Sanctified by the Holy Spirit – Sermon on the 3rd Article of the Apostles’ Creed for Midweek Lent 4

Mar26

Sermon for the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed for Midweek Lent 4. The Scripture readings used during tonight’s service were Psalm 51; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; and John 14:15-21. Another important text is John 16:8-11.

Listen here.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith; in like manner as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in this Christian Church, He daily forgives abundantly all my sins and the sins of all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In this series, we have seen first, how the Father creates and sustains us; second, how the Son redeems us through His humiliation and exaltation; and now tonight, we will begin to consider the Holy Spirit and how He sanctifies us.

Sometimes, Lutherans are accused of not talking about the Holy Spirit enough. People today think the Holy Spirit is at work when they get a particular feeling or emotion because of things going on around them. Scripture is very clear that feelings are not a good gauge to determine whether or not the Holy Spirit is at work.

Now, maybe it is a fair assessment to say Lutherans don’t talk about the Holy Spirit very often. But it should be noted that the Holy Spirit is very content not being talked about. In fact, Jesus says that the work of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Him as our Savior. In John 15:26, Jesus says that when the Holy Spirit comes, “He will bear witness about Me.” In other words, whenever you hear about Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, you can know without a doubt that the Holy Spirit at work in you creating faith.

We learn most about the Holy Spirit in John 14-16, some of that you have already heard. In that section Jesus repeatedly calls the Holy Spirit the ‘Helper.’ The word Jesus uses means ‘advocate, intercessor, or mediator.’ In John 16:8-11, Jesus tells us how the Holy Spirit helps, advocates, intercedes, and mediates for us.

Open scene with video and verses.

Listen to those verses, “When [the Helper, the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” As we begin to consider the work of the Holy Spirit, we should think about each of these.

Flip verses slide

First, Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin “because the world does not believe in Me” (Jn. 16:9). Notice that Jesus doesn’t say that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they are so horrible.

We think that the opposite of sin is good works, and without the Holy Spirit, we wrongly think that our sin is something we can manage on our own. We imagine we can hide the stains of our sin by being kind to those around us. We think we can distract God from our lust, anger, pride, and selfishness with a few good works here and there.

But the opposite of sin is not good works. Romans 14[:23] says, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” The opposite of sin is faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

So, as the Holy Spirit convicts us concerning sin, He shows us the depths of our sin, but He also points us to Jesus who has taken all our sin and punishment. The Holy Spirit shows us that we are fools if we think our sin can be taken away by anything other than the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin showing us that we need Jesus to be our Savior. But when the Holy Spirit has convicted us of our sin, He isn’t done. There is still more Spirit convicting to do.

Flip verses slide.

Second, Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning righteousness “because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer” (Jn. 16:10).

The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to convict you concerning righteousness. In other words, because Jesus has died, you are righteous. You are completely freed from those sins which should separate you from God for eternity.

Satan, the accuser, comes along and tries to tell you that God doesn’t love you. He lies saying that Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t enough. He comes along and tries to tell you that you aren’t really a Christian and have been fooling yourself. Or if you call yourself a Christian you aren’t a ‘true Christian’ or a ‘committed Christian’ or an ‘on-fire Christian.’ But the devil’s whispers to you are all hogwash.

Listen to what the Spirit says to you in the Scriptures: The Holy Spirit says Jesus became sin for you so that, through faith in Christ, you have become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). You have been made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (1 Pet. 1:16). The Holy Spirit promises that there is no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:1). The Holy Spirit shows you that the righteousness you need has been totally and completely provided for you by Jesus who went to His Father saying, “It is finished.”

And the Holy Spirit still isn’t done.

Flip verses slide.

Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning judgment, but notice He convicts concerning judgment not because you are judged, rather “because the ruler of this world is judged” (Jn. 16:11).

Christian, when you suffer, when bad things happen to you, you might think that God is judging you. But the Holy Spirit comes and says to you that you are not the target of God’s judgment. Satan is, and he always has been.

When God confronted Adam and Eve in the Garden, the first judgment He gave was to the devil. God promised that He would send Jesus to crush the serpent’s head. Jesus has come and done just that.

The Holy Spirit’s work is to bring all this out into the open. Because of what Christ has done for you, you are not God’s enemy. God demonstrates His love for you that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you (Ro. 5:8). And even when you were God’s enemy, here’s how He treated you – He reconciled you to Himself by the death of Jesus (Ro. 5:10).

Go to regular video.

All of this is the Holy Spirit’s work. The Holy Spirit convicts you concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit takes all the work of Jesus and declares it to you (Jn. 16:13-15). He is your Helper, your Comforter, your Advocate. Through Spirit’s working, He opens the Scriptures to you creating, sustaining, and strengthening your faith while He guides you into all the truth.

So, dear saints, believe. Believe that your sin is paid in full by Christ’s shed blood. Believe that Christ’s righteousness covers you. And believe that you are judged worthy of eternal life because of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is at work right now through God’s Word so that you can discern and understand the mind of the Lord. As you listen to the Spirit speaking and guiding you through the Word of God, you know what is on God’s mind – your redemption and sanctification. Through all of this, you are given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). You are not left as an orphan. The Holy Spirit is with you and working within you to sanctify you and all Christians as God’s own child (Jn. 14:16-17). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

No Empty Houses – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday of Lent

Mar15

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Luke 11:14-28

¹⁴ Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” ¹⁶ while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. ¹⁸And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; ²² but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. ²³ Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

²⁴ “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

²⁷ As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” ²⁸ But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In 2014, it had been about two years of me waking up feeling more tired than when I had gone to bed. At my loving wife’s urging, I went to the doctor to request a referral for a sleep study. I remember the doctor saying, “Well, you’re not old, and you’re not overweight. I don’t think you have apnea, but I’ll refer you for the sleep study.” A couple weeks later, I went down to Altru Specialty Center to spend the night. When I checked in, the nurse who would be monitoring me met me and said, “You’re not old, and you’re not overweight. I doubt you have apnea.” But she dutifully brought me to a room and proceeded to put all the little sensors on my body, head, and beard. A couple hours later, I went to sleep. Less than an hour after that, she woke me up and said, “Put this on.” It was a cushion that covered my nose and blasted air into my nostrils. I hated it. It took me about an hour to figure out how to breathe with it and another hour to fall asleep once again. I only slept for four more hours, but it was the best sleep I had had in years.

The next morning, she unhooked the wires from my head and body. The nurse said I could expect to hear from the doctor in a few days. When I went to that appointment, this new doctor said to me, “Well, you’re not old and you’re not overweight, but you definitely have sleep apnea. We will write things up and get everything to your insurance so you can have a CPAP machine.”

Finally, two weeks after that appointment, I was told I could go to Yorhom and get the machine. The technician who instructed me on its usage said, “You’re not old and you’re not overweight, but this should help you feel better.”

CPAP Mask The CPAP means that a hose dictates how I can move when I turn at night. It means that, when I lie on my side, I have to adjust how the mask fits on my face and doesn’t get moved off my nose by my pillow. It means that I can’t fall asleep having a conversation with my wife. There are mornings that I wake up and have to unwrap the hose from around my neck. But in the six years since I started using that machine, there have only been just over a handful of nights that I have slept without that mask blasting air into my nostrils. I still don’t always like to use it. I wish there were some sort of medicine or a shot I could take, but such a thing doesn’t exist. Sometimes, I wish I could use the machine one night a month or one night a week and be fine, but it doesn’t work that way. I know that if I don’t use that mask and machine each night, I won’t rest or be able to function like I should.

Sorry for the long story, but there is a point and it is connected to the text. Here’s how:

Imagine how frustrated Jesus gets with us when we think that we can simply get a dose of His grace and mercy and then move on with our lives until we recognize or feel the need to take another dose. Imagine how frustrated Jesus gets with us when we think all we need is an occasional shot of the Holy Spirit when He desires that we have the daily and eternal presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart.

You see, your problem is not that you sin every now and then. Your problem is that the devil has essentially taken up residence in your heart. That’s what Jesus means when He says, “When an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it seeks but finds no rest it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’” The devil has led you into sin and possesses you. That problem can, obviously, be solved. Jesus, the one who is stronger than the strong man devil, expels Satan. And Jesus doesn’t leave you simply as an empty vessel because the house of your heart won’t stay empty. Instead, the Holy Spirit comes and resides within you, and this means that you need to continually receive the Holy Spirit because He can be pushed out. You can neglect God’s good gifts, and the Holy Spirit can be resisted so that He leaves.

Assailed by Demons When this happens, your last state is worse than your first because as Jesus says, the demons come, it finds the house (you) swept and put in order. Then that evil spirit brings seven other spirits more evil than itself.

Throughout your lives, you find yourself in the position of thinking that it would be enough if God would just drive out the devil. And praise God that He does. However, that isn’t the end of the matter. Don’t forget that your house won’t stay empty. If you turn away from the Word that fills you with the Holy Spirit, the devil is going to come back worse then he was before. Don’t think that because you believe today that you will tomorrow.

Read. Study. Meditate on the Scriptures. Make the Bible more important to you today than it was yesterday. Don’t think that you can bring your kids to Sunday School and Confirmation and think they’ll be ok. Don’t be lulled into thinking that is enough Jesus for them.

The greatest threat to you and your children isn’t from terrorism, war, or a virus. The thousands of kids who grow up thinking that they were raised to be Christian because they were taken to church a few times a year. Those same people then go and read five out-of-context verses from some atheist blog thinking they know everything about what Christians believe. They are the very ones who are going to be the most likely to draw your children away from the faith.

But also be comforted because that is much less likely to happen if you train your children now to be in the Scriptures. To be in the very place that the Holy Spirit continues to work in their hearts and lives. That very Word of God is where God fills the house of your heart and theirs with the Holy Spirit and with treasures that cannot be spoiled.

You need to hear this today. There is a lot of uncertainty in our world and country right now. And while there are no plans to stop holding regular services here, it is possible that option might be taken from us. The devil is working very hard to bring enough uncertainty and fear to our society – and to Christians especially – that they would be tempted to think being at church and within the fellowship of the Body of Christ is not essential.

All Saints gathered around the throne Right now, we Christians need one another. Those who do not have faith in Christ need us as well. They need us to comfort them with the very same that we have in Christ. They need to know there is something more than this life. They need to know that Christ is coming back. They need to know that the One who is returning is the very one who shed His holy and precious blood for them. That very blood of Christ is the medicine they need to be freed from the devil’s tyranny over the house of their heart. They need to know that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away their sin.

Dear saints, today know that the house of your heart won’t stay empty. Know that the stronger man is on your side. And know that He desires all to be saved, and this may be the time He uses to call them to repentance and faith. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Holy Peace Dwelling with Us – Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 for Christmas Eve 2019

Dec25

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear saints, merry Christmas! Tonight, and all the days of your life, you can celebrate the fact that Jesus is born. God has taken on your flesh to save you. He has come in your likeness, born of a woman, in order to deliver you from your sin.

This Gospel text is one of the most familiar passages for Christians. As it was read, you could probably finish most of the phrases from memory, and that is good. But that familiarity can bring with it a loss of the wonder, awe, peace, power, and glory that this text has for us.

Whenever we read the Scriptures, we should be looking for the unexpected. But our familiarity with the text means that almost nothing is unexpected, at least not anymore. We’re so familiar with it that we aren’t surprised even though there are surprises at every turn. It’s surprising that God uses something as normal as a census and taxes to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem to fulfill His promise that the Messiah would be born in the city of David (Mic. 5:2). It is surprising, and saddening, that none of Joseph’s relatives had a place for him and his laboring wife to stay which meant they ended up delivering their Son in a barn. Though those things are familiar to us, they are still shocking, unexpected, and are worthy to have us to pause and consider them more closely. However, tonight we are going to focus on what happens outside of Bethlehem in the fields so that we get a fuller picture of what happened in Bethlehem.

Glory appears to the Shepherds Luke tells us that those shepherds, who were minding their own business, suddenly found themselves surrounded by the shining, dazzling glory of the Lord. The surprising, unexpected thing is not the existence of God’s glory. God’s glory shining is something that happens throughout the Scriptures.

The glory of God led Israel out of Egypt, but God’s glory was veiled and hidden in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22). That same glory, veiled in a cloud, descended on Mt. Sinai when God spoke to the people to give them the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19:9, 16-17). Even though God’s glory was hidden behind the cloud, the people were so afraid of God’s glory that they asked Moses to tell God to not speak directly to them anymore (Dt. 18:15-19). God’s voice along with His glory, even when it was concealed by the cloud, was too much for them to behold.

But God’s glory continued to be with His people. When they built the Tabernacle, that same cloud entered the Tabernacle. And it was this glory of God that led the people through the wilderness during the Exodus. Whenever the cloud would stop, the people would set up their camp and stay there until the cloud was taken up and led them further (Num. 9:17-22).

Every time the people set up their camp, the cloud would enter into the most holy place in the Tabernacle. And God gave strict instructions to Aaron, the high priest, that he wasn’t to enter the holy of holies any time he wanted or else he would die (Lev. 16:2). And even when Aaron, and the high priests after him, were allowed to enter the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement, those high priests were told to burn incense and make a cloud of smoke to serve as an additional barrier between them and the holy presence of God (Lev. 16:12-13).

Glory in Solomon's Temple This went on for centuries until the King Solomon finished construction of the Temple. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Temple, the cloud descended into the most Holy Place, and the priests had to leave because God’s glory filled the Temple (1 Kgs. 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 5:13-14). God no longer dwelt in the tent of the Tabernacle; now, He dwelled in the house of the Temple which was where heaven and earth intersected. And still, year after year, the high priest would enter the most holy place be the representative of the people and meet with God behind the smoke made by the incense and the cloud that subdued God’s glory (Ex. 25:21-22).

But year after year, God’s people kept serving other pagan gods which defiled them and God’s Temple. And though God repeatedly warned them about their sin, they refused to trust in God alone. So, God sent His people into exile in Babylon. And it was in Babylon that Ezekiel had a vision of the Temple. In that vision, Ezekiel saw the glory of God in that cloud leave the Temple (Ezek. 10:1-19). And shortly after this, Jerusalem was destroyed along with the Temple.

God did bring His people back to their land. They rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple, but when the second Temple was completed, God’s people had a problem. The cloud of God’s glory didn’t return to dwell there (Ezra 3:10-15; 6:16-18). God did not enter that second, rebuilt Temple. For several hundred years, it went on like this. God’s people had the Temple, but God’s glory wasn’t seen. So, the people didn’t know if God was there for them as He had been with them in the past. Because God’s glory had not entered the Temple, there was confusion and doubt. The people wondered, “Has God forsaken us forever?” And this was a legitimate question.

But now here in Luke 2, outside of the Temple, away from Jerusalem, out in a field, the glory of the Lord reappears. But notice, there is no cloud to veil God’s glory. Why was there no cloud? Well, the cloud was no longer necessary.

The cloud had been there to hide the full glory of God so the people wouldn’t be destroyed by God’s holy presence. Now in the birth of Jesus, the full glory of God is still hidden, but not in a cloud. Now, the glory of God is hidden in the infant Jesus lying in a manger.

Dear saints, tonight we celebrate the fact that God has hidden Himself in your flesh. This is the miracle of Christmas. God hides Himself in your humanity so that He can be with you, dwell with you, and reveal Himself to you. God veils His glory in the body of Jesus so that He can appear as your Savior. God hides Himself so that He can reveal Himself as your Redeemer.

We are sinners. To be found by God in His glory and majesty would be our eternal destruction. But there in Bethlehem is God wrapped in swaddling clothes. Empty Manger With Cross Shadow He is there so He can grow up and walk among us in the towns and streets of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. He is there so He can be betrayed, arrested, beaten, tried, crucified, loaded up with your sin, die, and rise again.

This is how your God is for you. God does not approach you with His consuming holiness. He hides His holy glory, and He comes in peace so that He can clothe you in His holiness. And clothed in that holiness, you are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you (1 Cor. 6:19). God continues to reveal His glory to all creation through you, Christian (Ro. 8:21). Because of what Christ has done for you by making you holy, heaven and earth continue to overlap as God’s glory shines through you (Mt. 5:14-16).

So tonight, we join our voices with the heavenly choir. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to you.” Behold Christ’s glory which is full of grace and truth. From this Jesus, you receive grace upon grace. For your God is pleased to well with you now and forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

From Amazement to Fear to Faith – Sermon on Acts 2:1-21 for Pentecost

Jun9

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Acts 2:1-21

¹When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ¹²And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. ¹⁵For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹ And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰ the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹ And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The crowd in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost was there because it was Pentecost – a harvest festival. We have gotten so accustomed to connecting the celebration of Pentecost with the sending of the Holy Spirit that we forget that Pentecost was one of the three major festivals of the Jews. All the way back in Leviticus 23[:15-21], God had commanded that this feast be kept; though, in the Old Testament, it is normally called the “Feast of Weeks.” Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the Passover, which was why it became known as ‘Pentecost.’ Pentecost was one of three festivals that required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

One of the other festivals that required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was, of course, Passover. I mention Passover because most of the people in the crowd we just heard about there in Acts 2 would have been in Jerusalem fifty days earlier to celebrate the Passover when Jesus was tried, convicted, and crucified. They would have been the very crowds that cried out, “Crucify Him,” when Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus.

So, people from all over the world are in Jerusalem again. But this time, they are hearing in their own, native languages about the mighty works of God. They were amazed. Amazed at the sound of the mighty rushing wind and amazed at the mighty works of God being told in their own language, their own tongue. This is the amazed crowd to whom Peter preaches.

Peter Preaches on Pentecost We didn’t hear Peter’s whole sermon. It goes on for another fifteen verses, but I want you to hear the highlights of the whole thing. In the part of Peter’s sermon that we did hear, Peter tells the people that, if they had read their Bible, wouldn’t have been surprised at what they are hearing because it had been foretold in the prophet Joel. Then, Peter goes on to proclaim Jesus to the people.

Peter reminds the people how they had, with their own eyes, seen Jesus heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and do all sorts of miracles. But even though they had seen all of this, they delivered Jesus into the hands of lawless men in order to be crucified. But Peter adds that Jesus was crucified according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

The sermon goes on to tell how though Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead and is forever seated at God’s right hand. And Peter makes it clear that Jesus was and forever is the Lord and Christ whom they had crucified (Act. 2:36).

Upon hearing this, the people in the crowd are, according to Scripture, “cut to the heart” (Act. 2:37). But before I go to describe what happened that day, I want to make a quick mention of another time when a similar sermon was preached. A few years after our reading in Acts 2 today, Stephen preaches a very similar sermon to a similar crowd (Act. 7). But when Stephen’s sermon ends, the crowd is enraged. They grind their teeth, put their hands over their ears, rush Stephen out of the city, and throw rocks at him until he dies.

I mention that to highlight the greatest miracle on the day of Pentecost. The greatest miracle of Pentecost is what happens when Peter concludes his sermon by saying, “[K]now for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified,” and the people do not kill Peter or run to their safe spaces. Instead, the Holy Spirit works on them. They are, again, “cut to the heart.” They are devastated and full of regret. In other words, they lament and despair because of their sin. They go from amazement to fear.

But in their fear because of their sin, they offer no excuses. They point no fingers. Their mouths are silent before the Law with the exception that they fearfully ask, “What shall we do?” (Act. 2:37). Of course, they know that there is nothing they can do. They can’t go back. They can’t make up for it. They can’t pay Jesus off. No excuses will help them. They know they can’t remove their guilt, but Peter points them to Jesus who can.

Peter says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Act. 2:38).

That day, God added 3,000 souls to the Holy Christian Church. Their fear is swallowed up in faith. Faith in the Jesus whom Peter preached. Faith in the name of Jesus given to them in their Baptism. Faith in the Jesus who died for them, rose for them, and washed them.

And it is that promise of Scripture that I want you to consider today. Sometimes, we get too caught up in the amazement of the coming of the Holy Spirit. But the most amazing thing that happens when the Holy Spirit arrives is how people are moved by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God to repentance and faith.

Romans 15_4 - Spirit Scriptures Salvation So you, when the Law comes and points its finger at you and declares you to be a sinner, don’t make excuses. Don’t try to turn the accusations away. Don’t try to put your own spin on it and say that at least you aren’t as bad as so-and-so. Instead, repent. Repent because the Holy Spirit wants you to know that Jesus came to save you who are lost in sin. That means that Jesus has come to save you and me.

Secondly, know that this salvation isn’t only for you. It is for your children. The promises of Baptism are for the cute little sinners who are born into your family. Jesus calls them to Himself as well.

Finally, know also that this promise is for everyone you meet. Your family, your co-workers, your acquaintances, the people you pass by on the street – Jesus died for them as well. And your Savior desires that they hear the promises of life, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation as well. So, fill your speech with those promises.

One study showed that 86% of people who attend church regularly attend because someone invited them. That’s amazing. So, as your pastor, I ask you: When was the last time you invited someone to join you here at church? I am willing to bet that you would be fearful if I were to have everyone stand and say when the last time was.

Brothers and sisters, our world is dark, and people are hurting. Let us, all of us, be people of faith in our Lord while we invite others to the faith as well. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Heart & the Helper – Sermon on Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14; John 15:26-16:4 for the Seventh Sunday of Easter and Confirmation Sunday

Jun2

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Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The sermon today is from all three texts read: Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14; John 15:26-16:4

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear Confirmands and dear Christians,

I have good news and I have bad news. First, the bad news: Being a Christian is difficult.

According to Jesus, to be a Christian is to be on the narrow path (Mt. 7:13-14), and Christ promises, “In this world you will have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33). In our Epistle text, Peter says, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Pe. 4:12). God doesn’t promise that Christians get a detour around problems in this life. Instead, Scripture promises the exact opposite. In fact, in today’s Gospel text, Jesus says that there are people who are willing to kill you thinking that they are worshipping God by doing so (Jn. 16:2).

No, you don’t get a detour around problems in this world, but don’t be discouraged – here’s the good news. You do get a Guide through them. This past Thursday marked the Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God the Father. Christ ascended into heaven in order to help you with the help you need the most. You, Christian, have been given the Holy Spirit who helps you in every trial, temptation, and tribulation.

Your Savior sends the Holy Spirit to be your Helper, your Aid, your Defender, your Comforter.

Andrew, Stephanie, Josiah, and all you saints, though you have enemies attacking you from the outside – the devil and the world – and enemies attacking you from the inside – you own sinful flesh and desires – you are not without help. You have the comfort of the Comforter and the help of the Helper.

When you are discouraged because of your constant sins and failure to keep God’s Law, the Holy Spirit is right there helping and comforting you with the Word of God. He says, “Yes, your sins are great. That is why you have a greater Savior, Jesus Christ. God is not disappointed with you. He is totally and completely pleased with you because of what Jesus has done for you.”

When the devil accuses you and throws your sins in your face, the Holy Spirit, your Comforter and Advocate, stands between you and the devil saying, “None of that, Satan! Those sins were already thrown in Jesus’ face, and He has taken the punishment for all of them.”

When the world calls you a hypocrite saying that you do not live the way you should, the Helper reminds you, “You bear God’s holy name. You have been Baptized in to Christ, so you have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).

Did you hear what God said in our Old Testament lesson? Were you listening? God promised that He would act for the sake of His holy name which you bear. Because God has defined Himself as a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6). God will make sure you have that mercy, grace, love, and care. God has sprinkled clean water on you, His people, and He has cleansed them from all your sins and idols. Holy Spirit New Heart God given you a new heart and a new spirit. God has put His Holy Spirit within you, and He has caused you to walk in His statutes and rules. Again, God promised to do this for the sake of His name, His reputation, and your benefit because you are His.

God promised all of this, and because of what Christ has done, it is finished.

God acted. You were in desperate need of help. You weren’t just dying, you were dead in your trespasses and sins. And, even worse, you were dead and still actively and stone-heartedlyrebelling against God. But He gave you what He promised in our Old Testament lesson. Christ came and removed your heart of stone and gave you a heart of flesh.

Christian, you will struggle your entire life – Scripture promises it. Yet, there is a comfort in Christ saying that you will struggle because those very trials, tribulations, and persecutions mean that you belong to Him. Just a few verses before our Gospel text began, Jesus said this: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn. 15:18-19).

And know this, know this: You have help in your trials. The same Jesus who died and rose again for you is the same Jesus who helps you by ascending to the right hand of God the Father with all authority in all creation having been given to Him. And He has given you a new heart and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and the Helper.

Each of the verses our Confirmands picked are Holy Spirit-sent to help and comfort you now and forever.

As Andrew’s verse (Jn. 3:16) promises: God loved you so that He sent Jesus to die and rise again for you. Believe in Him and you will never perish but have eternal life.

Josiah’s verse (Prov. 3:5) encourages you to trust in those promises of Christ and to not lean on your own understanding. Your own understanding will lead you nowhere. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than your ways and thoughts. Trust in those.

And Stephanie’s verse (Jer. 29:11) reminds you that God’s plans for you are for your welfare. God’s plans for you are to give you a solid future and hope for all eternity.

Christian, you have a new heart and the Helper. Go from here in that comfort and that certainty. God has promised, and He is faithful.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Before the Throne of God – Sermon for Holy Trinity Sunday on Isaiah 6:1-7

May27

Listen here.

Isaiah 6:1-7

¹In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6 ²Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lordof hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

⁴And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lordof hosts!” ⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Why do you come to church?

Last year, Gallop polled fifteen hundred adults[1]to see why they go to church. They gave seven options, and here is the order those options were ranked:

Sermons or talks that teach me more about Scripture.
Sermons or talks that help connect religion to my life.
Spiritual programs geared toward my children.
Lots of community outreach and volunteer opportunities.
A leader who is interesting and inspiring.
Social activities to get to know people in my community.
Good music.

Do you notice anything missing from that list? Anyone? Bueller?

No mention of receiving forgiveness.

Each of those responses is starting with the premise that when Christians gather together they are the ones doing something. “I’m learning. I’m becoming more religious. I’m doing my duty for my children. I’m helping my community.” And each of these responses is dead wrong.

When Christians gather together to hear God’s Word, God is the One who is acting, and we are the ones being acted upon. He sends His Word to convict of sin. And God sends His Word to forgive sin. That is why we want our service to be filled with Scripture. We want everything to be centered around God’s Word – Law and Gospel.

Isaiah tells us about what happened to him while he was at church one day.

Isaiah was a normal dude. He wasn’t a priest, so Isaiah couldn’t enter the holy places of the Temple. So, Isaiah is in the courtyard of the Temple where the laity would gather to offer their sacrifices and hear the Word of God. It was how God’s people did church in Isaiah’s day.

But while he is there, God gives Isaiah this vision to see what is really happening. Isaiah sees the Lord high, lifted up, and sitting on the throne. In the Gospel of John, we are told that Isaiah saw Jesus on that throne (Jn. 12:41) with the train of His glorious robe filling the Temple.

But Jesus isn’t alone. With Him are the seraphim – glowing, fiery angels with six wings. Why six wings? God didn’t create them with unnecessaryparts, and they aren’t mutations. These angels are perfect. Perfectly created, and perfect in their conduct. The angels never sinned and didn’t need to be redeemed. But even they need to cover the parts that show their creatureliness.

Each seraph calls out, “Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” This threefold ‘holy’ is not just repetition. Each of these holy’s stands on its own; it could be translated, “Holy One. Holy One. Holy One.” Three distinct Holy Ones each deserving of praise. Isaiah only sees one – Jesus, but the seraphim are worshipping Three – Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit.

Isaiah sees and hears this as he is there to worship at the Temple, and it is true for us, even though we don’t see it, every time we gather for worship as well. Every time Christians gather together, more are there than can be seen. Jesus promises that the Trinity is with even the smallest congregation (Mt. 18:20).

Hebrews 12[:22–23]tells us that there are many more here today than our eyes can see, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.”

Isaiah sees what we can’t see, and he hears the worship we can’t hear. So he cries out, “Woe is me! For I am lost.” Essentially, Isaiah is saying, “I’m cooked.” Before the lofty throne of the Almighty, Eternal, Triune, Holy God, Isaiah figures God is there to punish him. How incredibly sad!

Isaiah is a Christian. He believes that God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Ex. 34:6-7).

If God had wanted to judge Isaiah, He could have opened up a hole in the ground and swallowed Isaiah to the pits of hell. God doesn’t toy around when it comes to executing judgment.

But Isaiah knows his sin. He knows that his sin isn’t something outside of him that sort of hovers over him. And his sin isn’t just something recorded in a divine naughty-or-nice list. Instead, Isaiah knows that his sin is on his lips, in his body, and part of who he is.

We wouldn’t have done any better than Isaiah did if we had this same encounter. We would have been just as terrified. The sins that we commit and don’t even think about would have been equally exposed. And we know that we have no excuse and no alibi when standing before the God and judge of all creation. We would rightly fear the Holy Trinity who after killing the body can throw us into hell (Mt. 10:28).

But when God appears to sinners. He isn’t there to destroy them. He is there to redeem them, forgive them, and comfort them. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

That seraph, that messenger of God, takes a burning coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s lips, and absolves him: “See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

What comes right after this text is comical. We, at least I, forget that sometimes. There is the Holy, Holy, Holy, Triune God and forgiven Isaiah. And God asks a question. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” God could have just given Isaiah his marching orders, “Ok, Isaiah. Now that I’ve forgiven you, you’re going to do something for Us.”

No, God gives Isaiah a chance to confess that he is forgiven. And Isaiah does, “Here am I. Send me.” Isaiah, the man cleansed of unclean lips, is given the task of proclaiming God’s Word as God’s prophet.

And you here today, you saints, you who have come into the presence of the Holy, Holy, Holy God, you too have been cleansed. Your guilt has also been taken away. Your sin has been completely atoned for. As you leave this place, go with a clean conscience. Go and do everything that God calls you to do this week. Go be God’s salt and light in this world.

And come back. Come back next week before the throne of God to once again receive His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

[1]http://news.gallup.com/poll/208529/sermon-content-appeals-churchgoers.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndication

Remembrance – Sermon for Pentecost on John 14:23-31

May20

Due to technical difficulties, no audio for today’s sermon.

John 14:23–31

²³Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.²⁴Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

²⁵“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

²⁷“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.²⁸You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.²⁹And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,³¹but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus says that the Holy Spirit’s job is, “to bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

What was the last thing you forgot? Now, there’s a scary question. If you can remember the last thing you forgot, then you’ve remembered. You maybe didn’t remember on time, but you did remember. The very question, “What was the last thing you forgot?” makes you wonder the dozens, or thousands, of things that you should remember but don’t.

We all have stories of entering the room with decision, purpose, and intent but we enter the room and ask ourselves, “What did I come here to do?” Some mornings, in the clamor of trying to get the kids to school, I frantically search for my keys wondering to myself, “Where in the world and I put them?” only to look down and find my misplaced keys in my hand.

Well, today is Pentecost. We are fifty days after Easter, and today we celebrate God sending His Holy Spirit. And, I hope you remember, three weeks ago Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16:5-15).

In case you don’t remember, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin to show us that we need a Savior, Jesus. The Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness to show us that Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross makes us righteous. And the Holy Spirit convicts us of judgment to remind us that Satan no longer has any claim on us because he is judged.

In other words, wherever the Gospel is preached, where Jesus’ death and resurrection are proclaimed, where Jesus is announced as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world – there, the Holy Spirit is, without question, at work. Wherever the Word of God is being faithfully proclaimed, the Holy Spirit is doing His work calling, gathering, enlightening, sanctifying, and preserving the Christian Church.

In our Old Testament reading (Gen. 11:1-9), we heard how God dispersed the people after the Flood. They had plans to build a tower that would have its top in the heavens. Possibly, they were trying to protect themselves from another flood even though God had promised to never flood the earth again. They were sinfully rebelling against God’s command to fill the earth. However, God, in His mercy, came down to stop their sin and to disperse them by confusing their language – sort of a “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” By this act of judgment, God nudges His creatures to do what He commanded them.

In our reading from Acts (2:1-21), we heard how God doesn’t remove the confusion of language He brought to Babel. Instead, God continues to be gracious. So the Gospel can be proclaimed in all creation, God gives the apostles the gift of speaking in tongues. They are enabled to preach the mighty works of God in all the human languages present that day of Pentecost.

We didn’t hear Peter’s whole sermon in our reading today. But in the next fifteen versus, he preaches Jesus. He doesn’t preach about the Holy Spirit; he preaches Jesus. And what happens in the crowd reveals the Holy Spirit’s work. They are convicted of sin.

They heard that Jesus, whom they crucified, was both Lord and Christ. And when they heard this, “they were cut to the heart,” and asked, “What shall we do?” And Peter continued to be the Holy Spirit’s instrument saying, “Repent.” Now, the people were already convicted, so Peter isn’t telling them to feel bad about their sin. Instead, the Holy Spirit through Peter is telling the people to trust Jesus’ forgiveness.

“Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. For this promise is for you and for your children and all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself” (Act. 2:38-39). That day, 3,000 souls were added to the Christian church by the working of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit continued to work in those believers’ hearts reminding them of Christ’s forgiveness.

The devil’s work is similar to the Holy Spirit’s work, but only at one point. The devil wants to do the first work of the Holy Spirit but leave you there. Like entering a room and not remembering why you are there, the devil wants to leave you in the fog and doubt of your sin.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit! He removes the fog. No matter how thick and dense your sin is, the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance the truth that God has removed your every sin, transgression, and iniquity sin by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

And the Holy Spirit is about to do another work.

The only other time that Jesus uses this word, ‘remembrance,’ is when He institutes the Lord’s Supper. Jesus says to take and eat the bread which is His Body given unto death and to drink the wine which is His very Blood shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Jesus says we are to do this ‘in remembrance’ of Him.

Through this Bread and Wine, the Holy Spirit is at work giving you Jesus. Believe Him that through this holy and blessed Sacrament, all your sins are completely forgiven. Then, rise and go from here remembering the comfort of your Savior’s mercy. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

Spirit-Convicted – Sermon for Easter 5 on John 16:5-16

Apr29

Listen here.

John 16:5-15

⁵“But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; ¹¹concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

¹²“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus tells the disciples that it is to their advantage that He is going away. Because of that, I was tempted to title this sermon, “Go away, Jesus.”

This ‘going away’ that Jesus is talking about is His death on the cross. Jesus goes to the cross and to His Father so that first Easter evening He can breathe on His disciples giving them the Holy Spirit and sending them with the proclamation of Christ’s forgiveness (Jn. 20:22-23).

Right off the bat, it is probably important to address something. Sometimes, Lutherans are accused of not talking about the Holy Spirit enough. People today think the Holy Spirit is at work when they get a particular feeling or emotion because of the things going on around them during the service. Scripture is very clear that feelings are not a good gauge to determine whether or not the Holy Spirit is at work.

Now, maybe it is a fair assessment to say Lutherans don’t talk about the Holy Spirit enough. But it should be noted that the Holy Spirit is very content not being talked about. In fact, the work of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Jesus. Just a few verses before our text today, which we will hear in next weeks’ Gospel lesson, Jesus says that when the Holy Spirit comes, “He will bear witness about Me” (Jn. 15:26).

In other words, whenever you hear about Jesus death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, the Holy Spirit doing His primary work of creating faith. That is why Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, as our translation puts it, the ‘Helper.’

The word Jesus uses means ‘advocate, intercessor, or mediator.’ And Jesus focuses on three convictions of the Holy Spirit. He convicts us – He brings out into the open, or convinces us – concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement. And we need to consider each of these.

First, Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin “because the world does not believe in Me.”Notice that Jesus doesn’t say that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they are so horrible.

Christ of St John on the Cross Salvador Dali We think that the opposite of sin is good works. So, we wrongly think our sin is something we can manage on our own. We imagine we can hide our stains by being kind to those around us. We think we can distract God from our lust, anger, pride, and selfishness with a few good works.

But the opposite of sin is notgood works. The opposite of sin is faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Romans 14[:23] says, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

So, the Holy Spirit shows us the depths of our sin. He points us to Jesus who has taken all the punishment. The Holy Spirit shows us that we are fools if we think our sin can be taken away by anything other than the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin showing us that we need Savior Jesus.

But even when the Holy Spirit has convicted us of our sin, He isn’t done. There is still more Spirit convicting to do.

Second, Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning righteousness “because I go to the Father.”

The Holy Spirit speaks through the Scriptures to convict you that because Jesus has died, you are completely freed from those sins which should separate you from God for eternity.

Satan, the accuser, comes along and tries to tell you that God doesn’t love you. He lies saying that Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t enough. He comes along and tries to tell you have been lying to yourself and that you really aren’t a Christian. Or if you call yourself a Christian you aren’t a ‘true Christian’ or a ‘committed Christian’ or an ‘on-fire Christian. Hogwash.

Listen to what the Spirit says in the Scriptures: You have been made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (1 Pet. 1:16). The Holy Spirit says Jesus became sin for you so that you would become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). The Holy Spirit promises that there is no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:1).

The Holy Spirit shows you that the righteousness you needed has been totally and completely provided for you by Jesus who went to His Father saying, “It is finished.”

And the Holy Spirit still isn’t done.

Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning judgment. Now, you might be thinking that Jesus is going back to Law. But notice that the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning judgment not because you are judged, rather “because the ruler of this world is judged.”

When God confronted Adam and Eve in the Garden, the first judgment He gave was to the devil. God promised that He would send Jesus to crush the serpent’s head. Jesus has come and done just that.

John 16_13 - Spirit.jpg This is the Holy Spirit’s work. The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit takes all the work of Jesus and declares it to you. He is your Helper, Comforter, Advocate. Through Spirit’s working, He opens the Scriptures creating, sustaining, and strengthening faith and guiding you into all the truth.

So, believe. Your sin is paid in full by Christ’s shed blood. Christ’s righteousness covers you. And you are judged worthy of eternal life because of Jesus. All that the Father has belongs to Jesus. And the Holy Spirit takes all that Jesus has and declares it to you.

Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

Pastorsamwise

"Don't the great tales never end?"

Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

Sanctified by the Holy Spirit – Sermon on the 3rd Article of the Apostles’ Creed for Midweek Lent 4

No Empty Houses – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday of Lent

From Amazement to Fear to Faith – Sermon on Acts 2:1-21 for Pentecost

The Heart & the Helper – Sermon on Ezekiel 36:22-28; 1 Peter 4:7-14; John 15:26-16:4 for the Seventh Sunday of Easter and Confirmation Sunday

Before the Throne of God – Sermon for Holy Trinity Sunday on Isaiah 6:1-7

Remembrance – Sermon for Pentecost on John 14:23-31

Spirit-Convicted – Sermon for Easter 5 on John 16:5-16