June 4-6, 2022 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Acts 2:1-21 “THANK YOU, HOLY SPIRIT!”

 

PENTECOST

June 4-6, 2022

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Acts 2:1-21

 

“THANK YOU, HOLY SPIRIT!”

1.     For giving us signs of your presence.

2.     For giving us understanding of the word.

3.     For giving us meaning and purpose.

 

          Today we celebrate Pentecost. It comes from the Greek word for fiftieth. It’s the church year festival that focuses on the blessing of the Holy Spirit. It commemorates the special way the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead. You heard about that in our first reading. On that day about 3000 people were added to the brand new Christian Church. For that reason Pentecost is also called the birthday of the Christian church. Funny thing about birthdays. You get gifts for your birthday. The Holy Spirit is a master gift picker and that’s great news for us because the gifts that matter for the Christian church are the ones the Holy Spirit gives. So for this Pentecost we thank the Holy Spirit for gifts past and present.

          Like signs of His presence. How do you know when the Holy Spirit is at work? He’s unseen. He’s spirit. Some people believe that the Holy Spirit’s presence is felt inside of you in some special way. But that’s not what the Bible says. And that feeling might just be indigestion—or something worse. Here’s what the Bible tells us. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ²Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. ⁴They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.” When the Holy Spirit is at work there are signs. Not inside of people. On the outside. So important for Jesus’ disciples. He had told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit. How would they know? No worries. The Holy Spirit made it obvious. The sound of a violent wind. Tongues of fire. The ability to fluently speak languages they had never learned.

          Now while that is really cool and were the signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence that the Apostles needed. It’s not the ones we need. We have been given our own. Once again it is not a feeling on the inside. Our recently confirmed students know. B, B, LS. Bible. Baptism. Lord’s Supper. The Spirit is there. It’s something you see externally. There’s more. Since the first Pentecost hundreds of millions if not billions of people have pledged and lived loyalty to Jesus Christ whom they have never seen. Millions have died rather than deny Him. Your very presence in worship is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence here and in you. What are you doing here? You’re an American. You have packed your lives with way too many things and made yourself way too busy. You don’t have time to worship. But you are. The Holy Spirit has made you His temple and He wants Jesus worshipped so you do. Why the time and money given to help your church carry out the mission Jesus has given to us. Don’t you know you only get so much? Why give it away? These brothers and sisters are signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence. And we thank Him for them.

          As we thank Him for understanding of God’s Word. The Apostles got theirs. Prior to Pentecost we have the soon to be Apostles arguing about who is the greatest. Urging Jesus not to go to Jerusalem and die. Wondering when Jesus was going to make the nation of Israel great again. Pentecost happens. The Holy Spirit brings birthday gifts and you get this. “They were completely baffled and said to each other, “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” ¹²They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.” ¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

 

¹⁷This is what God says will happen in the last days:

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.

Your young men will see visions.

Your old men will dream dreams.

¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

¹⁹I will show wonders in the sky above,

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and a rising cloud of smoke.

²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

²¹And this will happen: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will              be saved.”

 

All of a sudden Peter is taking a complex prophecy from Joel and explaining exactly what it means. How? The Holy Spirit provided him understanding of God’s word.

          We got that too. The Bible is a big book. We don’t understand everything that’s in there. But what we need, we do. While God’s truths of saving by grace through faith are foolishness to many people in this world, they are not to you. You receive them as the wisdom of God. You get comfort and peace. What is it that makes you and I different from the people who consider that foolishness? The Holy Spirit. So thank you Holy Spirit for the gift of understanding.

          And thank you for meaning and purpose in life. The Apostles got that gift. The prophecy from Joel ended, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will                 be saved.” From that day on wherever the Apostles went they carried the name of the Lord with them. They were witnesses for Christ. Some who heard believed and are with the Apostles in heaven even as we speak. They are the Apostle’s treasures.

          You and I have that same purpose and meaning. God has all of us doing things that make a difference in people’s lives. Maybe you make people’s lives more comfortable by making sure their AC works properly, or secure by fixing their cars. Maybe you give comfort and care as a nurse or CNA. Maybe you protect people’s futures by working in the legal or financial fields. Maybe you use your time to be a good neighbor. All these ways and many more are useful things God wants done well to make people’s earthly lives more tolerable. But you are so much more than that. You, like the Apostles, are witnesses for Jesus. And while you fix cars, provide care or other needed services, while you practice being a good neighbor, look for those opportunities to name drop. Jesus’ name drop. Because everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and you might be the one God will use to let them know who to call on and they will become your treasures in heaven. Literally every human interaction that you have, all the things you do that lead up to those interactions, become filled with the greater meaning and purpose of God’s salvation plan. Thank you Holy Spirit!

          He’s the master gift giver. Always picking just what people need. There’s this thing about birthday gifts. Once they are given, they are yours. You get to use them. Today the Christian church is one year older thanks to the Holy Spirit. And thanks to the Holy Spirit we have what we need. Signs of His presence. Understanding. Meaning and purpose. Time to enjoy and use. Amen.