Christ Lutheran Church: Welcome

How They Did It - May 11, 2008

How They Did It

Acts 2:1-7

May 11, 2008

Rev. Dave R. Garwick

So what in the world should I preach on today?  So many things to choose from.  Used to be that this day just focused on one thing:  Pentecost.  But now we've got lots of things to choose from.  Lots of people expect me to make the focus on Mother's Day.  Others think I should be talking about Fishing Opener.

But you know, May 11th is not really owned by Pentecost - which hardly ever stops by on this day.  I'll probably never see it again on May 11th.  And Mother's Day only visits May 11th every seven or eighth years.  Same with Fishing Opener.

There is only one commemoration that ALWAYS falls on May 11th.  Yes!  Today and every May 11th is Twilight Zone Day!  Nobody knows who came up with May 11th as the day.  And nobody knows why.  The answer itself lies.................in the Twilight Zone.  But since this IS Pentecost, I'm going to do it Twilight Zone style.

Pentecost kind of IS the Twilight Zone of Christianity - where some kind of supernatural spirit or ghost crosses over into this earthly  realm with strange sights and sounds that make everybody do fantastic things never before seen or heard.

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.  It is a dimension as vast as space and timeless as infinity.  It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.  This is the dimension of faith.  You unlock THIS door with the key of faith.  Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, things earthly and things eternal.  That's the signpost up ahead:  You've just crossed over into...Pentecost."

This Holy Ghost is sometime referred to as the "shy" member of the Holy Trinity because this is the One we have the hardest time picturing in our minds.  The first member of the Trinity is the One we know as our FATHER who is in heaven.  So we often picture Him as something like 'the old man'.  The second member of the Trinity, the Son, of course we have a real good picture of because He came as one of us and therefore looked like one of us.

But the Holy Spirit?  What does the Holy Spirit look like?  what does it do?  Why is it important?  Well, all of that was answered on that first Pentecost after Jesus had been crucified and had been resurrected and had ascended into heaven.  Again, Luke reported in the book of Acts that, "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting."  That is what it sounded like.

What did it look like?  "They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them."

And what did it do?  "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."  And THAT was only the beginning of what the Holy Spirit did with those apostles.

Back in the Gospels when the apostles travelled with Jesus, most of the time they were confused and scared and kind of bumbling.  Jesus called Peter "Satan" and told him that his thoughts were on the side of men and not of God.  He essentially called James and John 'big mouths'.  Judas, then Peter, then eventually all the disciples betrayed Jesus.

These are the kinds of guys I can most easily identify with.  In fact, if I had been one of them, I might not have been able to hold a candle to any of them, what with all of my own questions and confusions, considering my own wavering spiritual disciplines of things like prayer and forgiveness, my own shyness of standing up for Jesus for fear of how others might react.

But then something happens to these guys.  From the book of Acts all the way to the end of the Bible, these guys are on fire and they are on target.  How did THAT happen?  Well, let me tell you:  it was not THEIR doing.  THEY hadn't done anything different:  they hadn't even gone through Confirmation!  How could they have pulled off the language thing that nobody has ever been able to do since?  What happened with the apostles HAD to be the work of the Holy Spirit.

We don't usually hear a loud rushing sound of wind in the sanctuary except when someone accidentally turns up the ceiling fans instead of the lights.  And with all the hair spray these days, we don't see flames on top of people's heads anymore either.

How can any of us get some of that Holy Spirit power to energize and transform OUR faith...form confusion to certainty...from casualness to conviction...from blame to forgiveness...from timid to bold?  How can we get the Holy Spirit to do that?

Here's a clue.  You might not remember this, but when you were baptized the pastor said, "Child of God, YOU have been....SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT...If you were baptized then you went through your own Pentecost.  It was not fire upon your head but the water of Baptism.  And you were sealed by the Holy Spirit.  And marked with the cross of Christ.  Forever.

In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther said, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith."

How do you think you got here this morning when all the rest of your friends are out killing fish?  The Holy Ghost has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified and kept you in the true faith.  In other words, you've go it in you, the Holy Spirit.  Believe it.  Now BE the on-fire apostle He made you to be.  Go in peace.  Serve the Lord.  (congregation:  thanks be to God).