May 31, 2020 – Pentecost Text: Acts 2:1-21
Dear Friends in Christ,
How do you view our relationship with the Holy Spirit? The third person of the Trinity is the hardest to get a grasp of. We understand the Father, because we are fathers, we had a father. We understand the Son for many of the same reasons, obedience to the Father and his humanity displayed in Scripture. But the Holy Spirit is a little tougher to nail down.
Scripture does give some help. John calls the Spirit a “helper” and a “guide.” But if we think of the Spirit in this way, He is really at our disposal. When do we need a helper? When we can’t do something on our own. When do we need a guide? When we can’t find where we are going on our own. The Spirit is not at our disposal . . . that doesn’t feel right. He is not something we use when we feel like we need Him.
It is more that the Holy Spirit uses us.
“POSSESSED BY THE SPIRIT”
There is our word for this day of Pentecost – possession. The Holy Spirit is one who possesses his people. Which makes you and me people who are possessed.
What images comes to mind when you think of being possessed? We think of heads spinning or people running around wildly, or someone screaming uncontrollably. We think of an evil spirit occupying a helpless victim. Remember these demon-possessed people from Scripture? The man who lived among the tombs in the region of the Gerasenes. He had a whole legion of demons. Chains could not contain him. Or the boy with the unclean spirit in Mark 9. He would foam and grind his teeth and become rigid. Can you imagine such an existence? Possession can be a horrifying thought. Why is that? Because the possessed has no control. The possessed are at the mercy of the possessor.
But think of being possessed by a different kind of spirit. This Spirit does not possess to harm or destroy or make you crazy. This Spirit possession restores and comforts and saves. What would it be like to be possessed, not by a legion of demons, but by the Spirit of a good and gracious God?
We don’t have to imagine. We see it in our text. The Spirit rested on each of the believers. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in their own tongues the mighty works of God. Spirit possessed Peter stood up and preached the promises of Jesus. As those possessed continued to speak the words of Jesus, the dead came to life, hearts were restored and lives were renewed. Thousands upon thousands were saved on that day. The word of the Lord grew as the Spirit of the Lord took possession of those who heard and believed.
He has possessed us, too. “I believe that I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit” – you know how it goes – “has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts…” He has taken possession of me. I am no longer the one in charge of my life. I don’t live by my own determination. The Spirit of the Risen Christ possesses me! Until eternity, He has made me His dwelling place. He has done the same for you. You are His possession. Possessed by the Spirit.
When I was 15 years old, in the summer of 1981, I was blessed to pitch a five-inning no-hitter. I struck out 12 of the 15 batters and did not walk anyone. In today’s language the kids would say I was “in the zone” or “en fuego” – “on fire.” But in the language back then, I remember my catcher saying, “Man, you are possessed today.” I threw almost every pitch where I wanted. I had that feeling only one or two other times in my sports career. What about your God-given talents? Have you had that feeling of being possessed? Everything clicks. Everything goes right. Someone may remark, “What’s gotten into you?”
“What’s gotten into you?” They will ask that question if you take your family overseas to serve Christians in a poor country. “What’s gotten into you?” They will ask when they see you loving someone who is hard to love. “What’s gotten into you?” They will ask when you defend a brother or sister who has been wrongfully accused. “What’s gotten into you?” They will ask when you deal with a life-changing event with grace and patience and faith.
“What’s gotten into you?” The Lord. The Spirit of the Risen Christ has defeated for you every dark and diabolical power. He has gotten into you. He comforts and restores and strengthens and saves you. And He uses you to comfort and restore and strengthen others through you.
There is an old spirit that still resides in you and me. This spirit has been working to dash your hopes these last few months. He fights like hell to bring you down.
That spirit must die – every day. If you didn’t say these words at your baptism, your parents and sponsors did. I renounce the devil and his works and his ways. Do you renounce them in your words and in your life still today? The Holy Spirit possesses us so we can say, “Yes, I renounce them.” Every day, we renounce. Every day, we lean into our possession by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. And every day we go forth in his gracious power – Possessed By The Spirit.
Amen.