5-19-24 “The Power and Purpose of the Holy Spirit”

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“The Power and Purpose of the Holy Spirit”

 

I want to start with a funny story. I heard about this couple. They were driving down the road. When they came in a crossing sign, it said, “Nacogdoches” forty miles ahead.” They began to argue about how to correctly pronounce the name Nacogdoches. The husband got so upset. He told his wife that he would stop to prove that she was wrong when they got to the town. They drove silently for the next thirty minutes. When they arrived at the town, he pulled their car over at the first fast-food restaurant. They both marched up to the counter, he said to a young lady who was working there. “My wife and I have been arguing for the last thirty minutes. “Would you please tell us, very slowly and very clearly, how to pronounce the name of this place?” The young girl’s eyes got real big, and she leaned over the counter and said, “Bur~ger~ King [Burger King].”

What do you often argue about with your spouse or friends?  Do you usually get the result you expected after arguing or fighting? Arguing or fighting never brings us harmony; instead, it brings us division, stress, frustration, disappointment, hatred, and more.

We hear bad news every day, such as hate, fighting, homicide, violence, injustice, poverty, disasters, and so on. We also face challenges like financial difficulties, bad medical reports, family issues, addictions, depression, etc. Even after we get past one challenge, they keep coming, one after the other, over and over again. We wonder how we can have hope in this world. Can we have hope in our own lives? What about our church? Could we have hope in our church?

You may remember that we had a chance to write about “what we expect our church to be?” through “2024 My Resolution List.” Most of your answers were, “I wish our church would have more children” and I wish our church would have more members.” I believe as long as we pray for our church with faith, our church will move forward by the grace of God. Our prayers are our certain hope for what we cannot yet see. The Letter of Hebrew says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrew 11:1). You know, what we can’t make happen, God makes happen. Here is the certain promise of God-he sent the Holy Spirit, who will protect, guide, advocate, help, and strengthen us.

Today, as we observe Pentecost Sunday, we reflect on a profound moment in the history of the Church: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today’s scripture is a passage that bridges the earthly ministry of Jesus and the dynamic empowerment of His followers through the Holy Spirit. Let us delve into this scripture to understand the power and purpose that the Holy Spirit brings into our lives.

We know about Jesus’ ministry with his disciples. His disciples were proud of Jesus, witnessing many miracles and the many people who followed Jesus. Since Jesus was arrested and died on the cross, they denied and abandoned Jesus. Finally, they ran away in fear after Jesus’ crucifixion. After Jesus’ resurrection, they were still in doubt and fearful. Imagine how they felt that when they were staying with the risen Christ for forty days before his ascension, and when they saw that suddenly Jesus was lifted up into heaven in front of them. It all happened quickly: Jesus was arrested, died, rose, and was taken up differently from what they expected. They might have expected that the risen Jesus would be with them, but suddenly he disappeared. What if Jesus had stayed with his disciples? Would their expectation have been satisfied with him becoming the king of the Jews and bringing peace to the whole world? However, according to his plan and God the Father’s plan, instead Jesus ascended to our heavenly Father. The reason Jesus went back to God the father was to send us the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away. Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

His final instruction to his disciples emphasizes the importance of waiting for the Holy Spirit. Jesus reassures his disciples that the promise of the Holy Spirit is certain. Just as he had promised, the Spirit would come to empower them. This promise is not just for the disciples but for all who believe in Jesus. It is a promise of power, guidance, and transformation.

Jesus declares, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Juda and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit’s power is to enable believers to be effective witnesses for Christ. The disciples, who once fled in fear, especially the disciple Peter, would now boldly proclaim the gospel. The power of the Holy Spirit transcends geographical, cultural, and social boundaries. It equips us to take the message of Jesus to all parts of the World.

After giving these instructions, Jesus ascend into heaven before their eyes. This moment is both a conclusion and a beginning. The ascension signifies the completion of Jesus’ earthly ministry and His exaltation at the right hand of God the Father. It also marks the beginning of the disciples’ mission and church’s mission.

The disciples stayed in the upper room where they had the Last Supper with Jesus, praying constantly after Jesus’ ascension. Then, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, filling them with power and enabling them to speak in various languages. This miraculous event drew a crowd, and Peter, emboldened by the Spirit, preached a powerful sermon that led to the conversion of about three thousand people. Pentecost marks the birth of the Church. The place where the Disciples prayed and received the Holy Spirit was the first church, the Jerusalem Church. The Holy Spirit’s coming signifies a new era where God’s presence and power dwell within His people, guiding, comforting, and empowering them for His mission.

As we celebrate Pentecost, we are reminded that same Holy Spirit who empowered the early disciples is available to us today. Those who go with the Holy Spirit look different, just as the disciples who received the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost Day were transformed from fearfulness to bravery and from weakness to strength. They sometime appear crazy to others, just as the disciples looked like they were drunken. However, we boldly move forward.

Do you remember last year’s VBS?  Many of us said, “We won’t be able to have VBS”, because of a lack of financial resources, but God provided the grant. We thought we couldn’t do it because of lack of volunteers, but God sent us the people we needed. God worked through many individuals. After VBS, we had even more youth and even held our own youth retreat.  Now, we are planning VBS again this year with hope, and we are expecting to have more kids. As long as we have hope in faith, God never gives up on us. Those who receive the Holy Spirt say that “we can do everything through Jesus Christ, who empowers us.” This is Jesus’ promise.

The promise of the Holy Spirit is not just a historical event but a present reality. We are called to be witness, empowered by the Spirit, to carry the message of Jesus to our communities and beyond. Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, allowing His power to transform us and use us for God’s glory. May we live in the assurance of his promise, the boldness of His power, and the hope of His return. Thanks be to God. Amen!