Today we celebrate the birthday of the church, at Pentecost, that day long ago in Jerusalem. It was a day when the disciples of Jesus had obeyed his command to wait in Jerusalem until they had been clothed with power, from on high [Luke 24:49].
What I find interesting about this event is that God gave us a preview of coming attractions, so to speak, in the Book of Numbers:
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.
26 Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ 28 And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men,* said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ 29 But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!’ 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. [Numbers 11: 24-32]
Moses being a prophet foretells God’s actions at Pentecost.
In the first chapter of Acts we read they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here, let's take a look at this coming of the Holy Spirit first of all chronologically and at the same time we might ask some pertinent questions. Like, WHO, WHAT, WHY and HOW. Probably we should rearrange the order of our readings this morning into John first, then Acts and finally the reading from Romans.
In the Gospel reading John tells us that Jesus prepared his disciples for the coming of the Advocate by describing the mission of the Holy Spirit prior to his arrest and crucifixion. Now his appearing to them was two-fold in purpose. Not only was he there to reassure them but also to give them a commission. The Father had sent his Son Jesus into world on a specific mission, it is quoted in John 3:17;
"For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
Now Christ sends his disciples on the very same mission. He told them that evening;
"As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."
The interesting thing about those two words sent and send, in the Greek they are two different words. The first is "apestalken" and the second is "pempo". The Father sending Christ is "apostello", which means first of all, a setting apart and sending forth with delegated authority. Christ sending the believer is pempo, which never means delegated authority, it always means to dispatch under authority. God sent Christ and delegated all authority to Him. Christ delegates no authority to the believer. He dispatches messengers. Remember Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The disciple points the Way, proclaims the Truth, and shares the Life. In pointing, proclaiming and sharing the disciple participates in the Christ's mission in saving the world. Not only did he give them a mission he prepared them to get the power they would need to accomplish the mission. We have our first question answered: WHO would come to empower them? The Holy Spirit [pneuma hagios]. In John, chapter 14 Jesus told his disciples of his coming;
"These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you.
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you." [John 14: 25-26]
Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."
John's context is specifically that of the commission of the RISEN Lord and the gift of the Spirit. It therefore entails the double context of the continuance of the mission of Jesus through his disciples, in the world, and the continuance of that mission through the Holy Spirit to the world, in and with the disciples. The double aspect of the mission is declaring salvation and judgment. Now that we see WHO would come, let's look at WHAT took place at his coming. The story in Acts, chapter 2 is familiar one, since we hear of the coming of the Spirit, at Pentecost, with tongues of fire. Let's examine the subtleties involved with this. Luke carefully wove this narrative in with Jewish tradition, so that it would not be lost on the people of that day. Pentecost was first of all a celebration of the first fruits of the grain harvest, which took place fifty days after Passover. The day after the seventh Sabbath. It became over time a celebration of the giving of the law to Moses at Mount Sinai. This could also be looked at as celebrating the Old Covenant. Luke also parallels this outpouring of the Spirit with the Baptism of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit on Jesus to initiate his ministry. By doing this we see that the essential difference between the Jewish faith and the old covenant is that it was Torah or law centered while for the Church, the new covenant is Christ centered and Spirit directed. When the Spirit arrives, we read of three manifestations that are also seen in the Old Testament, wind, fire and inspired speech. The fire and speech is distributed individually, which is again the antithesis of what had happened in the Old Covenant. The divine presence rested on Israel corporately, but now he comes and rests on each believer, individually. The dispersal of the Spirit on individual believers is not without precedent because that is what happened to individuals in the Old Testament as they were empowered by God for his service. Which brings us to the WHY as told us by St. Paul in his letter the Corinthians.
"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God,
who inspires them all in everyone." [1 Corinthians 12: 4-6]
In reading this passage again I noticed for the first we are given the Trinitarian formula in reverse order. The varieties of gifts, service, and working are for one purpose. Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians long ago that when Christ ascended on high, he gave gifts to mankind such as;
"He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as
evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, FOR THE EQUIPPING
OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF SERVICE; to the building up
of the Body of Christ." [Ephesians 4:11-12]
Not only are the gifts for the building of the body but that the body may be able to function. Power can be used in at least two ways: it can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. The energy in 10 gallons of gasoline, for example, can be released explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or it can be channeled through the engine of a car in a controlled burn and used to transport us 350 miles, depending on the car, of course. Now explosions are spectacular, but controlled burns have a lasting effect, they have staying power. The Holy Spirit works both ways, at Pentecost, he exploded on the scene; his presence was like "tongues of fire." Thousands were affected by one burst of God's power. But he also works through the church -- the institution through which God began to tap the Holy Spirit's power for the long haul. Through worship, fellowship, service, preaching and teaching, Christians are provided with staying power. This brings us to the HOW of the carrying out of Jesus' ministry. The Ministry of Jesus was carried on by the Church in the New Testament by being active in five areas. First and foremost, it was involved in Worship and Liturgy. When three thousand people were added to the church that first day, it began with devotions to the apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers [Acts 2:42]. They also spent everyday in the temple courts praising God. Worshipping God with glad hearts for all he had accomplished through Jesus was the order of the day. All the promises of God to the people of Israel and their descendants, through the words of the prophets, had come true, in Jesus Christ. Worship, as our high calling, stands at the apex of a five-pointed star and is directed toward God the Father and Jesus Christ, his only and Eternal Son. St. Paul has aptly described for us in his letter to the Philippians a hymn to Christ that is foremost worship in its grandest sense. This chiasmus begins and ends in heaven firing the church's ministry as it directs
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of
a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in
human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and
bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father." [Philippians 2:5-11]
Whenever we talk of ministry, we must gauge what we do and say by the example of Jesus, as indicated in this hymn from the letter to the Philippians. All our purposes must be weighed against whether or not God will be glorified by what we do. Our worship is intended to bring us to the next level of the five-pointed star and covers two areas. These are Fellowship and Service [Koinonia and Diakonia] and encompass the very ministry of Jesus while he was here on earth. He developed his disciples through the intensive training period of three years by his close fellowship with them. And when his time or hour had come, he gave them the means to maintain fellowship with himself and all believers. He instituted the Eucharist at the last meal he had with them. As St. Paul points out in his first letter to the Corinthians, he gave them bread and wine which became his Body and Blood. He commanded that they "Do this, in remembrance of me." When we remember that he took the role of a servant throughout his ministry we see the importance of serving those who are in need and outcast. In fact, it was precisely Jesus' ministry to those in need, as he healed the sick, the lame, and the blind that spread his name far and wide. It was also these mighty acts done by the apostles that continue to spread the name of Jesus across the world. Peter and John healed the lame man at the temple, through Jesus' name and got in trouble with the authorities. Paul prayed over the young man who fell asleep while Paul preached and then fell out the window, and the young man was healed. The ministry of the church has continued to be one of service to those in need. James wrote that religion that is pure and undefiled before God is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. He held that it was important to be a doer of the word and not a hearer. James was definitely a man of action and counted it more important than words when it came to expressing faith through ministry.
When we look at the next level or the last two areas of the church's ministry, we find the foundation of ministry to be the church's preaching and teaching. All that the church does will come through what it preaches and teaches. Our attitude toward ministry will flow out of the love that God has for us and that same love that we exhibit toward one another. John has so aptly indicated that love is of God and is God in his first epistle [1 John 4: 7-11]. This concept of God is also foundational in our ministry when we look at the function of fellowship in the life of the church. It is our relationships with each other as Christians that "preaches" louder than what we say. The early church members were noted among the society that they lived in for the love that they had for each other. This love permeates our fellowship, our service and our worship and should also be our teaching. Jesus, in his sermon on the mount gave us a "job description" for the disciple in the Beatitudes. It should be central to the church's teaching for disciples. These foundational "Be-attitudes" are also intertwined with our service, our fellowship, our worship and affect our preaching or proclamation of the gospel. The New Testament and the ministry of the church revolve around these five particular areas, which work toward the proclamation of the central message that Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost. He accomplished this through his incarnational birth, his life and ministry, his substitutionary death, his resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God. That message also includes his return in GLORY. We recite the "Mystery of Faith" during the Eucharistic Prayer A that sums it up very nicely;
CHRIST HAS DIED!!
CHRIST IS RISEN!!
CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN!!
An apocryphal story is told that upon his return to heaven, at the Ascension, the angels asked Jesus what the "backup" plan was just in case the disciples he left behind to complete his work couldn't handle the job. The story goes that Jesus told them there was no alternative plan. It was all in the hands of the church to complete his work on earth. Of course, they needed power to do it, which is why the Holy Spirit was sent at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit took the things concerning Jesus and made them present, vivid, and formative in the lives of the disciples. The ministry of the church (messengers) and the message were like two sides of the same coin. The church is particularly apostolic when it witnesses in its own life (and death) to the power of the resurrection and proclaims that Jesus saves.
A. BACKGROUND NOTES: HOLY SPIRIT
1. The person and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels are confirmed by His work in the early church. The baptism with the Holy Spirit [Acts 1:5] is the pouring out of the Spirit's power in missions and evangelism [Acts 1:8]. This prophecy of Jesus (and of [Joel 2:28-32]) begins on Pentecost [Acts 2:1-18]. Many of those who hear of the finished work of God in Jesus' death and resurrection [Acts 2:32-38] repent of their sins. In this act of repentance, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [Acts 2:38], becoming witnesses of God's grace through the Holy Spirit.
2. The Holy Spirit also reveals to Christians the deep things of God [1 Cor. 2:10-12] and the mystery of Christ [Eph. 3:3-5]. The Holy Spirit acts with God and Christ as the pledge or guarantee by which believers are sealed for the day of salvation [2 Cor. 1:21-22], and by which they walk and live [Rom. 8:3-6] and abound in hope with power [Rom. 15:13]. Against the lust and enmity of the flesh Paul contrasts the fruit of the Spirit: "Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" [Gal. 5:22-23].
B. DOCTRINAL POINTS
1. In John’s Gospel Jesus appears with the gift that he had promised them in his Farewell Discourse in the upper room. We see this gift poured out on Pentecost, much like that at the creation with wind and fire. All this comes at accomplishment of Jesus’ hour. The tongues of fire symbolize the empowerment of the disciples to proclaim the gospel.
2. Jesus, the Apostle of God, now sends the disciples to continue his own mission on earth. In order to that they will be able to do this, Jesus fulfills the words of John the Baptist. John said Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus effects a new creation in the disciples by breathing on them his own Spirit. The Spirit is the source of life for them and they will in turn share all the others who come to believe in Jesus.
3. The Holy Spirit creates in us a love for Jesus Christ and then showers us with other gifts that are needed for the common good. These charismatic gifts are to help the members be truly supportive of each other as they live a life of faith, hope and love.
4. The ministry of the disciples will face people with a choice between life and death, light and darkness, between love and hate. In this way, they will participate in Jesus’ mission of reconciliation, which he exercises as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
C. APPLICATION/DISCUSSION:
1. The Holy Spirit shook the disunified disciples into a unified group of dedicated believers. Their petty differences melted in the warmth of the Spirit of God. Their unity was of purpose, truth, grace, mercy, love and loyalty to God. Is there such unity in our church? If not, there must be a searching, a longing and an open spirit in the church for the Holy Spirit of God and a request for such unity from Him.
2. The Holy Spirit shook the powerless to powerfulness. As they sought the presence of God in prayer and fasting suddenly they were filled with power and authority to proclaim Jesus. They shed their weak carnal natures and put on the new ands transforming Christ and His Spirit. They received spiritual power to overcome sin, Satan and Hell. What can we do with the rejuvenating power of the Holy Spirit in our church?
3. The Holy Spirit shook the religious habits of the disciples to their spiritual core. They needed their head knowledge of God coupled with the heart experience of the Holy Spirit in order to be cleansed and empowered. How can God shake us out of our religious complacency and ground us firmly in His Spirit to use us?