Now playing the sermon Being Jacked by God
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"Jacking" is a modern euphemism being used in the English language, particularly among the young, and it means literally, "taking over" (as in "hostile takeover"), or "absconding with." It seems to be an abbreviation for "highjacking," that is, to take by force, such as the highjacking (or"jacking") of a plane or car.
The year was 1983, the setting was the football stadium of the University of California at Berkeley. It was a game that would go down in college football history as The Game. And I had a grand view of it all: It was the "Big Game" between archrivals UC and Stanford. The game was neck and neck all the way down to the final seconds. The place was sheer pandemonium as one side scored the "winning touchdown" and then the other would do the same. At five seconds left on the clock, Stanford scored a final touchdown to win the game. The Cardinal fans were ecstatic, so much so that their marching band began its entry into the Cal end zone.
Exactly one second was on the clock for one final play: the assumed "Hail Mary," for that was the only chance Cal had. The game was over and everyone
knew it, especially Stanford's marching band. And then the unthinkable happened in the blink of an eye: the game got jacked. The Cal quarterback did not throw the assumed long bomb pass but instead lateralled it sideways to a running back, who did the same thing to another receiver, as the ball quickly made its way down the field. In this fashion, the ball got zippered back and forth all the way down to the end zone-and into the band, whose presence stopped the Stanford defense from pursuing it to the end.
Eventually the game was called for Cal on a technicality: interference in the end zone. The stadium EXPLODED. The Pentecost event was just such an occurrence. The disciples, bereft of Jesus and deathly afraid, were shut up in a house with a crowd waiting outside to see what was going to happen. And then the unthinkable happened.
There was no time left on their clock and suddenly they got jacked by the Spirit of God. The Jerusalem stadium EXPLODED. They began passing the gospel back and forth, from one receiver to another, zippering it down the field of history, heading toward the end zone. Now we're into overtime and the ball is still in play. But there's interference on the field. Will we make it?
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.'
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
