Spirit Break Out

wherein a few days time, the World Cup kicks off. Players and fans from

across the globe are coming to Brazil for what is one of the

world's great sporting events. It is also Pentecost Sunday we will be

joining a Elim Pentecostal Church congregation in Birmingham. First of

all, let's speak to a couple who live in Brazil. Martin, you live in

the north of this country in the jungle. But what is it like? There

are plenty of challenges. You are really isolated. But you have the

cultural challenges. Brazil is not just one culture, there are various

cultures all in one country. What does Pentecost mean to you? It is

summed up in the power of the Holy Spirit. It brings salvation,

healing, miracles in an everyday and practical way. In the Amazon, we

have been there for 12 years, we have set up a school for kids, four

to six-year-olds. That is where the nude was. No one was educating those

kids. We see where the practical need is, we fulfil that need and we

bring them Jesus in a practical way. Rebecca has been 24 years in the

Amazon. Jess and Mark, you live down here in Rio. What are the particular

challenges that you find here working and living in Rio from a

faith perspective? From a faith perspective, I think there is a

challenge to be a peaceful presence here. There is a lot of violence,

there is a lot of angst and we have a choice to be joyful. We need to be

joyful. I think there is a challenge also for churches to work together,

to be in unity, to work in unity and to get behind good projects and good

campaigns that are running. How are you marking Pentecost, particularly

during the World Cup season? One of the messages is that God brings us

together from all the nations on earth and there will be lots of

countries coming together to Rio for the World Cup. We are excited about

the Alpha course which is running in lots of different languages in lots

of different countries around the world. We will be taking our VW van

around the city and showing the alpha films and starting a

conversation outside lots of different sorts of churches here in

Rio. Who will you be following? I will be supporting England all the

way, come on, England! I am Welsh, I will not say anything! Thank you for

joining us here in Rio de Janeiro. It is now time to hand back to

Birmingham for a special service to mark Pentecost Sunday.

Good morning and welcome to Birmingham Christian Centre. We are

delighted to welcome you all here today. As on the first day of

Pentecost, where we drew many nations together, we here are a

family, a church in Birmingham, that has many nationalities amongst us.

Right here in the centre of Birmingham, we worship together.

From Brazil to Birmingham, come on, let's all worship together and sing

to the one who poured out his Holy Spirit on that day. Amen.

# People from every nation and tongue

# People from every nation and tongue

# People from every nation and tongue

# Our God is greater, our God is stronger

# Our God is healer, awesome in power

# Our God is greater, our God is stronger

# Our God is healer, awesome in power

# Our God is greater, our God is stronger

# Our God is healer, awesome in power

# Our God is greater, our God is stronger

# Our God is healer, awesome in power

# Our God is greater, our God is stronger

# Our God is healer, awesome in power

Let's take a moment to celebrate our friendship and our life together by

taking some time to say hello to one another. Please find someone around

you and say hello to them and enjoy today together.

At this time, Patricia, a la community director is talking to

Marta. So, Marta, you have been coming to Birmingham Christian

centre for several years. What is the best part of being part of this

family? This is a great church, it is an international church. There

are people from Nigeria, Poland, Germany and I am from Brazil. And

most importantly, this is a church that preaches the true gospel of

Jesus, that is the main thing. Fantastic. So you are Brazilian? You

will be watching the World Cup? Yes, can't wait. Hopefully Brazil will

win! Who will you be supporting? I am from Sao Paulo. I support

Corinthians. Fantastic, thank you. Let's read the first hand account of

what today is all about, when the Holy Spirit was given to Christians

in power. So that they could effectively serve God in this world.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven

and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire

that separated and came to rest on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

a crowd came together in bewilderment,

because each one heard their own language being spoken.

aren't all these who are speaking Galileans?

Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia,

Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene.

Visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism,

We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, what does this mean?

tell our places of education and fill our churches.

# Our Father, all of heaven roars your name

# Sing louder, let this place erupt with praise

# Can you hear it, the sound of heaven touching earth?

# The sound of heaven touching earth?

# Our Father, all of heaven roars your name

# Sing louder, let this place erupt with praise

# The sound of heaven touching earth?

# King Jesus, you're the name we're lifting high

# Your glory, shaking up the earth and skies

# Revival, we want to see your kingdom here

# King Jesus, you're the name we're lifting high

# Your glory, shaking up the earth and skies

# Revival, we want to see your kingdom here

# King Jesus, you're the name we're lifting high

# Your glory, shaking up the earth and skies

# Revival, we want to see your kingdom here

We have got an illustration for you today of why Pentecost is so

important. We as Christians have a role in society to be a positive

influence and daylight for everyone. And therefore we bring the warmth

and the love of God to everyone that we meet, that is our role. Now, on

the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to give us more power,

more energy, so that... There are times, some situations that would

take a long time, like this candle would take a long time to melt,

wouldn't it? With just that. Waiting for this candle to melt, we are

going to be sad to lose quite a long time! I think I can help it along a

little bit here! And this is kind of what the Holy Spirit is like when he

fills us in power on the Pentecost day. John the Baptist said of Jesus,

he would baptise us with fire so that we can melt through situations

that we normally would not be able to cope with without the help and

power of the Holy Spirit! So it is important... As Kim to fill

you with the Holy Spirit, let's give him praise, come on! -- ask him.

Let's hope we set the world on fire, and certainly not our building, no!

One of the great things about Pentecost is the incredible fact

that people from all backgrounds and nationalities can fit and be part of

the church family. Of all the groups and institutions across the world,

the church is unique in its diversity. This is what the Holy

Spirit birth that Pentecost, a church where everyone could be part

of. To tell us about his journey into faith, and how fate has

affected his life, is Leandro, a native Brazilian and 18 part of our

church here in Birmingham. My name is Leandro Manduca, I am

half Italian and have Brazilian. And I am also passionate for football

and coffee. When I was 11 years old, I had an epileptic fit. My mother

was with me, you know, she was crying and screaming that I was

dying. That was very scary. After that epileptic fit, I had a couple

more. The doctors, they were a little bit concerned about a sport

they found in my brain. They didn't know what it was. -- spot. When I

was 13 years old, my grandmother invited me to the church, where the

pastor was preaching about healing. Then they told everyone at the end

to place a hand where we felt that we felt something, and I did not

know where to place my hand, I placed it on my heart like that, and

with my eyes closed, and suddenly, I don't know what happens, I don't

know how to explain exactly, but what I felt was someone touching me

like this. Something going through me, inside of me, and then it

disappeared. Then I felt like peace inside of me, you know, nothing too

concerned about. And then we went to the doctor, we'd all this kind

again, he couldn't see any more the spot. I think God used that

situation to bring my whole family to his presence. And I believe that,

from what happens to me, it is to tell people that God has the power

to heal, has the power to do anything if you believe.

The whole idea to come to Europe, or to the UK especially, wasn't in my

mind. I felt that from God, where I came, with no knowledge of, you

know, the country, the culture, the language, and in a very short space

of time overcome everything, you know, and get a degree, and get a

job. I think God can fulfil when you are his presence, and that is what I

felt throughout this process. The Holy Spirit, I believe that the Holy

Spirit comes to you to tell you that you have the strength, and you have

a God that will help you, whatever circumstances you are going through.

Let's respond to that great testimony by singing Christ Is

Enough. mum and businesswoman who also

happens to be a marriage mentor and coach. Let's hear how Kerrie makes

Jesus real in her very busy life and also how she lives for him in this

modern city with every difficulty that it throws up. Please take your

seats. I am Kerrie. I have always had a

strong faith. I used to love Sunday school when I was young. I love my

life. It revolves around church, work and family. It sounds boring

that I find it really fulfilling. As I have got older, I have learned and

accepted that God has a plan in everything, in the whole of my life.

I was blessed with a husband. I have had a child. I think my life is

close to perfect, so that cannot have been chance. As a family, we

have also had ups and downs. In 2012, I had to leave work, partially

ill health. Most of it was just stress. Just shortly after that, my

husband was also out of work. So we were both unemployed. We had never

experienced that before. But we still had the mortgage to pay and

all the bills to pay. Money was short. We ran into a lot of debts,

including the mortgage company threatening to take the house from

us. I think that is probably the lowest time for us. As a Christian,

I believe we are given different gifts and for me, one is faith.

Especially, when it comes to money, I never worry, because somehow, God

always comes through for me, all the time, especially in the area of

money. The natural thing for me was to do what I have always wanted to

do which is to work with children. And then I thought, why don't I

actually do this on my own? So I set up a nursery. It is absolutely

amazing. In a year, we are now at our maximum in terms of children

that we can take in. Business has been really good. Again, I only have

God to thank for that. I feel like I am now doing what I was always

supposed to be doing, working with children. Pentecost for me is about

hope. But then we also think about Jesus and Easter. And him dying and

the resurrection and all the things that happen within that time, before

Pentecost. And I suppose that is why I say hope, because actually, there

is a light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus had to go through all of that

but then the church was born and now we have 2000 years later, Christians

all over the world. We are all recognising what he did for us and

being happy about that. And that inspires me, that directs my life

really. # You picked me up,

turned me around # The slate is clean,

a brand-new day We are having a great day, aren't

we? Let's take our seats. I want to do a bit of thinking about the day

of Pentecost itself and the purpose behind it for us as Christians and

everybody in the world. Actually, I want to take you back about seven

weeks before the day of Pentecost and Jesus gathers together his

disciples in an upper room, just before his death. It is a vulnerable

moment and he is about to leave them and he is about to go and die on the

cross. And then he speaks these words to them about the Holy Spirit

coming. You can find it in John's gospel, chapter 14. He says this,

and I will ask the father and he will give you another advocate to

help you and be with you forever. The Spirit of truth. Now, the world

cannot accept him because neither sees him nor knows him. But you know

him because he lives with you forever. And then he says these

incredible words in verse 18: I will not leave you as orphans. I will

come to you and you were in me and I am in you.

In 1999, there was a film called The Cider House Rules. Michael Caine

starred in it. In that film, he played the Doctor of an orphanage.

Every night he would put the children to bed with this grand

pronouncement over their lives. He would say, good night you Princes of

Maine, you kings of New England. What he was trying to communicate to

them was of value even though they were orphans. It is true today that

no matter what our background or our current status, like the attitude

that Michael Caine had to always communicate value, God also

communicates his intentions to us as being valuable, to help us and to

bless us. It might be true in our city that some people might not feel

that they are orphans or actually be orphans, but what is coming out

sometimes is that people have what could be called an orphan mindset or

the mentality of an orphan. Somehow they feel that they are outside in

life, that they are missing out, they have something missing. One of

the best things about the Holy Spirit coming to us as Christians

and on Pentecost, is that he heals our inner self, so that we can live

out who we were really meant to be. I don't know about you, but my

daughter has becoming a proficient baker but she has often practised on

me. One of the famous occasions of this practice was when she thought

it was really cool to bake apple pies but the pastry Carla had to

match the colour of the Apples. That night, it was a really interesting

tea-time! I think children should really come with a bit of a health

warning, particularly when they are learning to drive, when they are

older, don't you? But we listen to them and we put our best efforts in.

But even with the best efforts of parents, when we become adults on

our own, what we find is often, this kind of orphan mentality creeps into

any of us. And it is probably because of our competitive and harsh

world that we live in. We sometimes find ourselves questioning our own

acceptance or overly comparing ourselves with others. It happens to

all people, parents or not. We feel this sense of being not anchored and

drifting. It is strange how our nation can feel orphaned and

fatherless at times. But it is to this feeling that Jesus fits right

into our contemporary dilemma when he says, I personally will send you

a helper from the father to be with you forever, the Holy Spirit. You

are not going to be left alone, Jesus plainly understands one of our

deepest needs in this phrase when he says, I will not leave you as

orphans. There might be some who think they do not need that sort of

promise and these people kind of reminds me, do you remember those

old variety shows where there was always an act where there were lots

of plates spinning, usually while juggling as well. It is amazing how

many plates one capable human can spin. You know what, it is also

amazing how much life can catch us out when our performance strop is.

Performance can be such a cruel master when it has to be maintained

for value. On May the 6th 1954, Great Britain's Roger Bannister ran

the first sub four-minute mile, finishing in three minutes 59

seconds. It was a fantastic achievement. But even such an

achievement like this has long since been surpassed. If your value only

comes from your abilities or your notable achievements, eventually

something will crash. The offer that Jesus puts on the table is this,

that no matter how you are doing, good performance or crash, I will

come to you, I will be with you. Another legend of athletics from

Chariots Of Fire fame, Eric Adel said, circumstances may wreck our

lives but God is not helpless amongst the ruins -- Eric Lindahl.

Another aspect of Pentecost is as well as this personal companionship

we have, the Holy Spirit offers offers Christians the strength to do

amazing things. Our church family here is the Elim Pentecostal Church

and next year, we will celebrate our 100th anniversary. But did you know

that in 1915, when the church began, a band of young people decided that

even in the depths of the darkness of the First World War, they could

call on God for strength and his anointing of the Holy Spirit and

offer hope and they received power and strength and they helped

literally thousands of people, even in those dark times. We need to

remember we can do amazing things, but we have to trust on the

strengthening power of the Holy Spirit, that is what Pentecost is

all about. Churches all over Britain are doing amazing things. Our own

church regularly feeds many of the disadvantaged in our city through

our food bank. But we can't do it from our own strength. We have to

remember that Christianity is not only a faith of action and activity,

but one of trust and receiving. So I want you to receive today and here

that the Holy Spirit wants to direct you in your efforts, giving you

strength. The day of Pentecost is about receiving personal,

supernatural help. This personal side of Christianity is its key

distinctiveness, Christianity offers this personal relationship. Much

more with God than just religious groups to jump through or practices

to achieve. And we get this personal relationship by first seeing what

God has done for us. Jesus died on a cross for us to offer payment for

our lives. In every way we fall short of what is good and right,

Jesus pays for that by his death on the cross, amen? Amen. We get a

personal relationship by asking him to come into our lives, personally

admitting that we have not lived as we ought to and we must ask for

forgiveness so he can change us. And as Christians today, we can develop

this personal relationship with God by simply accepting the status that

is even as as his true sons and daughters. No matter what your image

of Father is, let's comeback to a loving father God who says, you are

not a slave, you are no longer an orphan, but you are a son and

daughter. Let me invite you to hear what the Bible says. It says, to us

as Christians, so you have not received a spirit that makes you

fearful slave is, but instead you have received Haiti's spirit when he

adopted you as his own children, and now we call him Father. His spirit

joins with hours to affirm that we are God's children. Would you please

stand with me for a few moments? We are going to pray in a moment, and I

am going to invite my wife to come, and the choir to come as we pray.

But I want to leave you with this - you are not meant to be a slave

ought to have an orphan mindset, but on this day of Pentecost, we can

live as loved sons and daughters of God. Shall we pray together?

Father, we thank you, we are your loved children,

and we pray now for all those who have been taken

We ask that you would help people who have moved to Birmingham from

other countries and left behind their homes and families. Amen. We

pray today for our spiritual condition, may each one of us come

home to you, and let's invite you and ask your love and healing to

fill us, and we ask for your power today in Jesus' name, amen. Thank

you for being here today, such a privilege to be with you. Let's sing

to the person who makes us the true sons and daughters we can be, our

cornerstone. Let's sing together! # Than Jesus' blood

and righteousness # I dare not trust

the sweetest frame # Weak made strong,

in the Saviour's love # When darkness seems

to hide his face # Weak made strong,

in the Saviour's love # Weak made strong,

in the Saviour's love # When he shall come

with trumpet sound # Dressed

in his righteousness alone # Weak made strong,

in the Saviour's love # Weak made strong,

in the Saviour's love Hallelujah! We will continue our

praise with this song. Magnificent. The power base

of medieval England.