Journey to Pentecost

May 5, 2010     Luke 24.10-11

One of the most offensive remarks that can be made to someone is, “I don’t believe you!”  When we are told this it is a targeted remark at our integrity.   Our testimony, story or recollection of an event has been questioned!  It isn’t a comfortable place to be in.

When Mary and Joanna returned from the tomb and announced that Jesus was alive – no one really believed them!   Before we begin to cast stones at these two women – let’s consider what you and I would have done with testimony.   We would have had a hard time with it.  We would have tested it just as much as Peter and the others did.  No doubt about it.  My mom passed away almost two years ago.  If the morgue had called and said she was alive – I would have had to have gone to the county morgue to see for myself!  The difference is that prophet’s had prophesied His resurrection and Jesus Himself had testified of it.  They just didn’t get it!  If there ever was a time for someone to say, “I told you so!” it would’ve been Jesus nearly two thousand years ago! 

Immediately after the resurrection of Jesus – came the upper room experience.   People were thrust into going from one supernatural event to another.  Unlike anything anyone had experienced before.  Think about it for a moment.  From experiencing the risen Savior to waiting in an upper room for an experience in of which you really didn’t know what to expect.   All that was told by the resurrected Lord was to “wait in Jerusalem.”   Tarry or “sit down” and wait.  Imagine.  You have just witnessed the worlds greatest phenomenon in a resurrected Lord and then you are told to sit down, shut up and wait for “the promise.”  This is a testimony that would be hard to receive. 

Having been slammed for the testimony of the risen Savior – these disciples all struggled with the next step – receiving the promise of the Father.  We read this passage and assume that this group of bewildered disciples just went into this thing without any hesitation.  When you read the “journey to Pentecost” events – you see how they all struggled with it.  

But somehow one hundred and twenty followers shared their unbelieable testimony and obeyed the Lord’s command.   Fighting opposition to the testimony of a resurrected Lord – they found themselves on the receiving end of the next phenomenon to hit the world – the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Once again they find themselves experiencing God in a questionable and an even defiable manner.   How is it that God leads us to these experiences?  Why does He take us by the hand and lead us to experience Him in ways that others have a hard time with?  Why did He choose tongues as the outward, visible and audible evidence of the fullness of the Spirit?  Didn’t He know this would cause us some problems?  Wasn’t He aware people would laugh at us, question our “gift” and mock us?   

These are questions I’m not sure we can answer.  But here’s what I do know.  The resurrection was an unbelievable event for most people.  Even today, there are those who still do not believe Jesus rose from the dead.  Paul said in his writing to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 15.17-19) that without the resurrection our faith is in vain and we are miserable people.   It could be that the degree of our misery in the earth is equal to the degree that humanity fails to believe in the resurrection.  Maybe the cure-all for human misery is faith in a risen Lord.

The second phenomenon that surrounds the resurrection is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the believers life.  This of course has been a problem for the church for nearly 2000 years.   The argument is an ongoing one.  Do I have to speak in tongues to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?  Am I “filled” with the Spirit at conversion?  Wasn’t speaking in tongues an apostolic manifestation that ceased with the apostolic age?   There is an ongoing argument about the testimony of Pentecost.  Denominations have split over this.  Churches have closed their doors over it.  Men have fought doctrinal battles since Pentecost fell in the upper room.  Grown men and women put their theological swim caps on and wade into waters deeper than they can justify with words and literally drown in their theological cess pools.  We have created a theological and doctrinal nightmare that has frightened more people away from Pentecost than we could ever draw into the movement.  We have done this ourselves.

Here is what I do know.  You don’t have to defend Truth.  Truth defends itself.  You only have to defend what breaks the law.  Law breakers have to have a defense.  When the Truth of Pentecost is experienced – it needs no defense.  The scriptural supported experience will defend itself.  You don’t have to debate it, negotiate it or dissect it.  You do one of two things with Pentecost.  Accept or deny it.  The truth of the experience stands on its own.  Because the gift or testimony of it has been abused is no reason to attempt to deny it.  Because we have bad cops doesn’t mean we do away with law enforcement.   Because Corinth abused the gifts and needed instruction in their usage didn’t give Paul license to bring the gifts to cessation.  Because a few people over the last 2000 years has made a mockery of the fullness of the Spirit doesn’t give you or anyone else license to deny its existence.  Because humanity mocked the testimony of Christ – we don’t stop believing in Him.  Trust the Lord and His Gift of the Holy Spirit in a personal way.  Believe and receive.