Sunday 05/23/21 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Pentecost 2.0!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
New Testament Scripture: Acts 2:1-21
Gospel Lesson: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
On this day almost two-thousand years
ago something incredible and amazing happened. On this day, the day of
Pentecost, the Christian Church was born, and all of us here today, are part of
that great legacy of faith in Jesus Christ.
Pentecost Sunday can be a little
confusing for some people, because some might ask, “how can this be the
birthday of the Christian Church, if Pentecost Sunday happens after the
resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus Christ?” Specifically, “Were not the
disciples and the early Christian Converts part of the Christian Church up
until this point?” The answer is, is that the disciples and the early converts to
Christianity had faith in Christ, but until this day, Jesus was teaching, preaching,
loving, healing, and forgiving. The three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry was
the foundation that would become the Christian Church. You see, until last
Sunday on Ascension Sunday, Jesus was still appearing among his disciples and
many after his resurrection from the dead, on Easter Sunday.
During Jesus’s three-year ministry on
earth, his crucifixion, his resurrection, his post-resurrection appearances,
and his ascension, everything that would become the Christian Church was still
being created. Essentially, while the disciples and others were doing some
ministry, Jesus was there. Since Jesus was there, he was church, and there was
no reason to construct a bible or church buildings. This is because they had
Jesus. The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were not written while
Jesus was still here on earth, as his life, death, resurrection, post-resurrection
appearances, and his Ascension had not all happened yet. Last Sunday though, we
celebrated Ascension Sunday. Jesus tells his disciples to remain in Jerusalem,
and that the “Advocate” or the Holy Spirit will soon come and fill them. When
the “Advocate” or the Holy Spirit comes to fill them, then they will be ready,
truly ready to begin the church. Even though Jesus will not physically be
there, he is and will always be the head of the Christian Church.
So again, all throughout Jesus’ three-year
earthly ministry people are becoming followers of his, the disciples follow
him, and many will come to believe. Yet, there is not an official Christian Church,
as Jesus was still there. The reason then that Pentecost is considered the
birthday of the Christian Church, is because on this day, the “Advocate” or the
Holy Spirit finally shows up in full measure. The Holy Spirit is all throughout
the Bible, and various people are filled or touched by the Spirit of God. When
Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection, he breathes the Holy
Spirit on them. Many of us feel and or have felt God’s presence, as we
gradually grow closer to him and become more like him, but today is powerful outpouring
of the Holy Spirit. Today the Holy Spirit pours out so greatly that is results
in the creation of the Christian Church.
Jesus has ascended, he has asked his
disciples to wait for the “Advocate” or the “Holy Spirit,” and this morning,
the Holy Spirit shows up. Today and beyond, the disciples go forth preaching,
loving, healing, forgiving, and bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ. The
disciples are now entrusted with the ministry of the church, and they go forth
preaching, teaching, loving, healing, and forgiving, exactly the way that Jesus
taught them to do.
In fact, the Book of Jude says in 1:3:
“3 Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jd. 1:3, NRSV).
The
disciples, the first saints, go forth this day and to preach the gospel and to live
the gospel that Jesus taught them all to preach and to live.
Nearly two-thousand years later, this
church, and thousands of churches the world over are the legacy, the continued
chain of faith in Jesus Christ. We are part of that legacy, part of that line
of heroes, as we all stand on the shoulders of giants.
Over the centuries, it became the
tradition of many churches on Pentecost Sunday to have Red adorning the church,
and in more recent years, us wearing red, as to symbolize the fire of the Holy
Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ.
In our reading from Psalm 104 for this
morning, once again, it says in 104:30:
“30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground” (Ps. 104:30, NRSV).
In this verse, the Psalmist is saying that where the Spirit
of God is, there is life. When God sends forth His Spirit, life is created, and
all life come from God. God’s Spirit creates, and renews, which is exactly what
happens on Pentecost this day.
So, let us look once again at our Book of Acts reading for
this morning that tells us the story of the powerful movement of the Holy Spirit,
on this the day of Pentecost. Once again, our reading from Acts 2 for this
morning says:
“2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they
were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like
the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were
sitting. 3 Divided
tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the
Spirit gave them ability” (Acts 2:1-4, NRSV).
So,
the disciples are in that Upper Room. This could have been the same Upper Room
that Jesus had the Last Supper in. In this Upper Room on the day of Pentecost,
the “Advocate” or the Holy Spirit of God shows up in a might way, just as Jesus
said He would. When the Holy Spirit shows up, it sounds like a rush of violent
wind. I can imagine windows flying open, and then on each disciple are tongues,
as of fire. This fire is resting upon each disciple, and they speak in tongues.
Below
this Upper Room, where the Holy Fire or the Holy Spirit of God blows through with
tongues of fire, and the disciples speak in tongues, stand thousands of people
watching and listening. These people, in Jerusalem, are there from all over the
Roman Empire and from all over the known world for the holiday of Pentecost, or
“known
as the "Feast of Weeks" and the "Feast of 50 days" in rabbinic tradition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost).
Believers of all
different races, ethnicities, countries, and languages have assembled in the
Holy City of Zion, or Jerusalem. The disciples, and probably Jesus’ mother,
Mary Magdalene, and maybe others, are in Jerusalem, as they are Jews by birth
and culture. Jesus told them to stay put in Jerusalem until the “Advocate” or
the Holy Spirit shows up, and this morning, this is exactly what happened.
Some
of us have had neighbors or people nearby where we were or are staying that
have been loud. Sometimes I have known people that have even had to call the police
because of the noise. Amidst all that was going on in Jerusalem this morning,
the disciples were loud enough that many people below the Upper Room heard
them. Since the Holy Spirit spoke through them in different tongues, the listeners
below heard about the glory and the greatness of God in all different
languages. Everyone could hear the message in their native language.
In
fact, in reading on in our reading from the Book of Acts for this morning, it
says once again of this holiday or festival of Pentecost:
“5 Now there were devout
Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound
the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in
the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all
these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our
own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and
Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from
Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear
them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed,
saying to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:5-12, NRSV).
As you can see, when the “Advocate” or the Holy Spirit shows
up this morning, many see and hear, and many hear in their own native language.
The listeners below are certainly confused, and in part because the disciples
and potentially others in the Upper Room did not know how to speak all of the various
languages that were spoken. Yet, the Holy Spirit spoke through these people
with these various languages. This definitely then, got everyone’s attention.
Some
though, as the Book of Acts says, accused the disciples of being drunk, as Acts
2:13 says once again:
“13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13, NRSV).
How
could these Galileans, these disciples of Jesus be speaking all of these different
languages? Maybe it was a miracle? Or a trick? Or maybe they were really drunk?
For those that say there is nothing funny in the bible, the next part of our Book
Acts reading for this morning, turns this idea on its head! Picking up in Acts
2:14 it says:
“14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning” (Acts 2:14-15, NRSV).
So, the Apostle Peter addresses the
crowd, below the Upper Room on Pentecost, and then quickly dispels the rumors
that he and disciples are drunk. In fact, Peter says that they cannot be drunk,
as it is only nine o’clock in the morning. It makes me wonder, if the Holy
Spirit showed up at 2:00 pm, or 6:00 pm, would Peter say, “You know this a
prime drinking time friends, but we are not drunk”. I often think of the various
places in America that still have blue laws. In fact, in the research that I
have done, alcohol can only be sold on Sundays in Delaware County between the
hours of 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
This
is kind of funny to me. What message are we sending the general public? Are we
saying, “Go to church, worship the Lord, then get drunk after?” I sure hope not!
Further, maybe this Pentecost Sunday Book Acts scripture is part of the reason why
people cannot buy alcohol before 12:00 pm. On Sunday. I could see someone
saying many years ago here in Delaware County, “Well the Apostle Peter said in Acts
2 that no one is drunk at nine O’clock in the morning, and the church does not
let out until about 11:15 am-11:30 am. Also, people need to have time to get
lunch at the Track Side Diner. So, let us just say that they cany buy their
beer at 12:00 pm”. Funny how the world works is it not!
After
Peter finishes explaining to a massive crowd in Jerusalem that he and the
disciples are not drunk, he preaches sermon that blows the doors of the hinges.
This sermon would make Rev. Billy Graham look like amateur. Peter quotes the
prophet Joel, and after our scripture reading for this morning ends, Peter
preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In fact, Peter says in Acts 2:36:
36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with
certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom
you crucified” (Acts 2:36, NRSV).
After this the
Book of Acts then says:
“37 Now
when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the
other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins
may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you,
for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God
calls to him.” 40 And he testified with many other arguments
and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his
message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the
apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:37-42, NRSV).
On this day, the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, the “Advocate”
shows up in a powerful and a mighty way. The disciples start speaking in
tongues, and tongues of fire rest upon them. Then Peter preaches the first sermon
ever preached in the Christian Church. So powerful is his sermon, that about
3,000 people repented, were baptized, accepted Christ, and followed the gospel teachings
of Jesus’ disciples.
On this birthday of the Christian Church, nearly
two-thousand years ago, the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, and now
are fully ready to build the church here on earth. Peter preaches a sermon full
of fire and power. This is a great day in the life of our faith, and today, May
23, 2021, I would argue that we need another Pentecost.
Do not get me wrong, I think we have had many outpourings of
the Holy Spirit throughout the centuries, but if we ever needed a revival, a
renewal of mind, body, and spirit, I believe now is the time! We need revival,
we need “Pentecost 2.0!” We have a culture and a world that is broken, and we
need revival. We need to turn from sin and darkness, turn to Christ, be filled
with the Holy Spirit, and equipped to transform our communities and the world.
Jesus reminded the disciples that the day of Pentecost
would come, once again in our gospel of John reading from this morning. Once
again, Jesus said:
“26 “When
the Advocate
comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who
comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify
because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn. 15:26-27, NRSV).
Jesus then tells the disciples that when he Ascends into
Heaven that he will send the Holy Spirit, or the “Advocate” so that they may be
filled, confident, and ready to build the church of the Lord Jesus Christ here
on earth.
Nearly two-thousand years later, in our Western Culture, in the United States, so many Christian Churches are closing and are in decline. The power of the Christian Church is and has always been the Lord Jesus Christ. We need a revival, we need a “Pentecost 2.0!” and may is start with us! May it start with us here and now. Let us call upon the Holy Spirit to renew us, and to renew the church, for the world needs the lifesaving gospel of Jesus Christ now more than ever. Happy Pentecost, this day of the Holy Fire. Amen.
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