This coming Sunday, May 20, is Pentecost Sunday.  On our Christian calendar Pentecost falls fifty days after Resurrection Sunday.  In the Old Testament Pentecost is a celebration of the grain harvest being gathered in.  It is called the Feast of Weeks and occurs seven weeks and one day following Passover.

In the New Testament we pay attention to Pentecost because it was the day when the risen and ascended Lord Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit upon his followers.  That day they were flooded and filled with the Holy Spirit and miraculously began to speak in foreign languages, declaring the praises of God.  This attracted a large crowd of amazed onlookers, many from the nations around the Mediterranean region who were hearing their native tongues.  Then the Apostle Peter began to preach to the wondering crowd about the Risen Lord and how forgiveness and salvation could be found through faith in him.  Acts 2 tells us that some three thousand men and women responded to the good news of Christ on that day and were added to the number of the original followers of Jesus.  This was the birthday of the church.

Pastor Kevin will be preaching this coming Sunday on this passage of Scripture and focusing how we, as 21^st century followers of Jesus, can experience the same work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as those early disciples.  You won’t want to miss this important teaching and opportunity.