Theme: Toy Box #5- Umbrella (Sunday 4th October, 2020)
Series: Life Lessons from the Toy Box
Bible Reading: Psalm 61:1-8
Preacher: Rev Phil Swain
The last of our sermon series looking at profound Biblical principles and promises that we can learn from our childhood toys and today we are soaring while playing with Kites as we ponder how God helps and upholds us.
When you younger did you ever play with a kite? This is my children’s kite and we have had many wonderful times of watching this kite fly high in the sky.
Do you want to see this kite fly? [Put kite on floor and yell at it to fly]
It’s not flying? Why isn’t it flying? [It needs wind]
That’s the thing about Kites – they are very flimsy and weak by themselves … they can’t do much on their own (maybe just look pretty)
Have you had times in your life that we feel like this kite sitting on the ground? That all the wind has gone from you and you are just deflated?
Easter Saturday Story …
- They had just spent three years with Jesus, working with him, seeing his miracles, receiving his teaching and now … Jesus was dead.
- Lost and dejected – believe that Jesus was the one
- Peter would have felt guilty for denying, others guilty for running away
- Flat like a kite without any wind…
Fast forward a 24 hours and its all different
- Excited and energised
- Bold and ready to proclaim the good news.
How could things change so much over 24 hours.
Psychologist … a person can’t change that quickly unless something has happened. Jesus is alive – the resurrection changed everything.
Only 5 weeks later, the disciples have another experience which flattened them … that – we’ll sucked the wind from their wings. A time that the disciples felt like a kite without the wind. They were so excited and energised by the resurrection … and the risen Jesus had been back for 5 week … but now… Jesus was saying that he was leaving … going back to his father and leave his ministry to his disciples.
They would have been feeling a bit like the kite … how can we do anything by ourselves. We need help if we are going to be your witnesses here in Jerusalem or Judah or to the ends of the earth. We need help.
Jesus reminds them that they have already been promised help. Jesus in John 14 that told them not to worry or be anxious. When he leaves he will ask God to send a helper – the Holy Spirit – who will come and help them and guide them and remind them of all that Jesus said. The Holy Spirit will be the wind that will help them.
Then in Acts 1 – just as Jesus was about to ascend into heaven – Jesus said, “Just wait in Jerusalem for this Holy Spirit – in a few days you will receive the Holy Spirit and when you do you will receive the power you need to continue my work”
And that is what happened. The disciples and the other followers of Jesus were meeting together and a great wind came and then what looked like tongues of fire appeared on their heads and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Suddenly they went from being flimsy, weak people to amazing missionaries for God.
- Peter … this broken, guilty man becomes the leader of the church.
- The disciples went from hiding in a room to willing to die for Jesus
- They went from timid people afraid to speak to declaring the good news to all and 3000 people believed on that day.
Remember the comment from the psychologist … something must have happened for this dramatic change. What happened this time? The Holy Spirit came.
Do you know what? God also promises to give us the Holy Spirit to help us too.
As Peter said in Acts 2:16-18
this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘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.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
So when we are feeling weak or flimsy, when we feel that we can go on … we can call upon the Holy Spirit who can come to us like a wind to a kite and help us to soar.
One of my favourite passages from the bible is Isaiah 40:28-31
Context of Isaiah …
- first part … turn back to God or you might find yourself without God’s blessings. Like a kite without wind. Sure enough that is what happened and they were taken into exile.
- Second part … God has not forgotten us. If we call out to God … God will hear us. And all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved!
So our reading comes in a tough time. People were feeling flat. And then the wind came… (2nd kite)
28 Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
May we all experience this in our lives