五旬節的講道
使徒行傳二章14至21節
14彼得和十一個使徒站起，高聲說：猶太人和一切住在耶路撒冷的人哪，這件事你們當知道，也當側耳聽我的話。
15你們想這些人是醉了；其實不是醉了，因為時候剛到巳初。
16這正是先知約珥所說的：
17神說：在末後的日子，我要將我的靈澆灌凡有血氣的。你們的兒女要說預言；你們的少年人要見異象；老年人要做異夢。
18在那些日子，我要將我的靈澆灌我的僕人和使女，他們就要說預言。
19在天上、我要顯出奇事；在地下、我要顯出神蹟；有血，有火，有煙霧。
20日頭要變為黑暗，月亮要變為血；這都在主大而明顯的日子未到以前。
21到那時候，凡求告主名的，就必得救。
信息分享
因著聖靈的驟然降臨，出現前所未有的景象，在場目睹的人都非常驚訝，議論紛紛，甚至有人批評門徒醉酒鬧事，眾人都希望有人能夠為他們作出解檡。
於是，彼得站起來向群眾解釋說：「我們並非喝醉。這乃是聖靈的工作，正好應驗了舊約先知的預言。」
我們只要將醉酒所出現的副作用，與聖靈的工作互相比較，就會發現兩者恰好相反。酒精刺激人的原始慾望；但聖靈卻激發人對神的敬拜。喝醉的人往往會倒下或做出羞恥的行為，但聖靈的工作卻使人充滿能力和喜樂。
一個喝得酩酊大醉的人，會以為自己是個超人。反觀聖靈卻將復活主的大能賜給人。酒精會使人腦筋混亂，胡言亂語；但聖靈卻使人充滿能力去為主作見證，並將見證的話語賜給人。
彼得指出，神要將祂的靈澆灌全地(17節)；使徒行傳便是記述聖靈澆灌全地的經過。聖靈的工作至今不變。祂仍然感動人心，使人知罪悔改。
是否只有昔日的門徒，才能在五旬節那天得著聖靈的充滿呢？感謝神，聖靈的工作至今仍沒有改變。只要我們願意敞開自己，接受聖靈進入我們的心內，聖靈就會充滿我們、掌管我們的生命，並使用我們來榮耀基督。祂會賜能力給我們為主作見證，並勝過一切的試探。當我們靠著聖靈的能力為神作工，工作的成果將無遠弗屆。我們是否為此而深受激勵呢？
禱告：
主啊，求你幫助我，使我懂得順服聖靈，以致得著聖靈的充滿。
THE EXPLANATION OF PENTECOST
Acts 2:14-21
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’
Message
The unusual happenings of the early verses of this chapter called for some kind of an explanation. People were amazed and even criticised what was happening.
So Peter stood up to explain what had happened. 'We are not drunk. This is the work of the Holy Spirit exactly as the Old Testament prophets foretold.'
If you compare the effect of wine and the work of the Holy Spirit you will see how they are exactly the opposite in effect. Wine stimulates the natural passions, but the Holy Spirit quickens holy desires. The result of wine drinking is often weakness and shame. The work of the Spirit brings strength and joy.
Wine can make a person think he is a superman. The Spirit actually gives new power, the power of the risen Christ. Wine can make a man say silly things. The Spirit takes our words and makes them powerful and effective for Christ.
Peter said God would pour out his Spirit on all the world (v. 17). The book of Acts tells how this worked out. The Spirit of God is still working today in the same way. His work in the world is one of conviction, then conversion for those who will listen to his voice.
Was that mighty fullness of the Spirit only for Pentecost, or is it still available today? Thank God the Spirit of God is still exactly the same. Where a heart is yielded to him he will fill and control that life and use it for Christ's glory. He will give power for witnessing and for overcoming temptation. When God's work is done in the power of the Spirit there is no telling where it will end. Isn't that challenging and encouraging?
A PRAYER:
Lord each day teach me how to yield to the Spirit so that he can fill me.