Today is Pentecost Sunday. In Korean it is SoungNyoung GangNim Jeol - the commemoration of the Holy Spiritʼs coming. Today, we are going to take some time and talk about some of the symbols of the Holy Spirit which were active on Pentecost Sunday. With each symbol, weʼll read some of the most important texts for that image of God.
First is fire. Fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. [We lit a fire in a barbecue pit. Unfortunately, the wind was against us, so I had to move the pit way off to the side to keep the smoke out of people's eyes. Ah, the plans of mice and men.]
Malachi 3
1 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2 “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.
Matthew 3
1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”... 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. ...
11[John said] “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
Acts 1
4 Once when [Jesus] was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Godʼs Spirit is a fire that purifies. Godʼs Spirit is a fire that burns our trash. Godʼs Spirit is a fire that cleans us inside and out. Godʼs Spirit is a fire that removes our sin and corruption and impurity.
Pray for the baptism of fire. Pray for the Holy Spirit. Submit yourself to God and allow him to purify your soul.
Second is wind or breath. In Hebrew, wind, breath, and spirit can all be the same word - ruach. Wind or breath are signs of the Holy Spirit. [We turned on a fan with ribbons streaming out to symbolize wind.]
Genesis 2
7 Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
Psalm 104
24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures. ...
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth. ...
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!
John 3
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
John 20
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."
The Spirit of God is the breath of life. We cannot live without Godʼs Spirit. We breathe in and breathe out the Spirit of God, the breath of life. We breathe in grace and breathe out praise.
And yet there is more. The Spirit of God is the breath of new life. God puts new life, the life of the Spirit, in us through the Spirit. We are “born again.” We receive Jesusʼ peace and are sent to live like Jesus through the Holy Spirit - the breath of Christ.
And yet, there is still more. The Spirit of God is like the wind. We cannot control it or contain it. We cannot predict it or plan it. The Spirit blows wherever it wants, and we canʼt explain just exactly how the Spirit works. But we can feel the effects of the Spirit. We can feel the wind on our face. We can breathe in the breath of new life. We can feel the winds of change and new life blowing through our world. Today, we see and celebrate how Godʼs Spirit has made people new.
Breathe in the breath of life. Pray for the ancient Spirit of change. Ask God to give you new life through his Holy Spirit. Let God inspire you. Inspire - like the word respiration - Inspire means to in-breathe. Let God breath in you. Let God so inspire you that your daily, moment by moment breaths are soaked with God.
Last is water. Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. [I poured a picture of water into a basin here.]
Isaiah 44
2 The Lord who made you and helps you says:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one.
3 For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields.
And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
4 They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.
John 7
37 Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
Titus 3
3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4 But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
The Spirit of God is life-giving water for our dry souls. The Spirit of God is a fountain of living water that springs up inside us when we put our trust in Jesus. The Spirit of God is a river of mercy that washes away our sins and fills us with new life through Jesus.
Come to the water. Soak in the Spirit. Open your heart to the river of God. Let God swish a big bucket of water into your heart and clean all the floors and corners and dark places. Let your roots grow down deep into the love of God so that the Spirit fills you with the life of God.
The Holy Spirit is fire, wind, and water. Listen to the story of Pentecost.
Acts 2:
1 On the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. ...
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully ... what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike ...’
22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. ...
32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today...
37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit...
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Pentecost - fire, wind, water - Godʼs Spirit coming and changing people, Godʼs
Spirit coming and changing a community. Let it happen again. Let it happen today.
Sing, “Spirit of the Living God” !
Like the first disciples, we are meeting together in one place, and like them, we
are going to spend some time in prayer. Wherever you are just bow your head, and
pray together with me.
First, letʼs remember our sins. Quietly, there in your seat, remember your sins
and confess them to God.
.........
Second, remember Jesus who died for our sins. He died on the cross so that we
can live and be free. As you pray, voice your trust in Jesus. Tell Jesus thank you. Pray
for more faith to put your trust in Jesus more.
.........
Third, remember the Holy Spirit. The cross was not enough. Pentecost had to
come. The Holy Spirit had to come. Pray for the Holy Spirit. Pray for Godʼs fire and
wind and water. Ask God to purify you in the fire. Ask God to fill you with the breath of
his Spirit. Ask God to wash you clean and to be the source of your life. Pray for the
Spirit.
.........
Last, pray for power. Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in
Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Pray
for the power to be Godʼs witness, to share Godʼs grace. Pray that your life will be so
soaked with Godʼs Spirit that people will get hungry for grace just being around you.
.........
Sing, “Spirit of the Living God” !
[After this, we invited people to come to the front to experience each of the symbols - to stand in front of the fan and feel the wind on their faces, to touch the water, to hold their hand over the coals - and to be anointed with oil and receive prayer. There was a long line at the anointing station as somewhere around 50 people waited for prayer. We'll have to have more pray-ers next time!]
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