May 19,13 Pentecost Acts 10:44-48 AND THE CROWD WENT WILD Listen to the words of one of our hymns called Filled with the Spirit s Power. If you d like to follow along it is on page 537. Filled with the Spirit s power, with one accord the infant church confessed its risen Lord. O Holy Spirit, in the church today no less your power of fellowship display. Now with the mind of Christ set us on fire, that unity may be our great desire. Give joy and peace; give faith to hear your call, and readiness in each to work for all. Widen our love, good Spirit, to embrace in your strong care all those of every race. Like wind and fire with life among us move, till we are known as Christ s, and Christians prove. That s what happened on that first Pentecost when the disciples were gathered in the Upper Room. 120 of them were their waiting and praying. Waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus. Praying that they were ready. Praying that it would come soon. Ever pray like that? I mean, pray for something to happen asking God to do fulfill his promise in your life? Or even waiting. In our hurry up society we have a difficult time waiting. But the best is yet to come when we wait till we get what God has planned for us. Well these 120 men and women did just that. They prayed and prayed and waited and waited and then prayed and prayed some more. And in God s timing.when the time was right.when the feast of Pentecost came while they were in the Upper Room suddenly, yes, suddenly wind could be felt. I think it was calm outside, but the wind was blowing up a storm inside that upper room filling the group with Pentecostal power from on high. And not only that, but the room seemed on fire. Tongues of fire could be seen on each person like is on the front of our bulletin this morning. Then an amazing thing happened. The Holy Spirit came into their hearts and transformed them and began to give them gifts that they were to use to spread the Gospel message all over the world. Then that crowd went wild as they began to speak in languages that they did not know. Suddenly the closed doors opened wide and the Holy Spirit ushered them into the streets as the calmness of the day began to blow into a fully fledged
wind storm that got people s attention. The next thing the disciples knew was that they were standing with different groups of people who had come for the feast of Pentecost and the 120 people from the Upper Room began to speak in their groups language. And the crowd went wild. It sounded like, well, a concert where everyone is screaming. Or like the final of American Idol when the winner was announced. If confetti had been around it would have filled the air. It sounded like a baseball game where the crowd stands and cheers for the home team when it scores. Or those who were at a Williamsville softball game or baseball game when they won. It sounded like Wriggly Field when the Cubs fans sing Go Cubs Go after they have won a game. And the crowd goes wild. Well this crowd on Pentecost went wild. Some said that the disciples were a little tipsy. But a transformed Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, with joy, and with enthusiasm became the first street evangelist in the new church era as he jumped on a cart and with a smile on his face and joy in his heart began to tell the people, no they were not drunk on wine, but drunk because they had received the power of the Holy Spirit into their hearts. And the first Billy Graham type preacher told the crowds that had gathered the story of Jesus and his death and resurrection and that the one who had died is alive and ready to forgive all those who turn their hearts over to him. Peter became bold as he preached. No prepared sermon. No written notes. No illustrations except his own life and the lives of those who had been in the Upper Room. So when he opened his mouth the voice was his. The inflections were his, but the words were the words of the Holy Spirit, and remember, each one heard in his or her own language. And the crowd went wild, so wild that at the end of his sermon they asked, What must we do to be saved? Listen to what the Scriptures says in the book of Acts chapter 2. When the people heard this, (about Jesus) they were cut to the heat and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Now get this.don t skip over this don t just brush it off because this is the power that came that morning of Pentecost as Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words Peter warned them, Save yourself from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted his message were baptized, about three thousand were added to their number that day. And the crowd went wild. They went wild with joy as they prayed to receive Jesus into their hearts. The crowd went wild as one after the other began to feel the difference in their lives as they confessed their sins and received new life in Christ. The crowd went wild as they were baptized in the name of Jesus. The crowd went wild with joy as they received the good news of the gospel and the New Testament Church of Jesus Christ began, and not only did they join together for days in prayer, learning about Jesus and about his mission, but they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that when they returned to their homes, their villages, to their working places they could share the good news of the Gospel that Jesus died and was raised so that those who believed in him could be filled with joy and peace knowing they have been forgiven. And the story doesn t stop there. It then says that God added daily to their numbers those who were being save. THAT S what happened that first Pentecost in the city of Jerusalem. The message of Jesus exploded and a new church was born. Or as a hymn states In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed an apple tree; in cocoons, a hidden promise; butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there s a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity, in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity. In our death, a resurrection, at the last a victory, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. And the crowd went wild. Fast forward perhaps a few months, maybe a little longer than that when a Roman Centurion who had been attracted to the Jewish faith had a dream about following Jesus. In the dream he was told to send for one of Jesus messengers,
Peter, who would come to help him understand having faith in him. As some of you know, at the same time Peter was having a midday nap on the roof of a home having a strange dream about eating food that was forbidden by his custom. In the end of the dream Peter heard the command that someone was sending for him and that he was to go with his messengers for he was waiting for him. As the dream ends, a knock on the door, and there is the envoy from the Roman Centurion. Peter goes with them. He comes to Cornelius home, pauses at the door because Jewish people were not to mingle or go into a Gentiles home. But the Holy Spirit reminded him of the dream and that all that God makes is acceptable so Peter enters to the joy of Cornelius and his home where once again as Peter opened his mouth out came words that brought salvation to Cornelius and all who were in that household. And those people went wild because they felt the power of the Holy Spirit. They felt God s presence as the Holy Spirit removed blinders from their eyes to see the gospel message. They felt Jesus lifting the veil from their hardened hearts to understand the message of God s love. They rejoiced as their ears were unstopped to hear the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter telling them the resurrection story. There in the house the Holy Spirit uses Peter as he speaks about forgiveness through the name of Jesus. Scripture states While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message, The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And the crowd went wild! That s all great stuff! Think about it for a minute. When the Holy Spirit came that first time it didn t leave. That outpouring came and the Holy Spirit lives today in the hearts of those where Jesus lives. If you got Jesus, you ve got the Holy Spirit.
No Jesus. No Holy Spirit. Got Jesus, you ve got the Holy Spirit. But, and here is the key. Just like Jesus will not make you do something. Neither will the Holy Spirit. He will nudge you. He will offer his help. He will do all your bidding, but you have to give him that permission. When you let him rule your heart and your life, when you allow him to work in the cleansing and leading, then each life will be better off. It is when we take control that things don t go well. There used to be a bumper sticker that says God is my Co-Pilot. I think that sticker would be much better and so would that person s life if it said, God is in the driver s seat. I am his copilot. Let me tell you about a time when I first became a Christian and had no idea of going into the ministry. A week before Christmas the pastor of the UMC Carole belonged and I was going from time to time, asked her if I would tell my story on Christmas Sunday at church. When she told me that I said no way Hosea. I could never get up and talk about faith in front of those I knew, and they knew me. When the dreaded phone call came and Pastor Willis asked if I would share some things that were happening in my life along with some others he had asked it was as if when I opened my mouth to say no out came sure. And so on that Sunday 3 catholic people were prepared to speak a few minutes in a UMC. When it was my time, nervous as I was, a calm came over me as I almost leapt from my pew as the Holy Spirit took control of my life right then and there and I know without shadow of a doubt I was filled with the Holy Spirit as I stood in the pulpit for that Christmas service filled with lots of people and the following service that day to tell the story of Jesus and his love in my life and how I had been transformed by his Spirit. When that service was over, and Willis gave the invitation to come forward to receive Christ over 100 or so came forward at each service. You see, the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit can give a shy fellow words to say that he wasn t expecting to say. And he still does it week after week. On that first Pentecost the crowds went wild. You know, I wish each Sunday in every church the crowd would go wild like they do at sporting events. Maybe we
need to have tail gate parties prior to worship. Maybe we need to come to church with our faces painted some weird color or decorated in such a way that we are filled with the joy of the risen Lord. Maybe then we would welcome the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into us as a hymn says. Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do. Breathe on me Breath of God till I am wholly thine, till all this earthly part of me glows with thy fire divine. When the Holy Spirit fills this place with his power and his presence we will know that without a doubt a revival has come.and the crowd will go wild with the anticipation of what God will do. Till then. Let us be patient and pray. Pray, Lord Jesus do it again. Breathe new life into all of us that we might be filled again and again with your Spirit. May that faucet never be turned off. Let it begin today. Let it begin with me. So may it be