A New Continuing John 14:8-17, 25-27
That first Pentecost was a grand and glorious day. It was a new beginning. On that special day, God's people were reborn through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It was an extraordinary event.
Luke's Gospel reports it, all kinds of marvelous things took place on that day. As Jesus' disciples were all gathered in one place, there was first the sound of a mighty wind; then tongues of fire appeared and rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in all kinds of languages, yet somehow they were all able to understand one another. More astounding than all this, was that barriers that had long existed between people of different nationalities were broken down that first Pentecost. Think of it, three thousand souls were added to the church that day! They were all of such a mind and heart that they shared what they had so that everyone's needs were taken care of. What a day to remember!
And to recover! For the experience of that first Pentecost 2,022 years ago was not meant to be the first and only one. It was meant to continue for years to come, right up to the present. But the only way the new beginning could remain a new beginning from generation to generation was for it to also become a new continuing.
The winds of Pentecost are still blowing if we have eyes to see it and ears to listen to it. If not — that is, if we are in a deep enough sleep — it's possible to miss it. There are times when you are in such a deep sleep you sleep through a serious storm or something outside of your home. At times like this you miss all the excitement. The experience of Pentecost is no different.
Psalm 104 is a beautiful reflection on the majesty of God and of God's Spirit at work in renewing the earth. Indeed, the writer reminds us that all God has to do is to withhold his breath, to quit breathing his Holy Spirit, and in an instant everything would return to dust. But "when you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground" (Psalm 104:30).
Pentecost is still going on. The new beginning is still continuing, if we are attuned to pay attention to it.
The verses from the New Testament Lesson could well be called John's Pentecost story.
In John's Gospel, Jesus promises a Pentecostal experience to his disciples. In the part of the lesson we heard this morning, the disciples have just learned that Jesus is going away. He's returning to the Father. Upon hearing this, they are quite distraught. Questions and thoughts race through their minds. Questions and thoughts like these: "How are we ever going to get along without him? What are we going to do? We're not ready for this. We're not up to this. You can't mean what you're saying, Jesus. How can we possibly make it without you?"
Jesus is quick to put all these fears to rest. To reassure them, he promises them that the Father will send them someone in his place. The verses immediately prior to our lesson today Jesus tells his disciples "... he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever" (John 14:16). This word, "Advocate," is translated in many ways, depending on the Bible you look at. Some Bibles call Jesus the Advocate, a Comforter, others a Helper, still others, an Encourager. They all come down to this one truth: After Jesus leaves, his disciples are promised that they will continue to have someone on their side, someone who can help them.
A judge once said that he felt the best translation might just be a Defense Attorney: someone to speak on our behalf, and to argue our case.
When Jesus left this world, he did not leave us alone and without help. He promised that the Father would send us the best lawyer he could find to stand by our side and assist us.
Actually, when you come right down to it, the Holy Spirit is the form the Spirit of Jesus now takes in this world. The Spirit is the continued presence of Jesus in the church. As we read in John's Gospel, this is a Spirit of truth, of power, and of peace. These are three gifts of the Spirit in John's Pentecost story, and these three gifts correspond to three fears that surely must have been going through the disciples' minds and hearts.
- Fear one: How are we to know what we are to do now that we no longer have Jesus as our teacher?
- Fear two: How are we to find the energy and power to carry on his mission, if he's not there by our side constantly motivating us and encouraging us?
- Fear three: How are we ever to find a sense of peace and satisfaction in our work if we do not have him around to tell us that we're doing it right?
All of these fears and concerns are answered with one word. Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Encourager, Defense Attorney, the Holy Spirit, whatever you decide to call it, or better still, him. Jesus promised his disciples that they would not have to do it all by themselves. They would find the truth they needed, the power they longed for, and the satisfaction they hoped for through the gift and presence of the Holy Spirit that would be with them forever.
In John's Gospel, the Holy Spirit does not just appear for a day and then leave. John goes out of his way to tell us that the Spirit remains or "dwells" with us, forever. We can always count on the Spirit to help us to do whatever it is we cannot accomplish on our own.
I believe it was Lloyd Ogilvie, former chaplain of the U.S. Senate, who once asked, "What are you and your church trying to do that you can't possibly accomplish without the work of the Holy Spirit?" That's a good question for us to ponder on this Pentecost Sunday. For the job of the church is a big one. It's no less than carrying on the mission of Jesus in the world. We are not here to do what we want, or to day what we want, but rather to do the work that the Lord left for us to do in this world. The church of Jesus Christ is charged with interpreting and continuing the mission of Jesus. The only way we can ever accomplish that enormous task is with the knowledge and power and help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit would be no less a help to them than he had been.
And so it continues on to this day. Or does it? That's the question we need to ask ourselves on this Pentecost Sunday. Is the Spirit still at work in the church today? The best way I know to answer that question is to put it like this: Can the world see the Spirit at work in us today? Can the world see the Spirit at work in the church? Can the world see the Spirit at work in our congregation? Do we show any visible evidence of being shaped by God's Holy Spirit as we go about carrying on Jesus' mission in the world?
Living here in Florida have you ever thought about the effect that Wind has on our environment. Depending on which direction the wind is blowing here in South Central Florida determines many time if we get cloudy days or sunny days. What about the destructive force of the wind during hurricanes. Some time it rips roofs off of houses or blows trees down and other times you see little or no damage or result from the wind. Over time, trees that have to stand out in the open become shaped in the direction the wind is blowing. Unless there are other trees around to block it from happening, a tree will eventually be shaped by the force and direction of the wind.
I leave you with this question. Like those trees that are shaped by the direction of the wind, do we, as individuals, and as a congregation, show any evidence of being shaped by the Winds of God's Spirit? Is the new beginning Pentecostal experience a fresh, yet continuing presence in our lives?