Day of Pentecost

John 14:8–17; 25-27

A man  went into B&Q one morning and asked for a saw. The salesman took a chain saw from the shelf and commented that it was their “newest model, with the latest in technology, it’ll easily cut twenty sacks of firewood a day.” The customer thought that sounded pretty good, so he bought it on the spot.

The next day the customer returned, looking somewhat exhausted. “Something must be wrong with this saw,” he moaned. “I worked as hard as I could and only managed to cut two sacks of wood. I used to do three with my old handsaw.” Looking confused, the salesman said, “Here, let me try it out on some scrap wood in the back.” They went to the pile of scrap, the salesman pulled the cord, and as the motor went Vvvrooommm, the customer leaped back and exclaimed, “What’s that noise?”

————————————-

Sometimes when we’re trying to live as Christians it can feel really hard work – as though it would be much easier if we didn’t know what we do know about God and about the way he wants us to live. It’s not easy to make ourselves be generous, forgiving, patient loving and so on. But we’re not meant to make ourselves be that way – and trying to do it by our efforts is like trying to saw wood with a chainsaw by pushing it back and forward rather than starting the motor. God doesn’t give us a set of rules and then leave us to get on with it. He comes to live with us and through us. That’s the wonder that we celebrate today at Pentecost.

When Jesus said he would send ‘another Advocate’ he used a word that’s hard to translate – ‘Paraclete’ – we tend not to use that because it sounds a bit like a Monty Python sketch gone wrong. It gets translated differently in different versions of the Bible. ‘Counsellor’, ‘Comforter’, ‘Adviser’. They’re all slightly different ways of talking about God living alongside us, even through us, sharing the journey and the struggle of life with us.

Let’s have a look at what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring us.

Truth

o Not an abstract word

o Truth for living; there is right and wrong, true and false. There are shades of grey in life, but that doesn’t mean that black and white aren’t real. The Spirit helps us to remember both of those things

o Integrity – like that of Jesus himself, refusing to compromise on what he knew to be true even in front of Pilate

Reminding us of what we’ve been told, and teaching us new things

o There are many things we face – situations, decisions - that we can’t sort out just by looking up a verse in the Bible and reading out God’s instructions.

§ Big issues of biotechnology, modern communications technology etc.…

§ Questions over sexuality and relationships in a very different world

§ Ethics in a market economy, with freedom of choice in so many things

§ Things we face in our own lives that no-one in the Bible faced – at work or at home.

o The Spirit leads us in these situations, and God offers his guidance

§ Not usually through a sign from God, or a voice in the head – though that can happen.

§ Through prayerful thinking and considering of all that we know

o ‘Reminding you’…

§ Doing it all alongside our reading of the Bible.

§ The Spirit inspired its authors

§ His guidance now will not contradict what he said here.

§ So part of being ready to receive God’s guidance is steeping ourselves in the word of God in the BIble

Peace

o Shalom

§ Right with God

§ Right with the world

§ Right with yourself

One more thing, from Romans - Adoption

o Accepted into God’s family, as a brother or sister of Jesus.

o This family – the Church. We sometimes call Pentecost the Church’s birthday, because the church of Jesus Christ is formed by the Spirit of God.

This is what God offers to us through the Holy Spirit. If you’d like to receive that help for your journey through life, then there’s something you need to do. Ask.

If you’ve never really decided to be a Christian, to be a deliberate follower of Jesus, then you need to sort that out first. If you’re ready to say to God in prayer that you trust him and accept his love, that you know you need forgiveness and that you’re ready to be forgiven, then pray that first – I’ll say the words in a minute. If you’re not sure, then don’t try to kid yourself, but ask God for his help and talk to me after the service. Tell someone straight after the sermon that you’re going to do that, so you don’t forget!

Then ask God to send his Holy Spirit to help you to live his way, day by day. You need to pray for that help again and again, but today is a good time to start!

I’m going to read a prayer by Brother Bernard, a Franciscan friar.

Lord, I want to love you, yet I'm not sure.

I want to trust you, yet I'm afraid of being taken in.

I know I need you, yet I'm ashamed of the need

I want to pray, yet I'm afraid of being a hypocrite.

I need my independence, yet I fear to be alone.

I want to belong, yet I must be myself.

Take me, Lord, yet leave me alone.

Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief

O Lord, if you are there, you do understand, don't you? Give me what I need but leave me free to choose

Help me work it out my own way, but don't let me despair. Come unto me, 0 Lord - I want you there.

Lighten my darkness - but don't dazzle me.

Help me to see what I need to do and give me strength to do it. O Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief

Bernard, SSF