PENTECOST 2003

  

Jesus said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

This Sunday in the church calendar is one which many of remember from our younger days. For me it is a time I remember when new clothes were bought, when a banner was carried around the town centre declaring our allegiance to our church, and end with a large gathering of thousands of well dressed churchgoers to sing some hymns. Then when  our parade had finished we used to rush up to Yorkshire Street to watch the separate parade by the Catholic churches.

But as I look at the account of the Day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts I can find no mention of new clothes, no mention of banners, no mention of processing through the streets, no mention of being separate churches. What I see instead is an amazing day, a day when God really moved in a mighty way, a day when God came and not only met his people, but actually dwelt in them. A day when thousands were drawn to see what was happening, a day when the gospel was preached mightily, a day when thousands became followers of Jesus - what a day!

But what sort of day was it? What would it have been like to be there? What must it have felt like to sit in that upper room and hear that sound of the coming of the Holy Spirit like a might wind? How must it have felt to have experienced tongues of fire coming down and resting on each of them? The other morning on the way to work I passed the scene of what I assumed was a bad accident on the M60. There were cars and lorries stopped at all angles, and all the lanes were blocked on the opposite carriageway.  When I turned the news on getting home that evening I discovered that what had happened was that everyone had stopped to try and rescue a man who had set himself on fire. How terrifying must that have been, both for the man himself, and those other motorists who stopped to try and help. On the day of Pentecost fire fell, and it fell on each of them  - if I had been there I would have been absolutely terrified.

So what can we learn from the experience those early followers had?

We need to remember that we worship a God of power. We worship a God who can come as fire and wind, as well as dove and gentle voice. When the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, the lives of those early followers was disturbed, the lives of those who had gathered for the festival was disturbed, and whenever the Holy Spirit comes in power he will cause disruption.

We worship a God of power, and this morning I want us to think about what that power is for. Power can be a dirty word in the world of today - we can all think of places like Zimbabwe where there is corruption in the corridors of power. And we can all think of examples within the church of when we have known someone abuse the power they had been entrusted with. The tabloids just love the “church leader turns sex-fiend” sort of story.

“Nothing will so avail to divide the church as lover of power” (Chrtystosum)

But just because power can be misused, it doesn’t mean that power is wrong.

The power of the Holy Spirit is available to Christians and to the church of today as a force not for misuse, but for gospel use - for use to help us in proclaiming the gospel. The power of Holy Spirit is not just about power, but of power to do something. 

1) Power to communicate

When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:6)

Whenever we start to think about the day of Pentecost, about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the subject of speaking in tongues will always come up. Speaking in tongues has always been a source of conflict, division and disagreement throughout church history.

But here in Acts 2, immediately after the coming of the Holy Spirit in power, this remarkable thing happens. All those different nationalities, gathered for the Jewish festival, all heard the truth about God being declared in their own language.

There are only three examples of speaking in tongues in the Book of Acts and in each case the result is that the gospel is spread.

1) Acts 2 - the communication brought by the Holy Spirit results in 3000 being baptised

2) Acts 10.45 - in the story of the conversion of Cornelius and his family

“The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” - represents the beginning of the mission to the Gentiles

3) Acts 19.6 - Paul prays for some followers of John the Baptist who had not heard of the Holy Spirit: “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

Power to communicate - power to spread the gospel. How we need that power at work in the church of today, that power of the Holy Spirit.

  

2) Power to lead

^“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.” (Acts 2:14)

Yesterday I spent some time interviewing for a couple of vacancies at work. Reading application forms is something which fascinates and seriously worries me. Just a couple of examples from the latest batch we received:

Why do you think you would be suitable for the position you have applied for:

“Because I always enjoy serving the public especially in the chemist shop”

Please give full details of your employment history: “None”

Position applied for: Saturday Sales Assistant

Are there any days of the week you are unable to work: Saturday.

If there had been an application form to appoint the  leader of the disciples after Jesus’ death, what would Peter have written? Imagine how an imaginary interview might have gone:

Why are you suitable for this job?

“I declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God”

How did you demonstrate this in real life?

“I denied I ever knew him - three times”

The Christian way is a way of peace - in what ways do you demonstrate these qualities under pressure?

“I cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant”

How many out of ten would that score against the required personnel specification?

Would he even make the final shortlist for the job?

 

How much do we need to remember that so often, God’s ways are not our ways. So often the people God chooses as leaders are not the people we would choose. Moses, a man with a speech impediment, chosen to proclaim the Law which God laid down for the Jewish nation, Jeremiah, a young man scared to speak out chosen to be a prophet to a people running away from their Creator. Paul, a Jew who persecuted the Christians of his day, chosen to be God’s messenger to the Jews. God’s choice of leaders is sometimes not what ours would be.

But what type of leadership should we have in the Christian church? What sort of character does the Holy Spirit want our leaders to have? I came across this recently which is a “charter” if you like, a “contract” between Christian leaders and those who are led. I found it really helpful and I hope you do too

The church deserves leaders who:

·                      show personal integrity

·                      embody the vision

·                      are transparent in their leadership, decisions and process

·                      are fully accountable to their membership

·                      communicate carefully, especially about change

·                      listen and lead

  

But it’s a two way thing. As well as power to lead there is also grace to be led. I don’t hear any of the other disciples jumping about on the day of Pentecost, livid that Peter, the man who let Jesus down so many times, has taken the lead. They are gracious enough to follow his leading and to work out their role with that leading.

  

Leaders deserve a membership who

·                      having appointed leaders let them lead

·                      will pray fro their leaders and personally encourage them

·                      will never assume they know everything about a situation (pastoral confidentiality)

·                      if they have something to say will say it to the leaders’ faces, not behind their backs

·                      when they disagree with a decision will do so graciously and openly

·                      will be trusting and supportive

  

The Holy Spirit brings power to lead.

  

3) Power to speak about Jesus

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.  (Acts 2:22)

  

I don’t know if it’s just me, and forgive me if I’m alone in this, but why is it that so often when I speak about my faith I talk about the church?

Why is it that I do that when I know very well that so many in the world, so many people I meet day by day, see the church as irrelevant in what it says and does, outdated in the words it uses and the way it’s people dress, when church buildings are seen as damp, dreary places where music is sung which people think is at best 50 years out of date and probably more? And why do I talk so much about the church when I agree with so many of those sentiments?

  

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit freed up those early Christians to talk about Jesus.

How we need the Holy Spirit to free Christians in the world today to speak about Jesus - how we need the Holy Spirit to free us each up so that we might talk about Jesus - about our relationship with Jesus rather than our activity in the church -  because the amazing thing is that so many in the world today are interested in Jesus. People want to hear about Jesus. Billy Connolly - “I can’t believe in Christianity but I believe Jesus was a wonderful man”

The Holy Spirit gives power to speak about Jesus

  

4) Power to respond to Jesus

 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

(Acts 2:37-41)

  

When was the last time we saw 3000 people respond to Jesus at one time? Have any of us seen ever seen 3000 people respond to Jesus at one time? When the Holy Spirit came in power on the day of Pentecost thousands believed in Jesus.

  

And when the Holy Spirit comes on people today his still gives them power to believe in Jesus, power to respond to Jesus. And it may be that there are some here today who the Holy Spirit has been prompting for some time to look into the claims that Jesus makes on our lives - may be today is the day when you need to make that decision about what you are going to do about Jesus - I pray that the Holy Spirit will be working right now in your hearts prompting you to say you will believe in Jesus. And there may  others here who the Holy Spirit has been urging over past days and weeks to respond to something Jesus has been urging to do for Him. Perhaps this morning you need to ask God to fill you or fill you again with the Holy Spirit so that you may have the power for the task he is calling you to do.

  

The Holy Spirit brought

·                      power to communicate

·                      power to lead

·                      power to speak out about Jesus

·                      power to respond to Jesus

  

And I have to ask myself a simple question

Why is there so much powerlessness?

Why, when there is so much power available to us as Christians is there so much powerlessness in the church of today?

Why when the Bible promises fulness are so many feeling empty?

Why when so much of the worldwide Church is experiencing revival, is the Church in Britain in so much decline?

Where is the power? Where is the power?

'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.”

  

Do we see that? Are our sons and daughters, our young people, prophesying and seeing visions?

  

And what about old men? Are our old men still dreaming dreams? In my involvement with churches over many years the thing that amazes me most is how many people, as they get older, simply give up. I acknowledge that some do this because of ill health but some - well some just give up. I heard a man in his 50's give his testimony a few weeks ago and say how, when he was challenged by the Christian faith when he was 18, the thing which most put him off becoming a Christian was seeing the apathy and boredom in those who had been Christians for 30 years or longer. Is God calling some of us who are over a certain age to take up the challenge again, to be refilled with his Spirit, because we are worn out?

  

“Men of a certain age are weary, everything rolls along.

Nothing has changed for thirty years now, it's still the same old song.

Apathy for your anger, compromise replaced your rage

Things you once stood for now you stay seated, men of a certain age.

  

Men of a certain age are grumpy, nothing has turned out right.

All of those things you hoped to accomplish seem to be set aside.

Where is that great adventure? How can I turn the page?

Rub it all out and start it over, men of a certain age?

  

But who told you to quit? Who said to step down, who said to stop running?

Who said that time had been called on your day?

Who said the anointing had been taken away?

The battle is won, the kingdom is come, it's time to start running.

So pick up that baton and get back in the race ‑ men of a certain age.”

(Robin Mark)

  

Could it be that we have been guilty of replacing the Holy Spirit with our unholy structures?

Could it be that we have been guilty of arguing with God about our understanding of theology, when in reality what God has been saying to us is “Why won’t you let me fill you with my Holy Spirit?”. It’s really easy to say to God - “I not happy with this happening or that happening. We need to be careful we are not deliberately resisting God when it comes to things of the Spirit.

Could it be that we have been guilty of focussing more on the gifts of the Spirit rather than the giver?

Could it be that having once been full of God’s Holy Spirit we have given out and given out and given out, and not been in a position to receive, and now we find ourselves empty?