May 4, 2026
You can find the order of worship and songs here.
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This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. It was on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus' disciples with power (Acts 2). Pentecost marks the beginning of the harvest of the nations. Pentecost is a signal event, no less important than Jesus' death and resurrection. Indeed, we may properly say that without Jesus' death and resurrection, there would be no Pentecost. It would be just as proper to say that Jesus died and rose so that there might be Pentecost and the in-gathering of the nations.
How shall we celebrate this monumental event of Pentecost? One way is to look at what happened in Genesis 11:1–9. There proud men gathered and said "let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves…" This building of the Tower of Babel comes right after Noah's Flood. It appears one of the motivations behind building the tower "with its top in the heavens" is survive the next flood judgment. But for them salvation comes from the works of their hands, not by faith and righteousness before the Covenant Lord as was the case with Noah. That is, the Tower of Babel is a salvation-by-works project by men who want to make a name for themselves. However, sharp-eyed readers may notice that Genesis is a book deeply interested in names. Indeed, a long genealogy full of names follow the story of the Tower of Babel. They are the names that God chose to remember. As for those who built the tower to "make a name for ourselves" — their names are not recorded. God does not consider their names worthy of remembrance. And, of course, God scattered them in judgment and confused their language so that they could not understand one another's speech.
But on the day of Pentecost following Jesus' death and resurrection, the Spirit of the risen Redeemer came upon his disciples, and they spoke in tongues. "And they were amazed and astonished, saying "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia … we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." Thus Pentecost reverses the curse of Babel. At Babel the proud men who wanted to make a name for themselves were dispersed in confusion and mutual suspicion. At Pentecost people from every nation were united by faith in Christ and together they became a people who lifted up the great name of the Lord.
Thus we celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, and every Sunday. We gather to tell each other the great things our God has done. We proclaim and hear this good news with glad hearts. We are no longer strangers, guarded and suspicious of one another. In the Lord Jesus we are one. And together we proclaim our Lord's great name.
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Growth Resources
In May we are reading "Good and Angry: Letting Go of Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness" by David Powlison. See also 12 for 26.
This week's Shorter Catechism lesson: Qs. 105–107.
Announcements
May 24: Sunday school lesson on Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, ch. 75, "The Apostles."
May 27 (Wednesday 6 PM): 1 Timothy Zoom Study. Meeting ID: 884 9003 6844. Passcode: 5sUpUi
Thank you for your continued support of Grace Fallbrook (PCA). Your loving support makes the proclamation of the gospel and the building up of the saints possible. Please visit gracefallbrook.church/give and click on "Give Online Now." You will be directed to the PCA Foundation where you can give towards Grace Fallbrook (PCA).
This Week's Prayers
Please email your prayer request by Thursday to include it in the list for the upcoming week — info@gracefallbrook.church