Sermon 5-27-12 *
It is Pentecost Sunday.
Title - where are you going?
Acts 1:1-8 NIV 1984
1 In my former book,(A) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach(B) 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven,(C) after giving instructions(D) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles(E) he had chosen.(F) 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them(G) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.(H) 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait(I) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.(J) 5 For John baptized with[a] water,(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”(L)
6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore(M) the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.(N) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;(O) and you will be my witnesses(P) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,(Q) and to the ends of the earth.”(R)
What is Pentecost Sunday
50 days after Passover – Easter
Festival commemorating the giving of the law on Sinai
That is why all of the people were in the city
Commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit
Disciples waiting upper room [check acts 2 story]
Tongues of fire on their head
Wind blowing through
They are empowered to share the story of love
How does your life feel? Empowered? Powerful spiritually? Or not
Let’s talk about our life
Our relationship with God
What are we pursuing?
What do we want?
What do we pray for?
Maybe the reason that we don’t sense the presence of the spirit is that we are asking for the wrong things and heading in the wrong directions
The disciples still wanted Jesus to overthrow the Romans
You will receive power
Power to what?
To make money? To buy a truck? To live in a nice house?
To live a long healthy life
If the Christians in Mozambique cannot have such things, why would Christians in America pray for such things?
Power to what
What are we expecting god to do for us
God has already done something for you in Jesus
What are we expecting god to do for us
Vs
What can I do for you, God?
The jfk thing, ask not what your country can do……..
Power to be my witness. To Jerusalem Judea to Samaria to the uttermost parts of the earth
To those we like, to those we don’t like, and ultimately to everyone
Oh t o be a witness. Does that scare you?
Not surprising- because of how so many Christians go about it
• The anonymous letter in the mail from a supposed neighbor
• My trips to sf to golden gate park
• My daughters accosted on the beach
• the street preacher in st Louis/daytona
Ok. We don’t want to be that.
Does that let us off the hook? Can we not just go on our merry way?
Or does god still expect us to witness
Still nervous
Let me put it this way
When you get up and head into your day, do you go for you
Or do you go for him. For God
You will receive power. Power to what.
To overcome your fears
To see the good
To live a life of love
To know where you are going
When we go for god we are his witnesses. Every kind word, every kind act, every hug, every act done in the name of Christ is a witness
There is nothing secular. You are a Christian living on behalf of Christ.
Examples
Darren Copeland – from bball to softball to worship
Man in the office- steps up to the plate for another man
Going to Joplin – the work we have done there, should we have just stood on the curb and preached?
Something changes in us. Something changes in them
=-=-
conclusion
God always sends you to people
If we are listening, we are sent from our comfort zone to a place of care and ministry
Where are you going?
What message will you carry?
What will you share? What is your message?
How would you do it without words?
Prayer- Lord please show me someone that I can care about for you today
Mark Stanton- my project move this or delete
Didn’t work. I gave up. Asked kindly
Why did you agree to go this time?
Because now you are acting like a friend
Before you were a jerk
When we make someone our project we totally miss the point
Showing posts with label Pentecost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pentecost. Show all posts
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, June 13, 2011
Acts. The Story. Part 1 Acts 2:1-13 06/13/11
Sermon 6-12-11 Acts part 1
Acts 2:1-13
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
What is Pentecost, why is it important?
The disciples are filled with power and with the holy spirit
The disciples go out
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You would need the holy spirit to do this……..a life lived outside of myself
As they go, Its not simply a telling
It’s a life. A life together
That’s why attending church is impt. Its not just about believing, its about living together
It is living the Christian life
Who are we, how do we go about caring for each other
Picture the early church
How did the early church go about their business? Did they form a committee?
The early church had no political influence, no property, no fame or wealth
There is no church building, no paid staff, no pastors, no committees no conference. No organization. No choir, no bookstore, no walking trail, no stained glass
But it was powerful because they were sharing Gods love
The gods of the age were to be feared. You worked hard to curry their favor
Now they are hearing a new message.
God has come near. You are loved. Life can be lived w joy
Consequently, The people valued one another more than possessions
Only people mattered-annanias and saffira
Movement of the spirit
- Everyone who was touched and transformed by Jesus was able to, in turn, participate in the transformation of others around them.
It is a grass roots movement of people who are stepping out with hearts that are full
Does this sound like the church that we know?
What is your concept of church
A building? A staff with programs?
An organism, a body.
Hymn – I am the church, you are the church
Not that our buildings and staff and programs should go away, but do we spend too much time worrying about our stuff?
You have to have both, the organization and the living it out, but we tend to get stuck on the organizational side of it,
The church at its worst
Concerned with institutional survival
Is concerned with tradition-living out yesterdays paradigms
Is a place filled with consumers
The church at its best
Where organization, tradition and process are understood to be a part of the equation
But the real focus is on
Loving each other, finding joy in jesus, taking it to the streets
The blob – steve mcqueen 1958
Illustrations of this living
Acts 3
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Risky, but exciting
Not asking that you go and try to heal the lame and disabled,
But the promise of Pentecost is just exactly that
In some way, in some place, someone is waiting for you to love
• The holy spirit is the undiscovered gift to the Christian
• The church is a virus, and it is meant to be caught-
What should we pray for our church, for its members, for we who are the church?
That everytime we gather here, our hearts are filled and warmed
So that we can go out with joy and as the sign says, enter the mission field
Communion
That we might be filled
That we might be sent
Jeff Brinkman
Pastor
Woods Chapel United Methodist Church
You can read Jeff's blog at www.canyouhearthebirdssing.blogspot.com
Acts 2:1-13
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
What is Pentecost, why is it important?
The disciples are filled with power and with the holy spirit
The disciples go out
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You would need the holy spirit to do this……..a life lived outside of myself
As they go, Its not simply a telling
It’s a life. A life together
That’s why attending church is impt. Its not just about believing, its about living together
It is living the Christian life
Who are we, how do we go about caring for each other
Picture the early church
How did the early church go about their business? Did they form a committee?
The early church had no political influence, no property, no fame or wealth
There is no church building, no paid staff, no pastors, no committees no conference. No organization. No choir, no bookstore, no walking trail, no stained glass
But it was powerful because they were sharing Gods love
The gods of the age were to be feared. You worked hard to curry their favor
Now they are hearing a new message.
God has come near. You are loved. Life can be lived w joy
Consequently, The people valued one another more than possessions
Only people mattered-annanias and saffira
Movement of the spirit
- Everyone who was touched and transformed by Jesus was able to, in turn, participate in the transformation of others around them.
It is a grass roots movement of people who are stepping out with hearts that are full
Does this sound like the church that we know?
What is your concept of church
A building? A staff with programs?
An organism, a body.
Hymn – I am the church, you are the church
Not that our buildings and staff and programs should go away, but do we spend too much time worrying about our stuff?
You have to have both, the organization and the living it out, but we tend to get stuck on the organizational side of it,
The church at its worst
Concerned with institutional survival
Is concerned with tradition-living out yesterdays paradigms
Is a place filled with consumers
The church at its best
Where organization, tradition and process are understood to be a part of the equation
But the real focus is on
Loving each other, finding joy in jesus, taking it to the streets
The blob – steve mcqueen 1958
Illustrations of this living
Acts 3
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Risky, but exciting
Not asking that you go and try to heal the lame and disabled,
But the promise of Pentecost is just exactly that
In some way, in some place, someone is waiting for you to love
• The holy spirit is the undiscovered gift to the Christian
• The church is a virus, and it is meant to be caught-
What should we pray for our church, for its members, for we who are the church?
That everytime we gather here, our hearts are filled and warmed
So that we can go out with joy and as the sign says, enter the mission field
Communion
That we might be filled
That we might be sent
Jeff Brinkman
Pastor
Woods Chapel United Methodist Church
You can read Jeff's blog at www.canyouhearthebirdssing.blogspot.com
Monday, July 26, 2010
Pentecost Acts 2:1-13 May 23, 2010
Sermon Pentecost 5-23-2010
Greg Hansen
What are you doing? Working on the sermon. What is it about. Pentecost. Puzzled look. It’s a church holiday. Oh good does that mean that we don’t have to go to church?
Origins of Pentecost
Pentecost "the fiftieth [day]") Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost is historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus. Among Christians, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the New Testament Acts of the Apostles 2:31 [3] during these Jewish "fiftieth day" celebrations in Jerusalem. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church".
What happened in acts 2
The story begins in luke 24
luke 24:46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 2:1-13 1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine.[b]"
followed by peters sermon
interesting things to think about these scriptures…..
Tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high
What kind of power
What were they expecting
What they got
What are the symbols of Pentecost?
Wind
The holy spirit moves from high pressure to low pressure
Weather reporters
fire
The symbolism of fire
Set a person on fire and people will come from miles around to watch them burn.
a story of an English bishop who visited a sleepy little parish along the river Thames. The village priest was discouraged and depressed, not really accomplishing very much. Finally, the priest confessed, 'Bishop, I can't say that we are setting the Thames on fire.' The bishop looked him sternly in the eye and said, 'Young man, I am not the least bit concerned about setting the Thames on fire. What I want to know is, if I take you out and drop you in it, will you sizzle?'
people will come from miles around to watch you burn
fire cleanses, purifies, consumes
results of Pentecost
Evangelism is the core
we are compelled to tell the story
The church with out evangelism is nothing but a club
Christianity is unthinkable without evangelism
We are impressed when we read that the Lord added over 3,000 people to the church on that first Pentecost. “Yet I have heard that on a world scale the Lord adds more than 3,000 people each day nowadays to the number of those who are saved
Another result of Pentecost is that He makes you relevent
the Holy Spirit does not make you an ivory tower. He does not make you better than others.
He makes you relevent.
Another result of Penetcost is that we see that He invites the impossible. The paradigm shift
Pentecost tells us that it is no longer business as usual - God wants you, lock stock and barrel.
When the Holy Spirit comes in he does not take sides, he takes over
It was Pentecost Sunday. As the congregation filed into church, the ushers handed each person a bright red carnation to symbolize the festive spirit of the day.
The people listened attentively to the reading of the Pentecost story from the book of Acts: about how the disciples had heard “what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven,” about how the Holy Spirit had appeared: “like tongues of fire.” Then came the sermon.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon us,” the preacher began.
“Like a powerful wind from heaven!” shouted a woman sitting in the first pew. Then she threw one of the red carnations toward the altar.
The preacher began again. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us.” The same woman’s voice rang out: “Like the tongues of fire, like the tongues of fire!” And she threw a red carnation toward the altar.
The preacher looked straight at her and said, “Now throw your pocketbook.”
To which the woman replied with conviction: “Preacher, you just done calmed the wind and put out the fire.”
If you want to get serious with God, well, God wants to get serious with you.
Another way to say this is that the Holy Spirit wants us to do Extraordinary things
The extraordinary things that happen to us when we are seized upon by the holy spirit
This is the power that changes the world. Fills people with faith.
He invites you to do that which you would not normally do-
sit around and pray, leave your comfort zone
finding a life that is significant.
Application
Are you open to a visitation of the holy spirit in your life
Are you willing to stop long enough to listen?
Great churches are built
The world is changed
Lives are touched by those who answer these questions by saying yes. I am open, I am willing.
Let us pray
Greg Hansen
What are you doing? Working on the sermon. What is it about. Pentecost. Puzzled look. It’s a church holiday. Oh good does that mean that we don’t have to go to church?
Origins of Pentecost
Pentecost "the fiftieth [day]") Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost is historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus. Among Christians, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the New Testament Acts of the Apostles 2:31 [3] during these Jewish "fiftieth day" celebrations in Jerusalem. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church".
What happened in acts 2
The story begins in luke 24
luke 24:46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 2:1-13 1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine.[b]"
followed by peters sermon
interesting things to think about these scriptures…..
Tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high
What kind of power
What were they expecting
What they got
What are the symbols of Pentecost?
Wind
The holy spirit moves from high pressure to low pressure
Weather reporters
fire
The symbolism of fire
Set a person on fire and people will come from miles around to watch them burn.
a story of an English bishop who visited a sleepy little parish along the river Thames. The village priest was discouraged and depressed, not really accomplishing very much. Finally, the priest confessed, 'Bishop, I can't say that we are setting the Thames on fire.' The bishop looked him sternly in the eye and said, 'Young man, I am not the least bit concerned about setting the Thames on fire. What I want to know is, if I take you out and drop you in it, will you sizzle?'
people will come from miles around to watch you burn
fire cleanses, purifies, consumes
results of Pentecost
Evangelism is the core
we are compelled to tell the story
The church with out evangelism is nothing but a club
Christianity is unthinkable without evangelism
We are impressed when we read that the Lord added over 3,000 people to the church on that first Pentecost. “Yet I have heard that on a world scale the Lord adds more than 3,000 people each day nowadays to the number of those who are saved
Another result of Pentecost is that He makes you relevent
the Holy Spirit does not make you an ivory tower. He does not make you better than others.
He makes you relevent.
Another result of Penetcost is that we see that He invites the impossible. The paradigm shift
Pentecost tells us that it is no longer business as usual - God wants you, lock stock and barrel.
When the Holy Spirit comes in he does not take sides, he takes over
It was Pentecost Sunday. As the congregation filed into church, the ushers handed each person a bright red carnation to symbolize the festive spirit of the day.
The people listened attentively to the reading of the Pentecost story from the book of Acts: about how the disciples had heard “what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven,” about how the Holy Spirit had appeared: “like tongues of fire.” Then came the sermon.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon us,” the preacher began.
“Like a powerful wind from heaven!” shouted a woman sitting in the first pew. Then she threw one of the red carnations toward the altar.
The preacher began again. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us.” The same woman’s voice rang out: “Like the tongues of fire, like the tongues of fire!” And she threw a red carnation toward the altar.
The preacher looked straight at her and said, “Now throw your pocketbook.”
To which the woman replied with conviction: “Preacher, you just done calmed the wind and put out the fire.”
If you want to get serious with God, well, God wants to get serious with you.
Another way to say this is that the Holy Spirit wants us to do Extraordinary things
The extraordinary things that happen to us when we are seized upon by the holy spirit
This is the power that changes the world. Fills people with faith.
He invites you to do that which you would not normally do-
sit around and pray, leave your comfort zone
finding a life that is significant.
Application
Are you open to a visitation of the holy spirit in your life
Are you willing to stop long enough to listen?
Great churches are built
The world is changed
Lives are touched by those who answer these questions by saying yes. I am open, I am willing.
Let us pray
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