Pentecost
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Today is Pentecost, the day when we celebrate the birth of the church.
Pentecost means 50th day, this is the seventh Sunday after Easter
Sunday, and the 50th day of Easter.
We didn’t hear that story today, so it’s worth a quick re-cap.
Re-Cap of Pentecost
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The Apostles were all together in the upper room, scared to make any
sort of move at all for fear of the authorities, but knowing that
something very special had happened. Then the Holy Spirit arrived. “a
sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the
whole house” and “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that
separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled
them.”
It caused a commotion, as all the foreigners present heard there own
language and wondered what was happening. So Peter got up and told
them. As a result the church was born.
That day about 3000 were added to the church, and each of them was
baptised. All of them were Jews, so at this point, a new Jewish sect is
formed. As all those travellers returned home they took the Holy Spirit
with them and the good news – the gospel- of Jesus, His death and
resurrection were spread into Jewish communities across the Empire.
Readings
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That’s what we are remembering today, but our readings are from an
earlier time, when the Holy Spirit is just a distant promise. So I thought
it would be a good idea to look at just what is promised with the coming
of the Holy Spirit.
Lost Jesus
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In the reading we had from John, the disciples must have known that
something was afoot, because of the way Jesus was speaking to them.
In the Acts reading his death and resurrection have already occurred and
the disciples are in shock and barely understanding what is going on.
In both reading we get the sense of impending loss, but the promise of
better times ahead.
8 Things
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So I have taken 8 things that are promised in these two passages, so
that we can get a feel for what living in the world with the Holy Spirit is
like.
1 Provides Instruction
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The first is that the Holy Spirit provides instruction. We read in Acts
verse 1 that even Jesus gets his instructions from the Holy Spirit. Luke
says
“I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he
was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles he had chosen.”
Instructions can come in many forms. Another example of this is in Acts
8 where Philip is told to approach the chariot of the Ethiopian Eunuch.
The instructions are simple and clear “Go to that chariot and stay near”.
The Holy Spirit knew what was happening in the chariot, and when Philip
obeys he finds that it is easy to engage the Ethiopian in conversation,
which then results in his baptism.
Have you ever had a sudden sense that you should go and talk to
someone, or phone someone – that’s probably the Holy Spirit, and you
might have a profitable conversation – or you might just help set the
scene for someone else’s conversation later. If we are to play our part
it’s important to take notice of these promptings and not push them
aside.
2 Baptism (in the Spirit)
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The second thing that is promised is baptism in or with the Holy Spirit.
This can be a controversial topic, with people claiming different
meanings but if you listen carefully to them you will find their views are
not really that far apart.
One episode of Baptism in the Holy Spirit is undoubtedly seen at
Pentecost itself, when the wind and the tongues of fire brought the
disciple out of their fear and made them bold enough to speak out in
languages they had no knowledge of. There are plenty of instances in
both the Old and New Testaments when the Spirit comes on someone
and they do or say something truly remarkable. It always leads people
towards God, not always 3000 at a time though.
The Spirit can do this any time that someone is open to allowing it to
happen. He will never descend on someone who is unwilling, or who has
decided they do not want that sort of experience.
When Paul speaks of Baptism in the spirit, in 1 Corinthians 12 as he is
talking about the Body of Christ he says:
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body … and we were all
given the one Spirit to drink.”
He is talking about the Spirit bringing us together in unity, so that we
can do and say things consistently.
Maybe you’ve heard it said that if you ask three people their opinion on
some topic, you’ll get four different views. That’s what Paul is saying the
Spirit can overcome. He has already said in the previous chapter:
“No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you
have God's approval.”
Next time we’re sitting in some church committee meeting, those of us
who do, we should remember that and ask for the Holy Spirit to speak to
us. - I’ll come back to this in point 7.
3 Provides Power
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The third thing on my list is that the Holy Spirit provides power. This
doesn’t make us some sort of super hero – physically breaking through
walls to get where we want to go. It means that we have determination
and are not easily put off our mission. It means that we can overcome
difficulties, and go on fighting for what we believe longer than would
normally be possible. We will know what to do and to say and when to
do it and say it. Just as Peter and John were not put off by the beating
they received for talking about Jesus in Acts 4.
Without this power we will not be effective, as the disciples were warned
in Luke 24:49 “stay in the city until you have been clothed with power
from on high”.
Example of the power
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This is where miracles come from. I have personally witnessed a
miracle. Not a healing, although I have met at least 2 people who have
been healed, so let me tell you the story.
We were at New Wine – the summer conference and teaching week in
Somerset. Normally, because we were late to the evening meetings we
would be sitting at the far edge of the giant tent. On this night , though,
we were somewhere near the middle. A youth worker was invited on to
the stage to tell us about his project. He was a good speaker and told us
about the people and what they were trying to do for the young people.
He talked, very briefly, about some building work they wanted to do, and
moved back to talking about the people.
I spotted movement in the audience, one or two people were walking
towards the stage. Last time I’d seen this it was a medical emergency,
but I couldn’t see anything, so continues listening. Then more people
moved toward the stage and then back to their seats, and then more
people, and then a queue formed on both sides of the stage.
Finally the penny dropped, they were putting money on the stage – not
pennies – notes.
The Holy Spirit, using the words of the speaker, had opened the wallets
of hundreds of people, because the Holy Spirit wanted that building to be
done – it served God’s purposes.
Eventually the leaders on the stage realised what was happening and
quickly organised buckets to collect up all the money. We heard the
following day that the total raised was a few hundred pounds more that
the cost that had been stated. The Holy Spirit also knows how building
projects go.Acts 1:1-11; John 15v26-27 & 16v4B-15
4 Witnesses
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The Holy Spirit makes us witnesses. This is my fourth point. A witness
is someone who provides an accurate report of what they have seen and
heard, or what they have been involved in. The power we get will make
us good witnesses to all the things we have experienced in our lives with
Jesus. We just have to be prepared to give account of ourselves. As
Peter says in in his first letter:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give
the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and
respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of
their slander”
I am a witness to what happened in that tent. I was not prompted to
give money that night, but I have told this story before, and I’m sure I
will tell it again. So, no apologies for me if you’ve already heard it.
5 Counsellor
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As we move to looking at the promises in John, now, my fifth thing that
the Holy Spirit does is to be a Counsellor.
The modern definition of a counsellor is “a person who has been trained
to do the job of listening to people who have problems or who want to
achieve something, and giving them advice”
Which is fair enough, the Holy Spirit knows each of us inside out, and
can and does whisper advise to us in difficult situations.
The Greek word had the meanings: “counsellor, intercessor, helper, one
who encourages and comforts”. So we should expect more than just
advice, we should expect encouragement to get on with the job and
perhaps even a little gentle prodding to be active.
I wonder how carefully that young man had though about saying exactly
how much he money he needed – and whether the Holy Spirit
encouraged him to put the numbers in his talk?
6 “Convict of Guilt”
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In John 16:8 we have my sixth thing – “He will convict the world of
guilt”. There is no place to hide when the Holy Spirit is around. The
world’s guilt will be exposed for everyone to see. Those who do not
believe will not be able to hide the fact, and those who do the work of
the evil one will know that the prince of this world is condemned.
Openness should be a watchword for us, because anything we try to
hide, will be something that is classified as sin.
7 Truth
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The other side of the coin is truth, that is my seventh point – the Holy
Spirit will guide us into truth – yes even the apostles needed guiding into
truth, it’s not just us.
If you can remember as far back as point 2 – where I was talking about
the Spirit bringing unity of purpose and asking for the Holy Spirit to
speak to us in church meetings – this is why. If we can listen carefully to
the Holy Spirit He will guide us into the truth of whatever we are
discussing, then maybe, just maybe, we will have the courage and the
power to drop our personal opinion, and take on His opinion.
8 Brings Glory to God
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The Holy Spirit, in all that He does, brings Glory to God. This sums up
all the activity – all of it points to Jesus and His power of redemption.
That’s why Peter got up and spoke to the crowd at Pentecost, that’s why
Philip went over to the Ethiopians Chariot, that’s why Peter and John
continued to speak despite a beating, that’s why I was in the tent, in a
good place to see what was happening that night at new wine.
So that we can point people to Jesus. So that anyone who listens will be
convinced, or more convinced that as John says “God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.”
Amen
