Sermon Tone Analysis

| *Place: Biddulph AOG.

Date: Sunday pm 6th July 2008.**Theme:

What is Pentecost?*

*A Birthday Celebration* *Object: A birthday cake with red candles, some red balloons, and a gift wrapped in red paper.**Reading:

**“**And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” Acts 2:4.

** *I want to celebrate someone’s (or something’s) birthday today.

Can anyone guess who’s (or what) birthday I want to celebrate?

But we forgot to celebrate it this year.

So today I want to celebrate “Pentecost.”

Happy birthday Pentecost!

So who or what is Pentecost?

We have a Pentecostal Sunday, we belong to a Pentecostal church, and we preach and experience a Pentecostal experience.

So what is Pentecost?

In the biblical account, the events took place on the day of the Pentecost, in Jerusalem, at 09:00 (“*the third hour of the day,”* on the Day of Pentecost, approximately 120 people, was gathered *“into an **upper room**”* the same room where Jesus ate His Last Supper.

The experience is described in *Acts 2:1-4**:**“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

**And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

**And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

**And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

* I want to celebrate Pentecost our way today with this party.

A.   1.

A cake covered with candles.B.   2.

Balloons.C.   3.

A gift wrapped in pretty paper and tied with ribbons and bows.

What kind of a celebration do you think these things might suggest?

Of course, a birthday party.

Now, there might be someone here today who is having a birthday, well happy birthday to you Margaret!

But that is not why we are celebrating.

Today is the day that we celebrate the birthday of the Pentecost.

The day that the church really got its start.

These items which we use to celebrate a birthday are also going to help us to remember what happened in the church on the day of Pentecost.

They will also remind us that the Holy Spirit is still at work in the church today.

1.

Like any good birthday cake, our cake is covered with candles.

As I light each candle, we are reminded that on the day of Pentecost tongues of fire came and rested upon each of the people in that place and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

They began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability.

Just as on the day of Pentecost, we need the Holy Spirit to come and light our fire and give us the power to do things which will bring glory to God.

A.   2.

Balloons can add a lot to any celebration, but, as you can see, these balloons are flat and lifeless.

They need to be filled.

They need someone to breathe some life into them.

(Blow up the balloon.)

The Bible tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the followers of Jesus were all together in one place when suddenly they heard a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the whole house.

We are here today waiting for the Holy Spirit to fill this place and to breathe new life into the church of Jesus Christ.

3.

What is a birthday celebration without gifts?

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave the early church nine gifts*, **“**word of wisdom...knowledge...faith...healings...working of miracles...prophecy...discerning of spirits...different kinds of tongues...interpretation of tongues” 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

*The Holy Spirit offers those same gifts today.

He leads us to truth, forgives us, and gives us a better way to live.

This has been a great birthday celebration, but it seems to me that there is something we have forgotten.

Oh, I know what it is!

We forgot to sing “Happy Birthday Pentecost.”

Let us sing! “Happy birthday to you...” *Prayer:* Dear Father, we thank you for sending the Holy Spirit.

Help us to remember that the Holy Spirit still fills the church with power today, just as he did on the day of Pentecost.

Amen.

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