So I want you to turn in your Bible to Acts Chapter 3. In Act Chapter 3 I'm going to speak this

morning a message called Healing at the Gates. Very familiar story here in Act Chapter 3 of a man who was crippled at birth who has an epic

encounter with Peter and John and his life is forever changed. Now I want to kind

of set up what is Pentecost. Many of you may have never heard that word. Maybe when you hear the word

Pentecost you think of a bunch of charismatic crazy people but that and that is probably true. I grew up

there so I can make fun of them if I want. I was Pentecostal and got over it and now I'm grateful for it.

And that's just, you know, never mind.

Anyway, so, Pentecost, actually the very first Pentecost happened 50 days after the first

Passover.

So when the children of Israel were rescued out of Egypt, they crossed over the Red Sea,

50 days after they left Egypt, Moses went to the top of the mountain

and got the law of God. The God revealed himself, showed himself to the people of

Israel and told them how to live and basically gave them the law 50 days after Passover.

So for thousands of years the Jewish people on the 50th day after Passover

would celebrate the feast of Pentecost and what they would do is bring

their first fruits from the harvest of their fields to the temple as an act of

worship. So for thousands of years they did that and then as we know Jesus was crucified during Passover and 50 days after his resurrection

a small group of people were in the upper room, a little room, a little

room, very small, about 120 people were gathered together, waiting for the

promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

It's no accident that on the 50th day after Jesus was resurrected,

something extraordinary happened in the life of the church.

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