SERMON: BUMPER STICKER THEOLOGY: “GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES”

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

-- one day at work, a friend of mine dropped by my office and started talking about a book she had read on faith and works -- she asked me, "Have you ever heard of the 'Parable of the Bicycle?'" -- and then she shared with me this parable

-- there once was this little girl -- about 6 or 7 years old -- who decided that she wanted a bicycle really badly -- so she went to her father and told him, "I want a bicycle and I'm going to earn it all on my own" -- he told her that when she thought she had enough money to buy a bicycle to let him know, and he'd take her to the store to pick it out

-- so she started doing jobs around the house -- unloading the dishwasher -- taking out the trash -- things like that -- and every time she did something, her parents would give her some change -- a quarter here -- a dime there -- until finally, she felt that she had enough money to get her dream -- she told her daddy she was ready to buy her bicycle

-- so her father carried her down to the store and they hunted and hunted and finally found the perfect bicycle -- she walked up to it, looked at the price tag, and her face fell -- there was no way she could ever buy that bicycle -- it cost way too much and she had only earned $0.67 -- but then her father stepped in and paid the rest and she walked out of that store just beaming because she had gotten her bicycle

-- the point of the parable, my friend told me, is that you do all you can and then Jesus steps in and makes up the difference -- another way of summing up the point of this parable is by the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves”

            -- this morning, we are finishing up our sermon series on Bumper Sticker Theology -- for the past five weeks we’ve been looking at those familiar verses and clichés that we all know and we have all heard and we’ve all said -- the idea was to turn a critical eye to them and to see if they were true and if they really mean what we think they mean

            -- we looked at Philippians 4:13 -- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

            -- “God will not give you more than you can handle”

            -- “God needed another angel” -- a common phrase we hear when someone dies

            -- and, last week, we look at “Everything happens for a reason”

            -- today, we’re going to close this series by looking at the familiar phrase, “God helps those who help themselves”

II.  God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

            -- this is one of the most common sayings in America -- pretty much, everyone has heard this -- and a lot of us have said it or thought it

            -- in a very real sense, the idea that we have to help ourselves first sums up what we, as Americans, believe -- in a general sense, we are a people who believe in hard work -- in self-sufficiency -- in self-initiative -- we don’t sit around waiting for a hand-out or for someone to do our work for us -- no, we believe that people should work for what they have and that they will be rewarded for their work

            -- that’s a foundational belief for most Americans -- you could make the case that this is the bedrock of our political and economic systems -- if you want something, you take the initiative and you start working -- you help better yourself and your situation and then God will bless you

            -- that mindset is what drove our founding fathers -- it’s what led to the western expansion -- when you remember the stories of the early frontiersmen and the early pioneers, you think of people who took the initiative, who helped themselves by working hard and doing what was right, and who succeeded because they did that and because God saw their hard work and blessed them

            -- that’s the general idea behind this phrase -- that’s why this phrase is so accepted in America today -- in fact, it was a founding father that popularized this proverb -- Benjamin Franklin published this in his “Poor Richard’s Almanac” as a proverb that all of us should look to and take to heart and it just took off -- because it is a generally accepted idea -- we need to take responsibility for our lives and work hard and help ourselves and trust that God will help us when we do so

            -- if we’re honest with ourselves, that’s one reason why we tend to look down on people who can work but who don’t -- on folks that are just dependent on the Government or others without raising a finger to help themselves or to help their families

            -- and we think, “You need to get up and start working and help yourself, and then we will help you -- and then God will help you”

            -- do you agree? -- have you ever thought that? -- have you ever encouraged someone to get up and start working for that reason? -- certainly, you have -- if nothing else, you’ve used this principle with your kids, right?

            -- “if you want me to take you to the store, then you need to get out of bed or get off the couch and get in there and help with the chores -- you get started -- you help yourself, and then I’ll do something for you”

            -- it seems like commonsense -- so, it’s easy to see why God would use that same mindset with us -- “you get started -- you help yourself -- and I will step in and help you” -- just like in the parable of the bicycle I shared with you

            -- I’ve had that same thought -- I’ve put that some condition on others -- there have been times in our ministry where we have just poured out into people -- spiritually -- physically -- materially -- we’ve done a lot for them -- we have sacrificed our time and our money and our resources for them -- and, yet, no matter how much we do, they always seem to need more -- to want more -- to expect us to do more for them while they’re not doing anything to help themselves or to help their situation

            -- and, I have to admit, there have been times when this phrase has come to mind -- “God helps those who help themselves” -- and, I’ve thought to myself, “it’s time for you to do something -- you need to get up and start doing something on your own and then God will meet you there and help you -- don’t just sit there passively, doing nothing -- but get up and do something and God will help”

            -- am I alone in this or are you with me? -- is that the way you understand this phrase?

            -- but let me ask you this -- is this proverb true?

III.  Salvation and Works

            -- let’s go back to the parable of the bicycle that I opened with -- the little girl who couldn’t buy the bicycle on her own, so her father stepped in and made up the difference -- just like Jesus does with us

            -- that sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? -- we do what we can -- we do our part -- and then Jesus steps in and pays the rest of the price for salvation -- that’s what this parable teaches -- we do what we can -- we help ourselves -- and then Jesus helps us

            -- this parable -- and the proverb, “God helps those who help themselves” -- are great and noble sentiments, but, they’re not true when it comes to salvation

-- this idea that God only helps those who help themselves -- that God only saves those who do something first -- who take initiative and try to better their lives first -- illustrates two problems that a lot of us have in understanding salvation and the role of works in salvation

-- the first problem that we have is thinking that we have to do something to get saved -- that we have to do good things or good works -- go to church -- be nice to people -- help people out -- read our Bible -- go to Sunday School -- something -- anything -- to be saved

-- we understand that the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day proving victory over sin and death -- we understand that we receive salvation when we accept Him as Lord and Savior through faith

-- but if we're honest with ourselves, there is some place deep in our hearts that believes it can't be enough to simply believe in Jesus and be saved -- that is too easy -- we have to do something to make up for all the bad things that we did in our lives -- we have to do all we can -- and then, just like the parable of the bicycle says, Jesus will step in and make up the difference and pour out His grace and save us

-- what's wrong with that way of thinking? -- aren't works part of the Christian life? -- doesn't Jesus expect us to go out and serve Him and do good things and come to church?

-- hold your place here in Ephesians and turn over to James 2:14-17

James 2:14-17 New International Version (NIV)

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

-- James says that faith without works is dead -- it seems like he’s saying that you are justified by what you do and not by faith alone -- isn't that exactly what this parable teaches? -- isn't this what we really believe in our heart of hearts? -- that simply trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus is not enough to be saved?

-- all of us -- to some extent or the other -- tend to believe that we need works in our life in order to be saved -- we need to help ourselves first before God will step in and save us

-- we may disparage those other religions who put an emphasis on works as the way to salvation -- but we do it too

-- in our minds, we have this little checklist that we carry with us through the day -- and as we do good things, we kind of mentally check them off in one column -- and when we do bad things, we check them off in the other column -- and then at the end of the day, we compare our good things with our bad things and then decide how our day was -- was I good enough to be saved today?

-- but, is that biblical? -- is that what James is really talking about in this passage?

-- look back again at Ephesians 2:8-9 and let's get a different perspective

Ephesians 2:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

-- Paul tells us quite plainly in these verses that it is by grace that we are saved -- not by works -- not by anything that we did or anything that we might do in the future -- we are saved merely by the grace of God -- received through faith -- and works has absolutely nothing to do with it

-- sounds like James and Paul are on different pages here, doesn't it? -- so, what's the truth? -- is the parable of the bicycle right? -- does God only help those who help themselves?

-- do we have to do all that we can -- do we have to do all the good works we can -- and then Jesus will step in and make up the difference? -- or is this proverb wrong?

-- Paul was quite adamant in his teaching that you are saved solely through the blood of Jesus -- solely because of the death and resurrection of Christ -- and nothing more -- in Romans 11:5-6, Paul said that we were chosen and saved based on grace and not on works -- he said that if it were by works, then grace would no longer be grace

-- now we know that grace is God giving us something that we don't deserve and can't earn on our own -- grace is a gift from God freely given -- so what Paul is saying is that God has offered us the grace of salvation through Jesus Christ -- and that if we try to pay Him for that offer of salvation by doing works, then God's gift is no longer a gift -- grace is no longer grace

-- it would be like this -- what if I were to invite you over to my house for dinner -- and you came and accepted my offer of a free meal -- and then, after the meal, you wrote out a check to cover your portion and left it on the table -- that meal is no longer a gift -- Paul is saying that it is the same way with salvation

-- in Galatians 2:16, Paul writes, "We, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." -- Paul is very consistent in his teachings and in his understanding of salvation -- salvation is a free gift of God -- it comes by grace and it is received through faith -- not by works -- in fact, if you try to earn your salvation through works, then you have negated the grace of God and are not truly saved

-- so, what about James? -- is James teaching something different than Paul? -- it seems like Paul and James are in a heated argument -- each disapproving of the other's gospel -- but that is not really the case

-- Paul and James are using similar language but they are addressing two different questions -- Paul is addressing the question of how one becomes a part of God's people -- how one becomes saved -- and he is quite clear in saying that you are saved by grace through faith and not by works

-- James, on the other hand, is not addressing salvation in his discourse but is addressing a different question -- how do you know if your faith is real or not? -- James says that if you are saved -- if you have been transformed into a new creation by trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior -- then you demonstrate -- you prove -- your faith through your works -- through your actions

-- there were many in the church in James' day that claimed to be Christians, but who were not showing evidence of a transformed life -- James was calling them to discipleship -- to living up to the name they claimed -- "faith without works is dead," he wrote -- in other words, if you claim to be a Christian, then you need to show the fruit of your salvation through your works -- for both James and Paul, works come after faith as evidence of a transformed life

-- so, on this point, the parable of the bicycle is wrong -- works are not required for salvation -- you don't need to show Jesus $0.67 so He will forgive your sins

-- now, let's look at the other problem this parable brings out

-- the second problem -- which is related to the first -- is in thinking that we could actually do something that was of any value to God in the first place -- in other words, this parable assumes that when we go to church or when we help someone else or when we do something good, God counts it on the plus side of His ledger -- but does He?

-- turn over to Philippians 3:7-9

Philippians 3:7-9 New International Version (NIV)

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

-- Paul says that everything that we do is considered a loss in the eyes of God -- he says that they are considered "rubbish" -- the KJV goes even further and calls them "dung" -- absolutely worthless -- of no value at all

-- so, going back to our parable of the bicycle, what Paul is saying is that this little girl might go out and work and work and work trying to earn money for her bicycle, but that everything she does has no value at all and won't amount to one penny in real money -- in other words, there is nothing that we can do on our own to help ourselves that is worth anything to God

-- in John 15:5, Jesus said "apart from Me, you can do nothing" -- apart from God, our works and our acts of service and goodness are nothing -- they are rubbish -- they are dung

-- Alistair Begg gave a great illustration of this point -- he likened it to a person who goes into a bank several times during the month to make deposits -- you physically go into the bank -- you hand the teller your deposit slip with your money attached -- and you know they received it so you have a pretty good idea of what your account balance should be

-- but then, at the end of the month, when the statement comes in, you are shocked to find that you have no money at all -- it turns out that instead of crediting your account every time you made the deposit, they actually subtracted those amounts from your account -- so everything you did trying to build up your account actually ended up going in the negative column

-- Paul is making the same point here -- you can't be saved through works because your works have no value -- no matter how much you try to help yourself -- no matter what good things you do -- they have no value to God at all

-- in Romans 7:18 it says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature" -- because of that, we can't do anything to help ourselves and pay some of the cost for salvation -- try as hard as we might, we can't even earn the $0.67 that the little girl supposedly earned in this parable

-- which brings us back to the entire point of this message -- the saying, “God helps those who help themselves” is not true -- you cannot be saved by works -- you cannot add anything to your salvation through works -- you cannot, in any way, contribute anything to the forgiveness of your sins -- you can’t help yourself be saved

-- there is absolutely no way on earth for you to be saved -- when Jesus told His disciples that it was as hard for a rich man to be saved as it was for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, the disciples said, “Who then can be saved?” -- Jesus replied in Matthew 19:26, "with man, this is impossible -- but with God, all things are possible”

-- it is impossible for us to save ourselves -- we can’t help ourselves be saved -- it is only through the grace of God -- it is only through the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ -- that salvation is possible

-- “God helps those who help themselves” is false -- the truth is that God helps those who cannot help themselves -- and for that, we praise Him this morning

            -- let’s pray

SERMON VIDEO: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

You can see the video from the sermon delivered at Naylor Methodist Church in Naylor, Georgia, by clicking here.

Note that this will open up the video at the Koinonia Church Facebook page.

SERMON: BUMPER STICKER THEOLOGY: “EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON”

I.  Introduction

            -- as we begin this morning, I want us to read two scriptures that will serve as the foundation of this message -- both are familiar passages that you may have memorized -- Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28

            -- I’ve got them both referenced and printed out for you in the bulletin to make it easier for you as we begin, but go ahead and find them in your Bibles and just hold your place there, if you would

            -- let’s start with Jeremiah 29:11 -- 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

            -- and now, Romans 8:28 -- 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

            -- I just finished reading a book that has been on my list for quite some time -- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho -- time and time again this book has been recommended to me -- it seems to be a favorite of the guests on the podcasts I listen to and it has been referenced many times in the nonfiction books I have read lately

            -- I had bought it on the Kindle some time ago, but it seemed like I never got the opportunity to open it -- I was always reading something else or in the middle of a series of novels and wanted to finish them before I turned to The Alchemist

            -- but, finally, everything worked out and I was ready to begin this novel that I had been waiting for, for so long -- I got up early while it was still dark and the house was quiet and the day hadn’t begun, and I grabbed a cup of coffee, and began reading -- and, I have to say, I was disappointed -- it wasn’t what I expected

            -- instead of the inspiring novel I had been promised, what I found was simply the story of a boy who realizes his dream of finding a treasure by following omens and signs across two continents -- the theme of the book was that the universe conspires to fulfill our desires, provided we have the will and the courage to follow them -- and, as the boy begins his quest, omens and signs appear to confirm that he is on the right path -- he is constantly reminded of the phrase, “it is written,” which serves as proof that the universe is leading him in the right direction -- it’s not giving too much away to say that the boy follows all of the omens and signs and, at the end, finds his treasure and the girl of his dreams

            -- his experiences show that everything happens for a reason -- and that reason is to fulfill our personal legend and our greatest desires in life

            -- it’s easy to see why this book is so loved by entrepreneurs and young people starting out -- it seems to give them a map to follow in life -- no matter what happens, they can be assured that it happened for a reason -- they simply need to use that experience and work out the reason behind it to move forward in their personal quests for fame and fortune

            -- their mantra is “just keep believing that everything happens for a reason, and it will all work out”

            -- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on “Bumper Sticker Theology” -- and I wanted to talk about that familiar saying, “everything happens for a reason”

            -- that’s something that all of us have heard or probably said at some point -- while some people, like the author of The Alchemist put a new-age spin on it and attribute events to fate or to the universe working in our lives, we put a Christian spin on it and share with people who are going through a hard time, “You know, everything happens for a reason”

            -- but, is this true? -- let’s talk about it

II.  Does Everything Happen for a Reason?

            -- if you sit down and think about it for a while, you’d have to agree it is -- everything does happen for a reason -- that’s a natural law -- there is a cause and effect that we see at play in the natural laws of the universe -- there are consequences to actions and events -- there is a reason for everything

            -- for example, if your clothes are getting a little tight, there’s a reason -- maybe the reason is that your dryer is shrinking them -- or, more likely, the reason is you’ve been hitting up the $0.50 Frosties at Wendy’s and the Frosted Limeade Shakes at Chick-Fil-A -- but there is a reason why your clothes aren’t fitting you as well as they did before -- they don’t just start fitting tighter for no reason at all -- makes sense?

            -- so, if you think about it like that, everything does happen for a reason -- cause and effect can be seen and proven daily -- think about something as simple as your lawn -- why is your grass turning yellow right now? -- is there a reason for that? -- sure -- it’s hot as blue blazes and we haven’t had any rain in ten days -- everything happens for a reason -- it’s a fact

            -- and it doesn’t just apply to nature -- it applies to us, as well, in our lives and in our relationships and in the things that happen to us -- generally speaking, the things that happen to us happen for a reason -- and, believe it or not, there is a scriptural basis for this -- we see this principle shared with us in Scripture

            -- we see this same principle shared with us in Scripture -- in Galatians 6:7-8, the Apostle Paul talked about the principle of sowing and reaping -- let me read that for you real quick

Galatians 6:7-8 New International Version (NIV)

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

            -- there is a reason for what happens to us -- we reap what we sow -- Paul tells us that if we sow to please our sinful nature, we will reap destruction -- if we sow to please the Spirit, then we will reap eternal life

            -- what we reap -- what we receive -- is the result of what we do -- everything happens for a reason -- sometimes that reason is that we make bad decisions and do stupid things and we reap the consequences -- sometimes the reason is that we choose better, and life gets better

            -- but the principle holds in a general sense -- everything does happen for a reason

           

            -- the problem with this statement -- and the reason I wanted us to think through this today -- is because of how we apply it in our lives and in the lives of others -- when we go to someone who is suffering and share with them the idea that everything happens for a reason, what we are implying is that this is happening to them because it is the will of God

            -- when we say, “everything happens for a reason,” that is what they hear -- and this means that whatever we are going through or whatever happened to us in the past -- whether good or bad -- it was all part of the mysterious plan of God -- God wanted it to happen -- and we should just accept it and trust in Him and have faith it will all work out in the end

            -- isn’t that the popular understanding of Jeremiah 29:11? -- everything that happens to us is part of God’s plan for our lives -- everything that happens is the will of God

            -- our Calvinist brethren would affirm that this is absolutely true -- because God is sovereign, everything happens for a reason -- everything that happens is God’s will -- nothing happens to us that God hasn’t preordained

            -- but I contend that this concept leads us to a place that we need to think about -- if we are alleging that everything happens for a reason -- that everything that happens is because of the sovereign will of God -- then what we’re saying is that God is directly responsible for all the evil and tragedies that occur on earth and in our lives

            -- to believe that everything happens because it is God’s will means that it was God who sent the hurricanes in recent years -- it was all part of God’s plan for Hurricane Katrina and Harvey and Michael to cause such long-lasting destruction and suffering and misery

            -- to believe that everything happens because it is God’s will means it was God who sent the Jews to the concentration camps -- who allowed evil leaders like Napoleon and Hitler and Saddam Hussein to come to power and hurt so many people -- it was God who caused the world trade center to fall on 9/11 -- it was God who sent the fires and the floods and the tornadoes and the earthquakes

            -- to believe that everything happens because it is God’s will means that all the bad things in your life happened because God wanted it to happen -- it means when we use the phrase, “everything happens for a reason,” what we could be saying to someone is that it was God who caused that person to betray you -- to steal from you -- to hurt you -- it was God who caused you or your loved one to get sick -- it was God who took your family member in death -- it was all God -- all the time

            -- it’s just the way it is -- it’s all part of God’s plan -- we just have to accept it and trust in Him -- that’s hardly a comforting word

            -- that’s why I don’t accept the premise that everything that happens is God’s will -- God told Jeremiah that He had plans for us -- plans to prosper us and not to harm us -- plans to give us a hope and a future -- that verse is absolutely true -- but that doesn’t mean that everything that happens is God’s plan and God’s will -- sometimes, God’s will is not done and God’s plans for us are not realized

            -- we recognize this in the prayer that Jesus gave us that we call “The Lord’s Prayer” -- Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” -- this implies that God’s will is not always done on earth -- if it was, then Jesus would not have had us pray that in our daily prayers

            -- just look around you -- there’s a lot of stuff going on that is not God’s will for us or this world -- it is certainly not God’s will that we sin, but we do -- it is not God’s will that we hurt others, but we do -- it is not God’s will that people reject Him and are condemned for their unbelief, but this happens -- God’s will is not always done

            -- that’s why Jesus wept on the hill outside of Jerusalem -- crying because Jerusalem and the people of Israel would not turn from their sins and come to Him for salvation -- that they would not return to the God who loved them -- God’s will was that all of them should come and receive their Messiah and Savior -- God’s will is that everyone comes to a saving knowledge of His Son -- but the fact that this doesn’t happen is proof that God’s will is not always made manifest on earth -- the idea that everything happens for a reason may be true, but the premise that everything happens because it is God’s will is not

            -- sometimes things happen because God has given us free will and we are experiencing the consequences of the choices we have made -- if you go back to the doctrine of original sin, then you can see this and you can understand why evil and pain are present on earth today

            -- when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, their sin rippled out throughout creation, like a rock dropped on the water of a calm pond has ripples that go out from it

            -- these ripples impacted all of creation and still impact this world today -- because of their sin, we live in a fallen world -- we live in a cursed world -- far from the original perfection of the Garden of Eden -- we live in a world of natural disasters -- tornados and floods and earthquakes -- hurricanes and volcanoes and wildfires -- we live in a world with thorns and briers and weeds -- with things that try to harm us or that choke us out from a relationship with God -- a world where evil has been allowed to reign

            -- when Adam and Eve sinned, they allowed Satan to exert dominion over the world -- that’s why Jesus called Satan, “the prince of this world” -- that’s the reason why sin and evil abound -- that’s why our lives are filled with wars and rumors of war -- with crime and violence -- with physical and mental and substance abuse -- with hurtful people doing hurtful things -- as Isaiah put it, “I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips”

            -- the reason we see sin and hurt and death in this world is a result of the fall of man -- of original sin -- everything bad and chaotic and evil that occurs can trace itself back to this cause -- to this reason -- in John 10:10, Jesus said that the devil came only to steal, kill, and destroy -- sin expressed through our free will and the consequences our actions are the reasons we see so much evil in the world today

            -- everything does happen for a reason -- sometimes the reason is us

            -- however, that doesn’t mean that God is just a passive observer and just lets fate control our lives -- as God told Jeremiah, He has plans for us -- He wants good in our lives -- after telling us in John 10:10 that the thief had come to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus proclaimed that He had come to bring life -- abundant life -- life to the full

            -- Jesus was sent so that God might redeem us from the consequences of our actions -- Jesus was sent so that God’s will would be made manifest on earth through His people, His church, and His Kingdom

            -- that’s the beauty of grace -- that’s the beauty of Romans 8:28

            -- look at that verse again with me

Romans 8:28 New International Version (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

            -- this verse doesn’t say that everything that happens is God’s will -- instead, it promises us that in everything that happens to us, God works for our good -- God brings beauty out of ashes -- He redeems people and events to bring good out of the pain in our lives

            -- although everything happens for a reason and sometimes we suffer because of the consequences of our choices or because we live in a fallen world, God works in our lives to bring about good and not evil -- to bring blessings in the face of pain

            -- let me close by sharing with you a story that happened to some people we knew when we lived in Tennessee -- when we lived up there, Kim worked at a veterinarian’s office -- it was a large practice and there were a lot of vet’s that worked there

            -- one of them had a little boy -- and after we left Tennessee and moved back home, we got the word that his family had had a bad car accident, and his little boy was killed -- this was a tragic, horrific accident

            -- did this happen for a reason? -- yes, it happened because we live in a world where sometimes bad things happen to good people -- a world where accidents and tragedies occur -- a world with hurt and pain and evil

            -- everything happens for a reason, but everything is not God’s will -- I do not believe that this was God’s will for this family -- I do not believe that God wanted their child to die and for them to suffer such pain and agony in their grief -- remember, Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus -- He shares our pain and He doesn’t want us to suffer in this way -- that is not His will -- that was not His plan

            -- but, in the midst of this tragedy, God worked to bring good -- as the people who worked at the vet’s clinic sought solace and understanding and peace in the midst of the pain of this tragedy, one of the ladies that worked in that office was touched by God -- she was an unbeliever, but through this experience -- through seeing the faith of the family of that child -- through hearing the word of God preached at the funeral -- her heart was touched and she heard the Spirit’s call and she responded in faith -- asking Jesus to save her and to bring her eternal life

            -- she shared the gospel with her roommate, who also received Christ as her Lord and Savior -- in this tragic event, God responded with grace and brought about good, just as it says in Romans 8:28

            -- so, what’s the take-home message from all of this? -- what’s the point?

            -- it’s simply this -- we must be careful in what we tell others when they are walking through pain and tragedy in their lives, because while everything does happen for a reason, that does not mean it happens because it is God’s will

            -- bad things happen to good people because we live in a world corrupted by sin -- we need to realize that and we need to share that with others -- when someone we know is going through a hard time, our message to them must be that, in spite of what they are going through, God is faithful and His grace will sustain them and redeem them, always and forever

            -- tell them that everything happens for a reason -- but make sure they know that not everything that happens is God’s will

            -- let us pray

SERMON VIDEO: GOD NEEDED ANOTHER ANGEL

You can access the video recording of this sermon given at Naylor Methodist Church in Naylor, Georgia, by clicking here.

Note that this will connect you to the video at the Koinonia Church Facebook page.

SERMON: BUMPER STICKER THEOLOGY: “GOD NEEDED ANOTHER ANGEL”

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 2:8-14 -- while you’re doing that, let me share with you a poem that I ran across recently:

            “God needed an angel in heaven

to stand at the Savior’s feet.

His choice must be the rarest,

a lily pure and sweet.

“He gazed upon the mighty throne,

then stopped and picked the best.

My loving sister was his chosen one,

with Jesus, now at rest.”¹

            -- let’s read this passage from Luke 2 now

Luke 2:8-14 New International Version (NIV)

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

           

            -- have you ever thought what it’s going to be like to be one of the angels in heaven? -- to be part of God’s heavenly choir, just like these angels from the Christmas story?

            -- we all know it’s a fact that when you die, you go to heaven and you’re given wings and a harp and you become an angel, right?

            -- that’s what we see in books and movies and on the internet and in Facebook posts -- just think about the classic movie,“It’s a Wonderful Life,” with Jimmy Stewart -- you know that story

            -- Jimmy Stewart’s character in the movie, George Bailey, is down in the dumps and is considering ending it all because everything that could go wrong has gone wrong -- but while he is standing there on the bridge, getting up his nerve to kill himself, he looks up and sees someone else fall off the bridge and into the water, so he dives in after him and saves him

            -- the man George saves is Clarence, who proceeds to tell George that he is George’s guardian angel and that he has been sent to help George -- which opens up a discussion about angels

            -- remember what Clarence told George Bailey about becoming an angel? -- he tells George that an angel is a person who has died and has to earn their wings -- that's why he was sent to earth -- Joseph, the head angel, sends Clarence to earth to help George out so that Clarence might earn his wings -- at one point in the movie, a bell rings and Clarence remarks, "every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings"

            -- this movie has a lot to do with our beliefs about where angels come from, because there’s very few people who don’t know that phrase, “every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings”

            -- but it’s not just here -- we see the same thing in other movies and hear it in our songs

            -- Kenny Chesney has a song called, "Everybody wants to go to heaven" -- the chorus of that song says, "Everybody wants to go to heaven -- Get their wings and fly around -- Everybody want to go to heaven -- But nobody wants to go now"

            -- very similar to what we learned in the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" -- that angels are just people who have died and gone into heaven and gotten their wings and now they’re part of that great angelic chorus that we read about in Luke Chapter 2

            -- you would be surprised at how many people -- even in the church -- believe that angels are made this way

            -- I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say at funerals -- especially at the funeral of a child -- "God just needed another angel" -- it’s a common sentiment -- we hear it all the time -- I don't know about you, but that's not an encouraging thought to me

            -- I heard Greg Laurie talk about this one time in a sermon -- he said, "Can you think of anything more horrible to tell a grieving parent than that?" -- think about the image that gives us of God -- God's sitting there in heaven and looks around and says, "You know, we need another angel up here -- somebody send a bus down there and run over Tommy"

            -- so, is this true? -- is this what happens to us when we die? -- is this how God makes more angels? -- by taking people when they die and giving them wings and turning them into angels?

            -- this morning, we’re continuing in our current sermon series called “Bumper Sticker Theology” by addressing this very question

II.  Angels and Men

            -- now, unfortunately, I can’t point you to one verse or one passage in the Bible that clearly gives us the answer to the question about people becoming angels when they die

            -- although there are over 270 references to angels in the Bible -- both in the Old and the New Testament -- no where does it simply state: “When you die, you become an angel” or “When you die, you do not become an angel”

            -- but, still, we can learn the answer by reading these verses as a whole and not letting popular beliefs about angels from movies and songs and other resources influence our understanding -- I’m going to go over a bunch of scriptures this morning -- I’ve got them all listed for you in your bulletins, so you don’t have to try to look them up now -- but I would suggest you do so later this week as you continue to study this message

            -- so, for this morning, just hold your place here in Luke 2 and just listen as I read the various scriptures to you

            -- let’s talk about angels and people

1.  Angels are created beings, separate from man

            -- I know that probably all of you already know this -- but let me make this clear -- angels are not people -- they never were and they never will be -- regardless of what Clarence told George Bailey and what you might hear at funerals, angels aren't people who died and went to heaven

            -- the Bible is pretty clear on this -- if you have accepted Christ, when you die you will go to heaven -- not as an angel -- but as a re-created human being with a new immortal and imperishable body

            -- so, if angels aren't people who have died and been given wings -- then who are they? -- angels are created beings who exist in a spiritual dimension that touches, but is separate, from our own existence, although they can interact with us here on earth

            -- in other words, angels are special creations of God -- separate from man and all of the earthly creation we read about in the Book of Genesis -- we don’t know when they were created, but the Scriptures indicate that all of the angels were made and were in place before God created the earth

            -- Psalm 148:5 says that the Lord commanded and the angels were created

            -- in Colossians 1:16, we read, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

            -- and in Nehemiah 9:6 it says, "You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

            -- finally, over in Job 38:1-7, we get an idea of when the angels were created -- as God speaks to Job and asks where Job was while God created the earth, we read that the angels shouted for joy while He laid out the foundations of the earth -- that means that they were already in existence and living with God in the spiritual realm before He created the earth

            -- so, angels are created beings -- they are not another stage in human development, but were created before the earth even began

2.  The number of angels

            -- so, how many angels are there? -- we don’t really know, but we know there were thousands upon thousands -- tens of thousands upon tens of thousands

            -- in Matthew 26, when Jesus was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He told Peter to put up his sword -- Jesus said that if He needed rescue, He could call on 12 legions of angels -- a legion was around 6,000 people -- so 12 legions would have been 72,000 angels -- and, certainly, that was not all of the angels

              -- Hebrews 12:22 talks about thousands and thousands of angels in joyful assembly -- and in Revelation 5:11, John tells us he “looked and heard the voice of many angels, number thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand”

            -- so, God created a lot of angels -- and, even though the Bible tells us that about one-third of the angels rebelled with Lucifer against God and were flung to earth, no where do we read in the Bible about God making more angels

            -- it seems there is a finite number of angels that God created and these are all that exist for eternity -- so, there are no new angels being created, especially through human conversion

3.  The nature of angels

            -- so, what are angels like? -- what is their nature?

            -- like we said earlier, angels are a special creation of God -- according to Hebrews 1:14, angels are spiritual beings -- meaning, they don’t have a physical body like we do -- man is another special form of creation -- we were created in the image of God, and we are triune in our creation, having body, soul, and spirit -- angels aren’t like that -- they are just spirit, although they can take on human forms as they minister to us

            -- we also know from Luke 20:34-38 that angels do not procreate or reproduce -- they do not marry or give in marriage -- which is another indication that new angels are not being created

            -- and, this same passage tells us that angels are immortal and eternal -- they do not die -- so, it’s not like God has to replace angels who have passed away

4.  The role of angels

            -- so, why do angels exist? -- what is their purpose and role in God’s heavenly kingdom?

            -- are you still holding your place in Luke 2? -- look back at verse 8 [read Luke 2:8-14]

            -- this is the passage that inspired the great Christmas hymn, "Angels We Have Heard on High" -- and it points us to the three main functions of angels

            -- first, they are messengers of God -- the word "angel" actually means "messenger" -- angels are servants of God -- sent by Him to speak His purpose and His plans and His message to creation -- in other words, they proclaim the word of God

            -- Luke records here that after Jesus was born, an angel appeared to the shepherds out in the fields near Bethlehem to tell them that their long-awaited Savior had come -- the shepherds had no idea that anything extraordinary had happened -- they had no idea that the Messiah had arrived -- so God sent His messenger to earth to tell them what had happened so they could be the first evangelists at Christmas

            -- this is what one of the most famous angels in the Bible is known for -- out of all the references to angels in the Bible, we are only given the names of two of these angels:  Gabriel and Michael

            -- Gabriel seems to be God's special messenger -- he first appears in the Old Testament in the Book of Daniel when he comes in answer to Daniel's prayer for wisdom to understand a vision that God had given him

            -- and we see him twice here in the New Testament -- in the Christmas narrative in Luke Chapter 1 -- first, he appears to Zechariah in the temple to tell him that Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth would have a son called John who would usher in the coming of the Messiah -- then, he appears to Mary and tells her that she has been chosen to bear the Messiah -- that she will be overcome by the presence of the Holy Spirit and will be pregnant with Jesus even though she is a virgin

            -- these are just examples to point out the first purpose of the angels, which is to serve as God's messengers

            -- secondly, angels are God's worship leaders -- they exist to praise God and to bring glory to Him

            -- we recognize this when we sing the Doxology and say, "Praise Him above ye heavenly host" -- the heavenly host are the angels of God who gather around the throne and praise Him

            -- this comes from Psalm 148:1-5 that says, “Praise the Lord -- Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above. -- Praise Him, all His angels -- Praise Him, all His heavenly hosts -- Praise Him, sun and moon -- Praise Him, all you shining stars -- Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies -- Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created”        

            -- we see them here in this passage in Luke doing just that -- after the angel finishes delivering his message to the shepherds, Luke says that a great company of the heavenly host appear with angel -- praising God and singing glory to His name

            -- in Isaiah Chapter 6 and Revelation Chapter 4, we read about the angels who surround the throne of God and call out praises to Him constantly -- John says "day and night" they never stop praising God

            -- the angels lead worship -- they join with us and sing unending hymns of praise to God for what He has done -- as it says in Hebrews 1:6, "Let all God's angels worship Him"

            -- finally, the angels minister to people -- Hebrews 1:14 tells us that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation -- what does it mean to minister to someone? -- it means to attend to the wants and needs of others

            -- after Jesus had been tempted in the wilderness, we read that the angels came and ministered to Him -- in the same way, God sends His angels to minister to us -- to attend to our needs and our wants -- primarily our spiritual well-being but also our physical needs and wants

            -- we've all heard of guardian angels -- there's ample evidence in the Bible and in our lives today of angels protecting people from physical harm -- for instance, in the Book of Acts, when Peter was in jail, an angel opened the cell door and led him to freedom

            -- more than likely, you have had angels protect you and minister to you, as well -- you just probably weren't aware of it -- in Hebrews 13:2 we read that we may have entertained angels unaware -- in other words, they were there ministering to us, but we just didn't know it -- maybe they were invisible and hidden from our eyes or maybe they took the form of a person -- but they were there -- ministering to you in some form or fashion

III.  Closing

            -- so, are angels real -- do angels exist?

            -- absolutely, the Bible is clear on this -- before the beginning of time -- before the creation of the earth -- God created angels as spiritual beings to serve His purposes -- He made them different from us -- pure spirits, without a physical body like we possess

            -- the Bible actually says that we were made a little lower than the angels -- but one day, we will sit in judgment over them -- not because we’re any better than them -- but because we have been elevated to a higher position because of the death and resurrection of Jesus and our union with Him in salvation

            -- angels are real -- and, right now, at this moment, the heavens are resounding with the voices of angels praising and glorifying God and the Lamb -- they serve to proclaim God’s glory and majesty and might -- they minister to us by protecting us, by guiding us, and by delivering God’s word to us

            -- angels are real and an important part of God’s creation -- but angels are not former people

            -- while it may seem a comfort to some to say that we become angels in heaven when we die, the truth is far, far better -- for in John 1:12, we read that “to all who received [Jesus], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will -- but born of God”

            -- if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus -- if you have come to the cross and received forgiveness for your sins through the blood of Jesus -- then you have become greater than the angels - you have become a child of God

            -- and when you no longer inhabit your earthly tent -- when this perishable body you live in has passed away -- you will inherit a new, imperishable body and live with the Lord forever -- not as an angel -- but as God’s own child -- a human perfected through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ

            -- rather than offer up false platitudes and clichés about angels to grieving people, let us remind them of the joyous truth of God’s word -- that those who believe in Jesus and have put their faith in Him will never die, but will live with the Lord forever

            -- let us pray

SERMON VIDEO: GOD WILL NOT GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE

You can access a recorded video of the sermon given at Naylor Methodist Church in Naylor, Georgia, by clicking here.

This will bring up the video from the Koinonia Church Facebook page.

SERMON: THE DAY OF PENTECOST

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 2:1-4

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

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.

            -- today is Pentecost Sunday -- the day we recognize the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to the church by the risen and ascended Christ -- to give you the context of this passage, remember that after Jesus rose from the dead, the Bible tells us that He spent a period of forty days with His disciples, teaching them from the scriptures about Himself and about the kingdom of God -- and on the fortieth day, He ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives -- but before He left, He told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift from the Father -- the coming of the Holy Spirit

            -- the disciples left the Mount of Olives and we see them in this passage, gathered together on the Day of Pentecost, actively waiting as Christ commanded -- before we go much further, let me make a couple of points

            -- first, you need to know that the Day of Pentecost is not just a Christian holiday -- it is actually a traditional Jewish celebration that was prescribed in the Law of Moses as one of the major feasts for the Israelites -- Pentecost occurs 50 days after the Passover, which is how it derives its name -- “Pente” meaning “50”

            -- real quick history lesson -- if you remember, God sent Moses to lead His people out of captivity in Egypt -- but when Moses went to Pharaoh and said that God demanded Pharaoh let His people go, Pharaoh refused -- and so God sent a series of plagues on the Egyptians -- from the Nile River turning to blood -- to invasions by flies and frogs to the sun being darkened for a day -- but Pharaoh was steadfast, and refused to let the Israelites go -- so God sent His final plague -- He sent forth the angel of death to sweep across the land and kill the firstborn of all Egypt, both man and animal -- but, God had the angel of death pass over the homes of the Israelites, which were marked by the blood of the Passover lamb on the lintel of the doors

            -- this slaying of the firstborn finally broke Pharaoh, and he allowed the Israelites to leave -- and fifty days later -- after the parting of the Red Sea by God and the destruction of the Egyptian army -- the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai, the place where Moses had first experienced God’s presence in a burning bush

            -- on this day, Moses went up on the mountain and God gave the Law to the people of Israel -- Pentecost commemorated the giving of the Law to the people, which was seen as the moment of their rebirth as a freed nation, as the chosen people of God

            -- so, Pentecost was an established Jewish holiday that occurred 50 days after the Passover -- and people had gathered in Jerusalem from all over the known world to celebrate it

            -- which brings up my second point on this passage -- Peter and the other disciples were all together in one place, worshiping God, on this day -- it is only 50 days after the death of Jesus -- just 10 days after His ascension on the Mount of Olives that we talked about last week

            -- but here’s what I want you to understand -- the disciples did not know that this would be the day that the promised Holy Spirit would come -- Jesus didn’t tell them when the gift would come -- He only told them to go to Jerusalem and wait -- and that’s what we find them doing in this passage

            -- for them, it was just another day -- yes, it was the day of Pentecost, and as good Jews, I am sure they were celebrating this day just like all the other Jews in Jerusalem -- but it was just another day -- just another Pentecost -- nothing really special about it -- nothing that made it different from any of the other Pentecosts these men and women had celebrated in their lives -- they had no idea that this would be the day that the Holy Spirit would come

            -- the lesson there for us is that God’s promises and His presence come about in His timing -- we are told to expect them -- to wait for them -- to be faithful in our belief -- but we need to realize that He may come at any moment -- that the second coming of Christ or His hand in our lives or His miracle that we have been praying for may happen today or tomorrow or any other day -- we don’t know

            -- Jesus said He would come like a thief in the night -- at a time we didn’t expect -- that’s why we have to be faithful and wait in expectation for the presence of God to come at any time, just like the disciples who were gathered on the day of Pentecost -- they did not know that Jesus was going to pour out the Holy Spirit on that day -- but, in faith, they gathered and they prayed and they looked for God’s mighty move in their lives, trusting and believing it would come as Jesus had promised

            -- we need to do the same -- we need to keep the faith -- even when we get weary -- even when it seems like we’ve been in the storm for a long time -- even when we look up and see no light shining in the darkness -- even when we have started to lose hope -- especially, when we have started to lose hope

            -- we need to do what these disciples were doing that day of Pentecost -- trusting -- believing -- looking for Jesus to come -- just as He said He would

II.  The Meaning of Pentecost for the Church

            -- that’s where we find them as this Day of Pentecost dawns -- Luke tells us they were all together in one place -- the implication there is they were together in mind and heart and spirit -- they were together in the Lord -- they were together as God’s people, worshiping Him and waiting for His return

            -- when -- without warning -- they heard a sound like the blowing of a violent wind that filled the whole house where they were sitting -- they saw what looked like tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them -- and, at that moment, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

            -- this marks a new chapter in the relationship of people to God -- keep in mind that Pentecost is not the sending of the Holy Spirit for the first time -- the Holy Spirit has always been present on earth -- He is God and He was there from the beginning -- in fact, in Genesis 1:2, we read that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters of the new-formed earth

            -- the Holy Spirit was here and active throughout the days of the Old Testament -- He came upon the rulers and the priests and the prophets and empowered them to do God’s will -- He called out to men and women to come to God through His prevenient grace -- the Holy Spirit has always been here -- it’s just that now He is here in a different way

            -- before, the Holy Spirit would just come upon a person for a season or for a time to accomplish a given purpose -- but the Holy Spirit could remove Himself from that person -- that’s why David cries out in Psalm 51:11, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me” -- God had done that with King Saul, David’s predecessor -- God had removed the anointing of the Holy Spirit from him and given it to David

            -- but here in the Book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit being given to believers in a new way -- He has come to live with us permanently -- to indwell us with His presence on a continuing basis -- to seal us and mark us as God’s own people -- as Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:14, the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a deposit to guarantee our redemption -- 1 John 3:23-24 says that we have assurance of our faith because of the presence of the Holy Spirit He gave us

            -- where before there was a separation between God and men that required an intermediary -- such as Moses or the High Priest -- to go into the presence of God on our behalf, this separation has been removed by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus

            -- you can think of it like this -- the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple -- the veil that kept us from just walking into the presence of God -- has been torn and no longer exists -- because of Jesus, we now have access to the presence of God continually through His Holy Spirit

            -- so, what we see on Pentecost is the result of the tearing of the veil -- the giving of the Holy Spirit as a permanent, indwelling presence within -- God with us always and at all times

            -- quoting from the Book of Joel, Peter proclaims the fulfillment of prophecy to the people that have gathered to hear him -- in verses 17-21, Peter tells them that what they are witnessing is God pouring out His Spirit on all people -- men and women -- young and old -- and that from that moment on, everyone who turned to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins would now receive the Holy Spirit in their lives -- this gift of God was for everyone -- from the youngest Christian to the oldest saint -- all could receive and be filled with the presence of God in their lives

            -- and because of the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, the church would experience signs and wonders -- transformed lives and changed hearts -- because of the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live holy and obedient lives, following Christ's commands and walking in His paths and not the paths of the world

            -- so, as the day of Pentecost for the Jew marks the giving of the Law to the people of Israel, the day of Pentecost for us marks the giving of the Spirit to the people of Christ -- the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus realized through His death, resurrection, and ascension -- that’s why we celebrate Pentecost today

            -- before we end, I want to make one more point about the giving of the Holy Spirit to believers -- Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like a mighty rushing wind and in tongues of fire that rested on them

            -- this is not the normal way the Spirit comes upon us now -- we don't see the Spirit coming upon anyone else in the Bible in this way -- when’s the last time you say tongues of fire come down and rest on someone during a baptism or when they went to the altar to pray? -- that doesn’t mean these people haven’t received the Holy Spirit -- it just means the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples came in a special way because this was what the disciples needed at that moment

            -- think about what was going on with them -- put yourself in their place for a moment -- Jesus had ascended to heaven 10 days earlier -- and, for the first time, the disciples were truly physically alone -- Jesus had made it pretty clear on the Mount of Olives that when He ascended, He was not going to return in a bodily form again until the second coming -- they would not have Him with them physically as they had during the past three years

            -- they had come to depend on His physical presence with them -- even after the resurrection, Jesus walked with them and taught them and was there with them -- but now He’s gone, so they needed reassurance that it was going to be okay

            -- they needed to hear God's presence -- they needed to see God's presence -- they needed to know that He was with them in a real and tangible way -- remember that the disciples had already received the Spirit from Jesus -- in John 20:22, when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, it says, “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” -- they had the Spirit within them, but they didn’t know what that meant -- they didn’t know how to live with the Spirit -- they didn’t understand the very presence of God they carried with them

            -- so, at Pentecost, the disciples did not receive the Holy Spirit for the first time, but we read that they were filled with the Holy Spirit -- they experienced His presence as a mighty rushing wind and as tongues of fire -- filling them and baptizing them with His power and presence, leading the to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them -- this visible manifestation of the Spirit through wind and fire happened so that the early church would know that God was with them

            -- His presence with them became the one defining characteristic of the early church

 -- everything that the Apostles and the early church accomplished -- everything we see recorded for us in the rest of the Book of Acts -- the miracles -- the rapid growth of the church -- the ability of the new believers to love their enemies and face trials and persecutions that we can only imagine -- all of it was only possible through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives

III.  CLOSING

            -- on this day of Pentecost, we need to recognize and realize who the Holy Spirit is and what He does for us -- what the pouring out and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit means to us

            -- the Holy Spirit gives us His power, that we might have the ability to walk with Jesus and obey Him in all things

            -- He gives us His counsel, so that we might be wise and discerning and know what direction we should go

            -- He gives us assurance of faith and reminds our hearts that we are saved by grace when we sometimes doubt

            -- He gives us the words to speak to others and helps us to witness for Christ with our lives

            -- and He intercedes on our behalf -- praying for us to the Father and advocating for us even when we don't know what to pray

            -- when I think of the Holy Spirit and what He does for the church, I like to say that what the Holy Spirit has done for us is to open our eyes to a new life and a new reality

            -- J. B. Phillips wrote in, "Plain Christianity," "Every time we say, "I believe in the Holy Spirit," we mean that we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it"

            -- the reason God gave us the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was to change us -- to make us alive -- to make us like Christ -- to lead us into the full and abundant life that Jesus said He had come to give us -- and to make us better able to serve those around us

            -- as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become more aware of God's presence in our lives -- more aware of those around us who need His touch and who need to hear the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ

            -- and we become empowered to be His witnesses and to be Christ's hands and feet in this world -- changing it and changing those around us as we seek to follow Christ in all our ways

            -- it is the Holy Spirit working in the life of the believer who energizes and changes the church -- and it is the Holy Spirit working through the church who changes and transforms the world

            -- every revival that has ever been seen -- every outpouring of the presence of God leading to repentance and salvation and life-transforming power has been through the direct work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God's people

            -- if you want to be truly alive -- if you want to experience revival in your life and in the life of this church -- then you must be filled with God's Holy Spirit -- this is what the Day of Pentecost is all about

            -- as we close, let me encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His presence -- to empower you to do more than you could do alone -- to be who He has called you to be -- and go forth in His power to change the world for Jesus

            -- let us pray