Pastor Tom Johnson,
June 8, 2014
“They are filled with new wine.” “These
are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock
in the morning.” A controlled substance can make people behave in ways that are
out of step with typical human behavior. People who are otherwise peaceful can
become violent. A person who is, under normal circumstances, shy and reserved
can say or do some
bold things they may later regret. It’s why the
Scripture says “Do not get drunk” (Eph 5:18) and why government programs
encourage young people to “Just say ‘no.’” The consequences
of being under the influence of a controlled substance can be tragic. Stories
of loss of life because of drivers under
the influence seem to always be in the news.
The people gathered in the temple at Jerusalem to worship saw some unusual behavior. And the source of the strange behavior was a group of Galileans—from the northern hills of Israel. For many, Galileans were known as uneducated hillbillies. And here they are disrupting worship of everyone else. For starters, there is this odd and loud noise like a violent wind. And just as people are trying to make sense of what this noise can be, the group of Galileans begin to all speak at once. And they are not speaking in unison—they are not even speaking the same language. These Galileans are speaking in at least 16 different languages and dialects. And each language is heard and understood by those worshiping in the temple from their respective countries. Even though the languages are different, the message is the same—they are talking about the “mighty works of God”—how God did great things through Jesus Christ—how Jesus healed diseases and raised the dead—how Jesus revealed the true nature of the Kingdom—not a kingdom of the sword and power but a kingdom of peace, love, and forgiveness—how this Jesus from Galilee spoke with great authority to the religious leaders and Roman powers—how the Romans, Jews, and all the world publicly executed him on a wooden cross—but how he rose again from the dead—how he overcame death and the grave—and how he promises this victory over death and eternal life to the world.
The people who saw and heard this uproar in the temple were just trying to make sense of it. For others, the only explanation was drunken behavior. They said, “They are filled with new wine.”And Peter’s answer to their charge that these Christians were high on a controlled substance is twofold. For starters, it’s simply too early in the morning to be drinking alcohol—it’s only the third hour after sunrise—9am. Case closed. Rule out drunkenness because it is just too early in the day. I love Peter’s logic here even if I can think of a number of exceptions to his rule. The truth is that they are under the influence—under the influence of a mind-altering and life-altering substance—they are under the influence of almighty God—filled with the Holy Spirit. And the filling of the Holy Spirit happens anytime during the day. It is always appropriate to be under the influence of the Spirit.
I’d like to think
that the leadership decided to have our weekly worship services at 9:30 am
because that is about the hour when the Holy Spirit fills his people with power
from on high—the hour when the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with joy and fills
their mouths with praise and evangelistic zeal. When we gather for
worship, we come with these clay vessels—these frail human bodies which are
empty and ready to be filled. We come to receive exactly what the disciples
received that day—strength, joy, praise, and made ready to proclaim to the
world the mighty works of God—under the influence of the Holy Spirit. There may be no violent, rushing wind
that ushers us into the Holy Spirit’s activity, but we do have the billows of
the organ and music to usher us into the presence of God. We may not have as
much diversity as they did on the Day of Pentecost, but our church, First Saint
Paul, is well on her way. That day, 3,000
men, women, and children were baptized—the Lord, the Holy Spirit added to their
number. We started the service by remembering our Baptism as we will again
before we confess the Creed. Later that day, the disciples will
distribute bread and gave thanks. Later this service, we will distribute bread
and give thanks for Jesus’ true body and
blood. This morning a group of young people will remember their Baptism and
receive First Communion with their families.
We are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. We are not just gathered here like a social club as some suppose. The Holy Spirit assures us that our sins are forgiven. He washes away our sins with the water and the Word. He brings us the good news of Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose for us. We proclaim the mighty works of God. And he gathers a rich diversity of people from every tribe, nation, tongue, and people. Under the influence of a divine, powerful, and merciful God, we experience what God has done for us through Jesus Christ as he gathers us in. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God goes out of our mouths to transform our community and the world as he sends us out. People under the influence can do extraordinary things. And God has promised to do so through us.
The people gathered in the temple at Jerusalem to worship saw some unusual behavior. And the source of the strange behavior was a group of Galileans—from the northern hills of Israel. For many, Galileans were known as uneducated hillbillies. And here they are disrupting worship of everyone else. For starters, there is this odd and loud noise like a violent wind. And just as people are trying to make sense of what this noise can be, the group of Galileans begin to all speak at once. And they are not speaking in unison—they are not even speaking the same language. These Galileans are speaking in at least 16 different languages and dialects. And each language is heard and understood by those worshiping in the temple from their respective countries. Even though the languages are different, the message is the same—they are talking about the “mighty works of God”—how God did great things through Jesus Christ—how Jesus healed diseases and raised the dead—how Jesus revealed the true nature of the Kingdom—not a kingdom of the sword and power but a kingdom of peace, love, and forgiveness—how this Jesus from Galilee spoke with great authority to the religious leaders and Roman powers—how the Romans, Jews, and all the world publicly executed him on a wooden cross—but how he rose again from the dead—how he overcame death and the grave—and how he promises this victory over death and eternal life to the world.
The people who saw and heard this uproar in the temple were just trying to make sense of it. For others, the only explanation was drunken behavior. They said, “They are filled with new wine.”And Peter’s answer to their charge that these Christians were high on a controlled substance is twofold. For starters, it’s simply too early in the morning to be drinking alcohol—it’s only the third hour after sunrise—9am. Case closed. Rule out drunkenness because it is just too early in the day. I love Peter’s logic here even if I can think of a number of exceptions to his rule. The truth is that they are under the influence—under the influence of a mind-altering and life-altering substance—they are under the influence of almighty God—filled with the Holy Spirit. And the filling of the Holy Spirit happens anytime during the day. It is always appropriate to be under the influence of the Spirit.
I’d like to think
that the leadership decided to have our weekly worship services at 9:30 am
because that is about the hour when the Holy Spirit fills his people with power
from on high—the hour when the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with joy and fills
their mouths with praise and evangelistic zeal. When we gather for
worship, we come with these clay vessels—these frail human bodies which are
empty and ready to be filled. We come to receive exactly what the disciples
received that day—strength, joy, praise, and made ready to proclaim to the
world the mighty works of God—under the influence of the Holy Spirit. There may be no violent, rushing wind
that ushers us into the Holy Spirit’s activity, but we do have the billows of
the organ and music to usher us into the presence of God. We may not have as
much diversity as they did on the Day of Pentecost, but our church, First Saint
Paul, is well on her way. That day, 3,000
men, women, and children were baptized—the Lord, the Holy Spirit added to their
number. We started the service by remembering our Baptism as we will again
before we confess the Creed. Later that day, the disciples will
distribute bread and gave thanks. Later this service, we will distribute bread
and give thanks for Jesus’ true body and
blood. This morning a group of young people will remember their Baptism and
receive First Communion with their families.We are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. We are not just gathered here like a social club as some suppose. The Holy Spirit assures us that our sins are forgiven. He washes away our sins with the water and the Word. He brings us the good news of Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose for us. We proclaim the mighty works of God. And he gathers a rich diversity of people from every tribe, nation, tongue, and people. Under the influence of a divine, powerful, and merciful God, we experience what God has done for us through Jesus Christ as he gathers us in. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God goes out of our mouths to transform our community and the world as he sends us out. People under the influence can do extraordinary things. And God has promised to do so through us.
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