31 May 2009
Pentecost Sunday
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Fortress Chapel
Contingency Operation Site (C.O.S.) Sykes
Tall-afar, Iraq
BIG IDEA: The Baptism of The Holy Spirit shows sign to unbelievers that God is present.
REFERENCES: Drunkenness was consistently condemned in the Old Testament (Gen. 9:20-27) and in the New Testament (Gal. 5:21). Genesis 9:20-27 (ESV) Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant”; Matthews 11:19 (ESV) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”; John 20:19-22 (ESV) The Holy Spirit is breathed upon the disciples; There are two “Baptism in the Spirit occurrences: Acts 2 (ESV) The Holy Spirit falls upon the Jews; Acts 10 (ESV) – The Holy Spirit falls upon the Gentiles; Leviticus 23:15-21 (ESV) Feast of Pentecost; Pentecost pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV) For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit; In 1 Corinthians 10:17 - Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (ESV) – The church is pictured as a loaf of bread; John 3:8 (ESV) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”; Deuteronomy 14:26 (ESV) and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household; Galatians 5:16-25 (ESV) Walk by The Spirit; Galatians 5:21 (ESV) envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God; Exodus 14:21 (ESV) The power of the wind and the crossing of the Red Sea - Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided; Acts 1:5 (ESV) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Mark 1:8 (ESV) I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”; Numbers 11:24-28 (ESV)
Moses, responding to Joshua’s misguided zeal after an outpouring of the divine Spirit on the 72 elders - declared, “I wish that all the LORD‘s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit on them!”
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Acts 2:14-21 (ESV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Acts 2:14-21 (ESV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Acts 2:15-17 (ESV) For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that when the Baptism of the Holy Spirit comes; God shows sign to unbelievers that He is present.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “DRUNK”
VI. INTRODUCTION:
It has been said that drunkenness is the state of i-nebri-a-tion caused by the ingestion of too much alcohol or wine.
Drunkenness is persistently condemned throughout the Bible. For it is said to render one insensible and imperceptive, a social nuisance, an economic ruin, and ultimately causing one to be morally and spiritually good-for-nothing.
The good-for-nothing is caused by drunkenness through its power to deceive, conveying a false sense of clear perception, intelligence, and power.
DRUNKENNESS is a derivative of DRUNK. There’s nothing about getting “wasted” and being a “drunkard” that I would personally wish on my worst enemy.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 1: Proverbs 23:21 (ESV) says, “for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.”
a. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV) says, Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
b. In Matthews 11:19 (ESV), The Good Book find our Savior accused of being a DRUNK. For the Scripture says – The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”
c. Yes, my brothers and sisters, it’s true. Jesus Christ is a friend of sinners and He’s a friend of mine. But, He’s NEVER been a DRUNK or a WINEBIBBER!
d. As an only child from the Sunshine State of Florida, I can tell you a thing or two about those that have been afflicted with the disease of Alcoholism.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS********
MOVE 2: This is because my mother and father were both alcoholics and I, unfortunately, have had a Birdseye view of what Alcoholism looks like.
a. I can personally testify that it’s NOT pretty to children; neither is it cute to their friends.
b. Yet, many of our Soldiers and Officers – alike – have been bitten by the bug that “keeps on biting”.
c. Many mothers and fathers have lost their children and companions because of alcohol.
d. And today, many military members are losing their careers because of their weakness to alcohol.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 3: Likewise, who can ever forget the account of Noah’s Curse Upon Canaan?
a. For don’t you remember Noah was a mature believer.
b. At this time, he was over 600 years of age when he fell into this shameful act.
c. Still, the Bible does not excuse the sins of Church-folk because we come to church. God expects us to get ourselves together and to model the appropriate behavior in front of children and family.
d. This is the third failure on the part of man.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS*******
MOVE 4: He had disobeyed in Eden, resulting in his expulsion;
a. … He had corrupted the earth, resulting in the flood; and now he had become a shameful drunk!
b. To make matters worse, Ham did not respect his father; instead, he “told with delight” what Noah had done.
c. Likewise, as parents, we cause our children to disrespect us and to talk negative about us and our parenting when we get DRUNK.
d. Noah who had been sober in DRUNK company was now DRUNK in sober company.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS*******
MOVE 5: Afterwards, Noah awaken from his drunkenness and decided to pronounce a curse on his middle son’s (Ham who had 4 sons) youngest son - Canaan.
a. Therefore, I submit to you (today) that Noah cursed Canaan, God didn’t.
b. The embarrassment caused by the alcohol caused centuries of issues within the family of God. According to Acts 17:26 (ESV) God … made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth.
c. Now, in our text today, we find ourselves witnessing Peter’s First Sermon on the Day of Pentecost. For don’t you remember, the Good Book says …
d. The Apostles were doing as they were instructed to do:
e. They were waiting for the comforter …
***** TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 6: They patiently and prayerfully waited from the 40th day to the 50th day.
a. On the Day of Pentecost - the Spirit were to be poured out upon each sex – Not their sons only, but their daughters shall also prophesy;
b. God – on the Day of Pentecost – would reveal himself by dreams and visions both to the young and old men who were past their prime.
c. The effect of this blessing: The Jewish believers in Jerusalem heard these folk prophesy to them; As a result, they heard of new discoveries and divine things which could benefit the entire church body.
d. They were simultaneously interpreting the Scriptures, and speaking of secret things … distant, and future circumstances which many of the Jews knew that 120 disciples could not have known.
e. Peter stood with the Eleven Disciples and said: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, … these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day (0900) …
f. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy …"
g. The Good Books tells us that the Apostle Peter didn’t even have to do an Altar Call. When the people heard God speak to them – they responded.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
CELEBRATION: (Romans 8:22-28 ESV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. …
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose …
Like folk that are DRUNK … the Holy Spirit had given the 1st Century Believers a Peace that passeth all understanding;
Some who “no doubt” had just recently experienced some personal tragedies were FULL OF JOY … as if they had an alter consciousness …
Like an Eagle – Believers with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit were able to fly above the Storms in their life.
Like a DRUNK … Believers spoke boldly – almost unstoppable - of Spiritual Things that God had done … and was doing in their lives …
Like a DRUNK … they laughed in the face of trouble …
Some perhaps … even Dance in God … Because they weren’t DRUNK … they had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!
