Pentecost Sunday: Welcome to the Family
05/23/10
Romans 8:14-17
Pastor Greg Smith
This is Pentecost Sunday. Obviously, Pentecost isn’t a holiday the Christmas and Easter are holidays. But it deserves to be a special day on your calendar because it’s an annual remembrance of one of the great turning points in God’s Story.
• Christmas is about God becoming a human being for us— Emmanuel.
• Easter is about Emmanuel, Jesus defeating sin and death by his own death and resurrection.
• A whole new age began! The old age was was marked by sin, injustice, sorrow and death. The new age is righteousness, peace, joy, and life that does not end!
• Pentecost is about God taking up residence in our lives. We begin to live in that new age now.
The new life unleashed at Easter can be experienced now in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost deserves it’s own special day.
They were instructed to wait for God’s power Look at Acts 1:4-5 and then verse 8.
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 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.“
Finally, the waiting was over. At Pentecost, the gift and power they were hoping for arrived. Look at Acts 2:1-4.
1 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.
I’m sure that this was a very awesome experience— a scene made for a Hollywood special effects team!
• There was the sound of a violent wind
• There was a vision of fire resting on the head of each person— I can’t imagine that happening without it being very frightening to all involved!
• But then there was the raucous joy— so much joy that the surprised onlookers jeered them for being drunk!
But Luke doesn’t focus on the experience as much as its meaning. Pentecost is all about mission! The coming of the Holy Spirit is all about God reaching out to a fallen world with his wondrous gift of salvation. God seeks to reach all people, regardless of geography, language and culture. God demonstrates that these barriers can be overcome through the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Look Acts 2:5-12.
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?“
The divisions between people are symbolized by the divisions of language. God was working to break down the divisions and make one new people.
As the Bible story unfolds, the main character, God, becomes more and more complex. We come to know God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word “Trinity” would not be used for a few hundred years. But the church teachers who coined that word Trinity were trying to express what we read in the Bible Story: We know God in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Each stage of the adds to the complexity.
• God is the Creator. The LORD who called Abraham and Sarah. Through Moses he took his people to himself.
• The LORD sent his Son, Jesus, at Christmas as the new Deliverer.
• The LORD, through his Son, sends the Holy Spirit.
Our relationship with God includes the the richness of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One way that the relationship is expressed is through the analogy of family. The entire Trinity is involved.
Look again at Romans 8:14-17, and you will see our relationship with all three Persons of the Trinity in a family context.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We are the children of God! We are family. What does that mean?
1. We are adopted as full members of God’s family.
Verse 14 says,
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
The image here is from the wilderness wanderings of Israel. The people were led by a pillar of cloud and fire. Those symbols of God’s presence are here replaced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does what God’s presence did then: assures us of God’s adoption and leads us forward to our inheritance.
In Exodus 4:22, God calls the people of Israel “my firstborn son." In Deut. 14:1, Moses tells the people, “You are the children of the LORD your God.” So, those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Just as God's presence, the pillar of fire, did not lead the people back to slavery in Egypt, but led them forward to claim their inheritance, so
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
It might sound more inclusive if it was translated, “the Spirit you received brought about your adoption as daughters and sons.”
But the Today’s NIV retains “sonship” in order to underline an important truth:
• We actually share in Jesus' relationship with the Father. This is not easy to imagine. Jesus is unique. Paul makes this clear in 8:29 (NLT),
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.
• The Greek word that used is about the full adoption as the first born son. Those adopted like this had the full rights of inheritance like the first naturally born to the household. You have received this relationship through the Holy Spirit.
2. We are privileged to share Jesus’ Abba relationship with God the Father.
Look at verse 15:
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Through your Abba relationship, the Holy Spirit gives us the deep assurance that we are God's children.
It is amazing that Paul could write the Romans, a church he had never visited, and use a word from a language that few if any of them spoke— and he knew he didn't have to explain.
Jesus addressed God as Father using a special word: Abba.
• Listen to a one-year-old, babbling away. Along with “mama” and “dada,” “Abba” is a word that her little mouth can form. It means “Papa" or even “Daddy.”
• Many before Jesus had called God “Father,” but there is no record that any one used a term like “Abba.” When Jesus prayed, he prayed to “Abba.” Even when he struggled in Gethsemane on the eve of the crucifixion, he prayed, according to Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father.”
This way of addressing God so impressed Jesus’ disciples that this Aramaic word was remembered and passed on, even when Greek became the language of Christians in the early church. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us into a relationship with God as “Abba.” What might this mean for us as we pray?
First, it means that as children of our Abba Father, we can pray simply and confidently— like a child.
Notice how short and simple the Lord’s Prayer is. It is anything but wordy and there is no flowery language. There is neither a special prayer language nor some kind of “holy” voice that you have to take on when you pray.
To pray simply requires confidence and deep trust in the grace and mercy of God. When Jesus invites us share in an Abba relationship with God, he wants us to pray with trusting confidence. Jesus was speaking to this very issue in Matthew 6:7 and 8.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Jesus was talking to people like you and me who sometimes struggle with trust in God. “Do not keep on babbling like pagans"— Pagan counsel rests on the conviction that God is reluctant to listen to our prayers, and in fact that God had to be cajoled into listening.
— Their hope was that if they prayed long enough and used the right words, that they would then be heard.
— It’s as if God needed to be manipulated into hearing our prayers and giving us what we need!
It’s just as true today as then: people believe that the right tone of voice or flowing tears in the eyes is the way to get God’s attention. Jesus has some good news! We have been invited into an ABBA relationship with the Father. And as the children of our Abba, Father, we can pray simply and confidently! If God is like some of our fathers, he might need a little manipulation before he will notice. But not our Abba Father. He is the Father who loves his children and has only their best in mind. Our “Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Our Abba Father is like our closest friend who knows us best and yet we want to talk to the most. Intimate knowledge releases us to communicate freely, confidently, and simply to God.
Because we pray simply and with confidence, we know that we can pray authentically. We can pray about our real needs, big or small. In the Lord’s Prayer the petitions range from the Kingdom of God to bread. God cares about global issues and our simple, daily needs.
And we can pray our real emotions as well. Our model is the psalms. Here are prayers filled with emotions ranging from joy and thanksgiving to deep depression and anger. God is our Abba Father. He can take it! We can say whatever is on our hearts.
Let’s look at another dimension of family in these verses.
3. As God’s family, sharing in Jesus’ sonship, we share in the inheritance that belongs to Christ.
In the Old Testament, the inheritance was the blessings of the covenant to Abraham: the land, wealth and many offspring. But in the New Testament the idea is deepened to include the full promise of God's purpose for his creation.
The remainder of Romans 8 fills out this promise. I'll use the New Living Translation.
Rom. 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. 21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory.
Rom. 8:31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?
Our inheritance will be complete. What God has already done in Christ gives us complete assurance of this.
Rom. 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
4. But with the promises comes the shared family experience of suffering.
Look at verse 17 again.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
In our new relationship with God through Jesus Christ we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. God will complete what he has begun in us. We will experience the glory of eternal life both now and forever. This great hope energized Paul and enabled him to face so much hardship in his life and yet thrive.
But Paul knows that there is something in our human experience that makes a mockery of this kind of hope: suffering. In the midst of deep anguish today, hope for tomorrow can seem pretty empty!
That’s why it's important to remember how suffering has been transformed in this new relationship with Christ. Whatever I am going through now, I know that at the end of the journey is the glory of God, God's gift of eternal life, because Jesus died for me. Remember Romans 8:32,
32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?
This confidence in God's love has staying power through the afflictions of life because it enables us to look forward to God's glory. This hope will not disappoint. How do we know? God has already demonstrated his love for us in Jesus' death.
This is the deep inner assurance that hope in God will not disappoint is based on the fact of the amazing and undeserved love God has shown us in Christ. It's the Holy Spirit of God that enables us to know this and to understand God's love for us. In a hopeless world the Spirit can work the miracle of hope in our hearts.
This is the Pentecost miracle. It’s worth celebrating!
Pastor Greg Smith
This is Pentecost Sunday. Obviously, Pentecost isn’t a holiday the Christmas and Easter are holidays. But it deserves to be a special day on your calendar because it’s an annual remembrance of one of the great turning points in God’s Story.
• Christmas is about God becoming a human being for us— Emmanuel.
• Easter is about Emmanuel, Jesus defeating sin and death by his own death and resurrection.
• A whole new age began! The old age was was marked by sin, injustice, sorrow and death. The new age is righteousness, peace, joy, and life that does not end!
• Pentecost is about God taking up residence in our lives. We begin to live in that new age now.
The new life unleashed at Easter can be experienced now in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost deserves it’s own special day.
They were instructed to wait for God’s power Look at Acts 1:4-5 and then verse 8.
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 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.“
Finally, the waiting was over. At Pentecost, the gift and power they were hoping for arrived. Look at Acts 2:1-4.
1 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.
I’m sure that this was a very awesome experience— a scene made for a Hollywood special effects team!
• There was the sound of a violent wind
• There was a vision of fire resting on the head of each person— I can’t imagine that happening without it being very frightening to all involved!
• But then there was the raucous joy— so much joy that the surprised onlookers jeered them for being drunk!
But Luke doesn’t focus on the experience as much as its meaning. Pentecost is all about mission! The coming of the Holy Spirit is all about God reaching out to a fallen world with his wondrous gift of salvation. God seeks to reach all people, regardless of geography, language and culture. God demonstrates that these barriers can be overcome through the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Look Acts 2:5-12.
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?“
The divisions between people are symbolized by the divisions of language. God was working to break down the divisions and make one new people.
As the Bible story unfolds, the main character, God, becomes more and more complex. We come to know God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word “Trinity” would not be used for a few hundred years. But the church teachers who coined that word Trinity were trying to express what we read in the Bible Story: We know God in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Each stage of the adds to the complexity.
• God is the Creator. The LORD who called Abraham and Sarah. Through Moses he took his people to himself.
• The LORD sent his Son, Jesus, at Christmas as the new Deliverer.
• The LORD, through his Son, sends the Holy Spirit.
Our relationship with God includes the the richness of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One way that the relationship is expressed is through the analogy of family. The entire Trinity is involved.
Look again at Romans 8:14-17, and you will see our relationship with all three Persons of the Trinity in a family context.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We are the children of God! We are family. What does that mean?
1. We are adopted as full members of God’s family.
Verse 14 says,
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
The image here is from the wilderness wanderings of Israel. The people were led by a pillar of cloud and fire. Those symbols of God’s presence are here replaced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does what God’s presence did then: assures us of God’s adoption and leads us forward to our inheritance.
In Exodus 4:22, God calls the people of Israel “my firstborn son." In Deut. 14:1, Moses tells the people, “You are the children of the LORD your God.” So, those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Just as God's presence, the pillar of fire, did not lead the people back to slavery in Egypt, but led them forward to claim their inheritance, so
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
It might sound more inclusive if it was translated, “the Spirit you received brought about your adoption as daughters and sons.”
But the Today’s NIV retains “sonship” in order to underline an important truth:
• We actually share in Jesus' relationship with the Father. This is not easy to imagine. Jesus is unique. Paul makes this clear in 8:29 (NLT),
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.
• The Greek word that used is about the full adoption as the first born son. Those adopted like this had the full rights of inheritance like the first naturally born to the household. You have received this relationship through the Holy Spirit.
2. We are privileged to share Jesus’ Abba relationship with God the Father.
Look at verse 15:
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Through your Abba relationship, the Holy Spirit gives us the deep assurance that we are God's children.
It is amazing that Paul could write the Romans, a church he had never visited, and use a word from a language that few if any of them spoke— and he knew he didn't have to explain.
Jesus addressed God as Father using a special word: Abba.
• Listen to a one-year-old, babbling away. Along with “mama” and “dada,” “Abba” is a word that her little mouth can form. It means “Papa" or even “Daddy.”
• Many before Jesus had called God “Father,” but there is no record that any one used a term like “Abba.” When Jesus prayed, he prayed to “Abba.” Even when he struggled in Gethsemane on the eve of the crucifixion, he prayed, according to Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father.”
This way of addressing God so impressed Jesus’ disciples that this Aramaic word was remembered and passed on, even when Greek became the language of Christians in the early church. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us into a relationship with God as “Abba.” What might this mean for us as we pray?
First, it means that as children of our Abba Father, we can pray simply and confidently— like a child.
Notice how short and simple the Lord’s Prayer is. It is anything but wordy and there is no flowery language. There is neither a special prayer language nor some kind of “holy” voice that you have to take on when you pray.
To pray simply requires confidence and deep trust in the grace and mercy of God. When Jesus invites us share in an Abba relationship with God, he wants us to pray with trusting confidence. Jesus was speaking to this very issue in Matthew 6:7 and 8.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Jesus was talking to people like you and me who sometimes struggle with trust in God. “Do not keep on babbling like pagans"— Pagan counsel rests on the conviction that God is reluctant to listen to our prayers, and in fact that God had to be cajoled into listening.
— Their hope was that if they prayed long enough and used the right words, that they would then be heard.
— It’s as if God needed to be manipulated into hearing our prayers and giving us what we need!
It’s just as true today as then: people believe that the right tone of voice or flowing tears in the eyes is the way to get God’s attention. Jesus has some good news! We have been invited into an ABBA relationship with the Father. And as the children of our Abba, Father, we can pray simply and confidently! If God is like some of our fathers, he might need a little manipulation before he will notice. But not our Abba Father. He is the Father who loves his children and has only their best in mind. Our “Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Our Abba Father is like our closest friend who knows us best and yet we want to talk to the most. Intimate knowledge releases us to communicate freely, confidently, and simply to God.
Because we pray simply and with confidence, we know that we can pray authentically. We can pray about our real needs, big or small. In the Lord’s Prayer the petitions range from the Kingdom of God to bread. God cares about global issues and our simple, daily needs.
And we can pray our real emotions as well. Our model is the psalms. Here are prayers filled with emotions ranging from joy and thanksgiving to deep depression and anger. God is our Abba Father. He can take it! We can say whatever is on our hearts.
Let’s look at another dimension of family in these verses.
3. As God’s family, sharing in Jesus’ sonship, we share in the inheritance that belongs to Christ.
In the Old Testament, the inheritance was the blessings of the covenant to Abraham: the land, wealth and many offspring. But in the New Testament the idea is deepened to include the full promise of God's purpose for his creation.
The remainder of Romans 8 fills out this promise. I'll use the New Living Translation.
Rom. 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. 21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory.
Rom. 8:31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?
Our inheritance will be complete. What God has already done in Christ gives us complete assurance of this.
Rom. 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
4. But with the promises comes the shared family experience of suffering.
Look at verse 17 again.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
In our new relationship with God through Jesus Christ we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. God will complete what he has begun in us. We will experience the glory of eternal life both now and forever. This great hope energized Paul and enabled him to face so much hardship in his life and yet thrive.
But Paul knows that there is something in our human experience that makes a mockery of this kind of hope: suffering. In the midst of deep anguish today, hope for tomorrow can seem pretty empty!
That’s why it's important to remember how suffering has been transformed in this new relationship with Christ. Whatever I am going through now, I know that at the end of the journey is the glory of God, God's gift of eternal life, because Jesus died for me. Remember Romans 8:32,
32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?
This confidence in God's love has staying power through the afflictions of life because it enables us to look forward to God's glory. This hope will not disappoint. How do we know? God has already demonstrated his love for us in Jesus' death.
This is the deep inner assurance that hope in God will not disappoint is based on the fact of the amazing and undeserved love God has shown us in Christ. It's the Holy Spirit of God that enables us to know this and to understand God's love for us. In a hopeless world the Spirit can work the miracle of hope in our hearts.
This is the Pentecost miracle. It’s worth celebrating!