This Sunday, we kicked off our new sermon series, Messiah Unleashed, diving into the pivotal chapter of Acts 2. This chapter marks a monumental moment in Scripture: the birth of the Church and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit to empower God’s people to join Jesus on His mission.
As we open our Bibles to Acts 2, we step into the day of Pentecost—a day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, fulfilling Jesus’ promise that He would send a Helper to guide, transform, and empower them. Jesus Himself explained in John 16:7, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.” Without the Spirit, we cannot truly know God, understand His Word, or live a life transformed in Christ.
Martin Luther beautifully captures this in the Small Catechism, explaining that the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church, keeping us in the true faith. From the very beginning—creation itself—the Spirit has been at work, breathing life into humanity and connecting all of God’s redemptive story.
In Acts 2, Luke describes the Spirit’s arrival in vivid imagery: a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire resting on each of the disciples. These images are not just poetic—they connect back to God’s mighty works in the Old Testament, from the Spirit hovering over the waters in creation to the fire of God’s presence on Mount Sinai and in the burning bush. Through these signs, God is showing us that the Spirit is alive and active, working powerfully in the world and within His people.
Pentecost is more than a historical event; it’s an invitation. God empowers His people to join Him in His redemptive mission of love. At Messiah, that mission is expressed in four practical ways: worship, grow, serve, and witness. Each week as we explore Acts 2, we’ll see how the Spirit equips us to live these out—not just on Sundays, but every day, in our families, communities, and workplaces.
Life Groups are one key way we live this out together. They are spaces where we can grow in faith, be equipped for service, and encourage one another in living as Spirit-filled disciples. We want to be a church where every member is actively participating in God’s mission, empowered by His Spirit.
So here’s the question we leave you with today: Where is the Holy Spirit inviting me to join Jesus on His redemptive mission of love in the world? Whether through a Life Group, serving in our community, or witnessing to others, God is calling us to be His hands, feet, and voice.
This Pentecost, we celebrate not only the Spirit’s work in the early Church but also the Spirit’s ongoing presence among us—guiding, transforming, and unleashing us to participate in God’s story.