Pentecost - how to approach the topic

[31deut8]

I'm giving a FIVE minutes speech to several hundred high school and college students this month and was given the topic of "Pentecost." My audience is almost completely non-Christian. I plan to reference Acts 2. Any suggestions as to where I should go with this?

 

[SalvationAtYourFingertips]

Japan is a country that cares a lot about spirituality, but all they are given is terrible spirituality. This speech is a chance at something infinitely better than whatever they have been given. They want spirituality, goooood spirituality. You got this.

 

[mrdgbm]

I would concentrate on Peter's message to the people. They were almost completely non-christian also.

 

[repelsteeltjie]

you didnt mentioned the date that you are supposed to give this talk

 

[parsley]

Start with the premise of where you think they are. Lead them thoughtfully from where they are, toward your objective.

You would assume skepticism, criticism of the Bible as a literal document, questions on the supernatural (people are fascinated with the unusual).

People often respect cultural history, so it could be interesting to build from what the Jews saw as Pentecost, toward what happened that day. Then you are not confronting them with a choice to believe you or not, but presenting an historical flow that has a fascinating ending.

Also, you could present the history of the disciples transitioning from following Jesus, to taking charge of Christianity's continuity. (But the point of the story is God doing that work, for the believers.)

It will be interesting, that's for sure! Ask a handful of church friends to pray, and maybe even fast, for the quiet work that might be done in people's hearts through your leap of faith.

 

[peterlindner]

When they got the "gift" and asked Peter what they should do; how come he told them to repent? Ehud was a benjamite with a false gift also. What is Benjamin's end time prophecy? Penta...50 days after what? Sign of the gift is a cloven (serpent) tongue? Sound of rushing water (confusion)? Why are the hands of blessing crossed (younger before elder)? Paul had this gift and tried to get rid of it.

This is the blind leading the blind.