At Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, things were tur\u00adned upsi\u00adde down with the recep\u00adti\u00adon of the Holy Spi\u00adrit. The Holy Spi\u00adrit is the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble one, and yet he appears to us humans in a per\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adble and audi\u00adble way. The Holy Spi\u00adrit \u2013 God in us. Through the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the events of Babel are rever\u00adsed. Peo\u00adp\u00adle from dif\u00adfe\u00adrent count\u00adries under\u00adstand each other again. With Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, the Chris\u00adti\u00adan Church comes into being. It has its day of birth in this event and the Holy Spi\u00adrit still wants to work in it today.<\/p>\n
My wife and I are expec\u00adting our first child. Short\u00adly after my wife beca\u00adme pregnant, she went to the gynae\u00adco\u00adlo\u00adgist. She did some exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adons the\u00adre and, among other things, she cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adted the date of birth. She told us 16 June 2022, which is less than 14 days from today. At that time I thought that this date was fixed. I have sin\u00adce lear\u00adned that this date is only a rough cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon. Any\u00adthing bet\u00adween three weeks befo\u00adre the due date and two weeks after the due date is per\u00adfect\u00adly fine and is not\u00adhing to worry about. This gives us a due date bet\u00adween 26 May and 30 June 2022, which is a very long time. Alt\u00adhough our child still has four weeks to come into the world, we are both very ten\u00adse at the moment and hope that my wife will go into labour as soon as pos\u00adsi\u00adble and we can hold our son in our arms. \tWho is the Holy Spi\u00adrit for you? How would you descri\u00adbe him? At Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, things were tur\u00adned upsi\u00adde down with the recep\u00adti\u00adon of the Holy Spi\u00adrit. The Holy Spi\u00adrit is the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble one, and yet he appears to us humans in a per\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adble and audi\u00adble way. The Holy Spi\u00adrit \u2013 God in us. Through the power of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, the events of Babel are rever\u00adsed. Peo\u00adp\u00adle from dif\u00adfe\u00adrent countries\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-6773","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nI think the disci\u00adples of Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago had a simi\u00adlar expe\u00adri\u00adence as me and my wife. They were clo\u00adse to Jesus for three years and expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced a lot. But after the\u00adse three years, Jesus Christ was exe\u00adcu\u00adted like a fel\u00adon. But he rose again from the dead after three days. After that, he lived ano\u00adther 40 days on this earth befo\u00adre he went back to hea\u00adven. But befo\u00adre Jesus left this earth, he made an announce\u00adment to his disci\u00adples: \u00abAnd now I will send you the Holy Spi\u00adrit, just as my Father pro\u00admi\u00adsed. But you stay here in the city until the Holy Spi\u00adrit comes and fills you with power from hea\u00adven\u00bb (Luke 24:49 NLB<\/span>). Jesus pro\u00admi\u00adsed his disci\u00adples the Holy Spi\u00adrit, who would stay with them and help them to stand firm in their faith. He did say that this Holy Spi\u00adrit would come, but not when. Howe\u00adver, the disci\u00adples knew that they should wait in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem until that time. I think that the disci\u00adples were like me and my wife. They know that some\u00adthing is coming, but they don\u2019t know when. They also don\u2019t know what will hap\u00adpen to them and how their lives might change.
\nThe disci\u00adples spent a lot of time tog\u00ade\u00adther after Jesus\u00bb ascen\u00adsi\u00adon. They came tog\u00ade\u00adther regu\u00adlar\u00adly for pray\u00ader. They were around 120 peo\u00adp\u00adle. And then what we call Pen\u00adte\u00adcost today hap\u00adpen\u00aded. \u00abOn the day of Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, ever\u00adyo\u00adne was gathe\u00adred. Sud\u00adden\u00adly a roar sound\u00aded from hea\u00adven like the roar of a migh\u00adty storm and fil\u00adled the house whe\u00adre they were gathe\u00adred. Then some\u00adthing appeared that loo\u00adked like fla\u00admes that split, like ton\u00adgues of fire that sett\u00adled on each one of them. And all tho\u00adse pre\u00adsent were fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit and began to speak in other lan\u00adguages as the Holy Spi\u00adrit inspi\u00adred them. At that time, God-fea\u00adring Jews from many dif\u00adfe\u00adrent count\u00adries lived in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. When they heard the roar, they ran. Each of them heard the peo\u00adp\u00adle spea\u00adking in his or her own lan\u00adguage. They cried out in ama\u00adze\u00adment: \u00abHow can this be? The\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle are all from Gali\u00adlee, and yet we hear them spea\u00adking in the lan\u00adguages of the lands whe\u00adre we were born! The\u00adre we stand \u2013 Par\u00adt\u00adhi\u00adans, Medes, Ela\u00admi\u00adtes, peo\u00adp\u00adle from Meso\u00adpo\u00adta\u00admia, Judea, Cap\u00adpa\u00addo\u00adcia, Pon\u00adtus, the pro\u00advin\u00adce of Asia, Phry\u00adgia, Pam\u00adphy\u00adlia, Egypt and the ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adries of Libya from the regi\u00adon of Cyre\u00adne, visi\u00adtors from Rome, Jews as well as con\u00adverts to Juda\u00adism, Cre\u00adtans and Arabs \u2013 and we all hear the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle spea\u00adking in our own lan\u00adguages about the deeds of God.\u00bb Asto\u00adnis\u00adhed and con\u00adfu\u00adsed, they stood the\u00adre. \u00abWhat might this mean?\u00bb they asked one ano\u00adther. But some also scof\u00adfed, \u00abThey\u2019\u00adre just drunk, that\u2019s all\u00bb \u00bb (Acts 2:1\u201313 NLB<\/span>).
\nBabel is overcome
\nIn the Bible, quite ear\u00adly on, an ambi\u00adtious buil\u00adding pro\u00adject is writ\u00adten about (Gene\u00adsis 11:1\u20139). This event is also cal\u00adled the Tower of Babel. The peo\u00adp\u00adle who lived at that time got tog\u00ade\u00adther. They all spo\u00adke the same lan\u00adguage. They wan\u00adted to build a high tower on a plain. This tower would enable them to reach God in hea\u00adven. Their goal was to build a land\u00admark in the plain. This would pre\u00advent them from scat\u00adte\u00adring all over the earth. They gave ever\u00ady\u00adthing for their buil\u00adding pro\u00adject. They bur\u00adned bricks and work\u00aded hard. But God in hea\u00adven saw what they were doing. He saw how the peo\u00adp\u00adle wan\u00adted to be like God. So he punis\u00adhed them in a spe\u00adcial way. From one moment to the next, God made all the peo\u00adp\u00adle speak dif\u00adfe\u00adrent lan\u00adguages. Sin\u00adce they no lon\u00adger unders\u00adtood each other, they had to give up their ambi\u00adtious buil\u00adding pro\u00adject and they scat\u00adte\u00adred all over the earth. Always the peo\u00adp\u00adle tog\u00ade\u00adther who spo\u00adke the same lan\u00adguage. The peo\u00adp\u00adle wan\u00adted to stay tog\u00ade\u00adther, but in the end just the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte hap\u00adpen\u00aded \u2013 they were scat\u00adte\u00adred all over the earth.
\nOn the day of Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, which is descri\u00adbed in the Acts of the Apost\u00adles, peo\u00adp\u00adle from all over the world were pre\u00adsent. The\u00adse were all Jews and were con\u00adside\u00adred very God-fea\u00adring. They were in the city becau\u00adse they wan\u00adted to take part in the fes\u00adti\u00adval of Shavuot, which took place on that day. They came from dif\u00adfe\u00adrent count\u00adries. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, they also spo\u00adke dif\u00adfe\u00adrent lan\u00adguages and dialects. When the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle heard the noi\u00adse cau\u00adsed by the Holy Spi\u00adrit, they came to the disci\u00adples. The\u00adre they wit\u00adnessed a spe\u00adcial event. Alt\u00adhough the disci\u00adples were simp\u00adle peo\u00adp\u00adle, wit\u00adhout much know\u00adledge of for\u00adeign lan\u00adguages, each of tho\u00adse pre\u00adsent heard the mes\u00adsa\u00adge in their own mother ton\u00adgue. The Holy Spi\u00adrit rever\u00adsed the event of Babel that day.
\nThe peo\u00adp\u00adle ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly plan\u00adned to build a high tower to keep the peo\u00adp\u00adle tog\u00ade\u00adther. But the plan fai\u00adled. God sent the Holy Spi\u00adrit and through this the dif\u00adfe\u00adrent nati\u00adons and eth\u00adnic groups were united again. But the who\u00adle thing was not done by human power, but by divi\u00adne power.
\nOri\u00adgin of the church
\nSome\u00adthing new came into being at Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. Jesus\u00bb disci\u00adples were still part of the Jewish com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty up to that point. But the Holy Spi\u00adrit marks a new begin\u00adning. He marks the birth of the Chris\u00adti\u00adan Church. In this con\u00adtext, we also always speak of the coven\u00adant. God made a coven\u00adant with the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel. The coven\u00adant bet\u00adween God and the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel began at Mount Sinai. The\u00adre God made a coven\u00adant with his peo\u00adp\u00adle. Every coven\u00adant also includes agree\u00adments to which both coven\u00adant part\u00adners must adhe\u00adre. For exam\u00adp\u00adle, God gave the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel the Ten Com\u00admandments. Every year, the peo\u00adp\u00adle remem\u00adbe\u00adred this kee\u00adping of the law, name\u00adly on Shavuot. The very day on which the Holy Spi\u00adrit now came upon the disci\u00adples. Just as the law of the Old Coven\u00adant indi\u00adca\u00adted how one should live one\u2019s life, so now the Holy Spi\u00adrit, who dwells in every fol\u00adlower of Jesus Christ hims\u00adelf, does so.
\nThrough Pen\u00adte\u00adcost, the breadth of the Chris\u00adti\u00adan mes\u00adsa\u00adge reso\u00adna\u00adtes. Until now, the cho\u00adsen peo\u00adp\u00adle were limi\u00adt\u00aded to the Jews and a few who had con\u00adver\u00adted to Juda\u00adism. But with the Holy Spi\u00adrit, it beco\u00admes clear that the\u00adre are no lon\u00adger lin\u00adgu\u00adi\u00adstic and thus eth\u00adnic boun\u00adda\u00adries. The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel go back to their pro\u00adge\u00adni\u00adtor Abra\u00adham. A pro\u00admi\u00adse was made to him, which fli\u00adckers out here. It was made to him short\u00adly after the tra\u00adge\u00addy of Babel had occur\u00adred and it read as fol\u00adlows: \u00abAll the peo\u00adp\u00adles of the earth will be bles\u00adsed through you\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 11:3b NLB<\/span>).
\nThe life of this first church is descri\u00adbed as fol\u00adlows: \u00abThey par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adted ste\u00adadi\u00adly in the apost\u00adles\u00bb tea\u00adching, fel\u00adlow\u00adship, meals and pray\u00aders. A deep rever\u00adence grip\u00adped all, and the apost\u00adles per\u00adfor\u00admed many signs and won\u00adders. All the belie\u00advers came tog\u00ade\u00adther regu\u00adlar\u00adly and shared ever\u00ady\u00adthing they had. They sold their pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons and shared the pro\u00adceeds with all who were in need. Tog\u00ade\u00adther they pray\u00aded to God dai\u00adly in the temp\u00adle, met to cele\u00adbra\u00adte meals in the hou\u00adses and took meals tog\u00ade\u00adther, which were joyful and gene\u00adrous\u00adly shared. They never stop\u00adped prai\u00adsing God and were respec\u00adted by the peo\u00adp\u00adle. And every day the Lord added new peo\u00adp\u00adle who were being saved\u00bb (Acts 2:42\u201347 NLB<\/span>). This account can\u00adnot be trans\u00adfer\u00adred 1:1 to the church life of the see\u00adtal chi\u00adle. But it shows us what the Holy Spi\u00adrit can do for tho\u00adse who attend the ser\u00advice. It cle\u00adar\u00adly shows that whe\u00adre fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus come tog\u00ade\u00adther, things hap\u00adpen. Life as a fol\u00adlower of Jesus does not hap\u00adpen alo\u00adne, but it needs the other per\u00adson. Thus the church is also par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly visi\u00adble in two things, and the\u00adse two things can\u00adnot be accom\u00adplished alo\u00adne. The\u00adse are bap\u00adtism and the Lord\u2019s Sup\u00adper. Neither can be done alo\u00adne, but need at least one other per\u00adson. In the Lord\u2019s Sup\u00adper it beco\u00admes par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly clear that a fol\u00adlower of Jesus is inte\u00adgra\u00adted into the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. In com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon with God the Father and with his neighbour.
\nThe Holy Spi\u00adrit \u2013 God in me
\nBut the Holy Spi\u00adrit did not come only to res\u00adto\u00adre the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons of Babel. Nor did he come only to bring the Church into being. Rather, He also came to dwell in each and every fol\u00adlower of Jesus Christ.
\nIn the Church, we often speak of God the Father and Jesus Christ. The\u00adse two are usual\u00adly still somehow com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble, but it is more dif\u00adfi\u00adcult with the Holy Spi\u00adrit. On the one hand, he shows hims\u00adelf to be quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, but on the other hand, he is the same. The Holy Spi\u00adrit appears in two ways at Pen\u00adte\u00adcost. He appears in a storm, audi\u00adble to all ears, and second\u00adly as ton\u00adgues of fire, visi\u00adble to all pre\u00adsent. Howe\u00adver, storm and fla\u00admes are not new mani\u00adfes\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons of God, but also cor\u00adre\u00adspond to God the Father as he met his peo\u00adp\u00adle in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. \u00abOur God is coming and he will not be silent. Fire con\u00adsu\u00admes what stands in his way, and a migh\u00adty storm rages around him\u00bb (Psalm 50:3 NLB<\/span>). Thus the Holy Spi\u00adrit is in con\u00adti\u00adnui\u00adty with the other mani\u00adfes\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons of God. But what is new is the num\u00adber of peo\u00adp\u00adle who are touch\u00aded by God in a very per\u00adso\u00adnal way. It can be assu\u00admed that the\u00adre were about 120 peo\u00adp\u00adle at the Pen\u00adte\u00adcost event (Acts 1:15).
\nThe fact that the Holy Spi\u00adrit can\u00adnot real\u00adly be gras\u00adped is also indi\u00adca\u00adted by the Greek word for him. In anci\u00adent Greek, the Holy Spi\u00adrit is descri\u00adbed as \u00abpneu\u00adma\u00bb, which means wind, breath, spi\u00adrit. This descrip\u00adti\u00adon as wind descri\u00adbes it very well. The wind is invi\u00adsi\u00adble, incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adble and yet very powerful. This can be seen very well in a sai\u00adling ship. The wind shows its\u00adelf in the full sails, but other\u00adwi\u00adse it is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to grasp. Only whe\u00adre the Holy Spi\u00adrit appears and shows hims\u00adelf in people\u2019s lives does he beco\u00adme tan\u00adgi\u00adble and show his power.
\nThe Pen\u00adte\u00adcost mira\u00adcle is unders\u00adtood to be the event of Jesus\u00bb fol\u00adlo\u00adwers spea\u00adking in dif\u00adfe\u00adrent lan\u00adguages through the Holy Spi\u00adrit. This event led peo\u00adp\u00adle to won\u00adder how this could hap\u00adpen. They were ama\u00adzed that unedu\u00adca\u00adted peo\u00adp\u00adle were capa\u00adble of such a thing. Others tried to find an expl\u00adana\u00adti\u00adon and found it in accu\u00adsing the disci\u00adples of having drunk too much wine. This cle\u00adar\u00adly shows that whe\u00adre the Holy Spi\u00adrit is at work, not ever\u00adyo\u00adne can place it. Through the Spi\u00adrit of God, some\u00adthing of the crea\u00adti\u00adve power of God Hims\u00adelf comes from hea\u00adven to earth. God\u2019s king\u00addom here on earth has begun through Jesus Christ and the earth is to be trans\u00adfor\u00admed by the power of hea\u00adven. Yet the work of the Spi\u00adrit is met with rejec\u00adtion by others. Fried\u00adrich Schil\u00adler said: \u00abThe world loves to bla\u00adcken what is radi\u00adant and to drag what is sub\u00adli\u00adme into the dust\u00bb (Fried\u00adrich Schil\u00adler). Sin\u00adce God is not of this world, he often can\u00adnot be gras\u00adped and unders\u00adtood by us in this world.
\nBut we are also per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly addres\u00adsed by this state\u00adment. How do I react when some\u00adthing hap\u00adpens that I can\u00adnot clas\u00adsi\u00adfy with my mind? Do I quick\u00adly dis\u00admiss it, or do I allow that I can\u00adnot explain ever\u00ady\u00adthing? Am I open to the work of the Holy Spi\u00adrit? Jesus Christ pro\u00admi\u00adsed us the Holy Spi\u00adrit. Jesus hims\u00adelf was cal\u00adled Emma\u00adnu\u00adel \u2013 God with us. If Jesus was only with us, the Holy Spi\u00adrit wants to dwell in us. This hap\u00adpens when we con\u00adscious\u00adly deci\u00adde for Jesus Christ, then we recei\u00adve the Holy Spi\u00adrit \u2013 God in us. But then the ques\u00adti\u00adon ari\u00adses, may the Spi\u00adrit of God also blow as He wills?
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Acts 2<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat about Pen\u00adte\u00adcost rai\u00adses ques\u00adti\u00adons for you?
\n\tDo you under\u00adstand the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween the Old and the New Covenant?
\n\tWhat beha\u00adviour from Acts 2:42\u201347 do you want to see more of for yours\u00adelf per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly and the see\u00adtal chile?
\n\tHow do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the Holy Spi\u00adrit in you?
\n\tIn what area or in what way do you desi\u00adre the work of the Holy Spi\u00adrit more?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"