The Power From On High That Changes Everything - Pentecost Sunday - Acts 2:1-21

In this special Pentecost episode of Faith Comes By Hearing, Dr. Larson explains why the Holy Spirit is so important in the daily life of every Christian. Discover how the same Spirit who gave the disciples courage and Christ’s peace is still at work today, helping us grow in faith, find courage, and draw closer to Jesus through Baptism, God’s Word, and Holy Communion.

Information about The American Association of Lutheran Churches (TAALC) can be found at www.taalc.org

Transcript

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In the cascading layers of noise in our ever-changing world, discovering a space for reflection and inspiration is increasingly rare. Welcome then to Faith Comes by Hearing, a unique podcast series that cuts through the clamor, carrying the timeless messages of the gospel into our lives with renewed relevance. Join Dr. Carrie Larson, the presiding pastor of the American Association of Lutheran Churches, as he ventures into the challenges of everyday life and the deep need to hear the truth that we are saved by grace, through faith, through Christ Jesus alone. Each episode is an invitation not just to listen, but to truly hear and embrace the good news of Christ Jesus for you and for all.

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Today is Pentecost, the day we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and we observe the birth of Christ Church. Pentecost is one of the major festivals in the church, along with Easter, which we just celebrated, and Christmas. But some may say or ask, why would I need the Holy Spirit in my life? Those disciples during that Pentecost story, yeah, they needed the Holy Spirit because they needed to preach and witness and testify and then finally die for Jesus. That's not for me, so why would I need the Holy Spirit? Let us pray. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. Dear brothers, dear sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. So what is Pentecost really about? I know the simple answer is about proclaiming God to everyone in their own language, which is right in a simple Sunday school kind of way, but I don't want us to overlook something far more significant. We need to go back to the gospels of the previous Sunday. Last Sunday, Luke recorded that the resurrected and soon to ascend Jesus promised his disciples that he, that they rather will be clothed with the power from on high. If you are familiar with the celebration of Pentecost and the reading from the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which was read to you earlier, it's easy to assume that the reference of the ability to speak in different languages without any formal training is that power on high. We will not discount this incredible miracle of the Holy Spirit, of which the disciples were able to speak in tongues, that is, other languages, without any formal training. However, there is so much more. Two Sundays ago, in the Gospel of John, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night in which he was betrayed, told the disciples that he was going to send them another helper, another counselor, the paraclete, the Holy Spirit, which is the key understanding of Pentecost in that Jesus said that even though they will not see him any longer, he is going to give them his peace. Jesus clarifies that his peace is not the shallow and temporary peace that the world gives or understands. This wasn't a peace that simply meant that everybody has to get along with each other or a simple, peaceful, easy feeling. No, it's it's so much more. Jesus was giving them his peace, a peace that surpasses all human understanding. And if you miss this, you'll miss the whole thing about the peace of Jesus Christ that it's given to them and to us, pointing to and flowing from his cross. That is, in other words, his all-redeeming, all-sufficient, atoning sacrifice. Which brings us back to Pentecost Sunday. Just ten days earlier, Jesus ascended into heaven and disappeared from their sight. The eleven disciples, among others, including Mother Mary and the siblings of Jesus, now gather in one room. After all, they did this immediately following the death of Jesus, as John records, out of fear of the Jews. So it seemed as if, as Luke says in the end of his gospel, that they went to the temple daily to praise God, but they also sheltered in place in the upper rooms. So I don't think it's too much of a reach to say that they were bold enough to go to the temple and praise God, but they didn't want to draw any attention to themselves, and then upon their thanksgiving went back to shelter in place. Sort of like when we make a run to the store, we go there, we take only what we need, we don't make any eye contact with anybody. We might make some small conversation with the cashier, but then we quickly get home. But that is where the Holy Spirit finds them. That is where the Holy Spirit enters in with the sound, as Luke records, the sound of a mighty rushing wind. And power on high is filled in them. I need you to appreciate the power of this on high. It was not limited to the ability of speaking different languages. It's the power of salvation to all who believe. It was the power of the gospel of Christ crucified, resurrected, and ascended. The power of proclamation of repentance and sins forgiven. It was the power of Christ's peace, peace that knows and holds fast to God's truth. This is where we're told that Peter and the apostles were lifting up their voices and boldly proclaiming God's law and the gospel of truth of Jesus Christ. They were not afraid anymore. By God's grace, through the work of the Holy Spirit, they were able to understand the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ, namely his life and death and resurrection, was really about and what it meant for them and for all children of Adam, of every people, of every tribe, and of every nation. Through the God-given gift of faith, they now had the peace that passed all understanding. They now had the power to boldly and shamelessly proclaim Christ and Him crucified. Now, did you notice how quickly people mocked and ridiculed and quickly dismissed them? It sounded like a bunch of rambling from a bunch of drunks. Fearlessly, the disciples lifted up their voices and proclaimed. They didn't pull any punches, they didn't hold back in fear of offending. They spoke the truth. They did not proclaim a shallow and cheap gospel. They spoke the truth in genuine love. After all, what was the worst that could happen to them? They could get killed. Oh, is that all? We'd wake up in heaven, bring it on. This is what I want you to remember. They're peace. The promised peace of Christ Jesus is also your peace. The very same peace that Jesus Christ gave to the apostles, he gives to his followers to this day, still to you. He gives you his peace. You can be bold in the name of Jesus Christ. You don't have to pull your punches or water down the law or cheapen the gospel. One of the lessons I think we've learned in this pandemic is how non-essential our society views faith and specifically the Christian faith. It seems the narrative has surfaced that Christian worship is fine as long as it is safe. And what happens on Sunday is a ritual, if anything else. Some sort of ceremonial demarcation from one week to another, with little relevance to everyday life. Many are very content with virtual worship, sitting on the couch in their pajamas, sipping on coffee, and occasionally taking a sneak peek at Facebook as the pastor drones on. Recently, Barna polling the nation is showing us that we are already, after so many weeks, we're already bored with virtual worship, and some are not tuning in anymore. We're tuning out altogether. We are good at reflecting the spirit of society, the Zeitgeist. And we're not supposed to do that as Christians. We're supposed to reflect the image of God, reflect the image, the glory of Jesus Christ. We can't do that by ourselves, and so that's why we need the Holy Spirit. First, we we don't become Christians on our own power. No one can say, it's my decision, I can make myself a believer in Jesus Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can give the faith into Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit can give faith that Jesus died and rose and has purchased and won us through his holy blood, and to believe this to be true. Jesus died and rose in our place and secured for each of us forgiveness and eternal life. The redemption Christ accomplished is supplied to all people, but individually when the Spirit brings us to faith. The Spirit, who is the Lord and giver of life, works to give us new life as we die to sin and rise to life in Him. Second, we can't live as Christians by our own power. No one can say, now that I've become a Christian, I can keep doing Christian things by my own choosing. I could do it alone, so just leave me alone and let me do my Christian thing all by myself. I'm doing research, as you know, about men and church, and some of that includes why do men stay away from church and worship? And one of the ideas that is surfacing is that many men, and also women, mind you, think that they can remain a Christian apart from corporate worship. One of the many excuses of not gathering with others is isn't God everywhere? The fault with this common thought is that the God who is everywhere is just as good as the God who is nowhere. And the Holy Spirit knows this. And so he informs you exactly where you will meet your God in his word and in his sacraments. The Spirit's job is to keep you close to Jesus Christ now so that you can enjoy heaven everlasting with him for all eternity. How does the Spirit do this? What sort of tools does the Spirit use to keep you in the true Christian faith in close contact with the living God Jesus Christ? First, holy baptism. Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations by baptizing. This is a command by our Jesus. It is no accident that throughout the book of Acts, baptism and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit goes together. It's also no accident that Scripture speaks of the Spirit being poured out. That is exactly what happens with the washing of water, with the Word and the name of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Second, Holy Scripture, Word alone. Jesus commands us to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, we read clearly in the tenth chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. And that is exactly what happened when Peter spoke the word boldly, quoting directly from the Old Testament. And many came to faith because of the Spirit's work with the Word of God. And then finally, Holy Communion. In reading Acts, Luke records that those who heard the scriptural word were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. And later he writes, they continue the practice of breaking the bread. This is why we need to responsibly and in fervent love for our brothers and sisters in Christ to return to corporate worship and dine together with our resurrected Lord. Virtual worship, it's like a candy bar that satisfies when you're hangry, you're hungry in the middle of the afternoon, but but it's not intended to be supper that will greet you at the end of the day. We need to return, return very soon bodily, to gather around the body and blood of Jesus Christ, right where he said he would be. Like it was for the apostles, so it is for all Christians. The Holy Spirit is important to our lives. The church wouldn't be here without the work of the Holy Spirit. You would not have a saving faith without the Holy Spirit. You cannot stay in this faith and believe without the work of the Holy Spirit. And it's only by the Holy Spirit that we will be able to remain close to Jesus Christ throughout all our life and breathe our last should He not return in our lifetime. And yet we will rise and stay close to Him forever by the work of the Holy Spirit. This, my friends, is in the need to worship our Christ and remember Pentecost.