" Instruments Of The Spirit"

Sermon by Pastor David Layman

June 4, 2006

Acts 2:1-17

The movie Gandhi portrayed the life of Mohandas Gandhi, one of the
most powerful figures of the 20th century. This small, frail man
believed in the power of truth, and dedicated his life to lifting up the
people of India. Actor Ben Kingsley was chosen to play the part of
Gandhi, which was filmed in India. Kingsley was so well made up to look
like Gandhi, that when he walked through an Indian village before the
filming began, an old man came up to Kingsley, and in a worshipful
stance, grasped Kingsleys feet. The actor was embarrassed, and hastily
said Im not Gandhi. The old man responded I know youre not Gandhi.
But we just hope the message of Gandhi will go forth to the world
through you.

Almost 2,000 years ago, another great man, Jesus of Nazareth, had died.
Like Gandhi, Jesus died a violent death. Yet God raised Jesus from the
dead. 50 days after Easter Sunday, and 10 days after the ascension of
Christ into heaven, the disciples were together in one place. And the
Spirit of God came upon them, and the message of Christ went forth into
the world through them. About 3,000 persons, gathered in Jerusalem from
various lands, were baptized that day, and the Christian Church was
begun. Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, is the celebration of the gift
of the Holy Spirit, when the message of the Risen Christ began to go out
into the world through common men and women!

An observer might have thought: If only Jesus could have been around to
see this! He couldnt get one disciple to stay awake with him in
Gethsemane; all the disciples fled at his arrest. Jesus was crucified as
a despised and rejected man. But of course, we know that Jesus did
witness the events of Pentecost. For it was His Spirit that fell upon
his followers at Pentecost. It was Christs Spirit that turned fearful
and confused followers into faithful, bold believers.

In John 16:7, shortly before his death, Jesus said I tell you the
truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away,
the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
In Greek, the word Jesus refers to is paraclete, the one called along
side, the Advocate, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The message of Jesus
began to go out into the world through transformed lives such as those
of Simon Peter, James and John! Actor Ben Kingsley had been made up to
look like Gandhi. But Peter knew that no amount of make-up could ever
make anyone mistake him for Jesus. Peter was the impulsive one--the one
who had said on the night of Jesus betrayal Though all others desert
you, Ill be there. Yet Peter betrayed Christ 3 times before the
rooster crowed. Some 50 days later, there was Peter, leading the
preaching at Pentecost. How could someone whod betrayed Christ at his
time of deepest need lead the cheering for him 7 weeks later? Something
had happened to Peter. Peter had met the risen Christ. Hed been
forgiven. Hed been commissioned by Jesus to Feed my sheep. So when
Peter stood up to speak at Pentecost, those who knew him knew that what
they heard were not the words of Peter, but the words of Christ. Christ
had poured forth his Spirit into Peter, and many others. And the message
of Christ went forth into the world through them.

More amazing than the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead, may be
the belief that the risen Christ can send His Spirit to take control of
the likes of you and me! It doesnt happen as often as God desires, but
it does happen. A shy, withdrawn life is called by God to stand out and
serve. A self-focussed life is transformed to one who thinks first of
others. A life under the control of alcohol and drugs becomes possessed
by the Holy Spirit, and comes under new management! If some of us had
known one another better and longer, we could see more clearly lives in
our midst that are under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.
We may have our moments when our old nature comes back and seems to take
control. But then the wind of the Spirit begins to move again, and lives
begin to move and serve under the impulse and control of Gods Holy
Spirit. Its through the likes of us, that the message of Christ desires
to go forth out into the world!

A first grade teacher told of a long and hard day in the classroom, when
she decided to give up on the lesson plan. Instead, she had all the
first graders sit in a circle and tell each other what they wanted to be
when they grew up. One by one each child announced Id like to be a
nurse like my mother, or I want to be a businessman like my father,
or I want to be a teacher like you, Miss Smith. The last child to
speak was the shyest and most timid boy in the class. He said very
slowly and deliberately, Well, when I get big Im going to be a lion
tamer. Im going to work in the circus. Ill get in a cage full of
fierce lions and tigers with my gun and my whip and my chair. And Ill
make those animals leap through hoops of fire and obey all my commands.
He paused and looked around to find all his classmates staring at him
with their mouths open. He realized they were finding it hard to believe
that he, of all people, was going to be a lion tamer. He became
embarrassed, but tried to reassure his classmates: Well, of course,
Ill have my mother with me. (Bruce Larson, THE PASSIONATE PEOPLE, p. 200.)

Even better than having your mother with you is having the Holy Spirit
breathe into your life! Peter couldnt have done what he did without the
Spirit of Christ being present. Neither could James or John. We dont
need Ben Kingsleys make up artist; we dont need to take acting
lessons. We simply need to pray for Gods Spirit to indwell and guide
our lives. We need to pray to God, O Lord, make there be less of me and
my self-centeredness and anxieties, and more of you. Make me an
instrument of yours. Use even my flaws and failings, all I am. Pour your
Spirit, move through me, and send forth the Message of Christ through me
to the world about me!

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