Tuesday is Independence Day, the 230 th birthday of the United States of America. We mark the day not from when this country’s independence was realized with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, but from when it was declared, July 4, 1776:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Thus begins the document that set the stage for a new nation. Independence Day – what does it mean? It means that we are independent from one ruling authority, Great Britain , and subject to another, the United States of America , in hopes that this new allegiance would result in a more representative and attentive situation.

Last month we celebrated the church’s birthday, the Day of Pentecost. We are still celebrating the season of Pentecost with our red banners hanging here in the sanctuary. But what does it mean? Perhaps we would do well to go back to the church’s birthday, back to our Independence Day and see if we can answer this question, “What does this mean?” It is found in the second chapter of Acts, the first twelve verses. Hear now the Word of the Lord:

1 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 staying 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?”

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. In this passage Luke described the barrier breaking impact of the Holy Spirit on all who were filled. (Pray)

Independence Day, what does it mean? It means we are free from the rule of one authority and declare our allegiance to another. Look at this passage and grasp all that the Holy Spirit gives to us. Independence Day – what does this mean?

Independence Day means Life through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Look at how Luke described the powerful effects of this life giving experience. 120 people gathered together in one place. God showed up with an amazing flare for special effects. A sound like a tornado filled the entire building; a big ball of what looked like fire appeared to hover in the air and then divided into tiny tongues that rested over each of them. It was only after these effects were experienced that Luke explained who was behind the phenomena – “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” resulting in each of them “speaking about God’s deeds of power.” Curtis Vaughan wrote in his commentary on the book of Acts, “Both the sound (of the wind) and the sight (of the flames) were designed probably to produce a feeling of awe.” Mission accomplished.

We long for that sense of awe. People all over the country are already hard at work to put on firework displays this Tuesday night that will produce a sense of awe for all who attend. We are fascinated with power. In fact, four years ago Chelsea and I happened to be at Senior High District Youth Camp on the Fourth of July. We were hopeful that the directors would do something spectacular for the day on which we had become accustomed to seeing awesome displays of power. We were thrilled when we saw on the schedule of activities, “Fireworks”. Now imagine how we felt when about 200 campers were invited to come together, close our eyes and step on bubble wrap for our imaginary fireworks display. “Can you see all the colors bursting in air? Ooh, look at that one!” What kind of sham is this?!

I wonder how many Christians and how many churches live our lives like that kind of fireworks display. We have so much power available to us through the Holy Spirit, but we refuse to declare our independence from our own sense of self-sufficiency. When we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit we realize that God can do what we cannot.

Independence Day – what does this mean? It means life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Independence Day means Liberty through the Presence of the Holy Spirit.

There was a huge shift that took place on this day of Pentecost. This holiday that recalled the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, that celebrated the harvest enabled by the Providence of God, that recalled so many ways in which God had acted on behalf of the people of God, now became the day when God filled all of them with the Holy Spirit. They did not only encounter the power of God, they experienced the presence of God in them! This presence not only surrounded them; this presence saturated them! That is quite a shift. There was a freedom like never before.

We had our own sort of Independence Day this past week. Zac received his learner’s permit to drive. Liberty has been declared – not yet realized but declared. What a difference it has made! Before he kind of took the whole mode of transportation thing for granted. Now he has to let out the clutch, apply the brakes, and know how much to accelerate. It is not enough for this knowledge to be around him in the car with other drivers, it has to be in him.

In our statement of beliefs at A&M United Methodist Church, printed on the back of our Vision Path (available on the Information Table), we claim to believe in the Holy Spirit as the indwelling presence and transforming power of God, who gives to all believers a new life, abundant and eternal, and equips us with spiritual gifts for our God-designed purpose of obedient discipleship and holy living. “The indwelling presence of God”, that is liberty for all who experience this.

Jesus tried to explain this shift to his disciples when he addressed them in the Upper Room in John 16. He assured them that he had to leave in order for the Advocate, Counselor, Paraclete, Comforter, the Holy Spirit to come. God with us had to go so that God in us could fill God’s people.

Declare your independence from independence and depend upon the indwelling presence of God. I believe in the Holy Spirit.

Independence Day – what does this mean? It means life through the power of the Holy Spirit. It means liberty through the presence of the Holy Spirit..

Independence Day means the Pursuit of Happiness through Position granted by the Holy Spirit.

It was an amazing event, this miracle of Pentecost. Everyone heard about God’s deeds of power in their own language. Everyone, however, is described as devout Jews staying in the area (perhaps living there or visiting for the Pentecost Festival which all Jewish males were required to attend in Jerusalem). Now if they were devout Jews, they probably understood Hebrew, the scripture read during the Festival of Pentecost would have more than likely been read in Hebrew. If they were living or staying in the area, they probably spoke Greek and perhaps Aramaic. Why is it so significant that these individuals from all over the world hear about God’s deeds of power in their native language? Because on this days walls were torn down. God’s deeds of power did not have to be translated into another language; they could be experienced in one’s native language. No longer were the members of the Diaspora discriminated against as less than those who were from Jerusalem. They were adopted as children by the Holy Spirit free to pursue happiness and fulfillment as children of the king, full citizens of the kingdom.

Most of you are aware of my immigrant status. As a member of the first church I ever pastored put it, “You’re not from around here, are you?” No, I am from Findlay, Ohio and though I have tried to master the dialect over the last 31 years I have at times revealed my foreign tongue. I had the hardest time saying “y’all”, often saying “you all” or more naturally “you guys”. There have been times when instead of saying, “I’m fixin’ to” that I have mistakenly said, “I’m fixing on going to the store.” Every now and then I still slip up and say Crick for Creek and `pē- kän for pi-`kän . For the longest time I was an immigrant living in Texas, but on March 12, 2003 all that changed. You see on that day I became the Chaplain for the Texas House of Representatives. That’s right, it is a position that I don’t talk about much. I have my own parking space right there by the state capitol. I don’t mean to brag, but Governor Perry had to walk farther than I did to get to his office on March 12, 2003. I thought about having business cards printed up, but since I only held the office for a day that seemed a bit over the top. I did, however, receive the flag that flew over the capitol that day and a certificate declaring me to be Chaplain of the Texas House of Representatives for the Day. I was treated with respect, considered an insider and invited to stay for the entire day. All that for a guy from Ohio who often prefers rhubarb to pecans. Now that’s some walls coming down.

We have been given much greater position by the Holy Spirit. We do not become chaplains for a day; we become children for eternity. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Now that is a position not previously held.

Independence Day – what does this mean? It means the Holy Spirit enables us to become independent from one authority (the authority of self-sufficiency) and pledge our allegiance to another - a loving God who became God with us and then wonderfully God in us. This Independence Day, thank God for our country which God has blessed in so many ways and thank God for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness bestowed upon you through the power, presence and position of the Holy Spirit. Thank God for this Holy Spirit who transforms a piece of bread and a drop of juice into a feast of grace.

Amen!