¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ¹¹ [W]e hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

–Acts 2.1-8, 11-13 (NIV)

If you have ever wondered why the early church was a game changer for its world, look no further than this passage because here we are told about the secret of Jesus’ first followers. They became game changers for their world because they had God’s Spirit living in them and this helped them become people they could not become on their own. Likewise for us who live twenty-one centuries later.

I have often wondered why I have not been more bold in my discipleship and by God’s grace have come to realize that one of the major reasons is that I have ignored this fact. There are many times when I do not acknowledge the Spirit’s Presence and Power in me and have deluded myself into thinking that I have to act on my own. Not so, says Luke in today’s lesson! This is a remarkable story in its own right. It is even more remarkable when we remember that right after Jesus’ crucifixion some 50 days earlier the disciples had been a group of sniveling cowards, afraid of their own shadow. So what changed for them?

One of the answers to this question is that they enjoyed the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit. In the context of this story we are told that their ability to speak about God in the native language of their listeners was an utterly amazing thing. But we limit the power and scope of this message if we restrict it to just the ability to speak in other languages. When we are open to the Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit, we remember that we are acting on God’s power and God’s authority, not our own. God uses our individual gifts and talents that he has blessed us with but when we act on the power of the Spirit, we can turn heads and leave people amazed.

For example, when we bring the love of Christ to bear on broken and hurting people, others may ask us why we are doing that. Why would we put the needs of others on the same level as our own needs? Why would we live sacrificially for the sake of others? Why would we refuse to exact revenge on those who do us wrong? Why would we pray for those who are actively and openly hostile toward us? All of this is foolishness in the world’s eyes but it is not foolishness in God’s economy. It’s the active expectation for how we should behave in our relationships because we are doing what Jesus told us to do–deny ourselves, take up our cross every day, and follow him.

As Lord of this universe, Jesus has chosen to exert his sovereign power through his people who gather together as his body, the Church. We are expected to bring his healing love and redemption to everyone because as Jesus reminded us, God makes his light to shine on both the good and the bad. And so we who follow him must choose to be bearers of Jesus’ light for others, especially our enemies.

But we must remember that we are not called to do this on our own or by our own power. The thought of doing that would be quite overwhelming for most of us because God usually calls us to tasks beyond our puny ability to accomplish. Think, for example, of Jesus’ command to his disciples to make disciples of all nations. Talk about a daunting task! But nothing is impossible for God who has the power to raise us from the dead. Nothing. And so we go forth and love and serve in Jesus’ name, bringing his healing love to all with whom we come into contact. We do so with the confidence that God is with us and when we have that kind of active faith, we can expect God to use us to change the world.

If you cannot find hope, meaning, and purpose in that promise, I don’t think you ever will.

Here, then, is a self-check for you as you reflect on your discipleship (or lack thereof). What kind of fruit is your life bearing? Is it fruit of the flesh that will manifest itself in selfish, self-centered, and disordered behavior or is it the fruit of the Spirit that will manifest itself in love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, etc.? Most likely you will notice both fruits, at least in the beginning, because we humans are a disorderly and willful bunch. But as you allow God’s Spirit to work in you and change you, you will likely notice more fruit of the Spirit and less fruit of the flesh. And as today’s lesson reminds us, when that happens you will not be the only one who takes notice. Others will notice too and be amazed and bewildered because here is something breathtakingly new and fresh, something not of this world but something this world desperately needs more of.

When you have the Spirit of God living in you, you had better be prepared to buckle up because you will be in for the ride of your life. You’ll live beyond your human means but the neat thing is that in doing so, you will discover what it is like to really be human.