In my own language

Acts 2: 1~ 13

Today is Pentecost Sunday.  This is the day we celebrate as the birth of the church.  In a very visible and dramatic way the Holy Spirit empowered those who believed to proclaim the good news.  Powered by the Holy Spirit that message enabled the church to grow and prosper.

1. together in 1 place in obedience to Jesus Acts 1:4 & 5

    a. in prayer, fellowship, and hiding

    b. had an expectation to receive gift of Holy Spirit

    c. they received because they did it God’s way

    d. to think we can receive doing it our way is wrong

2. What message do you personally have, Matt. 11:  4

    a. we report what we hear and see, that which we know

    b. knowing God is an experience not just info learned

    c. an experience to be shared not kept within

3. to reach the lost you must speak their language

   a. we live in a very segmented society

   b. old & young, North & South, churched & unchurched

   c. How reach cowboys ~ cowboy church their language

   d. music is an important language in our culture

   d. message is same only language or presentation different

4. what is important is listeners understand in own language

   a. we need to be able to speak the language of the lost

   b. speak the language in love is not a compromise of the truth

   c. God will empower us now as He did then so the message will reach the lost

   d. God wants to see His church grow and prosper

5. Like the spokes of wheel the message will spread ( picture of countries)

   a. I hear the message in my own language & tell others who speak like me

   b. we are to take the message home with us & pass it on

The message belongs to God.  It is to be presented in love His way.  If the message is to be understood and received it has to be in the language of the listener.  It is easy to forget the objective is to bring people to Christ rather than to win an argument.  By the grace of God His kingdom will triumph.