The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, May 23^rd
Rom 8:14-17
Jn 14:8-17, 25-27

Untitled from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Vimeo.
Download The Shepherd’s Voice – Sermon Video (.mp4)

Last Sunday, I was truly touched by our preschool children as they sang praises to God, not only during the sermon, but during communion when they were not being directed or led by teacher or pastor. They simple sang songs from memory along with the video that was being played.

After the service some folks were absolutely giddy about how engaged the children were in the service and in singing the praise songs.

For some, having many children in church on Sunday morning is difficult, it can be disruptive, and it’s sometimes demanding for teachers and parents. For some, it may even push them toward going postal, however, for me it was the ideal precursor to today’s sermon, “Going Pentecostal.”

There were two things that I said in my opening statement that you may or may not have picked up on.
1) Children singing, led by the Spirit, not directed by pastor or teachers and
2) Singing from memory – the Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus’ words and actions

These are two things that are benchmarks for what it means when I talk about going Pentecostal. Look at our opening reading – (Rom 8:14) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Now look at our gospel text “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Last Sunday, when the children were singing on their own, being led by the Spirit of God they were reminded of the words that Jesus had taught the disciples 2000 years ago. If you were NOT here last Sunday I’m sorry you didn’t get to see the Holy Spirit in action, the essence of what it means when I say, Jesus wanted his followers to go Pentecostal. Now, I’m not speaking about denomination, but I’m speaking about having God’s Spirit in our midst, Christ in us, being led by the Spirit of God.

Pentecost is not just another check-off on the church calendar. Pentecost is not just a time to wear red and celebrate another festival day in the church. Unfortunately, I’m afraid many of us go through this day and do not even understand it. It’s more than just having people read the Acts text in different languages, although, that may enhance the day’s significance. It’s more that wearing a red stole instead of a green one or a white one. It’s more than celebrating a day, it’s about celebrating a life changed by grace.

The celebration began well over two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. It actually started with the coming of God’s Spirit in another event dating back to the people of Israel reaching Mt. Sinai on their wilderness journey. Look in (Exodus 19:1-6) 3 Then Moses went up to God; the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

In this event the Lord revealed Himself to the people of Israel in the giving of the law, the Torah. It just so happens there was a period of fifty days between Passover and the arrival of the Israelites at Mt. Sinai. Pentecost, the word we use to talk about the birth of the church means fifty days.

Our Jewish friends still celebrate Shavuot, an observance of thanksgiving for the Torah commemorating the coming of the Lord at Mt Sinai. It was at this holiday or festival that God chose to reveal the Holy Spirit, in a very public way, to a large group of Jesus’ followers, and it was under Peter’s preaching, thousands were converted in Jerusalem (Acts 2).

Today, as Christians did then, over 2,000 years ago, we celebrate the Day of Pentecost as a time when God filled the hearts of the faithful with the power of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit kindled in them (the people gathered) the fire of God’s love. These people were going Pentecostal. When we have the fire of God’s love in our hearts it means we are going Pentecostal, we are being led by the Spirit and we are remembering Jesus’ words.

Pentecost, the celebration of the breath of God, the Holy Spirit coming into this world had it’s origins in God coming to Moses so Israel could become, “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” Yes, on that birth day of the church, as Christians know it today, the people (Acts 2:12) reading were ‘amazed and perplexed’ just as was Moses in that receiving of the law.

On that day, look at (Acts 2:12) it says they asked the question, “What does this mean?” Could it be this is where Martin Luther came up with the infamous question for his small and large catechisms? “What does this mean?”

What really happened on that first Pentecost that can be, should be, significant to us in our lives? What does ‘Going Pentecostal’ mean to you? Is your life any different today because of Pentecost, because of the coming of the Holy Spirit?

Now before you quickly answer in your own mind, yes or no, reflect a little. While you’re reflecting let me tell you a story about the power of God, prayer, and being led by the Spirit.

In July 2007, Dr. Chauncey W. Crandall IV, a renowned heart surgeon, was giving a presentation at the World Doctor’s Conference in Miami. The audience of 120 doctors from 50 countries sat in stunned silence as Dr. Crandall produced evidence of how, after he had prayed for a patient who had died and was being prepared for the morgue, was brought back to life.

Dr Crandall said “We had a 53 year old man who came to the emergency room with a massive heart attack and actually his heart had stopped, the medical people had worked on him for over forty minutes in the emergency room and then declared him dead.”

“They called Dr Crandall in to evaluate the patient near the end of this unsuccessful attempt to revive him. The nurse was preparing his body to be taken down to the morgue when the Holy Spirit told me to ‘turn around and pray for that man.’ When the Holy Spirit talks to you, you must respond. It’s sometimes a quiet voice and this was a quiet voice and to honor the Lord I did turn around and I went to the side of that stretcher where his body was being prepared.

“There was no life in the man. His face and feet and arms were completely black with death and I sat next to his body and I said to myself, ‘Lord, how am I going to pray for this man? He’s dead. What can I do?’ All of a sudden, these words came out of my mouth, ‘Father, God, I cry out for the soul of this man if he does not know You as his Lord and Savior, please raise him from the dead right now in Jesus name.’

“It was amazing as a couple minutes later, we were looking at the monitor and all of a sudden a heart beat showed up. It was a regular beat; a normal beat; and then after a couple more minutes, he started moving and then his fingers were moving and then his toes began moving and then he started mumbling words.

How do you explain this? How do you categorize this kind of event? Is it a miracle?

Dr Crandall goes on to say, “I would just like to say to my colleagues and physicians out there, that the Lord is real. We’ve seen many miracles and we pray for our patients daily. There is not one week that goes by that we don’t see a mighty miracle in our office.”

People need this; they need the power of Christ in their lives and they need the power of Christ for healing, for hope, and for salvation. (Acts 2:21)

So, what do you make of this ‘Going Pentecostal’ moment? Being led by the Spirit of God to pray, remembering the words of Christ, Dr Crandall went Pentecostal. Here’s the advice he gave to those doctors at the convention:

“I would just encourage my fellow doctors to get involved in a church, meet with a minister, and attend a healing service run by people that believe in the power of Jesus Christ. We love our colleagues in medicine ‘we pray for them’.”

I started out today with – (Rom 8:14) 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. I want you to commit this verse to memory, right now. Say it with me. Who is this for, all? Say it again. What does God’s Spirit do, leads us? Say it again. When we are led by the Spirit, what are we, children of God? Say it again.

Going Pentecostal is being led by the Spirit of God. It’s remembering what God teaches us in his living Word, the Bible. Commit parts of the Bible to memory so you can go Pentecostal when God speaks to your heart. This is my prayer for you, in Jesus name, Amen.

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