Pentecost Sunday ---- 15 May 2016

Acts 2:1-21

1 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. 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?" 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, "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. 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.'

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  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.

·        Pentecost is often seen as a strange sort of festival. Jesus does not seem to be involved. The apostles do not appear to be doing anything constructive. What happens to them is quite mysterious. It described terms of unusual happenings – wind, fire, languages.

·        Then there’s Peter, who up to now has been the most impetuous speaker among the apostles, usually speaking before he thinks. Here though, he speaks in a clear, measured manner, explaining both the behavior of the disciples and the scripture that applies to this situation. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose…  No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel

·        From here on, the small group of disciples who had been in hiding move out into the wider world, taking the Good News of God’s salvation everywhere they went. These simple people are motivated to tell whoever they meet about the person of Jesus and his message. Those who heard the Good News from them spread it further in time and space… right down to us.

·        Something has changed. Yes, something has really changed. Peter, the one who denied Christ, now speaks of what Jesus has done for all the world in front of what could be taken as all the world.

·        Despite the small start and the timid nature of the Church before the coming of the Spirit, the Church spreads and changes. At Pentecost, Luke reports that there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem… but says nothing of Gentiles. Later in Acts, the Word and the Spirit come to Gentiles, much to the shock of many of the Hebrew believers.

·        We all know that there were setbacks and trouble in the history of the Church. In many cases, these troubles do not weaken the Church and its mission, but in fact strengthen it. There is an old saying in the history of the Church: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” Since “martyr” actually means “witness”, anyone who has taught another about Jesus Christ has been a witness and has planted the seed.

·        All of this, both the growth and the perseverance of the Church, are the working of the Spirit. The presence of the Church in our own day is the word of the Spirit. In truth, the Spirit is given to all of us and we are as Christians today is because of the Spirit of God in our lives today building on the Spirit’s presence and power in the past.

·        Now we need to speak about the future. The future comes at us one moment at a time and there is no making it wait until we are ready and no making it wait until we want it.

·        The Spirit leads to new things as the Spirit always has. This is not always an easy thing to accept. One of the constant threads in the Scripture is simply this statement: “I make all things new.” This can be found in the Old Testament book of the prophets and in the book of the Acts of the Apostles as well as the book of Revelation, where it is a message of hope rather than condemnation. To those suffering persecution, the idea that God is doing a new thing behind the scenes gives them hope and possibly value to what they’ve suffered.

·        Whether we perceive it or not and whether we like it or not, the Spirit is moving in our own time, just as the Spirit has moved in our own histories. We may not see it, but the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit has been promised to the Church, even if it appears differently than it did in the Church’s early days.

·        So then, where is the Spirit leading now? I don’t know that. What I do know is this: the Spirit leads to life and the Spirit is still present in the Church. Where the Spirit is leading us will make things different than we think it has been.

·        Think back: what changes have you seen in the Church in the past 50 years? Some have said it is not the same church as the one they were raised in. No doubt there. I’ve seen some major changes in how things have been done … and it is still the Church of Jesus Christ and that church still proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ.

·        Change mean change; it does not mean the end. Change also mean life, for all life changes, even the oldest of trees and the largest of animals. Even though change can be painful, change in the Church does not mean abandonment by God. At time, those dreaded changes lead to new life. Look at the Reformation. Look at the great missionary endeavors to new lands and new peoples. You know the examples.

·        Still change can be hard. The Church 50 year from now might look very little like the Church we know today. This can be upsetting and even painful. Change often is. Note the change involved in growth… or in child-birth.

·        The Spirit leads… and the Spirit sometimes shoves. But this remains true; the Spirit is moving and the Spirit continues to move, leading, directing, coaxing, pushing and shoving and dragging the Church into God’s future. God’s will will be done and thank God that it will be so.

·        Hear again the words of our Savior:

I have said these things to you while I am still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.