Holy Spirit

look beyond the physical and see what God is doing

Today is a very important day in the life of the church. Today is the festival of Pentecost. Pentecost is the day we remember the first pentecost when the gathered were blessed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. But as it is in all our celebrations and Holy Days, our remembering is not like the times when you pull out the old picture album and reminice about days gone by. We remember in such a way that we live into a new reality. We join our spirits in worship on this Pentecost Sunday and invite a new workng of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We come fully expecting to be brought further into a purifying and holy relationship with The Almighty. Pentecost is not just an event that happened in a place on the other side of the globe about 2000 years ago, it is a reality that we enter into.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I m going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you.”

The hearts of the disciples were FILLED with sadness. They watched as Jesus was crucified and were, I am certain, horrified at the brutality with wich their teacher, friend and lord was treated but he defeated death and they had him in their midst once more. Now he is telling them that he is leaving. He gave them a pretty grim assessment about what was life was going to be like when was gone. “They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills ou will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they have not know the Father or me.”

They would certainly miss the presence of Jesus but that is just the beginning, life got more dangerous with out Jesus.

So why did Jesus have to go? Why couldn't he just say? Imagine if he did. His group of disciple would certainly grow. But there would still be those who would go unconvinced. He would likely become an earthly king. But the unconvinced would likely oppose him. Then what? War? Should the followers of Jesus kill to defend the Kingdom of God?

Jesus came to that all might be reconcilled to God. That the divisions of humanity would be dissolved and that we might be one people.

Jesus didn't come to set up an oppositional Kingdom. Jesus didn't even come to start a new religion. Jesus arose out of a particular people at a particular time in a particular place to initiate the growth of the Kingdom of God through love and forgivness.

So Jesus ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit.

We spoke befofe about Jesus' metaphore that he is the vine and we are the branches. Well the Holy Spirit is that very connection. The Holy Spirit is what makes it possible for us, the branches to be connected to the vine, Jesus. When we say in the communion prayer that we lift our hearts to God it is because that is where God is. God is trancendant. Jesus, the incarnated form of the God that is beyond catagorization and any idea we can have of God, has ascended and is with the Father. Jesus is no longer of the earth. And so by the power of the Holy Spirit we lift our hearts to God and seek to be joined with him. We seek transcendance while in this earthly form. NO SMALL TASK, let me tell you!

Jesus says the Holy Spirit will do some things. The first thinng is that the Spirit will testify about Jesus and will glorify Jesus.

Well great! If the Holy Spirit is going to come and has come, and it's the Holy Spirit's job to testify about Jesus then we are off the hook. We don't have to share the good news about Jesus. We can just let the Holy Spirit do it right?

No, no, no!

Jesus said “he will testify about me and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

He was speaking to his disciples that were with him during his entire earthly miistry. They saw everything. They heard him teach. They knew who he really was...the son of God. Jesus expected them to tell the world abut what they knew along with the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a partner in the process of telling the world about Jesus. But we are not seperate from the power of the Holy spirit

We are not only empowered to testify about Jesus but the Holy Spirit, according to scripture, will prove the world wrong about sin because they did not believe in Jesus. Jesus was on the earth, the incarnation of God and yet people could not believe. Those that executed him were aware of the claim about who Jesus was but could not see the truth.

Being blinded by ones own ambition, or agenda or need for power or pleasure or what ever it is that drives you, is a sin if it is not about seeking God first. The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was the ultimate example of this. Even then Jesus said, “father forgive them, they know not what they do.” even this ultimate in sin, Jesus prays for our forgiveness.

The Holy spirit will prove the world wrong about righteousness because Jesus went to the father and they saw him no longer. And concerning Judgement because the ruler of tis world has been condemned.

The Holy Spirit empowers the gathering of God's people to be the presence of Christ on Earth.

the church is Christ's presence on earth.

So does that mean that Christ is present only on sundays and only at certain locations such as this one as we gather, pray, search the scriptures and praise Him?

His purpose is not to be occasionaly present but to do the father's will. And what is the Father's will but to Proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near, to bring with you, where ever you go, a message of repentance and forgiveness, to make a way for the children to come, and to give a cup of water to the thirsty.

The problem comes when we try to institutionalize aned systemitize these things. When the proclaimation of the Kingdom becomes one not of good news but of condemnation. When the message of repentance and forgiveness is about other people repenting and other people forgiving and not having those things in your own life. When making a way for children to come means we speak in terms we understand rather than communicate in a way that they understand. When giving a cup of water to the thirsty becomes a program rather than heart felt compassion for those who are suffering. That is life and ministry with out the power of the Holy Spirit.

A life and ministry in partnership with and in submission to the Holy Spirit is one that transforms. It transforms you and it transforms the world around you. There is nothing what we can do outside the power of the Holy Spirit that will make this world a better place. There is no social program that will cure our ills unless it is in submission to God and His will.

The reality that we enter into on this Pentecost Sunday is not merely a recollection of a special event in history but one that transforms us on a daily basis as we re-orient our attention from our will, our effort our desires to God's will for us and for our world.

So, how is it with you today on this pentecost sunday? The Spirit will partner with you. The Spirit will empower you. But you have to be a willing participant.