Pentecost Day
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle B
Object:
Seasonal Theme
We learn from the miracles, parables, and ministry of Jesus. This second part of the Church year we learn and grow in our faith.
Theme For The Day
The birth of the Christian Church and the coming upon the disciples of the Holy Spirit.
First Lesson
Acts 2:1-11
The Day Of Pentecost
From Harper's Bible Dictionary we find a ready-made outline for preaching. Pentecost was also known as:
A. "The Feast of Weeks," Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10
B. "The Feast of Harvest," Exodus 23:16
C. "The Day of First Fruits," Numbers 28:26
Pentecost means the fiftieth day. It was seven weeks after Passover (our Easter). It was the beginning of the harvest of fruit as the Feast of Unleavened Bread opened the grain harvest. In later Judaism the festival took on the anniversary of the giving of the law at Sinai so it came to be a joint historical and harvest celebration. Many Jews would be in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples numbering 120. The tongues of fire (v. 3) were the same as the burning bush in Exodus 3:2. Here then is the birth of the Christian Church. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:8 of waiting until after Pentecost before his return to Corinth from Ephesus. He probably wanted to "work the crowds" of Pentecost with the new-found gospel. Psalm 29 is used liturgically for this day of celebration.
The Spirit's power was so strong that it provided those disciples a message all the people could understand.
Second Lesson
Romans 8:22-27
Christian Hope And Prayer
Paul the optimist tells us in verse 24 that we are saved by hope. Life, according to him, is not a dismal waiting for death in sin and decay. We could look forward to a new freedom and change brought to us by God's power in Jesus Christ. Because we Christians not only live in the sinful world, we also live in Christ, which gives us a picture of God's love and power and mercy. We anticipate life, not death; and we have a hope rather than giving up.
Verses 26 and 27 give us insight on prayer. Because we don't know what's best for us and because we don't know the future, we can't pray as we ought. The best we can do is offer a sigh and the Spirit will intercede for us. Perhaps the best prayer is simply saying to God that you submit to God your spirit and it's God's will you seek.
The Gospel
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
The Work Of The Spirit
Verses 26 and 27 tell us that the Spirit will help our hearts believe and that we are to help others believe by our witness. Then in verses 5-11 he tells his sad disciples that his leaving is best for them -- because when he leaves, the "helper" or "advocate" will come to them. While Jesus was with them in person, they were confined to his whereabouts; but when he left and the Holy Spirit came, he could be with them (and us) everywhere. We then have three great words describing the Spirit's work: sin, righteousness, and judgment (see vv. 8-11). So we might say that this Holy Spirit persuades us of our sin and assures us of our Savior.
Notice verses 12-15 assure us that the Spirit will continue to reveal God, direct, and inspire us.
Preaching Possibilities
The story of the Pentecost birthday of the Christian Church is definitely in the First Lesson. With the rest of the liturgy and hymns on the Pentecost theme we will almost have to go with that as the basis of the homily. On any other Sunday the Second Reading or the Gospel has plenty of content for inspired, relevant preaching. These two selections are full of information about the Spirit and could be combined for a sermon on "The Work of the Spirit." Some of the content could be:
A. The Spirit of God gives us endless and boundless hope (Romans 8:24).
B. The Spirit of God teaches us to pray (Romans 8:27).
C. The Spirit of God becomes our Advocate (John 15:26).
D. The Spirit of God teaches us about sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11).
E. The Spirit of God gives us our universal advantage (John 16:7).
If we somehow got through the Easter season without talking about witness, it is in all three readings today.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Title: A Spirit-Filled Church
Text: Acts 2:1-21
A. Introduction: Re-tell in your own words the Pentecost experience of those disciples and describe how this is the birthday of the Christian church.
B. Move to how this event shaped our contemporary church.
1. It will be a Spirit-filled church (v. 4). Until now those disciples were afraid but now they boldly stand in the Jerusalem square.
2. It is an inclusive church (v. 4). The message included everyone in his or her language.
3. It was an amazing church (v. 12). God's deeds and power were evident (v. 11) and it astonished everyone.
4. It was a visionary church (v. 17b) they prophesied and dreamed.
5. It was a church of salvation for its people (v. 21). The gospel was proclaimed and people were baptized and saved.
C. Now talk about what this Jerusalem church has that your congregation ought work harder at.
D. Give your witness. Tell your people which elements you long for in your congregation and how you will try to work for them.
E. Invite your hearers to join you in making your congregation more like this first one in Jerusalem.
F. Frame the sermon by returning to the opening description of the Pentecost experience and end assuring the listeners this action is to be continued.
Prayer For The Day
We celebrate your Church, O God, and your spirit, which still inspires and instructs us today. Help us here at (your congregation) to be a spirit-filled congregation reflecting the diversity of your creation and motivated to witness to the Gospel inviting others to join us as your saved family. In Christ's name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
I heard the Reverend Joseph Wold tell the story of a young Dwight L. Moody wanting to join a church in Boston. He had brought many poor into the worship services and the membership committee were not sure they wanted such a radical in their midst! The elders told him when he applied for membership that he should take a month and "go pray about it." He came back and said he had prayed about it to Jesus and Jesus told him not to be upset about being put off by the committee. Jesus said he had been trying to get in that church for years!
At a Memorial Day weekend speech at the Rotary Club of Des Moines, the General of the National Guard explained the use of the army rallying point. When troops go out to fight, if they get lost or scattered, the rallying point is a pre-arranged place like a fork in the road, high building, bend in river, and so forth, where they all meet again and rally before going back into battle.
Where are the rallying points of our battlefield lines? Which others meet us there to rally with us?
Did you hear about the man who bought a stationary exercise bike and hired the neighbor boy to come in and ride it for him? Or the man who joined the church but never attended? He just mailed in his offering each month.
In The San Francisco Chronicle (March 18, 1996): "Pepper Spray Stuns Oakland Congregation." A sixty-year-old woman was hospitalized and twenty other Oakland churchgoers were treated for eye and throat irritation after a pepper spray canister accidentally went off inside a woman's purse. It was at the Green Pasture Church. According to the newspaper, "The fumes spread, causing some church members to develop symptoms."
What might be the symptoms of the spirit being set free? Apostolic radical, infectious witness syndrome, greed appendicitis, grace co-dependency, servanthood obsessive-compulsive, and so forth?
We learn from the miracles, parables, and ministry of Jesus. This second part of the Church year we learn and grow in our faith.
Theme For The Day
The birth of the Christian Church and the coming upon the disciples of the Holy Spirit.
First Lesson
Acts 2:1-11
The Day Of Pentecost
From Harper's Bible Dictionary we find a ready-made outline for preaching. Pentecost was also known as:
A. "The Feast of Weeks," Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10
B. "The Feast of Harvest," Exodus 23:16
C. "The Day of First Fruits," Numbers 28:26
Pentecost means the fiftieth day. It was seven weeks after Passover (our Easter). It was the beginning of the harvest of fruit as the Feast of Unleavened Bread opened the grain harvest. In later Judaism the festival took on the anniversary of the giving of the law at Sinai so it came to be a joint historical and harvest celebration. Many Jews would be in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples numbering 120. The tongues of fire (v. 3) were the same as the burning bush in Exodus 3:2. Here then is the birth of the Christian Church. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:8 of waiting until after Pentecost before his return to Corinth from Ephesus. He probably wanted to "work the crowds" of Pentecost with the new-found gospel. Psalm 29 is used liturgically for this day of celebration.
The Spirit's power was so strong that it provided those disciples a message all the people could understand.
Second Lesson
Romans 8:22-27
Christian Hope And Prayer
Paul the optimist tells us in verse 24 that we are saved by hope. Life, according to him, is not a dismal waiting for death in sin and decay. We could look forward to a new freedom and change brought to us by God's power in Jesus Christ. Because we Christians not only live in the sinful world, we also live in Christ, which gives us a picture of God's love and power and mercy. We anticipate life, not death; and we have a hope rather than giving up.
Verses 26 and 27 give us insight on prayer. Because we don't know what's best for us and because we don't know the future, we can't pray as we ought. The best we can do is offer a sigh and the Spirit will intercede for us. Perhaps the best prayer is simply saying to God that you submit to God your spirit and it's God's will you seek.
The Gospel
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
The Work Of The Spirit
Verses 26 and 27 tell us that the Spirit will help our hearts believe and that we are to help others believe by our witness. Then in verses 5-11 he tells his sad disciples that his leaving is best for them -- because when he leaves, the "helper" or "advocate" will come to them. While Jesus was with them in person, they were confined to his whereabouts; but when he left and the Holy Spirit came, he could be with them (and us) everywhere. We then have three great words describing the Spirit's work: sin, righteousness, and judgment (see vv. 8-11). So we might say that this Holy Spirit persuades us of our sin and assures us of our Savior.
Notice verses 12-15 assure us that the Spirit will continue to reveal God, direct, and inspire us.
Preaching Possibilities
The story of the Pentecost birthday of the Christian Church is definitely in the First Lesson. With the rest of the liturgy and hymns on the Pentecost theme we will almost have to go with that as the basis of the homily. On any other Sunday the Second Reading or the Gospel has plenty of content for inspired, relevant preaching. These two selections are full of information about the Spirit and could be combined for a sermon on "The Work of the Spirit." Some of the content could be:
A. The Spirit of God gives us endless and boundless hope (Romans 8:24).
B. The Spirit of God teaches us to pray (Romans 8:27).
C. The Spirit of God becomes our Advocate (John 15:26).
D. The Spirit of God teaches us about sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11).
E. The Spirit of God gives us our universal advantage (John 16:7).
If we somehow got through the Easter season without talking about witness, it is in all three readings today.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Title: A Spirit-Filled Church
Text: Acts 2:1-21
A. Introduction: Re-tell in your own words the Pentecost experience of those disciples and describe how this is the birthday of the Christian church.
B. Move to how this event shaped our contemporary church.
1. It will be a Spirit-filled church (v. 4). Until now those disciples were afraid but now they boldly stand in the Jerusalem square.
2. It is an inclusive church (v. 4). The message included everyone in his or her language.
3. It was an amazing church (v. 12). God's deeds and power were evident (v. 11) and it astonished everyone.
4. It was a visionary church (v. 17b) they prophesied and dreamed.
5. It was a church of salvation for its people (v. 21). The gospel was proclaimed and people were baptized and saved.
C. Now talk about what this Jerusalem church has that your congregation ought work harder at.
D. Give your witness. Tell your people which elements you long for in your congregation and how you will try to work for them.
E. Invite your hearers to join you in making your congregation more like this first one in Jerusalem.
F. Frame the sermon by returning to the opening description of the Pentecost experience and end assuring the listeners this action is to be continued.
Prayer For The Day
We celebrate your Church, O God, and your spirit, which still inspires and instructs us today. Help us here at (your congregation) to be a spirit-filled congregation reflecting the diversity of your creation and motivated to witness to the Gospel inviting others to join us as your saved family. In Christ's name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
I heard the Reverend Joseph Wold tell the story of a young Dwight L. Moody wanting to join a church in Boston. He had brought many poor into the worship services and the membership committee were not sure they wanted such a radical in their midst! The elders told him when he applied for membership that he should take a month and "go pray about it." He came back and said he had prayed about it to Jesus and Jesus told him not to be upset about being put off by the committee. Jesus said he had been trying to get in that church for years!
At a Memorial Day weekend speech at the Rotary Club of Des Moines, the General of the National Guard explained the use of the army rallying point. When troops go out to fight, if they get lost or scattered, the rallying point is a pre-arranged place like a fork in the road, high building, bend in river, and so forth, where they all meet again and rally before going back into battle.
Where are the rallying points of our battlefield lines? Which others meet us there to rally with us?
Did you hear about the man who bought a stationary exercise bike and hired the neighbor boy to come in and ride it for him? Or the man who joined the church but never attended? He just mailed in his offering each month.
In The San Francisco Chronicle (March 18, 1996): "Pepper Spray Stuns Oakland Congregation." A sixty-year-old woman was hospitalized and twenty other Oakland churchgoers were treated for eye and throat irritation after a pepper spray canister accidentally went off inside a woman's purse. It was at the Green Pasture Church. According to the newspaper, "The fumes spread, causing some church members to develop symptoms."
What might be the symptoms of the spirit being set free? Apostolic radical, infectious witness syndrome, greed appendicitis, grace co-dependency, servanthood obsessive-compulsive, and so forth?
