look at all the things i've left behind

you're the one to change my mind

A sermon from chapter two of the books of Acts:

Today’s scripture begins where a lot shows, books and movies start to wrap-up, after a setback.

…The prefix in Pentecost is “pente,” as in five. In this case, fifty. Pentecost happens 50 days after Passover. That means the first christian Pentecost happened 50 days after the crucifixion…

…50 days after Judas’ betrayal. 50 days after Peter’s denial. 50 days after they all cut and ran.

Yes, since then, the resurrected Jesus has shown up. But truthfully, the stench of failures STILL clings to the disciples… 

In fact, it’s what they've been preoccupied with since that morning Jesus wasn’t found in the tomb. They haven’t been celebrating Easter, they’ve been dealing with the fallout from their failure; regrouping and replacing…

Which isn’t unusual. That’s how a lot of third-acts begin. Often what happens, though, is the characters dust themselves off, rediscover their resolve, give an inspiring speech, and rededicate themselves… 

BUT that’s not how Pentecost happens! 

The disciples are not together in one place for strategic planning. They’re not there to encouraging each other. They’re not even meeting to resolve to do better. They’re just waiting!

This scene would never happen on any of the programs on our Netflix queues!

We don’t like our heroes acting that way! We want them out there proving themselves, fighting hard, and staying the course!

…After all, that’s a satisfying story-arc, isn’t it?

We all experienced set-backs of our own. But, we tell ourselves, if we just buckle-down, we can pull ourselves back up. 

It’s the story we’ve all been raised on. And it’s the story we prefer, if at all possible, to see in our heroes…

Which it is. That’s the arc of most dramas, actions movies and even rom-coms! But, I hate to tell you, that’s not how Pentecost happens…

And that’s the trouble with most sermon-illustrations! The Gospel is so unlike all our stories, that most illustrations from books or programs just don’t cut it!

…Because usually the hero doesn’t lose. Do they?

We build our success is out of determination. Which is why we like our heroes to be determined. We want to see our values reflected back to us. But the truth is, our determination is a double-edged sword! 

The same grit our willpower may produce, can just as easily turn out to be plain old, ordinary stubbornness!

One of my favorite movies, the western, “True Grit,” explores this dynamic. It’s about Mattie, a 14 year-old girl, who hires a U.S. Marshall to help her hunt down the ‘dirty, rotten, no account scoundrel’ who shot down her father. 

Yes, she is determined. But, as the movie shows, her determination is also dangerous. While it lends her tenacity, it also puts her and countless others in the path of danger time and time again!

This movie mirrors back to us the ambiguity of our determination. How it is just as often dangerous, as it is helpful!

Truthfully, though, both our grit and stubbornness will wear out. Our determination is not the font of every blessing.

 …Which is what Hollywood rarely shows!

Probably because Hollywood doesn’t know what to do with it. 

Hollywood shows heroes who live on. Indefinitely, as Star Wars is teaching us. But that means those times and places determination just won’t cut it, are rarely portrayed on the big screen!

But that is exactly how Pentecost began! 50 days after the disciples’ failure. They’re not gathered to ‘try, try again.’ They’re gathered because they have nowhere else to go!

They’ve lost! Finally and fully! They’ve lost! They have nothing left to pull up themselves up by! Their grit is gone. Having spectacularly failed them 50 days ago!

BUT, it is right at that moment, the Holy Spirit takes center-stage!

In fact, it was only because the disciples couldn’t pick themselves up, that the Holy Spirit began to act!

If the disciples had picked themselves up, Pentecost would not have happened there, that day! The Holy Spirit would have blown somewhere else…

The Holy Spirit is not interested in how determined we are. In fact, The Holy Spirit is more interested in our failures than our successes!

Failure is that staging ground of God’s holiness!

Hollywood says we must live by our determination. But the Gospel says otherwise! The Gospel declares that when our spirit fails, the time is ripe for Pentecost!

The Holy Spirit acts most when we have nothing of our own to act on!

Which is essentially what Martin Luther is talking about in his explanation of the Third Article of the Creed. …Shall we read it together? (p. 1162):

“I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith. Daily in this Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins—mine and those of all believers. On the last day the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead and will give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.”

Did you catch that?!? I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him?!

When it comes to saving faith, the determination we project unto the silver screen, and our lives, fails us every time!

Truly believing in the Holy Spirit, and thus—as I’ve been trying to say throughout this series—all of the Trinity, only begins once we can no longer believe in ourselves!

Which is hard. That’s our first belief. We build our movies, shows and books on it. Thankfully, though, something can break the spell; life. Real life, anyway. Life with all its failures, burn-outs and breaking-points. 

And daily bump up against all that. Don’t we?

When the rough edges of life have you down and out, you’re actually on holy ground! Those moments Hollywood shies away from, are the ones God draws close to! 

When you’re most tempted to think the credits are about to roll, you’re really about to step onto the stage of God’s holy Spirit! Pentecost is about to happen!

Those moments Hollywood rarely shows, are the ones we most need to see! And not just in our heroes. But in our own lives!

You’re here because you’re after holiness. And you’ve been told if you just buckle-down and work hard, you can get a little. 

But that’s not the way it works. Not in real life, anyway. Not when it comes God!

You’ll get holiness, alight. But in a way you never expect! 

Not when you pull off the win, but when you’re pulled off the win! When you can’t pick yourself up. When your spirit fails. 

Then, and then alone, you will be most ready. Most ready to be filled! Filled, not with your own spirit, but God’s! 

God’s holy spirit Jesus lived and breathed! God’s holy spirit that brought again Jesus from the dead!

God’s holy spirit wants nothing more than to fill you what Jesus got; resurrection! And only the dead get resurrected! 

The dead tired. The dead last. The just plain, old dead, period!

You’re more ripe for the drama of Pentecost than you knew, aren’t you?!

On any given week we shuffle through our days. The limelight doesn’t shine on us. But let me tell you, in your baptism God’s holy light has been poured all over you! 

Now your life is the perfect place, as far as God is concerned, to carry out the great drama of salvation!

This drama plays out in the moments that don’t turn up in the movies. 

Like when the weight of life leaves you kneeling before the one who promises his yoke is easy and burden light. 

Like when you can’t do anything else, so you fold your hands and pray.

Like when it takes everything you have, just to hold yourself together long enough to get to the car. And then the only place you know to go is, a meeting or the church.

Like those times you get up, like every other morning, get yourself and the kids ready (or just remember getting the kids ready), and come to church anyway only to sing the same old hymns you’ve always sung. 

And so, although it doesn’t seem like much, we will do what will happen when the great drama of salvation, and all of history too, comes to its curtain call. We will sing! We will give thanks to God with that hymn that knows no end!