On May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Wang Hao of the Gospel Church in Guancheng, Dongguan, Guangdong, spoke from Acts 2:1-21 on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the church.
Both the Old and New Testament speak about the Holy Spirit. "When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground." (Psalm 104:30) The Holy Spirit was sent to create, transform, open, and renew the lives of people and groups. When the Holy Spirit came, discouraged and panicked disciples were transformed into dedicated believers. It is from this group that the church was formed. There are three themes I would like to share in this sermon.
He shared that the Holy Spirit created the church. In the Old Testament, there was a prophecy from Joel declaring that the Holy Spirit would create a group that would break all barriers. "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." (Joel 2:28)
A wonderful change happened with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Those who experienced Pentecost were astounded and rejoiced to experience the filling of the Spirit. Today, as members of the church and the children of God, we belong to Christ through baptism. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28) We need to connect with and support each other.
The disciples spoke God’s truth through the Holy Spirit when they said: ‘Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:18) They would prophesy about the future, but in contrast we only knew yesterday, not tomorrow. There is a poem that says that we don’t know the future but we know who controls it. No matter if we are rich or powerful, we still cannot control tomorrow, only God can do that. As the children of God, we must commit ourselves and our future fully into His hands.
The coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, and the foundation of the church.
Acts 2:9-11 mentioned people from all ethnic groups, representing the whole world. They heard the disciples were full of the Holy Spirit and declaring the wonders of God. This is how it should be in today’s church.
Second, the Holy Spirit gave the church the Great Commission, he stated.
John 20:19-23 describes the resurrected Christ who sent the promised Holy Spirit to His disciples and established His body on earth. The body of Christ on earth is the church, sent to complete the Great Commission.
"'As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' We are the people sent by Jesus, and responsible for the mission He has called us to. We are sent to preach the Good News and witness the mighty works of God."
The church cannot rely on its own strength to accomplish the Great Commission, but on the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we have the gift of discernment and wisdom.
Each of us is sinful and has the potential to sin. The Bible says: "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." The mission of the church is to proclaim to the world that the Lord has forgiven our sins, which is also the good news of reconciliation with God.
When a sinner came to Jesus, Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven, and I will not condemn you." How happy and grateful the sinner was!
The third work of the Holy Spirit was the unity of the church.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1Co 12:13)
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
The church was called to love and connect, not attack each other. As a member of the church, a Christian was a part of Jesus's body. The Holy Spirit brought unity. If Christians obeyed the touch of the Holy Spirit, they would want to do the same.
All gifts were given to us by the Holy Spirit to glorify God and benefit everyone, not to show off and promote ourselves. "No matter how many gifts we have, the most important thing is to surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Let us all confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, believe in our hearts and witness to others through our lives," he concluded.
- Translated by Elaina Wu
五旬节广东牧者证道分享圣灵与教会的关系
5月31日五旬节，广东东莞市基督教莞城福音堂的汪浩牧师以使徒行传2:1-21节的经文分享了圣灵与教会的关系。
以下为证道内容：
圣经旧约与新约都有与圣灵有关的记录。“你发出你的灵，它们便受造；你使地面更换为新。”（诗104:30）可见圣灵乃是开启更新的灵，可以创造、转化、开启、更新人与群体的生命。因着圣灵的降临，一群原来沮丧、恐慌的门徒被转化成一个奇妙的群体，这个群体就是教会。
我们接下来将通过三个方面来分享。
第一，圣灵开启了教会
在旧约圣经中我们能看到，有先知约珥发出的预言：圣灵将开启一个打破一切隔阂的群体。“以后，我要将我的灵浇灌凡有血气的。你们的儿女要说预言；你们的老年人要做异梦，少年人要见异象。”（珥2:28）
圣灵的降下会有奇妙的改变很多人都在为此而震惊，为此而欢喜。今天我们作为教会的一员，作为神的儿女，是受洗归入基督的人。“当我们受洗归入基督以后，我们也是披戴耶稣基督的人，并不分犹太人、希腊人、自主的、为奴的，或男或女，因为在基督耶稣里都成为一了。”（加拉太书3:27-28）所以我们要彼此联结，彼此扶持。
这个群体因着圣灵说出上帝真理的奥秘：在那些日子，我要将我的灵浇灌我的仆人和使女，他们就要说预言。（徒2:18）他们说出了将来要成就的事。我们只知昨天，不知明天。有一首诗歌说到，我不知明天的道路，但是我知谁掌管明天。我们就是再有钱，再有权，再有势力，都不能够掌管明天，因为唯有神能够掌管明天。我们作为神的儿女，要把前面的路交在神的手中，完全地交托。
我们可以看到，圣灵降临这乃是先知约珥预言的应验，并且在这个时候就开始建立教会了。
使徒行传2:9-11节提到各方各族的人，这就代表着全世界的人。他们都听见被圣灵充满的门徒在讲说神的大作为。今天的教会也是在讲说神的大作为。
第二，圣灵赋予教会大使命
约翰福音20：19-23节，以另外的方式描述了复活的基督将所应许的圣灵赐予他的门徒，建立他在地上的身体。基督在地上的身体就是教会，要差遣，赋予使命。
“父怎样差遣了我，我也照样差遣你们”，我们是蒙差遣的人，要带着使命和责任勇往直前。 我们要去传扬美好的福音，见证主美好的作为。
教会不能依赖自己的能力完成使命，而要依靠圣灵的充满与大能。当圣灵充满我们的时候，我们就带着圣灵的大能大力，带着聪明和智慧。
我们都带着罪性，每一个人都有犯罪的可能。圣经说，“你们赦免谁的罪，谁的罪就赦免了；你们留下谁的罪，谁的罪就留下了。”主所交付教会的使命，是要向全世界宣扬主赦罪的福音，也就是要与神和好的好消息。
当一个犯罪的人来到耶稣的面前，耶稣说“你的罪赦了，我也不定你的罪”，我们可以看到这个犯罪的人是多么开心，多么感恩。
第三，圣灵使教会合一
我们不拘是犹太人，是希腊人，是为奴的，是自主的，都从一位圣灵受洗，成了一个身体，饮于一位圣灵。（林前12:13）
用和平彼此联络，竭力保守圣灵所赐合而为一的心。（弗4:3）
教会与教会之间要彼此相爱，彼此连接，不能彼此攻击。基督徒作为教会的一员，是基督身体上的一个肢体。 圣灵一直在做合一的工作。所以我们若顺服圣灵的感动，就能够在合一的道路上增砖添瓦。
我们所有的恩赐都是圣灵赐给我们的，是为要荣耀神，使各人都得益处，而不是要彰显自己、宣扬自己。 不管你有多少的恩赐，都要降服在圣灵的带领之下。让我们都认耶稣为主，要心里相信，口里承认，生活中见证。
On May 31, Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Wang Hao of the Gospel Church in Guancheng, Dongguan, Guangdong, spoke from Acts 2:1-21 on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the church.
Both the Old and New Testament speak about the Holy Spirit. "When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground." (Psalm 104:30) The Holy Spirit was sent to create, transform, open, and renew the lives of people and groups. When the Holy Spirit came, discouraged and panicked disciples were transformed into dedicated believers. It is from this group that the church was formed. There are three themes I would like to share in this sermon.
He shared that the Holy Spirit created the church. In the Old Testament, there was a prophecy from Joel declaring that the Holy Spirit would create a group that would break all barriers. "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." (Joel 2:28)
A wonderful change happened with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Those who experienced Pentecost were astounded and rejoiced to experience the filling of the Spirit. Today, as members of the church and the children of God, we belong to Christ through baptism. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:27-28) We need to connect with and support each other.
The disciples spoke God’s truth through the Holy Spirit when they said: ‘Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:18) They would prophesy about the future, but in contrast we only knew yesterday, not tomorrow. There is a poem that says that we don’t know the future but we know who controls it. No matter if we are rich or powerful, we still cannot control tomorrow, only God can do that. As the children of God, we must commit ourselves and our future fully into His hands.
The coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, and the foundation of the church.
Acts 2:9-11 mentioned people from all ethnic groups, representing the whole world. They heard the disciples were full of the Holy Spirit and declaring the wonders of God. This is how it should be in today’s church.
Second, the Holy Spirit gave the church the Great Commission, he stated.
John 20:19-23 describes the resurrected Christ who sent the promised Holy Spirit to His disciples and established His body on earth. The body of Christ on earth is the church, sent to complete the Great Commission.
"'As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' We are the people sent by Jesus, and responsible for the mission He has called us to. We are sent to preach the Good News and witness the mighty works of God."
The church cannot rely on its own strength to accomplish the Great Commission, but on the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we have the gift of discernment and wisdom.
Each of us is sinful and has the potential to sin. The Bible says: "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." The mission of the church is to proclaim to the world that the Lord has forgiven our sins, which is also the good news of reconciliation with God.
When a sinner came to Jesus, Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven, and I will not condemn you." How happy and grateful the sinner was!
The third work of the Holy Spirit was the unity of the church.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1Co 12:13)
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
The church was called to love and connect, not attack each other. As a member of the church, a Christian was a part of Jesus's body. The Holy Spirit brought unity. If Christians obeyed the touch of the Holy Spirit, they would want to do the same.
All gifts were given to us by the Holy Spirit to glorify God and benefit everyone, not to show off and promote ourselves. "No matter how many gifts we have, the most important thing is to surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Let us all confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, believe in our hearts and witness to others through our lives," he concluded.
- Translated by Elaina Wu
Pentecost Sermon: The Holy Spirit and the Church
