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Welcome to the weekly podcast of River Valley Church. We're glad you're here. Our heart is to lead people to Jesus and launch them into their God given purpose. So we pray you would encounter God in a fresh new way today. To learn more about our church, visit rivervalley.org now let's tune in to this week's message. Welcome to our second Selah service. And if you're wondering what we're gonna cover today, we're gonna cover praise and worship and Pentecost. All right, that's what we're gonna talk about. And then we're gonna go into worship at the end. Today is the weekend Pentecost Sunday that we celebrate the birth of the church, that the church was birthed on this day 2,000 years ago. And we're going back, gonna end with Pentecost. But before we get there, I just wanna say our first Selah service was on prayer. So our first Selah services on prayer and we talked about Selah is a pause. And in that pause, we were gonna pray. We're gonna pray, we're gonna pray during the battle, we're gonna pray after the battle, and we are going to be a church that prays. Okay? And then today in our second one, we're gonna look at again the power of praise and worship, not praying, praise and worship. And then the power that is poured out in Pentecost. And we are a Spirit filled church. And as I said earlier in this service, we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit through for today, the baptism in the Holy Spirit for today, that praying in new tongues is for today. And these gifts of the Spirit are for today. There's a power that is available to us and I love that in the last couple weeks that our SOAP reading, if you're not familiar, we do a thing called soap scripture observation, application, prayer, and we give two chapters every day. I love that we just finished Acts. We just finished the book of Acts. So what we're even reading today and talking about, we were just reading in our devotion time. And I want to point this out. Before there was the power in Acts 2, before there was the wind, before there was the fire, before there was the new tongues that were poured out in Acts chapter 2. On the day of Pentecost, there was a pause, there was a Selah, if you will. It's so interesting to think about this. If ever there was any group of people that was ready to run, the disciples were ready to run. I mean, Peter has been restored, Thomas has seen the nail prints in the Hands of Jesus. He's like, my Lord and my God, like, I'm ready to go for you. And Jesus has got his disciples ready. And as he's kind of ending and he's ready to ascend into heaven, he says, wait, pause. And they're like, I mean, you just think about it, it was like, ready, set, pause. It doesn't make sense, but it does make sense. He said, I want you to pause and I want you to wait. I want you to be ready for what I'm going to pour out. So the first thing about Pentecost is Jesus told them, hurry up and wait. Anybody in the military? Anybody in the military any heard that phrase, we're gonna hurry up and wait? He said, we're gonna hurry up and wait. Jesus has risen from the dead. He's appeared to them, he's commissioned them. And in Acts 1, verse 4, on one occasion while he was eating with them, he gave them this command, do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Why did they have to wait? Why did they have to wait? They had to wait because they needed this power. They needed this power. Jesus is like, I know what I'm sending you to do, and you need this power. And I'm telling you right now, the commission is still the same. And Jesus is looking at us saying, you need this power. You need this power for what I'm calling you to do. Now they're sitting there and they're waiting. And I don't know about you, but I'm not good at waiting. I'm just not good. I don't like to wait. I'm a person of action. I mean, waiting is like. I talked to a guy the other day, he said he did a five day silent retreat and just waited. And I was like, what did you do wrong to have to, you know, go do that? And he's like, no, I loved it. You know, I'm like, go, let's go change the world. So they're waiting. And I looked into, like, how were they waiting? They were not waiting in fear. They were not waiting in frustration. They were not waiting, like in silence. They were actually going and praying and praising God. They were not waiting in protest. They were waiting in a way that was saying, I'm gonna be worshipful in my waiting. I'm gonna be praising in this preparation of waiting for whatever you're sending God. Whatever you said, Jesus, you're gonna pour out. I'm gonna wait in this way. And in Acts 1:14, it says they all joined together constantly in prayer, along with women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. So. So they're waiting and they're in prayer and they're praising God and they're going to the place of worship and they're just like, God, what's next? We're just waiting. Now, when it says that they were joined together constantly in prayer, this meant it was an intense effort. It wasn't like, how many have ever been to a prayer meeting and it's so quiet you almost fall asleep. You know what I'm talking about? And you're kinda like, I was not falling asleep. I was deep in prayer. You know, you're like, you were asleep. All right, it was not that. This type of prayer is an intense effort. The word for waiting means to like, be stretched with expectation. Be stretched with expectation. And sometimes when you're waiting on God, you're complaining and you're fresh. I am. I'm doing that. And now I have a whole new perspective. When I'm waiting on you, God, when I'm waiting for whatever you promised in my life, I am gonna wait with a stretching of expectation. I wanna get to where you want me to be. The second thing is, there was praise before the power, but there was powerful praise after Pentecost. It goes to a whole nother level. Acts chapter 2, verse 1. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. All right, so here they are together and they're praying in a certain way with a waiting and an expectancy of I'm gonna be stretched in this and God you'. But then Pentecost happens and it goes to another level. This is what it says in Acts chapter two. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound. A crowd came together in the bewilderment because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked, aren't these who speaking all Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Skipping down a few verses, it says we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our Own tongues amazed and perplexed. They asked one another, what does this mean? And the Bible tells us that. Some of them said, I think these guys are drunk. Like, I've never seen praise like this before. I've never seen declaration like this before. This is going to another level. And there's something going on with these guys. I think they might be drunk. That's not normal praise. And something has happened since Pentecost. And all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit is the center of Pentecost in this moment. But I'll tell you what, one of the first things that happened is praise that goes to a whole nother level. And some of you are new to a church like ours, or, you know, maybe you're just been around for a while and you're like, man, these guys are energetic. There's something going on here. There's a Pentecostal praise. There's a power that's here. There's a lean in that says, I'm not gonna be silent anymore. I remember the first time, and I was raised in a more traditional denomination. I remember the first time we ever came to a church like this. And I saw people raising their hands. I was like, wow, what is that? Do they all have questions? I don't know, what are they doing? You know, and just happened to be where I was seated. The guy behind me was like, really, like, praising God like this. And he kept hitting me on the head. And I was like, what did I do wrong? You know, like. And they're just singing and they're jumping and they're. I was like, I was not used to that. I was used to more like just try to not get in trouble, try to not create a scene. As a child, I was 11 when I went to this church for the first time. You know, like, that was spirit filled. And I. So I grew up like, sh. Quiet, God's here. And then I went to like, wow, what's going on? I tell you what, that's a Pentecostal praise. That's a Pentecostal praise. And I thank God that our church has this joy, this, this exuberance, this praise God. One of the words that's used for praise is the word halal, which is where we get hallelujah from, which really just means praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. We're gonna praise the Lord. And there's an exuberance there. And more than singing songs, this word carries with it the idea of celebrating, boasting and making something visible. I like that. I like that. Our praise and worship Time as a spirit. It's like boasting in our God, celebrating our God and making it visible that we love him and his power and is at work today. It's powerful. The birth of the church at Pentecost went from a silent church to a powerful church. And when Jesus said, you'll receive power after the Holy Spirit comes on you and he falls upon you, the word is Dunamis. Which where we get our dynamite from. That's the word, dynamite, Dunamis. He said, you're gonna get power after the Holy Spirit comes on you, and there's gonna be a dynamite power, a Dunamis power to you. And I think about this, if we don't watch it, we can do church. Like a firework that never lights. How many have ever done that? You ever like, everybody get ready. We got this one. We got this one. And you light it and then. And then you're too afraid to touch it. And then you think you're gonna go. And then somebody's don't touch it. Then you're like, ah, it's a dud. It's a dud. I don't want a church that's a dud. I don't want a church. I want a church that's Dunamis. I want a church that's filled with power and says, God still moves, God still saves, God still heals, God still does the miraculous. That's the type of church I want. After Pentecost, they're so bold and they can't keep quiet. I mean, even under threat of being beaten and imprisoned in Acts 4 and Acts 5, they're like, can't be quiet. They're like, no, you need to be quiet. You cannot preach this. You need to be quiet. Go back to having a religion that's quiet and be quiet. And Peter and John, no, we can't. We can't. We're not gonna be quiet. And that's the type of church we need today. One that says, I'm not gonna be quiet. But yet so many of us are so content to be like, I'll be quiet. I think about when we were raising our two sons, Connor and Logan. Connor's the oldest, Logan is younger. And parents, some of you're gonna identify with this. They're just talking away. And mom and dad need a little peace and quiet in the car. How many know what I'm talking about? You go, hey, we're playing the quiet game. We're playing the quiet game. And so we do that. We say, all right, ready on the count of three, we're going to do the quiet game. All right? Ready? One, two, three. No sooner will we get to three. This is what Logan would do every time. He'd go, I'm out. And we're like, that's not the quiet game. He goes, it's for me. I'm not keeping quiet. I'm not. I'm talking. You can't make me quiet. Like, let's try it again. Three, two, one. I'm out. I was like, no, it's not the way it works. Connor, on the other hand, he would be quiet the whole night. He'd be like, I won. Two hours silent. Like, we're. Like, it was over. Like, Logan lost. It was just between the two of you. Mom and dad weren't playing, you know, like, oh, we need to be like, logan, I'm out. You want me to be. I'm out. I'm gonna. I'm gonna speak up. I'm gonna say what. I'm gonna be bold because I'm living in the power of Pentecost. What looks strange was actually something that was promised by God and was being fulfilled. Peter references it in Joel, chapter 2, and he says it in Acts 2, verse 14. He says, Then Peter stood up with the 11, 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 what I say. These people are not drunk as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning. No. This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel 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. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days. And they will prophesy. They were filled and they spoke in new tongues. They got a power here that was not in them before. And I want you to know, this is a distinct moment. The disciples were already saved. They were already water baptized. And Jesus says, wait for this outpouring. It's a promise of the Father. And I, Jesus, will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. And so it was a distinct moment, and they were filled and they spoke. And. Could I just speak to some people right here? Some of you get to this moment in praying for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. You feel the feeling. You feel this filling on you, and you just feel the power of the Holy Spirit. And some people even start to shake, tremble, cry. And you can feel that. But Then when it comes to the speaking, you're like, how does this work? How does supernatural and natural. And I think I hear a word, but it does. I don't know what it means. I don't know. I don't want to look strange. I'm just telling you, you're flowing. You need to flow in the spirit. And some people say, well, well, maybe you have some blockage that's keeping it from you. You have some sin thing or something that's blocking you. Like, it's between you and God right here. And he's. No, there's nothing in the Bible that says there's some blockage right there. Nothing. You know where the blockage is? It's right here. It's right here. Spirit's being poured out. You're filled just like they were. They were filled. And then they spoke in this new tongue. And I wanna encourage you, some of you that have been to that spot, you're like, I feel this feeling. I feel it, I feel it. But I've never spoken in tongues. I want you to have that breakthrough this weekend. I want you to have that breakthrough. You think, is this normal? One in four Christians in the world right now is a spirit filled Christian. One in four. And it's growing. It's the fastest growing arm of the church. Pentecost, Spirit filled is the fastest growing arm of the church right now around the world. Why? Because right now the church needs to be filled with. With love, and he needs to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. There was a. There was a power that was there. All right, last one. And then we're gonna go back into worship band. You can come on out and get ready. Pentecost is the power for your assignment. It's the power for your assignment. It's not just an experience and it's not a merit badge. Some of you are like, well, I just won't pursue that badge. I'll let other people get that badge. I don't know. Like, when I was in Cub Scouts, I was just an achiever. I was like, if there's a badge, I wanted to win it, you know, I was like, oh, there's a badge for that. I'll light the fire. Oh, there's a badge for that. I'll sew a dress. That's dumb, but I'll do it. I want the badge, you know, Like, I just wanted the badge. And I wanted, like, all the things on my shirt and I wanted as many arrows down there. I wanted to have to leave my shirt untucked. Not because I had a belly, but. But because I wanted to, like, you know, have arrows like, I achieved. And so they're like, that's not me. I'll opt out on this one. You don't opt out on this one. This is not an experience or a merit badge. This is something you need for your assignment. If they need it, we need it. Today they were filled with the Spirit. They spoke in new tongues, and they moved in power. This power today gives you boldness. This power gives you boldness. I was just with John Maxwell last weekend, and he said, you know what gave me the greatest boldness in my life? Being filled with the Spirit. He said, I wanted to be filled in the Spirit. And he said, I got away and I got filled. And there was a boldness that came on me to share my faith. He goes, I'm so saddened for church people that don't want to be bold. They need this. They need to be bold. This gives you supernatural gifts found in First Corinthians 12. These gifts are for building the church today. That's what they're used for. There have been prophecies over this church. There have been words of knowledge, words of wisdom. There's been the gift of faith to even get this property where our Apple Valley campus is at. Gift of faith was that these are gifts of the Spirit. They build his church. The Bible says when you're baptized in the Holy Spirit, it builds you up in your inner man. First Corinthians 14. 4. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. But there's something about praying in this new prayer language that edifies yourself, and it builds you up. Whenever I'm feeling any darkness, I pray in tongues. Whenever I'm discouraged, I pray in tongues. Whenever I'm underneath something, I just feel I'm on the underneath side of it. I. I pray in tongues. If ever my mind starts to go in the spiral of doubt and confusion and spiritual, I just start praying in tongues. And I'm telling you what it says. You edify yourself. There's something that's supernaturally happening, and some of you need this breakthrough in your life. It takes your praise to another level, and it's not just hands raised, but it takes your praise to another level. It gives you the power to bring in the harvest. Jesus said, you're gonna need this power to bring these people in. When I look around our state, I'm like, God, we need a powerful church because there's an Uprising against the church. There's an evil behind it. And you're like, I wanna be a powerful church full of the Holy Spirit, to bring in the harvest, to have these words that will be the right thing in the right time. This is why we preach, teach and live. The power of Pentecost is for today. We don't want to have a church that is silent. We want to have a church that is powerful. I want us to go from prayer to praise to the power of Pentecost and thank God for Pentecost and the outpouring of the gifts for today and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit today. And as we go back into a time of praise and worship, as we go back into it, we're gonna have some praise and worship. We might interrupt it with a prayer time directive, but we're gonna go back to, this is a Selah service, so it's a little different. But I want to give a couple thoughts as we go into this. For some of you, there's gonna be a breakthrough in your life just by raising your hands in worship. I'm just telling you, some of you just been worshiping like this and you see people raising their hand, you're like, wonder what would happen if I did that? Some of you are gonna have a breakthrough today. Today's the day. Let's do it this weekend. Let's have that breakthrough where you actually raise your hands. What are you doing? You're saying, I surrender, but you're also saying, I wanna be close to you. Like a child would say to their parent, pick me up. So there's a closeness when we raise our hand. It's biblical in the Bible where they say we should lift up holy hands. It's more biblical to lift your hands up than to keep your hands hanging down. Some of you need to be more vocal in praise. Some of you need a refilling. You say, I had that. I did it at the Holy Spirit retreat and I prayed in tongues that weekend, but just kind of left it there. Don't leave it there. It's for every day, every day of your life. Somebody say, I left it at camp. Don't leave it at camp. Camp was just a place that you discovered this. But don't leave it there. You. It should be in your everyday life. Some will pray today in a prayer language, first time ever. And at the end, there'll be prayer teams up here that'll pray for you. They will lay hands on you and pray for you to receive this prayer language. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. It's a beautiful thing. Some of you say, can I get more effort? Okay, there's Holy Spirit retreat. But I don't want that to be an excuse. I want that to be something you're. You're hungry for that, you'd say, I'll go to the Holy. I gotta find out more about this. I got thoughts and questions. Others of you like, I'm ready. I'm ready. Today's the day. I'm ready to go. These gifts are gift. Some of you are going to get new gifts today. Some of you are going to get new gifts because you're saying, I need this gift. God's like, I need you to have this gift. I need to have this gift so you can build his church. This is for today. It's for today. That's what we're celebrating. The birth of the church in the power of. Of Pentecost. Can we stand all across this place and let's get ready to worship and let's lean in to what the Holy Spirit is doing. Let's lean in to being a church that is filled with power. Filled with power, ready to make a difference in this world. Lord, I just pray right now that we would be a church leaning into the power of Pentecost. We thank you for the water baptisms that happened because that happened on Pentecost 3000. We're water baptized. But God, we thank you for people being baptized in the Holy Spirit because that happened as well. Thousands. And so, God, we're praying that we would see baptisms in the Holy Spirit. God, we're praying for the boldness that came upon the early church in the Book of Acts. That we'd be bold. That we would be bold as a lion. We would stop being timid and there'd be an infilling. God, I pray for refilling. I pray for new baptism in the Holy Spirit and I pray for new gifts in Jesus name. Build your church. Build your church on the day that you birth the church. We now say, build your church in the power of Pentecost. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.