TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

The Work of the Holy Spirit

6/3/2023

Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-21
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
May 28, 2023

Pentecost celebrates the work of the Holy Spirit. What is the work of the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. What does it mean to sanctify? To sanctify means to make holy. But what does it mean to make holy? To make holy means to set apart for God’s special purpose. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us by gathering us into the Holy Christian Church, which is the kingdom of Christ, where He sustains us and all believers in the one true faith.
You’ll notice that St. Luke writes in Acts chapter two that the disciples were gathered on the day of Pentecost. I thought Pentecost was a Christian holiday? It is. But it was also a Jewish holiday in the Old Testament. As with everything in the Bible, the New Testament Pentecost is better than the Old Testament Pentecost. Likewise, the New Testament Passover is better than the Old Testament Passover. The Old Testament Passover was when the children of Israel slaughtered and ate a lamb for each household and smeared the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, so that the Angel of Death would pass over them and not kill their firstborn sons as he did to the Egyptians as the tenth plague against Egypt (Exodus 12). The Israelites celebrated this Passover feast every year by sacrificing Passover lambs. The New Testament Passover Lamb is Christ. We celebrate this Passover by celebrating Christ’s suffering and death for our sins and His resurrection from the dead. We celebrate the New Testament Passover on Easter as well as every Sunday.
The Old Testament Pentecost took place fifty days after the Passover, which is why it was called Pentecost, which is Greek for fifty. Fifty days after the first Passover, God gave the people of Israel the Ten Commandments when Moses went up on Mount Sinai. Every year, fifty days after the Passover, the people of Israel would celebrate God giving the Law through Moses. Now, in Acts 2, fifty days after the greater Passover, when Christ Jesus the true and final Passover Lamb was sacrificed for our sins, so that eternal death would pass over us, a greater Pentecost comes. This Pentecost is greater, because it follows a greater Passover and so grants greater gifts (Hebrews 8:6).
Christ is the greater Passover Lamb, because He is true God and being the fulfillment of all the prophesies, also true man. He lived under the Law in our place and was truly without blemish. And He suffered and died for our sins. The Passover lambs of the Old Testament were only signs of the coming Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. They could not take away any sins, but Jesus takes away all sins. Yet, Jesus’ suffering and death for your sins and His resurrection would do you no good if the Father and the Son did not send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who is true God with the Father and the Son, delivers to you what Christ won. And if the Holy Spirit does not deliver Christ to you, then you will die in your sins. The Holy Spirit’s work to sanctify you is as important to your salvation as the Son’s work in redeeming you.
So, how does the Holy Spirit sanctify you? He uses words, God’s words. In the first Old Testament Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave Moses ten words of Law. These words told Israel how they should behave. And yet, while these words were perfect and holy, they did not save the people, but rather condemned them by accusing them of sin. In the first Pentecost of the New Testament, the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles words. But these words were different. They did not simply give commands for us to follow, but they told of the mighty works of God in Christ Jesus. The words of God in the Old Testament Pentecost required works, which were never done. The words of God in the New Testament Pentecost told of the work already done for us by Christ. These words are received through faith.
This is very much what St. Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, “God made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” By letter Paul means the words of the law inscribed in stone (2 Cor. 3:7), and by Spirit, he means the Gospel of Christ proclaimed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. Now, indeed the Holy Spirit uses both the letter of the Law and the letter of the Gospel, but He does not save with the Law. Only the Gospel saves, because it depends on Jesus’ completed work and is received through faith. The Holy Spirit uses the Law to convict you of sin and bring the threat of death and hell upon your conscience. He does this so that you will be sorry for your sins. Yet, the Holy Spirit does not desire to leave you there. The Holy Spirit’s greatest work is convincing you that God has forgiven you all your sins for Christ’s sake. The Holy Spirit’s greatest joy and work is proclaiming Christ’s work of salvation for you.
The Holy Spirit works through words to sanctify you, to gather you into the safety of the Christian Church, so that you may be saved through faith in Jesus’ blood. People get distracted by the lesser works of the Holy Spirit, which accompanied the Holy Spirit’s greater works on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit caused the disciples to speak in languages they had never learned. So, people try to speak in tongues to prove they have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit caused the disciples to prophesy, so people seek to prophesy messages from God outside of Holy Scripture to prove that they have the Holy Spirit. And they do the same thing with healings, because the Apostles also healed many people. Yet, the attempts today to speak in tongues, prophecy, and heal do not give any certainty of the Holy Spirit’s work. They are all dubious at best. Besides, St. Paul said that prophecies and tongues would cease (1 Corinthians 13:8).
The Holy Spirit caused the disciples to speak in languages they had never learned to show that the Gospel is meant for all people of every language and nation. And it promises us that the Holy Spirit can work in our own language. The Holy Spirit caused the disciples to prophecy to fulfill Scripture and so that people would know that they were sent by Christ. Yet, Scripture doesn’t promise that these gifts will continue, nor do we need them. We have the Holy Scriptures, which the Holy Spirit has caused to be written. And we have the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which have Christ’s word and promise.
And here is why it is so important that we hold fast to God’s Word in Holy Scripture, to the Gospel of Christ and the Sacraments He instituted. That is how we know that the Holy Spirit is working among us! Did that guy on TV really speak in tongues? I don’t know. Probably not. Are you baptized? Yes? Then the Holy Spirit came to you and made you God’s child! Did that fellow on the internet really come up with a new prophecy from God? No. But the Gospel truth that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners remains true today!
The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word, which means that He works in His Church, where the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity and where the Sacraments are rightly administered. You don’t need to doubt where the Holy Spirit works. And you don’t need to doubt that He continues to work today! He works every time a child is baptized and when a sinner comes to Jesus. He works every time His Church gathers for worship and when a Christian confesses Christ. He works in your hearts with a burning that is as real as those tongues of fire on the disciples. He works to save your soul and grant you everlasting life.
The work of the Holy Spirit is the greatest work being done on this earth right now. What was accomplished on that first New Testament Pentecost? Three thousand souls were baptized and added to the number of the saved; three thousand souls that would have spent eternity in hell, but rather will spend eternity in paradise! And the Holy Spirit has continued to add to the number of those being saved even to this day!
We want more practical knowledge and skills, so most ignore the workings and teachings of the Holy Spirit, as if we know enough. But what knowledge or skill on this earth can grant you eternal life? “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,” says Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us this peace with God by converting us to faith in Jesus! This isn’t shallow superficial peace, where you go along to get along, but have no true love for anyone. The Holy Spirit grants you eternal peace with God.
This peace with God grants you joy that the world cannot take away from you. You can lose your house, your money, your wife, children, everything you have, but the joy of being at peace with God can not be taken away from you, so long as you have faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit also gives you courage to confess Christ and do what is right. Consider Peter, who was afraid to acknowledge Christ to a servant girl, but now preaches to all the Jews in Jerusalem, including those who cried, “Crucify him!” to Pontius Pilate just fifty odd days earlier. When you hear and learn Holy Scripture, study it, and receive the Sacrament, the Holy Spirit grants you courage to face Satan and the world and not back down.
Finally, through the ministry of the Word, the Holy Spirit grants you love for your fellow Christian. At the end of Acts 2, St. Luke records that the Christians held everything in common with each other. They loved each other as their own bodies and didn’t consider anything their own! So filled they were with the Holy Spirit. This is part of the Holy Spirit sanctifying. He continues to work in you to bring you out of this world and into another. Just because you have faith in Christ, does not mean that the Holy Spirit is done working on you. The Holy Spirit must continue to work to sustain you in the faith, to increase your love, and joy and courage. If the Holy Spirit does not continue this work in you through His Word, then you will lose His work, including saving faith.
A final note: through whom does the Holy Spirit work? You are right if you say through the pastor. The pastor is called by God to proclaim God’s Word and be a steward of God’s mysteries. And so, we know the Holy Spirit works through the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. Yet, the Holy Spirit is not connected to the pastor apart from the Word. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is not separate from you when you speak His Word.
Now it is right that no one should publicly preach or teach without being called. And Holy Scripture has forbidden women from serving as pastors, from publicly preaching, teaching, and exercising authority in the Church (1 Timothy 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35); a teaching, which has become even more relevant as our world has rejected every distinction between men and women. Yet, every Christian is called to confess Christ. You don’t need to be a pastor to give a defense for the reason for the hope that is in you. Joel prophesied that both sons and daughters would prophesy. All of you in whom the Holy Spirit dwells are called to acknowledge Christ before men (Matthew 10:32). And the Holy Spirit promises to work even through your words to convert and save. Speak to your children about Christ. Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about your faith in Jesus. And if you do not have the confidence to do so, then come to church and Bible study and learn more until you have such confidence. This is the greatest work God is doing today! The Holy Spirit is still adding to the number of those being saved. And we should be confident that He works through us when we confess the true Gospel. Amen.

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Jesus Remains Our Prophet, Priest, and King

5/26/2023

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Listen Here!
Ascension Day (Observed) and Confirmation Sunday
Mark 16:14-20 and Acts 1:1-11
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
May 21, 2023

Imagine you lived two thousand years ago in a village in Israel, going about your daily work. And then, you saw a great crowd come into your village. The multitude was following a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who healed the sick, raised the dead, even forgave sins, and proclaimed the way of salvation for all people. Would you follow Him? Would you drop your work and go to Him and listen to His words and become His disciple?
Of course, you would! What Christian today would say no? But too bad we can’t follow Him today, right? Jesus has ascended into heaven. He is out of our sight, sitting at the Father’s right hand. Jesus is as far away from us as the heavens are from the earth. So, we can’t follow Him anymore, right? Wrong! Yes, Jesus ascended into heaven, so that we cannot see His physical form anymore. Yet, Jesus is still with us on this earth, even as He is in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.
Yet, how can this be? How can Jesus be both at the Father’s right hand in heaven and here on earth? Because Jesus is true God and true man. His human nature and His divine nature have been inextricably joined in a personal union, so that wherever Christ is, He is there as both God and man.
Some claim since Jesus is a human, His human body must be restricted to space and time as our human bodies are. Therefore, Jesus cannot be with us here on earth in His human nature, but only in His divine nature, while His human body remains as far from us as the heavens are from the earth. But this teaching draws a monstrous Jesus, which the Bible does not teach! A Christ, who is in some places a man and in other places as God. They resurrect the ancient condemned heresy of Nestorianism, which separated the divine and human natures of Christ, so that one could exist apart from the other.
But if Christ is here on earth only in His divine nature and not in His human nature, then He is not with us as the crucified one! And if He is not with us as the crucified one, then we are still in our sins! No, we hold that Christ is true God and true man everywhere He is. Being true God, He can be anywhere and everywhere at once. And anywhere and everywhere He is, He is also true man. Jesus did not ascend to the Father, so that He would be kept away from us. Jesus ascended to the Father’s right Hand of power, so that He can be with us always, even to the end of the age. Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand, so that He might be for us here on earth our Prophet, Priest, and King.
From His glorious throne in heaven, Jesus serves as our Prophet. A prophet speaks God’s Word. Jesus is the Prophet of prophets, the very source of God’s Word. And being at the Father’s right hand of power, Christ makes clear to us that He is with us here on earth through His Word. In Matthew chapter 28, after giving the command to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching the to observe all that He commanded them, Jesus says, “And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And in our Gospel lesson, it says that after Jesus ascended into heaven, “they went and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them…” The Lord worked with their preaching! In another place Jesus says, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)
So, Jesus promises to be with us through His Word. Even more, He tells us that if we do not have His Word, then we do not have Him. Jesus says in John 8, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” And again, Jesus says in John 14, “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. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words.” And St. Paul tells us that saving faith comes through hearing the words of Christ (Romans 10:17). This is why our confirmands promise before God and the congregation that they will continue to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully.
So, you certainly can be Jesus’ disciple today. You are Jesus’ disciple by hearing His Word and believing it. And when you believe Jesus’ Word, you are not a disciple of an absent Christ, but of a Christ who actively works through His Word. Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Baptism is not your work, but Jesus’ work. When you were baptized, Jesus baptized you. This is a powerful work, which has given you the Holy Spirit and joined you to Christ’s death and resurrection. And when you receive the Lord’s Supper, it is not the words of the minister that make the bread and wine Christ’s body and blood. It is Jesus’ words, which the minister repeats. Christ’s Word is powerful to forgive your sins and sustain you in the faith.
And this is all possible, because Jesus has ascended to the Father’s right hand. after having suffered and died for all your sins, conquering sin, death, and Satan on your behalf. Christ’s ascension gives you certainty that His Word is powerful, because He has accomplished everything for your salvation.
From His glorious throne in heaven, Jesus serves as our eternal Priest. A priest makes intercession to God on behalf of people. He does this by offering sacrifices, as the Levitical priests did in the Old Testament. Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, once and for all, as the apostle writes in Hebrews chapter 9, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once and for all into the holy places, not by the means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross did what countless sacrifices of bulls, goats, and sheep could never do, even if they were sacrificed everyday for the rest of eternity. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross made atonement for the sins of the whole world, which means your debt is paid. God’s wrath is taken away. And not only did Jesus make this payment on the cross, but now as He sits at the Father’s right hand, He is constantly making intercession for you as your High Priest. St. Paul writes, “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who is indeed interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34) Christ Jesus at all times shows His Father His pierced hands and side and tells Him of His spilt blood for your sake, how He has paid for your sins. And the Father agrees with His Son. Again, St. Paul writes, “There is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
In the Old Testament, the priests and the priests’ families were fed the food offered on the altar. All who partook of the food were holy. Jesus, our High Priest offers us Himself as food and drink, spiritually and sacramentally, so that we have fellowship with Him and are holy. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) This shows that whoever has faith in Christ partakes spiritually of the sacrifice offered for all sins once and for all. This means that when you hear the preaching of the Gospel and believe it, you are feasting on holy food from the altar of the cross, which only members of a royal priesthood may eat. Jesus also said, “Take, eat. This is my body. Drink of it all of you, this cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” In this way, Christ feeds us His sacramental body and blood as a pledge of the forgiveness of sins, which He won for us on the cross. Through faithfully believing Jesus’ Word and receiving His Sacrament, you are communing with the great High Priest and are made holy.
And through faith in Christ, you are a member of this royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Which means that you offer up your own sacrifices to the Lord. These are not sacrifices, which pay for your sins. Only Jesus’ self-sacrifice on the cross pays for sins. The sacrifices you offer are sacrifices of thanksgiving and prayer. And because of Christ’s intercession for you, you have certainty that God hears all your prayers and accepts all your sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.
From His glorious throne, Jesus reigns as our King. Jesus’ disciples thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom. They didn’t know what they were talking about. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Yet, Christ does establish His heavenly kingdom on this earth, His kingdom of grace. Jesus’ kingdom of grace is His Holy Christian Church on earth. People live in Jesus’ kingdom of grace by faithfully hearing and believing His Word and receiving His Sacraments.
Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) Again, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” We enter the kingdom of Christ here on earth through Baptism and faith in Christ. Christ rules over us as our King by teaching and preaching to us. He corrects us and brings us to repent of our sins. And He forgives us and gives us certainty of our salvation. And He prepares a place for us in heaven, where we will leave His kingdom of grace and enter His kingdom of glory.
On the Last Day, Jesus will come in glory and rule. He will no longer rule through faith, but we will see Him as He is. Only those who lived in His kingdom of grace will enter His kingdom of glory. Yet, every rule and authority on earth will be abolished forever. Christ will reign, and He alone.
Jesus ascended into heaven, so that He could be your Prophet, Priest, and King while you live here on earth. He ascended into heaven so that you could be His disciple now. By recognizing Jesus as your Prophet, the one who teaches you God’s Word, as your Priest, the one who makes intercession for you to God the Father, and as your King, the one who rules your heart and mind, you will remain Jesus’ disciple, until He grants you everlasting life. May God grant you His Holy Spirit, so that you will remain Christ’s disciple here on earth and into eternity. Amen.
Let us pray.
Praise to Thee and adoration, Blessed Jesus, Son of God
Who, to serve Thine own creation, Didsts partake of flesh and blood.
Teach me that I never may From Thy fold or pastures stray,
But with zeal and joy exceeding Follow where Thy steps are leading.
Let me never, Lord, forsake Thee, E’en tho’ bitter pain and strife
On my way shall overtake me; But may I thro’ all my life
Walk in fervent love to Thee, In all woes and comforts flee
To Thy birth, Thy death, and Passion Till I see Thy full salvation.
Amen.

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Pray in Jesus' Name

5/15/2023

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Jean-Francois Millet, "The Angelus," 1857-59, Public Domain.

Rogate Sunday
John 16:23-30
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
May 14, 2023

“Amen, Amen, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you. … Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” So promises our Lord Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to ask in Jesus’ name? Does it mean to simply conclude our prayers with the words, “In Jesus’ name. Amen”? No. To ask in Jesus’ name means to pray according to faith in Jesus’ promises. We pray for a very simple reason. Jesus commands us to pray in His name and He promises that the Father will give us what we ask for. This is very much what God says in Psalm 50, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
But, how can we be confident that the Father will give us what we ask for? How can we trust Jesus’ promise? Because Jesus came from the Father and came into the world and then He left the world to go to the Father. What does that mean? It means that God the Father sent Jesus into the world to fulfill the requirements of the Law in our place, to take on our sins, and to die for them. Jesus did just that, and after rising from the dead, He returned to the Father who sent Him, so that He may always intercede for us by the blood of His cross.
So, the Father sent His Son, whom He has loved from all eternity, to take on our human flesh and suffer and die the worst death imaginable, bearing the just punishment of all our sins on His flesh and soul, because He desired to save us. And the Son, out of love for the Father and for us, obeyed the Father’s will, came to earth to be our Savior, was mistreated by His own creation, accomplished everything that His Father sent Him to accomplish, and then returned to mediate to the Father on our behalf for all eternity. Jesus has removed the cause of God’s anger against us forever. So, why would the Father refuse to hear your prayer? Why would He do so much out of love for you, but then refuse to listen to you when you call to Him? How can God deny His own Son, who did everything He asked of Him?
And this is why you must ask in faith. If you do not believe this, then you won’t have the confidence to pray to God or that you will get what you ask for. If you are afraid of God, how can you approach Him? This is why Jesus says, “Because the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” Here, Jesus describes true saving faith. Faith is not simply knowledge of God and Jesus. Jesus adds, “because you have loved me.” True faith produces love for God. It is impossible to have true faith without loving Christ, because true faith is trusting that God accepts you for Christ’s sake.
To pray in Jesus’ name means to pray, trusting that God is pleased with you on account of Christ Jesus, who has taken away all your sins, that God gladly hears you and will joyfully give you all that you ask for. This is why we say “Amen” at the end of our prayers. Amen is a Hebrew word, which means in truth or faithfulness. Jesus tells us, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you,” because what He says is trustworthy. We have confidence that God will hear our prayers, because He has saved us through His Son Jesus Christ, who has taken all our sins away.
So, we know to pray in Jesus’ name means to pray to the Father according to our faith in Jesus Christ, who has reconciled us to God by His death and resurrection, and to ask God what He promises to give us. Well, what does God promise to give us? What should we pray for? The simplest answer is in the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus Christ Himself taught us the Lord’s Prayer. In it He invites us to call God our heavenly Father. And in it He teaches us to pray for absolutely everything we could possibly need or want.
Yes. That’s right. Everything you could possibly ask for, you find in the Lord’s Prayer. In the first three petitions, we pray for the Holy Christian Church: Hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. With these three petitions, we pray that God’s Word would be taught in its truth and purity and that we as the children of God would also lead holy lives according to it, that God would send us His Holy Spirit, so that we believe His word, and that God would break and hinder every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want God’s name hallowed or His kingdom to come. These are not small petitions. With just a few words, we pray that we would be holy before God, that we would be made heirs of His kingdom, and that the devil, the world, and everything that is evil will be defeated.
The next petition asks for absolutely everything that has to do with the wants and needs of this physical life. Then Jesus invites us to ask for forgiveness each and every day, further showing His patience toward us. We pray to be led out of temptation and to be delivered from evil, so that we may continue to live in His kingdom of grace until we enter His kingdom of glory in heaven.
There is nothing that you could possibly think to pray for that you do not pray for in the Lord’s Prayer. And whenever you say another prayer, you are praying for something in the Lord’s Prayer. Also, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “Our Father, our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.” This prayer, even when it is said in private, is a corporate prayer. We say it with the entire Christian Church every time we say it. This adds power to our prayer. This means we never pray alone.
So, when you pray for the health of your sick sister, you are praying the petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” which the entire Church prays without ceasing. So, when you pray for your sister, your prayer is joined to the entire Church’s prayer for daily bread. The whole multitude of saints now pray for the health of your sister. And when you pray for your children, who have fallen away from the faith, you are praying the first petition, “Hallowed be Thy name.” And the whole Church prays this petition with you, so you are not alone praying for your child to return to Christ and His Church. The Church with one voice prays with you.
Yet, even with the Lord’s Prayer as our guide, we still do not know what to pray for as we ought! Our flesh is weak. We are attacked by Satan and this evil world. Yet, even here, Scripture promises us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). So, when we pray in faith, the entire Christian Church prays with us. When our prayers become unintelligible, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, joining our spirit’s deepest needs to God’s power.
So, we know how we should pray and what we should ask for, but when should we pray? Since faith is a prerequisite for prayer, we should pray when our faith is strong and we are confident that God will hear us and answer us. That is true. Yet, Jesus gives this encouragement to pray to His disciples shortly before they are scattered and hide in fear. It is when you are weak that you should pray to God. It is when your faith is on life support that you should ask earnestly of God, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” So, in short, we should pray without ceasing, when our faith is strong and especially when it is weak.
And this brings us to our final question. What should you expect when you pray to God? Well, certainly you should expect God to answer your prayer and give you what you ask. You should believe that He will grow His Church, forgive your sins and keep you in the faith, feed you, clothe you, protect you, and heal you and your loved ones. It is a great sin to doubt that God will give you what you ask for. Did not Elijah cause the rain to stop for three years and then cause it to fall again with his prayer? Did not the three men survive the flames of the furnace by their prayer? Did not Daniel stop the mouths of the lions with His prayer? Did not Moses and David save the lives of the people of Israel by their prayers to God? We should not doubt God’s willingness to answer our prayers.
Yet, you should also expect that God will at times make you wait. He does not always give you what you want immediately, so to cultivate patience within you, so that patience may increase a hope that does not disappoint (Romans 5:2-3). Three times, St. Paul prayed that God would take his proverbial thorn out of his flesh, yet Christ said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And what did Paul acquire through that thorn? Many more disciples, who were willing to bear the cross for Christ. Moses prayed that He might enter the earthly land of Canaan. God rather had Moses die without crossing the Jordan. Yet, did not God give Moses something much greater by taking him to the heavenly Canaan. David prayed that the life of his newborn son would be spared, but rather God took him. But did not God grant him something much better by giving him eternal life, where David would later meet him? Jesus prayed that if it were the Father’s will, to take the cup of woe away from Him. The Father did not withhold the cup, but Jesus drank it to the bitter dregs on the cross. Yet, the Father gave Him something much better by granting Him a train of captives to live with Him forever in heaven.
So, God may make you wait. He may seem to be saying, no. But He does this to strengthen your faith in Him and with the intention of giving you something infinitely greater!
Prayer is a powerful tool, which only those who have faith in Christ can truly employ. You must know that God is reconciled to you for Christ’s sake, so that you may be confident to ask anything of God. This is why the Proverb warns, “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law (that is, the divine instruction), even his prayer is an abomination.” If we do not listen to God’s Word, we do not know what to pray for or if we will be heard. And so, we should diligently hear and learn God’s Word, not only so that we can strengthen our faith, so that we are bold to pray, but also so that we may know what to pray for as we ought. Prayer is a powerful tool of the faithful, yet it is also a tool by which God strengthens our faith. When you pray, you put your trust in God. And God works that trust, so that it becomes stronger. Through prayer, God not only fulfills our needs and wants in this life, but he strengthens our faith, so that our joy may be full in eternity. Amen.

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The Work of the Holy Spirit

5/9/2023

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Gospel: John 16:5-15
5[Jesus said:] “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning 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. 13 When 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. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Cantate Sunday (Easter 5)
John 16:5-15
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
May 7, 2023

Jesus goes away to the Father, so that He may send us His Holy Spirit. In few words, Jesus gives us a vivid description of the work of the Holy Trinity. The Father sends the Son. The Son returns to the Father by way of the cross. The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit. Yet, in this Gospel lesson, Jesus focuses especially on the work of the Holy Spirit, whom He calls the Spirit of Truth and the Paraclete, that is the Helper or Comforter.
The Holy Spirit is God. His work in our salvation is as important as the work of the Father and of the Son. If the Father does not send the Son to take on our human nature and to suffer, die in our place, and rise again, then we cannot be saved. And if the Holy Spirit does not deliver to us Christ’s victory, then we cannot be saved.
Jesus tells His disciples that it is to their advantage that He go away, because if He does not go the Paraclete, that is the Helper or Comforter will not come to them, but if Jesus goes away, then He will send Him to them. By “go away” Jesus means go to the Father by means of the cross. Jesus will be taken away from His disciples, beaten, tried, condemned to death, crucified, and buried in a tomb before He finally departs to the Father after rising from the dead and ascending to the Father’s right hand. By suffering and dying, Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world. Jesus returns to the Father having accomplished His mission on earth: winning salvation for all.
If Jesus does not go to the Father in this way, then He cannot send the Holy Spirit to comfort the disciples. If He does not suffer and die for all sins, then the Holy Spirit has nothing to bring them to comfort them. And if the Holy Spirit does not come to them, then Jesus’ suffering and death is for nothing, because only through faith can we receive the forgiveness and salvation Jesus won for us. If the work of the Holy Spirit is taken away, then the work of Christ is taken away. And so, we must not ignore the work of the Holy Spirit, but pay careful attention to what Jesus says the Holy Spirit will do.
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Convict is a legal word. Jesus is put on trial by the chief priests and Pontius Pilate. He is found guilty by wicked men and condemned to death. Now, the Holy Spirit comes to put the world on trial on account of Jesus, and this is the verdict the Holy Spirit will give.
The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, because it does not believe in Jesus. Most people agree on the second table of the law, that is, the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself. People agree that you should obey the proper authorities, that you should not murder, that you should not commit adultery, that you should not steal, and that you should not slander. People may have different criteria for each of these commandments, but in the world’s eye, you are righteous if you refrain from these crimes. And for this reason, the world does not believe that we need Jesus. If Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and even atheists can agree on basic moral laws, who needs to believe in Jesus to be a good person?
But the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the greatest sin. The greatest sin is rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The world combats this assertion by saying, “If I’m a good person, why do I need Jesus? Are you saying that if I am a good person, but don’t believe in Jesus, I’m going to hell?” Of course, the flaw in that argument is that no one is a good person. We’re all miserable sinners. And those who do not follow Jesus do not perfectly love their neighbor, but twist the command to love, so that they can still get away with mistreating their neighbor and serving their own lusts. The world is filled with hatred, murder, sexual immorality, theft, and slander. And everyone has been found guilty.
But even if you have kept yourself from such sins, you are still not innocent if you reject Jesus. Jesus is the one and only God. He clearly manifested Himself to the world with great signs and miracles, which are attested by multiple witnesses. He died for the sins of the whole world and rose again from the dead, being seen by hundreds. Jesus has fulfilled all Scripture, proving Himself to be the Christ. To reject Jesus is to reject the clear Word of God. To reject Jesus is to break the first and greatest commandment, “You shall have no other gods.”
Christ Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life. Yet, if you do not believe in Jesus, then you remain in your sin. Only through Jesus can your sins be taken away.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning righteousness. To be righteous means to be innocent of all sin and to have a right relationship with God. When Jesus stood before His human judges, they condemned Him as a sinner and mocked the claim that God was with Him. If God were with Him, why didn’t He rescue Him from the cross? Yet, the Holy Spirit now convicts the world concerning righteousness, because Jesus goes to the Father. Jesus does not remain dead, but He is risen from the dead and returns to His heavenly Father to sit at His right hand and live and reign forever. The world condemned Jesus as a sinner. The Holy Spirit vindicates Jesus as the Righteous One.
And as the Righteous One, Jesus is the only one who can make you righteous. This is the verdict of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has already convicted the world of sin. None is righteous, no not one. Yet, through faith in Christ you escape the verdict of sinner and receive the verdict of righteous. Although you are a sinner and deserve to be condemned with the world, through faith you receive Christ’s righteousness as a gift, because Christ has already paid for your sins. Jesus has gone to the Father. After bearing your sins, He is righteous. So, through Jesus alone, you are declared righteous by the Holy Spirit.
Finally, the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. The ruler of this world is Satan. What does it mean that Satan is the ruler of this world? It means that he influences this world and leads people in sin and unbelief. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 2, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (vss. 1-3) That is the condition of the whole world before they are rescued by God and granted faith in Christ.
Before Jesus was arrested, He said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Satan rules this world with lies, but when Jesus dies for the sins of the whole world, He undoes Satan’s lies. He undoes sin. He plunders Satan’s kingdom. All those who cling to Jesus escape the judgement of the world. But those who reject Jesus will be condemned along with Satan.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit. By convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, He proclaims Jesus’ victory, so that whoever believes may be saved. But where, when, and how does the Holy Spirit do this great work? Jesus told His Apostles that the Spirit of Truth would lead them in all truth. This means that the words of the Apostles are the words of the Holy Spirit, the words of God Himself. This is why St. Paul says that the Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The Apostles and Prophets refer to the Bible, which is written by the Apostles and Prophets. The words of the Apostles are the words of the Holy Spirit. This means that the New Testament is God’s Word even as the Old Testament is God’s Word. When we read the words of the Bible, we are reading the very words of the Holy Spirit.
And so, the Holy Spirit works wherever the Gospel is proclaimed in all the world. The task of a faithful preacher, is to proclaim the whole council of God from Holy Scripture, so that he knows that the Holy Spirit is speaking through him. When you hear a sermon preached in faithfulness to the Bible, proclaiming the work of Jesus to save, then you are hearing the Holy Spirit convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Then you are hearing the Holy Spirit deliver Christ’s victory to you.
The Holy Spirit also works in the Sacraments. We must not separate the Sacraments from God’s Word and from Christ’s institution in Holy Scripture. You should hold fast to the promise God made you in your Baptism. Holy Scripture tells you that in Baptism your sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38) and you are saved (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21). That means that in your Baptism, the Holy Spirit convicts you of the righteousness of Christ. Holy Scripture says that the Lord’s Supper is Christ’s true body and blood given to you for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:26-28). That means that when you receive the Lord’s Supper in faith, you are receiving the verdict of the Holy Spirit that you are righteous before God.
The Holy Spirit continues to do His marvelous work in His Church through the ministry of the Word and Sacraments today. And Christ is glorified in the work of the Holy Spirit. Christ is glorified, because the Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Christ and declares it to us. Christ came to earth to save sinners. He died not for His own sins, but for ours. Yet, the salvation He labored for cannot be given to us except by the Holy Spirit. Because of the Holy Spirit’s work, Christ’s work is not in vain. So, the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by converting sinners to faith through the Gospel. When you repent of your sins and believe in Christ as your Savior, Christ Jesus is glorified. His work is glorified. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
So, if we want Christ to be glorified in us, so that His labor is not in vain, we must listen to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel and the Sacraments. We should not neglect the work of the Holy Spirit, because without His work, we cannot be saved. Yet, when the Holy Spirit works in us, so that we believe in Christ, Christ is glorified and we are saved. Amen.

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A Little While as Sojourners

5/1/2023

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Jubilate Sunday
John 16:16-23
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
April 30, 2023

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, by the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” This is what Jesus means when He says, “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again, a little while, and you will see me.” Jesus will be taken away from His disciples, causing them great pain. But just as the pain in childbirth is worth it on account of the child, so also will the sorrow of the disciples be worth it, because what they receive is much greater.
Jesus said, “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also, you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” It is interesting that Jesus speaks of his disciples as if they are like a woman going into labor. It is Jesus who will go into labor. Jesus will sweat drops of blood as He prays to His Father to take this cup of woe away from Him. Jesus will be scourged and nailed to a cross, bearing the sins of the whole world. It is Jesus who labors for our sin, yet He does it willingly, knowing that it wins for us eternal life. Jesus’ joy is made complete through His labor, because He wins our salvation, even as a woman is joyful when her labor is over when she holds her child in her arms.
That connection is obvious. But Jesus doesn’t say, “So I will have sorrow on the cross, but I will rise again and my heart will rejoice,” but rather, “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice.” The disciples will have sorrow as their Lord is taken away from them. They will watch from a distance as he is beaten, crucified, and killed. They will hide behind locked doors with great grief and sorrow. But Jesus will return to them, and their hearts will rejoice.
There is nothing worse than having Jesus taken away from you. If Jesus is taken away from you, your salvation is taken away from you. If Jesus is taken away from you, then you are still in your sin. If Jesus is taken away from you, you are damned to hell. And this is very much how the disciples felt in their sorrow. They could not see past the sorrow and grief. Jesus was gone. That’s all they knew.
And this teaches us about true repentance. Repentance has two parts. First, is sorrow over sin. The second is faith. The sorrow over sin is the little while that every Christian must experience in this life. Now, no one can truly grasp the evil of our sins. We’ve all had a guilty conscience, but even the most sorrowful conscience cannot accurately measure the weight of our sin. We look at the crucifix and know what it looked like for Jesus to be nailed to the cross. Yet, not even seeing Jesus crucified with our own eyes can communicate to our human senses the horror of Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus is God’s own Son! He is innocent, yet He bears the sins of the whole world. God’s righteous wrath against our sins is upon Him. God is nailed to a tree! How great must our sins be to require such a tremendous act of sacrifice!
And for this reason, since we cannot grasp the severity of our sins with our senses, true repentance does not depend on how intensely you feel your guilt. If your salvation depended on how sorrowful you were for your sins, you would never have peace, because you would never be certain you were sorrowful enough. Your salvation depends on faith, that is, that you trust in Christ for forgiveness. Christ alone has paid for your sins. You do not pay for your sins by feeling sorry for them. And you will never be sorry enough for your sins.
However, this does not mean that we should not be sorry for our sins! Quite the contrary, we should mourn our sins more than we do. One of the little whiles Jesus speaks of is the little while of sorrow we feel over our sins, before we are refreshed with the Gospel. And this little while happens daily. It is the daily crucifying of our old sinful flesh, the daily repenting of our sins and rising to new life with joy in the Gospel. But there is no rising to joy in the Gospel if there is no killing of the old Adam. There is no joy in Christ if there is not first sorrow over our sin.
So, when we think on the little while of Jesus being taken away from His disciples, we learn a bit of that sorrow over sin we should have as part of our repentance. Jesus was taken away. Their salvation was taken away. Their hope was taken away. Without Jesus, all they can see are the gaping jaws of hell. And that is how we should consider our sin! When we fall into sin, we should not laugh and think it is no big deal. We should not ignore it, as if it has no effect on our souls. We shouldn’t downplay our sin, saying, everyone is a sinner and probably a worse sinner than me. No, we should rightly consider our sin our greatest problem. Our sin separates us from Christ! It separates us from God and His salvation. Our sin would cause our damnation. And however sorrowful you are over your sin, you should know that your sin is even worse than you think. The world laughs at such sorrow over sin. It thinks sin is a game, no big deal. Since everyone does it, it is harmless. And for this reason, the world also does not rejoice in the Gospel.
Feeling sorrow over your sin is not complete repentance. You must also be joyful over the Gospel. And only Christ Jesus can give you that joy. You look at your sins and see that they separate you from God and bring you to hell. But you look at Jesus and see that He took all your sins away from you and bore hell on the cross for you. He has returned victorious. All your sins are nailed to the tree. They can no longer harm Him, so they can no longer harm you. That is the joy that comes after a little while of sorrow, which no one can take away from you.
Yet, Jesus means another thing by this little while besides the daily sorrow over sin and joy in the Gospel. He speaks of the little while when Christ departs from us, and we must sojourn in this world without Him. This little while started when Christ ascended into heaven, leaving His Church on earth with the means of grace by which He continues to minister to His sheep on earth. This little while will end when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead.
This means that every Christian is a sojourner the entire time that he lives on this earth. You are a pilgrim, a foreigner, a stranger. This means that this world is not your home. “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21) And since our citizenship is in heaven, and we are foreigners in this land, we behave differently from the citizens of this land. Throughout history, including the history of our own nation, foreigners have moved into other countries. And in their new land, they continued the customs and traditions of their old land. And throughout history, this has caused tension between the foreigner and the native born.
And so, it is with us. We are sojourners, pilgrims, aliens in a strange land. This is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven. And for this reason, we conduct our lives differently than the citizens of this world. And the citizens of this world do not take kindly to that. They put pressure on us to assimilate and live like native born worldlings. So, they pressure us and our children to miss church to serve other gods like money and sports. They pressure us to speak crassly, to accept sexual immorality as good and even to participate in it ourselves. And this is difficult enough, because our sinful flesh wants to succumb to these pressures.
Yet, St. Peter warns, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” The passions of the flesh wage war against your soul! This is a somber warning from St. Peter. Following the passions of the flesh and assimilating to live like the heathen do is not harmless. It is waging war against your own soul.
Yet, the pressure of the world and the passions of the flesh only last a little while. The sorrow that follows wicked living is much worse and long-lasting than the “pleasure” wicked living brings. Yet, the joy that follows the sorrow of crucifying the flesh is great and never ends.
Living as a sojourner on this earth is full of grief and sorrow. It means that you will be aware of the battle within your own self between your spirit and your flesh. It means that you will not be accepted by the world, which feels no obligation to follow Jesus’ teaching. It means that you will be aware of Jesus’ absence in this world and the presence of Satan’s reign. This sorrow is real and necessary. Jesus says, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) This cross is being a stranger in this land and being hated for it.
Yet, Jesus calls it only a little while, in Greek micron, like microscope or microbe. It is a tiny little insignificant thing. St. Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) Not worth comparing. Micron. Little while. Yes, Jesus has been gone for two thousand years. Yes, you endure a lifetime of sojourning. It is still a little while. It is insignificant compared to the joy that will be revealed to us.
And besides all this, this sojourning is not all sorrow and grief. We still have the joy of the Gospel. Jesus has not left us orphans. He has given us the means of grace: Baptism, the Absolution, the preaching of the Gospel, and the Lord’s Supper, through which He is with us always even to the end of the age. We walk with Jesus all the way. And Jesus strengthens us for our journey. We do not eat the food of this pagan land, but we eat the manna our heavenly Father feeds us from heaven, His Holy Word and Sacraments.
And we know how our journey ends, because Christ Jesus has already gone before us. He has endured His little while on the cross for us, bearing our sins and winning for us everlasting life. Therefore, we have joy in the midst of sorrow. We rejoice even as the devil, world, and our sinful flesh give us grief. And the joy we have in Christ, no one can take away from us. The world may take our money, our property, our good reputations, our family, even our lives, but they cannot take our joy in Christ away. Because we hold this joy through faith. And when our course is run, we shall possess this joy in eternity. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Jesus Remains Our Prophet, Priest, and King

Pray in Jesus' Name

The Work of the Holy Spirit

A Little While as Sojourners

Rev. James Preus

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