O God, light of the minds that know you, life of the souls that love you, and strength of the thoughts that seek you - bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts. Breath your life into us that we may live in the manner you have appointed unto us and better love and serve you and one another.
Amen
In the reading from the Book of Acts we heard the account of what happened at the first Pentecost. All the believers were gathered in one place, much like we are gathered here this morning. Firstly, the sound of a strong wind blowing was heard. The sound of howling wind wasn’t just outside the building, it was right there in the room. Was this the same wind that blew across the world at the time of the creation (see Gen 1:1,2) and finally gave breath to the first person God created?
Was this the same rushing wind that Ezekiel saw in his vision, when the Spirit blew across the valley filled with dead bodies and gave the bodies breath and they came to life (see Ezekiel 37) When the sound of the wind stopped a very strange thing appeared in the room where the believers were gathered that first Pentecost. We are told, "they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there" (Acts 2:3).
After the flame had touched each person gathered there in that room, they began to talk in other languages. The audience who had gathered to find out what the commotion was all about could understand what the believers were saying. The disciples hadn’t studied languages and yet they spoke foreign languages fluently and talked about "the great things God had done".
The disciples of Jesus experienced - a radical change in their lives. They started - after the fire and the wind touched them and entered them to do things that they had never done before.
These fearful, timid, and discouraged disciples were made new creatures - brought to life - in a new way - much as the bones in the valley of dry bones received new life in the sight of the prophet Ezekiel. The Spirit of God - that breath that proceeds from the Father and the Son - creates and makes all things new – the Spirit makes them all that God intended them to be.
The Day of Pentecost ushered in a new age, the age of the Spirit - the age of new life, a new beginning - for all people. We very often hear about beginning new eras and new periods in human life.
Every often a new region in Africa gets piped or clean water, or every time a new power plant is built in an area that had no power before, an important official will address the people and speak of a new era, a new start, a new creation, a new epoch. But in fact human life in its relationships goes on as it has before. The only difference is that the quarrels at home, the fights in the bars, the deceptive talk, cheating, lying, the killing and the selfish grasping is now done in electric light while drinking clean water.
Real human newness or regenerate cannot be a building, a power plant, a landing on the moon, a flight to Mars, nor can it be a psychological theory, a sociological paradigm, a new communication system, nor even a new set of laws or a more rigorous enforcement of old laws.
We cannot change the quarrels in a family by eating better food, by installing a large screen TV or by buying a bigger car. "We'll never be successful in our most important relationships until we learn to drain the anger out of another person's life."
A real evolutionary step can only be made if mentalities and attitudes change; real progress can only be made if outlooks and judgements change.
That is what happened at the moment that the Spirit of God descended, at the moment that all the disciples of Jesus became not only capable of speaking all kinds of languages, but were willing to use those languages to contact people they never would have thought of addressing before.
It happened when they went from believing in forgiveness to showing forgiveness, It happened when they went from believing that God would protect them to actually venturing forth from the upper room into the danger filled streets of Jerusalem.
It happened when they went from thinking about what Jesus had said, to proclaiming what Jesus said - in word - and in deed, and reaching out to heal, to serve - and to love - all those around them.
There is a mysterious moment in our all of lives
That moment is the gift of the Holy Spirit. That moment is the fruit of the Holy Spirit which now dwells in all flesh, and seeks to bring us closer to God - and closer to one another. For the first disciples that moment happened with a rush of wind and tongues of fire - and it still happens that way for some people.
For John Wesley - the founder of Methodism - it came when he was listening to Martin Luther's Commentary on Paul's Letter to the Romans, and he felt his heart "strangely warmed". For me it came to me at the age of 19 in Ghana while several people of faith prayed for me and over me, and I felt the present of God overwhelmed me, and my life changed since.
For still others - it comes it other ways – may be through parents, a friend, a pastor and as with the first disciples, as with John Wesley, and even as with me - it changes lives. It changes it like the air changed the balloon I used in the children's story today.
It gives life to the form and substance, life to the heart and soul. It is the evidence, as Paul writes - it is the sign and it is the seal of our relationship with God. God's gift took me from having belief in God - to having God's power in me.
And while I can stifle that power within me for a time, or even for a season; while I can turn from it and conceal it for a while, I can no longer escape it. It is there - and I know it. When we let God within us - when we let the Spirit within us - beautiful things do happen. Since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour at the age of 19 yr., my life has been different for the better, meaningful and purposeful.
Indeed the Spirit does all that Jesus said it would do. It brings to mind the words of God - the words we sometimes try to forget and the words that we sometimes look for - and suddenly have;
The Spirit flows in us, and through us it flows to others. It is like the wind, it is like the gentle flapping of a dove's wings, it is like a river. It is like a still small voice that speaks gently with in us. And this my dear friends in Christ is the age we are in, the new age that was born on the day of Pentecost, an age that allows for a true transformation, for a new way of living.
The Holy Spirit allows it makes to happen - it brings it to reality and all we have to do to enter this age is to reach out for it in faith. Jesus said: according to our passage today - Jesus cried out; he cried out: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink."
When we drink, when we turn to God when we believe and seek him in prayer, in church, in the world around us, God comes -- he comes in the Spirit - and he will uphold his word to us, -- he works a new work in us and through us he works in others, he works to establish his kingdom fully upon the earth - as it is in heaven.
Let us listen to the Holy Spirit as he tells us that we have been far too lax when it comes to our faith and our Church. Let’s listen to him as he reminds us of the joy of knowing Jesus who died for us and forgives us. Those early Christians were excited about Jesus, the church, their faith and their new direction in life. The Holy Spirit did it then, and he still does it today.
"As the scripture has said", repeated Jesus, "'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" He makes it so through the gift of Pentecost - the gift of his Spirit ..…… Come Holy Spirit …… Praise be to God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Rev. Samuel King-Kabu
June 4, 2006