So…

Pentecost…

Pastor taught a great message on it…
We had communion and then went home.
That’s about it.

Since then, something had been bothering me… bugging me… wouldn’t leave me alone… probably about my attitude.

So I started just thinking about Pentecost, what happened in that upper room, how many people were there, etc… and it hit me.

Well, a couple things… here’s the first.

We celebrate Pentecost on Sunday.  Others celebrate it on Saturday.  We’re both wrong!
I mean, do the math…

Pentecost means “Fiftieth Day” – referring to fifty days after Christ Jesus was resurrected.  Jesus rose on the day after the Sabbath which would be Sunday.  So, since we celebrate Resurrection Day on a Sunday, 50 days from any Sunday would always be a Monday.
But, all legalistic mumbo jumbo aside, that’s…
not…
really…
my…
point.

They had been in that room for a while – waiting on God.
Not the other way around.
The Sabbath had been two days ago.

Jesus had ascended ten days before.
Before He headed home, he gave the disciples a heads up on the next few days…

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8 NKJV

Yeah.
Now, these guys were out at Mount Olivet, which is about a week’s walk to Jerusalem.
It’s my guess that they did some talking, planning, and rejoicing on the way back because they didn’t waste any time once they got back in town…

¹³ And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.  Acts 1:13-14 NKJV

During these two days, they held a business meeting to replace Judas Iscariot with Matthias.  I find it interesting that this was done not during the walk back, but once they returned.

So, for 48 or so hours, these people had gathered together and were praying.
Worshiping.
Calling on God.
They were, as the Word says, ‘in one accord.’  In harmony.
Agreement.
I’m sure there was some down time in that 48 hours… talking about Jesus and their encounters with Him… taking time out to eat… sleeping/taking naps… still living life.  But they stayed together.
Amongst all that – still acutely focused on God.

Yeah, still… after 48 hours.

Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.  Acts 2:2-4 The Message

This is where my real point starts…

When God came down on those in the upper room, He came suddenly!
No warning, no scheduled time, but suddenly!

The key here was that they were in one accord… it was the singleness of focus on God.
And God honored their efforts with the Holy Spirit!

What would have happened if they had not collected together and waited?
How long would the church have had to wait for The Comforter?

It’s good that they submitted to God and got out of their comfort zone.  Two solid days – together.  I wonder what would happen if the church did that today… instead of freelancing and going separate ways, we all came together and waited for the SUDDENLY!
How do we get there?
What must we go through to get there?
God’s telling me, we will find that place on our knees… my knees… your knees…

OK.

I’m starting tonight.