Receive the Holy Spirit

Is Aiden.

Our scripture Texas. Lord's day comes from The Acts of the Apostles. Chapter 2 verses 1 to 13. We've already heard this red, but perhaps it was in a language that you didn't understand. So let's hear it in English. When the day of Pentecost said come, they were all together in one place and suddenly from Heaven, There came, a sound like the rush of a violent win and it filled the entire house where they were sitting divided tongues as of fire appeared among them and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the spirit gave him ability. Now, there were devout Jews from every nation under Heaven, living in Jerusalem. And at this sound, the crowd gathered, and was bewildered because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished. They ask are not all these who are speaking galileans. And how is it that we hear each of us in our own native language, parthian. Alien Minds residents of Mesopotamia, Judea Cappadocia Hunters. Asia phrygian, Egypt in parts of Libya belonging to Serene and visitors from Rome Jews and proselytes cretins Arabs in our own language is we hear them speaking about God's Deeds of power. All were amazed and perplexed saying to one another. What does this mean? But the other sneered and said they're filled with new wine. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Alright Presbyterian.

What are the Holy Spirit? How many of you were like, would say? I'm a blue blood Presbyterian. All right. There you go, bad. So you don't know what in the world you are, but I was nurtured in the Pew as a baby in Presbyterian. I mean, even when I was a baby, it was like Don't move.

Don't suck on that, pacifier like that. Quit moving your fingers, Presbyterian reason. We liked it in an order. We like to sit in our peers and dress, our way. We don't like to stand up and get down too much. We don't want to kneel. We certainly want to do this. I mean, don't do that.

The Frozen chosen, that's right. We all get a little anxious.

Psyquel. Maybe I wanted. But I don't want it. If I'm going to look like that or act like that. We're kind of scared. Remember, back in the Annunciation when the Angels appeared to the shepherd. What was the first thing the Angels had to say, don't be afraid.

The holy spirit of God is a gift. Just like I said to the children are in that bag were. Sorry Susan. I stole some of your homemade chocolate chip cookies, out of the freezer. Put them in those little bags and put it out there. But still open that up back there and get an iced cookie because God's gift is Pleasant. It's wonderful and it's a joy to receive Jesus himself said, did the disciples in John? He breathed on them and said receive the holy spirit. This is not something that we should be afraid of. It's something we should embrace and we should talk about a little bit more is part of the Trinity, the Triune god, father son. Holy spirit, will talk a little bit more about it on, Trinity, Sunday coming out, but for today, I just want us to delve into it because after all, it's been a cost, we're wearing red and we want to receive God's holy spirit. Well, the Feast of Pentecost comes from a time when that Jew I had just moved from Passover to Pentecost, 50 days. And in the Jewish feast, they have a feast called the Feast of Weeks or the Pentecost. We call it a Pentecost actually means 50 days. And 50 days is the. Of time from Passover to Pentecost. It was a period of time that was between two feet in between that, we had another offering at. We'll talk about in a minute. But in the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost, we have a time of a covenant renewal. We have a time that the she's had been gathered. The brain had been harvested, that was offering of the first fruits of those grains. That was one of the offerings of the people of Israel to bring their first fruits for words. For blessing. During the celebration. We may also have Jewish synagogues will often read the book of Ruth and will A truth because you might recall that story where Ruth and Naomi her mother-in-law. They come back from a foreign land and they're hungry, but they glean in the fields with Beau. As in her sustained by that wheat. And then they are drawn in and welcome back into the Community of Faith. God's covenant promises embrace them and brought them back to their Homeland. And even this Foreigner Ruth becomes part of the family of God. And that is through this in gathering. During the Feast of Weeks. We often have a renewal of that Covenant agreement thief. The Old Testament had the Covenant that was written on the stones of Prophet. Jeremiah says that that Covenant will be written on the human heart in the days of the Messiah. And that is what happens as Christ comes. As he leaves the Holy Spirit, his law is no longer written only in words, but it is Graven on our very soul in our hearts. This changes everything. It changes our understanding of how we live our lives because it's no longer just a rule-based faith. It is a living faith, a breathing, vital faith, that goes with us each. And every moment. We are walking with God, each and every day. We're breathing the spirit. Even as we take a breath, As we think about this Feast of Pentecost, what we think about is that the text that Luke is given to us in that text. We see that there are a few things that predate that loot the Jewish people have gone through. They've gone through Passover, which symbolize we've done that. The death of Christ that the sacrifice to the Lambs blood that was put over the roof that the lentils of the doorpost of the houses of the Jews and Egypt. So the angel of death would pass over them that we went through the death and symbolized by the shop on the cross, the chinless Paschal Lamb, sacrifice for us. Then we have another offering that comes in the first fruits offering and that's the grain offerings in the things that are are brought forth. And then finally we get to Pentecost and we see that this, this fulfillment of God's promises has come in, the Old Testament. It was the Harvest. God continues to take care of us. We renew our Covenant relationship with God in the New Testament is the reception of the holy spirit that comes and gives life and breath and power to us and to the church to move forward. And as we see these movements, we also see that Luke is telling us that this is a broad movement. It's not just a one nation. A current in the scriptures. We see a listing of languages. We tried to portray that this morning a little bit, to get a member of that all these languages. If you go home today and you look up and you look at, those are those languages you can play them and it looks like a circle going out from Jerusalem where those languages are spoken in. This is symbolic of Luke's intention that this is a world moon. This isn't just for one nation that they World movement for indeed. God is holding the Whole World in His Hands. You'll remember that song from Sunday school. He's Got The Whole World in His Hands. This is God's Gift, God's passion is for what God made and that's me. That's you. That's all the people of this Earth. God has made us and God gives us good gifts. And that gift is most important is the gift of the holy spirit. Is that gift sustains Us in that taxi list, all these languages and is he lists those languages? We are taking back to a time in the Old Testament. In Genesis chapter 11. There was a tower and it was going up to heaven. And God said I didn't like that. Y'all have some different languages. They messed up. The languages. You see what the Holy Spirit does. What Christ has done in the New Covenant is, he's redeeming that lost his Redeeming, the separation of humanity, one from another and bringing us into Unity bringing us into one body, the body of Christ. And so, all those languages are a Reconciliation of the Lost. And the Shan at Babel and now we have the unity in the holy spirit that God is pushing us forward together as the Church of Jesus Christ. And as our arms spread wide, we Embrace those around us. I'm just a regular guy. You know, I'm I'm just read Floyd. I'm like you, you know, I like to eat too much. You know, you've heard last week. I first sometimes especially going to hit my phone with a hammer or drop the ranch down in the bottom of the bills and have to crawl down in there and get it. I'm just a regular guy. No, I wasn't, I didn't find me under a rock. I have a mama. I have a couple of Brothers, you know that I'm younger and much more handsome, I would say, but anyway, my brothers are crazy. I have kids and Jacob, and Jesse. I've got a couple of kids. We like to do stuff that any I would do love fishing. We'd like to scuba diving. We like to do all sorts of stuff. I got grandkids those first. Sorry, boys. Not mean, I love you. But I love these guys have my heart. I love playing with them. I'm down on the floor and I'm doing crazy things with the grandkids. Are you acting like a fool like, any grandparent does? Olive kayaking? I like to work on my old boat? I'm just, I'm just leaving name my boat after my granddaughter. Say, so. It's an old boat, but it's fun keeps me out of trouble. I'm just regular guy. Okay, I didn't hear.

I didn't hear that. I didn't have scales on my eyes and Blinded By the Light like Paul had on Damascus Road. I haven't been to the 7th Heaven, like Paul and his vision. I had a revelation like John on the island of Patmos. But the holy spirit is alive and real to me and lives in my heart. Just as I am he comes to me like he's talking to Fred Foley in a language that I can understand. And in ways that I can connect with. It's not something weird that I'm like, huh? It's just like, oh, I get it. I get this. I understand it. Because God loves me so much that God talked to me in a language that I understand. And know I don't hear voices in the night. I'm worried. I'm not crazy but dddd down. I know. God spirit is here. And he does the same for you. God, speak to you in a way that you can relate to you can understand you can. Comprehend his great love and what he has in store and planned for you about the Holy Spirit four things. The holy spirit is is a source first. It's a source of all guidance, you know, that you're walking this way and all the sudden you get that little thing in your gut that says, Don't Walk that way anymore. No, I can choose to listen to that or keep walking. But I'm some people call it a conscience. Some people call it something else, but that's the Holy Spirit. The holy spirit is in it is our God. I just sent two truth and it guides us into things that are right. That's that still small voice of God. That is deep within us. That sets. Our course, God is the source through his holy spirit of all the things that guide us second-ranked. God is in his. Holy spirit is the source of our courage and Power on day-to-day, you know, what you do, and you're walking in your life. I don't know if I'll take another step. I'm like that. That angels and the shepherd's. I'm afraid God gives us that courage, and as we take that sent that God gives us the power to take another one. I perfect example, I'm sorry, Teresa. Teresa has had a hard day these last couple of weeks and look at her sitting on the bench and you think that's not courage and bravery and power. That's coming, not just from that lady, but that's coming from someplace else. Because God has given that step of Faith to take and then another and then another and Power. Come on, I will come and Teresa will get better and better and healed and well. Like nothing ever happened. When we take that first step of faith. We have the courage that God gives us and we take that step. We don't have to look at the marathon. We just have to look at the step and it can be a baby step. It doesn't have to be a big step. It just has to be a step. And once we take that step, God gives us power and courage to do another to go in the direction that the holy spirit is guiding us. The third thing is that Dodge. Holy spirit is the source of the growth and expansion of the church church with a Capital C. It's a growth and expansion of God's Kingdom on earth. Now, as we looking at Cha Cha talked about last week, the theme of action x.18. You shall be my Witnesses. Jerusalem Judea Samaria in the end of the Earth that the moving outward of the church into the uttermost parts of the world. This is the work of the holy spirit. Thank God. It's not dependent on me. And I want to say thank God. It's not depending on you either. Cuz I know some of yall. I know some of yall. It's not up to us. Yes, like last week, we have to do something. We have to get off our little dishes and do something. We don't have to do it alone. God, Spirit provides us, the power and the ability for that outward movement of the kingdom of God impact in this world. And when we think it's all about me, and all about my wonderful wisdom or power or ideas. We're holding back that expansion. We have to let go of those things and let God come in and give us what we need to move. God's purposes forward in this world. Fourthly the holy spirit is a gift for everybody for all believers. Everyone is gifted. The Holy Spirit. Everyone. Now they're many gifts of the Spirit and God comes to us in a unique way and gives us the gift that we need to do God's work. But all of us are response of God's goodness, just like they were plenty of cookies in that bag. They all I think, could have two or three. I don't know how many I put in there God's good, and he wants to give us good things in that. Good thing is his gift of his eternal present with us in us working through wash. Altitude of the fifth thing. I don't have it on a slide cuz I just kind of thought of it. When you have the spirit. First 13, I think it was. What are the others say? The other sneered at these new Believers and said they're just full of wine. They're just drunkards. You say you when we know the direction that the Holy Spirit prompts us. We are going counter-cultural. We're going in a different direction in the world wants us to go. The world wants us to go this way. And most of the time God wants us to go the opposite.

And so, when we go opposite, it creates friction, and because it makes some people uncomfortable. Now, not talking about running around jumping and shouting and Whatever. Now you want to do that. That's fine. I do that or some. I am Presbyterian. I mean I grew up with her. I'm kind of kind of worried. I feel like a mom. I'm worried moms over there and saying don't don't.

You make a airplane out of the bulletin you go ahead. If that's the spirit moving, you spend one on up here. He got to be ready that God's when he comes in our lives. God's going to prompt us to go in a different direction and people are going to sneer at us benefit dinner. That's a foolish thing that person did. Going to Africa with us. Little one year old. That's stupid. Maybe. It may be in the eyes of the world. But in the furtherance of God's Kingdom. We are led by the spirit, not by the flesh are led by the spirit be afraid because God is gracious and good and loves us. Just how we are. God is not in the business and has no interest in changing who you are and your personality. Didn't want to change that. He made you, he loves you. So, God is going to give you the spirit in a way that you can accept him and hold and enjoy and be blessed by not in a foreign way. But in a way that makes sense to you. God does want us to obey. God does want us to make room in our hearts for God to come James, 4:7 and 8 and draw near to God will draw near to you. We have to make room for the spirit in our life. And sometimes that means issuing, some of the passions and directions that the world wants us to go. We have to God Spirit. But that is not something to be afraid of because God and God's grace comes to us and our own unique personhood and makes God self known to us with the Holy Spirit in a way that we receive and are blessed by

So as we do put our arms on high as we do you say Abba Father as we are receiving at Holy Spirit on this Pentecost. Let us not be worried afraid. Overly anxious, but let us instead receive at and if if God Spirit tells us to shout we shall discuss. Spirit tells us to pray. We pray that God's spirit tells us to dance. We dance, if God's spirit tells us to minister to that broken person or this broken person or March in that parade or carry that time or write that letter, then we do that. Because God, empowers us and gives us the courage to make a difference in this world. And that is why we're here. So even today, anything French receive the holy spirit. Let us pray. What got it is in our Frailty that we come. We can fast that we don't understand all of you and we're thankful. We don't, you are God and we are not. But as we come, we pray, that you would take away. Our fear, help us to know your great love for us. Help us to receive your spirit Anew in our life. And as we come to this table in a moment, help us as we commune with you to have a rebirth of that spirit in our lives. So that we may be empowered to live for you encouraged and be courageous in the face of these difficult days. We pray this in Christ name. Amen.