|
It
seems premature to be speaking of the birth of a nation one-month prior to
Independence Day. However, I speak of the birth of a nation that has
impacted the course of human history unlike any other – and it is not
the United States. Please bear with me because I am not being unpatriotic
and I mean no disrespect to those many of us remembered on Memorial Day.
Today I speak of the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. Peter referred
to the Church as a "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not
a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10). The day
on which the Church of Jesus Christ was born is celebrated as the Day of
Pentecost. Before we look more closely at the birth of the Body of Christ
(another of the names for the Church) let’s briefly look at the history
of Pentecost.
Pentecost had its origins within the Jewish community, which some people
find surprising. Pentecost was variously dated in Israel. However, the
predominant timing of the date came to be the fiftieth day following the
Passover. It was seen both as a time of celebration of the harvest and
offering of the first fruits of the harvest to God, and later a time of
remembering the revelation of God’s Law on Sinai. Within the Christian
community it was a time of celebration of the fulfillment of the promise
gift of God – the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and the birth of God’s
kingdom on earth. This, of course, is a sign suggest foreshadowing the
heavenly kingdom. More, we see the offering of Jesus as the first fruits
of the harvest of humanity to God.
It
was the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit that gave birth to the greatest
nation that has ever been on earth. The Church of Jesus Christ knows no
boundaries. Rather, it is comprised of people from all over the world,
people of differing ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds. Peter, in
Acts 10:34, stated – "I now realize how true it is that God does
not show favoritism but accepts people from every nation who fear him and
do what is right." The desire of God in the ministry of the Holy
Spirit is that we attain the unity of the faith in Jesus Christ. The unity
of faith then leads us into obedience to His command – "Love one
another even as I have loved you." The Holy Spirit empowers us to
exercise the gifts with which God has blessed us. He leads us into all
truth, convicts regarding sin, empowers us to self-control and godly
living. The Holy Spirit also sustains us in the face of adversity and
grants the courage and conviction to proclaim the good news of the Lord
found in His Son Jesus.
More than anything the Holy Spirit raises God’s people from death to
life. The reality is that all that has been stated before regarding the
greatest nation is possible because it is in God’s plan to see lives
changed. The Holy Spirit of God is the only one that can make true
transformation take place. When the resurrection experience in the life of
the child of God takes place we find the power of God at work.
I
don’t want to spend a lot of time discussing verses 1-15. Let me say
that there are three things that we see in the text:
- The disciples were meeting together;
they were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost celebration. They were making
themselves available in worship to the leading of God. The outpouring
of the Holy Spirit (signified by the tongues of fire) came upon each
and they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
- There were God-fearing Jews from other
nations celebrating Pentecost as well. They came to hear what was
occurring in the "house" where the disciples were gathered
and stood amazed. The disciples were speaking in languages that were
not there own declaring the glory of God. The languages were of all
the people that were gathered around to hear what was occurring.
- There were those that were gathered that
discounted what they saw and heard happening. They looked at the
disciples as a bunch of drunks and nothing more. They could not and
did not hear "the wonders of God" being declared by the
disciples.
To
apply that text to our current context I want to share a couple of
thoughts:
- Like the disciples, if we expect to be
used by God then it is our responsibility to put ourselves in a place
where we can hear and experience His presence. This requires obedience
to His call. It requires that we trust His voice. And, it
requires that we respond when He acts in our lives.
- There are many that come seeking the
presence of God. They may not know how God has chosen to reveal
Himself but they desire and seek His presence. Sometimes this is the
result of religious obligation. Other times there are issues that are
raised in their lives that compel them to the search.
- There are many that will scoff at the
very notion of the message that is declared by the people of God. They
hear the sounds that come from our mouths. They may even understand
the meaning of the words. However, they reject the truths of God that
they don’t understand or that don’t comply where there
preconceptions of God’s revelation.
Having said that, I would like us to look to the next section of the text.
Peter stood up and mocked the mockers. "You are don’t have a clue
regarding what has happened here. There hasn’t been enough time today to
get drunk." Regarding those that perceive themselves to be godly
Peter had no patience. Those people were denying the truth of the message
they were hearing and had no true knowledge of the prophetic messages
found in God’s word. Peter proceeded to quote from the book of Joel.
"In the last days…" We must understand that when God appeared
among humanity in the flesh (Jesus) the last days were inaugurated. Our
eschatology (the study of the end times) cannot be limited to the thinking
of some futuristic set of circumstances that will bring us to the time of
Christ’s return. Jesus said to those gathered around Him in Luke 17:21
– "The kingdom of God is in your midst (among you)." The
kingdom of God had come in the person of Jesus and the last days were
begun. They weren’t brought in all their fullness, but they were
started.
The birth of the Church of Jesus Christ was the next step in the fullness
of the kingdom being revealed. This great holy nation and holy priesthood
is to be seen as a theocracy (God is the ruler, not the people). Again,
the kingdom is not yet come in its fullness – it is but the next step.
The purpose of the Church is to grow the kingdom by being obedient to God’s
call by proclaiming the glory and wonders of God in all the earth. We do
this by the power of the Holy Spirit that is at work within all of those
who respond to the call of God in Jesus Christ.
The passage in Joel is all about the reality of this outpouring of the
power of God. This power at work changes/transforms people. We are
reminded of the words of Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones. Here is
an illustration of a nation that is dead being brought to life by the
power of the living God. The true Israel of God is that nation and the
whole Church of Jesus Christ (whether of Jewish or non-Jewish heritage)
are the people of that nation.
The last days immediately precede "the great and glorious day of the
Lord." This is the day when Jesus will come to bring His people Home.
With that there is a recognition that the kingdom of God will then come in
all of its fullness and all those that call on the name of the Lord will
be saved. Remember the words of Scripture that tell us that there is no
other name in heaven or earth by which a person can be saved.
It
is here that we find the greatest struggle with those that would mock the
Christian message. It wasn’t for lack of miracles that Jesus was
condemned; there was plenty of evidence of that during His life. It was
for the fact that He declared Himself the one and only Son of God. The
problem that most people have today with the message of the gospel is that
Jesus is declared fully God and fully man. He is the incarnation of God.
Through Jesus and only through Jesus can a person be made right with God
and this is only possible by accepting the message of the cross and the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Let’s hear the words of Peter as I read his sermon to the people. When
it is finished ask yourself which of the three groups you find yourself in
– Children of God, seekers, or mockers. As we examine ourselves, ask God
to reveal His love and our hearts to us that we may fully understand His
will and our lives. Ask Him to reveal the truth of the gospel message.
And, let us prepare to receive the elements of the Table that He offered
in His love.
Back
to Sermons |