Who Put the U in United?

Acts 2:1-21 May 20, 2018 Year B Pentecost Children’s Time…… "How is it ... that all of us hear the disciples speaking in our own native languages? (v. 8, TEV) Object: a globe. Boys and girls, today is the Day of Pentecost. This is one of the most exciting days in the year for us Christians. This is a day we remember how God did some amazing things. All of Jesus' faithful followers were in the big city Jerusalem, where Jesus had died and come back to life. They were all in one place, celebrating a day something like Thanksgiving (in their church in those days, they called it "the Day of Pentecost"). Suddenly all kinds of amazing things began to happen. First there was a loud and noisy sound like a tornado. It must have sounded like the roof was about to blow off. That must have sent shivers down everybody's back. The next thing they knew, something like fire was all over the room, right on top of everybody's head. If you could have seen it, you might have wondered if their hair was going to catch on fire. But it didn't! Nobody there knew how it happened, but they all knew that God was doing something really special. And then the third amazing thing happened. The followers of Jesus went outside where a big crowd of people were standing, because they had come to celebrate the thanksgiving festival. And these people spoke all kinds of different language. It would be something like having people from all of these countries (show them some of the countries on the globe) all coming together here in our city. They would not even understand each other, because their languages would all be different. The amazing thing that happened on that day in Jerusalem was that when all of these people, with all of these different languages, were standing together, they heard Jesus' followers start to talk to them. And the same words that came out of the mouth of the person who began to speak, could be understood by everybody there, each one understanding it in his or her own special language. Now how do you suppose that was possible? (Talk about it.) It was something like being at the United Nations, where everybody can understand the same speaker by listening to an interpreter over a little earphone. But at Pentecost in Jerusalem there weren't any interpreters. It just happened as a miracle. Actually, perhaps there really was an interpreter. The Interpreter was God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is invisible, but he is always with us, doing amazing things and reminding us of God's power. The Holy Spirit is still with us today, helping us to do amazing things. One of the things the Holy Spirit does is help us to take God's love to the people in all these countries you can see on the globe. That's why we send our missionaries all over the world. God wants us to tell them all about how much he loves them. CSS Publishing Co., Acts 2:1-21 Common English Bible (CEB) Pentecost 2 When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. 5 There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. 7 They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? 8 How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” 12 They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” 13 Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!” 14 Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words! 15 These people aren’t drunk, as you suspect; after all, it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! 16 Rather, this is what was spoken through 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 will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. 18 Even upon my servants, men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will cause wonders to occur in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will be changed into blood, before the great and spectacular day of the Lord comes. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[a] Footnotes: a. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32 Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible A small boy was intent on going to church one particular morning. He loved the attention he received from his many adopted grandparents and the cookies after church were always tasty. His sister was not well that morning and his mother said they would not be going. He begged his mother to be able to go, “Please. Please. Please.” Finally she gave in and warned him that she would hear about if he was not. She said, “I am going to ask you what the sermon was about, so you had better be listening.” Off he went and at the appropriate time he returned. His mother was very curious but waited to quiz him until after his lunch. He ate his sandwich and drank his milk in silence. Finally she asked, “What was the topic of the sermon, honey? Were you listening?” “Yes, Mom. I was listening but the sermon made no sense.” “The sermon always makes sense. What did the minister say?” “Well Mom you are going to be just as confused as I was but the sermon was on quilts.” “Quilts?” questioned the astonished mother. “I’ve never heard a sermon on quilts!” “Yes, that’s what I said, quilts.” “And what did the minister say about quilts?” “Well, all I got from it was, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get a quilt”. “You’re right dear. That doesn’t make any sense! We don’t need a quilt. Maybe they are collecting quilts for the Red Cross. They give out quilts to people who need them, you know.” “No, Mom! Everyone will get one.” Very puzzled the mother finally picked up the phone and called the minister. ”Oh, Hi Teresa, before you ask, your son sat in the front row, was as good as gold and he looked like he was really listening. You don’t have to worry about him coming alone. What can I do for you?” The mother explained what her son had told her about the sermon and the minister started to chuckle. “What’s so funny?” asked the mom. “You never know what people will hear and how they will tell others. Especially the children, but what he told you IS almost exactly what I said. I emphasize “almost”. The title of my sermon was, “Fear Not! Your Comforter Will Come.”“ Today is a special holiday for the church, but we don’t have to share this day with the world like our other days. No one knows what Pentecost is, I am sure that not all Christians even know what Pentecost is. And how much does a Penta Cost anyway. I got you – a Penta is a flower, and home depot likes to put them on sale at this time of year. But seriously, Pentecost is simply the birthday celebration of the church. The day the church was born. Jesus had promised that he would send his spirit to guide and comfort us. And on Pentecost, the spirit arrived. Pentecost is the festival of the wheat harvest. Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem. But this Pentecost they came to understand one another, even though they spoke different languages. There was a spirit of unity and communication. In the old testament when they gathered to build Babel, God sent them a spirit of confusion, lest they get too arrogant. But on Pentecost, God reversed that spirit. Even today, we don’t speak the same language. And even in the church, we don’t always agree with one another. Pentecost is not about uniformity, but harmony. In the midst of our differences, we can still put Christ first in our lives. Our unity comes from the power of God amongst us. There is no one of us that possesses the power of God alone. Clergy need laity and laity need clergy. The musicians work with the sermon, and the pastor works with the choir. We have to understand that our unity is a gift from God, equally bestowed. The purpose of the church is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to save souls. It is the Pentecost experience that gives us the power to do that. It is the churches birthday, because it is the day when we receive some very important gifts. But the gifts are not for us- they are through us- to be given to the world. Acts 2 quotes verses from the old testament book of Joel, where God says the I will pour out my spirit on all people. For Jesus, all people meant that there were no restrictions, no qualifications. All people meant all people. Whether it was the durg addict or the church mother, the young child or the middle ages woman, the sick or the healthy, the rich or the poor. God has a heart for all people, and God is doing whatever he can to save all people. The gifts of Pentecost are there for those who say that they are followers of Christ to have the power to bring salvation to any life and to any situation. Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.) Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead--I talk with him everyday." The church is the most amazing organization in the world! Russ Blowers The gifts of Pentecost are unity, understanding, power, purpose and inspiration. But we have to remember that the source of each gift is God. There is a pertinent dialogue in the sixteenth chapter of Judges. Delilah says to Samson: “Please tell me wherein your great strength lies” (v. 6). After three unsuccessful attempts to discover the source of Samson’s strength, Delilah renews her efforts. Finally Samson succumbs and declares his power is in his hair. You remember the rest of the story. He not only lost his hair, but he lost his strength. When we consider Christian ministry of all believers, irrespective of station or training, we must inevitably ask, where does the strength come from? First and foremost, it comes from God! “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). And it up to each one of us to remember – that the power in our life to truly be effective in ministry comes from our relationship with God. I asked us to wear red, orange or pink, today –because I wanted each of us to realize that the flame of Christ is personal. It is about us, our life, our faith journey. Each of us is a unique flame for Christ. We should be on fire for Christ, each in our own way. We get power through the ways we life out our faith. The representations of the holy spirit is a flame, but it is also a breath. Each and every one of us has a unique breath inside of us. Recently, I ordered this device called a spire. It measures my breathing all day long. Then it sends messages to my phone to tell me whether I am calm or tense. When it senses that I am tense, it sends a message that perhaps I should calm down and take a deep breath. Spire means to breathe. To inspire is to take a deep breath in. To conspire is to work closely with, to aspire is to hope for something better, even spirit comes from the root word spire – which is the power within each of us to live and love with God. The breath is God’s mark upon us that God has a plan for us. Even scripture says to let everything that has breath praise God. Breath, wind is an important symbol of the holy Spirit and of Pentecost. And I want to encourage each of us to use this Pentecost to look at our relationship with God and to be inspired to new life, a new mission, a renewed spirit. This Pentecost, be inspired to conspire with God and aspire to a renewed sense of mission. Let the power of God’s spirit flow through you, and have a use your gifts in order to bring salvation to God’s people. More than any other holiday in the church calendar – Pentecost is about the here and now. It is not about remembering a time in the past, it is not about what happened 2000 years ago, it is about what is happening now. Each and every year, we have to rekindle the Pentecost spirit inside of us. We have to look at what is going on inside of us and what it going on In the world. What is God calling each of us to do about it. Every Pentecost is different. Pentecost is not about what God has done for us, it is about what God is doing through us. The spirit has to be born anew, we have to be inspired anew. God says to each of us – I have given you my gifts, now I want to see what you are going to do with them. I love the message of Pentecost. This is the third and final feast of the church. We spend six months reliving the life of Jesus, the lectionary takes us through the birth of Jesus, starting with Christmas, we go through baptism and call to ministry and his journey to Jerusalem. Then we come to the easter story and the death and resurrection of Jesus, the rising of the disciples, and the ascension of Jesus. As a church we have spent a lot of effort preparing for the festivals of the church. The choir has been practicing, we have worked at decorating. And now that we are ending the graduation season, and coming to the close of the school year, it is time to pack up and take a break for the summer. So that we can rest up for the next holiday season. Actually, that is not the message of Pentecost. In every ending there is a new beginning. As one chapter of our lives close, another begins. Pentecost is not the end of the church year, it is the beginning. The next six month is not about taking a break, it is about seeing God’s vision for the new year. The first six months is about the life of Christ, the last six months is about us as the church. It is our turn to be the hands and feet of Christ. It is our turn to shine, to work, to show the world that Christ is alive and well. As Christ ascends to heaven, he does not say I am leaving you alone, he is saying I am coming to you in a new way. Pentecost is the time where we receive our power and strength to go out in the world and to make a difference. We can pack up, and end choir and end Sunday school, not to go on vacation, but to redirect our energy and attention. We can congratulate our graduates, but also ask them to think about what is next for them. How is God opening up doors, How is God leading you in new directions? How is God calling you to new challenges? The world is not coming to an end, but a new beginning. The gift of Pentecost is overcoming our differences and working together in a new way, to develop new projects. It is realizing how easy it is to misunderstand one another even though we are right next to each other. It is realizing that even when we are tired and on our last leg, it is not our strength that will pull us through, it is the strength of the Holy Spirit within us. He Lives In Me Right Now! Norman Neaves some years ago told about a teacher asking the students in her fourth grade class to name the person they considered the greatest person alive in the world today. Their responses were varied and interesting. One little boy said, “I think it’s Joe Montana because he led the 49ers to all those Super Bowl wins.” A little girl said, George Bush… and still another named Oprah… and on and on it went with the students mentioning a wide variety or celebrities. But then it was little Donnie’s turn. Without hesitation Donnie said, “I think it’s Jesus Christ because He loves everybody and is always ready to help them.” Mrs. Thompson smiled and said, “Well, I certainly like your answer, Donnie, because I’m a Christian too… and I also admire Jesus very much. But there’s one slight problem. I said the greatest living person… and of course, Jesus lived and died almost two thousand years ago. Do you have another name in mind?” I love the simple, innocent, confident, wide-eyed response of little Donnie. He said, “Oh no, Mrs. Thompson, that’s not right at all. Jesus Christ is alive! He lives in me right now!” That’s the good news of our faith and the message of Pentecost… God is with us right now working from the inside out, giving us the Breath of Life, the Fire Power of Commitment… and the Peace That Passes All Understanding. James W. Moore, What Do You Do With Such A Gift? Amen. You Are in the Spirit It's like the story of the shark and the whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, "You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where the ocean is?" The whale responded, "The ocean is what you are in now." The shark would not believe it. "Come on, tell me where the ocean is so I may find it!" The whale repeated, "The ocean is here, now; you are in it." Unbelieving, the shark swam away searching for the ocean. The moral of the story, I believe, is this: don't spend too much time looking for God because the Spirit of God is here in the now of your life, dwelling within you, within me, within this community. And that truth is nurtured in prayer. Susan M. Fleenor, The Indwelling Spirit of Pentecost ________________________ Control A wealthy family from Massachusetts used to take a month's vacation every summer to the coast of Maine, taking their maid with them. The maid had an annual ritual at the beach. She wore an old-fashioned bathing suit, complete with a little white hat, and carried enough paraphernalia to stock Wal-Mart. She would settle herself on the beach, cover every inch of her exposed flesh and journey down to the water's edge. There she would hesitate while taking deep breaths and working up her courage to enter the icy-cold water. Finally, she would daintily extend one foot and lower it slowly into the water until she barely had her big toe submerged. Then she repeated the act with the other foot. Then, having satisfied her minimal urge for a swim, she would retreat to her chair and umbrella and spend the remainder of the vacation curled around a book. I'm afraid that may be a parable of our Christian commitment. Are we afraid to give in to the Pentecost experience, fearful that we might lose control? That's what it is really all about, isn't it? Control. We want to be in control. Well, if Pentecost is to do nothing else, it should remind us that we are not in control, not even - or perhaps I should say especially - of ourselves. Randy L. Hyde, Time to Deliver Passing the Peace There is a true story related about a church in the Pacific Northwest, who much like us, has a time during the service for passing the peace of Christ. This is a time when they greet one another, and their guests, with handshakes and hugs, and kind words of welcome. Nobody thought much about the weekly ritual until the pastor received a letter from a man who had recently joined the congregation. The new member was a promising young lawyer from a prestigious downtown law firm. He drafted a brief but pointed letter on his firm's letterhead. "I am writing to complain about the congregational ritual known as 'passing the peace,' " he wrote. "I disagree with it, both personally and professionally, and I am prepared to take legal action to cause this practice to cease." When the pastor phoned to talk with the lawyer about the letter, he asked why he was so disturbed about sharing the peace of Christ. The lawyer said, "The passing of the peace is an invasion of my privacy." And, in the Pastor’s response to this man, we find the truth of the Christian life. He said, "Like it or not, when you joined the church you gave up some of your privacy, for we believe in a risen Lord who will never leave us alone." And, he said, "You never know when Jesus Christ will intrude on us with a word of peace." Jeremy Rebman, So Send I You The First Fruits of the Spirit Do we have the first fruits of the Spirit? Can someone coming into our door to visit for the first time recognize these traits in us? Love ¬ do we love each other, and do we love those who are different from us? Do we love and welcome visitors, no matter who they are? Do we try to make their acquaintance, so that we can love them? Do we put their comfort above our own? Goodness ¬ Peter tells us (2 Peter 1:5) to support our faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge. Our salvation is the result of God's goodness. Likewise, other persons should benefit as a result of our goodness. Our mission work should clearly show our faith in God's goodness. Peace ¬ Is there peace between us, and peace within us? Can someone tell by being with us, that we have a peaceful soul, based upon God as the source of all that we have.? Faithfulness ¬ Is our steadfastness to Christ's church based upon an enduring loyalty that is true to God, no matter how we feel about the pastor, the district, the conference, the women's group, the organist, or any other facet of our organization? Gentleness ¬ Do we exhibit care and protection for all of God's creation? Are we gentle with the environment, with each other, and with ourselves? Joy ¬ Do we look joyous to the outsider? Do we feel joy inside? True joy in being a child of God should be able to override all unhappiness and bitterness we feel, and should be reflected in our total involvement in our worship. Kindness ¬ This action word can be directed outwardly or inwardly. Do we show compassion and generosity to others and ourselves? Patience ¬ How many of us are willing to let others (and ourselves) come along at each one’s own pace? How many of us can forgive seven times seventy? Self-Control ¬ This is one of the hardest, and may include all of the others. This requires an inner discipline only manageable with the grace of God's Spirit to sustain us in our trials. Do we constantly pray for help in this area, and constantly call on God to help us? If not, we should. Jane Shepherd, Is The Spirit Here? All Together A while ago, there was a special on the PBS channel about three families who lived on the prairie. It was an experiment to see whether or not 21st century families could live the way people lived in the 19th century. Their mission was to plant crops, raise animals and prepare themselves for the upcoming winter. At that point they were evaluated and then returned to their normal lives. Following the experiment they were interviewed and everyone commented on how much time they spent together. Since there was no television, radio, telephone, cars and all the modern conveniences, everyone said that they were together constantly. That created a need for them to learn how to really live in their togetherness. It was a real challenge for them and for some it actually caused them stress, since being together was not something they were used to. In today’s world it is almost impossible for families to get together. We are extremely mobile, living great distances apart and our busy schedules give us little quality time when we gather together. The windows are small and frequently someone or something has to be sacrificed. People are in a hurry, going in a hundred different directions. They’re trying to make ends meet, often living in a state of chaos and confusion. Consequently people feel empty, lost or bored and for some, life has no purpose or joy. What happened at Pentecost was the result of the faithful being "together in one place." Keith Wagner, Let’s Get Together The End Is the Beginning The end of the gospel of John always sends us back to the beginning. Every ending always implies the beginning of something new. On December 31st, the last day of the year, we celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Pregnancy ends with the delivery of a baby, and a new life begins—for both the parents and the baby. When you finish High School, you enter a new world of college or work. Jesus’ death on the cross was an ending, but it was also a beginning. Pentecost is the last day of the Easter season, and it is also celebrated as the beginning of the church. Carla Gorrell, Looks Like a Conspiracy ___________________________ The One Who Builds the Kingdom "In our day too, the Spirit is the principal agent of the new evangelization. Hence it will be important to gain a renewed appreciation of the Spirit as the One who builds the Kingdom of God within the course of history and prepares its full manifestation in Jesus Christ, stirring people's hearts and quickening in our world the seeds of the full salvation which will come at the end of time." Pope John Paul II, "On the Coming of the Third Millennium" An Amazing Organization Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.) Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead--I talk with him everyday." The church is the most amazing organization in the world! Russ Blowers Consecrate that Trumpet to God While preaching a revival in Florida, a man told me that, as a young man, he had played with Artie Shaw's band. His father had been a concert pianist, but neither of them knew the first thing about Christian music. One day the young man was invited by a friend to play his trumpet at a huge Billy Sunday evangelistic crusade. He did it, and then, at the close of the service, as he stood there watching Billy Sunday pray with those who had responded to the call, the great evangelist looked up, saw him, came over to him, and said, "Young man, have you consecrated that trumpet to God?" "I had no idea what he was talking about -- consecrate. So when I shook my head, Billy Sunday took me to an old wooden folding chair, laid my trumpet on it, put his hands -- one on the horn and the other on my shoulder -- and prayed and gave us both to God." Then the man continued, "And you know, Barbara, it made a difference. It made a difference the way I played that trumpet and it made a difference in me!" The Holy Spirit does make a difference. He makes a big difference! Let him fill you today. Drink deeply of this Divine New Wine. There is no telling what he will do for you, with you, and through you!" Grapes of Wrath Or Grace, Barbara Brokhoff, CSS Publishing Company he Ability to Hear Communication, an ability to hear, to know what other people "are getting at" and "where they're coming from," has got to be one of the chief characteristics of the effective pastor. I want to be a good communicator, a skillful preacher. Yet before that, I know that I must be a good listener. As someone has said, "A preacher must listen for six days a week -- listening to God and to the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the congregation -- for the right to speak one day a week." I agree. Yet our modern world has also shown us how difficult, how very, very difficult, it is to hear. A number of years ago, Deborah Tannen, wrote, Why I Can't Hear You. It was a book about the difficulty of communication between women and men. Men and women speak different languages, says Tannen. When men are trying to say, "I need you to help me," they say it in ways which women can't hear. Likewise, when women say, "Give me some space; I need to be more independent for awhile," men get the message all messed up and hear something else. Add to this gender-gap, the gaps in our communication due to differences in economics, education, race and class, what hope is there for us ever to understand one another? The story we have read today, the story of Pentecost, is a story about hearing. Remember the Genesis story of the Tower of Babel, that time when the original "one language and few words" of humanity was disrupted forever by the profusion of languages and speech? Some believe that this Pentecost story is meant to signify a gracious reversal of Babel. William Willimon, How Can I Hear You? “You never know what people will hear and how they will tell others. Especially the children, but what he told you IS almost exactly what I said. I emphasize “almost”. The title of my sermon was, “Fear Not! Your Comforter Will Come.”“ Pentecost is a story about the power of God to bring about transformation and new life. Pentecost is the story of a promise fulfilled. In preparing the followers for his departure, Jesus had promised that the people would receive an advocate, a comforter. Pentecost is a story wrapped in mystery. It is the story of a time when the presence of God was felt in wind and fire, which are common biblical metaphors for the presence and power of God. As common as they are in the biblical story, when they happen they always have an element of awe, mystery and fear. These occurrences are hard to nail down, hard to describe, hard to understand and impossible to control. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by. Translating that into the spiritual realm, we know that we cant see God, but if we know what to look for, we can see signs of God’s presence and God’s action.