Acts 2:5 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 them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
A crowd came together in bewilderment.
Pentecost is filled with miracles. All of them bringing to the culmination of God’s Spirit changing hearts of 3000 skeptics, unbelievers, misguided religious, or just plain curious people to know, believe and trust Jesus as their Savior.
The miracle of Pentecost does start with the sound of the wind and the tongues of fire…but the result of these anomalies is that a crowd gathered around the disciples. The curiosity was not just the sound of the wind or the flames, but the fact they heard voices that were in their own languages from people they quickly found out or knew never studied the language. This certainly is a wonderful blessing that the wonders of God were being proclaimed to so many people.
Wouldn’t it be nice if God gathered a crowd like this again?
Or does he?
I know it is easy for me to wish for the “big” while overlooking the “small.” We perhaps wish and wonder if God will gather such a big crowd again. Perhaps, but maybe he wants us to see the crowd he is gathering around us. It is probably not 3000, 300 or 30…but maybe it’s three. Three people that are not that different from the crowd the Spirit gathered in Jerusalem. Do you know people who don’t know Jesus or have drifted from Jesus who…
- Come from a different cultural background?
- Are religious, but don’t know grace and the message of Christ?
- Skeptics?
- Detractors who downplay or dismiss the Christian faith?
- People who are curious or confused about spiritual matters?
- Spiritual, but not grounded?
Where is this crowd? Perhaps it is the people living next door…maybe working next to you…maybe sitting next to you on the athletic sidelines…maybe in the same hobby club…maybe…you fill in the blank.
Perhaps with a little thought and focus, we begin to see the people God’s Spirit has gathered around us that are disconnected from Jesus, don’t know Jesus, or curious about Jesus – or all of the above.
Who is that for you?
A former member shared recently that his wife’s dad had passed away. Before he passed, he questioned, “Why am I still here, I am ready to go to heaven.” As he was in a care facility, he had a chance to share his faith with the staff that cared for him. God gave him one last crowd to which to declare the wonders of God.
God is putting a crowd around you who needs Jesus. Be ready!
Apply: Write down 1-5 names that are in your “crowd” that need Jesus. Pray for opportunities to have a conversation about the “wonders of God.”
Prayer: Spirit of God, thank you for gathering a crowd around me that needs Jesus. Give me boldness and clarity to declare the wonders of God to them. AMEN.