" Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the
crowd: 'Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"

The world says, "Those crazy Christians." They saw people coming out of church happy about God and their faith. They were talking freely and joyously about Jesus. The disciples had to explain that they were not drunk, but Spirit-filled. People not understanding us will tend to be the norm during the "last days." Let's get some definitions in place before we go on.

Last Days-remember that this means the time between Christ's first coming and His second coming. It is the time of the "final call" for people to come to God before God finally and completely establishes His Kingdom. But the neatest thing about it is God's goal. God's goal: throughout that time, everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved!

So, more than just the birthday of the Church, Pentecost is God calling out the troops and equipping them to proclaim salvation in Jesus before Jesus comes again and everything is brought to ultimate fulfillment. Those who receive the Holy Spirit through Jesus will:

I. Proclaim the message of God.
"Your sons and daughters will prophesy"

God's Spirit will be given to all people who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. The #1 result of being Spirit-filled begins and ends this section of Scripture proclaiming that every Christians has been enabled to proclaim Jesus and His Good News to save the world. "'¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'"

The "last days" are more like countdown-days-when God calls ALL Christians to full service and ministry-male AND female. There is no time for the limiting God's workforce with old cultural distinctions! Lives are at stake. Eternal destinies hang in the balance. We have people to save and God needs every Christian-male AND female involved! Shame on Christian groups that prevent a huge part of God's people (females) from sharing God's message and saving the lost.

The word prophet most simply means "someone who speaks for another." Don't think only of foretelling the future. That was only a small part of what a Biblical prophet said. What God means by using the verb, "prophesy," here is that God's people will be led to proclaim the message of God-the truth God wants told to unbelieving people. This is how God will move the world toward His goal of saving people.

Remember God's goal. 2 Peter 3:9-"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Matthew 28:19-20-"'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, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" Pentecost enables you and me to fulfill Jesus' command. Jesus is saying, "I've saved you and given you My Spirit, will you speak-up for me in your generation?"

II. Discern God's plans. Are you ...
"your young men will see visions"

God has plans to transform lives and establish the kingdom among us. With discernment or spiritual insight, we see the importance of working with God and accomplishing God's Kingdom development. Even youth, who don't have life-experience will see the pattern and wisdom of God's plan.

Spirit-filled youth will become people understanding beyond their years as they see God's goal laid out before them. Their listening to the indwelling Holy Spirit will help them see the significance of what we do today on the future, they will understanding consequences-both positive and negative, and be enabled to make wise decisions. But you must use what you have been given!

Spirit-filled youth will see the path of joy and fulfillment does not lead through alcohol or other drugs, but by the transforming and invigorating presence of the Holy Spirit cultivated in their lives. They will understand the vision of God's future doesn't lead through pre-marital sex or through the use of violence, but by continually connecting to the Holy Spirit's power and wisdom through prayer and Scripture.

To quote President Kennedy, "Let the word go forth, the torch has been passed to a new generation . . ." Spirit-following young people are not content to set on the sidelines and expect someone else to do God's work like when they were "kids". They are not second-class Christians. They have seen the vision of where God wants to take our world and they want to be a part of helping make it happen.

Contrary to what some people seem to think, life in this world doesn't last forever. God needs every Christian involved in living and sharing the Faith so we experience a greater harvesting of the kingdom. Jesus said in Luke 10:2-"'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" God is calling male and female, young and old to become workers in His fields.

"Shine, Jesus, shine. Fill this land with the Father's glory. Send forth Your word and let there be Light!" God will use you to make it happen-Will you cooperate, seek God's vision for the future and live your part in it?

III. Envision the possibilities when it happens.
"your old men will dream dreams"

Who will be having dreams about new possibilities of God's future? Older people! It doesn't say, "Your old people will remember the way it use-to-be." It doesn't say, "Your senior citizens will have a distorted memory of what they call the "good 'ol days." Rather, your Holy Spirit-filled older people will be looking toward the future and thinking of the possibilities as they experience dreams of God's desires for the future.

Robert Kennedy is famous for saying, "Some men see things as they are and ask 'Why?' I see things that never were and ask 'Why not?'" Spirit-filled older Christians will be so excited to see God moving among people and know that each life saved means another celebration in heaven. They will want to translate the eternal truth of the Gospel into word that the next generation can understand. Nothing must stand in the way of the expansion of God's family. Nothing!

These older Christians, themselves continually drinking of the Holy Spirit in their quiet times, will use their experience and acquired wisdom to help God's plans continue to unfolding in each new generation. Cherishing God's dreams for the future planted in their hearts, these mature Christians will feel honored to be able to God save people-while they can. They are wise enough to know that too much is riding on their cooperation. The stakes are much too high for them to drag their feet or to sit idly by! These mature, Spirit-filled Christians will be excited by the hope of revival happening. They will become faith-mentors for younger Christians. They will give insight into praying through tough time. They will share wisdom about avoiding and surviving temptation. Wisdom gained from years of Bible study and prayer will be like gold mines to the younger Christians-and together they will work to expand God's kingdom.

What will you do now?
In the time between Jesus' 1st coming and His return, everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved! That is why God wants every man and woman, young and old, talking about the Good News of Jesus Christ for our world.

Do you see the hope that offers to so many people? Young Christian, are you open to letting the Spirit reveal to you God's vision for life and you do your part to make it happen? Older Christian, are God's dreams still alive in your imagination and do they excite you to give yourself to the future instead of to the past?

As time rushes on, we know that everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved and transformed. Will they call on Jesus because of the expression of new hope found through YOU? Amen.