10^th June 2009

Accredited by God – Acts 2:22-24, 32-33

In late May of about the year 32-33AD a group of local residents from Jerusalem, plus many thousands of visitors from other nations, regions, and backgrounds in the Holy City for the Jewish Feast of Harvest experienced a dramatic encounter from another time and place. The glory and power of heaven from time eternal swept into the world of Roman military domination and everything the Jews and other pilgrims had known and believed for centuries in was affected. Life was so dramatically affected that the world would never be the same again.

Today’s reading follows on from last week’s reading for Pentecost Sunday. It shows some of the stunned reaction to the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Imagine a crowd of many hundreds, probably thousands, milling around in the streets of Jerusalem.  Word of mouth has drawn many more out into the crowd that had originally rushed into the streets when the awesome sound of a rushing wind had rocked the city. Now the word was spreading further. Men from Galilee, untrained fishermen who were known as followers of the so-called Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, (the man they’d seen crucified seven weeks ago but rumoured to have risen from the dead), were preaching in multiple languages.  God had done something great in the midst of the Feast of Harvest.

Lives were being changed right before the eyes of those curious spectators. It was at that point that Peter stood and preached his heart out. (And we understand from the context of the passage that the entire crowd heard Peter’s words in their own language...)

“Men of Israel”, said Peter, “listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know...”  Acts 2:22

Take note of that word accredited. It means Jesus had the right, the credentials, to say what He said, to teach what He taught, and to do what He had done.  And what was the accreditation that Peter referred to? It was the miracles, signs, and wonders which God did through Him in the midst of many of the very people in the streets that morning. The general population of Jerusalem, and those from nearby Galilee and Capernaum, had often stood as curious crowds and listened to Jesus preach. Many had seen the healings and other signs for themselves or they had heard of them from other eye witnesses.  Some would have stood, watching with a mixture of horror and ridicule, as Jesus was crucified.

Then, in a moment of time the world changed.

• It was the Roman authorities that had crucified Jesus, but
• It was the crowds of Jerusalem who had bayed for His blood.
• It was the Jewish religious leaders who had sought His execution. 
• It was the sceptics who had stood back and watched as the gentle, loving, friendly Man of God was dragged away. 

Now – his hands still rough from years of dragging fishing nets and speaking with a distinctive ‘backwoods’ accent from Galilee – Peter proclaimed that Jesus had actually been credentialed by God and he said they knew it if they bothered to think about all that they’d seen and heard over the past three years.

Then, in one powerful sentence, Peter affirmed what God had just done in their midst. Acts 2:33 says... “Exalted to the right hand of God, [Jesus] has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”

As an ordained Minister I am here among you with certain ministry credentials. There is a spiritual authority that is uniquely mine – one that comes with a great responsibility for me... It’s one I can’t really share with others.

We have Elders that have been commissioned – credentialed – to exercise holy love, pastoral care, spiritual authority, and leadership in this congregation.   Yet what of your authority; what of your credentials - Do you have any?

Peter stood among the crowds that day and spoke God’s word. Peter spoke with an authority given to him by the Lord. His accreditation that morning as he stood and preached was the power of the Spirit.  Everyone there knew that Galilean fishermen couldn’t speak multiple languages – especially those languages from the far off reaches of the known world. Everyone there knew this was a God-moment and they reacted accordingly. What they had believed... their existing religious habits and long history of ritualised sacrifice... was suddenly being confronted and transformed. Like a visit from another time and place, God had come among them and nothing could remain the same.

What accredits you, us, among the crowds of our streets?  What is it that shows our story to be true...our Jesus to be real?

I have a Theology Degree and I have passed UCA ministerial requirements but I can’t wave my papers them in front of people and say, “See my papers? Why don’t you believe in Jesus?” What makes my ministry effective is not my qualifications but how I display Jesus in my life and how the Holy Spirit flows in my ministry.  The results of the Elders elections are a matter of record here, but the minutes of that meeting won’t help the Elders bring people to Jesus. And it’s the same with all of us... If you hold up your baptism certificate or show people your name tag, will that help them see Jesus?  Obviously we need something else to accredit us.

The Book of Acts is one of the most wonderful sections of all Scripture. It is a book, a proven historical record, of everyday people acting in the awesome power and grace of God.  It is not just that God did many spectacular things - which He did - but rather that very ordinary people like you and me became channels, vessels, of the mighty power of God. Acts is an historical report of people living out their faith, people acting within their accreditation, of people living in and acting on the authority they had as believers to do the things that Jesus taught them...the same things that Jesus has taught us.

Pentecost didn’t end on the evening of that great day in Jerusalem in May 32 or 33AD. Pentecost kept happening as Jesus continued to pour out His love, grace, and equipping power on countless lives over nearly 2000 years of history. The power of Heaven has broken into life, and the Spirit of God is at work.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Amen

Rev Rob Tann
Unity Hill - 5th June 2009