The Truth About Life: The Spirit Goes to Church (Pneumatology) Chris Altrock June 15, 2014

When I was in elementary school, my parents would take my brother and me to the New Mexico State Fair. It was hosted every year in Albuquerque, NM. As a small-town boy, this trip to the largest city in the state was a highlight of every year. It was something I looked forward to for months.
I drooled at the thought of eating the Indian fry bread which was cooked fresh by local Indians at the Indian Village near the back of the fairgrounds. I shook with excitement at the thought of watching the rodeo late into the evenings. But most of all, I was kept awake at night thinking about the midway. The State Fair midway had the best rides anywhere—at least, that’s what I believed. We were not a family who spent much time at theme parks like Six Flags or Disney World. The annual State Fair midway was my one shot to experience the thrill of rides. From the small roller coasters to the twirling bobsleds to the cheesy haunted houses—I loved them all.
And each year, it seemed, the fair would introduce a new carnival ride. Higher than those that came before it. Faster than its predecessors. More dangerous. More daring. And when I saw each year’s new attraction, I wanted nothing like I wanted to ride that ride.
But at least for a time, that midway brought massive disappointment. Because at the entrance to the best rides, standing like a sentinel, was this sign: You must be this TALL to RIDE THIS RIDE. I can still remember backing up against that sign, trying to force my spine to grow, attempting to stand on my tip toes while keeping my shoes flat on the ground, just so my head would clear that mark on the sign. And I can still recall the grief of being turned away by the gatekeeper: “Sorry boy, you’re too short. You can’t ride this ride.”
These rides had a restriction. They had a height restriction. And until you met that height qualification you were restricted from enjoying that ride.
What I couldn’t have known at that time was this: the world is filled with restrictions. You don’t find those signs only at theme parks and state fairs. You find them everywhere. Almost everywhere you turn in life, there is some restriction. Some qualification.
Just this week a Highland member was sharing with me how she had applied for a job and she overheard some employees at that workplace saying, “We don’t want her. She’s too old.” There was an age restriction.
It seems like everywhere we turn, there’s a sign saying, “You must be _____ to _____.
You can probably think of some examples. I’ll use my own life to point to a few of these.
Here’s one from my elementary school years: The world is filled with income restrictions. I used to ride a school bus for an hour to get from my isolated home in the Sacramento Mountains to the nearest school. Most of the kids who rode the bus got on with me at the start of the bus route. But the bus would also stop along the way to pick up a few other passengers. For example, there was a beautiful girl with long brown hair who lived on a ranch about thirty minutes into our hour-long bus ride. I can’t remember her name, but I do remember that every one of us wanted her to sit with us. When the door opened and she stepped on the bus like the beauty-queen she was, all of us began shouting, “Sit with me! Sit with me!” She was a couple of years older than me, so she usually chose to sit with one of the older kids. But one time, she graced me with her presence. In utter shock I watched as she sat on my seat next to me. I was speechless. And then I was embarrassed. Who was I to be with such a stunning beauty? As the bus took off down the road, I climbed over the seat in front of me. I was unworthy to be with a girl like her.
About fifteen minutes later, we came to another stop. And this stop was just the opposite. An ugly boy was picked up. His family lived in a tiny trailer. And his poverty clung to him. His clothes were dirty. His hair was oily. His body stunk. And when that door opened and he stepped on, it was utter silence on the bus. No one wanted him sitting in their seat.
While we never articulated this, we believed this—in life there is an income restriction. And unless you meet the income qualification you are restricted from fitting in, from belonging. We were essentially holding up signs that said, “You must be MIDDLE CLASS to FIT IN.”
This world is also filled with ethnicity restrictions. Later in life, as a young teenager, I travelled for the first time to the home of my step-grandfather Bill Kosky. Bill lived in State College, PA. His parents emigrated from Poland when they were teenagers. In 1939, at the age of 21, Bill enlisted in the Army. He fought in World War 2 and was discharged in 1945. Bill was proud of his service in the military. He told stories about World War 2 and even showed some of the army gear he had worn.
I was reminded of Bill at the recent 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the north coast of France. 9,000 Allied Troops died in the invasion.
And what was at the root of World War 2? The causes were complex. But part of the mixture was a man and a movement who adhered to a very strict restriction. It was an ethnicity restriction. And if you didn’t meet the ethnicity qualification you were restricted from being a valued member of society. Hitler and others held up a sign which said, “You must be THE RIGHT ETHNICITY to BE VALUED.” And because they did not measure up, about 11 million Jews and others died in the Holocaust. My step-grandfather and others risked their lives to fight this restriction.
All this talk of restrictions brings us to the study of the Holy Spirit. The study of the Spirit is called Pneumatology, after the Greek word “pneuma,” which means “Spirit.” Pneumatology is one of the six areas in our current series. These are six areas in which what we believe matters the most.
We are looking at just one truth in each of these six areas. We’ll return next year to this series and cover additional truths in each area. So far we’ve explored these truths: 1) God is a party and you are invited–God is Trinity; 2) We are royal creations with a royal vocation; and 3) Jesus is King. This morning we take up Pneumatology. We will look at one truth about the Holy Spirit.
And here is that truth: The Holy Spirit is a gift given without restrictions. We live in a world filled with restrictions. Filled with signs that say “You must be ____ to _____.” You must be YOUNG to WORK HERE. You must be MIDDLE CLASS to FIT IN. You must be OUR ETHNICITY to BE VALUED. But when it came to the Spirit, God said to the world: “No more. This gift of gifts, my Spirit, will be given without restrictions.”
Luke provides the report. It’s a long text. But it’s worth reading:
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:1-21 ESV)
We are told what the Spirit sounded like: “a sound like a mighty rushing wind.” We are told what the Spirit looked like: “And divided tongues as of fire appeared.” The Spirit sounded like wind and looked like fire. Wind. Fire. This is the language used in the Old Testament of something called a “theophany.” A “theophany” is when God shows up. Like on Mount Sinai to give Moses the Ten Commandments. There’s lightning and thunder and wind and fire (Ex. 19). This is language of the unmistakable presence of God. But in this case, we are told that it is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the presence of God.
We are also told where this Spirit comes from:
“32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:32-33 ESV).
As we heard last Sunday, Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand. And now Jesus is pouring out the Holy Spirit like a deluge of water.
But, as those present at Pentecost asked, “What does this mean?” What are we to make of this gift of the Spirit? Luke tells us at the beginning of Acts that Acts is a continuation of the story of Jesus:
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1 ESV).
The Gospel of Luke—the first book—is what Jesus “began to do and teach.” Acts—the second book—is what Jesus continued to do and teach. But now, instead of Jesus being incarnated in his fleshly body, he is incarnated in his followers through the Spirit. The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you. The Spirit is Jesus making himself at home in you so he may continue to do and teach what he began to do and teach.
Philip Yancey puts it this way:
“Would it be too much to say that, ever since the Ascension, Jesus has sought other bodies in which to begin again the life he lived on earth? The church serves as an extension of the Incarnation, God’s primary way of establishing presence in the world… What Jesus brought to a few–healing, grace, the good-news message of God’s love–the church can now bring to all.”
The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you.
Book One—the Gospel of Luke—begins with the birth of Jesus (and, if you’ll look closely at that account, you’ll find that the Spirit plays a prominent role at that birth). Book Two—Acts—also begins with a birth story. Only this time Jesus is born in you. By his Spirit, Jesus incarnates himself in you so that he can continue to do through you what he started doing in the Gospel of Luke.
Scholar J. I. Packer writes that there are numerous ways that Christians have described the role of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is a source of power. The Spirit purifies us. The Spirit guides us. But Packer argues that the most important truth about the Spirit has to do with the Spirit’s connection to Jesus. That’s what Luke points to here. The pouring out of the Spirit is the second birth of Jesus. Jesus is being reborn within us.
In a classic work on the Holy Spirit, R. A. Torrey writes there are at least twenty-five names given to the Spirit in Scripture. But perhaps the most important name given to the Spirit is this: “The Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9). The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you.
Poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins writes it this way: “…for Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in eyes, and lovely in limbs not his…” Now, using our eyes and our limbs, Christ plays in ten thousand places. The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you.
Calvin and Hobbes is a comic featuring a boy named Calvin and his stuffed Tiger Hobbes. In one series, Calvin decides he wants to duplicate himself so that he can get more done. He wants to go play with Hobbes while his clones do homework and clean dishes. Using a cardboard box, Calvin creates what a “Duplicator” and starts cranking out the clones. Of course, the good idea goes bad because the duplicates end up not only sharing Calvin’s body, but his his selfish attitude. They all want to go have fun while leaving the original Calvin to do all the homework and dishes.
By pouring out the Spirit upon us, Jesus duplicates himself. It is the most mystical and mysterious part of the Christian faith–the belief that the Spirit of God and Jesus dwells within us and manifests through us the life and love of Jesus to others. But, in duplicating himself in us, Jesus is not passing along any type of selfishness. He’s infusing us with the best possible character—his own. Service. Selflessness. And through each of us, he gets a lot more done.
But finally, notice who receives the gift of the Spirit. Again and again, Luke shows how the Spirit is a gift given without restrictions. Luke mentions at least three restrictions operative in the world which play no part in the reception of the Spirit.
1. First, the Spirit is a gift given without racial/national restrictions. We are told that people “from every nation under heaven” are in Jerusalem (v. 5). Peter quotes an Old Testament prophet–Joel–who spoke of God pouring out his “Spirit on all flesh” and who said that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (vv. 17, 21). The gift of the Spirit is given without racial/national restrictions.
2. Second, the Spirit is a gift given without age restrictions. Joel’s prophecy states that “your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.” (v. 17) Young and old. It doesn’t matter if you are 25 or 95, if you call on the name of the Lord, you are infused with the Spirit of Christ.
3. Third, the Spirit is a gift given without gender restrictions. Joel states “your sons and your daughters shall prophecy” (v. 17) and “even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophecy” (v. 18). It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. Call on God’s name and you are filled with Jesus’ Spirit.
In a world filled with signs that say “You must be ____ to _____” God holds up a new sign that says “You don’t have to be _____ to receive my Spirit.”
That’s why this language of “pouring out” is used. The Spirit is not delivered by courier to only a handful of select addresses. The Spirit is poured out. Abundantly. To all who call on the name of the Lord.
Your race doesn’t matter. You nationality doesn’t matter. You age doesn’t matter. Your gender doesn’t matter. The Spirit is a gift given without restrictions. Regardless of who you are, if you call on the name of the Lord, Jesus fills you with his Spirit. He incarnates himself in you. And through you he desires to forth and serve in our day just as he did in his day.
So what? What’s the significance of this? First, it challenges us to be a church where not only all may be saved but all may serve. Churches often wrongly raise restrictions in two areas. First, they restrict who may be saved. If you’ve got a respectable sin, you’re OK. Come on in. Get baptized. Worship with us. But if you’ve got an unrespectable sin, you’re not OK. Stay away. We want nothing to do with you. But even when churches manage to lift the restriction on who may be saved, they sometimes leave in place another restriction. They restrict who may serve. Sure, we’ll baptize you. Sure you can worship with us. But serve today among us as Jesus served in his day? No way.
• Some churches place enormous restrictions on women. In some churches women are treated as second-class members. They are relegated to domestic roles only like cooking food for fellowships. They are kept from active participation in other ministries. That’s why I’m so thankful that God has made Highland a church where we have women ministers, women leading ministries, and women participating in a wide-range of roles.
• Some churches place large restrictions on people of color. Decades ago a young black man was prevented from speaking from the stage at this church. It was considered inappropriate. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. It’s not unusual to see people of all colors on the stage and in the classrooms of this church, filled with the Spirit of Christ, serving in the manner of Christ.
Pentecost challenges us to continue to work to be a church where not only all may be saved but all may serve. Regardless of race. Regardless of gender. Regardless of age. Regardless of past. If you’ve called on the name of the Lord, Jesus has filled you with the gift of his Spirit. He’s made you a little Christ. And he’s called on you to carry on his work. And we want to be a community where that can happen.
But second, Pentecost challenges us to be a church where not only all may serve but all do serve. According to the survey we took at the end of last year, 40% of you serve at least an hour/week in a ministry at Highland and nearly 70% of you serve at least an hour/week out in the community. Regardless of your age, gender, race, income or any other quality, you’ve accepted that Jesus has incarnated himself in you by his Spirit and has called you to carry on his work.
But now it’s time to challenge the rest of you. Jesus has filled you with his Spirit. He’s incarnated himself within you. He’s called you to carry on his work today just as he did in his day. It’s time to no longer just be a fan in the stands, but a player on the field. It’s time for you to realize that all those signs help up out there in the world are not held up by God. Though you may be restricted in many ways out there you aren’t in here.
In 2009 The Wall Street Journal carried an article about the Iron Curtain. For years the Iron Curtain separated not only people, but two populations of deer living in the forests between Germany and what is now the Czech Republic. When the Iron Curtain was demolished, they expected the deer from Germany to eventually make their way to the Czech Republic. And they expected the deer in the Czech Republic to make their way to Germany. After all, there was no longer a wall keeping them from moving. But they discovered that the deer wouldn’t move. They acted as if that Iron Curtain was still in place. They acted as if they were still restricted from moving. And a filmmaker who documented this gave an explanation: “The wall in the head is still there.” The wall in the woods had been removed. But the wall in their heads was still standing.
This may be true for some of us. We’ve lived in a world filled with walls. A world filled with restrictions. And even when we come into the church and we hear about this God who gives his Spirit without restriction we may still have that wall in our head. And what Luke wants you to know is that the wall is gone. The boundary has been lifted. If you’ve called on the name of the Lord, he’s already granted you the gift of his Spirit. He’s incarnated himself in you. And it’s time now to accept his invitation to carry on his work through your life.
Christ plays in ten thousand places. Make sure this week that one of those places is in you.

When I was in elementary school, my parents would take my brother and me to the New Mexico State Fair. It was hosted every year in Albuquerque, NM. As a small-town boy, this trip to the largest city in the state was a highlight of every year. It was something I looked forward to for months.
I drooled at the thought of eating the Indian fry bread which was cooked fresh by local Indians at the Indian Village near the back of the fairgrounds. I shook with excitement at the thought of watching the rodeo late into the evenings. But most of all, I was kept awake at night thinking about the midway. The State Fair midway had the best rides anywhere—at least, that’s what I believed. We were not a family who spent much time at theme parks like Six Flags or Disney World. The annual State Fair midway was my one shot to experience the thrill of rides. From the small roller coasters to the twirling bobsleds to the cheesy haunted houses—I loved them all.
And each year, it seemed, the fair would introduce a new carnival ride. Higher than those that came before it. Faster than its predecessors. More dangerous. More daring. And when I saw each year’s new attraction, I wanted nothing like I wanted to ride that ride.
But at least for a time, that midway brought massive disappointment. Because at the entrance to the best rides, standing like a sentinel, was this sign: You must be this TALL to RIDE THIS RIDE. I can still remember backing up against that sign, trying to force my spine to grow, attempting to stand on my tip toes while keeping my shoes flat on the ground, just so my head would clear that mark on the sign. And I can still recall the grief of being turned away by the gatekeeper: “Sorry boy, you’re too short. You can’t ride this ride.”
These rides had a restriction. They had a height restriction. And until you met that height qualification you were restricted from enjoying that ride.
What I couldn’t have known at that time was this: the world is filled with restrictions. You don’t find those signs only at theme parks and state fairs. You find them everywhere. Almost everywhere you turn in life, there is some restriction. Some qualification.
Just this week a Highland member was sharing with me how she had applied for a job and she overheard some employees at that workplace saying, “We don’t want her. She’s too old.” There was an age restriction.
It seems like everywhere we turn, there’s a sign saying, “You must be _____ to _____.
You can probably think of some examples. I’ll use my own life to point to a few of these.
Here’s one from my elementary school years: The world is filled with income restrictions. I used to ride a school bus for an hour to get from my isolated home in the Sacramento Mountains to the nearest school. Most of the kids who rode the bus got on with me at the start of the bus route. But the bus would also stop along the way to pick up a few other passengers. For example, there was a beautiful girl with long brown hair who lived on a ranch about thirty minutes into our hour-long bus ride. I can’t remember her name, but I do remember that every one of us wanted her to sit with us. When the door opened and she stepped on the bus like the beauty-queen she was, all of us began shouting, “Sit with me! Sit with me!” She was a couple of years older than me, so she usually chose to sit with one of the older kids. But one time, she graced me with her presence. In utter shock I watched as she sat on my seat next to me. I was speechless. And then I was embarrassed. Who was I to be with such a stunning beauty? As the bus took off down the road, I climbed over the seat in front of me. I was unworthy to be with a girl like her.
About fifteen minutes later, we came to another stop. And this stop was just the opposite. An ugly boy was picked up. His family lived in a tiny trailer. And his poverty clung to him. His clothes were dirty. His hair was oily. His body stunk. And when that door opened and he stepped on, it was utter silence on the bus. No one wanted him sitting in their seat.
While we never articulated this, we believed this—in life there is an income restriction. And unless you meet the income qualification you are restricted from fitting in, from belonging. We were essentially holding up signs that said, “You must be MIDDLE CLASS to FIT IN.”
This world is also filled with ethnicity restrictions. Later in life, as a young teenager, I travelled for the first time to the home of my step-grandfather Bill Kosky. Bill lived in State College, PA. His parents emigrated from Poland when they were teenagers. In 1939, at the age of 21, Bill enlisted in the Army. He fought in World War 2 and was discharged in 1945. Bill was proud of his service in the military. He told stories about World War 2 and even showed some of the army gear he had worn.
I was reminded of Bill at the recent 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the north coast of France. 9,000 Allied Troops died in the invasion.
And what was at the root of World War 2? The causes were complex. But part of the mixture was a man and a movement who adhered to a very strict restriction. It was an ethnicity restriction. And if you didn’t meet the ethnicity qualification you were restricted from being a valued member of society. Hitler and others held up a sign which said, “You must be THE RIGHT ETHNICITY to BE VALUED.” And because they did not measure up, about 11 million Jews and others died in the Holocaust. My step-grandfather and others risked their lives to fight this restriction.
All this talk of restrictions brings us to the study of the Holy Spirit. The study of the Spirit is called Pneumatology, after the Greek word “pneuma,” which means “Spirit.” Pneumatology is one of the six areas in our current series. These are six areas in which what we believe matters the most.
We are looking at just one truth in each of these six areas. We’ll return next year to this series and cover additional truths in each area. So far we’ve explored these truths: 1) God is a party and you are invited–God is Trinity; 2) We are royal creations with a royal vocation; and 3) Jesus is King. This morning we take up Pneumatology. We will look at one truth about the Holy Spirit.
And here is that truth: The Holy Spirit is a gift given without restrictions. We live in a world filled with restrictions. Filled with signs that say “You must be ____ to _____.” You must be YOUNG to WORK HERE. You must be MIDDLE CLASS to FIT IN. You must be OUR ETHNICITY to BE VALUED. But when it came to the Spirit, God said to the world: “No more. This gift of gifts, my Spirit, will be given without restrictions.”
Luke provides the report. It’s a long text. But it’s worth reading:
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:1-21 ESV)
We are told what the Spirit sounded like: “a sound like a mighty rushing wind.” We are told what the Spirit looked like: “And divided tongues as of fire appeared.” The Spirit sounded like wind and looked like fire. Wind. Fire. This is the language used in the Old Testament of something called a “theophany.” A “theophany” is when God shows up. Like on Mount Sinai to give Moses the Ten Commandments. There’s lightning and thunder and wind and fire (Ex. 19). This is language of the unmistakable presence of God. But in this case, we are told that it is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the presence of God.
We are also told where this Spirit comes from:
“32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:32-33 ESV).
As we heard last Sunday, Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand. And now Jesus is pouring out the Holy Spirit like a deluge of water.
But, as those present at Pentecost asked, “What does this mean?” What are we to make of this gift of the Spirit? Luke tells us at the beginning of Acts that Acts is a continuation of the story of Jesus:
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1 ESV).
The Gospel of Luke—the first book—is what Jesus “began to do and teach.” Acts—the second book—is what Jesus continued to do and teach. But now, instead of Jesus being incarnated in his fleshly body, he is incarnated in his followers through the Spirit. The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you. The Spirit is Jesus making himself at home in you so he may continue to do and teach what he began to do and teach.
Philip Yancey puts it this way:
“Would it be too much to say that, ever since the Ascension, Jesus has sought other bodies in which to begin again the life he lived on earth? The church serves as an extension of the Incarnation, God’s primary way of establishing presence in the world… What Jesus brought to a few–healing, grace, the good-news message of God’s love–the church can now bring to all.”
The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you.
Book One—the Gospel of Luke—begins with the birth of Jesus (and, if you’ll look closely at that account, you’ll find that the Spirit plays a prominent role at that birth). Book Two—Acts—also begins with a birth story. Only this time Jesus is born in you. By his Spirit, Jesus incarnates himself in you so that he can continue to do through you what he started doing in the Gospel of Luke.
Scholar J. I. Packer writes that there are numerous ways that Christians have described the role of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is a source of power. The Spirit purifies us. The Spirit guides us. But Packer argues that the most important truth about the Spirit has to do with the Spirit’s connection to Jesus. That’s what Luke points to here. The pouring out of the Spirit is the second birth of Jesus. Jesus is being reborn within us.
In a classic work on the Holy Spirit, R. A. Torrey writes there are at least twenty-five names given to the Spirit in Scripture. But perhaps the most important name given to the Spirit is this: “The Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9). The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you.
Poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins writes it this way: “…for Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in eyes, and lovely in limbs not his…” Now, using our eyes and our limbs, Christ plays in ten thousand places. The Spirit is the incarnation of Jesus within you.
Calvin and Hobbes is a comic featuring a boy named Calvin and his stuffed Tiger Hobbes. In one series, Calvin decides he wants to duplicate himself so that he can get more done. He wants to go play with Hobbes while his clones do homework and clean dishes. Using a cardboard box, Calvin creates what a “Duplicator” and starts cranking out the clones. Of course, the good idea goes bad because the duplicates end up not only sharing Calvin’s body, but his his selfish attitude. They all want to go have fun while leaving the original Calvin to do all the homework and dishes.
By pouring out the Spirit upon us, Jesus duplicates himself. It is the most mystical and mysterious part of the Christian faith–the belief that the Spirit of God and Jesus dwells within us and manifests through us the life and love of Jesus to others. But, in duplicating himself in us, Jesus is not passing along any type of selfishness. He’s infusing us with the best possible character—his own. Service. Selflessness. And through each of us, he gets a lot more done.
But finally, notice who receives the gift of the Spirit. Again and again, Luke shows how the Spirit is a gift given without restrictions. Luke mentions at least three restrictions operative in the world which play no part in the reception of the Spirit.
1. First, the Spirit is a gift given without racial/national restrictions. We are told that people “from every nation under heaven” are in Jerusalem (v. 5). Peter quotes an Old Testament prophet–Joel–who spoke of God pouring out his “Spirit on all flesh” and who said that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (vv. 17, 21). The gift of the Spirit is given without racial/national restrictions.
2. Second, the Spirit is a gift given without age restrictions. Joel’s prophecy states that “your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.” (v. 17) Young and old. It doesn’t matter if you are 25 or 95, if you call on the name of the Lord, you are infused with the Spirit of Christ.
3. Third, the Spirit is a gift given without gender restrictions. Joel states “your sons and your daughters shall prophecy” (v. 17) and “even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophecy” (v. 18). It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. Call on God’s name and you are filled with Jesus’ Spirit.
In a world filled with signs that say “You must be ____ to _____” God holds up a new sign that says “You don’t have to be _____ to receive my Spirit.”
That’s why this language of “pouring out” is used. The Spirit is not delivered by courier to only a handful of select addresses. The Spirit is poured out. Abundantly. To all who call on the name of the Lord.
Your race doesn’t matter. You nationality doesn’t matter. You age doesn’t matter. Your gender doesn’t matter. The Spirit is a gift given without restrictions. Regardless of who you are, if you call on the name of the Lord, Jesus fills you with his Spirit. He incarnates himself in you. And through you he desires to forth and serve in our day just as he did in his day.
So what? What’s the significance of this? First, it challenges us to be a church where not only all may be saved but all may serve. Churches often wrongly raise restrictions in two areas. First, they restrict who may be saved. If you’ve got a respectable sin, you’re OK. Come on in. Get baptized. Worship with us. But if you’ve got an unrespectable sin, you’re not OK. Stay away. We want nothing to do with you. But even when churches manage to lift the restriction on who may be saved, they sometimes leave in place another restriction. They restrict who may serve. Sure, we’ll baptize you. Sure you can worship with us. But serve today among us as Jesus served in his day? No way.
• Some churches place enormous restrictions on women. In some churches women are treated as second-class members. They are relegated to domestic roles only like cooking food for fellowships. They are kept from active participation in other ministries. That’s why I’m so thankful that God has made Highland a church where we have women ministers, women leading ministries, and women participating in a wide-range of roles.
• Some churches place large restrictions on people of color. Decades ago a young black man was prevented from speaking from the stage at this church. It was considered inappropriate. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. It’s not unusual to see people of all colors on the stage and in the classrooms of this church, filled with the Spirit of Christ, serving in the manner of Christ.
Pentecost challenges us to continue to work to be a church where not only all may be saved but all may serve. Regardless of race. Regardless of gender. Regardless of age. Regardless of past. If you’ve called on the name of the Lord, Jesus has filled you with the gift of his Spirit. He’s made you a little Christ. And he’s called on you to carry on his work. And we want to be a community where that can happen.
But second, Pentecost challenges us to be a church where not only all may serve but all do serve. According to the survey we took at the end of last year, 40% of you serve at least an hour/week in a ministry at Highland and nearly 70% of you serve at least an hour/week out in the community. Regardless of your age, gender, race, income or any other quality, you’ve accepted that Jesus has incarnated himself in you by his Spirit and has called you to carry on his work.
But now it’s time to challenge the rest of you. Jesus has filled you with his Spirit. He’s incarnated himself within you. He’s called you to carry on his work today just as he did in his day. It’s time to no longer just be a fan in the stands, but a player on the field. It’s time for you to realize that all those signs help up out there in the world are not held up by God. Though you may be restricted in many ways out there you aren’t in here.
In 2009 The Wall Street Journal carried an article about the Iron Curtain. For years the Iron Curtain separated not only people, but two populations of deer living in the forests between Germany and what is now the Czech Republic. When the Iron Curtain was demolished, they expected the deer from Germany to eventually make their way to the Czech Republic. And they expected the deer in the Czech Republic to make their way to Germany. After all, there was no longer a wall keeping them from moving. But they discovered that the deer wouldn’t move. They acted as if that Iron Curtain was still in place. They acted as if they were still restricted from moving. And a filmmaker who documented this gave an explanation: “The wall in the head is still there.” The wall in the woods had been removed. But the wall in their heads was still standing.
This may be true for some of us. We’ve lived in a world filled with walls. A world filled with restrictions. And even when we come into the church and we hear about this God who gives his Spirit without restriction we may still have that wall in our head. And what Luke wants you to know is that the wall is gone. The boundary has been lifted. If you’ve called on the name of the Lord, he’s already granted you the gift of his Spirit. He’s incarnated himself in you. And it’s time now to accept his invitation to carry on his work through your life.
Christ plays in ten thousand places. Make sure this week that one of those places is in you.