Title: The Unopened Gift
Text: Acts 2:1-21
Point: The Holy Spirit comes to empower of for ministry
Unopened Gift
Throughout Christian history, God has been at work in the church. Because the church is full of inconsistent and sometimes sinful people, we have needed the guiding hand of God to lead us, challenge us, and renew us. We have seen some specific times that this has happened. Throughout our history God has offered us gifts of grace. Just as a parent gives gifts to his or her children, so God gives gifts to the church. One of these gifts was given during the 16th century when the church seemed to be focused on salvation through works instead of through faith. Some of the leadership in the church became corrupt and started demanding indulgences (or money) in exchange for their sins to be forgiven. It was during this time that Martin Luther proclaimed to the leaders and the people that we find salvation not in our works but in faith in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther’s biblical message was a gift to the church. Another specific time that we see God at work was in response to Protestant Liberalism. Influenced by the Enlightenment, the church highlighted reason as a way to understand scripture. This eventually led many to discredit miracles, the resurrection of Jesus, and the Jews. Many of the church leaders even supported the holocaust through their new was of interpreting scripture. It was during this time that God sent another gift. Karl Barth, disenchanted with liberalism, introduced a new way of reading scripture: not only through reason and history, but rather theologically. He reminded the church that scripture is the Word of God and still speaks to modern believers. In the midst of Protestant Liberalism, God sent Karl Barth to remind us of the importance of scripture as being the word of God. When the United States of America was racially divided, another gift of the church was in the form of a black minister, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He believed that people shouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character.
When the church is in need, God sends gifts of renewal. Yet, sometimes these gifts of renewal go unopened. We have enjoyed the gift offered by God through Luther, emphasizing justification by faith. We have also enjoyed the gift given through Karl Barth and Martin Luther King Jr. Yet, I believe that there’s still one gift remaining that hasn’t been opened. The gift of the Holy Spirit.
Pentecost
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Today, we are reminded of the day that the Spirit was poured out on the church. Our text this morning shows the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had died, was raised, and eventually ascended into heaven. Now, the disciples are waiting, scared, and unsure about what to do next. It’s at that moment, as the disciples gather together in a room during the festival of Pentecost, that they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came, and they began speaking in other languages to the point where everyone could understand them, even though they spoke different languages. At that moment, the early Christians were filled with the Holy Spirit. At that moment, they went from being scared, fearful disciples to bold evangelists. The Spirit empowered them, working through them to bring the gospel of Christ to the world.
The re-emergence of the Holy Spirit
Whenever Jade and I found out that we were moving here, we got a chance to come and visit with the PPR committee. It was at night, so we didn’t get to see the outside. So, whenever we moved here, we hadn’t really seen everything yet. I remember walking around the church and seeing a fence. Then, I saw a basketball court. I was really excited about the beauty of the church, the parsonage, and the quaintness of the Old Watkins community. Yet, I think what I was excited about the most was the basketball court. Growing up, I loved basketball. I would spend countless hours in the backyard pretending that I was in the NBA taking on Michael Jordan. But whenever I got to high school and then to college, I became so busy with other things that I almost forgot about basketball. Seeing that basketball court reminded me of my childhood. It reminded me of the dreamer that I was, pretending to be in the NBA. Since I have been here, I have rediscovered one of the loves of my childhood. As often as I can, for recreation and for exercise, I go out and shoot.
At the turn of the 20th century, the church was in need of another spiritual awakening, another God given gift. This marked the birth of the Pentecostal church in the United States. In this movement, there was a rediscovery of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always been at work, but, like my love for basketball, it had been forgotten. Up until that point, very little had been written about the Spirit. Even more sadly, churches didn’t know what to do with the Holy Spirit. We needed a revival, a spiritual awakening and God once again poured out the Holy Spirit on his church. Unfortunately, most mainline churches rejected the movement of the Spirit. Even today, many in the church still reject the gift. It continues to sit untouched under the tree. For many, it’s still an unopened gift.
What’s important about the Holy Spirit? Why is it important to experience Spirit baptism like the early church? It’s important because the Holy Spirit comes to empower us for ministry. Without the Holy Spirit, we are like a lamp not plugged in to a socket. We want to shine our light, but we have no power. If you feel ineffective in ministry, maybe you should ask yourself, “Am I living a Spirit-filled life?” Because if not, you have no power. You are simply operating on your own strength.
1. We Encounter God through Spirit baptism.
Through the Holy Spirit and Spirit baptism, we encounter God. Acts 2:1-5 says, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability…And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. They were amazed and astonished.” Through Spirit baptism, the early church encountered God in a real way. It’s through Spirit baptism that we also encounter God.
Significance of an encounter
It’s when the Holy Spirit is active in our lives that we know that God is still with us. Jesus said that he would go away, but he would send us His Holy Spirit. I believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in our lives, even when we were not Christians, trying to bring us to repentance. Acts 2:17 says, “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” God’s Spirit is active in all people’s life, trying to bring them to repentance. However, I also believe that after salvation we can continue to encounter the Holy Spirit. We can still find power in Spirit baptism. As you read the book of Acts, Spirit baptism is a separate event from salvation. After the disciples accepted Christ, they waited on the Holy Spirit. Then, after Spirit baptism, they were sent with power. In Acts 8, we see the Samaritans accepted Christ and later being baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is always a part of the believer’s life, but there seems to be a Spirit baptism following salvation. A different event altogether. What does this mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is really active in our lives. Encountering the Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s presence.
Dr. Jack Deere was once a professor at a seminary out West. This seminary was a strongly conservative, supercessionist school. What that means is that they believed that the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the early church. Gifts like speaking in tongues and healing are no longer needed because we now have the bible. Dr. Deere also believed those things at least at one point. His church had decided to have a Bible Conference. As the speaker, they invited a man named John White. Dr. Deere had a lot of respect for him, so he invited him to come and teach the Word. Little did he know that Dr. White believed in the gifts of the Spirit. Not only that, but that’s what he taught about at the Bible Conference. At first Dr. Deere was a little upset about it, but he eventually experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit himself. Through an encounter, his beliefs changed. He eventually left his post at the supercessionist school and planted a charismatic church. If there’s one thing that will change your mind about something, it’s an encounter. If you don’t believe that there are snakes around this area, wait until you walk up on one! You are then forced to believe. We believe what we encounter. We know that God is with us as we encounter and have a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Have you?
Have you? Have you had a moment in your life where you felt the Spirit so strongly? Whenever Jacob wrestled with God, he walked away with a limp, reminded him of an encounter. Have you had such an encounter? Something that, whenever you are at your darkest moment full of doubt, you can look back to and be reminded that God is with you? Do you seek such an encounter?
I’m not advocating any specific encounter. For example, I left a denomination that I was raised in because they claim that you have to have a specific experience to encounter the Holy Spirit. If you don’t have this specific experience, you aren’t filled with the Spirit. I don’t think that’s the case at all. Actually, I think that that limits God and limits the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostals don’t have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. We can certainly learn a lot from them, but the Spirit is at work in all of our lives. The question is, are we open to it?
2. We are empowered through Spirit baptism
We encounter God through Spirit baptism. Through Spirit baptism, we are also empowered for service. In the gospels, the disciples really aren’t all that impressive. They ask stupid questions, they complain, and they desert Jesus as his darkest hour. So, how is it that these helpless men are able to stand up boldly and preach the gospel? How are they able to lead thousands to eventually accept Christ? How are they to start a movement that is still strong today? How? Spirit baptism. They are no longer trying on their own. The Holy Spirit is working through them. In Acts 1:4 Jesus commands his disciples to not leave Jerusalem until they receive the promise of the Father, which is the Holy Spirit. He knew that without the power of the Holy Spirit they would fail.
Gifts of the Spirit
Fruits of the Spirit (evidence of Spirit baptism)
How do we know that we are filled with the Spirit? Simple. We bear the fruits of the Spirit! Junior came and helped me plant a garden a couple of weeks ago. As I look in the garden now, I have no idea what each plant is. But eventually, once they start bearing fruit, I will know. In the same way, we know that we are filled with the Spirit whenever we are living faithfully. On our own strength, we are sinners, incapable of doing good. But through the Spirit, we can bear the fruits of joy, peace, patience, kindness, and love. The Spirit empowers us for service and faithfulness. We can’t do it on our own.
3. How are we to respond?
Conclusion: Heart transformation
Are you living a Spirit-filled life? Have you opened that gift or does it remain unopened? It’s through the Spirit that your heart is changed. Jeremiah 31 says that God will make a new covenant with Israel. Instead of giving them a law, God will write the law on their hearts. That’s what we need. We need a transformed heart. We need the Holy Spirit to take root in our lives so that we can bear spiritual fruit. Laws are important, but, like the Israelites, on our own we will eventually break them. We need our hearts to be transformed. Will you be open to the Spirit? Will you seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Because without it, we have no power. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
