"Holy Spirit" | June 8, 2025 | Ps Stephen George

On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate a pivotal moment in Christian history - the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the early believers, igniting a spiritual revolution that would change the world. This event, described vividly in Acts 2, marks the birth of the Church and the beginning of a new era of God's empowering presence among His people.

As flames of fire settled on each believer, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues. This miraculous occurrence fulfilled Jesus' promise to His disciples, recorded in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

This promise wasn't just for those early Christians - it extends to all believers throughout history. The gift of the Holy Spirit is available to everyone who repents and is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. It's not something we earn through good works or perfect behavior. It's a freely given gift, offered out of God's abundant love for us.

But who exactly is the Holy Spirit? Often misunderstood or overlooked, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity - fully God, yet distinct from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit isn't an impersonal force or energy; He's a person with thoughts, emotions, and a will. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit lives, speaks, prays, knows, gives generously, feels grief, and loves.

Understanding the personhood of the Holy Spirit is crucial because it shapes how we relate to Him. We're not just tapping into some cosmic power source; we're building a relationship with a divine Person who desires to guide, comfort, and empower us.

The Holy Spirit's role in our lives is multifaceted and profound. He's been sent to transform us from the inside out. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 beautifully expresses, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

This transformation isn't always comfortable. Like gold being refined by fire, the process of spiritual growth often involves heat and pressure as our impurities are scraped away. But this ongoing transformation is part of God's divine plan for us. We were never meant to be finished products while on earth; instead, we're works in progress, continually being shaped by the Holy Spirit's power.

Many Christians mistakenly believe that salvation is just about securing a place in heaven. While eternal life with God is certainly a glorious promise, there's so much more that Jesus offers us here and now. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live vibrant, purposeful lives that impact the world around us.

Which brings us to a crucial truth: The Holy Spirit was sent to empower us to minister to the world. Jesus said in Matthew 9:37 that "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." This statement is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago. Our world is full of people who are hurting, hungry, addicted, oppressed, and in desperate need of hope. They need to encounter the transformative love of God - and we are the vessels through which that love can flow.

However, many of us disqualify ourselves from this calling. We focus on our inadequacies - lack of education, financial struggles, past hurts, or lingering guilt over past sins. We think, "I'm not good enough to minister to others." And you know what? We're right. On our own, we're not equipped to turn the world upside down.

But here's the liberating truth: We were never meant to do it on our own. It's only when we repent, turn to the cross, and allow the Holy Spirit's transformative power to work in our hearts and minds that we become truly empowered. When we die to ourselves and surrender to God's will, that's when we're equipped to minister effectively to the world.

The key principle here is profound: We cannot turn the world upside down until we allow the Holy Spirit to turn our own world upside down.

This requires trust - trust in the Holy Spirit as a person who speaks to us, loves us, and desires relationship with us. It requires recognizing the Holy Spirit's deity - that He is fully God and worthy of our reverence and obedience. And it requires surrender - allowing ourselves to be transformed and sent out to minister, not just in our local communities, but potentially to the ends of the earth.

For some, this might mean taking the first step of giving your life to Jesus and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior. For others who have walked with God for years, it might mean recommitting to the transformative work of the Spirit, especially if you feel your spiritual growth has become stagnant.

Wherever you are on your journey, the invitation is the same: Hold out your hands and heart to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit afresh. Pray for God to have His way in your heart, mind, and soul. Ask Him to break your heart for what breaks His, to empower you, and to mold you into the person He's created you to be.

As we reflect on the significance of Pentecost, let's not relegate it to a mere historical event. The same power that transformed those early believers is available to us today. The Holy Spirit desires to fill us, change us, and use us to bring hope and healing to a broken world.

So let's open ourselves to His presence. Let's allow Him to turn our worlds upside down so that we, in turn, can be part of turning the world upside down with the love and power of God. In doing so, we'll discover the thrilling adventure of living empowered by the Spirit, partnering with God in His redemptive work in the world.

May we, like those early Christians, be known as people who are filled with the Spirit, boldly proclaiming God's love, and leaving an indelible mark on our generation. The world is waiting. The harvest is plentiful. And with the Holy Spirit's power, we are more than equipped for the task at hand.