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“God’s
Deeds of Power”
a sermon by
Thomas L. Jenkins
Text: Acts 2:1-21
“…in our own languages we hear
them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”
DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS as we mentioned last Sunday, in the church,
today is the Day of Pentecost. In
the country, today is Mother’s day.
Happy Mother’s Day to you ladies who are mothers; and Happy
Mother’s day to all our mothers. Is that from the Holy Spirit?
I believe it is.
The Day of Pentecost refers to the day we read about, where from heaven
came the sound of strong violent wends into the room where all
Christ’s disciples were. But
the whole point is that it wasn’t wind; it was the Holy Spirit.
And by the early morning, these disciples were speaking in about 15
different languages, to people who had come to Jerusalem from all about
the surrounding world. Also,
the most important aspect of the power of the Holy Spirit, to me is,
they were speaking about God’s deeds of power.
There is a great deal taught about the Holy Spirit in the Bible; and
it all has truth about it. In
the passage we read from Corinthians, written by St. Paul, he mentioned
a number of gifts from the Holy Spirit to individuals: wisdom,
knowledge, faith, healing, tongues, and prophesy. His whole point was
that the Spirit filled believers in Christ all over the world making one
body in Christ, and the body has many parts.
Your right foot is much different than your left shoulder, but
they are both members of your body.
There are congregations, churches, and Christian denominations all over
the world. Certainly, there
are individuals gifted, and there are congregations blessed with certain
gifts from the Holy Spirit. And that does not make one congregation
better than another.
What I want to speak about for a few minutes is one of the big gifts we
have from God. Now you are
so loving and caring for me and Caroline, in what we are going through. And we love you as the most beautiful congregation.
Yes, this is a grand gift from God.
I am very thankful.
However, since I am a Minister of the Word and Sacrament, I believe God
called me to witness to the gift of the Holy Spirit to us, speaking about God’s deeds of power.
I am going to begin by comparing us with some other congregational
styles. And this is not
meant to be critical; they are going through what they must need.
It is simply that a comparison will help us see ourselves and
God’s gift to us.
Many pastors are charismatically emotional.
And this is very attractive to their parishioners. Other
preachers are very psychological; using Christianity to be a Dr. Phil to
their people. This may very
well be helpful. Additionally,
there are ministers who focus much of their teaching about how to make
ourselves right with God.
After having said this, what I want to show us, and focus on, is that an
awesome gift we have received from the Holy Spirit is a constant and
continual witness to the powerful deeds God has already accomplished for
us in Jesus Christ.
If I were to sit here and share with you my Christian testimony, it
would take more than an hour. And
what is miraculously amazing about it is that I did not do anything
religiously self righteous that earned my way into a Presbyterian
college, two Presbyterian seminaries, a theological doctors degree, and
19 years of ministry.
If you were to run into one of my high school friends who knew nothing
of this, he would shake his head, and say, “There is no way Tom could
have done this.”
Dear sisters and brothers, seriously, I am not at all bragging about
myself. I am trying to show
you that all of my truly Christian experiences were nothing I earned
religiously, and the education that God has given me is the subject of
the powerful deeds God has already done to us and for us in Jesus
Christ.
Here is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is ours on every Sunday, our
day of Pentecost. Whatever
scripture I am teaching and preaching, I will show how that passage is
testifying to God’s powerful deeds that He has already accomplished
for you in Jesus Christ:
You have already been born from above.
God is closer to you than you are to yourself.
God the Father is your Father.
Your life is hidden with Christ in God.
You have already been blessed with all the treasures of heaven.
You are saved.
I will continuously preach to you God’s deeds of power because that is
where we are in this church. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit to us.
And God knowing that we will continuously hear this Word of His
deeds of power already accomplished, and grow faithfully in saying YES
to them, God may know that this will help us emotionally, it will help
us psychologically, and probably even free us from religion.
God is love. The greatest
deed which He has accomplished through His power is that He has given
His love to you. God is
love. You have God’s love.
Let us pray…
Amen.
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