LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“Signs of the Spirit”
Acts 2:1-13
5/20/18
Celebrate Pent today: coming of HS upon Jesus’ disciples, 10 days after ascension
God’s ongoing presence w/ us on earth, now that X ruling in heaven
HS had been active before Pent, but not in same way
in is his enduring and universal presence among believers, we find birth of Church
church not gathering of people
but place where human & divine meet: HS the one who makes divine present
in many ways: direct presence, fellowship, Word, sacraments, as we serve
We Presbys don’t talk much about HS: forgotten member of Trinity
will spend our summer to learn more about HS, difference makes in our lives
start today w/ story of Pent, when Spirit 1st came
notice signs of Spirit: what happened when HS came
as studied, two key elements jumped out at me
1st, notice how HS came: v. 2: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting”
two words in particular: suddenly and violent
HS came suddenly, unexpectedly, w/out warning
10 days earlier, before ascend, Jesus told them to wait for power of HS to come
53 days before that, at Last Supper, promised would send HS
so not completely unexpected: knew something was going to happen
just didn’t when, how, or where
when came, did so out of the blue: didn’t make appt or schedule on calendar
how God often works in our lives: startles us & turns us upside down, inside out
hardly ever does what we would expect him to
rarely when we think he will
if you’re looking for safe, predictable God to follow, might want to look elsewhere
if you are only making room in life for God to play by rules & not rock boat,
your life isn’t big enough
he won’t ask your permission, won’t conform to your plans
will come suddenly & in surprising ways
Came like violent wind: God is forceful & powerful
can’t put God in box, tell him to mind his manners
comes to shatter our lives & our world
destroys our pretensions, our expectations, our predictable patterns of life
things we build up in lives to take care of selves
as we do so, risk walling God off from us as build our lives
God will not be boxed in or left out
smashes everything that blocks or interferes w/ free action in our lives
if you’re going to wp God of Pent, be prepared to live life off-balance
will knock down anything you use to support self that isn’t him
2nd sign of Spirit on Pent: brought people together
hint even before came: v 1 disciples “were all together in one place”
Gr emph not on location but that together
shared same space, mind, outlook, position
as will see as study HS over summer, unity a key aspect of HS’s influence over us
when HS came, “they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (v. 3)
fire once again reminds of God’s unpredictability & power: literally playing w/ fire
but also, tongues came to rest on each of them: common source, no one left out
when become disc of JX, flame of HS rests on you: to do his work in your life
Xnity not a spectator sport: watch what others do, read about
HS involves every one of us
if you’re not involved, not paying attention to what HS is doing in your life
Sign of how HS brings people together came after filled w/, what did next
v. 4: “they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”
bit of dispute over this: “speaking in tongues” or suddenly fluent in foreign languages?
seems to be foreign langs: visitors from other lands all heard them speaking their lang
could mean different disc each speaking different lang
Peter: Parthian, Andrew Mede, John Elamite, James Mesopotamian
all the way to James son of Alpheus speaking Latin for residents of Rome
perhaps, or maybe something different: reverse of curse of Babel
human sin, expressed in hubris & pride to supplant God, led God to divide
divisions we now live w/, ways we divide selves in so many ways
lang, gender, political persuasion, race, economic, etc etc
more than simply unable to get along: by-product of sinful condition of humanity
at its heart, sin separates us: from God, from each other
coming of HS lifted curse of Babel: separation of people so don’t try to conquer God
those who were divided by sin now united by Spirit
So how have we gotten to where we are today? today’s church very different from Pent
between denoms, among Presbys, w/in congres, obsess over our differences
tongue of flame resting on you different from tongue of flame resting on me
mine’s better: not sure if yours is even fire at all
back to the sin of Babel: making selves important
instead of tower to compete w/ God, walls to keep each other out
Challenge of Pent; are we going to be the church? those filled w/ HS?
willing to accept sudden, violent presence God?
give up sense of safety & control, which are illusions anyway
open self up for God to rip into our lives
make us act & speak in ways that others may think crazy or drunk (1st Pent)
willing to be together in one place? speak the same lang?
build not our reputations, causes or beliefs or principles
but glory for God
Acts 2:1-13
5/20/18
Celebrate Pent today: coming of HS upon Jesus’ disciples, 10 days after ascension
God’s ongoing presence w/ us on earth, now that X ruling in heaven
HS had been active before Pent, but not in same way
in is his enduring and universal presence among believers, we find birth of Church
church not gathering of people
but place where human & divine meet: HS the one who makes divine present
in many ways: direct presence, fellowship, Word, sacraments, as we serve
We Presbys don’t talk much about HS: forgotten member of Trinity
will spend our summer to learn more about HS, difference makes in our lives
start today w/ story of Pent, when Spirit 1st came
notice signs of Spirit: what happened when HS came
as studied, two key elements jumped out at me
1st, notice how HS came: v. 2: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting”
two words in particular: suddenly and violent
HS came suddenly, unexpectedly, w/out warning
10 days earlier, before ascend, Jesus told them to wait for power of HS to come
53 days before that, at Last Supper, promised would send HS
so not completely unexpected: knew something was going to happen
just didn’t when, how, or where
when came, did so out of the blue: didn’t make appt or schedule on calendar
how God often works in our lives: startles us & turns us upside down, inside out
hardly ever does what we would expect him to
rarely when we think he will
if you’re looking for safe, predictable God to follow, might want to look elsewhere
if you are only making room in life for God to play by rules & not rock boat,
your life isn’t big enough
he won’t ask your permission, won’t conform to your plans
will come suddenly & in surprising ways
Came like violent wind: God is forceful & powerful
can’t put God in box, tell him to mind his manners
comes to shatter our lives & our world
destroys our pretensions, our expectations, our predictable patterns of life
things we build up in lives to take care of selves
as we do so, risk walling God off from us as build our lives
God will not be boxed in or left out
smashes everything that blocks or interferes w/ free action in our lives
if you’re going to wp God of Pent, be prepared to live life off-balance
will knock down anything you use to support self that isn’t him
2nd sign of Spirit on Pent: brought people together
hint even before came: v 1 disciples “were all together in one place”
Gr emph not on location but that together
shared same space, mind, outlook, position
as will see as study HS over summer, unity a key aspect of HS’s influence over us
when HS came, “they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (v. 3)
fire once again reminds of God’s unpredictability & power: literally playing w/ fire
but also, tongues came to rest on each of them: common source, no one left out
when become disc of JX, flame of HS rests on you: to do his work in your life
Xnity not a spectator sport: watch what others do, read about
HS involves every one of us
if you’re not involved, not paying attention to what HS is doing in your life
Sign of how HS brings people together came after filled w/, what did next
v. 4: “they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”
bit of dispute over this: “speaking in tongues” or suddenly fluent in foreign languages?
seems to be foreign langs: visitors from other lands all heard them speaking their lang
could mean different disc each speaking different lang
Peter: Parthian, Andrew Mede, John Elamite, James Mesopotamian
all the way to James son of Alpheus speaking Latin for residents of Rome
perhaps, or maybe something different: reverse of curse of Babel
human sin, expressed in hubris & pride to supplant God, led God to divide
divisions we now live w/, ways we divide selves in so many ways
lang, gender, political persuasion, race, economic, etc etc
more than simply unable to get along: by-product of sinful condition of humanity
at its heart, sin separates us: from God, from each other
coming of HS lifted curse of Babel: separation of people so don’t try to conquer God
those who were divided by sin now united by Spirit
So how have we gotten to where we are today? today’s church very different from Pent
between denoms, among Presbys, w/in congres, obsess over our differences
tongue of flame resting on you different from tongue of flame resting on me
mine’s better: not sure if yours is even fire at all
back to the sin of Babel: making selves important
instead of tower to compete w/ God, walls to keep each other out
Challenge of Pent; are we going to be the church? those filled w/ HS?
willing to accept sudden, violent presence God?
give up sense of safety & control, which are illusions anyway
open self up for God to rip into our lives
make us act & speak in ways that others may think crazy or drunk (1st Pent)
willing to be together in one place? speak the same lang?
build not our reputations, causes or beliefs or principles
but glory for God
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com