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JULY 4TH

It's one of my favorite holidays.

I love the songs, the time off, the food, and especially the fireworks.

I usually make it to the beach for fireworks and one of the things that always catches my eye is:

  • We are celebrating America AND

  • All the nations are gathered together to do it

It doesn't take a long scan of the beach to see people from every country gathered together, sometimes speaking different languages, celebrating Amercia.

Something similar is happening in Acts 2.

ACTS 2:5-12

Acts 2 makes it abundantly clear that there is a big festival happening (probably the second biggest festival of the year) and that people from all over the known world have come to celebrate:

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

Then verses 9-12 list roughly 15 different nations, lands, people groups, and languages that are present.

Luke is making a strong point here.

The Holy Spirit moment is not a moment for a homogenous group of people, but it's for a multi-nation, multi-lingual group of people.

MULTI-NATIONAL

This idea of the Holy Spirit filling the church to send them on mission to every nation pops up throughout the text.

Here is a quick survey:

"I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION AND I WILL BLESS YOU...AND ALL PEOPLE ON EARTH WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU." - GENESIS 12:2-3

  • The Abrhamic Covenant has the blessing of all nations in mind.

"IN THE LAST DAYS THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD'S TEMPLE WILL BE ESTABLISHED AS THE HIGHEST OF THE MOUNTAINS, IT WILL BE EXALTED ABOVE THE HILLS, AND ALL NATIONS WILL STREAM TO IT." - ISAIAH 2:2

  • Isaiah has a vision of all nations streaming to mountain of God.

"THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU." - MATTHEW 28:19-20

  • Jesus sends the disciples to all nations in the Great Commission.

"AND THEY SANG A NEW SONG, SAYING: 'YOU ARE WORTHY TO TAKE THE SCROLL AND TO OPEN ITS SEALS, BECAUSE YOU WERE SLAIN, AND WITH YOUR BLOOD YOU PURCHASED FOR GOD PERSONS FROM EVERY TRIBE AND LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE AND NATION.'" - REVELATION 5:9

  • John's Revelations declares that Christ has purchased all nations with his blood.

In other words, a multi-national perspective has been at the heart of God's activity among his people from the beginning.

This Pentecost season, ask the Holy Spirit to:

  • Bring the nations to your church

  • Develop multi-national friendships in your circle

  • Give you a heart for all nations