Love is Spoken Here
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Acts 2: 1-21 Philippians 4:4-7
Focus: The Holy Spirit still empowers believers to speak the language of God’s love to all people and foster justice and faith in Jesus.
Empowering Believers
God is on a mission! God is bringing salvation, hope, and transformation to all people. That’s what Jesus’ ministry on earth was all about. And YOU are a vital part of that mission.
But do you ever feel like you don’t know how to be a part of this? Daily headlines of hate crimes, corruption, cruelty and greed…they just hit us. How is God bringing salvation, hope, and transformation of this world? Do you ever just feel foolish to imagine that YOU could make a difference?
I think that’s exactly where we find the first disciples in today’s reading. Today we see them gathering as a small band of believers. (There are 120 of them, so they’ve already grown – 10x the original 12 disciples. They’re like a small church-our size!) There they stand in Jerusalem, surrounded by people from all over the Mediterranean – all over the known world!
It’s 50 days after Passover – and Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jewish people are streaming into Jerusalem to celebrate a Festival about giving thanks for the grain harvest and to celebrate the covenant given to them through Moses and the Law.
There they stand, knowing that Jesus promised that they would share good news to the ends of the earth…but how? This little group, in the midst of everybody. What do they do now?
In the midst of this Mediterranean marketplace, with the aroma of roasted fresh herbs, incense, and animals all mixing into a vibrant hum and chaos of life. People are speaking with each other, using over a dozen languages. But then…the rush of a violent wind interrupts – like a hurricane whipping through the crowd. I imagine everyone is silenced and looks up. What do they see? This band of believers have fire resting on their heads! Then, magically, those believers start talking about Jesus – and every people group hears what they are saying in their own language. They are understood!
What a miracle! And as awesome as it is, suddenly speaking Arabic and Greek and a host of other languages! Even bigger than the languages, and the wind, and the fire on their heads…is the message! What they’re saying in all these languages is God’s message of faith and love in Jesus’ name.
Peter preached this to these devout Jews, that their waiting for a Mesiah was over. He preached that just as they had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the covenant through the Law of Moses, there is now a New Covenant of forgiveness and new life through faith in Jesus! Jesus is the awaited Messiah and he proved it by rising from the dead and now pouring out the Spirit of God on all people, just as the prophets predicted!
They got it. About 3,000 people understood and believed the message of Jesus’ love that day! Praise God.
A Story to tell (faith)
Today, I think most people are less focused on God’s covenants or who is the Messiah. But it’s still the same Gospel. Often what troubles people today, might be called a rat-race, or even a living hell. Many people feel pressure from culture, families, or inside our own heads – a drive to need for more, more, more (money, power, affirmation). A different kind of living hell is when we feel chained by shame over who we are (our body shape, our skills, or some way we feel incompetent). Another form of hell is not being able to forgive yourself for something you’ve done or not done.
Jesus offers you freedom from all these chains. Jesus loves you as you are, as a beloved child of God! Jesus forgives your faults and weaknesses, and pours out the Spirit to bring you life! Just like the first 3,000 who put their faith in Jesus on that first Pentecost – you can trust Jesus today.
This is why I included Philippians 4 in our readings. It may be the good news you need to hear this day:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is not under our control.
The Holy Spirit is still a gift for you and me TODAY. We might not experience a violent wind, tongues of fire, and speaking in languages we’ve never studied! That was an incredible moment. But it was a historic turning point. Like a huge sign-post in history, saying that God was pouring out God’s Spirit to transform the world. And it was a call, that continues, a call to faith.
Speaking the Language of Faith and Love
That first band of believers was empowered by the Holy Spirit. They went from feeling lost and helpless one moment, to supernaturally empowered the next!
Peter preached and later goes on to pray for the sick in Jesus’ name.
Paul and Silas speak truth to power and get thrown in jail, beaten and chained…but the Holy Spirit breaks those chains, opens the prison doors and inspires many to trust and follow Jesus.
All of those first 3,000 believers on Pentecost, are stirred to renounce the systems of this world – by giving up their personal possessions, creating a small community where no one is rich and no one is poor anymore.
The Holy Spirit stirred these first believers into all sorts of new paths…new ways of life!
God’s Spirit is often surprising
I tend to pray for the Holy Spirit to fix things. I pray prayers like, “Lord send your spirit and bring healing to this person who is sick or injured”…or “Lord, please grant your Spirit of wisdom to guide us through this challenge.” Yes, we have good reason to pray for healing, wisdom, and even joy or peace in challenging times from the Spirit. Amen!
Good Trouble
But, the Holy Spirit is also more than just a “fixer”. The Holy Spirit is a “trouble maker.” I’m talking about “Good trouble,’ the way Rep. John Lewis described it. The Holy Spirit drove him into “good trouble” for 60 years of advocacy for civil rights.
The Holy Spirit in every age compels the band of faithful to speak up, to stand firm, and, when necessary, get into good trouble for the sake of the life and dignity of all.
Speaking the Language of Love and Justice
More important than speaking Arabic or Greek is speaking the language of love and justice. The Holy Spirit may well be stirring on your heart and mine to speak the language of love and justice. Where is the Holy Spirit calling you and me to speak truth to power just as Paul and Silas did in the first century? Where are we called to advocate for abuse and torture to stop? Is the Holy Spirit at peace with corruption and violence against thousands of people by the US government, or by Israel on a flotilla last week, or in wars across the globe? How is the Holy Spirit leading you to express the language of love and justice today?
The Holy Spirit absolutely leads followers of Jesus into “Good trouble.” That is the story of the cross.
God is on a mission! To bring salvation, hope, and transformation to all people. And YOU are a vital part of that mission. Amen.
Pastor Doug Cox