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?
