What’s On the Agenda?

Please turn to Acts 2:1-21 and read about the gift received during Pentecost.

     Today, fifty days after Easter, the Church received the Spirit.  From inception, the Spirit has been present and active.  From God, the Spirit was sent to be with us, to teach us and renew us in troubled times and in every time.  Jesus refers to the coeternal Spirit, as the divine person of God who will be a teacher, Counselor, and Helper. Always pointing us to Christ, the Spirit instills our faith, enabling us to follow Jesus, and urging us to serve and evangelize.  It is through the Holy Spirit believers are empowered to grow in faith, make more mature decisions, and live more faithful lives.  This third and equal person of our Triune God, ushers God’s people to salvation in Christ, nudging, equipping and sending believers to do God’s work.  

     Wind, fire, and a dove are some ways the Holy Spirit is represented.  The dove brought a sign of new life and peace in the time of Noah, and we hear about the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove during his baptism.  The dove represents God’s presence and desire to be with us.  When we find ourselves anxious, fearful, or worried I believe it’s because we are not being attentive to the Spirit.  That’s why it’s so important to draw near to God and when we do, we learn God’s desires for us.  A conduit by which God’s power, truth and grace flow, the Spirit keeps us from getting derailed.  It’s not enough to worship on Sunday and be replenished the following Sunday. We need to be in constant contact–relying on the “electrified third rail”… and that is what the Spirit offers, a constant personal connection.   

Pentecost is represented by red, because of the tongues of fire.  In scripture, at times, fire represents the presence of God.  We read this in Exodus when Moses encounters God at the burning bush, and when God appears in a pillar of fire to lead his people.  This reminds me of a controlled burn, fires deliberately set to achieve goals, restore balance and influence growth.  The Spirit comes into our lives to transform us, cleanse, and purify us enabling us to become more like Christ.  At times we need a controlled burn to remove overgrowth – stopping the weeds that entangle us and restoring soil which generates healthy growth.  Without the Spirit’s union, we could not live faithful lives.  

How do we stay on fire? How can we fan the flame remaining connected?  We need to allow ourselves to be filled – asking God to use us as his vessels and be willing to submit. Trusting in God keeps us from losing sight of God at work. 

The Holy Spirit is the way the Bible describes God’s personal presence.  Understanding the traits of the Spirit can be confusing because like breath and wind, the Spirit is not visible, but we certainly witness the effect of wind’s power as we watch the leaves move on trees or see the indication of our breath on a cold day.  Just as the Spirit breathes life into believers, our own breath sustains us, yet often we take our breaths of life and God’s life-giving spirit for granted.  Church, we need to pay attention to the effects and know the presence of the Spirit as we live out Christian lives submitting to God’s timing and guidance.    

Did you notice who stood up to speak after the gift was imparted?  Peter, the impetuous disciple, with God’s help, changed the mood of the crowd.  He pointed to hope (reiterating the prophet Joel’s words), saying, that all God’s people who call upon His name will receive the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit touched all who gathered in His name and will throughout eternity.  So, how do we know it's the Spirit?  Well, we know when it’s Satan, or it’s the flesh, and we know that the Spirit will never contradict God’s Word and that His sheep we will know His voice, we know that God prefers an intimate word (no where in the Bible does He shout) so invest time and listen.     

When a new restaurant opens, we cannot wait to tell our friends, and an engagement, college acceptance, or expectant child announcement spreads like wildfire, yet, we may find ourselves falling short on sharing what matters most of all – eternal life.   

Paraphrased from the PC(USA) mission webpage, the Holy Spirit helps us to understand that we fall short of the glory of God, and then as Comforter leads us to hope in Christ, who yearns to be the Healer of our brokenness and mess, making us one with Christ, filling us with newness of life.  

Today we celebrate the gift of the Spirit.  Jesus came to reveal who God is and to restore our relationship with Him.  No matter our past, Jesus offers a new life in Him.  What we need to do is put our faith in Him; turn from our old ways and look to Jesus for forgiveness and we become joint heirs- salvation is ours.  On this Pentecost Sunday we again read, “…And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  And all God’s people say, Amen!

Blessings,

Pastor Kerry

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