Pentecost Went Outside — Carter Conlon

Pentecost Went Outside — Carter Conlon

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Thank you orchestra, thank you choir. God bless you, you may be seated.

The Promise of Pentecost

Praise be God. I want to speak to you this morning, a message entitled, Pentecost went outside. Pentecost went outside. If you'll go to the book of Acts chapter 1 please with me. We'll begin there. Read chapter 1 verses 4 to 7 and chapter 2, a little bit lengthier portion in chapter 2.

Almighty God, oh Lord creator of heaven and earth, I stand before you today and I ask only that I may have the privilege of being a spokesman for what's on your heart. God, give me the grace to speak what you are thinking.

Lord, deliver me from all of my own thoughts. Anywhere that I think in the natural that this message should go. Give me the courage to simply follow you. And follow your direction and your leading. And as I do, Lord, I know that you will bless.

I'm asking you for a baptism of the Holy Spirit. God that has promised in your scriptures to come to this congregation. And to all who are of a sincere heart who can hear this word today. I pray God that you do something so sovereign that it will bring glory to your name.

We step out of the way and ask you to come and give us revelation of who you are. What we are called to be as your bride in the earth. I thank you for this with everything in my heart. All I ask is Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, be glorified.

And I ask it in your precious name. Amen. Pentecost went outside. Acts chapter 1 verse 4. Now this is Jesus after he's risen again from the dead. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem.

But wait for the promise of the father, which said he, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Not many days hence or not. In other words, not many days from now.

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the father has put in his own power.

But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Now chapter 2 verse 1.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as if a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

They were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And now hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born, Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia in Egypt, and in parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians.

We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, What could this mean, or what meaneth this? Others, mocking, said, These men are full of new wine.

But Peter, standing up at the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and notable day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The Holy Spirit and the New Life in Christ

Now, beloved, this is the promise of scripture. Christ went to a cross and he paid the price for our sin. That God himself may come down in the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, and indwell us.

No longer is he behind a curtain, no longer hidden, no longer veiled, no longer unavailable to the seeking heart. Not just there for the royal, not just there for those with influence and power and authority.

But all men, all women, bond or free, male or female, every race, every language, every culture in the world, every education or lack thereof, every social standing from the top to the bottom, all have free access to a brand new life in God through Jesus Christ.

And not just a brand new life in God, but to be made of God a wonderment in the earth. God says, I will come in and dwell you and I'll give you a new heart and I'll give you a new mind and I'll give you a new spirit.

And you will step out from wherever you used to be and the manner in which you used to live and you'll be witnesses of me. Now, it doesn't mean that you will just memorize scripture and go out and start quoting it throughout the world.

Now, the word implies that you will be a living testimony. I'll come and live in you. I'll change you. You'll be so changed from the inside out. You'll be so given wisdom that you don't naturally possess.

You'll be given abilities that you weren't born with in the natural. But when you were born again in the spirit, these new abilities will be given to you. Some will stand as evangelists. Some will stand as pastors.

Others will be teachers of the word of God. Some will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. Some will have a gifting to understand scripture and see how it relates to the events of the past, present and the future.

Some will see the marvelous things and understand intellectually what it is that God is about to do. And it won't be those that you and I most expect. It will not be just the elite few. There will be the least expected among us.

There will be those who have the hungry heart. Those who press in when everyone else may be standing on the mountainside throwing their theological questions at God. There are still people pressing in beyond all of this activity.

And one more time touching the hem of the garment of Jesus Christ. Being touched of God, being made whole, being empowered by the Holy Spirit. And moving into this incredible mountain of religious darkness that lives in our world today.

Living in the Last Days Through the Spirit

You and I know we're living in the last days. We know that there's something happening. Storms of unprecedented proportion are beginning to amass themselves as if the rage of nature itself is against those who have taken for granted the goodness of God.

Folks, we're living in a time where we live on the precipice of eternity whether we like it or not. With nations and most likely in the not too distant future rogue nations coming into contact and having available unspeakable weaponry in their hands.

We're living in difficult days where there's an untamable passion in the hearts of men. And in spite of our best efforts to promote peace and harmony, it seems to be always eluding this generation, this world that we're living in.

There doesn't seem to be an attainable peace apart from the Spirit of God. Yes, we do have momentary truces, momentary senses of well-being, but they seem to fade so quickly. The ambassadors of peace, Isaiah said, in the last days are going to weep bitterly.

I found it tragic to witness in my generation that much of the professing church of Jesus Christ to see what those who claim to have had an intimate encounter with the Holy Spirit have become. And it's particularly important because you and I are living at a time which many are going to be reviewing the promises of the Bible and people are going to be claiming their heritage of being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And folks, we have to be to face these last days. It's my own prayer request now every day, God Almighty, you've got to touch me again and again and again with the power of the Holy Spirit. I can't stand there.

I'll just be another voice, another argument in the myriads of thousands of voices in this generation. There's got to be something way beyond even the knowledge that you and I have garnered over the years.

There's got to be an empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Now, there was a day in John 21 where Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, receive the Holy Spirit. There was another day in Acts chapter two where he came.

The Holy Spirit came in power and took that fledgling young church and in the power of Christ's life within, took them out of a secluded upper room and brought them into the public marketplace. You see later on in the book of Acts when they were facing persecution, they gathered again and prayed.

And when they prayed, the scripture says the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the word of God with boldness. And so this tells me that I am to come every day.

I'm to come in every trial. I'm not to lean on my own understanding. I'm not to minister in my own strength. I'm not to go forward and neither are you into the coming days. Only in the power of the natural man because that will leave us blinded.

That will leave us powerless in the coming days. You and I need the power of the Holy Spirit. I've witnessed over the years what appears to be a longing for the Holy Spirit. But it's on an in-house basis and that's been the error of Pentecost.

Not all, but some. And of the charismatic movement, those who recognize that the church needs the power of the Holy Spirit. And they've wanted this power of the Holy Spirit, but they've wanted Him on an in-house basis.

In other words, everybody's wanted to come in on Sunday and perhaps Tuesday night if God really gets a good billing in your heart. And they've wanted to run the aisles, they've wanted to clap their hands, shout for joy, jump up and down, prophesy.

But it's all in-house. It's not something that goes outside of the house. Outside of the house, so many people just go back to work, same old, same old. So little testimony, so little life, unwilling to be yielded to the purposes of God.

And in-house Pentecost has been a breeding ground for error, tragic error in our generation. It's like a stagnant pond. A stagnant pond that has no outlet. It may have a plethora of fresh water in it.

But it's good for nothing. It will just breed mosquitoes, that's all it will do. And whose sole purpose in life is to draw blood for their own bellies, for their own satisfaction. And I can't help but wonder, and I'm not trying to be rude, but what have we come up with in the last generation?

Is it not just a, do we not see? Now I'm not indicting the whole church because there's always two streams of Christianity. But let me speak for one moment about a particular stream. That just come to the house and all they want is an in-house God.

An in-house Pentecost. They want to draw from the blood and fill their bellies. And Paul warned about it in the book of Philippians, chapter 3, verses 18 to 21. He said, many are this way, he said, I've told you before.

And he says, I tell you now, he says, even weeping. They walk and they're enemies of the cross of Christ. Imagine that, can you imagine? Coming to the house of God and being branded an enemy of the cross.

Coming to God with a sense of, I want God, but I don't want God for the right reasons. I don't want God for the reasons why he has redeemed me by his blood and invited me into his life and into his power.

Verse 19 says, their end is destruction. Their God is their belly. Whose glory is in their shame, who mined earthly things. Coming to Christ, but yet with a mind still gripped with the things of this world.

Still focused on the things of this world. Folks, you and I will read the Bible based on our value system. We will read it according to our value system. We will only see it according to the value system that's in our heart.

If you're here today and you are only interested in bettering yourself. And you are only interested in money. And you're only interested in influence and power and authority and society. If it's all about you, you'll read this book.

You'll never see the depths of Christ. You will never fully understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You will join the myriads who are going into error. It will become just a nonsensical display of flesh.

And you become part of it and the whole time thinking that it's God in the midst of it. Paul says, our conversation is in heaven. We're not speaking about the things of this world. We're speaking about things that are dear to the heart of God.

Pentecost as Public Witness

The whole purpose of the cross was the redemption of fallen man. That was the whole reason why God became a man and came to this earth. And walked among us for 33 years doing good. And went to a cross.

The whole purpose of sending the Holy Spirit to a body. Was that that work, the testimony of that redemption may be furthered for the next few thousand years. However long it is until Christ returns. That that testimony might be sent throughout all the world of what God has done.

And that you and I are not just to talk about it. We're to be living witnesses about it. We're to be transformed by the power of God. We are people with a new heart. We are people with a new mind. We have a value system not of this world.

We have a value system that comes from heaven itself. Our focus is not on ourselves. Our focus is on those that God loves throughout the world. Who shall change, he says in verse 21 of Philippians 3. Our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.

According to the working whereby he's able to subdue all things unto himself. Paul says no. As we allow the Holy Spirit to bring us to a place where God is glorified in us. He will change our body. He will change our way of doing things.

We'll be brought into the power of both an endless and a supernatural life. Now there are many here today. And you would agree with me. And you would say I want a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I know this is of God.

And I've read about it. I've heard about it. And I want a fresh. I want this powerful touch of God. That is promised to all those who walk with God. And that's a good thing. I'm glad you have that desire.

But are you aware of where this scripture says this will lead you? And this is the question. That I put to this congregation today. I put it to my own heart. I put it to any who can hear my voice today.

You want the Holy Spirit. You want a greater measure of the Holy Spirit. But are you aware of where this baptism will lead you? Now you and I must consider this. Psalm 47 verse 7 says that we're to sing praises with understanding.

We're not to be unaware when we come into the presence of God. Of where we're going. Now many of those associated with or subsequently touched through the blessings of that first experience. On Pentecost Day that we read about.

Died. Or were shunned. Or imprisoned. By the hands of a Christ rejecting world. They stepped out of the upper room. They stepped into the marketplace. In Acts again chapter 2 verse 1 it says. When the day of Pentecost was fully come.

They were all with one accord. And in one place. Now listen. Come with me. To the upper room. What was the society of that time? The religious leaders had seemingly triumphed over their hope and their Christ.

There was a bloodlust in the society. All around. Which of course eventually was going to be let loose. And has been periodically throughout history. To say crucify this Christ. And anyone who's bold enough to follow him.

Let them suffer the same fate. And they're all up in that upper room. And they've come to the place of understanding. The words of Jesus sent them there. First of all they're there in obedience. And secondly.

He said listen. It's not for you to know. It's not for you to think about power. And influence and authority. And all these other things. This is not the way to the kingdom of God. He said the father knows these things.

And you don't need to know them. And if there's a day you do it will come to you. He said no but you're going to receive power. After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you're going to be witnesses of me in all the world.

You're going to be a living testimony. You're going to be an irrefutable argument. It will not be just a religious opinion about God. Which we seem to be relegated to in much of our world today. But you will be an irrefutable argument.

You'll be the man who was lame. Or the woman who was lame leaping in the temple. One more time. Everybody scratching their heads and saying. We know this man was lame. You'll be the blind man. The blind woman.

Who everybody that knew you said. Look there's a directionless person if ever I saw one. Banging into this wall and running into that door. And seemingly unable to find or finish or start anything. Of any significance or consequence.

Suddenly you have something in your eye. You seem to know the end game of life. You're moving in a power and authority that no one around you knows anything about. But they see it in your eye. They may call your mother and father and say.

What kind of course did you send this child of yours on? What brought about this change? The religious don't understand it. Only those who are born again by the spirit of God. Have an understanding what this is all about.

Sing praises with understanding. They're in one accord. They're in one place. And they would have an inner knowledge. That if I am going to have God's power come upon me. I can't stay in this place. I've got to go outside eventually.

I've got to face this crowd. Oh folks. I ask you with all my heart. That next week as we stand in Times Square. Thousands strong. Would you let this be a secret prayer in your heart. That it's not just one hour in New York City.

That you and I stand in the public forum. And make a declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord. But let it be a prayer in your heart. God don't let me go back indoors. Let me stay outside. Let the testimony of my life be a public testimony.

Let me not be ashamed to be a Christian. A young lady that I know very well. Was in a place of influence and authority recently. And she made a statement to some of the people that were there. And said you tell me why.

I have to backtrack and be ashamed that I'm a Christian. You tell me why to approach you. And to approach this organization. That you have somehow got it in the culture of your organization. That Christianity is somehow substandard.

She said I'm not ashamed to be a Christian. I'm not ashamed to stand here. And say I represent Christ. I live in Christ and move with Christ. And folks the people in that room were very moved by this testimony.

Finally somebody stepping out of the shadows. And said whether you agree or not. I'm not ashamed of the creator of the universe. And the savior of my soul. Praise be to God. They're in one accord. And in one place.

Agreement With God and the Need for Power

And you see when you and I get into that place. That's where the power of God comes. When I am in agreement. With what God's plan is for my life. When I finally line up with God. And I find myself in that place.

Of saying Lord if this is going to happen. It's going to have to be you. There are no seven steps to this. There are no six steps to martyrdom. There are no five steps to surviving in the mission field.

I've got to have the power of God. And Jesus said go to that place. That I've called you to and tarry there. Until I give you the power to be what I've called you to be. Praise be to God. I remember my own story.

I was saved two years before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. And I remember trying my hardest to be a Christian. But failing constantly. I was so embarrassed. I was so ashamed. Among my own co-workers.

I could be everything that I was supposed to be in church. I could stand in the balcony. I could open my hymn book. I could sing with great gusto. About Christ and about redeemed. I loved to proclaim it.

I loved to proclaim it in the church. But I had an awful hard time in the workplace. And I remember getting to the point where I was so fed up with this mixture in my own heart. That I made a proclamation to my own heart.

I said God I will serve you if it kills me. Wherever it leads. I'm just so tired of this mixture. I'm just so tired of trying to figure things out. I know there has to be more. And I'm going through. And I don't care what happens to me.

But God I want you. And I want your testimony alive in my heart. Only a few days later. One of my co-workers. I was a police officer at the time. Came to me and says we're going to the prison. There was a fairly large prison in that city.

And we're going in uniform. And we're going to testify to the prisoners about what Jesus Christ can do. I remember thinking. I remember sitting at my desk thinking God has taken me up on it. In less than a week.

There had been trouble there. And I said to this other man. I said in uniform. If there is a riot there. We're history. And you know it. We'll never get out of there alive. And he said I know. He said are you willing to come or not.

And so I had made this pronouncement. If it kills me. So I decided I'm going to go. And on the way there he invited me. To a halfway house. And on the way to the prison. And he said there's a friend of mine I want you to meet.

He's an ex-motorcycle gang member. It's his first spiritual birthday. And I remember thinking oh my goodness. This is getting deeper and darker by the moment. I had an awfully deep hatred in my heart for motorcycle gang members.

Because of some bad experiences I had. And I didn't even think how could it be possible. That this man could be anything other than what I know these men to be. And the initiation rights and what they have to do.

To be chartered members of these clubs. Something I wouldn't speak about. Ever from this pulpit. But I was personally aware of it. And I remember going to this halfway house. All ex-cons all on parole.

And I walk into this house. And I meet this man. And I can't believe that this man ever was affiliated with an outlaws motorcycle group. Or Hell's Angels. I can't believe this. It doesn't make sense. The man I'm looking at is not that kind of a man.

He's got a tender heart. He can weep before God. You know what he does today? He's a cake decorator in the bakery. Makes roses. Beautiful roses on wedding cakes. And I was so stunned. And so they said, we're going to have a service tonight.

And would you like to stay? And I was always one to calculate the odds. And I thought, well, at least I can get out of here. Prison is a little more risky. So yeah, sure, I'd love to stay. And so we ended up staying there that night.

And there were testimonies given that evening. And then after the testimonies were over, some ex-cons came to me. And these guys, they had bad records. This was not a, you know, I shoplifted a yo-yo and I'm now on parole.

These were bad people. But so was I. I just didn't know it at the time. And I remember they gathered around me, a few of them, and said, are you filled with the Holy Ghost? And I remember thinking, well, you need that.

I don't. I didn't say that, but I thought it. I mean, you guys, yeah. But there's this argument going on in my mind. You phony. You've been crying out to God for power. And you're looking at men who have what you've been longing for.

But it's such a battle in the mind because these are guys I put in jail, but now they've got what I'm supposed to be looking for. And you can understand the battle I was fighting. And I'm standing there in uniform.

And they said, we'd like to pray for you. And at first I resisted it. And then after a while, I thought, oh, what harm could it do? And then I prayed, oh, God, protect me. If there's anything evil going on in this room, don't let it touch me.

And then so I stood there and I said, well, how do you do this? And they said, well, we're going to put our hands on you. We're going to pray for you. Now, you have to understand, there's an ex-Hell's Angel.

There's all these guys that have been out in maximum security prison. And they're gathering around me to pray for me. I'm in uniform. A guy stood behind me. I turned around and said, don't stand behind me.

I don't like people standing behind me. He said, I may need to stand behind you. I said, no, you don't. You don't need to stand behind me. Stand where I can see you. And so I just closed my eyes and raised my hands and they began to pray.

And folks, I don't know how to explain what happened next. The only thing I can tell you, it was a hardwood floor and I didn't feel a thing. I was speaking in other tongues. I had goosebumps from head to toe.

I can't explain to you. I got up. I went home. All the way home. I said, okay, this must be just an emotional experience. And I'd open my mouth and I would come to this river one more time. Speaking in a language I'd never learned.

And I'm not trying to make this up. And I got home and we were from a Baptist church. You have to understand. And those that might be Baptists this morning, you know what I'm talking about. I walked in the door.

It's almost midnight. I swung the kitchen door open and I said to Teresa, hey, listen to this. I began to speak in other tongues. Pray and I'm just lost in God. She tells me after. She was sitting there.

My husband has lost his mind. He's snapped. I went upstairs and changed. It was a clear night. The moon was out. I remember it. I went through the field of my farm, leaping and dancing in the air. Shouting for joy.

Singing amazing grace. Speaking in tongues. I was absolutely caught by the spirit of God. And folks, from that moment onward, I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop speaking the name of Jesus. I couldn't stop.

The Wonderful Works of God

It happened suddenly. And it says in verse 11 of Acts 2, Cretans and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Now, the wonderful works is the Megalios. And I've shared this with you many times.

It means the anticipated outworking of the inward life of Christ. Things which God had done and things which God is going to do. And I began to be spoken to by the Holy Spirit. The word of God came alive.

Scripture jumped off the page. The Lord began to tell me he was going to use my life for his glory. I'd be traveling in many places throughout the world. I had no idea how any of this was going to happen.

I had no speaking ability. I had no giftings that anybody would look at and say, Well, that guy would make a great preacher or evangelist or whatever. I just had a heart that said, God, you've got it all.

And if I die serving you, I die serving you. That's why, folks, I've never backed up. From that day, I've never backed away from any place that God sends me. No matter what kind of conflict is going on in a certain part of the world, I've never backed away and never been afraid by the grace of God.

I've stood on a platform and preached to Muslims in Macedonia. A radical Muslim town. And preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. There's never been any trepidation in my heart. God has given an ability that can only come from him.

I became aware that I was drawn into the power of a life that was other than my own. And chapter 2 verse 43 tells us,. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

There's a reverence for God. Your life and mine should bring a reverence for God. I was preaching in a Muslim town because we built a bridge for them. And something happened to those men. At first, it was just a tolerance.

At first was, well, we'll just endure this guy because his church built us a bridge. But that soon changed. And you could see the reverence for God. As I stood before them and said, I want to ask you a question.

Where do I get the power to say I love you? Where do I get the power to come here from New York City? How do we get the power to build a bridge for you to get to your fields? After this war has been over.

Where does that power come from? Why do people care? Why has Times Square Church sent workers over here? Why have we spent the earnings that God has given to us to do this for you? Where does the power come from?

And I began to speak about another bridge that God built when he became a man. And came to this world and helped us to get from where we are over to the other side. And I began to share. That's why we do these things.

And an awe and a reverence for God. For God. For Jehovah God. For Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Began to come into the hearts of these men. And I saw tears everywhere. Unashamedly, there was a weeping broke out all over the audience.

And men began to weep. There were no women there because they're not allowed out of the house. But men who were there began to weep openly. And that night, in the center of that town of 8 ,000. The Jesus movie was shown on the side of a building.

And 28 people. Now folks, you have to understand. How incredibly. What a miracle it is for 28 people. In a Muslim community to step forward. And say I'm giving my life to Jesus Christ from this day forward.

Compassion, Fellowship, and the Mission of the Church

A reverence for God. And supernatural ability. When you and I move into the power of the Holy Ghost. Or we allow the power of the Holy Ghost to move into us. Some of the deepest and darkest people that you have to work with and live around.

They may not agree with you. They may never show it. Initially. But there would be a reverence for God. As they see you and I led in a life that is not possible humanly speaking. And they see us speaking words that they themselves don't have the power to speak.

Doing good. When all they could do and think was evil. And they look and they see this reverence for God. They see the supernatural ability. They understand that God has begun something which only he could initiate.

And only he could finish. Acts 2 .44 and 45 says. All that believed were together and had all things common. They sold their possessions and goods. Imparted them to all men as every man had need. The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings into our hearts a compassion.

That causes us to look away from ourselves and to the need of others. That's what it's all about. This selfish centered theology of much of our country today is an anti-Christ doctrine. It's against the name of Jesus Christ.

It's against everything that God has called his church to be. It's time for the church to wake up in our generation. It's time for people in America to say enough deception. Enough leading us away from Christ.

When we see what the Word of God says. It's a compassion that says God not me first, others first. Not my needs first, the needs of others first. If I have to give up what I have that someone else may find comfort in God.