Filled With…..?

Filled With…..?

Colossians 3: 1 – 14

Acts 2: 1 – 13

May 24, 2026

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Wind rushed through the house. Tongues of fire rested upon them. Peter began speaking, and people from every nation could hear the good news of Jesus Christ in their own language.

What was the reaction of the crowds? There were thousands there. How did they respond? The text tells us that some were amazed. Some were curious. Some leaned in and asked, “What does this mean?” But others mocked them saying, “They are filled with new wine.”

Even at the birth of the Church, not everyone understood what God was doing. That should comfort us, and perhaps challenge, our pretensions when we suggest that we fully understand the will and purposes of God. Because sometimes we assume that if God is truly at work, everyone will immediately recognize it, celebrate it, and understand it. But Pentecost reminds us that the movement of the Holy Spirit has always confused some people.

The disciples were not drunk. They were transformed, but transformation can look strange to people who have never experienced it. The truth is that faith has always been misunderstood.

Noah looked foolish building an ark before rain had ever fallen. Moses looked dangerous when confronting Pharaoh. David looked reckless facing Goliath. Mary looked scandalous carrying a child before marriage. Jesus himself looked defeated, hanging on a cross.

Now the disciples look intoxicated because they are overflowing with joy, courage, and holy power. The crowd saw strange behavior. Peter saw prophecy fulfilled.

Sometimes the world sees chaos where God is creating something new.

And that still happens today. There are people who do not understand why we worship. Why we pray when life falls apart. Why we give generously. Why we forgive people who hurt us. Why we keep showing up to church. Why we still believe in grace in a cynical world.

To some, faith seems outdated. To others, it seems irrational. To others, it seems unnecessary. But Pentecost teaches us something important. Misunderstanding does not stop the work of the Holy Spirit. The Church was born in the midst of confusion. And perhaps one of the great challenges for Christians today is learning not to panic when our faith is misunderstood.

Peter does not respond with anger. He does not insult the crowd. He does not retreat in fear. In the face of their cynicism, he does not claim religious persecution. Peter stands up calmly and says, “This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel.” In other words, “You may not understand it yet, but God is here….. at work”

Friends, this is still our calling. Not to win every argument. Not to force belief. Not to shame doubters. But to bear witness. To be about kingdom work. To live with such love, peace, generosity, wisdom, and hope that eventually people begin asking, “What does this mean?”

That question matters. Because there were two responses in the crowd that day. Some mocked; but some wondered. The mockers dismissed the miracle before considering it. The seekers stayed long enough to listen. The embrace of the Gospel often begins there - not with certainty, but with curiosity.

Many people in our community are spiritually curious, even if they struggle with organized religion. The longing for meaning, hope, belonging, and transcendence is still very real. Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit of God is still speaking into that longing.

The Holy Spirit specializes in crossing barriers:

·     language barriers

·     cultural barriers

·     political barriers

·     generational barriers

·     emotional barriers

Pentecost is the reversal of Babel. At Babel, humanity was divided by pride. At Pentecost, humanity is united by grace.

Notice that the miracle is not that everyone suddenly becomes the same. The miracle is that every person hears the Gospel in their own language. God does not erase difference. God speaks through it.

That matters deeply for the Church today. Some people encounter God through music – different kinds of music. Some through silence. Some through service. Some through study. Some through liturgy. Some through relationships. Not everyone experiences faith in the same way.

Maybe part of spiritual maturity is realizing that the Holy Spirit is bigger than our preferences. Can I say that again? Maybe part of spiritual maturity is realizing that the Holy Spirit is bigger than our preferences. Maybe spiritual maturity is in allowing those differences to exist. We join in on the Holy Spirit’s work when we refuse to insist on the church reflecting our personal preferences.

The disciples did not fully understand what God was doing either. They were simply willing to be available. That may be the real message of Pentecost. God works through surrendered people, not perfect people.

The disciples were not polished theologians. They were frightened followers who had failed Jesus only weeks before. Yet the Spirit came anyway. Because the power of the Church does not come from human perfection. It comes from God’s presence. Perhaps today some of us need to hear this personally.

Maybe your faith feels misunderstood by your family. Maybe your devotion seems strange to coworkers. Maybe your commitment to Christ feels lonely sometimes. Maybe you yourself are still trying to understand what God is doing in your life. Pentecost says: Stay open. Stick with it. God will honor your perseverance….. and faithfulness.

The Spirit often moves before we fully comprehend it. There are moments in life when God is doing something deep within us that we cannot yet explain:

·     Grief that slowly becomes healing.

·     Generosity that becomes joy.

·     Suffering that becomes compassion.

·     Worship that becomes transformation.

At first, the movement of God in our lives may look confusing - even to us. But over time, the Spirit reveals what God has been doing all along. The crowd at Pentecost thought they were watching disorder. In reality, they were witnessing the beginning of a new creation. Friends, maybe that is true for us as well.

What if the places that feel uncertain in your life are not signs of God’s absence - but instead are signs that the Spirit is still moving? What if God is not finished with you yet? Acts says that three thousand people came to faith that day. Not because everyone understood immediately. But because the Spirit kept speaking. That same Spirit still speaks today.

The Spirit is speaking:

·     Into fearful hearts.

·     Into skeptical minds.

·     Into weary churches.

·     Into divided communities.

·     Into lonely souls.

The Spirit still whispers:

·     “There is more grace ahead.”

·     “There is more hope ahead.”

·     “There is more life and purpose ahead.”

So when people do not fully understand your faith, do not lose heart. Pentecost began that way. The Church was born in misunderstanding, carried by the Spirit, and sustained by grace. That same Spirit that filled those disciples still fills Christ’s Church today.

A pastor once told the story of visiting a hospital room where an elderly church member was nearing the end of her life. She had been faithful for decades, but now she was weak, confused, and drifting in and out of awareness.

At one point, she opened her eyes and quietly asked, “Pastor….. do you think I really believed enough?” The pastor took her hand and said, “Do you remember Pentecost?” She smiled faintly. He said, “On Pentecost, some people understood immediately. Some doubted. Some mocked. Some stood confused in the crowd. But the miracle of Pentecost was never about the strength of people’s understanding. It was about the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit.”

Then he said, “Your salvation was never held together by your perfect understanding of God. It has always been held together by God’s perfect understanding of you.” Tears filled her eyes. And for the first time all afternoon, she looked peaceful.

That is the good news of Pentecost. We do not always understand everything God is doing.

Others may not understand our faith. Sometimes, even we struggle to understand. But the Holy Spirit keeps coming, keeps speaking, keeps calling, keeps holding us together.

Because in the end, Dear Ones, we are not saved by having all the answers. We are saved by the God who never stops reaching for us. Amen.