PENTECOST BEGAN THE CHURCH AGE

PETER WAS TO VERIFY WHO WAS TO BE PART OF THE CHURCH

Matthew 16:15-19 - "He (Jesus) saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona (son of Jonah):  for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father Who is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Πέτρος - Pétros - a proper masculine noun - "a small stone"), and upon this rock - πέτρα - pétra - a feminine noun - "a huge stone" - (the foundation of the church is Christ - Lk. 6:48; 1 Cor. 3:10-11) I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:  and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:  and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

PETER WAS WITNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT FALLING UPON

THE JEWS, THE SAMARITANS, AND THE GENTILES

Acts 1:8 - "...ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea (to the Jews - Acts 2:4, 38-41), and in Samaria (to the Samaritans - Acts 8:14-17), and unto the uttermost part of the earth (to the Gentiles - Acts 10:44)."

RECOGNIZING THE CHURCH IN THE FEAST OF PENTECOST

THE CHURCH IS MADE OF TWO LEAVENED LOAVES

Acts 2:1-4, 47 - "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 the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Leviticus 23:15-18 - "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete:  even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days (Pentecost); and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked WITH LEAVEN; they are the first fruits unto the LORD."

[Note:  Leaven in the Bible represents sin, and as such, the use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all other offerings made to the Lord by fire (Lev. 2:11; 7:12; 8:2; Num. 6:15; Matt. 16:6, 11; Mark 8:15; 1 Cor. 5:7, 8).  In the one use of leaven where it seems to be a good thing, note that it is in a list of Satan's attempt to stop the growth of the true church, and the infiltration of the visible church (the parables of the Church Age found in Matt. 13).  The "two loaves" represent the church being comprised of Jews and Gentiles; both are imperfect, in that they still sin (Rom. 7:15-25; 1 Jn. 1:8-10; etc.).  Believers will not be sinless until we are changed at death, or by the Rapture of the Church, as it only occurs when we see Jesus face-to-face (1 Jn. 3:2)].

THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE;

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTED SON OF GOD?