Theme: Accelerate

Text: Acts 2:1-12

Thesis: Unless we know our identity, we will have a hard time Advancing GOD’s Kingdom, especially in
our generation.

Background: Bag-o ra nikayab si Jesus 40 days after his resurrection. The apostles have to wait for “the
PROMISE of the Father…” (Acts 1:4). They were still in shock about the resurrection. Jesus gave them the
promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in chapter 1:8 before ascending to the heavens.

Intro: It’s been a year since what was once known as “Normal” took an unknown road towards
lockdown due to the CoViD pandemic. We’ve undergone so much change, that we were not used to
what we were used to before. Spiritually, we have been bombarded with things that the worldly system
tries to shove down our throat since the start of the 2010s. LGBTQIA+ people are having a field day.
People who were once “afraid to show the world who they are” are out shouting their ‘chosen’ sexuality
in the open. Being “woke” is in. We are having trouble distinguishing what’s real from fake. We are
being duped into being confused in choosing what’s right from wrong. In short, the worldly system is
giving us so many things to “consider” that we are having an IDENTITY CRISIS.

What is the relationship between Identity Crisis and having to Accelerate?

We will be talking about three things about the Passage that relates to our THEME.

I. The Transition Stage

Remember that Jesus just went up to heaven. What’s next? The disciples were
transitioning from being normal people to being Kingdom Citizens. Jesus gave them an
order to WAIT IN JERUSALEM. The waiting period is a good, ten days. Imagine having to
wait for the Promise of what seems to be an unknown identity while your master is
away. Take note: they were afraid that the people would hand them over the Sanhedrin.
Imagine the fear. The stress. The feeling of having to ask “When?” and “What’s gonna
happen to us?”

Question: Do you find yourself in the same situation? Do you see yourself waiting on what is next? Is
everything around you seem to look so bleak?
 II. The “Moving On” Stage

The Disciples were gathered in the upper room. They were waiting and praying. They were
in the stage of Transition. Suddenly, the Promised Holy Spirit came ON and IN to them. It
was time to move on. They became a NEW PEOPLE with NEW MINDS, NEW HEARTS, and
NEW SOULS. They had a change of Identity. They had moved on from a life of being “just a”
citizen of Jerusalem, of Nazareth, or wherever they came from in to becoming a citizen of a
city “whose maker and builder was GOD” (Hebrews 11:10).

Question: Have you changed your citizenship? Have you moved on already?

III. The “Moving Forward”/Accelerating Stage

This is the most exciting part. They were already baptized with the Holy Spirit in verse 4. But
before they set out and declare the great works of GOD, we have to notice something: in
verse 3, it says that the Holy Spirit rested on EACH ONE OF THEM. The Tongues of Fire was
DISTRIBUTED TO EACH ONE OF THEM.

So, what about it? This tells us that NO BELIEVER CAN SAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ONLY
FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE FRONTLINE MINISTRY, ETC.!

Conclusion:

This is where Identity comes in to blend with Acceleration: The believers knew that their
identities were in Christ. The 120 believers were individually unique, and was used by GOD to declare his
goodness and do wonderful things in His name! They were not copying a Specific person in the Upper
Room.

Young People of the Eastern Cebu Section, Don’t try to copy your Pastor, your Youth Pastor, or
anyone else. Be you! GOD will use YOU and empower YOU through the Holy Spirit as you find your
Identity in His Son!
The Problem with us today is that we are trying to identify ourselves with someone from
YouTube, from TikTok, or whoever that is social-media-famous AND DESPISE ANYONE THAT WOULD
NOT FOLLOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. Most of the time, we burden ourselves with copying the life of
others when, in fact, GOD will use us AS WE ARE. Whatever abilities you have, whatever skills you
possess, use it in ACCELERATING GOD’S KINGDOM.

Remember this: If you would keep on Introspecting, you will never move forward. You can never
move freely to where GOD would lead you and do what GOD would want you to do if YOU WILL NOT
MOVE ON FROM THE TRANSITION. This is the literal meaning of Repentance: A change of mind; a
change of identity; a change of lifestyle. EASTERN CEBU SECTION, LET US REPENT! LET US GO BACK AND
GROW IN THE LORD. LET HIM USE YOU AS YOU ARE. DO NOT COPY ANYONE BUT JESUS CHRIST!