Who? Me?

Text: Romans 8:17-27

Focus: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Function: To empower people to use their gifts

Form: Storytelling

Intro:

Children love birthdays.

• The first birthday I remember is my third.
• I was looking out the front window of our house when I saw Jim and Meredith (the Meredith mom has us praying for) Knott pull up and their arms well full of toys.
• I remember thinking how odd that was.
• And then they gave the presents to my twin and me.
• It wasn’t until the next year that I realized just what had happened.
• A birthday occurred, and it was a very special time for me, every year.
• I didn’t do anything to deserve it except be born into the family.
• But that first year, I didn’t know what it was about; I didn’t understand what I had coming, every year.

Today we celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.

And, I need to emphasize that the coming of the Holy Spirit is to bring Glory to Jesus.

Still, it is pretty exciting when we get into partnership with God and He uses us beyond our human ability.

The first year that I remember getting presents, I still didn’t understand because I didn’t know what a birthday was.

That is opposite to the Apostles on the first birthday of the Church. As soon as it happened, they understood exactly what was going on.

They were excited, because not only had Jesus rose from the dead, but He had indeed came back to them in a greater and more real way than when He was walking with them.

So, I ask the question, do we regard this birthday like I did with my 3^rd, or like the Apostles did with the Church’s 1^st birthday?

Jesus was living inside of them in a powerful way. (SHOW) Jesus is living in us in a powerful way.

This passage of scripture is one of many descriptions of just what is happening when God dwells inside a believer.

• Initially, we need to clear up a little bit of the theology of the Holy Spirit.

(SHOW) John 20: ²¹After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, "I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me." ²²Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone's sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven."

Now, there are several sermons to be preached on this passage alone, but I want to point out 3 important things:

(SHOW):

1). The Holy Spirit gives us real authority.

2). The Holy Spirit is given to every believer.

3). The Acts 2 passage is a different event
than this one.

Real authority: Authority to forgive sins.

Given to all: A measure is given to each.

Different than Acts 2:

• In John, a measure of the Spirit is given to everyone.
• But in Acts 2, a special empowering, for the moment was given to all.
• This second act is considered the Birthday of the Church:
• (SHOW) The Apostles were continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
• This miracle marks the beginning of the Church.
• Up until this time, as the apostles were waiting, Peter said: “I go fishing.”
• Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit.
• He told them they would receive special power for the purpose of building the Church.
• Everyone has the authority and seal of their faith, but at times, God gives a special empowering.
• (SHOW) God’s special empowering is available to all believers.
• That is the day we celebrate as the birthday of the church.

Now I know that this doctrine has divided churches and families. The devil himself has twisted it into groups of the haves and have-nots. What a tragedy.

Because (SHOW) The Holy Spirit is given to build up the Church.

So this morning, on the day we celebrate the birthday of the Church, I want us to look at what this passage of scripture says about the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit “The Comforter.” (read from bible).

Romans 8 speaks to us about this need of comfort and God tells us just exactly how it works.

Vs 18, we are suffering now, but heaven is coming. It’s the same thing, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s a comin”!”

But then he says something odd.

• (SHOW) God’s comfort is not about heaven only.
• The whole creation is waiting for the revelation of Christians.
• In other words, God has appointed the time of the Church as the time when God would be very visibly present in the lives of believers.
• I believe, because of Christian’s prayers and faith, God will be bringing a blessing to the whole wide world.
• And indeed it has.
• Because of Christianity, slavery is illegal across the world.
• Because of Christianity, democracies are being founded in places where people are oppressed.
• Because of Christianity, women no longer are treated as possessions. (Were still working on that one).
• But Jesus included the women.
• Jesus put a human face on women.
• Paul included women in Christian leadership.
• How many times have you found yourself praying about the oil spill in the gulf over the last month?
• We see the politicians slugging it out with their mean remarks to each other, and we bow our heads to pray for peace.
• We hear of innocent families, forced to be human shields, being killed by drones in Pakistan and we pray for peace.
• The whole creation needs what we can bring to it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, right here on Third Street, right here in Drexel, New Lebanon, Trotwood and in our counties, state, nation and entire world.
• However, we still have a long way to go.
• I mentioned slavery. I heard a statistic that there are actually more slaves in the world today than there has ever been.
• That is mainly because there are close to 7 billion people in the world, so the percentage of slaves is way down; the actual numbers is way up.
• The director of Linden Life recovery center told me that statistics show that the Dayton area is 3^rd largest in actual sex trafficking in the US.
• This is just one example of how we are called to be salt and light, a city on a hill that brings a blessing to the people we meet.
• Think about it, every single person you meet is someone that God wants to bless through you.

Now to the Title: “Who? Me?”

The apostle Paul is prophesying here and he is telling us that God has subjected the world to the hope that Believers would change their world.

One of the prison guards was very angry with us last weekend for giving the prisoners hope and for contradicting the structures that they use to dehumanize the prisoners.

The prisoners kept asking us, “Why would you give up 10 Friday nights, a whole weekend to be in an uncomfortable room, all the while paying out of your own pockets and those who are generous to help you over $7,000 to spend this time with just 30 of us?

Because, (SHOW) God has subjected the world to its sorrow and then sent the Church into the world to bring God’s hope.

And hope is a huge thing for the hurting world.

I am not allowed to do marital therapy, because I do not have a license in it.

However, I do 2-4 sessions in order to build hope.

The prisoner beside me had 5 children, the oldest of which is 6, with cerebral palsy.

He thinks that the 2 years he has left in his sentence is eternity as he recounts all the things he will miss out on because of his crime.

He wasn’t complaining about his sentence, he wasn’t claiming to be innocent. He admitted he needed God. He admitted his sentence was just.

And for him, the moment that he placed his trust in Christ, it came with his decision to allow God to build his hope.

He was so covered with shame, mainly from his own sins, but also from a terribly abusive childhood that he just couldn’t believe that anything would work out for him.

God gave him hope.

(SHOW) Christians have the power to bring hope and blessings to the world.

That is what the initial part of this scripture talks about.

In one sense, most of you cannot go into the prison setting like I was last weekend, but be assured that you were very much a part of giving hope. The ministry of cookies is a metaphor for the hope and joy God brings.

Thank you for sending me there, you too can stand with the sheep, instead of the goats at the final judgment when Jesus says, because you visited the prisoner, you visited me.

God wants us to ask that question: (SHOW) “Who? Me?

Do you see yourself as one whom God has empowered to heal the world?

As one whom God has called to proclaim His salvation from sin?