The Power of Pentecost: Power and Purpose of the Holy Ghost

Sunday Sermon Notes

June 8, 2025

Pastor Derk Adams

Acts 2:1-4 (KJV)

“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 of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of 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.”

Introduction: What is Pentecost?

Before we go into the message, we must understand what Pentecost is. Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast celebrated 50 days after Passover. But for the Church, Pentecost is the day when the Holy Ghost was first poured out on believers in the upper room. It was the birth of the Church and the beginning of Holy Ghost power in the lives of God's people. That same power is still available today.

I The Power to Transform Lives

Acts 2:3–4 (KJV)

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire… And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”

The power of Pentecost turns brokenness into boldness, fear into faith, and sin into sanctification. The upper room transformed fishermen into apostles and failures into fire-baptized leaders.

II. The Power to Witness Boldly

Acts 4:31 (KJV)

“And when they had prayed… they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

Jeremiah 20:9 (KJV):“...his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones…”

Matthew 10:20 (KJV):“For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”

The Holy Ghost gives us the courage to speak truth in love and testify with anointing and authority.

III. The Power to Overcome the Enemy

Isaiah 59:19 (KJV)

“...When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”

Romans 8:11 (KJV):“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you…”

1 John 4:4 (KJV)

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

The Pentecostal believer is not a victim but a victor. The same Spirit that raised Jesus lives in you!

IV. The Power to Live Holy

Galatians 5:16 (KJV)

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Titus 2:11-12 (KJV)

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness…”

Romans 8:13-14 (KJV)

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

True holiness comes not by rules, but by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost that convicts, corrects, and empowers.

V. The Power for the Last Days

Joel 2:28 (KJV)

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh…”

2 Timothy 3:5 (KJV)

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Acts 2:17 (KJV)

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh…”

The last days require last-day power. The Spirit was not just for the apostles—it is for us, our children, and all that are afar off.

VI. Stir Up the Gift

2 Timothy 1:6 (KJV)

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God…”

It’s time to stir up what God placed in you. Pentecost is not a denomination—it’s a demonstration of God’s power!

VII. Pentecost is Still the Answer

We have churches filled with sound but lacking fire. People are religious but not righteous. What we need is a return to Pentecost. Not just a one-time event but a lifestyle of fire, power, and Spirit-led living.

The Holy Ghost is still falling. The upper room experience is still available. God is looking for hungry hearts and open vessels. If we are to see revival, it will not be through methods or marketing—it will be through the mighty outpouring of the Holy Ghost!

Let the fire fall again. Let the wind blow again. Let the power of Pentecost shake us once more. The church doesn’t need another program—it needs Pentecost!

Say this Prayer:

"Lord, pour out your Spirit again. Let the fire of Pentecost burn in our souls. Revive our churches, fill our altars, and empower your people to walk in the Spirit, live in holiness, and preach with boldness. Let the gifts of the Spirit be restored. We don’t want just a touch—we want transformation. In Jesus’ name, Amen."