Ringwood Knox Parish

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Year C – Pentecost Sunday – By the power of the Holy Spirit

8 June 2025 - Year C - Pentecost Sunday

Text: Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,     and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,     and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,     in those days I will pour out my Spirit;         and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above     and signs on the earth below,         blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness     and the moon to blood,         before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

New International Version - for other versions see BibleGateway.com

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Sermon - Year C – Pentecost Sunday – By the power of the Holy Spirit

Pastor Peter Ghalayini

Today we celebrate what is considered to be the birth-day of the Christian Church – the Day of Pentecost.  Fifty days after Easter – the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in a powerful presence, igniting the early church and empowering believers to spread the Gospel. This is the promise of Jesus when he said – wait in the city until you have been clothed with ‘power from on high’. This is the POWER of the Christian. This is the POWER of the Christian Church.

I dare say that without the Holy Spirit both would cease to exist. It is a day of transformation, bringing with it the fullness of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t get talked about much in mainstream churches. But this remarkable event invites you to consider what it means for you to live in the power of the Holy Spirit today. In Acts chapter 2 we read about the Holy Spirit arriving with the sound of a mighty wind and tongues of fire resting upon the apostles.  This was an intentional action by God – the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in John 14:26, where He said, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds to understand God’s word. That is what Jesus promised to the Disciples: The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Imagine the awe and wonder in that moment!  The disciples, filled with fear and uncertainty after Jesus’ ascension, suddenly find themselves empowered by the very Spirit of God. The birth of the Church is marked by the Spirit’s powerful wind and transforming fire.  It’s a reminder that God is always faithful to His promises. Pentecost reveals that the Holy Spirit is not just for a select few; it is for all who believe. As Peter says in his very first sermon, quoting the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

As we read further in Acts, we see the immediate result of this outpouring of the Spirit — boldness!  Peter, once a man who denied Christ out of fear,  A man who sank when he saw the wind and the waves, Now boldly preaching to the crowd, bringing thousands to faith in one sermon. What transformed him?  It was the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s the same Holy Spirit that has been given to you. The same Holy Spirit that has made his home in you as Paul says: Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God.

How often do we find ourselves timid or hesitant to share our faith? The Holy Spirit gives us the courage to speak out, to love deeply, and to serve others – even those with whom we disagree. The same Spirit that emboldened Peter lives within us!  It’s not a different Holy Spirit today – it’s the one and the same.

On this Pentecost Sunday, let us ask ourselves: Where is God calling me to be bold in my faith?  Where is God calling our church to be bold in our faith?  How can we let the Holy Spirit guide and empower our actions wherever we are?

Another powerful aspect of the Pentecost narrative is the diversity of languages heard by the onlookers. People from different nations understood the apostles speaking in their native tongues.  This reminds us that the message of Christ transcends all barriers — cultural, linguistic, and social. We saw that recently with Peter when he went to the home of a gentile, Cornelius. In our world today, where division and strife seem to cause so much hurt and violence, the Holy Spirit calls us into unity.

Romans 8:26-27 reminds us that the Spirit intercedes for us and prays for us — even when we do not know what to pray.

What an amazing gift the Holy Spirit brings as I constantly hear people speak about the difficulties they have in praying.

The Spirit connects believers across the globe, urging us to embrace our differences while reminding us of our united identity in Christ.

On this Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded that the Gospel is for everyone.  It is our mission to be living examples of that message of love and acceptance and to listen to others, and to invite them into the family of God. Pentecost is about empowerment for ministry. As we go forth, we do so not in our own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Jesus was so insistent – WAIT – Wait until you have received power from on high because if you go out without the Holy Spirit you enter into dangerous territory. And that’s because, as Paul says elsewhere – For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It was like in the Old Testament when Israel thought they could defeat the enemy by themselves: Moses said: “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies who will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.” Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. Then the enemy who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way down the mountain.

The gifts of the Spirit are given to each one of us for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7).  This isn’t just about personal empowerment; it’s about empowering the mission of the church.As you reflect on your life, what gifts has the Spirit bestowed upon you?  How can you use those gifts to serve your neighbour, your community, our church and the world? In a time when the needs around us are great, the Spirit equips us to meet those needs. As we celebrate this Pentecost, let’s remember that the Holy Spirit is alive and active within each of us. He empowers, emboldens, unites, and equips us for the work of the Kingdom.

May your Pentecost be filled with the Spirit’s power!