Blue Lake Presbyterian Church | 5-10-2015
Good morning,
My name is Lane DeVries, I am a member of the Eureka Presbyterian church for 10 years and a past elder. With Karen Rudin leaving to Santa Rosa, Liz Smith asked me if I she could put my name on the calendar to preach in this church. My first reaction was, hey I am just a flower farmer, not a theologian. But then again it doesn’t take a theologian to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Look at the disciples, they were mostly fishermen, but extremely effectively in spreading the message.
Let me start with saying a few words about my back ground. My family has been in flower farming for four generations in Holland, I came to this great country in 1983 with $160.- in my pocket. Started working at Sun Valley in 1984, first as lily grower than operation manager to general manger and in 1991 bought the company together with two partners from Holland. My wife Kathryn and I have been married for 30 years this December. We adopted two children Tony and Sarah, which are now 21 and 19.
I grew up in a Dutch Reformed family; the Presbyterian Church and the Dutch reformed church both trace their roots back to John Calvin in Switzerland. Growing up I left the faith for a while to return about 10 years ago. A few years ago I shared my faith journey with the Eureka congregation and apparently I must have inspired some folks. It may have something to do why I am here today.
What day is it today?? In the flower business Mother’s day is the largest event of the whole year. The 3 weeks leading up to this day are grueling. The typical day from 5 am to 8 pm, with some hours of sleep in between. When Milt asked if I could do the sermon today, I paused, thought be myself I must be nuts, but said yes.
Earlier this week I was driving home at 8.15 in the evening, broke out in a cold sweat, that’s right this coming Sunday I am doing the sermon. What am I going to do? First inclination was anxiety. Then a feeling came, step back and let the Holy Spirit lead the way. Driving the car I turned on the radio and flipped some channels, and low and behold as I turned on a Christian station, Sister Ann Shields is giving commentary on Act 10 44-48 and Psalm 98. It proofs that putting your trust in the Lord always pays off.
The opening hymn we sang this morning, Come o Spirit dwell among us, is typically used on Pentecost Sunday, which is only two weeks away, but based on today’s scripture reading of Acts 10: 44-48 the event that transpired was very similar. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down onto the disciples, here the same thing happens to the Gentiles.
Reading act 10 44-48: While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
For Christian believers the book of Acts is arguably one of the most significant books in the bible. Written by Doctor Luke it is the best manifestation of the birth of the Christian church. Today’s reading is the essence of why we are here this morning.
There are two things I would like to highlight this morning: 1) the presence of the Holy spirit, and 2) Even the gentiles receiving this incredible gift.
The Holy Spirit is mentioned in the books of Acts 41 times, more than any other book in the bible, more often than any of the gospels or epistles. In the Old Testament there is a passage in Psalm 51 where David prays: Cast me not away from your presence, and take not YOUR holy spirit from me….. Aside from this passage there is no mention of THE Holy Spirit in the entire Old Testament.
There a references to holy place, holy garment, holy temple, holy city and Holy Mountain. It describes the burning bush and the column of fire leading the Israelites through the wilderness at night in their Exodus from Egypt, but no mention of the Holy Spirit.
In Matthews Gospel Mary is found with a child of the Holy Spirit. There a several references to The Holy Spirit in all four Gospels but in the Acts of Apostles the Holy Spirit takes front stage.
The Holy Spirit is alive and well today. It has the power to dwell in people’s hearts and do magnificent things.
Augustine said:
O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.
The second thing I would like to highlight is the words: EVEN the gentiles are receiving this beautiful gift
Verse 45: The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles,
Even the gentiles, folks that means you and me, this is very significant. If it wasn’t for this turn of events in acts 10, the Christian church could not have grown beyond the Jewish believers and we would not be here this morning.
Prior to this happening, taking place around 40 AD, God had been the God of Israel the God of the Jews. God’s only begotten son Jesus was called the King of the Jews.
God’s divine election of Israel started 2000 years earlier with Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham and promised: I will make of you a great nation and I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies.
Folks, this was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the 12 sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel. The Israelites indeed multiplied at an escalating rate while in Egypt for over 400 years.
It was God that ordered Moses to lead his fellow Israelites out of Egypt from the heavy hand of Pharaoh. The God that brought down the plagues on Pharaoh, God that struck on the night of the Passover and killed all Egyptian first born sons.
It was God that led the Israelites on a 6 day march through the Sinai Peninsula wilderness, day and night, it was God that opened the waters of red sea allowed nearly two million of his people to cross to the other side, the land of Medina, and subsequently destroy the entire Egypt army that was chasing them.
It was God that provided manna to the Israelites and kept them fed for 40 years. God was there when the Israelites reoccupied Judea, all the land the he had promised to them.
God was there in Jericho, as the Israelites circled the city wall and it crumbled.
It was God that blessed David, God that provided Solomon with infinite wisdom, and brought prosperity to Israel.
God was there during the exile to Babylon and the return to the land of Israel. When the Jews came back and rebuilt the temple God was there.
The Prophets in the Old Testament prophesied the coming of the messiah. But it was the messiah of the Jews.
Jesus preached to the Jews, his disciples were Jews, Mary Magdalene was a Jewish women, Saul was a Jewish Pharisee became a believer in Jesus Christ after his conversion changed his name to Paul but was a Jew.
The early believers described in Acts were Jews. Despite The Pharisees and religious leaders’ disapproval the early church grew exponentially among the Jewish people, the people of God.
In acts 10 and acts 11 Luke twice describes a vision where Peter falls into a trance and saw the heaven open up a down came a sheet with animals that were unclean under Jewish law spelled out in Leviticus 11, a voice said Peter, kill and eat, and Peter said by no means Lord I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
This prelude sets the stage for the Holy Spirit to come unto the gentiles.
The significance is EVEN the Gentiles, so in other words the God of the Jews is no longer only the God of the Jews. Ladies and Gentlemen this is amazing, think of the joy this must have created.
As I said earlier I have been in the flower business my whole life, it is not an easy business, competition from South America, rising cost, and big supermarket customers hammering down the price we try to get for the flowers, but despite all that it is a great business. Every day I am reminded of what it is that we produce besides the actual flower……. it is Joy. (hand someone a Bouquet) Every time someone receives flowers it elicits Joy. Have you ever seen a person receiving flowers and not being happy?
Think of this joy that overcame the crowd when this Holy spirt came to dwell among them.
It is that same joy that David articulates in psalm 98
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things.
With his right hand and his holy arm has he won for himself the victory.
The LORD has made known his victory; his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; *
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
So how does this work, how can the God of the Jews also now be the God of the gentiles, our God?
Being a flower farmer, we plant bulbs and seeds and grow them into flowers. We also grow flowers from shrubs, sometimes these shrubs need to be grafted, use the root stock from of one species that has strong growing characteristics and graft another variety on top of this root stock that has more desirable color or shapes of flowers. We grow rosehips in Willow creek planted some at Canada farm in Ontario, and local farmer advised us to graft them on cold weather root stock.
Paul in his letter to the Romans uses the beautiful analogy of the olive tree. The gentiles are the branch of a wild Olive tree that is grafted on the cultivated olive tree that depicts the Jewish people the people of God.
The grafted branch draws its water and nutrients through the roots and the trunk of the cultivated tree and get its strength from this tree, the tree of God,
In his first letter John underscores this in chapter 5: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
The outpouring of the Holy spirit on the gentiles started a fire storm of evangelization across the nations receiving the message of Jesus Christ.
The disciples spread across much of the Eastern Mediterranean, Paul and Barnabas into Asia minor or current day Turkey and into Greece.
Paul in particular reached out to non-Jews and effectively spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
The Christian population has been growing ever since.
Just in the last 100 years the number has nearly quadrupled. Today it is estimated that there are 2.2 billion believers across the world.
In conclusion; God was the God of the Israelites for 2000 years. It all changed when the Holy spirit came upon the non-believers and has blessed all those who believe as well.
Those that have accepted the gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior.
But here is crux of the matter, only those that believe will receive the gift.
And why would one not want to receive a gift.
It is like walking down the street and a total stranger hand you a check for a million dollars written in your name. The check can be redeemed, as long you repent of your sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, and believe.
I can’t image too many folks would turn around and ignore that gift.
The gift of the Holy Spirit,
The gift of salvation,
The gift of Jesus Christ our Lord and savior is available to all those that believe,
Amen
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