Pentecost

Speaking languages

Sharing about learning languages...

Equipped to share

Genesis 11:1–9 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Acts 2:1–21 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’ 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by 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 men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Genesis 11:1-9

After God’s creation and the fall of humanity, God still has plans for us. After another fall of humanity in the selfishness which led to the flood, now humanity are called to continue going fourth and multiplying. In chapter 10 God blesses the ‘going out’ of the people to cover the face of the earth.

But here we find a group of humans desperate to stay still and make a name for themselves. Their keen to grasp glory and status. To build their own marvelous world in their own image and according to their own desires.

The irony is of course, that God created us in His image. He tasked us with the royal role to rule and subdue the earth. To name the creatures be good stewards of creation. God once again offers humanity a relationship, a way to live trusting in Him and His plans for us, and once again we see humanity deaf to His call, striving to build our own kingdom and not His.

In our Genesis passage we can see people rebelling against God. His will is that they will be scattered. And that can either be a blessing, as we see in chapter 10, or as a curse, which we see at the end here.

Let’s just take a moment to explore blessings and curses.

I recommend the Bible project’s video on this which is they’re title video at the moment on their website. They define blessing as

"God’s blessing is about flourishing and multiplication of life.”

That’s what He wants for us, He created us to live in His blessing and He continues to draw us close to Himself so we can know His love and live in His blessing.

But cursing is when we try to grasp blessing, or step outside of God’s plan for us.

“the curse is when God hands people over to the consequences of seizing our own blessing on our own terms. It’s a curse because instead of abundance and life, we end up with scarcity, isolation, and death. So God curses the ground. And instead of fruitfulness, there will be famine. Instead of overseeing the world, they will have to work the land until they die.”

God’s plan was for the scattering of the people, and instead of going in God’s blessing, scattering according to God’s will, they tried to hold onto it themselves and ended up being scattered but cursed. Handed over to the consequence for their sin.

We see God confuse their language so that they could not understand each other. The united effort ceased and they had to abandon their self-serving project.

Now let’s watch a video introducing our second passage today.

Roll video -

God does an anti-babel. Instead of dis-empowering selfish people so that they would scatter and couldn’t make a name for themselves.

Now God empowers his humble godly people so that they would scatter and could continue to share His name for his sake.

The disciples were in the upper room and waiting, probably worshipping. And then the promise of Jesus sending the helper, the Holy Spirit was fulfilled.

Acts 2:2–4 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

This is not humanity grasping at power outside of them. This is redeemed humanity accepting the free gift of power from the Holy Spirit.

Instead of doing it themselves, the disciples have apprenticed under Jesus, they know that they can’t do the things of Jesus on their own, it’s a partnership with God. The disciples are willing to let God’s Holy Spirit fill them, equip them with tongues of fire, and then they let Him take charge.

These men are Galileans. Their from the North of Israel, and we know that the Galileans have a strong accent. Imagine someone from Nottingham hearing a Scousser and you’ve got a similar comparison.

But these men are not speaking Aramaic, their common tongue. Their speaking loads of languages.

Acts 2:7–12 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

7 Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’ 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’

What does it mean to hear the word of God in your own language?

What does it mean to hear ordinary everyday people speaking the words of God in a language you understand?

What does it mean to your friends, to hear you speak of your faith in Jesus, not as a dusty ancient religion, but as a personal relationship which has transformed your life?

Of course, we get the sceptics, and there are always sceptics, so don’t be put off by them. “Surely these men have had too much wine.”

And then Peter launches into the sermon of his life which is translated into many different languages by his Aramaic speaking friends, who are now supernaturally speaking in many different languages. And 3,000 people come to know Jesus that day.

St Luke’s, I have a feeling you’re similar to the folks I have the privilege to lead at St Mark’s. Ordinary, everyday followers of Jesus. We’re not pretentious, don’t believe we have it all sorted but we’re passionate about following Jesus where he’s leading us.

St Luke’s, the Holy Spirit of God is equipping you to partner with Him in reaching your friends, your neighbours and your community with the good news that Jesus saves. He’s equipping you with the words you need, the right motivations and creative ways to reach those around you.

Jesus promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and that He would send His Spirit, the helper, to empower us.

Let me ask those three questions again, and let’s allow God to speak to our hearts.

What does it mean to hear the word of God in your own language?

What does it mean to hear ordinary everyday people speaking the words of God in a language you understand?

What does it mean to your friends, to hear you speak of your faith in Jesus, not as a dusty ancient religion, but as a personal relationship which has transformed your life?

Let’s spend some time now this morning waiting on the Holy Spirit of God, let’s ask Him to convict us, to empower us, to equip us. If you’re new to this, then we’re not doing anything weird, we’re just waiting on God in prayer. I would ask you to join me in standing, take the posture of receiving, with our hands out in front of us, and let’s pray.

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Response song: Waiting here for you or Holy Spirit you are welcome here would be my choice

I’ll speak about Babylon attempting to grasp God’s blessing by building their tower and being confounded with many languages to disrupt their human striving. And the undoing of that through Pentecost, where the people of God wait on the Lord and he generously blesses them with tongues to be able to communicate with those they couldn’t.