We all feel the reality of the rapid passage of time.
We rarely feel as though we have enough time for all that we want and need to do. Routine sinks in and the days roll by, and by the time we catch our breath, weeks, a month, or even years have flown by.
Yet for Christians, the passage of time must be redeemed to cause us to remember the works of God and fix our gaze on his purposes. Holidays like Christmas and Easter call us to remember the birth and resurrection of Christ, shaping our spiritual growth and formation. When we gather on these special occasions with family, friends, and fellow church members to remember these climactic moments in redemptive history, we are built up in the faith, and our priorities are realigned with what is truly most important. Beyond the temporal pleasures of presents and feasts, we experience spiritual renewal through these times of celebration.
Is it possible, however, that our failure to remember another significant date on the Christian calendar has prevented even greater joy, peace, and spiritual benefit?
The birth and resurrection of Christ, after all, were not isolated historic events but part of the greater work of redemption planned by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and applied by the Spirit. After Christ’s perfectly obedient life and his atoning death, he ascended to the right hand of the Father and continues his ministry through his continual and perpetual intercession (Hebrews 7:25). Not only that, but after ascending to glory to rule and reign, in order to equip his people to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, he poured out the Holy Spirit upon them—on a day we call Pentecost.
Pentecost: A Neglected Date?
For two millennia, the church has sought to obey the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Men and women have given their lives to preach the gospel, plant churches, and disciple believers in the truth. The church has endured persecution, suffering, destitution, and innumerable other difficulties in order that the name of Christ might be praised in every corner of the earth. Yet none of these efforts would have happened if not for the presence and power of Holy Spirit who empowers believers for ministry and gives success to his word as it goes forth.
What Is Pentecost?
Pentecost was never meant to forever commemorate the mere reception of the law on tablets of stone. From the beginning, when God commanded Adam to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 2:28), and when he promised Abraham that “in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18), he knew that he had planned to pour out his Spirit at Pentecost. In Joel 2, God promises:
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” (vv. 28-29)
This promise was fulfilled in Acts 2, when the Spirit that was promised in Joel 2 was poured out to equip the believers to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. And Pentecost, unlike other biblical dates, is an event which uniquely reverberates in the lives of believers today.
Why We Still Need to Remember
It must not be lost on us that, though Jesus gave clear commands to his disciples to take the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20), he also told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promised Spirit (Luke 24:49). If Jesus’ disciples lacked the Spirit, their efforts—if they had made any at all—would have been in vain.
If even the apostles—who were with Christ during his earthly ministry, were discipled by him, and were eyewitness to his life and ministry—depended entirely on the Holy Spirit to prosper their work, how much more ought we to appeal to that same Spirit to attend and bless our labors, that Christ’s name would be magnified? If our efforts are not empowered by that same Spirit poured out once and for all on Pentecost for the blessing of his church, our efforts would fail.
The presence of Pentecost on the Christian calendar, while not itself conveying special spiritual power, reminds us each year of our great dependence on the Spirit—a reality that should both humble and embolden us. God has promised that his Word will be effective, and his gospel will change hearts as the Spirit who was given at Pentecost raises those who are spiritually dead to new life through gospel proclamation (Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 Peter 1:23). With the Holy Spirit, we can trust that each evangelistic outing or conversation is not in vain. He may not work in the way we desire or expect, but we can leave the fruit to his perfect wisdom in his perfect time. We may go forth confidently resting on his wisdom, knowing that he is indeed with us always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Furthermore, Pentecost also summons us to send.
A Time to Send
Knowing that we rely fully on this Spirit to bring fruit to our ministry should strip us of self-confidence and lead us to appeal boldly to the Lord to send forth Spirit-empowered laborers into his harvest (Matther 9:38) so that he may draw people from all tribes, nations, and tongues to himself. The church in Acts 13:1-3 did this very thing—they patiently waited upon the Holy Spirit as he set apart qualified, called individuals from within their church to go as gospel laborers to the greater world. And out of this calling was birthed the first missionary movement in history.
Is your church doing what the church in Acts 13 did—discerning those potentially called to be missionaries and helping them take steps of obedience to the call? Are you examining your own congregation to see who might be called to this task? Are you passionately praying for more laborers to enter the harvest field—even knowing that you might be a direct answer to that prayer?
Send Sunday, happening this Pentecost, June 8, 2025, is an opportunity to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the church for the purpose of equipping and sending out workers to carry the gospel message.
We are excited to invite you to join us, and we’ve made it simple with customizable tools for your worship service, bulletin inserts, video resources, prayer guides, and more—all for free.
You can choose how to engage:
- Use the resources independently, with no commitments.
- Invite an ABWE representative to preach on missions or present a global ministry update—at no cost to your church.
- Use your Send Sunday to promote a one-day mission conference the following Saturday at your church to help your congregants begin to live on mission.
- Download our NEW sermon preparation guide.
Whether you plan to host Send Sunday on Pentecost Sunday (June 8) or another day, this is a great opportunity to lead your church in making a tangible impact for the kingdom. We gladly invite your church to join us in asking the Spirit to send more workers into the harvest.
