“The Birthday of the Church”
Acts 2 (selected verses)
Pentecost – June 8, 2025
Acts 2 (selected verses)
Scripture
A certain retired minister in Texas claims that he doesn’t remember a single sermon
he heard during his entire childhood.
On his confirmation day, the Sunday when he walked forward in church to confess his faith,
to acknowledge Jesus Christ as his Lord, Martin Pike says he can’t for the life of him
remember what the minister preached on that day.
Pike admits that he doesn’t even remember much of the substance of sermons
he has heard as an adult, including the hundreds of sermons that he preached himself.
But, Martin Pike claims, “Undoubtedly sermons have their place in the scheme of things.”
He arrived at the conclusion that sermons are sort of like push-ups.
“Even though you may not be able to remember a single push-up,
and you may not be able to identify the exact portion of the human anatomy that is being
benefited by such an exercise, push-ups do have a way of influencing overall health.”
He concluded his article by stating that “hearing an occasional sermon
has about as much value as doing the occasional push-up.”
(Presbyterian Outlook, “Sermons”, Vol.177, No.21, June 5, 1995.)
Occasional worship attendance probably has just about as much value
as an occasional jog. I suppose it could be said that,
as a congregation, we are doing our spiritual exercises this morning.
When we gather together for fellowship and prayers and the breaking of bread,
we are strengthened in faith – bit by bit, week by week.
But there is far more to this weekly gathering than cause and effect.
There is more to growing in faith than realizing positive benefit from our limited human efforts.
The work of the Holy Spirit is critical; the Spirit provides the life-altering transformation –
sometimes all at once, and sometimes over many years.
The Sunday morning gathering of the people for the proclamation of the Word,
for the breaking of bread and prayers, is the primary function of the church.
Strip everything else away – the buildings and bulletins,
the pews and the paraments, the committees and the councils,
the youth retreats and staff meetings, the operating budgets and capital campaigns,
and yes, even the choirs and candles, if all these were to disappear,
we would still be the Church.
The church is not the buildings or the clergy or the session or the staff.
The church is the gathering of the people of God around the Word of God
for the sake of the glory of God.
The church exists, first and foremost, for the worship and praise of Almighty God.
And somehow, by God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, as we worship,
we are changed, we are transformed – maybe not all at once, maybe bit by bit,
but there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is at work among us today,
at work on me and on you and in our gathering at the table.
In Acts 2, the eleven disciples (and probably some others) gathered on a Sunday morning
in Jerusalem, exactly 50 days after the first Easter, seven weeks after the resurrection.
They gathered there to wait on the Spirit, as Jesus had instructed them to do.
And suddenly, there was a rush of a violent wind.
Something like tongues of fire rested upon each of them.
The Holy Spirit filled them, and enabled them to speak the Word of God in other languages.
Thousands of Jewish faithful who had come to Jerusalem from all over the Mediterranean basin
heard the eleven speaking in their own languages. Amazed and perplexed,
the crowds which had gathered for the harvest festival wondered what this might mean.
Peter stood up, raised his voice, and addressed the crowd.
He quoted the Old Testament prophecy of Joel. He quoted the psalms of David.
He spoke of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,
He proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Christ, as the Promised Messiah.
The crowds responded to Peter. They were “cut to the heart”.
They asked what they should do.
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you”, Peter replied.
That day, on the birthday of the Church, over two thousand years ago,
thousands were added to their number. From that day forward,
the faithful have gathered on the first day of the week, every week.
They have devoted themselves to worship –
to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.
From that day forward, countless lives and countless communities have been transformed.
From that day forward, members of the church have pooled their resources,
supported the worship of the church, ensured the care of widows and orphans,
and given generously to those who demonstrated need.
From that day forward, throughout the world,
the followers of Jesus have shared their homes and their hearts.
They have praised God with song, they have embodied God’s love with hospitality,
and they have found the favor of people throughout the world.
From that birthday forward, every day the Lord continues to add to the number
those who are being saved.
We have had a wonderful week here in BAM Camp, Bible and Music Camp.
Friday’s musical presentation of Jonah was heart-warming and joyful.
Emily and Lori and Frank and Miche and so many others made this past week
wonderful and hospitable for the children.
We had some kids who had never participated in church before.
We had some teenage volunteers who got a good taste of what church life can offer.
We had some non-member parents who witnessed their kids being loved and encouraged,
who gained a better understanding of what the kin-dom of God can be like.
Tully and the advisors left with the youth group an hour ago to spend a week
at the Montreat Youth Conference.
A few of those kids have never been on a church youth retreat.
A number of those kids have been through some difficult seasons in their young lives.
Our youth group and the new friends among them are going to have a good, meaningful week,
and they will return to us and to their families a bit different, a bit more spiritually mature,
a bit more aware of the value of Christian fellowship and worship.
Pentecost reminds us that as we gather as the people of God,
we are not simply exercising our fallible, tentative faith for spiritual exercise;
we are providing a conduit for the Holy Spirit to be present among us, and to transform us.
Many people ask the honest question these days: why should I go to church?
For me, the number one reason that any of us would attend worship
is that Church is where we are likely to see and hear and meet Jesus,
and even become friends with Jesus of Nazareth.
And Church is where we get to know other friends of Jesus.
Did you know that if a young person has five adults, other than their parents,
to whom they can go when they have a need, they have a far, far greater chance
for wholeness and wellness in life, for stability and personal success.
In Church, we become connected to a different way of life, a manner of living,
that is beyond ourselves and our nuclear family.
The Church and its people can lift our spirits, help us in our need,
comfort us in our distress, and challenge us in our complacency.
In Church, we come to know ourselves as children of God.
In Church, we gain a sense of belonging to God’s people.
In Church, we discover the idea of vocation, of matching our calling in life
with our personal, unique gifts.
In Church, we learn to love and care for people of all ages and classes and races.
In Church, we become engaged in efforts and projects that help people’s real needs,
both locally and globally.
In Church, we discovers others who have similar faith values and commitments.
In Church we learn about justice and righteousness,
we learn about right living and about God’s desire for equity.
We practice timeless ways of helping people in our community.
We develop a personal relationship with God
and we nurture right and healthy relationships with others.
In Church, we become engaged in the world-saving mission of Jesus Christ.
Is the Church imperfect? yes. Is every congregation imperfect? yes
In Church, will you have to learn to deal with some challenging or difficult people? yes
In Church, will you disagree, sometimes vehemently, with others? of course
But learning to relate to worship and break bread with those different from us
is an important part of anyone’s faith journey.
We cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit but we can control the gathering of the faithful.
We can show up for worship, not just occasionally, but regularly.
We can devote ourselves to prayer.
We can encourage the development of new disciples.
The Holy Spirit will always blow where it will, but God’s Spirit sure seems to be biased
towards the faithful gathering of Christians around the Word of God.
When the Holy Spirit breathes into such a gathering, things start happening.
New people are added, members become devoted to teaching and fellowship,
people of diverse backgrounds break bread together and offer prayers for one another.
The prophet Isaiah promised long ago that those who wait on the Lord
will find their strength renewed. Those who wait on the Lord will rise on wings like eagles. Those who wait on the Lord will run and not be weary; they will walk and not faint.
On this birthday of the Church, we remember that what we do here is good and right and true.
The Holy Spirit is at work here, above and beyond and through our faltering efforts.
Sometimes the Spirit speaks to us through an anthem, sometimes through a bit of liturgy,
sometimes through the stirring of our hearts or the wonderings of our minds.
On this birthday of the Church, anticipate that the One who began the Church long ago
is still very much at work in this place, breathing new life into us and hope for a better world.
Thanks be to God for the gift of the Church! given for the sake of those gathered here,
and encouraged to live in faith for the sake of the entire community in which we live.
Amen.
Rev. Dr. Todd Speed
Decatur Presbyterian Church
Decatur, Georgia
