Movings of the Spirit

May 26, 1996

Numbers 11 - John 20

-Pentecost Sunday-

Fairly early on in the 40-year Exodus saga Moses faces a crisis. . . he needed help. God told Moses to bring his leaders to the Tent of Covenant. Seventy-two men were on the list of leaders. God miraculously poured out his Spirit on the seventy who actually came. They were "chrismed" — they began to prophecy.

But Eldad and Medad— I'm sure that means a lot to you— good old Eldad and Medad couldn't make it to the meeting. But God poured out his Spirit on them back in the camp, where they were. They were "chrismed", too—and good old Eldad and Medad began to prophecy just like the 70 out in front of the Tabernacle.

A young man came running to tell Moses. the established leadership was concerned. They loved and respected Moses.

But Moses— that great and meek man with great wisdom said, "ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ME? DON'T BOTHER! I WOULD THAT NOT JUST ELDAD AND MEDAD WERE PROPHETS— BUT THAT ALL GOD'S PEOPLE WOULD BE PROPHETS, AND THAT GOD WOULD PUT HIS SPIRIT ON ALL HIS PEOPLE!"

Now that is some concept— that all God's people might be prophets. It sounds like the prophecy of Joel, centuries later (2:28)"It shall come to pass in the latter days, says God, that i will pour out my Spirit on all flesh!" It sounds like what Peter had in mind when he wrote, "You, all God's people, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, God's own people!" This is in fact what happened when God's Spirit fell on the church at Pentecost. And today is Pentecost Sunday!!

I. WHAT PENTECOST IS ABOUT: ALL GOD'S PEOPLE BEING FILLED!

HOW SHALL WE OBSERVE PENTECOST SUNDAY??

Pentecost means that Moses' dream is our possible reality! Pentecost means that God lives in all His people! in ALL His people! So— how do we observe Pentecost properly??

• PENTECOST IS HISTORY

  ...and we can sing "Happy Birthday" to the Church. About 1965 years ago today or thereabouts the Spirit of God fell on 120 believers in an Upper Room in Jerusalem, and together they became the living Body of Christ. And that Body, the church lives right down to this present moment. There have been failures and excesses and human errors by the million. But the fact is that Pentecost is history, and the Spirit has come and that's a fact. But Pentecost is more than a historical fact.

• PENTECOST IS PRESENT FACT.

  God lives in His church today. We here are a small part of a great and wonderful thing. Whether we like it or not-- whether we can define it or understand it or not, we are part of ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC CHURCH that Jesus Himself founded, and Jesus Himself is building. We may at times be miserable representatives of the unity of the Body, BUT WE ARE IN FACT CHRIST'S OWN BODY! Because you and I have the Spirit that came at Pentecost if in fact we say "Jesus is Lord!" and if in fact we in any wise belong to Him.

  But Pentecost is even more than present Reality, as good as that may be.

• PENTECOST IS DYNAMIC CHALLENGE!

  Jesus is still breathing on His church saying: 'YOU RECEIVE THE SPIRIT!' I don't know how else to put it— but Pentecost— the promise of the Holy Spirit— is that God wants to take us where we have never been before, and do with us what we cannot even dream of doing by ourselves! Young men see visions! Old men dream dreams! Handmaidens prophecy! All God's people prophets! All God's people manifesting Christ's Spirit!

But this is really like our individual walk with God— the way each one of us has had contact with God the Holy Spirit.

II. THAT'S HOW YOUR SALVATION WORKS, TOO—

• YOUR SALVATION IS HISTORY

  You WERE SANCTIFIED when we first came to God for pardon. We were sanctified in that the Spirit came with LIFE and with PARDON and with ADOPTION into God's family.

• YOUR SALVATION IS PRESENT REALITY

  You ARE SANCTIFIED— (aren't you?) You gave your all to God, didn't you? We surrendered our redeemed lives to God and the Spirit came in cleansing response to our sacrifice (Romans 12: 1,2).

  But that is not all..

• YOUR SALVATION IS ONGOING CHALLENGE

  You/WE are BEING SANCTIFIED as we carry out the challenge of living in obedience to God's unfolding will. We can handle salvation as history. We can even take salvation as present reality, if we can somehow keep a handle on it— keep it somewhat static. But when it starts to "get outside the lines" it gets a bit scary. What does a person who was sanctified and is sanctified and is being sanctified look like? How does he act?

III. CHALLENGE TO BE BEING FILLED!

So, what does Pentecost in action "look like"? What does it "DO"??

• His name wasn't Eldad or Medad— it was KEN. He was here with us just a year ago. He HAD BEEN sanctified. In fact he WAS sanctified. But Ken Sullivan was also BEING FILLED with God's Spirit, and never shrank back from the challenge. What an impact he has had on this community!
  • after 60 he wrote his first book
  • to his final illness he reached out in love
  • in his last hours he could say, "It's ALL right!" x 3

  That is what this Pentecost reality looks like. It looks like LOVE!

• HER name wasn't Eldad or Medad, either But she got outside the normal lines at times. Her name was Esther— and she was with us a year ago, also.

  Although her body was often weak, and her health was ebbing away, Esther Sanger was one of those people who kept on being filled with the Spirit. She was past fifty years old when she really began to break through beyond a hold-the-line sort of experience, and began adventuring into uncharted waters with the Holy Spirit.

  Esther began small, where she was— sharing compassion, often tough love. She tacked up little signs on telephone posts: "Do you need help? Call xxx-xxxx" The phone started ringing— and never stopped. The Quincy Crisis Center came into existence— then the Mary Martha Learning Center.

  Esther explored the depths of prayer, and yet remained very human, exemplifying Nouwen's The Wounded Healer. She died in a room full of angels last August— but not before she showed us what true Pentecost really looks like. It looks like LOVE!

Now God doesn't expect you or me to be a Ken or an Esther. There were only one each of them (thank God!) But do you know—Jesus is here this morning— saying "PEACE BE TO YOU!" AND SAYING "receive the spirit!" Not necessarily in any spectacular way do YOU dare to go on being filled— where the Spirit leads you!???

I HAVE A VISION OF A COMMUNITY WHERE GOD'S LOVE IS AT WORK— AND THAT IS WHAT PENTECOST IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE!

Prayer: O great God, our Father! We dare to ask You this morning: Let Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, BREATHE on us again today! Help us hear Him say "RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT!" Amen

#732 - I Then Shall Live