Acts 2: 1-4, 14-21
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
June 9, 2019
Pentecost Sunday
It was the moment they had been waiting for. Jesus had given the apostles their marching orders before he ascended to heaven: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for the promise of the Father. This is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you all will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1: 4-5).
The apostles had constantly devoted themselves to prayer, and yet they did not know what to expect. Today we stand in the story of Acts and remember the way in which the apostles’ prayers were answered in the powerful event of Pentecost.
Listen to Luke tell the story of the Holy Spirit’s dramatic entrance in Acts 2: 1-4, 14-21.
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.
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.”
The apostles were not only surprised by the Holy Spirit’s presence. They were also divinely inspired to prophesy to God’s mission in the world, to be captivated by God’s vision of Christ’s ongoing ministry, and to receive the Spirit’s holy imagination to live out the gospel. The dramatic entrance of the Spirit reminds me that God gave the apostles a sense of urgency to do God’s work in the world!
When the Spirit begins to work in a person, God starts moving to the center of [one’s] life. Before this point, for many people, even believers, God has been on the edges of life, with one’s self at the center. The little religion we have makes life a little better, like an accessory added to an outfit or a bit of spice stirred in a recipe. Spirituality makes us feel better, and so we try to fit it in when we have time, but God’s impact on the deepest concerns, values, and decisions of our lives is minimal.
As the Spirit begins to work in us, the relationship with God that used to be a nice accessory in our life becomes more and more central to who we are. What God wants moves to the top of our priority list. Prayer becomes a desire more than a duty. Gratitude for God’s goodness comes out of nowhere and surprises us. We hear God speak in Scripture in deeper and more personal ways. God’s call on our life becomes central. Spiritual passion is about a kind of deep relationship with God that influences every area of life. [1]
And Gray says this about the Holy Spirit inspiring the community of faith:
[Churches] know that when God becomes the chief guide and power source in their life and ministry, the unthinkable moves into the realm of the possible. The first believers in Jesus thought his story was finished when they put his body in a tomb and rolled a stone in front of the opening, but God had other possibilities in mind. Just as human will did not produce Jesus, neither did human powers have the last word in his life. He came to bring a new reign of God upon the earth that no human power could ever equal or destroy.
The church was created to be both a demonstration of this new creation and a staging ground for partnering with God in taking it out to the world. Only congregations living into a transforming relationship with the God for whom nothing is impossible can hope to fulfill their potential as the body of Christ. [2]
Friends, Gray is talking about Pentecost moments in our individual and communal lives.
Discerning our potential as the body of Christ is something I continue to pray and think about often. Every January a new verse of Scripture guides my hopes and visions for ministry with you. This year that verse is from Isaiah 43: 18-19 – Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? That’s a bold verse, isn’t it?
I caught a glimpse of God doing a new thing on Thursday evening. About 100 Van Wyck residents gathered at the community center for a candlelight vigil. The purposes of that vigil were to grieve the four young adults (ages 18-31) who died too soon from alcohol or drug related deaths (January – May this year), to acknowledge the tragic effects on their families and this community, and to advocate for the awareness of substance abuse.
Local clergy, including myself, were invited to share in the grass roots leadership. Our Sherriff was present and encouraged by the community’s desire for change. But what gave me goosebumps were the closing remarks from my friend and colleague – Rev. Dennis McCleave, pastor at White Oak AME Zion Church.
Rev. McCleave said, “As the larger body of Christ we have a responsibility to this community. We have a responsibility to come alongside our youth and young adults to encourage them to make better choices. We have a responsibility to really come together as sisters and brothers. This vigil is not an ending; it is a beginning.”
I left that vigil Thursday night feeling the Holy Spirit was powerfully present. I hear God’s voice saying, “I will make a way in the wilderness where the Van Wyck community feels at a loss. I will make rivers in the desert where the people’s thirst can only be satisfied by the living water of Jesus Christ.
I strongly believe that Holy Spirit is calling us to start dreaming how Van Wyck Presbyterian and White Oak AME Zion might create unity in the community. God has a dream for the kingdom of God to break in right here so that all of us may have an abundant life in Jesus Christ.
How will you and I open ourselves to be transformed to join God in reaching our potential as the body of Christ? I cannot see the whole of God’s vision alone. It will take intentionality, prayerful effort, and divinely inspired passion of many in our respective churches.
On this Pentecost Sunday we affirm that God has indeed poured out the Holy Spirit to empower us to be transformed by God’s faithfulness. At this Table, Holy Spirit clothes all apostles - past, present, and future - with power from on high (Luke 24:49). It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are united with our risen Lord and spiritually empowered by Jesus’ gifts; the bread of life and cup of salvation.
Gathered together just like that first century community of believers, the Holy Spirit is at work to embolden us to proclaim the good news. God’s Spirit is on the move here and now to stir our imaginations so that we might be captivated by the vision of God’s will.
We believe, according to The Brief Statement of Faith, that we tap into God’s dreams when we unite in faith “to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace” [3].
Making God’s dream come true starts right here at the Table. We see and taste the goodness of God and then we take God’s goodness out to the streets.
With any discipline, it takes passion and effort to reach our individual and collective potential. Therefore, I want your faith to be on fire for Jesus Christ! And as our faith is rekindled it must be fueled by the breath of prayer. Fire cannot thrive without oxygen and faith cannot be fueled without prayer.
My ultimate prayer is that we may live into a transforming relationship with God as the body of Christ. The Lord God has plans to give our community a future with hope.
Each step we take to follow God’s mission is taking a step towards realizing our potential as the body of Christ. May the Holy Spirit divinely inspire us to realize our God-given potential.
In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
Sources Referenced:
[1] Joan Gray, “Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers” (Louisville: Geneva Press, 2009), p. 24.
[2] Gray, p. 21.
[3] Part I of the Constitution of the PC(USA): The Book of Confessions, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press), A Brief Statement of Faith , 11.4.
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