All 120+ Got Him

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 2:3

All 120+ Got Him

by Robert T. Cooper

In Keith Green’s song on the Matthew 25 passage of the sheep and the goats, he has the person representing the goats to ask whether the Lord was one of those creepy people who came to his door. Then he has the person to say, “Oh, Lord, that just wasn’t my spiritual gift!”

The interesting thing about Acts 2 is that all 120 men in the prayer meeting (plus women and children) received the Holy Spirit. Verse 3 is very specific. The tongues of fire came to rest on each of them. Then verse 4 says that all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. So, what was the result?

The result was that all 120+ were part of the evangelistic harvest on that Day of Pentecost. The thing about spiritual gifts is that The Gift is the Holy Spirit. He asks us to do things outside of our comfort zones, things where we will have to depend on Him and not on our own strength. He then empowers us for that ministry and works through us to accomplish His purposes. It is in that working through us that we see in retrospect what spiritual gift the Holy Spirit utilized on that occasion. But it does not limit Him to utilizing the same gift on any future occasion.

So honestly, do we really think that a 20 question or 100 question survey given to all new converts (and in some cases to preschoolers and unbelievers) can limit what God is going to ever ask us to do? Sorry, the excuse of Keith Green’s goat simply doesn’t but it.

It is like saying that because some people have the spiritual gift of giving and I don’t, that I don’t have to worry about giving ever again. It is like saying that because some people have the spiritual gift of evangelism that I never have to worry about witnessing ever again.

What happened on Pentecost? All 120+ participated in the harvest. Should I expect to be a witness at some point or even at many points in my Christian journey? You bet! Because the Holy Spirit indwells me and empowers my witness.

I also need to trust what the Spirit is leading you to do and support you in your ministry efforts. I can expect your trust and support in return. I need to share what the Spirit is saying to me and teaching me. I also need to listen as you share what the Spirit is saying to you and teaching you. When the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, that’s just the way it works.

Tell about a time the Holy Spirit led you to do something outside of your comfort zone. When you look back on that time, what spiritual gift did the Spirit utilize at that time?