May Flowers: Gentiles Baptized with the Holy Spirit - Pastor Hines

 

This is another perfect story from the bible. We like perfect stories and we quickly get over the labor pains that come with the fact that when we try to bring perfect stories to life in our own situations there is a whole lot more to the story.

The Acts 10 story says that the Holy Spirit fell on all those that heard Peter’s sermon. We know what happens when rain falls. We know what happens when snow falls, but do we know what happens when the Holy Spirit falls. Yes, we do. When the Holy Spirit falls it means, first of all, that someone has heard the word of God. When we are in a position to listen, we can hear. When we are listening, we draw God’s word to us like a magnet.

It reminds me of a lightning rod that attracts electricity and helps to keep it from destroying. Around the year 1752 a Catholic priest Procopius Divis (1698-1765 – aged 67) from Bohemia Czechoslovakia in Central Europe and got his doctorate in theology, served a parish for five years. Then around 1742 the war came. For whatever undocumented reason, Priest Procopius was arrested – perhaps for some political involvement. His fellow priests resented paying a very, very, large amount in “bail,” so Procopius was “put out to pasture” and wound up managing a farm, taking

care of water conduits and such. He became interested in the scientific talk of the day which was electricity and electrical charges and lightning strikes.

Electricity was “discovered” around 1750. Progress was slow. One hundred years later in 1882 Edison (1847-1931 aged 84) put electric lights in Manhattan. Lewis Latimer (1848-1928 - aged 80) son of escaped slaves, was also an inventor. He worked with Edison to perfect the lightbulb. Nearly 50 years later in 1925 only half the homes in the US had electricity. Bethel Trustees arranged for electricity at the parsonage in 1928! They were probably ahead of most of the neighbors.

With Procopius the priest, one thing led to another in his work and exploration on the farm to which he was sort of banished. He is said to have invented a crude type of lightening rod in 1753 around the same time that Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790 D. 84) did in 1752. They both believed that their lightning rod could attract lightening from storm clouds and pull it safely into the ground. We can surely see God’s handiwork in nature. Just as a lightning rod attracts lightening, the word inside of us attracts the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, bringing light and endless possibilities for spiritual development!

The Holy Spirit fell, not only on those who had prepared for it and expected it, and for whom it was obvious, but the Holy Spirit fell, according to verse 45, on Gentiles as well. God sent the Holy Spirit on those who were not in the inner circle, who did not belong, who did not know the culture, but who were listening. Peter was astounded. He was shocked, surprised and thrown off his game.

What do we do with things that are out of the norm? Or things that stir up a storm. We have to listen for God’s direction. We have to hear our hearts and see if we are in tune with the will of God. We have to be ready to sing when the Spirit says “sing,” to shout when the Spirit says “shout,” pray when the Spirit says “pray.”

Peter listened to the Gentiles and started a courageous conversation and they were baptized just like the Jews who decided to follow Jesus. It was against the “rules” for Gentiles to be baptized. Peter broke the rules when the Holy Spirit fell on him. When the Holy Spirit fell, Peter discovered that the Holy Spirit was doing something far, far above what he had thought possible. Peter understood that the Holy Spirit was leading him to something higher, greater, and more powerful than he had experienced before. It was as if a lightbulb came on in his head.  It was an energizing, if not electrifying moment.

Verse 48 tells us that the Gentiles invited Peter to stay for several days at which time, for sure, there were more courageous conversations, more daring opportunities, more love shared.

When most of us were baptized there were probably no culture rules that were broken, no religious rites that were violated. Baptism is a public proclamation that we belong to God. By faith though, we belong to God whether or not we proclaim it.

But, especially since we have vowed to follow Jesus and to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and spirit we will put ourselves in a position to hear God speak. As we are listening to the word of God, the Holy Spirit may fall on us too. It may come as a sprinkle, a pouring, or a flood, but it should be no surprise, should it?

What might come as a surprise is our courage to break a few cultural rules, or to have several courageous conversations instead of guessing about what’s going on or gossiping about certain situations and people. Listen to God and let the “chips” fall where they may. Amen.