Matt Nelson - May 23, 2021
Pentecost Sunday
PENTECOST SUNDAY The Spirit of Disruption 5.23.21 PENTECOST is THE revolutionary moment that transcended ethnic and racial barriers. At Pentecost, the Spirit of God is dismantling the boundary lines that had been created between Jew and Gentile, slave and master, man and women, rich and poor, the have and the have nots. Three places in the book of Acts where the Spirit of God broke down barriers and disrupted the norm: 1) ROOM Acts 2:1-12 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 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, 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?” Baptism becomes a symbol of identity with Christ and entrance into the new family of God. Questions to these disciples: What if the Spirit is leading you somewhere beyond what you want, beyond what you can control, and into the lives of people you have previously considered to be an outsider? How will you respond to Spirit-inspired disruption? What if your understanding is shaken? Three places in the book of Acts where the Spirit of God broke down barriers and disrupted the norm: 2) ROAD Acts 8:1-3 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Acts 8:34-38 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Question to these disciples: Will we allow the Spirit of God to turn our world upside down or are we holding on tightly to our ways? Three places in the book of Acts where the Spirit of God broke down barriers and disrupted the norm: 3) ROOF Acts 10:13-16 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. Questions to the disciples: What will Peter do? Will he allow his vision of God’s love and faithfulness to expand beyond Israel and what he knows to the entire world? Will he allow the Spirit to disrupt his way of thinking and seeing the world? Acts 10:34 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:44-48 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. The winds of Holy Spirit disruption are still blowing today. Wherever the Spirit is moving, the walls and boundaries that divide or segregate are being torn down. As the people of God, will we move with the winds of the Spirit or reject what God is doing?