Sunday June 8th 2014 – Pentecost
The bringer of peace - Acts 2 1-21 & John 20 19 - 23
We are now at the end of a nine week sermon series which began on
Palm Sunday looking at different aspects of Jesus. This started with “The
one who comes in the name of the Lord”; Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a
donkey and is acclaimed by the crowd. Followed by “The Lord”; Mary is
very sad when she goes to the tomb. She discovers the wonderful truth
that Jesus is alive and she is full of life and joy again. Next we had
Thomas left out when the other disciples have seen the risen Jesus. Jesus
appears again and Thomas recognises him as ‘My Lord and my God’.
Then came “The risen Lord”; two disciples travelling from Jerusalem to
Emmaus are joined on the road by the risen Jesus. They fail to recognise
him until they invite him in and he breaks bread. Next was “I am the
gate”; moving on from the resurrection appearances to some of the
imagery Jesus used to talk about himself: followed by Jesus gathered
with his disciples, He teaches them, offering comfort and vision. Jesus
says, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’. Then we had “The one who
loves”; As Pentecost approaches, Jesus reassures the disciples that the
Spirit will come to those who love him, an Advocate to remain with them
for ever. Last week we looked at Jesus ascension “The glorified Son”. So
we conclude this series today where we look at “The bringer of peace and
Pentecost.
In this morning’s readings we have two contrasting accounts of God’s gift
of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ followers. One is set on the evening of the first
Easter, and the other on the morning of Pentecost. John’s ‘philosophical’
presentation shows Jesus as equally glorified in his death, in his
resurrection, and in his breathing on his disciples, whereas the ‘historical’
account by Luke in Acts is just after Jesus’ ascension the disciples were
all meeting together. The day of Pentecost, which is Greek for “fiftieth”,
being the fiftieth day after Passover when the Jews celebrated the giving
of the Law on Sinai. Enough of an introduction!
Let me start by looking at the passage from Acts; “they were all together
in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came
from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They
saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest
on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Then Peter addressed
the crowd: 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.”
What do you expect from the Holy Spirit?
Let me go back through the New Testament at what was said about the
Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist said John 1 v 33; “the one who sent me to baptise with
water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and
remain, Jesus, is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus said John 14 v 15
(RSV);
“If you love me, you will keep my
commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another
Counsellor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you
know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you
desolate; I will come to you.”
Paul said in Romans 5 v 5; “God’s love has been poured out into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” In 15 v 13;
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”:
And in 1 Corinthians 6 v 16; “Do you not know that your bodies are
temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from
God?”
The writer of Hebrews said 2 v 4; “Salvation, which was first announced
by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also
testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the
Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
Jude said 1 v 20; “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in
your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in
God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you
to eternal life.”
These are just a few of the passages about the Holy Spirit in the New
Testament, I counted 94.
What do you expect from the Holy Spirit?
We are: Baptised with the Holy Spirit: The Spirit of truth, dwells with us,
and in us. God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in us,
whom you have received from God. We have gifts of the Holy Spirit
distributed according to his will.
What do you expect from the Holy Spirit?
There was another reading set for today from 1 Corinthians 12 v 4;
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different
kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working,
but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to
each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another
a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by
the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another
miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing
between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to
still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one
and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he
determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many
parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one
Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free –
and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
What do you expect from the Holy Spirit?
Jesus last message in John to his disciples as they gathered together was
twofold, first Peace and second receive the Holy Spirit to empower them
to go out into the world to carry forward Jesus’ message of forgiveness.
John 20 v 21; “Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has
sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said,
receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are
forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
What do you expect from the Holy Spirit?
Let me leave you with two brief prayers from Paul to us all from his
letters to the Romans and Corinthians; “May the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit and may the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
you all.
David
All the quotations from scripture are taken from NIV – UK except where notated.