Who Me?
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.” 14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy. 19 I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 2:1–21 (CSB)
Did you know that this happened to you?
Yes, you!
“…17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people…”
Well, first we are in the last days. That day—the day 2000 years ago, that started the last days—as yes, the end began on Pentecost.
His Spirit has gone out—still goes out… and comes and resides with you and in you—all those who are baptized. You have this Spirit—God—who came on Pentecost.
You say, “Okay, but I have not prophesied, and my kids have not seen visions nor has old Granddad seen dreams…well, of a Biblical sort, anyway.”
Are you sure about that?
I know, the great events of the Apostolic age seems to have faded away. Is it gone, then?
No, but IT IS ONLY when the Spirit wills it… that it still happens.
Because people still have spiritual dreams. How many are affected by their dreams? Some for good and some for bad. But God still uses them today.
Healings still occur by miracle today. Ask any doctor if he has seen unexplainable cures. …but truly, any work of God in the Earth is a miracle.
If He did not intervene, on a constant basis, then all would die, everything would crumble. It is all by God’s grace and work here and now, that life goes on.
He has—He does intervene, and that, right from the beginning.
He covered Adam and Eve’s sin. He also promised Jesus to come and permanently fix things. Jesus did. He came and covered your sin—Jesus paid for all sin. He still intervenes.
You were baptized. You are here as proof.
And the very fact that you breathe still is a miracle.
Why? Because sin brings death and it is only by God’s Grace and Mercy that everyone is not put to death because of their sin. RIGHT NOW!
It is a miracle that the world has not ended a long time ago.
Miracle of Grace. Miracle of life. Miracle of healing each and evey day—each time your body wards off sickness and each time a doctor administers a cure. And each time people get well with no seeming cause.
What, no permanent health to be had here? No—not even for Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead—he died again, when he was old.
And we remembered, just a little while ago, all those who fought and died in wars—to secure our freedom.
Many have asked where was their miracle to save them?
The answer is that it has already happened. Jesus came and paid for them—paid for their very lives. He died to kill death. He rose to restore life. Their lives. Your life. Everlasting life.
We confess: “I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life + of the world to come Amen!”
Life, power, wealth, health and joy…not here, but in the life to come. That is permanent, this here, is not.
All those Jesus healed, most likely got a cold that next winter. Some probably died of some infectious disease. But they still all died… sometime… later.
Yet, all those that believed in the Lord of Life, live—with Him—NOW!
Okay… but what about things like Prophecy?
Every time someone stands up for their faith… they are prophesying. When the truth comes out of your mouth declaring the works and Word of God, that is prophesy.
Really!
Truth coming from a sinner—an avowed enemy of the truth—a born enemy of God—now that is a miracle wrought only by the Holy Ghost. For no one can know these things—the truth—unless it is revealed to them by God alone.
No one can say such things either, other than by the Holy Spirit.
Now all that other stuff in the text…like the… 19 …wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.“?
Well, as usual in the books of the prophets, they tell of the entire span of time. These verses are talking about the very end. We are in the last days, but not in that last day—at least I don’t think so…someone go and check the sky.
No, but it could be today—right now—any minute, any day.
You see, this whole prophecy, from the prophet Joel, was not fulfilled in its entirety that day. It was started—it was inaugurated.
And even those things that did happen on that day still can happen today, as the Spirit wills. It is all in His hands, not ours.
Jesus talks about this in John, chapter 3. We do not know where the winds come from or where it is going—this is how the Spirit works. The Holy Spirit picks the time and the place.
And if you read of the great happenings—those great shows of power—they happen few and far between—even in the Bible. Years—hundreds of years—between some of them.
Oh, yeah… many are claimed all throughout history, but few are authentic.
The Holy Spirit is God and has a reason when and where He does such things.
And you will know it is Him… because anything and everything He does points to Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified. He always speaks about what Jesus has done for us in removing sin. He always points you to repentance and faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, not in the miracles. Miracles don’t bring faith.
It is the Word that saves—it brings faith and life in the forgiveness of sins.
Nothing else matters—not anything else will fix things, but the forgiveness of sins. There is nothing else.
That is what the Word and Sacraments do. Talk about real miracles! From mere water, bread and wine!
Yes, and what they bring…
Forgiveness.
And forgiveness brings love, brings good, brings us together—with Him and each other. Nothing else will do this. This is why Jesus came to earth. We need only this, and from this all good—everything good, even our good works, come.
If great shows of power happen before your eyes…okay…could happen someday…but what is said along with them…
That is what we have to scrutinize…
Because if what is being preached and taught are all about prosperity and the good life… here…power and success… here—or even a life free of some of life’s hardest moments, then that is not the Holy Spirit.
Or if they are all about you, or your doing, it is also not from God.
A call to repent, is one thing. This He does, as the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin… but if it is that this is up to you—up to us—and God is just waiting…
… then it is not of God—not from God.
He would have had a long wait. The dead stay in their graves, don’t they? Unless….
God does not wait for us, but acts on our behalf. We can only, because He first does—each and every moment of every day.
He saved us while we were still sinners. He gave us faith to trust Him for life. He gives, we respond—in faith—which is not on our own, but aways in Him.
AND… He gives us the good works to do—right in front of us—and even the will to do them.
So yeah…just do what is front of you—that is God pleasing—don’t hold out for some sort of special revelation—a sign—as there won’t be—at least not from God.
The sign from God, that we need, has already been given—for us and the whole world.
Jesus said a wicked generation always asks for a sign. He said He will give them a sign—they will have the sign of Jonah—Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Repentance, Jonah was called to preach to Ninivah. They did and were saved because Jonah preached Grace by Word, not shows of power.
Jesus warned us that in these latter days many false prophets will do seemingly great shows of power, but their words will not be His.
And there have been, and there always will be false prophets leading people away. More are on their way. Just watch TV and you will see many.
Also, many regular everyday people talk about all these spooky little happenings in their lives. As if this is how God works. It is not God. God does not rattle the leaves and say it is a sign to sit under that tree. He does not send a beam of sunlight through the clouds onto a church that you should attend.
God works openly when He does these things—for the whole world to see, so that no one will have an excuse. Yet, never apart from His Word. Test them to see. What do they say?
If these that do these seemingly great miracles, deny salvation by Grace alone through faith alone, then it is a work of the devil. If these false preachers call you to do—to trust something you do—to work your own salvation, to decide for Jesus—they are indeed false.
The Bible says we are born dead in our sins—how can dead people do anything?
God waits for no man—He does not wait until you raise yourself from the dead—as if we ever could. He creates new life in us. He saves.
Yes, as our text says, “it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
…but Paul asks us in Romans, “how can they believe if no one preaches. And how can someone preach unless they are sent?”
No one is born with the knowledge or the ability to call upon God in faith to be saved. God the Holy Spirit creates faith in your dead heart by raising up preachers who preach grace by faith…all because He—God—wills it.
A miracle indeed. What greater miracle is there than this? All of you are walking miracles.
Peter stood up on Pentecost and preached repentance and salvation by Grace through baptism. Baptism removes sin. Baptism into the Name of Jesus. He preached one in whom they could call upon. They were already in Jerusalem for religious reasons, yet they did not know whom to call upon to be saved. God raised Peter up to tell them.
It is Jesus—and they were saved by Water in His name.
This day of Pentecost has never ended.
It will not until its prophecy is fulfilled on that last day.
The Holy Spirit’s church will prevail and the gates of Hell will not succeed. He always has a remnant who will not bow to the gods of this world. The truth is out there, because He sends it. The truth is here, because His Word is here.
Memorial day is a day of remembrance—to remember those who died fighting in an earthly war, but today, is one to remember those who have fought the good fight of faith.
All war is part of that fight—any fight is against sin, death and the devil. We have already won, because Jesus has already won—He is risen. And the dead will rise as well, because of this day—because the Spirit raises the dead and speaks life though those who were once dead in their sins.
We will be reunited with all the fallen because the Lord and giver of Life will raise us up on that Last Day.
Remember and be glad. All sadness and loss will be turned into gladness and great gain. We gain life.
Amen.
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