Once I read an article in a writers' magazine about "point of view." That means whether a story is written in first-person: I; or third-person: he, she, or they.

The writer said the greatest challenge is to write in second-person: you. So I had to try it in this narrative sermon.

Introduction

Christians celebrate Pentecost every year. But we often forget the story of the second Pentecost in Acts 4. Relive the story from the viewpoint of one member of the Church in Jerusalem. Imagine you are that person.

You Recall the Recent Events

You walk through the narrow streets of Jerusalem. You are headed for an urgent church meeting. Streets filled with people, animals, and jostling carts. But you are too preoccupied to notice them.

As you walk, you're thinking about all that has happened to you in ten short weeks. You hadn't been there the day it all began, the Harvest Festival the Jews call Pentecost. But not long after, you heard the amazing message.

Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah whom the Jewish nation had been awaiting for centuries. His death on the cross had fulfilled all the animal sacrifices since the days of Moses. Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the nation of Israel, and of the whole world. To prove that point, Jesus had risen from the dead.

You hadn't seen Him, but you were convinced by many eye-witnesses.

So if these tremendous things have occurred, why are you so distracted and worried as you walk through Jerusalem to a church meeting?

Because things aren't so rosy anymore. Some friends came by to tell you that yesterday Peter and John had been arrested for healing a crippled man. Peter and John had spent last night in jail, and you spent the night tossing and turning. "If they can arrest Peter and John, what's keeping them from arresting me?"

You Meet with Other Believers

You enter the building for the meeting. Over a hundred have gathered. Amazingly, Peter and John appear. They report what occurred before the Sanhedrin authorities. "They commanded us never to say a word about Jesus again or we will have to answer to them."

This news slaps you in the face. It is the very thing you dreaded. You want to tell others about the Risen Savior, but the authorities have denied you the right to do so legally. And if you disobey them, God only knows what could happen to you.

In the old days, before you knew Christ as your Savior, at this point you would have faked it. Everyone else seems calm and together, so just pretend. But you have learned that pretending before God that you are good enough to earn heaven, doesn't get you into God's kingdom. Only honesty about your sins and trusting in Christ accomplishes the miracle of salvation.

So you speak up and admit your anxieties to the group. You tell them all the fears and qualms are flooding your heart. You finish, expecting them to chide you. But they don't. Instead, they admit the same apprehensions are clutching at their throats.

You Pray Together

One by one those gathered in the room fall to their knees. Human hopelessness leads you all to seek the God of all hope. Your fears compel you to speak to your heavenly Father, whose perfect love casts out all fear.

Someone prays outloud: "Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them."

Your faith is bolstered by that reminder. "Yes, Lord," you pray silently in response, "You are still ruling, even over our enemies. Even if we have to die for the truth, You are still mighty to save us eternally."

Another person recalls the words of Psalm 2: "By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our forefather, David:

Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, people?
Earth's leaders push for position,
Rulers meet for summit talks,
But they are God-deniers, Messiah-defiers!

[The Message, Eugene Peterson]

This Psalm comforts you. Even a thousand years ago in the days of David, enemies opposed God and yet He was not defeated.

Someone else adds his own thoughts to the words of Psalm 2: "O God, that psalm describes exactly what happened here in this city. King Herod and Pontius Pilate, rulers of the Jews and the Romans, met to plot against Your Holy Son, Jesus, the One You made Messiah. They thought they held the reins of history, but they were only setting in motion Your plan, the plan to offer Your Son as the one perfect sacrifice for our sins and even for the sins of Herod and Pilate."

Now, you hadn't expected to contribute, only to follow the prayers of the others. But in response to the Gospel words in the last prayer, joy rises in your heart. Joy in being surely and completely God's pardoned child. Joy which can't remain silent; it must overflow. Here is what you pray:

"And now the rulers of the world, Your enemies, Lord, are at it again. Deal with their threats to harm us. And, and" --you are amazed at what you are about to pray-- "and give us, Your servants, fearless boldness to speak Your Word."

Others pick up on your request for courage, repeating and rephrasing it in their own words.

On your way to the meeting, you had figured that you all would wind up praying. But you had thought the petitions would be, "Lord, make our enemies change their minds, so we can speak the Gospel legally." Or maybe, "Strike them with a plague, so we won't have to fear their vengeance." Or perhaps, "Lord, You couldn't expect us to risk our necks for Jesus, could you? So please, forgive us for remaining silent. "

But you and the others have ignored all those cowardly options. You are praying, "Lord, help us to be bold to speak your word, no matter how much they oppose us or harm us." And you all mean it, because it's a prayer coming straight from your hearts and from the heart of the Holy Spirit.

He is not a Spirit of fearfulness, but a Spirit of power, love, and courage.

Pentecost II

At that very moment, it's Pentecost all over again! The building is shaken; you all boldly speak God's word. Many more are added to the family of faith as a result of your united witness.

The real miracle is not the shaking building, but the boldness to witness when you'd been quaking with fear. That real miracle has happened again and again through the centuries. It does happen and can continue to happen right here. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. To those believers and churches who pray for His presence and power and boldness, He keeps pouring out His power anew.

May He refresh you often. May His Word multiply through you as you speak it with great boldness.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.