Seven Lessons of Pentecost

The day of Pentecost is rich in meaning.  It can represent and remind us of many things.

Pentecost is not the only holy day or feast that teaches us multiple lessons.  Atonement not only represents the putting away of Satan, but also, like Passover, represents the sacrifice of Christ - thus we have two goats - see Leviticus 16:7-34.  Also, the Feast of Tabernacles represents the millennial rule of Christ and the kingdom of God but also, because we stay in temporary dwellings, reminds us of the lesson that our journey through this physical life is temporary.

But Pentecost is unusually rich in meaning.

In this post I will briefly list seven lessons that we can learn from Pentecost and that Pentecost can help us remember.



1.  The Lesson of Firstfruits and the Whole Plan of God


In the Old Testament, Pentecost is called the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26).  As the Old Testament connects Pentecost, also called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22), with firstfruits or early, smaller harvest, so the New Testament connects Pentecost with the Church.  This helps to show that the Church is the firstfruits or early, smaller harvest of those God will save.  God is only calling a few now.  The bigger harvest of souls will be in the millennium and the white throne judgment.  This is something we in God's Church know, but the world and traditional Christianity do not know.

This is not the time when God is trying to save everyone.  Christ said that no one could come to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44).

We understand this, and we understand the meaning of all the feasts and holy days, because we obey God's commands to keep them.  Because we believe and obey God, He gives us understanding.  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.  His praise endures forever" (Psalm 111:10).

The fact that there are firstfruits not only shows that God is not trying to save everyone now, it shows hierarchy in God's kingdom.  It thus teaches a lesson about government.  And because the world does not understand that God is not trying to save everyone now, they think that God is weak or uncaring or unjust when they see that most of the world is, and has been, unsaved.



2.  The Lesson of God's Law


I have been told that Jewish tradition indicates that the Ten Commandments were given on the Day of Pentecost.  That would fit, because one of the meanings of Pentecost is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit helps us understand the things of God, including His law.  It also gives us power to keep God's law, so the Holy Spirit is strongly connected with God's law.

Thus, Pentecost can remind us of the law of God, which is a law of love - God's perfect way of life that results in life, happiness, and everything good.



3.  The Lesson of the Gift of the Holy Spirit


In the New Testament, God's Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost.  This is the Comforter or Helper that Christ promised (John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:26).  God's Spirit enables us to understand spiritual knowledge, the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).  The Holy Spirit gives us power and love.  It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes us Christians, members of the body of Christ and God's true Church (Romans 8:9).  The Holy Spirit is given after baptism and the laying on of hands (Acts 2:38-41, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-6,  2 Timothy 1:6).

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).



4.  The Lesson of the Start of the Church of God


The New Testament Church of God actually started on the first Pentecost after Christ's death and resurrection.  It is the indwelling of the Spirit of God that makes us members of His Church.

The Church of God is a blessing from God.  It enables us to gain experience in a family community to learn to serve one another, to learn godly government, and to work as a team to do God's work.  The Church and its ministry help all of us to understand the Bible, which is God's word (Ephesians 4:11-16).

The Church of God is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) and will be the wife of Christ in the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:22-32, Revelation 19:7).

Mr. Armstrong taught that the Church of God is the kingdom of God in embryo, and I believe this is correct.



5.  The Lesson of Preaching the Gospel


Immediately after the disciples received the Holy Spirit, Peter preached the gospel to the crowds, and three thousand responded and were baptized (Acts 2:1-41).  This is a powerful reminder that, as Pentecost marked the beginning of the New Testament Church of God, it also marked the beginning of the work of the Church of preaching the gospel to the world.

Pentecost can therefore remind us of the importance of preaching the gospel to the world, which we call the "work of God".



6.  The Lesson of Waiting for the Fulfillment of God's Promises


Pentecost can help us learn the lesson of waiting for God - waiting for answers to our prayers and waiting for God to keep His promises to us.

This is known by the fact that God connected the Day of Pentecost with counting to fifty to know the day.  Christ also told the disciples to wait for the coming of promised Comforter or Helper (Acts 1:4-5).

"Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14).  See also Psalm 37:9, Isaiah 8:17, and Isaiah 40:31.

This lesson can be emphasized if we actually count the fifty days to Pentecost.  This year I have been doing that, and I find it helpful to add meaning to the day.



7.  The Lesson of Needing to Correct Errors in the Doctrines of the Church of God and Learning New Knowledge
 
 
This next lesson is taught, not in the Old Testament, not in the book of Acts, but in the modern history of the Church of God, in Mr. Armstrong's day.

At one time, Mr. Armstrong taught that Pentecost was on Monday, and most or all of the Church of God kept it on Monday.  Some few may have understood it to be Sunday but kept it both days to obey God without causing division in the Church.

But eventually, probably due to suggestions from other members or ministers, Mr. Armstrong was able to see his mistake and correct it for the Church.

This shows a couple of things, that Mr. Armstrong was human, and fallible, and God allowed him to make mistakes.  But we also learn from his example that errors should be corrected and Church of God doctrines changed when we see that there is an error.  It also shows that we should be willing to learn new knowledge from the Bible and let the Bible correct and change us as Mr. Armstrong allowed the Bible to correct him.  He set an example for us to follow today.

This connects with preaching the gospel because when we preach to the world we must tell the public to let the Bible teach them new things and to correct their traditional beliefs, and to preach that effectively we must practice it ourselves.

To preach the gospel effectively, we must have an open door provided by Christ (Revelation 3:8), and I do not think He will give that open door to hypocrites who tell the public to do things they are not willing to do themselves (Matthew 23:1-4, Luke 11:44-46).


These are seven lessons of Pentecost, and each one is broad enough to be the subject of a sermonette, split-sermon, sermon, or article.