1. Church!

2. Unlocking fall 2015 Pentecost
1. the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
2. the Jewish festival of Shavuoth. The Feast of Weeks. Celebration of the start of harvest.
It is the birthday of the Church. We celebrate His birth, we celebrate His death, we celebrate His resurrection, but we’ve lost this great opportunity to celebrate the birth of the Church and the release of the Holy Spirit into our lives.
Leonard Sweets (Author of “Jesus Drives Me Crazy – How to Loose Your Mind and Find Your Soul 2002) is the author of more than sixty books, hundreds of articles (many of a scholarly and technical nature), and over 80 prefaces/forewords to others' books. He has over 1000 published sermons, and currently is the chief weekly contributor to the lectionary-based sermons.com. He wrote a book about hearing from God that I want to steal from. I am going to steal it from him to use today. I wrote him a letter yesterday asking him for permission to use his sermon and since I haven’t heard back from him, I’m assuming that it’s O.K.
A little background on this sermon.

3. Unlocking
fall 2015
John 21:2-3 (NASB) 2  Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3  Simon Peter *said to them, "I am going fishing." They *said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.
2  Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3  Simon Peter *said to them, "I am going fishing." They *said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.
When you lose contact with Jesus, you will always go back to what you were doing before.
And with the same results.
But all of that was about to change. Their inability to attain Christlikeness was about to get a hyperboost.

4. Unlocking
fall 2015
Acts 20:16 (NASB) 16  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 in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 20:16 (NASB) 16  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 in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

5. PENTECOST Unlocking fall 2015 Pentecost
1. the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
2. the Jewish festival of Shavuoth. The Feast of Weeks
It is the birthday of the Church. We celebrate His birth, we celebrate His death, we celebrate His resurrection, but we’ve lost this great opportunity to celebrate the birth of the Church and the release of the Holy Spirit into our lives.
Leonard Sweets (Author of “Jesus Drives Me Crazy – How to Loose Your Mind and Find Your Soul 2002) is the author of more than sixty books, hundreds of articles (many of a scholarly and technical nature), and over 80 prefaces/forewords to others' books. He has over 1000 published sermons, and currently is the chief weekly contributor to the lectionary-based sermons.com. He wrote a book about hearing from God that I want to steal from. I am going to steal it from him to use today. I wrote him a letter yesterday asking him for permission to use his sermon and since I haven’t heard back from him, I’m assuming that it’s O.K.
A little background on this sermon.

6. Unlocking
fall 2015
Acts 2:1-4 (NASB) 1  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2  And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4 (NASB) 1  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Unity brings a release of the Spirit 2  And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Each one of them began preaching

7. Unlocking
fall 2015
Acts 2:5-8 (NASB) 5  Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6  And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7  They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8  "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
Acts 2:5-8 (NASB) 5  Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6  And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7  They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8  "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?

8. Unlocking
fall 2015
Acts 2:9-13 (NASB) 9  "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11  Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." 12  And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13  But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."
Acts 2:9-13 (NASB) 9  "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11  Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." 12  And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13  But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."

9. Unlocking
fall 2015
Acts 2:14-16 (NASB) 14  But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15  "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16  but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
Acts 2:14-16 (NASB) 14  But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15  "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16  but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
And Peter began to preach the Gospel.

10. Unlocking fall 2015 Go NUTS for Jesus Never Underestimate The Spirit
Most Christian churches are bogged down somewhere between Calvary and Pentecost. They’ve been to Calvary for Pardon but not to Pentecost for Power.
It’s our time to take a stand. We need to be on fire. We need tongues of fire resting on each of us. We don’t need the Spirit of God beside us, we need the spirit of God inside us.
Jesus does not call the equipped, He equips the called.
The result – Conviction and Conversions and continuance.
120 became 3000 in one afternoon. In less than 100 years, it had overtaken the whole Mediterranean area years later, it is the largest religion in the world.