"the Language Of God"

“The Language of God”

Acts 2:1-21

Not too long ago, I read about an embarrassing incident that took place during Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

President Carter made a state visit to Poland which attracted a lot of attention because the Cold War was still going on.

The eyes of the world were on the American President, and his efforts at international reconciliation.

President Carter started his major speech in Warsaw by saying in Polish: “I have a lustful desire in my heart for the Polish people.”

What he meant to say was, “I have a great love for the Polish people.”

The problem was he was relying on a translator who didn’t know Polish very well and whose real specialty was 19th Century Russian.

We all know about language barriers.

They can cause a lot of problems and conflicts.

If only we could learn to understand one another, and thus, be more understanding.

As we see in our Scripture Passage, on the Day of Pentecost, they didn’t need translators.

Everybody understood in their own language.

It was all done for them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This was the birth of the Church, the dawn of a new day and thousands came to know Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord through one experience that everyone could understand.

That makes me wonder: “How can we convey the Good News of Jesus Christ today, in a way that all people will be able to hear it and understand?”

We live in an area where there is literally a church on every corner.

And with modern technology, most anyone can hear a Christian Preacher on television, radio, Facebook Live, Youtube—you name it—any time of the day.

And everyone, at least in America, has access to a Bible.

And if you want commentary on what it means—“Google” it!

We can read about it or hear it in any language we choose.

But still, so many do not understand it or simply don’t believe in it.

With all these amazing means of communicating with one another, we still have so many language barriers.

And we are living in a time, when, arguably more persons than ever…

…in the history of the world…

…do not understand why the Church of Jesus Christ exists, or do not think it is relevant to their lives.

What is wrong with this picture?

Why are we having such a hard time conveying the message of Christ?

Could it be that we are speaking in a language that persons do not understand?

If so, how do we change this?

The answer comes at Pentecost.

There is a language that nearly everyone can understand and it is the language that everyone needs to hear and wants to hear.

I’m talking about the language of God, which is the language of Love.

Jesus calls us to love our neighbor.

And our love for God inescapably motivates us to love others.

But, of course, it’s hard to love everyone…

…as one person wrote a long time ago: “To love the whole world for me is no chore.

My only real problem is my neighbor next door.”

I remember, as a kid, we had a neighbor across the street who would not—for some reason—give us the time of day.

That didn’t stop my parents from cheerfully saying “Hi” every time that neighbor was in his yard.

One day I asked my parents, “Why do you bother to say ‘hi’ to that guy?

He never even looks your way.

He never says, ‘Hi’ back.”

My parents’ answer…very matter of fact…with no explanations nor complaints, but with a hint of surprise at my asking was: “Because we are Christians.”

That stuck with me.

That spoke to me.

And I wanted to know more about that language of love.

Rick Warren once wrote: “For some time now, the hands and feet of the Body of Christ have been amputated, and we’ve been pretty much reduced to a big mouth.

We talk far more than we do.

It’s time to reattach the limbs and let the church be the church in the 21st Century.”

Maybe that’s why so many people can’t understand us.

A journalist once said of a Christian Missionary: “If I had been with him any longer, I would have been compelled to be a Christian—and he never spoke to me about it at all.”

Charlie Brown, the leading character in the “Peanuts” comic strip series wants so very much to be loved and treated with respect.

In one episode, Charlie Brown is lying down with his head resting on a stone as Lucy stands beside him.

Charlie looks up at Lucy and asks: “If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh?”

Lucy replies, “I promise.”

“This is very personal and I don’t want you to laugh.”