Pentecost Sunday 6/12/11
Pentecost
6/12/11
Acts 2:1-21
Title: The Holy Spirit has entered the building.
I have titled my sermon for this morning, “The Holy Spirit has entered the building.” The reason I did that was that last week I said that since Jesus has ascended into heaven you could say, in a sense, that he has left the building, actually the world, or has he? We will see.
As I was preparing for this sermon I became curious as to why God picked the Festival of Pentecost, a Jewish holy day to announce the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the world. So, I spent some time researching Pentecost; when it started, its traditions, and history. What I found out was that Pentecost officially was the last day of the celebration of the festival of the spring harvest which took place 50 days after the celebration of the Passover which celebrates the passing over the homes of the Israelites by the angel of death in Egypt.
But, for at least 100 years before Jesus walked the earth Pentecost had become for the Jewish people, and still is to this day, mainly about the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
So when I found out that Pentecost was about celebrating the giving of the Ten Commandments it became clear to me why Pentecost was chosen by God as the time for the Holy Spirit to descend into the world. Pentecost is about the giving of the Law. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law.
And since all the world needed to know about his act of salvation God the Father sent the Holy Spirit who not being restrained by time and place, as Jesus was, could enter into others, so that they could continue doing what Jesus had done before his Ascension.
Besides that Pentecost drew Jews and Jewish converts from all over the known world who after coming to faith in Jesus would go back to their cities, providences, and countries where they could tell others about Jesus and his saving work. Pentecost then is the Big Bang of Christianity. It all starts here.
It is important to know that this does not mean that the Holy Spirit was never in the world before Pentecost, for there is plenty of evidence throughout the Holy Scriptures that he was active in the lives of God’s people. Jesus himself had breathed the Holy Spirit on his disciples, so that they could come to faith, although at times it was pretty weak and many times an inaccurate faith, not because the Spirit was weak or inaccurate, but because the disciples would not open their hearts and minds to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. They were stuck in the past beliefs of the priests.
So on Pentecost Day the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Jesus in such a way that they finally got the message. He came in the sound of a mighty wind and what appeared to look like tongues of fire. He came in a way that was meant specifically for the future leaders of the Christian Church. An event that I believe will never happen again.
For in his coming in such a manner God opened up their hearts and minds of his disciples, the first missionaries and pastors in such a way that they knew without a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God who died to save people from going to hell. They finally knew the whole story and meaning of his life, as it was prophesied about in the Old Testament.
Their old beliefs were blown away, opening their hearts and minds to what Jesus had taught them. He is the water of life from which when one drinks he never gets spiritually thirsty. He is the bread of life that when one eats he never gets spiritually hungry. He is the Good Shepherd. He is God in human flesh.
They got it and then the moment they left that room to talk to those attracted by the sound of a high wind they became Apostles, which means “sent one.” On this day the Christian church was born.
On that day the nations that had been driven apart by having their common language confused when they had tried to build a tower to God a thousand or so years earlier were united in one message, as God working through the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples.
The Christian Church started with 12 Apostles that day. By the end of the day it had grown by thousands and then multiplied again and again. People were being saved right and left daily. That has not changed, for today the Holy Spirit is still at work, as people read and hear about Jesus and his saving work on their behalf all across the world.
While we today do not have the special gifts of instantly having a complete understanding of God’s Holy Word and instantly being able to speak in foreign languages we still have the Holy Spirit in each of us, as God’s Word tells us in I Corinthians 12:4-14. Paul is speaking to the congregation in Corinth.
“"4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”
While certain Christians are given special gifts for the good of the congregation and the spreading of God’s love all Christians have been given have been given other gifts, as we see in Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
Last Sunday I announced to those present that I, in the name of the congregation was helping a 54 year old woman who had been homeless for two months. She was living on the streets, a frightening experience she told me. I asked each of those in attendance to contribute, if so moved by the Holy Spirit, to a fund to help her find an apartment plus set her up with all the things a person needs to live. That Sunday over 1,300 dollars was collected plus by the end of the week I had enough furniture to set up the apartment. She is now in a safe environment and looking forward to being part of the community again. That my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But that is not all. This week we had one of the most successful Vacation Bible Schools since I have been here. Many children who did not know of the love of Jesus were taught about him by people who were moved by the Holy Spirit. There were helpers, and cooks, and leaders, all moved by the Holy Spirit.
Not only were the adults moved by the Holy Spirit the children were moved by the Holy Spirit too. They contributed over 500 dollars, most of it in change, to the Lutheran Malaria fund. That is twice as much as we have ever collected from Vacation Bible School.
The Holy Spirit is moving in this congregation, as people volunteer to help in the nursery, so that our young families can worship. People are volunteering to teach the summer Bible Time lessons, and more people are starting to attend adult Bible classes here and in homes. People are willing to run for office or serve on a church board.
There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is moving through the people of the congregation as we fulfill our mission statement to proclaim the Gospel, properly administer the Sacraments, and to reach outward in the community and world to help others know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Amen.
6/12/11
Acts 2:1-21
Title: The Holy Spirit has entered the building.
I have titled my sermon for this morning, “The Holy Spirit has entered the building.” The reason I did that was that last week I said that since Jesus has ascended into heaven you could say, in a sense, that he has left the building, actually the world, or has he? We will see.
As I was preparing for this sermon I became curious as to why God picked the Festival of Pentecost, a Jewish holy day to announce the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the world. So, I spent some time researching Pentecost; when it started, its traditions, and history. What I found out was that Pentecost officially was the last day of the celebration of the festival of the spring harvest which took place 50 days after the celebration of the Passover which celebrates the passing over the homes of the Israelites by the angel of death in Egypt.
But, for at least 100 years before Jesus walked the earth Pentecost had become for the Jewish people, and still is to this day, mainly about the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
So when I found out that Pentecost was about celebrating the giving of the Ten Commandments it became clear to me why Pentecost was chosen by God as the time for the Holy Spirit to descend into the world. Pentecost is about the giving of the Law. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law.
And since all the world needed to know about his act of salvation God the Father sent the Holy Spirit who not being restrained by time and place, as Jesus was, could enter into others, so that they could continue doing what Jesus had done before his Ascension.
Besides that Pentecost drew Jews and Jewish converts from all over the known world who after coming to faith in Jesus would go back to their cities, providences, and countries where they could tell others about Jesus and his saving work. Pentecost then is the Big Bang of Christianity. It all starts here.
It is important to know that this does not mean that the Holy Spirit was never in the world before Pentecost, for there is plenty of evidence throughout the Holy Scriptures that he was active in the lives of God’s people. Jesus himself had breathed the Holy Spirit on his disciples, so that they could come to faith, although at times it was pretty weak and many times an inaccurate faith, not because the Spirit was weak or inaccurate, but because the disciples would not open their hearts and minds to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. They were stuck in the past beliefs of the priests.
So on Pentecost Day the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Jesus in such a way that they finally got the message. He came in the sound of a mighty wind and what appeared to look like tongues of fire. He came in a way that was meant specifically for the future leaders of the Christian Church. An event that I believe will never happen again.
For in his coming in such a manner God opened up their hearts and minds of his disciples, the first missionaries and pastors in such a way that they knew without a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God who died to save people from going to hell. They finally knew the whole story and meaning of his life, as it was prophesied about in the Old Testament.
Their old beliefs were blown away, opening their hearts and minds to what Jesus had taught them. He is the water of life from which when one drinks he never gets spiritually thirsty. He is the bread of life that when one eats he never gets spiritually hungry. He is the Good Shepherd. He is God in human flesh.
They got it and then the moment they left that room to talk to those attracted by the sound of a high wind they became Apostles, which means “sent one.” On this day the Christian church was born.
On that day the nations that had been driven apart by having their common language confused when they had tried to build a tower to God a thousand or so years earlier were united in one message, as God working through the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples.
The Christian Church started with 12 Apostles that day. By the end of the day it had grown by thousands and then multiplied again and again. People were being saved right and left daily. That has not changed, for today the Holy Spirit is still at work, as people read and hear about Jesus and his saving work on their behalf all across the world.
While we today do not have the special gifts of instantly having a complete understanding of God’s Holy Word and instantly being able to speak in foreign languages we still have the Holy Spirit in each of us, as God’s Word tells us in I Corinthians 12:4-14. Paul is speaking to the congregation in Corinth.
“"4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”
While certain Christians are given special gifts for the good of the congregation and the spreading of God’s love all Christians have been given have been given other gifts, as we see in Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
Last Sunday I announced to those present that I, in the name of the congregation was helping a 54 year old woman who had been homeless for two months. She was living on the streets, a frightening experience she told me. I asked each of those in attendance to contribute, if so moved by the Holy Spirit, to a fund to help her find an apartment plus set her up with all the things a person needs to live. That Sunday over 1,300 dollars was collected plus by the end of the week I had enough furniture to set up the apartment. She is now in a safe environment and looking forward to being part of the community again. That my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But that is not all. This week we had one of the most successful Vacation Bible Schools since I have been here. Many children who did not know of the love of Jesus were taught about him by people who were moved by the Holy Spirit. There were helpers, and cooks, and leaders, all moved by the Holy Spirit.
Not only were the adults moved by the Holy Spirit the children were moved by the Holy Spirit too. They contributed over 500 dollars, most of it in change, to the Lutheran Malaria fund. That is twice as much as we have ever collected from Vacation Bible School.
The Holy Spirit is moving in this congregation, as people volunteer to help in the nursery, so that our young families can worship. People are volunteering to teach the summer Bible Time lessons, and more people are starting to attend adult Bible classes here and in homes. People are willing to run for office or serve on a church board.
There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is moving through the people of the congregation as we fulfill our mission statement to proclaim the Gospel, properly administer the Sacraments, and to reach outward in the community and world to help others know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 1:34 PM
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