and nurtured and mature and strengthened.

Because like that wobbly table, if we've got knees that are wobbly, you know what they call that?

Ligamentous laxity. Your ligaments are stretched and now your joints are wobbly. They're not secure. You're not stable. Well, spiritually speaking, we cannot have ligamentous laxity because God wants strength and He's supplying that strength. How happy would God be with feeble connections between us? How happy would He be if we're not reliable to each other or we're fragile and those knees wobble or could even fall apart? You see, He gives us just the opposite metaphor, that we are to be strong and every one of the joints and relationships between us adds strength to the body, to the value of the family of God. And it brings growth and it builds growth. And every one of these connections is different. Our relationships with each other are different than the relationship that someone else might have with that individual, and that brings strength. And so it points to this goal of developing long-lasting, strong relationships. And if we have those kinds of relationships, then it contributes to the welfare and the benefit of the entire family, of the entire church, our congregations. And so every joint has to give it strength.

Otherwise, the mission won't be accomplished. The mission won't be accomplished. The vision can't be fulfilled. And so what a blessing we have right now, because we have the blessing, the opportunity, ahead of all the rest of mankind to do what God was willing to sacrifice His Son for, to have right relationships. We can do this now. It's not something we have to wait for. We can develop long-lasting, strong, ultimately eternal relationships, first with God and then with each other. And then God says, there's benefits. There's fruit that will be born because of the solid joints of the structure within our church. In fact, if we go back to Ephesians for just a moment, in Ephesians 2, it reminds us of this aspect of what every joint supplies and how important every single relationship is if we're to fulfill the vision for the church. Ephesians 2, as Paul leads up to that vision statement he makes in Ephesians 4, notice how he sets it up. A little bit earlier, verse 19, Ephesians 2, he says, now therefore you're no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Well, that's talking about a body. That's talking about these connections. It's talking about being joined together. It says, verse 20, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Of course, is it the stones that make a building solid?

Think about that for a moment. He points to that metaphor, changes from a body to a building here. He says, in whom the whole building being fitted together, old King James says, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. That's who we are. And it's not the bricks that make the building strong. I know the three little pigs might tell you otherwise, right? No, it's not. It's not the two by fours that make a building strong.

Remember back in the day when we lived in Minnesota, we were going to build an outbuilding, and I ordered one of these from Menards, and they deliver all the pieces and parts, and it's like, here's your building, and it's all laying on the ground. It's like, not very strong in that way.

You had to take all those pieces and parts. You had to take all of those six by sixes, and you had to anchor them to each other. So the strength of the building, what God points to, Christ being the chief cornerstone, it's the mortar between those bricks that solidify the building. It's those screws or studs, those nails that hold those joints of the two by fours together that make the building strong. And so He's saying, only if we are fitly framed, only if we are joined together, can we grow into a holy temple in the Lord. So it just stresses how important this really is, because that's got to happen first before we can be a witness, before we can show God in us, we have to be in this together and fitly framed so we can be this holy temple.

In fact, He says a similar kind of thing over in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 10.

Of course, Corinth had all kinds of problems, and one of their issues was they weren't fitly framed. They had all kinds of problems and groups and division, and so they were separated. And so Paul writes to them to address one of those problems. That main problem was the division that was between them, and it showed itself in so many different ways. But here in verse 10 of chapter 1 1 Corinthians, Paul says, I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you all speak the same thing. And there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment. And so we're told we can speak the same thing. It is possible. It is possible by the power of God's Spirit. We can determine. There will be no divisions. We can't stand for that because God wants us to be perfectly joined together of the same mind. So we can have the same mind. We can have the same judgment. And how do we do that? Answer the Pentecost question. It's by the power of God's Spirit. If we submit to the Holy Spirit, we can have the mind of Christ.

We can have the mind of Christ. So what does it mean? I think what we see in Acts, what we read in these passages in Ephesians and Corinthians, it points to a precondition, a prerequisite. If we're going to accomplish the mission and the vision of the church, we have to... Well, like Acts 2, verse 1 says, they were in one accord. At Pentecost, the prerequisite for completing the mission was it required the church to be of one accord. And that didn't mean they were all hanging out in the same room. That wasn't it. Or hanging out in the same car, right? Not that. Not at all. And yes, it does point to unity. Yet no doubt about that. Harmony, same goals, same purpose. Absolutely. But being of one accord points to more than just simple unity. If you looked up that word, it's an interesting Greek word. Homothumadon is the word. And it doesn't matter if you can spell it or not. But it means to be with one mind. Yes, they were in the same place of one accord, but it also speaks to passion, that they had a passion, one passion, one mindset. They were of the mind of Christ.

And this word is used over and over again throughout the book of Acts. In fact, that's the only place you'll find this particular word, this one accord. And it's actually made up of two Greek words. The one has a sense of to move along, to go forward, or to rush along.

That's part of the meaning, but also it carries on the idea of doing it together in unison, moving along in unison together. Some of the word study books even will point to the fact that it's almost like a song, almost like music. When you hear a musical song, how many notes are there? Well, it kind of depends, usually more than just one. If you hear a song or you hear Duncan playing the piano for the hymns, it's all kinds of notes being rung at the same time. And altogether, they're moving along. All of them are different. They're all different notes, but they all come together and they all harmonize. Well, when he plays the right notes, they harmonize. That's the ultimate goal. But they have the same timbre oftentimes, and there's a sense that you get as, well, like all the instruments in an orchestra, when they come together, it all fits beautifully, even though they're all very different. Yet under the direction of the concert master, it's a beautiful song. And I think that encapsulates this idea of one accord, moving along in the same direction together in unity and in harmony together as those instruments of a great concert. It's just a beautiful, beautiful sound. And so, Acts actually gives us the song that's being played. If you look back at Acts 2 once again, notice what it says in verse 42, because here we see in real time and in actual activity what that looks...what does it look like for us to accomplish the mission and the vision of the church? If we're to be in one accord, if we're to be joined and knit together by what every joint supply, by what every relationship is supplying to the whole, what does that look like? Well, let's move beyond theory and look at practical application. Verse 42 in Acts 2 gives a detailed picture of the unity and the activity that the church has to be involved, that you have to be involved in, that I have to be involved in, if we're going to fulfill what God has in mind for us. Acts 2 42, as a result of Pentecost, it says, they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship.

That's the word koinonia in the Greek. That's the sharing, the participation, the partnership, the communion we share in the body of Christ as we are a part of the church. At the Passover, we share in the communion of the blood and the body of Jesus Christ. That's that word for communion, the fellowship, the koinonia, the partnership. We are in it together, in other words. So they were devoted to fellowship, to partnership, to sharing what God's truth was all about. It says, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. So you see a level of devotion that comes by answering that Pentecost question. And so I think it brings us other questions on how does that look in my life? Am I doing this? I can ask. When's the last time I actually really sat down and fervently got into a study in the Bible? Really got into it. Not just, you know, a nighttime half a chapter and that's good enough, but really digging in. How about seeking God and His will for your life, fervently in prayer? They were devoted to that. It wasn't some casual thing. Fellowship wasn't a casual snack at church. No, it was connecting those joints together, establishing strong bonds. They were praying for each other and with each other and sharing, moving forward together. That's what they were doing. They were sounding that beautiful spiritual song together to achieve that vision of the church. Because ultimately Jesus' deepest desire is that we, as members of His body, members of His family, all become one. Isn't that what Christ said? I pray they become one, Father, as You and I are one. Christ prayed that just before the crucifixion. In fact, look at John 17. He prayed that five times, intensely praying before He was arrested that we would be one. And so the meaning, Pentecost really points to our duty and our responsibilities, both individually and collectively, because it's through a church united in the worship and the service to God and to others that will really bring about the church doing great things and accomplishing the mission and the vision, because it can be accomplished. So what does it mean? I think we have to ask ourselves, what is the state of the church today? Where are we today?

Do we really take it seriously? The spiritual calling that we've received, this call to build relationships together. Have we taken that seriously? Have we become a little complacent? Have we really recognized the importance of doing this? Certainly, we recognize it should reflect in who we are. And even looking around at the signs of the times, we sure cannot afford to lose the urgency of this calling that God's given to us. And so as we think about these things, we know we must be dependent on God. And we must live our life by the power of His Holy Spirit, His presence in our life and in our relationship. Because if we don't, we face the very real danger of becoming a church that has lost its way. That's not what God has in mind. And so to accomplish the mission and the vision, it's going to take every single member, every member of every congregation striving together to make God's church a place where spiritual family comes together and is joined and connected and has unbreakable relationships. And that will be a witness to the world. It will contribute to the growth of the body to be strong and unified. And as we recognize that, we can certainly begin to live up to this amazing vision that God has called us to, to live up to what every member has a part and a share in, by supplying a joint, being involved, and connected to each other. And so we have to fulfill what God's intentions really are all about. And that means we have to obey God. That means we have to come together. Can't afford to miss Sabbath services. We just cannot do it because we all come together. And that's when our whole body is together. Our congregation comes together on the Sabbath. If someone's missing, can the body function the way God intends if a part's not there? A couple of joints will be missing for sure, if that's the case. And so you provide a link every single Sabbath by your presence, by your words of encouragement, by just showing up and being a part of things because your presence makes a difference, makes a Pentecost difference because you have God's Holy Spirit. And so a warm relationship, a hug, and a handshake, an understanding ear, all of those things create strength in the body, expressions of care and concern, not only at Sabbath but throughout the week are so important. And God can take even the smallest and simplest little actions, and He can take those things and magnify them in an amazing way by the power of His Spirit. And so it takes all of us. We need each other. God's made it that way. We come together and we hear God's truth taught, and we listen, and we try to apply those things in our life. In fact, it's our lifeline to sanity in this crazy world that wants to steal our faith, it wants to steal our belief.

But we can strengthen each other. And so when we ask that question, what does it mean, we recognize to fulfill God's vision for the church, it's going to take every single pastor, it's going to take every single elder, every deacon, every deaconess, every member, all of us together to faithfully live the truth of God. And it has to be alive and well in our hearts and in our minds, every single man, woman, and child in the church. Throughout the week and at services, we have to speak that truth in love and come together in one accord. And I think that's when we become instruments in God's hands and we can become a light to the world. Because then we recognize there's a part that every one of us have to contribute. But we need to strengthen those joints to begin with. And we see this reality, that God's purpose at Pentecost was to equip His church with the mighty power of His Spirit so that then we can be witnesses to all nations. We can come together and we can fulfill God's purpose for the church when we recognize that duty and that calling. And as we think about that, I think it should bring up other questions that come to mind. And as we ask, what does it mean? What does it mean for me? Has my focus on God's perspective in everything? Or do I walk out that door and now it's like, well, I can do what I want now. No, I think that's got to be who we are. Have I even thought about that perspective, strengthening the joints among us throughout the week? How can I be a stronger part when it comes to bonds and connections within the church? And does God's calling then govern how I relate to others and how I speak to others and how I seek out others? All of those things become so important. And if we're going to fill that idea of living in one accord, then I have to be passionate about that calling, passionate to be a light, to be a witness so that others would have an opportunity to glorify God. Because if my heart is not on the mission, then I'm not in tune with God. I'm not in tune with what God has in mind. And so Pentecost reminds me, I have to be consciously dependent on being led by God's spirit every day, every hour, every moment, every moment. I mean, what would I have missed this week if I didn't do that? If I didn't have God's spirit, where would I be? And do I really lean on God? Do I really submit to His spirit for direction in my life, for purity in my life, for the power to overcome sin? We've been given the power to overcome sin. Do we reflect upon that? And am I really zealous? Am I really zealous for relationships within the church? Am I a source of people coming together? Or am I a loner?

Well, I can't be a loner, Christian. That's not being a part of the body of Christ. I can't be. So we can ask ourselves, what does God expect me to do to build not only myself, not only my family, but our congregation, the body of Christ, into a harmonious unit so that we can be effective instruments in His hands, so the gospel may go out and the witness may be shown to everyone.

What does it mean? It means, let's step into that vision. Let's take personal responsibility to work toward fulfilling that great mission that God has put before us. Let's shine our lights so that it will be obvious who we are, so that we are building and nurturing significant, strong personal relationships between us and determined to serve and give to all, to truly, then, be living in one accord. And of course, when we do, our lives will define exactly what it means.