Today's scripture was Acts chapter 2. On the day of Pentecost... most preachers and teachers use this particular passage of scripture to teach on the in filling of the Holy Spirit. This scripture tells of when the initial outpouring took place however there is more to chapter 2...
I bet by now you are wondering how pool party comes into it aren't you? Let me digress for a bit if you will...Many years ago and yet it still goes on quite a few 'full gospel' churches, Pentecostal and Charismatic became insular and withdrawn. They came for the spiritual 'drunk'. They hung around the alter getting staggeringly drunk on the presence of the Lord. Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with worship, getting happy, full of the Spirit or what ever Christianese term you want to use to describe being full of the Holy Spirit. However they stopped up the flow and turned it into a pool party mentality and because there was no flow from the pool it became stagnant and died out. Once again this did not happen everywhere but it did happen. This is what I refer to a pool party.
Now, Acts chapter 2. My study today showed me how to differentiate between a healthy flow and a dangerous one. This study took me beyond the initial outpouring and to the results we should see if we are being truly healthy in our spiritual growth and life. When we turn our worship into a bar like mentality we end up worshiping the the results and not the result giver. What is healthy.. In Acts chapter 2 v 1-13 was the initial out pouring.. then....
v14-36 the Word was preached- Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, why He came, how God honored Him, the showing that they(the listeners) were guilty but there was salvation through Jesus Christ.
v40- Repentance happened, 3000 were added to the church.
v 41-47 Holds these truths.. they were baptized, continued in sound teaching, prayed, signs and wonders through the apostles happened, took care of one another, were in one accord, went to temple' church', fellowship-ed, praised God and ADDED TO THE CHURCH.
This is the sign of a healthy growing body of Christ. We need to guard against worshiping the Feelings, the emotions. These are wonderful but they are not God. They are manifestations from our being that we have been in His presence. When we become more interested in splashing around and less in the lost outside we have become a church of Pool Party mentality. So break up your dam and let the RIVER of LIFE flow from you. Life was never meant to hoarded but shared.
