Pentecost was celebrated with a lively service at St Swithun’s in Martyr Worthy on Sunday, when 45 or so people gathered for Valley Worship and the Ark.  The service was led by Nicky Barber, who had the privilege of reading the banns of marriage for three couples whose weddings are coming up – two of these couples were there to hear them read as well as Nicky’s prayers for their marriages.   John Barber spoke about the Holy Spirit and Tim Clapp, Sarah Noble and Kate Mezger all gave powerful testimonies of the impact of the Holy Spirit on their lives; Sarah and Tim (accompanied by Fraser Noble) also led the worship and Kate led the congregation in prayer.

Meanwhile a very well-attended session of the Ark was led by Verity Greig (with Willy Ann Henderson and James Greig in support), both in the Village Hall (where the focus was on how CS Lewis’ stories of Narnia point to the Holy Spirit in different ways) and outdoors (where games of French cricket, rounders and volleyball were enjoyed on a beautiful morning).

The reading (delivered by Tania Russell) was from Acts, Chapter 2, verses 1-4 and was as follows:

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.  

 The recording of John’s talk can be accessed via this link:

The text of John’s talk was as follows:

A few months ago, our son Harry recommended a podcast series called ‘Acquired,’ in which two young tech entrepreneurs recount the histories of well-known businesses.   We’re all flooded with content these days and initially I was hesitant to follow his recommendation.  This wasn’t because I didn’t respect Harry’s judgment, but simply because each podcast in the series runs for four hours or so.  I wasn’t convinced that whatever I gleaned from listening to one of the histories would be worth the commitment of so much time.

As it turns out, I’m now one of the biggest fans of this series.   The two narrators do a prodigious amount of research on each company, unearthing extraordinary details and great insights into what made them succeed.

There have been some particularly memorable episodes describing the relentless growth of now immense businesses from scratch – for example one on Nike.  It got off the ground 60 years ago when its founder Phil Knight started selling a few dozen pairs of his distinctively designed running shoes from the boot of his car at track meets; remarkably the company now has $50 billion in annual sales.

Yet however fascinating and impressive corporate histories like Nike’s are, there is one enterprise that has had a trajectory of growth like no other, over not just six decades but more than two millennia; one that has overcome lots of opposition and competition; and one that has had incalculable impact not just in its own spiritual ‘market,’ where it has radically changed countless lives, but also in art, architecture, ethics, the law, literature, music and politics, while also being a channel of blessing through vast numbers of hospitals and schools over the centuries.

This enterprise is of course the church, founded on this Pentecost day, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection.  Please don’t worry – I am not going to trace its history since then for the next four hours, but if our podcast commentators were to analyse this enterprise they would focus on the factors underpinning its growth and what made it so sustainable over the long-term.  In particular they would concentrate on the great abilities and assets of the founders.

But no, the rather ragtag band of disciples that founded this enterprise had limited or no formal education, were mostly fishermen and labourers and had next to no financial resources.   Yes, they had witnessed Jesus’ extraordinary life, death and resurrection from the dead, but then he had left them again.  They were on their own, no doubt anxious and uncertain about a future without Jesus’ leadership and protection.  Jesus had also set them a seemingly impossible task, as conveyed in Acts Chapter 1: ‘…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’

 So what explains the astonishing success of this enterprise over the last 2,000 years?

Very simply, the gift of the Holy Spirit – when this small group of believers was filled with the Holy Spirit something extraordinary happened.

Jesus had been unmistakably clear that this would be the key to their success.  Just before his ascension, 10 days before Pentecost, he instructed his disciples that they should wait for this gift as the catalyst before setting out on the mission he had given them.    As Acts Chapter 1 records, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

 It must have been a long 10 days of waiting for the disciples and they must have been both amazed and shocked when it became clear the wait was over.

Let’s try to imagine the scene.   Please think back to a time when you were exposed to a violent wind – maybe out on a walk, or at sea, or just looking out of the window from the safety of your house.    There was a really harsh, loud storm overnight here in January – we could hear the wind racing around outside our house and slamming against its walls.

What it would feel like if a violent wind like that actually came rushing indoors, just as it did on Pentecost?  How would we react to it?  Probably with fear as we buckled from its impact.

And then, to top it off, how would we react if we saw what looked like tongues of fire coming to rest on our companions’ heads?

It’s no wonder that this experience was memorable for this small group.   But how do we know it wasn’t a mass hallucination, maybe brought on by the intense emotional stress of the last 50 days, during which they had seen their leader crucified and then rise from the dead, only to depart again?

To answer that question, let’s look at what this experience led to:

• First, as verse 4 recounts, the disciples suddenly had the ability to communicate in languages they didn’t speak.  A little later in Chapter 2, we are told they could speak in the native languages of 15 nationalities of their fellow Jews gathered to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem.
• Second, their characters were utterly changed.  Taking Peter as an example, less than two months previously he had sought to save his own skin by vehemently denying any relationship with Jesus the night before his crucifixion.   Yet, after being filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Peter was transformed into the most high profile, fearless advocate for faith in Jesus, willing to boldly explain the meaning of his death and resurrection to even the most sceptical and suspicious of audiences.
• Third, their capabilities changed.  Again as subsequent chapters in Acts record, from then on the disciples were enabled to do extraordinary things, healing the sick, the lame and those tormented by evil spirits.
• Finally, the growth of the church exploded.  Before the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts Chapter 1 tells us that the believers in Jesus numbered ‘about a hundred and twenty.’  By the end of that Pentecost day, Acts Chapter 2 records that ‘about three thousand were added to their number,’ so a 25 fold increase – and today the number of people declaring faith in Jesus is estimated to be 2.7 billion.

All in all, the impact of that violent wind and tongues of fire was profound and lasting.

 Let’s pause for a moment to make sure we understand who this Holy Spirit is – how would you describe him?  What does the Bible tell us about him?

Critically, he is a person, one distinct from the Father and Son (or Jesus), but also entirely co-equal with them as part of who God is.    He makes God’s presence known in the world and helps, counsels and guides us in doing what God asks us to do.  Just like the wind, he cannot be seen but he certainly can be perceived and, again, just like the wind, he can come in great power but also gently and subtly.     He speaks to us, not often audibly, but nonetheless clearly in bringing thoughts to our minds, ones that can seem random or even to have come from nowhere.

I have the privilege of mentoring a number of younger men.  A few years ago, while I was preparing for a catch up with one of them and praying about what we should cover that day, a rather unusual word came to mind.   It had no link to any issues we’d discussed previously and had never come up in conversation before.   When I rather tentatively raised it with him, he responded with some shock, as it pointed to an issue – a deeply held negative belief about himself, one that actually had no basis in reality but that had burdened him for years – that he hadn’t raised with anyone before.   Wonderfully, with God’s help, we were able to deal with this false belief that day and he went home a much freer man, with a lightness in his step.  He told me afterwards that probably no other word would have instigated dealing with the issue and he was certain that it was ‘a gift from above.’   I didn’t know what he needed that day, but the Holy Spirit did and provided just the right guidance.

Let’s trace a bit more history of the Holy Spirit to understand better what made what happened on Pentecost so astonishing.  Across the Old Testament and before Pentecost in the New Testament accounts, the Holy Spirit certainly had great impact, but just at particular times or on some individuals.   For example, Genesis Chapter 1 describes the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of the formless and empty void, just as creation was brought about from chaos.  Prophets like Samuel, David and Isaiah were filled with the Spirit and spoke God’s word to the people, and right at the start of his public ministry the Spirit descended on Jesus to empower him to do all that he subsequently did.

But something earth-shattering happened on Pentecost, not just to the small group gathered in that room who experienced the violent wind and tongues of fire, but for the benefit of all believers in Jesus then and since.  Pentecost wasn’t just a one-off event.   It was a turning point in all of history, fulfilling God’s plans as expressed through the prophet Joel in about 900 BC: ‘ “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”’  

 In other words, from Pentecost onward, the Spirit was released and is available to all people, regardless of their age, sex or position in society.   I love the way the painting on the cover of our service sheet conveys this – the tongues of fire are falling on all the main protagonists in the scene, men and women, young and old.

And all people certainly means us, all of us here today.    It’s breath-taking when you stop to think about it – the same Spirit that hovered over the formless void, the same Spirit that filled Jesus, the same Spirit that changed the lives of the disciples on Pentecost so radically, and the same Spirit that fuelled the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth for the last 2,000 years is here and ready to fill us too today.

Are we experiencing his extraordinary power and presence?   Are we asking the Spirit to help us do the things that Jesus commanded us to do, but can’t in our own strength?    Are we seeing the fruit of the Spirit – qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – in our ourselves and in each other?

I sense that you might still be thinking that the Holy Spirit might not be available to you or wondering how receiving the gift of the Spirit actually works.

So let’s ask the question – do any conditions need to be met or are any qualifications required before we can receive the Holy Spirit and experience his power and presence?  Yes — but they aren’t complex.   In Luke Chapter 11, Jesus says, ‘If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’   And who are God’s children?   The answer can be found in the first chapter of John when, speaking of Jesus, the writer says, ‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be children of God.’  Linking these two promises together, those who are children of God may ask their Father in heaven to give them the Holy Spirit.

And do we receive this gift just once, or again and again?  This answer is probably both.  We do receive it when we believe in Jesus, but we also need fresh filling by the Spirit.   We run out of gas, we have limited capacities, we need to maintain our day to day dependence on God.   The apostle Paul, in Ephesians Chapter 5, verse 18, tells us ‘to be filled with the Spirit’ — the Greek verb used means a regular, or continuous, pattern of being filled.  We also see many times in Acts when one or more believers are described as being filled by the Holy Spirit in particular moments, as a top up to enable them for specific things God was calling them to do.

Finally, what is our part in the process?   First, we each need to ask to be filled by the Holy Spirit, for the first time or afresh, and then to keep trusting that we do have the Holy Spirit in us, equipping us to do things we can’t do in our own strength.  We also need to take care not to quench the Spirit, as Paul implores us not to do in his first letter to the Thessalonians, either by behaving in ways that run counter to God’s best for us or by not following the promptings of the Spirit.

So be encouraged – the Holy Spirit is a real person and is living and active, his power and presence are freely available to us, he speaks to us, he works for our good and he changes lives. May we each open ourselves to him today.   Amen.