Acts 2: 1-21
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
May 20, 2018
Youth Sunday (Pentecost)
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’
All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2: 1-21
Robby Novack is fourteen years old. He has made quite a name for himself on you tube. When he steps in front of the rolling camera he becomes Kid President. In his dark business suit and red tie, Kid President looks at his global audience of all ages and says:
I think we all need a pep talk. The world needs to stop being boring. Yeah, you! Boring is easy, everybody can be boring. But you're gooder than that. Life is not a game people. Life isn't a cereal either. Well, it is a cereal. And if life is a game, aren't we all on the same team? I mean really, right? I'm on your team, you’re on my team.
This is life people, you've got air coming through your nose! You've got a heartbeat! That means it's time to do somethin'!
A poem. "Two roads diverged in the woods...and I took the road less traveled... AND IT HURT MAN! Really bad. Rocks! Thorns! Glass! My pants broke! NOT COOL ROBERT FROST!
But what if there really were two paths? I want to be on the one that leads to awesome.
It's like that dude Journey said, don't stop believing…
What will you create when you make the world awesome? Nothing if you keep sittin' there! This is why I'm talking to you today!
This is your time. This is my time. This is our time. We can make everyday better for each other. If we're all on the same team, let's start acting like it. We've got work to do. We can cry about it, or we can dance about it.
You were made to be awesome. Let's get out there! I don't know everything, I'm just a kid, but I do know this: It's everybody’s duty to do good, and give the world a reason to dance. So get to it!
The day the Holy Spirit was revealed to the church was like Kid’s President’s pep talk.
All those whom followed our Risen Savior knew firsthand the road less traveled. It hurt and yet it made all the difference. They had sacrificed a lot to claim Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). After our Risen Lord ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God, the disciples and apostles had no idea what would happen next.
Suddenly, Holy Spirit filled the room with the breath of God like a rushing wind. God’s power of love touched upon each one gathered. It brought everyone to their feet. The time of waiting was over. Holy Spirit made everyone’s heart beat a little faster. In that moment Creator God was breathing new life into the lungs of those men and women. The grace of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit told them it was time to do something!
And it was Peter who gave the newly born church a pep talk. Peter told the church, ‘Don’t stop believing in God’s great vision of changing the world (Joel 2: 28-32). God’s Spirit would be poured out on everyone – our sons and daughters, women and men, the young and the old (Acts 2:17-18). Peter was proclaiming that the Holy Spirit was wrapping the church in God’s power of love.
The Spirit led the early church and is still leading us today on the path of awesome. It is awesome because God is the one paving the way forward. God is the one who show us signs of the Lord’s presence, the coming kingdom, and God’s ministry of reconciling all of creation and humanity back to God's intentions(Acts 2: 19-21). God's love never fails. As a result, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Carson, Mia, and Ashley – now it’s my turn for giving a pep talk! Today we celebrate the ways the gift of faith has shaped your lives through your families and your church family. I trust Holy Spirit is breathing new life into your soul. This gift of faith keeps you close to God’s heartbeat. As you follow Jesus’ teachings, they will remind you it’s time to do something with all you have learned!
Let this be known to you: God has already given each of you gifts and talents and passions to share with the church and the world. This is your time and God will continue to open your eyes to see God’s path that leads to awesome! God will work through each of you to share the good news that God’s love is still changing the world. God’s timing always has a sense of candor and humor. God will show each of you the next steps in your faith journeys in unexpected ways and through unexpected people . And God will help you know how you uniquely belong in serving the body of Christ!
And church – let this be known to each of us: we have promised to walk beside our youth in word and deed and with our love and prayers. Those Baptismal vows that we and the connectional church took imply we promise to raise and teach all of our children in the faith.
But those vows and our biblical text today also imply that we are to be open to our children and youth teaching us. God will teach us the way, the truth, and the life through the God-given visions and dreams of our children and youth. Our sons and daughters shall prophesy, revealing to us God’s Word, showing us God’s path and even challenge us to take the next right steps (Acts 2:17).
Our youth are not just the future of the church. They are a significant part of the local church and the church universal today.
Carson, Mia, and Ashley – confirmation is not the end. Rather it is a part of the journey of faith. Just as you go to school to grow in knowledge, so the church helps you to grow in spiritual formation. None of us are born knowing everything. But we all are born with a desire to worship God.
Everything you have learned thus far is a strong foundation and the beginning of wisdom. No matter how old any of us are, there is always more to learn. As Proverbs 4:5-6 says, “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, do not turn away. Do not forsake [wisdom] and she will keep you; love her and she will guard you.”
The wisdom of faith shapes us to make every day better by the power of God’s love because we are all on the same team. We are on the Big 3 Team: God – Jesus – Holy Spirit.
Scripture tells us that a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6c). His name was Jesus and we all follow in his footsteps. Carson, Mia, and Ashley – you were made to be awesome because you are a beloved child of God.
May you lead the church to follow Jesus and give the world a reason to don’t stop believing!
In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
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