Pentecost 05/31/09 Text Acts2:1-21 & Ezekiel 37:1-14 title: Power of the Holy Spirit
Pentecost
05/31/09
Text: John Ezekiel 37:1-14 & Acts 2:1-21
Title: Power of Holy Spirit
Today we focus on the power of the Holy Spirit. We marvel at the story in Acts, but I would dare say that for most of us we see no connection to what happened that day so long ago and our lives today. We were not given the power they were given so what does it mean for us today. Hopefully by the time I am through you will not only see the connection, but be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that moved the followers of Jesus so long ago.
Let us start with our Old Testament reading where we read of Ezekiel’s experience with the thousands of dry bones in a valley where a great battle had once taken place. We know that the battle had taken place years long before ,for the bones were dry. In other words there were no connective tendons, tissue, or skin left on them. Animals had more than likely even scattered them.
That valley was a place of despair, of utter hopelessness. The people of God knew that same feeling, for they were in exile. They had sinned so much against God that God finally allowed the great power of Babylon to haul them off into captivity. Their capital city Jerusalem and the grand temple within it had been destroyed, and since, in their way of thinking the temple is where God dwelt they had lost all hope. Their God was as good as dead.
That is why God showed Ezekiel through a vision the power of God. God put those dry bones together and clothed them with flesh. God gave the bodies breath and they lived. The bones could do nothing. It was all God’s work and that is what God wanted Ezekiel to tell the people in captivity. He wanted Ezekiel to tell them that if God could bring these dry bones who were incapable of bringing themselves back to life then he surely could restore his people. It was not hopeless, even if it did not seem that way to them, for even in their hopelessness God was still in control. He had a plan and it was to restore them back into the land he had given them.
In our Acts reading we see the power of God in what is described as appearing to be wind and fire. His disciples who were still struggling with what had taken place in Jesus’ death, resurrection; the appearances afterward in his glorified body, and his ascension confused them. They believed, for the Holy Spirit had been given to them before Jesus ascended into heaven. They believed, but like so many congregations today they kept to themselves as they prayed and worshiped.
That is why God sent the Holy Spirit to them in another way. This time the Holy Spirit empowered them and gave them the ability to talk in different languages, so that others could hear the good news of Jesus’ salvation. People were amazed and people were making fun of them, as they accused them of being drunk. Peter straitened them out and the church grew. Jesus started out with 12 and now through the power of the Holy Spirit 3000-plus were added that day. The power of the Holy Spirit was at work.
Maybe you are thinking that it is a neat story, but what connection does it have with us, who are sitting here today? Just like the balloon that had no use, except for popping people and causing pain until I blew it up and became something that had form and substance, something that could be played with. The Holy Spirit in coming into us gives form and substance
to our bones, sinews, and flesh by giving life to the heart and soul.
That is the evidence of our relationship with God. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, his helper takes us from just believing in God to having God’s power within each one of us. And while you can stifle that power, for a time, you cannot escape it; that is unless you turn you back on the urgings of the Holy Spirit.
Each one of us that truly believe in Jesus has the Holy Spirit within us. Sometimes we can’t see it in our lives, especially those times that we purposely turn our back on God. It is a struggle, for even though we are saved from God’s punishment we are still sinful human beings who deep down only care for ourselves.
It struggles to be free, never letting up and when you finally let the Holy Spirit, that is God within me, wonderful things happen. For, as Jesus said and I paraphrase, “His helper will do all Jesus promised he will do.”
It brings to mind the words of God, as they are found in 2 Corinthians 5:14,15, “Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Those words we sometimes try to forget even though we know them to be true, for many times they interfere with our own plans and desires. Too many times it means that we have to give of our time, actually God’s time to serve others with no reward for ourselves other than knowing we are doing what God wants us to do.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Spirit flows in us, and through us it flows to others. It brings Jesus’ love to reality. His love, his perfect life, his death, his resurrection, and ascension are not just some abstract story. They are real and because they are real we live our lives in a different way. If you truly believe in God as your Savior and God only knows that, you just live your life in a different way.
Since I have been here I have witnessed, and many of you here today have witnessed, a change in lives. There are those in our congregation who now eagerly study the Word of God. There are those who serve God through this congregation who never did before. There are those who want to share the love of God with others and do on a regular basis, but as a congregation we have a long way to go to be the kingdom congregation God wants us to be.
Why are we not all bearing good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit? Since the Holy Spirit is God it certainly is not his fault. He is fanning the flame of God’s love to set ablaze our hearts, minds, and bodies. I think the problem lies in that we think that, if God wants us to do something for the kingdom he will push us so hard that we will do it.
We think that, but in real life, that is not how he works. He usually will not drag you kicking and screaming, although I have seen that happen a few times. The Holy Spirit works through his church as it proclaims the Word of God and celebrates the Sacraments. It is in those means that we are to be filled with the wondrous joy of God’s love. And if that does not work he pricks our conscience. You know those times when you are asked to help and deep down, you know that you should help, and you can help, but for whatever reason you chose not to.
The Holy Spirit is moving in this congregation today. I know he is. He is fanning a flame within each of you into a blaze that will ignite others. God has almost always used ordinary people, people who thought they could not help, people thought they were not qualified, people who the world did not hold in high esteem.
I want to show you a short film clip and then we will close. (At this time show the clip about the unworthiness of Bible hero’s.)
Now is the time to let the Holy Spirit loose within you. Let him use you where you are in your unique circumstances. God wants to use you and as a people of God we should want to be used by him also. Let us pray. Holy Spirit, I give you thanks for giving us faith, for without your coming into our lives we could not be saved. I thank you for all those in the congregation that serve you and others both in the congregation and outside the congregation. Lord help us to overcome our fear and to trust in you and you alone. Help us to care for young and old families. Help us to bring others to church, so that they too can hear the Word of God, the story of forgiveness. Today Lord is a special day, for Lord today in this building the Holy Spirit is moving. Lord forgive us when we don’t heed your call to serve you and others through this congregation. Turn our faith into a blaze that those we come into contact with can see and experience. Amen.
05/31/09
Text: John Ezekiel 37:1-14 & Acts 2:1-21
Title: Power of Holy Spirit
Today we focus on the power of the Holy Spirit. We marvel at the story in Acts, but I would dare say that for most of us we see no connection to what happened that day so long ago and our lives today. We were not given the power they were given so what does it mean for us today. Hopefully by the time I am through you will not only see the connection, but be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that moved the followers of Jesus so long ago.
Let us start with our Old Testament reading where we read of Ezekiel’s experience with the thousands of dry bones in a valley where a great battle had once taken place. We know that the battle had taken place years long before ,for the bones were dry. In other words there were no connective tendons, tissue, or skin left on them. Animals had more than likely even scattered them.
That valley was a place of despair, of utter hopelessness. The people of God knew that same feeling, for they were in exile. They had sinned so much against God that God finally allowed the great power of Babylon to haul them off into captivity. Their capital city Jerusalem and the grand temple within it had been destroyed, and since, in their way of thinking the temple is where God dwelt they had lost all hope. Their God was as good as dead.
That is why God showed Ezekiel through a vision the power of God. God put those dry bones together and clothed them with flesh. God gave the bodies breath and they lived. The bones could do nothing. It was all God’s work and that is what God wanted Ezekiel to tell the people in captivity. He wanted Ezekiel to tell them that if God could bring these dry bones who were incapable of bringing themselves back to life then he surely could restore his people. It was not hopeless, even if it did not seem that way to them, for even in their hopelessness God was still in control. He had a plan and it was to restore them back into the land he had given them.
In our Acts reading we see the power of God in what is described as appearing to be wind and fire. His disciples who were still struggling with what had taken place in Jesus’ death, resurrection; the appearances afterward in his glorified body, and his ascension confused them. They believed, for the Holy Spirit had been given to them before Jesus ascended into heaven. They believed, but like so many congregations today they kept to themselves as they prayed and worshiped.
That is why God sent the Holy Spirit to them in another way. This time the Holy Spirit empowered them and gave them the ability to talk in different languages, so that others could hear the good news of Jesus’ salvation. People were amazed and people were making fun of them, as they accused them of being drunk. Peter straitened them out and the church grew. Jesus started out with 12 and now through the power of the Holy Spirit 3000-plus were added that day. The power of the Holy Spirit was at work.
Maybe you are thinking that it is a neat story, but what connection does it have with us, who are sitting here today? Just like the balloon that had no use, except for popping people and causing pain until I blew it up and became something that had form and substance, something that could be played with. The Holy Spirit in coming into us gives form and substance
to our bones, sinews, and flesh by giving life to the heart and soul.
That is the evidence of our relationship with God. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, his helper takes us from just believing in God to having God’s power within each one of us. And while you can stifle that power, for a time, you cannot escape it; that is unless you turn you back on the urgings of the Holy Spirit.
Each one of us that truly believe in Jesus has the Holy Spirit within us. Sometimes we can’t see it in our lives, especially those times that we purposely turn our back on God. It is a struggle, for even though we are saved from God’s punishment we are still sinful human beings who deep down only care for ourselves.
It struggles to be free, never letting up and when you finally let the Holy Spirit, that is God within me, wonderful things happen. For, as Jesus said and I paraphrase, “His helper will do all Jesus promised he will do.”
It brings to mind the words of God, as they are found in 2 Corinthians 5:14,15, “Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Those words we sometimes try to forget even though we know them to be true, for many times they interfere with our own plans and desires. Too many times it means that we have to give of our time, actually God’s time to serve others with no reward for ourselves other than knowing we are doing what God wants us to do.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Spirit flows in us, and through us it flows to others. It brings Jesus’ love to reality. His love, his perfect life, his death, his resurrection, and ascension are not just some abstract story. They are real and because they are real we live our lives in a different way. If you truly believe in God as your Savior and God only knows that, you just live your life in a different way.
Since I have been here I have witnessed, and many of you here today have witnessed, a change in lives. There are those in our congregation who now eagerly study the Word of God. There are those who serve God through this congregation who never did before. There are those who want to share the love of God with others and do on a regular basis, but as a congregation we have a long way to go to be the kingdom congregation God wants us to be.
Why are we not all bearing good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit? Since the Holy Spirit is God it certainly is not his fault. He is fanning the flame of God’s love to set ablaze our hearts, minds, and bodies. I think the problem lies in that we think that, if God wants us to do something for the kingdom he will push us so hard that we will do it.
We think that, but in real life, that is not how he works. He usually will not drag you kicking and screaming, although I have seen that happen a few times. The Holy Spirit works through his church as it proclaims the Word of God and celebrates the Sacraments. It is in those means that we are to be filled with the wondrous joy of God’s love. And if that does not work he pricks our conscience. You know those times when you are asked to help and deep down, you know that you should help, and you can help, but for whatever reason you chose not to.
The Holy Spirit is moving in this congregation today. I know he is. He is fanning a flame within each of you into a blaze that will ignite others. God has almost always used ordinary people, people who thought they could not help, people thought they were not qualified, people who the world did not hold in high esteem.
I want to show you a short film clip and then we will close. (At this time show the clip about the unworthiness of Bible hero’s.)
Now is the time to let the Holy Spirit loose within you. Let him use you where you are in your unique circumstances. God wants to use you and as a people of God we should want to be used by him also. Let us pray. Holy Spirit, I give you thanks for giving us faith, for without your coming into our lives we could not be saved. I thank you for all those in the congregation that serve you and others both in the congregation and outside the congregation. Lord help us to overcome our fear and to trust in you and you alone. Help us to care for young and old families. Help us to bring others to church, so that they too can hear the Word of God, the story of forgiveness. Today Lord is a special day, for Lord today in this building the Holy Spirit is moving. Lord forgive us when we don’t heed your call to serve you and others through this congregation. Turn our faith into a blaze that those we come into contact with can see and experience. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 11:35 AM
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