Sunday 06/05/22 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “When God Moves!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
New Testament Scripture: Acts 2:1-21
Gospel Lesson: John 14:8-17, 25-27
On Easter Sunday we celebrated the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. After being entombed on Good Friday, Jesus was physically raised
to new life on Easter. Jesus then appeared to his disciples and hundreds of
other people until he ascended into heaven. Jesus tried to encourage and
instruct his disciples to grow in their faith, and to prepare them to go forth
as leaders in the church.
In the weeks since Easter Sunday, we
heard the story of “Doubting Thomas,” we heard the story of Jesus asking the
Apostle Peter three times if he loves him. We heard of different times where
Jesus greeted the disciples with peace, and how Jesus continued to move the
disciples toward launching the church. Last Sunday, we celebrated Jesus ascending
to heaven, and before he ascended Jesus told his disciples that the Advocate or
the Holy Spirit would come soon. When the Holy Spirit or the Advocate comes,
the Holy Spirit will further show the disciples the truth. The Holy Spirit or
the Advocate will instruct, affirm and strengthen the faith of the disciples.
When though, will the Advocate or the
Holy Spirit show up to fill and strengthen the disciples as Jesus promised? The
answer is today. The disciples are in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, possibly the
same room that they celebrated the Last Supper in. Why are the disciples in the
Upper Room in Jerusalem? The disciples are in the Holy City of Jerusalem for
Pentecost. Well, what is Pentecost? Let me read to you from one source that
explains what Pentecost is. As the source says:
The Christian holiday of Pentecost is celebrated on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) from Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost).
Pentecost or the “Feast of Weeks” in the Jewish tradition
is a holiday to celebrate the wheat harvest. This was a massive festival or holiday
that drew believers from all over the Roman Empire. This meant that people from
Africa, and various places from the Middle East were present. Most folks very
likely were Jews, but Jerusalem was bustling with people.
On this day, this “Feast of Weeks” or Pentecost, the
disciples, once again are in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Once again, this
could have been same Upper Room as the disciples used for the Last Supper. Then
suddenly the Advocate, the Holy Spirit pours through the Upper Room.
We are reminded of God’s power and majesty in our reading from
Psalm 104 for this morning. In fact, Psalm 104:1 says, once again:
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures (Ps. 104:1, NRSV).
God is amazing,
and sometime God Moves! Sometimes God show us when we least expect him two.
This morning, on the day of Pentecost, nearly two-thousand years ago, the Holy
Spirit shows up in the Upper Room in Jerusalem.
So just what happened on the day of
Pentecost almost two-thousand years ago? Let us look at our reading from the Book
of Acts 2:1-21 for this morning, where we hear the story of Pentecost. Starting
in 2:1 it says once again:
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).
Before
Jesus ascended into heaven, once again, he promised his disciples that the
Advocate or the Holy Spirit would come. The Holy Spirit would fill them, guide
them, and further prepare them to lead the church and preach the gospel. This
is an amazing scene of the spirit of God blowing in and through the disciples. Tongues
as of fire appear over the heads of the disciples, and a sound like the rush of
a violent wind occurred. Then filled with the Holy Spirit the disciple spoke in
different tongues. Since there were masses of people gathered from all over the
Roman Empire to celebrate the “Feast of Weeks” or the wheat harvest, the people
no doubt spoke all different languages. The disciples did not speak all of
these languages, but when the Holy Spirit came upon them on this day, they
spoke in all different languages or tongues. As a result, everyone in Jerusalem
that could hear the disciples shouting of God’s glory, heard this message in their
own native language.
In
fact, our reading from the Book of Acts picks up on 2:5 saying once again:
5 Now there were devout Jews from every
people 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).
So
not only does the Advocate or the Holy Spirit show up and fill the disciples
and prepare them to lead the church, but Holy Spirit speaks through them. In
speaking through them, the message of God’s deeds of power is spoken through
them. As a result, countless people hear this message in their own languages.
Many were amazed that the disciples who did not know all of these languages
were able to do this. Why did this happen, and what does it mean they wondered?
Yet
not everyone in Jerusalem was convinced. In fact, the book of Acts reading for
this morning picks up in Acts 2:13 saying once again:
13 But others sneered and said, “They are
filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the
eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews
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. 16 No,
this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In
the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon
all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even
upon my slaves, both men and women, in those
days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall
prophesy. 19 And I will show portents
in the heaven above and signs on the earth
below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood, before the
coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21 Then
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Act 2:13-21, NRSV).
So,
some sneered at the movement of the Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues of
the disciples on this day in the Upper Room, in the city of Jerusalem. Specifically,
they said that Peter and the other disciples were drunk, which is why they were
shouting. With what I consider great humor though, is that the Apostle Peters
tells these skeptics that they are not drunk. Why are they not drunk? Well
because it is only nine-o-clock in the morning, and Peter basically said no one
gets drunk at nine-o-clock in the morning.
Peter
then preaches, and this preaching will go on after this morning’s Book of Acts
reading has concluded. Peter preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ with fire,
passion, courage, and wisdom. Peters tells the people or Jerusalem that Jesus
is the savior, the Messiah, and that he is way for us to be forgiven of our
sins and reconciled to God. Jesus is the hope of the world, he died for our sins,
and we need to repent of our sins, turn to him and follow him as our Lord and
Savior.
What
is so powerful to me about the day of Pentecost is not just what happen with
the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. What is powerful to me is that Peter
preached boldly and unafraid. You might remember that on Good Friday almost all
of the disciples except John and the women fled and were in hiding. Peter
denied knowing and following Jesus three times. Peter and John then see the
empty tomb, and still they wait. Jesus appears to Peter, the other disciples,
and hundreds of others, and still the disciples wait. What more proof do they
need? They were with Jesus for three years, and they saw everything. They saw
the miracles, heard the teachings, and saw the empty tomb. Further he appeared
to them various times after he was resurrected. What else did they need?
Well
once again, before Jesus ascended into heaven, as we celebrated last Sunday,
Jesus said just wait a little longer. Soon, very soon, the Advocate or the Holy
Spirit will show up, and when he does you will more fully get it. When the Holy
Spirit shows up, you will be equipped and ready to lead the church and preach
to the gospel. On this day, almost two-thousand years ago, on the day of
Pentecost, during the “Feast of Weeks,” the Advocate or the Holy Spirit shows
up.
Today
therefore my friends today is the birthday of the Christian Church. Why is
today the birthday of the Christian Church? It is the birthday of the Christian
Church, because before today the disciples and others we waiting. Today the
wait is over, and building the church has formally begun. On this day the
disciples go forth, thousands come to Christ, and they will change the world.
Nearly two-thousand years later we are here celebrating and remembering this
day, which is the birth of the Christian Church. So, this my friends are what Pentecost
Sunday is, and a great example of what happens “When God Moves!”
In
looking briefly at our gospel of John lesson for this morning, we have a
reading where Jesus was telling his disciples about what would happen on this
day, the day of Pentecost. Now Jesus did not tell his disciples that it would
be on the day of Pentecost, but he did say that the Advocate or the Holy Spirit
was coming soon. In looking at the gospel of John 14:8-17, 25-27, lets pick up beginning
with John 14:8. Beginning in John 14:8 it says with Phillip speaking to Jesus, once
again:
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the
Father, and we shall be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long,
and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how
can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and
the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority;
but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I
am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the
works themselves. 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in
me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,
because I go to the Father (Jn. 14:8-12, NRSV).
Phillip
and the other disciples, just do not get it. They do not understand that Jesus
is God in the flesh and the savior of the world. On this day, the day of Pentecost
however, they will finally get it. In fact, Jesus says picking up starting in
John 8:13 once again:
13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do
it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything
in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my
commandments. 16 And
I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you
for ever, 17 even
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him
nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.
25 “These things I have spoken to you, while I
am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be
troubled, neither let them be afraid (Jn. 14:13-17, 25-27, NRSV).
Jesus
tells the disciples to keep his commandments, to keep their faith, to not be
afraid, and to receive his peace. He then says, as in other gospels that the
Counselor, the Advocate, or the Holy Spirit will come soon teach you and instruct
you.
This
foretelling on the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples came to pass today
on the day of Pentecost. This reminds us all then that today is the birthday of
the Christian Church, but it also reminds what is possible “When God Moves!”
Amen.
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