07 Pentecost Acts 2

            Happy Pentecost!  Are you very familiar with Pentecost?  Can you tell me what you know about it?  Can you tell me what you don’t know about it?  Well, that was a little joke.  But Pentecost is really a very cool, and a very, very, very important day.  Did you know that Pentecost is not an original Christian celebration?  It actually is a major festival in Judaism.  It marked the wheat harvest and for some was the time to celebrate when the giving of the Law. 

            You know that story don’t you?  Moses and the people of Israel, fresh out of slavery in Egypt, find there way to Mt. Sinai and there God shows up and makes a covenant with them.  It is one of those experiences that is truly awe inspiring.  What a story.  Listen to this.  This is from Exodus 19:16-20 (Read these verse).  Do you know why this is important?  Do you know what is going on here?  This is where God officially establishes his people as his people.  To be sure, he had chosen them to be his people before, but here there is fire and smoke and thunder and God shows up in an unmistakable way and establishes a covenant, a promise, a relationship with them.  Do you remember what that is?  I will be your God and you will be my people. 

            Now why did God establish a people for himself?  Because through this people and the relationship that they have with the King of the Universe, the nations would come to know the one true God.  The Lord did not establish a people for himself so that they could hold it over the other peoples of the world.  This is not the establishment of bragging rights, “ha, ha. Ha, ha.  We’re better than you are.”  But he established a people to be his agents in the world. So that through them, the world would know who God is.

            But you know the story.  Sin comes into the picture.  In fact at this specific point they don’t even leave the mountain before they mess up royally.  But sin is there and it causes people to focus on themselves and to turn away from God and from the life that he would have them live.  Sin separates people from one another, and more seriously, sin separates people from God.  And so this people that God chose messed up big time. 

            Have you had one of those moments in life where you just messed up big time?  I mean one of those times where you knew you blew it, and it doesn’t seem to matter how long ago it was, but you are still kicking yourself for it.  Well, the mess up that happened in the history of God’s people, was much bigger than that.  And yet, God’s grace was not exhausted.  They lost their home in the promised land, but they did not lose the love of their God, which by the way is very good news for us. 

            And so they eventually go back home and several hundred years latter, Jesus is born and comes onto the scene.  And you know this story right?  What happened?  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Born of the virgin Mary.  Suffered under Pontius Pilot.  Was crucified died and was buried.  He descended into Hell and on the third day he rose from the dead. 

            And on that day, that first Easter morning, where Jesus threw off the chains of death and with the moment gave to death a limited amount of time, that first Easter morning marks the Birthday of the church.  Now Pentecost is traditionally the time to celebrate the church’s birthday, but it is really Easter that marks this beginning.  Because without Easter there would be no Pentecost. 

            So some days after Jesus ascends into heaven.  His followers are gathered together in one place.  And on the day that marks the giving of the law the first time, a long time ago, God shows up again.  Only this time there is not thunder and lightening, but there is the sound of a rushing wind.  And there is not fire that descends onto the top of a mountain, but instead tongues of fire rest on the heads of the disciples and they begin to speak in many languages.  Now this speaking is very important because note what they say.  The speak of the wonderful things that God has done. 

            William Willimon notes that the God who saved the world

and redeemed the world and reconciled the world to himself through Jesus, and in his incarnation, death and resurrection.  That same God is at work again in Pentecost.  Like the incarnation he comes to us in our fallen state.  And chooses to work in and through us.  And again God has set aside a people for himself to be about the work of making him known throughout the world.  But their job is not to just talk the talk, but to walk the walk as well.  To show God’s love instead of just speaking about it. To be about the business of being God’s agents of reconciliation in this world.  This is the church.

            Now if I asked you what comes to mind when you hear the word “church” how would you answer that question?  What comes to mind?  What is the church?  What is the church not?  The church is the people of God.  It is not a building.  It is not an institution.  Although those things are not bad in and of themselves.  But the church is not and organization it is a living breathing organism.  It spans the boundaries of space and time and is made up of the sinful people who know God’s forgiveness and live that out with one another and the people around them. 

            The people of the church are not in the church because they have chosen to be in it.  Rather, like the children of Israel, the people of the church were chosen by God to be in it.  And not for their own sake but for the sake of the world.  We are here to love and care for and to serve one another so that we can go out and love and care for and serve the world.  So as a church how do you think we do with this? 

            So how does this happen? Where does it come from?  Well it comes from the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and makes Holy the church.  And he does this through the word.  The word is proclaimed.  And through that word the Holy Spirit does his things.  The grace of God has been secured through Christ and the Holy Spirit uses the word to make us Holy. 

            We gather together to hear God’s word.  To be made aware of our sin and our need for a Savior, and then to be reassured of God’s grace in Jesus.  So that we are assured that those sins are forgiven.  This happens as we study and hear God’s word.  Then our faith is strengthened and again forgiveness is poured out into our lives through Baptism and Holy Communion.  We are given to one another as gifts from God to encourage one another and to hold each other accountable. 

            God works through these things to heal our brokenness.  He binds our wounds.  Forgives our sins.  Strengthens us encourages us and then, being reconciled and restored.  He sends us out into the world, to proclaim in word and deed the good news of the gospel.  We are not here for ourselves, but instead for the sake of those who do not know of God’s love in Jesus.  It is our job to take this wonderful message that has changed and transformed us and to proclaim it to a world that needs to hear it.  Because in this message is love and healing and it is a wonderful, awesome and amazing thing. 

            And we mark the beginning of this thing with Pentecost.  Where God came to dwell in us, in our midst, in the midst of our brokenness, to work through us to show and proclaim his love to the world.  It is a special thing.  We are the church.  We are a part of the living organism that God uses to do his work in the world.  We are strengthened and encouraged through his word in this organism and then sent out to share that great news. 

            It is what Pentecost is all about.  And may you be blessed as you live as the Pentecost people of God in this place, now and always.  Amen.