JUNE 8th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"THE SPIRIT'S TRANSFORMATIVE POWER" (Acts 2:1-21)

Lectionary Readings — Day of Pentecost — June 8, 2025

Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:24-34,35b; Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17 (25-27)

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Call to Worship (based on Acts 2:1-21)

Leader: When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

People: And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Leader: Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

People: All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Leader: Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?

People: In our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power.

Leader: In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.

People: Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

Leader: Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

People: Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Leader: Today, we gather as the church, many voices speaking as one.

All: Come, Holy Spirit, come! Fill this place with your presence and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen.

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Opening Prayer (based on Genesis 11:1-9)

Let us pray:

Gracious and loving God,

On this day of Pentecost, we gather before You as Your people, diverse yet united in Your Spirit. We remember the ancient story of Babel, where human pride sought to build a tower reaching to heaven, and languages were confused.

Yet today, we celebrate how Your Holy Spirit bridges what was once divided. At Pentecost, You did not eliminate our differences but sanctified them, making them vehicles of Your grace rather than barriers to understanding.

Like those scattered from Babel, we too have often been separated by language, culture, and misunderstanding. We have built our own towers of pride and self-sufficiency.

Pour out Your Spirit upon us today, just as You did upon the disciples long ago. May the miracle of Pentecost be renewed in our midst—not that we would all speak the same language, but that we would understand the universal language of Your love.

Help us to hear each other across our differences. Where Babel brought confusion, may Your Spirit bring clarity. Where pride once scattered, may humility now gather. Where humans once reached upward in defiance, may we now reach outward in service.

As we worship together today, remind us that Your kingdom is built not of bricks and mortar, but of living stones—people from every nation and tongue united in praise of Your name.

In the name of Christ, who taught us to pray as one family, despite our many languages.

Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: "THE SPIRIT’S TRANSFORMATIVE POWER"

Based on Acts 2:1-21

INTRODUCTION:

• Significance of Pentecost in the Christian calendar: the birth of the Church

• Connection between Jewish Pentecost (Shavuot) and Christian Pentecost

• Setting the scene: disciples gathered in Jerusalem, waiting as Jesus instructed

• Central question: How does the Holy Spirit transform us today, as individuals and as church?

I. THE SPIRIT ARRIVES (Acts 2:1-4)

• The timing was significant: "When the day of Pentecost had come" - God's perfect timing

• The physical manifestations: sound like rushing wind, tongues of fire

• The collective experience: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit"

• Application: The Spirit's presence transforms ordinary spaces and ordinary people

II. THE SPIRIT ENABLES COMMUNICATION (Acts 2:5-13)

• The miracle of languages: speaking in tongues understood by all

• The international audience: "Jews from every nation under heaven"

• The content: "God's deeds of power" - the gospel message takes center stage

• The mixed reaction: amazement, perplexity, and cynicism

• Application: The Spirit empowers us to communicate across barriers

III. THE SPIRIT FULFILLS GOD'S PROMISES (Acts 2:14-21)

• Peter's bold explanation: the connection to Joel's prophecy

• The inclusive nature of the Spirit's outpouring: "all flesh"

• The apocalyptic imagery: signs and wonders, sun to darkness, moon to blood

• The ultimate promise: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved"

• Application: The Spirit continues to break barriers and fulfill God's promises

IV. THE SPIRIT CREATES NEW VISION (implied throughout)

• The disciples' transformed perspective: from fearful to fearless

• The crowd's new understanding: from confusion to clarity (for some)

• Peter's theological insight: connecting Scripture to current events

• The beginning of a new era: the church age

• Application: The Spirit gives us new eyes to see God at work

CONCLUSION: OUR RESPONSE TO THE SPIRIT

• The question from the crowd: "What should we do?" (Acts 2:37, beyond our text)

• The invitation: repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit

• The ongoing Pentecost: God's Spirit continues to work today

• Call to action: Open ourselves to the Spirit's transformative power

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers