Bible Text: Acts 1:3\u20138; 2:1\u20137, 12\u201313 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | Pen\u00adte\u00adcost grew out of the Jewish fes\u00adti\u00adval of Shavuot, which is also cal\u00adled the \u00abfes\u00adti\u00adval of the har\u00adve\u00adst\u00bb. It the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre stands to reason that Pen\u00adte\u00adcost in turn heralds a time of har\u00adve\u00adst. By recei\u00adving the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are equip\u00adped with a power through which they can be wit\u00adnesses for the cau\u00adse of Jesus to the fur\u00adthest cor\u00adners of the earth. Through this, peo\u00adp\u00adle beco\u00adme at home with God. Wel\u00adco\u00adme home!<\/p>\n
When the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes left cap\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty, it took them exact\u00adly seven weeks to reach Mount Sinai, whe\u00adre they recei\u00adved the \u00abTen Com\u00admandments\u00bb. The libe\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from Egyp\u00adti\u00adan bon\u00adda\u00adge and the recep\u00adti\u00adon of the Ten Words have a clo\u00adse inner con\u00adnec\u00adtion and are cele\u00adbra\u00adted with the fes\u00adti\u00advals of Pas\u00adso\u00adver and Shavuot. The exodus from Egypt meant free\u00addom. Through the legis\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon at Sinai, the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel recei\u00adved the frame\u00adwork in which they could live their freedom. \tIn Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem: This is about our imme\u00addia\u00adte envi\u00adron\u00adment, our fami\u00adly and our neighbourhood. \tExplain to each other the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween Shavuot and Pentecost. A small exer\u00adcise: In the next two weeks, try to con\u00adscious\u00adly under\u00adstand yours\u00adelf as a wit\u00adness and take advan\u00adta\u00adge of the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties that pre\u00adsent themselves!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bible Text: Acts 1:3\u20138; 2:1\u20137, 12\u201313 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | Pen\u00adte\u00adcost grew out of the Jewish fes\u00adti\u00adval of Shavuot, which is also cal\u00adled the \u00abfes\u00adti\u00adval of the har\u00adve\u00adst\u00bb. It the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre stands to reason that Pen\u00adte\u00adcost in turn heralds a time of har\u00adve\u00adst. By recei\u00adving the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are equip\u00adped with a power that\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","wpfc-sermon-single","post-2258","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThe pro\u00adphe\u00adtic ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of Pas\u00adso\u00adver occur\u00adred on Eas\u00adter, when Jesus Christ defea\u00adted death and bro\u00adke the reign of sin. Exact\u00adly seven weeks after Eas\u00adter we cele\u00adbra\u00adte Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, the pro\u00adphe\u00adtic ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of Shavuot. The\u00adre is also a clo\u00adse inner con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween Eas\u00adter and Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. Pen\u00adte\u00adcost cla\u00adri\u00adfies the ques\u00adti\u00adon of what the events of Eas\u00adter have to do with us today. Eas\u00adter ans\u00adwers the ques\u00adti\u00adon of whe\u00adre we will spend eter\u00adni\u00adty. It is the gift of eter\u00adnal life. Pen\u00adte\u00adcost ans\u00adwers the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how we live on this earth.
\nThe\u00adre are words that pola\u00adri\u00adse. The terms \u00abPen\u00adte\u00adcost\u00bb and \u00abHoly Spi\u00adrit\u00bb trig\u00adger very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent reac\u00adtions. Some have foun\u00added church asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adons around the\u00adse terms, for others they remain rather suspect.
\nRevi\u00adse expectations
\nWhat expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons do you asso\u00adcia\u00adte with Pen\u00adte\u00adcost? Alre\u00ada\u00addy at the very first Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons were expres\u00adsed. It had to turn out whe\u00adther the\u00adse cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00added to rea\u00adli\u00adty. \u00abIn the for\u00adty days after his cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon, he appeared to the apost\u00adles again and again and pro\u00adved to them in many ways that he was real\u00adly ali\u00adve. And he spo\u00adke to them about the king\u00addom of God. In one of the\u00adse encoun\u00adters, as they were eating, he said, \u00abStay here in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem until the Father sends you what he has pro\u00admi\u00adsed.\u00bb Remem\u00adber: I have alre\u00ada\u00addy spo\u00adken to you about this. John bap\u00adti\u00adsed with water, but in just a few days you will be bap\u00adti\u00adsed with the Holy Spi\u00adrit.\u00bb \u00bb (Acts 1:3\u20135).
\nJesus reminds his fri\u00adends of the pro\u00admi\u00adse he made to them even befo\u00adre his cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon that he would send them the Holy Spi\u00adrit (John 14:16ff; 16:5ff). Obvious\u00adly, they asso\u00adcia\u00adted cer\u00adtain expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons and hopes with this: \u00abWhen the apost\u00adles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, \u00abLord, will you now deli\u00adver Isra\u00adel and res\u00adto\u00adre our king\u00addom?\u00bb \u00bb (6).
\nBecau\u00adse of their imprint and the atmo\u00adsphe\u00adre in which they lived as belie\u00adving Jews, the per\u00adson of the Holy Spi\u00adrit was asso\u00adcia\u00adted with Isra\u00adel being res\u00adto\u00adred to for\u00admer poli\u00adti\u00adcal, social, eco\u00adno\u00admic greatness.
\nThe ques\u00adti\u00adon was jus\u00adti\u00adfied. Jesus does not con\u00adsider the expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons, hopes and inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons as non\u00adsen\u00adse. He repli\u00aded: \u00abThe Father alo\u00adne deter\u00admi\u00adnes the time for this, it is not for you to know\u00bb (7). Jesus makes it clear that this is his Father\u2019s busi\u00adness. He had plan\u00adned it well. His fri\u00adends did not need to know.
\nJesus wants his fri\u00adends to exami\u00adne their expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons and hopes in view of Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. Pen\u00adte\u00adcost also invi\u00adtes us to exami\u00adne our expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons and assump\u00adti\u00adons. What do we asso\u00adcia\u00adte with Pen\u00adte\u00adcost or with the per\u00adson of the Holy Spirit?
\nRecei\u00adve power
\nRemar\u00adkab\u00adle things hap\u00adpen\u00aded at Pen\u00adte\u00adcost (Acts 2:1\u20137 and 12\u201313). The roaring of a migh\u00adty storm, some\u00adthing like fla\u00admes sett\u00adling on each one, spea\u00adking in hither\u00adto unknown lan\u00adguages, hea\u00adring for\u00adeign spea\u00adk\u00aders in their own lan\u00adguage were impres\u00adsi\u00adve accom\u00adp\u00adaniments. Some peo\u00adp\u00adle asso\u00adcia\u00adte the Holy Spi\u00adrit more with emo\u00adti\u00adons. The\u00adre is a lot of joy and enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm! For some, it is an uncon\u00adtrol\u00adled emo\u00adtio\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty that cau\u00adses fear. For others, it has more to do with the spec\u00adta\u00adcu\u00adlar, the extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry, with spea\u00adking in ton\u00adgues, mira\u00adcles and thou\u00adsands of con\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adons. All the\u00adse things were con\u00adco\u00admi\u00adtants, but not the cen\u00adtral thing.
\n\u00abBut when the Holy Spi\u00adrit comes upon you, you will be equip\u00adped with His power [\u2026]\u00bb (Acts 1:8; NG\u00dc<\/span>). In endu\u00adrance sports you are some\u00adti\u00admes atta\u00adcked by the \u00abham\u00admer man\u00bb. This has alre\u00ada\u00addy hap\u00adpen\u00aded to me when I was riding my bike over moun\u00adtain pas\u00adses. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing is good: the bike, the mus\u00adcles, the heart \u2013 but the\u00adre is no strength. You\u2019\u00adre hypo\u00adgly\u00adcae\u00admic, feel exhaus\u00adted, not\u00adhing works anymore.
\nThat is how it is when we expe\u00adri\u00adence Eas\u00adter wit\u00adhout Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. With Eas\u00adter ever\u00ady\u00adthing was sett\u00adled; the way to God is free, but the power is miss\u00ading. That\u2019s why Jesus\u00bb fri\u00adends were such cowards and scat\u00adte\u00adred in all direc\u00adtions when things got dicey around his cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon. After the boys had expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, they were trans\u00adfor\u00admed. Not\u00adhing and no one could stop them now. From then on, they clim\u00adbed \u00abtheir pas\u00adses\u00bb with ease. The Holy Spi\u00adrit revi\u00adves tired Chris\u00adti\u00adans, brings life to the place. The Holy Spi\u00adrit wants to come direct\u00adly into people\u2019s lives. He is not a nebu\u00adlous force field or an eso\u00adte\u00adric ener\u00adgy. He is a per\u00adson who wants to be clo\u00adse\u00adly con\u00adnec\u00adted with other people.
\nBut the Holy Spi\u00adrit is also a power. Wha\u00adte\u00adver other abili\u00adties we attri\u00adbu\u00adte to him, he is the power of God. That sounds real\u00adly good. What could be bet\u00adter for us? The word for power in Greek is \u00abdyna\u00admis\u00bb. It is the power or strength to do mira\u00adcles. The same word also means talent, skill and abili\u00adty and in mili\u00adta\u00adry lan\u00adguage \u00abtro\u00adops\u00bb. God sends a troop of his army into our lives with the Holy Spi\u00adrit. This troop wants to take pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adon of us so that we can make decis\u00adi\u00adons, get things going and do things. It is God\u2019s power. It is given to us, not for our own con\u00adcerns, but so that we can imple\u00adment his things and con\u00adcerns in our lives.
\nMary did not have the desi\u00adre to beco\u00adme pregnant. It was God\u2019s con\u00adcern in her life. How is that pos\u00adsi\u00adble when she has never slept with a man? The angel who visi\u00adted her explai\u00adned it to her: \u00abThe Holy Spi\u00adrit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overs\u00adha\u00addow you. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre the child you will bear will be cal\u00adled holy and the Son of God\u00bb (Luke 1:35).
\nJesus comes out of a desert expe\u00adri\u00adence, in which he was mas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly tempt\u00aded to ques\u00adti\u00adon his iden\u00adti\u00adty, back to Gali\u00adlee to his ori\u00adgi\u00adnal envi\u00adron\u00adment. The\u00adre they knew him as the son of the buil\u00adder. Per\u00adhaps he was the one who could never real\u00adly play foot\u00adball and who always lik\u00aded to build things out of stones. Now ever\u00ady\u00adthing is dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. Sud\u00adden\u00adly the who\u00adle neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood is tal\u00adking about him. The reason is lis\u00adted in Luke 4:14: \u00abAfter this, Jesus, fil\u00adled with the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, retur\u00adned to Gali\u00adlee. He quick\u00adly beca\u00adme known throug\u00adhout the who\u00adle regi\u00adon\u00bb (Luke 4:14). God\u2019s Spi\u00adrit, the power of God, was so effec\u00adti\u00adve in his life that he pro\u00adved to be the Son of God.
\nBe a witness
\n\u00abBut when the Holy Spi\u00adrit comes upon you, you will be equip\u00adped with his power, and this will enable you to be my wit\u00adnesses \u2013 in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, in all Judea and Sama\u00adria, and ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre else in the world, even in the remo\u00adtest parts of the earth\u00bb (8; NG\u00dc<\/span>). The power of God, the Holy Spi\u00adrit, comes for a very spe\u00adci\u00adfic reason: you will be my wit\u00adnesses. So in essence, it is not about the spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gift of spea\u00adking and pray\u00ading in ton\u00adgues. Even though ever\u00adyo\u00adne who is on the way with Jesus recei\u00adves at least one gift given by the Spi\u00adrit of God, a spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal gift, the mis\u00adsi\u00adon to be a wit\u00adness for Jesus is essential.
\nThis is to be at dif\u00adfe\u00adrent locations:<\/p>\n
\n\tThroug\u00adhout Judea: In addi\u00adti\u00adon to our place of resi\u00addence, we are to tar\u00adget the enti\u00adre can\u00adton of Aar\u00adgau. It is still about peo\u00adp\u00adle who are somehow clo\u00adse to us and speak our own language.
\n\tIn Sama\u00adria: This could be the can\u00adton you like least. The Sama\u00adri\u00adtans were a mixed peo\u00adp\u00adle of Jews and other peo\u00adp\u00adles. Righ\u00adteous Jews were not allo\u00adwed to have fel\u00adlow\u00adship with Sama\u00adri\u00adtans, not even to set foot on their ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry. The com\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon to be a wit\u00adness in Sama\u00adria was real\u00adly \u00abget\u00adting down to busi\u00adness\u00bb. We like to cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle we know as \u00abnice\u00bb and \u00abfun\u00adny\u00bb. Jesus chal\u00adlenges us to be a wit\u00adness even to the \u00abfun\u00adny\u00bb ones. This is a huge chall\u00adenge. The Holy Spi\u00adrit invi\u00adtes us to dis\u00adsol\u00adve our cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adcal no\u2019s and reser\u00adva\u00adtions about cer\u00adtain people.
\n\tIn the remo\u00adtest parts of the earth: When Jesus spo\u00adke the\u00adse words, the\u00adre were about 120 peo\u00adp\u00adle tog\u00ade\u00adther (Acts 1:15). What an impos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty! Jesus was awa\u00adre of this, that\u2019s why it took Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. Thanks to the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the gos\u00adpel rea\u00adched the then known world in a few deca\u00addes. The basis for this was for\u00admed by the twel\u00adve men, who at first still fear\u00adful\u00adly and coward\u00adly retrea\u00adted when Jesus was arrested.<\/p>\n
\nA wit\u00adness is not the same as a lawy\u00ader. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, we some\u00adti\u00admes allow our\u00adsel\u00adves to be pushed into this role and try to explain the evil in this world or why this very per\u00adson, who is nevert\u00adhel\u00adess faithful in the faith, falls so serious\u00adly ill. A wit\u00adness reports on things that con\u00adnect with him as a per\u00adson in an ele\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry way. He does not sim\u00adply pon\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adte some pla\u00adti\u00adtu\u00addi\u00adnous truth. When someone has atten\u00added a con\u00adcert, he raves, \u00abIt was a won\u00adderful con\u00adcert with won\u00adderful music. You should have been the\u00adre!\u00bb A wit\u00adness to a car acci\u00addent recounts the event as he was able to obser\u00adve it. A wit\u00adness to Jesus expres\u00adses for other peo\u00adp\u00adle what he expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced with Jesus. No mat\u00adter whe\u00adre he is. No mat\u00adter whe\u00adther the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle are favoura\u00adble to him. No mat\u00adter whe\u00adther he likes the\u00adse people.
\nRecent\u00adly someone told me how dif\u00adfi\u00adcult it is to live as a Chris\u00adti\u00adan with an ill\u00adness. Peo\u00adp\u00adle scoff and say that now God can show what he can do. We would like to be wit\u00adnesses of mira\u00adcles. To what ext\u00adent can Chris\u00adti\u00adans be wit\u00adnesses of Jesus if they them\u00adsel\u00adves are not int\u00adact? Nick Vuji\u00adcic was born wit\u00adhout arms and legs as a result of a rare defor\u00admi\u00adty. In a talk he once said, \u00abIf God does\u00adn\u2019t do a mira\u00adcle, be the mira\u00adcle!\u00bb A Spi\u00adrit-fil\u00adled wit\u00adness of how God is his rock in stor\u00admy times has tre\u00admen\u00addous power. We should focus less on heal\u00ading our ill\u00adnesses and more on our beha\u00adviour in suf\u00adfe\u00adring. We need to learn to hold on to Jesus in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult times. Per\u00adhaps the con\u00adtent of your wit\u00adness for Jesus Christ is this: With all I can give, I hold on to Jesus in this situa\u00adti\u00adon. As Asaf says in the Psalm: \u00abIf I have only you, I ask not\u00adhing of hea\u00adven and earth\u00bb (Psalm 73:15). Or Job in a mise\u00adra\u00adble sta\u00adte: \u00abShall we take the good from God\u2019s hand, but reject the bad?\u00bb (Job 2:10).
\nPen\u00adte\u00adcost makes us able to speak and to hear. It was not only a mira\u00adcle of speech, but also a mira\u00adcle of hea\u00adring! (cf. Acts 2:4,6). A wit\u00adness must not only speak, but abo\u00adve all hear. Per\u00adhaps your wit\u00adness is this, that you lis\u00adten well, show empa\u00adthy and pray for peo\u00adp\u00adle. St. Tho\u00admas Aqui\u00adnas said: \u00abPreach the Gos\u00adpel, if neces\u00adsa\u00adry with words\u00bb.
\nShavuot has a his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal and a natu\u00adre-rela\u00adted mea\u00adning. The his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adcal back\u00adground is the recep\u00adti\u00adon of the Ten Words at Sinai. At the same time, this fes\u00adti\u00adval of weeks is also the \u00abfes\u00adti\u00adval of the har\u00adve\u00adst\u00bb. For it takes place during the time of the wheat har\u00adve\u00adst. This con\u00adnec\u00adtion is for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adted in the Tal\u00admud: \u00abFif\u00adty days pass befo\u00adre the apple blos\u00adsom deve\u00adlo\u00adps into fruit, fif\u00adty days the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel wai\u00adted in the desert befo\u00adre recei\u00adving the Torah from the hand of the Lord.\u00bb Pen\u00adte\u00adcost means har\u00adve\u00adst. The Holy Spi\u00adrit calls you home and makes us wit\u00adnesses that we can call out to others through our lives: Come home!
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead Bible text: Acts 1:8; 2:1\u20137 and 12\u201313<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the inner con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween Eas\u00adter and Pen\u00adte\u00adcost? Why is Pen\u00adte\u00adcost needed?
\n\tWhat does the Holy Spi\u00adrit do in peo\u00adp\u00adle who trust Jesus?
\n\tWhat does the thought do to you that you are cal\u00adled to be a witness?
\n\tWhat kind of wit\u00adness best suits your per\u00adso\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty and aptitude?<\/p>\n