Pentecost - God's Gift keeps giving (CC)

LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT RECORDED FOR US IN ACTS WHERE WE READ FROM CHAPTER 2, THE SECOND PORTION OF OUR EPISTLE LESSON: [14-21] 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. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT DRUNK, AS YOU SUPPOSE. IT'S ONLY NINE IN THE MORNING! NO, THIS IS WHAT WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET JOEL: " '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. EVEN ON MY SERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS, AND THEY WILL PROPHESY. I WILL SHOW WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD AND FIRE AND BILLOWS OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED TO DARKNESS AND THE MOON TO BLOOD BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD. AND EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.' THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD. LET US PRAY: GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT. AMEN. [TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA, INC.] DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST: AFTER I HAD ACCEPTED A CALL TO SERVE IN FLORIDA, JO AND I MOVED THERE. IT WAS A RATHER QUICK MOVE. WE DROVE ALMOST CONSTANTLY SO THAT WE COULD MEET THE FURNITURE TRUCK WHEN HE ARRIVED. WE WERE TIRED. IT WAS HOT. IT WAS HUMID IN JULY. AND IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE WE STOPPED OUTSIDE OF TOWN TO MEET THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONGREGATION AND HIS WIFE. AND BERT GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND HE LOOKED LIKE COLONEL SANDERS. HE COULD DO THE COMMERCIAL FOR KFC. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN HIS WIFE COMES RUNNING AROUND THE CAR THROWS HER ARMS AROUND ME AND SHARES SOMETHING IN SOUTHERN THAT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE SAID. BECAUSE IT REALLY IS SOMETHING WHEN YOU GO TO A DIFFERENT PART OF THIS COUNTRY AND YOU THINK YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ENGLISH TILL SOMEONE STARTS TALKING TO YOU IN A DRAWL THAT IS DRONING, THAT DRONES ON AND DRAGS OUT AND SHE WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT USE THE SAME WORD FOR DAWN, DON, DON'T ... ANYTHING THAT HAD A "D" AND SOME VOWELS AND AN "N" AT THE END, ALL SOUNDED THE SAME! AND HER NAME WAS DONNA. [LAUGHTER] AND WHAT I REMEMBER MOST ABOUT IT WAS THAT ONE OF HER FAVORITE LINES WAS, SHE'D SAY: Y'ALL, THAT LADY CAN TALK SO MUCH SHE MUSTA BEEN VACCINATED WITH A VICTROLA NEEDLE. AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT PEOPLE IN FLORIDA ... YOU JUST WANT THEM TO GET TO THE END OF THE SENTENCE. BECAUSE THEY JUST DRAG IT OUT. SO THEN, WE MOVED TO L.A. ! AND WE GO TO THE GROCERY STORE. AND BY THEN, PEOPLE TALK REALLY FAST IN OTHER LANGUAGES THAT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE. SO NOW, AFTER ALMOST 15 YEARS, IT SEEMS ODD NOT TO HEAR THAT NOISE IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD. NOT TO HEAR THAT SPANISH. NOT TO HEAR THAT KOREAN. NOT TO HEAR WHATEVER ELSE IS BEING SPOKEN AROUND ME WHILE EVERYONE'S TALKING ON THEIR PHONE. I CAN JUST GO ABOUT MY DAY AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BOTHER ME ANYMORE. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD HANDLE TWELVE PEOPLE, EACH SPEAKING THEIR OWN LANGUAGE, TRYING TO STAND IN FRONT OF ME AND COMMUNICATE SOMETHING TO ME. ONE OF THEM SPEAKING MY OWN LANGUAGE; ELEVEN OF THEM 'NOT'! AND A BIG CROWD AROUND ME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT DAY OF PENTECOST. THAT DAY OF PENTECOST WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE HAD COME TOGETHER, TO WORSHIP GOD IN JERUSALEM ACCORDING TO THE JEWISH FAITH, IN THE JEWISH LAW. AND ON THAT DAY GOD POURED OUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT ON HIS DISCIPLES. THE SPIRIT THAT HE HAD PROMISED TO SEND TO THE CHURCH. THROUGH THE PROPHET JOEL, HE WAS VERY CLEAR. IN THOSE LAST DAYS, IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CHURCH, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL PEOPLE. AND ON THAT DAY OF PENTECOST, THAT POURING OUT BEGAN. THAT POURING OUT TO PEOPLE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, YOUNG AND OLD ... THE SPIRIT OF GOD! BECAUSE GOD KEEPS HIS WORD! GOD KEEPS HIS WORD IN WHAT, IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR EARTHLY PERSPECTIVE, MUST HAVE BEEN CHAOS. HEY, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHY CAN I HEAR THAT PERSON, THAT I KNOW IS A GALILEAN, SPEAKING IN MY LANGUAGE? AND I CAN UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT HE'S SAYING TO ME! AND THEN THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU SAYS THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY DRUNK AND ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS LISTEN TO 'EM. IT'S ALL JABBER. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. AND YET YOU HEAR THAT PERSON SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO YOU. AND THEN PETER STANDS UP TO ADDRESS THE CROWD. AND HE SAYS LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU. THIS 'IS' IMPORTANT! AND THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS. THIS MEANS THAT GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES; HIS PROMISES TO THE CHURCH! THIS MEANS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BEEN POURED OUT ONTO YOU AS BELIEVERS IN CHRIST. THIS IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE AS THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR FAITH. BECAUSE YOU ARE TO BELIEVE IN GOD AND EVERYTHING THAT WE SEE FROM SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES! HE KEEPS 'ALL' OF HIS PROMISES TO US! WE THINK HOW IT STILL MUST HAVE BEEN BURNING IN THE BACK OF THE DISCIPLES MINDS. THAT DEATH OF CHRIST. HIS BURIAL AND HIS RESURRECTION. AND HOW JESUS CAME TO THEM STILL TO COMFORT THEM: 'THIS' IS WHAT HAD TO HAPPEN. THIS IS WHAT THE FULFILLMENT OF SCRIPTURE IS ALL ABOUT. I HAD TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD. I HAD TO BE RAISED TO LIFE SO THAT YOU, TOO, WILL KNOW THAT ETERNAL LIFE IS YOURS. JESUS CAME TO THEM TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON WE HEAR HIM SAYING TO THEM AND NOW YOU'RE IN GRIEF BECAUSE YOU KNOW I HAVE TO GO AWAY. JESUS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THEM AND CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FAITH. CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN HE DID LEAVE THIS WORLD AT HIS ASCENSION. BUT HE SAID TO THEM: KNOW THAT I AM NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE. I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU AS ORPHANS. I'M SENDING YOU THE ADVOCATE. I AM SENDING YOU THE HOLY SPIRIT. I AM SENDING YOU THE COUNSELOR, FROM THE FATHER AND FROM ME WHO IS GOING TO COME AND BE WITH YOU TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH. TO CAUSE YOUR EARS TO HEAR WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY. TO LISTEN TO IT CAREFULLY. TO BE THE ONE WHO IS DAILY THERE IN YOUR STRUGGLE TO LIVE THE LIFE OF FAITH THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE. HE IS COMING INTO THIS WORLD, HE SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES. KNOW THIS. TRUST THIS. AND NOW WE SEE THAT FULFILLMENT WHEN HE CAME TO THOSE DISCIPLES IN THAT GREAT AND WONDERFUL AND MIRACULOUS WAY; WITH THE SOUND OF A GREAT WIND AND WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE TONGUES OF FIRE ON THEIR HEADS. THEY KNEW THAT SOMETHING SPECIAL HAD HAPPENED. THEY KNEW THAT SOMETHING TREMENDOUS WAS GOING ON AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO SPEAK PERFECTLY IN LANGUAGES THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW. AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE AND FOR WHOSE GLORY? GOD'S PURPOSE. AND GOD'S GLORY! TO TELL THE WORLD THAT GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES. THAT HE IS A LOVING GOD WHO COMES TO THEM IN FAITH. THAT HE COMES TO THEM WITH COMPASSION; WHO IS NOT GOING TO ABANDON THEM OR LEAVE THEM ALONE, BUT WHO IS THERE TO BE WITH THEM. AND YOU AND I HAVE THAT SAME PROMISE! YOU AND I HAVE THAT SAME TRUTH! WE KNOW THAT GOD KEEPS HIS WORD AND HE KEEPS HIS PROMISES. HE SAID TO US THAT IN OUR BAPTISM, WE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT. THAT GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OURS. HE LIVES IN US. HE CREATED FAITH IN US. HE KEEPS THAT FAITH ALIVE. HE IS THE ONE WHO IS FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF US WHEN WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THERE IS A BATTLE OR A WAR GOING ON. HE IS THE ONE WHO IS ALWAYS THERE - TO COMFORT US WITH THE WORD OF GOD. TO COME TO US AND REMIND US OF GOD'S LOVE. HE HAS BEEN POURED OUT ON US. THAT HOLY SPIRIT IS YOURS! AND DON'T LET ANYONE TRY TO ROB YOU OF THE ASSURANCE THAT YOU HAVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! DON'T LET SOMEONE COME TO YOU AND SAY: YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT UNLESS YOU'VE FELT HIM. UNLESS ONE DAY YOU HAD THIS 'GOD EXPERIENCE' WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN GOD ZAPPED YOU AND YOU TINGLED WITH JOY BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD COME UPON YOU. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU COULD DO SOMETHING MIRACULOUS. THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO US IN THE MIRACLE OF BAPTISM! TAKING PEOPLE WHO ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD AND MAKING THEM HIS CHILDREN. THAT GOD IN HIS LOVE HAS POURED OUT THAT HOLY SPIRIT ON US. BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, YOUNG AND OLD, TO BE HIS BELIEVERS. POURED IT OUT, NOT SELECTIVELY HANDING OUT A LITTLE BIT HERE AND A LITTLE BIT THERE, BUT SAYING: THIS IS MY SPIRIT THAT I SEND INTO THE WORLD WHO IS GOING INTO THE WORLD TO CONVINCE PEOPLE OF SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT. TO BRING PEOPLE TO FAITH WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF KNOWING THAT THEIR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN IN JESUS CHRIST. THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN POURED INTO YOUR HEART. THE KNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS CHRIST 'IS' YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. WHAT HAS BEEN POURED INTO YOUR HEART IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST THAT YOU WEAR. THAT WE DON'T STAND BEFORE GOD COMING TO SAY: LOOK HOW GREAT I AM. LOOK WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU, GOD. RATHER, IN HUMILITY WE COME INTO HIS PRESENCE AND THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US. WHAT HE DOES FOR US DAILY BY THAT HOLY SPIRIT THAT KEEPS US IN THE FAITH. AND WORKS WITH US ALWAYS. AND REMINDS US: THAT YES, THESE LAST DAYS ARE GOING TO END AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A DAY OF JUDGMENT! A DAY OF JUDGMENT THAT, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE FAITH, IS GOING TO BE HORRIFIC! BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE SCARY FOR US WHO REALIZE THOSE SIGNS. THOSE SIGNS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT IN JOEL. THOSE SIGNS THAT JESUS ALSO TALKED ABOUT. THOSE SIGNS THAT ARE IN THE WORD OF GOD THAT HE IS GOING TO KEEP! WHEN THE SUN IS GOING TO STOP SHINING AND THIS WORLD IS GOING TO END. WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE REFINED BY FIRE AND WE ARE GOING TO LIVE IN A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH; THE HOME OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! 'THAT' IS OUR FUTURE! THERE IS OUR STRENGTH IN KNOWING THAT GOD IS GOING TO KEEP THOSE PROMISES. HE WILL NOT LEAVE US. HE WILL NOT ABANDON US BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN TO US THE GIFT OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT. AND TODAY WE REJOICE IN THAT GIFT. AND IT MEANS FOR US, THAT WE ARE STRONG IN OUR FAITH, CONFIDENT IN OUR FAITH; LIVING THAT LIFE OF FAITH BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. BECAUSE GOD HAS PUT HIS HOLY SPIRIT IN US TO PROPHESY. AND LET'S NOT THINK BIG. RIGHT AWAY WE HEAR THAT WORD 'PROPHESY' AND WE THINK: OH, I'M GOING TO SEE VISIONS INTO THE FUTURE AND I'M GONNA KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. PROPHESY MEANS TO SHARE THE WORD OF GOD. TO PROCLAIM WHAT GOD HAS DONE. AND THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO EACH OF US. THAT IS WHAT WE KNOW. TO SHARE WITH OUR CHILDREN. TO TEACH OUR GRANDCHILDREN. TO USE AS ENCOURAGEMENT FOR EACH OTHER. TO USE AS CORRECTING OR REBUKING WITH EACH OTHER. THAT WE, AS THE MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD'S CHURCH ARE TO PROCLAIM HIS WORD. AND TO BE CONFIDENT IN KNOWING THAT EVERYTHING THAT HE SAYS 'IS' THE TRUTH! EVERYTHING THAT HE PROMISED 'IS' AND 'WILL' COME TRUE. AND THAT 'IS' WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO US. THAT'S THE MEANING FOR OUR LIFE! THAT'S WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE AND HE WANTS US TO DO. AND TODAY WE REJOICE IN THAT. ON THIS DAY OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE ARE RENEWED IN OUR FAITH. WE ARE RENEWED IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. WE ARE RENEWED IN SAYING: GOD LOVES ME! AND I CALL ON HIS NAME! AND THE LAST VERSE OF OUR SERMON TEXT FOR THIS MORNING HAS TO BE OUR BANNER CRY. EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL ... BE ... SAVED! GOD SAID IT! HE HAS DONE IT! IT IS ... THE TRUTH! AMEN. LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.