The sermon uses scripture Numbers 11:24-30 and Acts 2:1-21. It was preached on Pentecost Sunday June 4th at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Richmond, VA.
Spirit of the Living God
Spirit of the Living God
Like somethin' is brewin'
and bout to begin.
Can't put me finger on what lies in store,
But I fear what's to
happen all happened before.
I hesitated to use this quote,
I do not usually mix movie quotes into
sermons.
If you are trying to place it, it is from Mary Poppins.
Just before she arrives on the scene
those are the words of Bert as he knows
something is
‘bout
to begin’.
But it does seem to fit in to the wind of
Pentecost,
Something is brewin', something new is beginning,
And remembering how what has happened
before
can
influence what continues in the present.
Today we celebrate Pentecost.
It is a day we remember the gift of the
Holy Spirit
being bestowed on
the disciples.
It comes upon them like a flame.
The Holy Spirit comes like a wind,
something unseen.
There is something new.
The wind brings something to life.
Remember in Genesis when creation began…
the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the
deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Wind, spirit, and breath of God
are all the same
word in Hebrew: ruach.
The wind, the Spirit, is active in
creation.
In the scripture from Acts,
there is more than
the violent wind and tongues of fire;
There is something new beginning.
It begins with proclamation of the good
news.
The message is for all to hear.
This amazing moment is not the fact that many can hear
in their own
language;
The miracle is not upon their ears.
The miracle, the gift of God is
God taking action through the Holy Spirit and
that the disciples speak so the people can understand.
The Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of God, takes action in the
life of the people.
The Spirit of God breathed life into dust
and created human beings.
The
Spirit of God touched and inspired
the Old Testament prophets.
The
Holy Spirit gives voice.
When
the Old Testament prophets spoke
it was usually not what
those in charge wanted to hear.
The prophets were speaking from outside
the center of power,
from the margins.
They challenged kings.
They warned of what could happen
if the people did not follow God’s path.
They spoke truth even when no one wanted to listen.
God’s Spirit was upon them.
In the scripture from Numbers, the Spirit
of God was on Moses
and it came upon 70 of the elders;
so they could then
share the burden of leadership.
Yet, the interesting thing is how the
Spirit of God ‘spilled over’
onto
2 people in the camp;
2
men who were not at the tent
where the others
were prophesying.
They were among the people and prophesying.
The work of the Spirit of God was not amongst the elders alone.
The Spirit was among the people.
The prophet Joel proclaims God’s Spirit
will be upon all the people.
I will pour out my
spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even
on the male and female slaves,
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
All the people.
This is new creation.
A future of hope.
The Holy Spirit touched the Apostles and
gave them voice.
They witnessed to the risen Christ.
The Spirit, the wind came upon them.
And as they spoke,
prophesied,
proclaimed
and
the people were ‘amazed and
perplexed’.
The people knew something was happening
but did not understand it.
We do not
always understand what God is doing.
There are things that amaze and perplex us
as well.
However, we
have faith,
we
have trust,
we
have hope.
We have a Living God,
God
is active in our lives.
The Holy Spirit is among the people.
The Spirit of God was active in the Old
Testament.
The Holy Spirit was working among the
disciples.
The Spirit of God is working within us.
How is the Holy Spirit at work today?
Do
we see the Spirit of God working toward
a new creation in today’s world?
What
about in our corner of the world?
In
Richmond…in our neighborhoods…within the church.
The Holy Spirit works from among the
people
to take action in
our communities and the world.
It begins with the individual.
One of my favorite hymns says:
Spirit
of the Living God, fall a-fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
That simple hymn has you and I
inviting God to let
the Holy Spirit
embody us to do God’s work in the world.
Fill me. Use
me.
So how do you and I embody the Holy
Spirit?
How are we open to God working through us?
Discipleship -we
strive to follow Jesus’ example.
Loving one
another.
Mission -you and I reach out with mercy to others.
Caring for those on the
margins.
Proclaiming the gospel -we are witnesses to the resurrection.
Speaking truth.
The Holy Spirit moves us from being
self-centered
and frees us to
serve our neighbors;
we are allowed to let go of our grasp on things
of the world,
and set our task
to loving people.
With the gift of the Spirit all things are
possible.
There is hope.
What happened with the Apostles at
Pentecost?
Transformation and new creation.
Their Spirit-filled community of faith
spread the word of God,
the salvation found
through the resurrection,
to people of all
languages.
So it could spread around the world and
empower creation.
On Pentecost, the Easter promise was
fulfilled
by sending the
Holy Spirit.
William Willimon in his commentary on Acts
says:
“At Pentecost the power of God,
made
manifest at the resurrection and ascension of Christ,
is
bestowed upon the people of God.”
So
on this day of Pentecost,
you and I celebrate the gift of
the Holy Spirit.
It
draws us together in unity.
It
helps us understand what God is doing in the world.
The
Holy Spirit empowers us to take action,
to proclaim in word and deed God’s
love,
the salvation through Jesus
Christ,
and the hope of new creation.
The
wind is blowing.
The
spirit is in action.
The
ruach is upon all the people.
Something
is ‘bout
to begin’.
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