I would like to start today’s message with reading one of my favorite books, “The Jesus Storybook Bible.” It’s from Genesis 11, titled, “A giant staircase to heaven.” It goes like this: “Now back then, everyone spoke exactly the same language… One day, everyone was talking and came up with an idea: “Let’s build ourselves a beautiful city to live in! It can be our home. And we’ll be safe forever and ever.” Then they had another idea: “And let’s build a really tall tower to reach up to heaven.” So they got to work. Brick by brick, the tower grew, higher and higher, until it soared above the city, toughing the sky… It was like a giant staircase to heaven. They were quite pleased with themselves. But God wasn’t pleased with them. God could see what they were doing. They were trying to live without him, but God knew that wouldn’t make them happy or safe or anything. And God loved them too much to let that happen. So he stopped their plans. God confused the people with different languages, so that they would not understand each other. After that, people scattered all over the world. People didn’t need a staircase to get back to heaven; they needed a Rescuer. Because the way back to heaven wasn’t staircase; it was a Person. People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them. And, one day, it would.”[1]
In Jerusalem
When the time had fully come, God sent his Son Jesus to save his people. According to the Scriptures, Christ died for our sins. According to the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). This is the gospel of Christ. And the people who accept this truth are called “Christians.” We Christians try to enter the kingdom of heaven through believing the gospel and live according to the Bible. But this is not a complete picture of God’s salvation. Today’s passage, “Pentecost” tells us that there is “something more.” It tells us that by this gospel God wants us to be filled with his Spirit, so that we may enjoy intimate loving fellowship with the risen Christ through the Holy Spirit here and now. A Spirit-filled life now is God’s plan for all his children. In today’s passage, verse 9 to 11, Luke includes in his list descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In other words, on the Day of Pentecost all nations of the world, not literally, but representatively, were there. When the Spirit came, the disciples began to speak in other languages. The people from all over the world were able to hear the gospel of Christ in their own languages. They repented and were baptized. And they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the exact reversal of the curse of Babel. At Babel human languages were confused and the nations were scattered. In Jerusalem all the barriers – language, race, and culture – were overcome, and all nations were gathered together in Christ. At Babel earth proudly tried to reach up to heaven by themselves, but in Jerusalem heaven humbly descended to earth.[2]
When the Spirit Comes
Now I would like to explore further what exactly happened when the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. Particularly, I want to draw your attention to Acts 2:4: “(When the Spirit came) all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Basically, the first sure sign of being filled with the Spirit is to speak in tongues. Here we should beware of two extremes: that all Christians should practice this gift, or that no members of their group or church should practice it. There is a much more important meaning of speaking in tongues under the surface. Speaking in tongues is a “crucified” prayer.
In the Bible a tongue symbolizes our (corrupted) whole body. James 3:5-8 says, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person… no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” But when the Spirit came, the tongue was tamed. The tongue was crucified. The disciples did speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them. They didn’t speak what they wanted any longer. They did speak what the Spirit wanted them to speak. When we are filled with the Spirit, we are not lord of our life any more. We have new Lord and Master of our life. When we are filled with the Spirit, our old self – self-love, self-confidence, self-righteousness, and self-pity – is all crucified with Christ. And Christ begins to live in us through the Holy Spirit. When we speak in crucified languages; when our old self is crucified; when we obey Christ, amazing things happen. We are able to be communicated with each other. And unity comes! Let us ask ourselves, am I filled with the Spirit? Is my tongue crucified? Is my old self crucified? Is Christ glorified in me? Are people listening to the wonders of God and coming to Christ because of my crucified life?
The second sign of being filled with the Spirit is to have a new “power” for ministry, a new power for witness, most importantly, a new power and strength to love. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said to his disciples, “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.” What kinds of power was Jesus talking about? It was strength to love, strength to suffer, strength to endure, and strength to sacrifice. Of course, the disciples performed many miraculous signs. But in the book of Acts the gospel of Christ was mainly preached through their suffering, death, and their self-sacrificial love to the ends of the earth. In our passage when the disciples spoke in other tongues. Some were amazed. But some made fun of them. When we proclaim the gospel and determine to live accordingly, on the one hand we see God’s amazing wonders, but on the other hand we should expect rejection and persecution.
In his sermon, “Our God Is Able,” Dr. King shares his personal experience with us. He said that the first 24 years of his life were years packed with fulfillment – no basic problems or burdens. He sailed through high school, college, theological school, and graduate school without interruption. But when he became a part of the leadership of the Montgomery bus protest, he was then actually confronted with the trials of life. He began to receive threatening telephone calls and letter in his home. They were sporadic at first, but they increased day after day. At first he thought that they were the work of just a few hotheads. But later he realized that many of the threats were in earnest. He felt himself faltering and growing in fear. One evening he got a phone call. An angry voice said, “Listen, nigger, we’ve taken all we want from you. Before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery.” He confessed that he was so afraid and reached the saturation point. He was ready to give up. But then, he determined to take his fear and problem to God. He prayed aloud, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have noting left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” At that moment he experienced the strong presence of God. And he heard an inner voice, saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.” At once his fears were all gone. His uncertainty disappeared. He was ready to face anything. The outer situation remained the same, but the Spirit of God had given him inner calm and strength. Three nights later, his home was bombed. But strangely enough, he was calm.[3] He was able to stay the course to the end. When we are filled with the Spirit, we have strength to love and endure. When trials come, there are times we feel like we have nothing left. Then, let us remember the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” When the Spirit comes, we are ready to face anything.
In Houlton/ Hodgdon
Acts 2:3 says, “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” In the Old Testament God’s Spirit rested on Israel as a corporate entity. And God’s Spirit also rested on special leaders for special purposes. But in the New Testament the Spirit now rests on each believer individually. In other words, a Spirit-filled life is available for each of us here in Houlton/Hodgdon now. Today we still live between two worlds: Babel and Jerusalem, self-centered life and Christ-centered life, and self-powered life and God-powered life. What kind of life are you living? What kind of life do you want to live?
One day A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, was taking a walk and looking across a field at a house. From a distance he saw a man pumping furiously. He seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without slowing down at all. But, as Gordon got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man! A Spirit-filled life is like this. It is the Holy Spirit who is working through us, not our efforts that are producing results. All we have to do is keep our hand on the handle. On this special day let us welcome the Holy Spirit. Let us invite him, honor him, love him, and obey him. And we will see God’s promise is fully fulfilled in our life and the life of our church: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Joel 2:28). Amen.
In Jerusalem
When the time had fully come, God sent his Son Jesus to save his people. According to the Scriptures, Christ died for our sins. According to the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). This is the gospel of Christ. And the people who accept this truth are called “Christians.” We Christians try to enter the kingdom of heaven through believing the gospel and live according to the Bible. But this is not a complete picture of God’s salvation. Today’s passage, “Pentecost” tells us that there is “something more.” It tells us that by this gospel God wants us to be filled with his Spirit, so that we may enjoy intimate loving fellowship with the risen Christ through the Holy Spirit here and now. A Spirit-filled life now is God’s plan for all his children. In today’s passage, verse 9 to 11, Luke includes in his list descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In other words, on the Day of Pentecost all nations of the world, not literally, but representatively, were there. When the Spirit came, the disciples began to speak in other languages. The people from all over the world were able to hear the gospel of Christ in their own languages. They repented and were baptized. And they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the exact reversal of the curse of Babel. At Babel human languages were confused and the nations were scattered. In Jerusalem all the barriers – language, race, and culture – were overcome, and all nations were gathered together in Christ. At Babel earth proudly tried to reach up to heaven by themselves, but in Jerusalem heaven humbly descended to earth.[2]
When the Spirit Comes
Now I would like to explore further what exactly happened when the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. Particularly, I want to draw your attention to Acts 2:4: “(When the Spirit came) all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Basically, the first sure sign of being filled with the Spirit is to speak in tongues. Here we should beware of two extremes: that all Christians should practice this gift, or that no members of their group or church should practice it. There is a much more important meaning of speaking in tongues under the surface. Speaking in tongues is a “crucified” prayer.
In the Bible a tongue symbolizes our (corrupted) whole body. James 3:5-8 says, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person… no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” But when the Spirit came, the tongue was tamed. The tongue was crucified. The disciples did speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them. They didn’t speak what they wanted any longer. They did speak what the Spirit wanted them to speak. When we are filled with the Spirit, we are not lord of our life any more. We have new Lord and Master of our life. When we are filled with the Spirit, our old self – self-love, self-confidence, self-righteousness, and self-pity – is all crucified with Christ. And Christ begins to live in us through the Holy Spirit. When we speak in crucified languages; when our old self is crucified; when we obey Christ, amazing things happen. We are able to be communicated with each other. And unity comes! Let us ask ourselves, am I filled with the Spirit? Is my tongue crucified? Is my old self crucified? Is Christ glorified in me? Are people listening to the wonders of God and coming to Christ because of my crucified life?
The second sign of being filled with the Spirit is to have a new “power” for ministry, a new power for witness, most importantly, a new power and strength to love. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said to his disciples, “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.” What kinds of power was Jesus talking about? It was strength to love, strength to suffer, strength to endure, and strength to sacrifice. Of course, the disciples performed many miraculous signs. But in the book of Acts the gospel of Christ was mainly preached through their suffering, death, and their self-sacrificial love to the ends of the earth. In our passage when the disciples spoke in other tongues. Some were amazed. But some made fun of them. When we proclaim the gospel and determine to live accordingly, on the one hand we see God’s amazing wonders, but on the other hand we should expect rejection and persecution.
In his sermon, “Our God Is Able,” Dr. King shares his personal experience with us. He said that the first 24 years of his life were years packed with fulfillment – no basic problems or burdens. He sailed through high school, college, theological school, and graduate school without interruption. But when he became a part of the leadership of the Montgomery bus protest, he was then actually confronted with the trials of life. He began to receive threatening telephone calls and letter in his home. They were sporadic at first, but they increased day after day. At first he thought that they were the work of just a few hotheads. But later he realized that many of the threats were in earnest. He felt himself faltering and growing in fear. One evening he got a phone call. An angry voice said, “Listen, nigger, we’ve taken all we want from you. Before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery.” He confessed that he was so afraid and reached the saturation point. He was ready to give up. But then, he determined to take his fear and problem to God. He prayed aloud, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have noting left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” At that moment he experienced the strong presence of God. And he heard an inner voice, saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.” At once his fears were all gone. His uncertainty disappeared. He was ready to face anything. The outer situation remained the same, but the Spirit of God had given him inner calm and strength. Three nights later, his home was bombed. But strangely enough, he was calm.[3] He was able to stay the course to the end. When we are filled with the Spirit, we have strength to love and endure. When trials come, there are times we feel like we have nothing left. Then, let us remember the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” When the Spirit comes, we are ready to face anything.
In Houlton/ Hodgdon
Acts 2:3 says, “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” In the Old Testament God’s Spirit rested on Israel as a corporate entity. And God’s Spirit also rested on special leaders for special purposes. But in the New Testament the Spirit now rests on each believer individually. In other words, a Spirit-filled life is available for each of us here in Houlton/Hodgdon now. Today we still live between two worlds: Babel and Jerusalem, self-centered life and Christ-centered life, and self-powered life and God-powered life. What kind of life are you living? What kind of life do you want to live?
One day A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, was taking a walk and looking across a field at a house. From a distance he saw a man pumping furiously. He seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without slowing down at all. But, as Gordon got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man! A Spirit-filled life is like this. It is the Holy Spirit who is working through us, not our efforts that are producing results. All we have to do is keep our hand on the handle. On this special day let us welcome the Holy Spirit. Let us invite him, honor him, love him, and obey him. And we will see God’s promise is fully fulfilled in our life and the life of our church: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Joel 2:28). Amen.
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