Rev.
Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon
– Acts 2:1-21
– Amazed and Perplexed
Pitts
Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
Pentecost
May
27,
2012
Fifty
days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and just ten days after
his ascension to heaven his followers met in an upper room somewhere
in Jerusalem. The group numbered 120, roughly the same size as the
combined congregations of Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam. They had been
told by Jesus to go back there and wait. The great crowds that had
followed Jesus in his ministry were gone. They had expected Jesus to
be the messiah and lead a military revolt against the occupying
forces of the Roman Empire. They had seen his miracles and listened
to him teach that the Kingdom of God was near. But all this
seemingly was not to be. Jesus had been arrested and crucified.
Some rumors went around that he had been seen alive, but how could
these be true? So all that was left was around 120 people, about the
same size as Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches.
The
remnant of the followers of Jesus were filled with fear. If they
ventured into the world they might be arrested as followers of Jesus.
They might be ridiculed by others for continuing to believe in a
rabbi who had been executed by the authorities. They were afraid
that maybe their faith was based on a fantasy. They didn't know what
to do. They were stuck. As they waited they did the best they
could. The retold the stories of Jesus' life on earth. They did
what Jesus did and searched the Old Testament for clues about what
his life, death and resurrection were all about. They broke bread
and drank wine just as Jesus had told them to do. And, of course
they elected officers and formed committees just like any church
waiting Jesus to return.
This
should all sound pretty familiar. We are still waiting for Jesus'
return. We gather each Sunday morning to retell the stories of Jesus
and search the scripture for meaning. Once a month we break the
bread and drink the wine just as Jesus told us to do. And, of
course, we elect officers and form committees. The 100
Presbyterians in Pocomoke are not very different from the 120
followers of Jesus who met in that upper room as the feast of
Pentecost was beginning. Just like them we fear to bring our faith
into the community around us. Just like them we fear that we will be
ridiculed and made fun of. So we come to church on Sundays here in
this room, but remain silent about our faith the rest of the week. We
are just like the 120 who gathered in that room and like them we need
to pray.
“Grant
unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly
wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own
edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
All
of sudden something happen which changed everything. It strengthened
them and empowered them just Jesus had promised. So what happened to
this group of 120 followers of Jesus? Listen to the account in the
second chapter of the Book of Acts.
NIV
Acts
2:1
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven
and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to
rest on each of them. 4
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every
nation under heaven. 6
When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment,
because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7
Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are
speaking Galileans? 8
Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;
visitors from Rome 11
(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them
declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12
Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this
mean?" 13
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too
much wine."
So
the thing they feared the most happened. The Holy Spirit came and
empowered them to proclaim the gospel to everyone regardless of
language or ethnicity. And when they did people made fun of them
and called them drunks. Isn't this our greatest fear? If we leave
church and witness to others sharing our faith and proclaiming the
good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of
eternal life aren't we afraid that we will be ridiculed, made fun of.
Won't modern people call us stupid for believing in miracles? Won't
people be offended if we offered to pray with them? Won't the
atheist try to stop us from proclaiming the gospel in the public
square? According to scripture the answer is yes. We will be
ridiculed. We will be made fun of. We will be called stupid. But
if we are filled with the Holy Spirit none of this will matter
because the Holy Spirit strengthens us and directs us. With the Holy
Spirit we are empowered as witnesses of the resurrection of the
Christ in spite of the ridicule we will receive. With the Holy
Spirit we will leave this worship space and go into the world as
ambassadors of Christ and the leading edge of the kingdom of God.
You
can see all of this through the example of Peter. Peter was just an
illiterate fisherman. On the night of Jesus' arrest his courage
failed when his sword was taken away and three time that night he
fearfully denied that he even knew Jesus. That was just 50 days ago.
But now Peter is empowered by the Holy Spirit. His fear is gone.
The ridicule doesn't affect him at all. The possibility of arrest
doesn't concern him. He had strength and courage that not even he
would have expected. And he did the most unexpected thing: he
proclaimed his faith in public.
Act
2:14
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed
the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem,
let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15
These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the
morning! 16
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17
"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will
see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in
those days, and they will prophesy. 19
I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the
coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
With
boldness Peter declared that the prophesy of Joel had been fulfilled.
The Holy Spirit of God had come into the world. And now everything
was about to change. The Holy Spirit had come to transform the world
into the Kingdom of God just as Jesus had promised. The Spirit's had
begun transforming 120 follower of Jesus into leaders of a movement
that would change the world.
What
if the Holy Spirit did the same the same thing right here in
Pocomoke? What if the Spirit filled us with the ability to witness
our faith in Jesus Christ? What if the Spirit calmed our fears so
that we could proclaim our faith even in the midst of ridicule? What
if the Spirit strengthened us, the Presbyterians in Pocomoke, to
begin a transformation that would change the world? All of this is
possible if we allow the Holy Spirit into our hearts.
The
Holy Spirit comes into our hearts through worship and daily practices
of prayer and meditation on scripture. Do these thing and your fears
will melt away. Your faith will be strengthened. Your hearts will
be filled with God's Spirit. You will pray for healing and people
will be healed. You will proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ
and promise of eternal life to everyone you know. Through your
proclamation people will come to Christ and the church will be full.
You will reach out to people of other ethnic groups and who speak
different languages. Your will church will be united with one mind.
You will be able to withstand the evils powers at work in the world
trying to stop you. You will be able to do all of this because the
Holy Spirit of God is in you and with you.
So
I urge you today to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Dedicate
yourselves to regular prayer, worship and meditation on God' word.
The Spirit will come upon you just as it did to those 120 follower of
Jesus some two thousand years ago, and through you the Spirit will
transform the world. Let's pray. Holy Spirit, on the Pentecost
Sunday we pray that you enter this church just as you entered that
upper room. Fill us with the ability to proclaim the resurrection of
Jesus Christ and promise of eternal life with boldness. And use this
proclamation to bring people to belief in our Lord Jesus Christ so
that more and more people will experience your transforming power.
This we pray in the name of the one who sent you, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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