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Pentecost 2018: The Holy Spirit Works through the Gospel

5/21/2018

John 14:13-31
Acts 2:1-24
May 20, 2018

When you think of Pentecost, what do you think of? A rushing wind? Tongues of fire dancing on the heads of Christ's disciples? Uneducated Galileans speaking in languages they've never learned? Yes, these things did indeed happen on that first Pentecost of the New Testament and a preacher can hardly preach a Pentecost sermon without mentioning these happenings.

Of course, Pentecost commemorates Jesus sending the promised Holy Spirit, the Comforter. And we Christians today certainly want to receive the Holy Spirit, as we just sang, "Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord, with all your graces now outpoured..." So, it's an appropriate question this Pentecost morning, "How do we receive the Holy Spirit?"

Many seek to receive the Holy Spirit by duplicating the signs that accompanied the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Men and women prophesying and speaking in tongues, they've never learned. Others perform miracles, healings and such to prove that they have the Holy Spirit. And Jesus did say at his Ascension as recorded in Mark chapter 16, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (vss. 17-18)

Yet, it is important to note that Jesus did not promise that these signs would continue to accompany his Church forever. In fact, St. Paul says in Romans chapter 13 that such gifts of the Spirit would cease. Neither are these signs the actual gifts that the Holy Spirit brings, but merely signs that accompany the Holy Spirit's work. The tongues of fire, the speaking in tongues, the healings; they are all adornments to show the world that the Holy Spirit is working. But to confuse such adornments with the actual gifts we should seek to receive from the Holy Spirit is like focusing on the wrapping paper instead of the actual gift.

A bride wears a beautiful wedding dress at her wedding. She does this to adorn herself as she presents herself to her groom. She does this also so that everyone knows who the bride is. Yet, on my wedding day, even if the wedding dress were the most beautiful gown ever worn upon this earth, adorned with jewels and made of the finest materials, if my wife were not wearing the dress, I would not be pleased. The wedding dress is simply adornment! That's not to say that it isn't important. But unless it is worn by the true bride, it's just a dress. And a bride doesn't wear her wedding dress throughout her entire marriage, yet she still remains her husband's bride.

Jesus says in our Gospel lesson, "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 again, "But 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." If you love Jesus, you love his word. When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, he was promising above all else to send his comforting and powerful word. The tongues of fire and different languages were the adornments, like a wedding dress on a bride. But the word that they preached by the Spirit was the beautiful face of the bride. This is why those, who heard their words gladly said, "we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."

These mighty works of God are the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which we heard St. Peter himself preach in his Pentecost sermon. And all those speaking in tongues were preaching the same thing yet using different passages from Scripture to prove the Gospel. It is this word of the Gospel, the mighty work of salvation, which Christ our Lord accomplished through his cross, which is the true gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the comfort and peace, which the world cannot give. And this is what those who love Jesus desire to hear and learn and cherish, just as a groom desires to see the face of his bride much more than her wedding dress.

A few years ago, I met a guy, who left the Lutheran Church and joined a Pentecostal Church. He said he joined them, because he witnessed their gifts of the Spirit, in particular their works of healing. I asked him, "But don't you miss the Sacraments and receiving Christ's true body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins?" He said, "Yes, but you can't compare God's gifts." Well, you certainly can. That young lad chose the prettier dress over the true bride. Christ never promised perpetual tongue speaking and healings. And even when he did promise them, he didn't promise that one received the forgiveness of sins or life and salvation from them. But it is through the Gospel of Christ's death and resurrection for sinners, and through his Sacraments, which join us to Christ's death and resurrection that we receive forgiveness, life, yes, God himself.

Jesus said a few verses before our Gospel lesson began, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be with you." (vs. 16-17) and again Jesus said in our Gospel lesson, "Whoever does not love me does not keep my words." Jesus tells us plainly that those who do not love him will not keep his words. They will hate his words. Likewise, those who hate Jesus' words will not receive the Holy Spirit, because they neither see him nor know him. And just as Jesus predicted people responded to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit by mocking, "They are filled with new wine."

The marvelous signs didn't matter. They didn't believe Jesus' words. Those who refuse to believe will not believe even if they witness great miracles. And those who do believe Jesus' word will believe it and gladly hear it, even if it is wrapped in the most mundane package.

You'll notice that it says in Acts 2 that it was the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, and you might have wondered, "I thought that Pentecost was the day that the Holy Spirit came. How could it have been called Pentecost before the Holy Spirit rushed upon Christ's disciples?" Well, there was already a celebration of Pentecost from the Old Testament. Pentecost, meaning 50, was one of three major feasts that had to be kept by the people of Israel. It happened 50 days after the completion of the week of Passover. And if you remember, Jesus was crucified, died, and rose the week of the Passover. That is why so many Jews from around the world are gathered in Jerusalem. They have come to offer the appropriate sacrifices to the Lord.

Pentecost was also the traditional time to commemorate the giving of the Ten Commandments, which is God's Law. Because 50 days after the first Passover when Israel fled Egypt, God gave them the Ten Commandments through Moses.

So, here on this Pentecost, you have Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem to hear in the Hebrew language, the commandments of God, which strike terror in the heart and conscience, even as they did when they were first given. Yet, on this Pentecost, they hear in their own mother tongues the sweet and comforting message of the Gospel, that Jesus Christ bore God's wrath for their sins against the Ten Commandments and rose again to give them new life.

And this brings up an important point. Through which word does the Holy Spirit work to create faith and give peace that the world cannot give? Through the Law or through the Gospel? It is through the Gospel! The Law commands you to behave rightly. And because none of us behaves as rightly as we ought, it condemns us to hell. The Holy Spirit does not give you the assurance of the forgiveness of sins through the Ten Commandments. Rather, what does God say about the Ten Commandments? "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Ex. 20:5-6)

And so, this is important to mark. Not all churches are equal. And just because a church preaches from the Bible, does not mean that the Holy Spirit accompanies their preaching. Many churches teach you to reach God and receive his love by obeying rules and commands and ordinances. But St. Paul says, "everyone who relies on works of the Law are under a curse." (Gal. 3:10) No, this is not the gift of the Holy Spirit. If it were, then the Father would have had no need to send the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. But the Pentecost of the New Testament replaces the Pentecost of the Old Testament. The giving of the Law by Moses is replaced by the giving of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit. Just as the sacrifices of lambs and goats and bread in the temple were replaced by Jesus on the cross, the sacrifice that puts an end to all sacrifices. And the priests no longer eat of the sacrifices in the Temple, but we Christians, the priesthood of all believers, feast on Christ himself, the living bread from heaven and drink of the New Testament in his blood.

So, here's a question. Do we still have the Holy Spirit today? I don't have fire hovering above my head. I'm not speaking a different language, and if I were it would probably annoy most of you instead of bringing comfort. But certainly, we do have the Holy Spirit. Because we have the Gospel. That is the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works through the Gospel, as we learned in our Small Catechism, "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 by the Gospel." The Holy Spirit still washes and renews sinners in Baptism. He still strengthens our faith every time we hear, 'Your sins are forgiven." We don't need the tongues of fire and healings any more than I need my wife to wear her wedding dress as she's taking care of our children.
The Gospel has the most tremendous gifts that we could ever ask for. Jesus says that if we love him we will keep his word and the Father will love us and the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit will make their home in our hearts. What greater treasure can we find? God, whose throne is in heaven chooses to dwell in our hearts and be with us. That is what happens when you believe, learn, and cherish the words of Christ.

Yet, those who do not love Jesus refuse to hear, learn, or cherish his words. And this truly is disastrous. You can't love Jesus and despise his word. So, when the pastor exhorts you to go to church, he's not trying to nag you into completing some banal task. Rather, he is exhorting you to love Christ. No one who hates Christ can keep his word, but everyone who loves Christ does keep his word, that is, they hear it, learn it, and take it to heart.

It is Pentecost today. But it is Pentecost whenever we hear the mighty works of God done through Christ Jesus. We are the church of Pentecost, because we are the church of the Gospel, which the Holy Spirit has given us. And because the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts, it is our greatest desire to hear the sweet Gospel of Jesus, even as a bridegroom desires to see the lovely face of his bride. May we always have the desire to receive the grace the Holy Spirit brings. Amen.

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Ascension Day 2018:Jesus Still Gives Us the Promise of the Father

5/14/2018

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May 10, 2018

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. ~Luke 24:44-53

Before Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, he preached one last sermon to his disciples. And in this sermon, he gave his Church instructions and promises concerning the mission of the Church during his physical absence. He did not leave his disciples without hope or promise. Rather, he gave them a rich treasure-trove and equipped them superabundantly for everything they would face on this earth.

Jesus explains to his disciples that everything he taught them came true: everything written about him in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms were indeed fulfilled by Jesus. The Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms make up the Old Testament. Jesus is saying that the entire Old Testament is about him. It prophesies of what Jesus would do. This means that Christ's suffering and death and resurrection on the third day vindicate the Old Testament. How do we know that the Old Testament is true? Well, Jesus fulfilled it! He died and rose from the dead, just as Scripture in many and various ways foretold (Hebrews 1:1).
Jesus tells his disciples that the Old Testament Scriptures have the authority of God. The Old Testament is an effective tool to reveal the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection for sinners, to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins, and turn hearts to God. The Apostles made good use of the Old Testament Scriptures and so does the Christian Church to this day.
Then Jesus says to his Apostles, "You are witnesses of these things." Here Jesus validates the authority of the New Testament. The New Testament is the collection of the writings and teachings of the Apostles, who were witnesses of Christ's death and resurrection. Jesus gives their teaching authority. And we believe from Scripture that the writings of the Apostles are from God and in fact God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). And so, we see in these final words spoken by Christ that he has established the Old and New Testaments as the authoritative Word of God, which teaches the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection. This is why we believe that the Bible is the Word of God and the only rule and norm according to which all teachings, together with all teachers, should be evaluated and judged. Jesus equipped his Church for her sojourning in this sinful world with the Bible. And no Christian or church can expect success if they reject what the Bible teaches.

Having equipped his Church with a priceless treasure, the Holy Scriptures, Jesus then gave his Church a command to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. The mission of Christ's Church is not a mystery. Nor is it up for debate. Every congregation and church ought to have the same mission: to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ. Scripture says that God "desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4) and that there is salvation in no one else but Jesus, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Jesus previously said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2) It is the Lord's harvest. They are his Christians, whom he desires to gather to himself. The mission of the Church is to do the work of laborers. To plant and water and yet depend on God to do the growth. We do not have a right, nor is it wise, to change the strategy or mission of the Church. It is Christ's command that repentance and forgiveness be preached.

To preach repentance, you have to preach the Law. The Law is the love God commands of us, summarized in the Ten Commandments. The Law is good, because it reveals God's will to us. Yet, the Law shows us our sin, because we are sinful. It tells you that you don't love God as much as you should, but rather in many ways show hatred toward him. You don't love your neighbor as much as you should. You're selfish, unchaste, greedy, and untruthful. And all this from the mouth of God. This hurts. The preaching of the Law causes guilt, embarrassment, humility, and as St. Paul says, "death" (Romans 7; Galatians 2). Yet, as unpleasant as the preaching of the Law is to a heart racked with guilt and shame, it is necessary for repentance. And without repentance from sin, there can be no forgiveness nor salvation.

It is a divine mandate given by Christ himself that the Church continue to preach the full extent of the Law to lead sinners to repentance. Yet, this is for the expressed purpose of preaching the Gospel. St. Paul writes, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16) And "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. For it is the power to salvation to all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) Christ does not command the Church to preach the Law to no end. If the Church only preached the Law, then sinners would not be saved. They would either despair of any hope of salvation and curse God or become insufferable self-righteous hypocrites with a false faith in themselves; both of which lead to hell.

But the purpose of the Law is to prepare the soil for the Gospel. Only a person convicted of his sins can receive the Gospel. And indeed, the Gospel is the greatest treasure we have. Jesus has ascended to the Father, yet this is not sad news for us. He has ascended victorious, having won for us salvation and freedom from our bondage to sin, death, and the devil, as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives." We are those captives set free by the blood of Christ. Jesus' enthronement at the Father's right hand means that his death and resurrection have accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. He now makes intercession for us before God the Father. That Jesus sits at the Father's right-hand demonstrates God's love for us, as Jesus still shares our human flesh and blood, which he took upon himself in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Neither is Jesus far away from us. The right hand of the Father is no more a local place in the sense of Europe or America as heaven and hell are. You can't take an airplane or a space ship to heaven or to God's right hand. Rather, the right hand of God is an office of authority, which places Jesus above all things and all things under his feet. Jesus has unique power to rule the universe. And with such power, he is able to be with his Church even today. This is also why we believe that Christ Jesus is present with his body and blood in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. His human nature does not limit his divine glory.

Finally, Jesus gave his disciples the promise of his Father, the Holy Spirit. He had already promised the Holy Spirit on the night when he was betrayed. It is the Holy Spirit, who opens people's minds and hearts to understand and believe the Gospel. The Holy Spirit works through God's Word. This is why Jesus equipped his Church with the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures is the Holy Spirit's book. We should not assume that the Holy Spirit will work apart from the ministry of the Word from the Holy Scriptures. That is why Jesus connects the promise of the Holy Spirit with the command to preach the Gospel as it is taught in the Holy Scriptures.

We still have this promise today. Because we still have the command to preach the Gospel and we are still equipped with the Holy Scriptures. Although it is approaching two thousand years since Christ ascended into heaven, he still sends us the Promise of the Father, the very Holy Spirit, who creates faith and forgives sins through the preaching of the Gospel. Where there is the preaching of the Gospel, there is the Holy Spirit working. And where the Holy Spirit is working, there is Jesus with us. And Christ will continue to send this promised Holy Spirit to us until he returns in the same way in which he departed.

Let us remain in the temple of Christ's Word and Sacrament blessing God until that awesome day of Christ's return. Amen.

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Exaudi (Confirmation) Sunday: The Testimony of the Holy Spirit Brings True Comfort

5/14/2018

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John 15:26-16:4

May 13, 2018

The rite of Confirmation is not in the Bible. Jesus never commanded that we confirm teenagers before they receive Holy Communion. Jesus did command that the Church baptize all nations. He commanded that we preach the Gospel. He commanded that we have the Lord's Supper. Yet, he never once commanded Confirmation. Confirmation is a tradition, made up by people in the Church.

A few weeks ago, I met a man, who told me that our church was doing things wrong by celebrating Christmas and Easter and doing a bunch of other things, because they are traditions and Jesus didn't command them. He then cited the Gospel of Mark chapter 7, where Jesus says to the Pharisees, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Of course, Jesus doesn't here or anywhere else in Scripture condemn all traditions or forbid them. He condemned traditions that go against God's commandments and teaching.

A tradition is simply something that is handed down from generation to generation. They can be good or bad. Our Lutheran confessions state, "Our churches teach that ceremonies ought to be observed that may be observed without sin. Also, ceremonies and other practices that are profitable for tranquility and good order in the Church (in particular, holy days, festivals, and the like) ought to be observed." (Augsburg Confession XV) And this ought to be kept in mind when considering your Confirmation.

Confirmation is a tradition, a man-made ceremony. It can be either good or bad. It is good if it is used to teach the Word of God and for good order. It is bad if it works against faith in Christ and his Word. Our church practices Confirmation, because we are convinced that it does good and promotes the Christian faith. We confirm after the confirmands have gone through thorough Christian instruction. This is in accord with our Lord's command to teach all that he has commanded us (Matthew 28:19) and with the command of St. Paul that ministers teach in accord with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). In Confirmation the confirmands confess the true Christian faith, as it is taught in Scripture. This too is in accord with God's Word. Psalm 119:46 states, "I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame." St. Peter writes, "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15) And of course, our Lord Jesus says, "So everyone who confesses me before men, I also will confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32) So, we have good reason to believe that Confirmation is a good tradition.

Yet, Confirmation can also be used for bad. This is done when you remove learning God's Word and confessing Christ. Sadly, within our church body it has become common for people to regard Confirmation as a life-long ticket to Communion and into heaven. Individuals confirmed in an LCMS congregation believe that they should be permitted to commune at any LCMS altar even when they live in open and impenitent sin, join themselves to churches that teach falsely, or even if they give up hearing the word of God all together, all of which are breaking the vows made in Confirmation. So, it is important to remember that Baptism, which is commanded by our Lord and is given a sure promise of salvation, does not save anyone without faith. How much less can Confirmation, which is a man-made tradition, save those without faith?

God does not command Confirmation. But he does command that we teach the Word of God to everyone, especially to children. He does command that we confess Christ and that a person examine himself, before he eat and drink Christ's body and blood. Therefore, Confirmation is good. But you, Jaime and Luke, are not done learning the Word of God after today. Neither are you done confessing Christ before men. Nor is this the last time you will be examined before you receive the Lord's Supper. Rather, you should continue to learn God's Word throughout your life, confess Christ at every opportunity, and examine yourself every time you receive the Lord's Supper and be willing to be examined by the pastor as well. You are not worthy to receive the Lord's Supper because you are confirmed, but rather because of the faith which you confess in your Confirmation. Likewise, no one ever went to heaven because he was confirmed. But you cannot go to heaven apart from the faith, which you confess today.

Jesus says in our Gospel lesson, "Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God." It is very appropriate that this is the Gospel lesson for this Confirmation Sunday. In a little bit the confirmands will be asked, "Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?", and, "Do you intend to continue in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?", to which Jaime and Luke will answer, "I do, by the grace of God."

Jesus is telling the disciples in our Gospel lesson that they will suffer all, even death, for the sake of the faith that Jaime and Luke are confessing today. Nearly all the disciples died for the name of Jesus. And many more Christians suffered and still suffer a similar fate for the sake of Christ. And do not be mistaken, it is not simply for the sake of ceremony that we have confirmands make this promise even here in cozy safe America. If you are to be a Christian you should be prepared to suffer persecution.

Perhaps you will not be killed for confessing Christ, but you will be persecuted. You will be pressured into silence. People will try to intimidate you into thinking that you aren't as smart for believing in what the Bible says. And you won't be able to choose how you will suffer for Christ. It is a romantic fantasy that persecution will find you standing before the firing squad and being ordered to deny Christ, so that the smell of gunpowder gives way to incense, and the sound of gunfire gives way to angels singing as you confess Christ with your last breath. Remember that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded for preaching against adultery. And Christian bakers and florists are losing their businesses for confessing marriage between a man and a woman. Yet, they too suffered for Christ.

The world hates Jesus. And if you are a Christian, it hates you too. And the world will show its hatred by pressuring you to consider your faith as inferior to the world. When sporting events for children are scheduled on Sunday mornings, the world shows that it hates Jesus, because they know that is when Jesus teaches his little lambs. When sexual immorality and moral relativism is pushed on you in high school and college both in the classroom and in movies and sitcoms, the world shows its hatred for Jesus. And if you confess Christ, its hatred will turn to you too.

Jesus tells us plainly that we will suffer for having faith in him. Yet, he doesn't leave us without comfort. Christ promises to send the Helper, that is, the Spirit of Truth. The Helper can also be translated the Comforter. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit, of whom we confess in the Creed "proceeds from the Father and the Son." He provides comfort for Jesus' disciples in every generation, even under the harshest persecution. And Christ still sends him to us today.

To understand the comfort given by the Holy Spirit, you need to distinguish it from the comfort offered by this world. The comfort of this world is what you probably are most familiar with. It's being wrapped in a warm blanket next to a fire when it's minus 20 degrees outside. It's having enough money in the bank account, so that you aren't worried about any unexpected expenses. It's being healthy and pain free, having friends and family who like you. This is the comfort the world wants you to cherish.

The comfort of the Holy Spirit is different. It remains when the cold bites and the fire burns, when hunger fills your stomach and when you have no money or friends. The comfort of the Holy Spirit can be with you whether you are free or in prison. The comfort of the world leaves you on your death bed, but even there the comfort of the Holy Spirit remains. The comfort of the world is fragile and fleeting. The comfort of the Holy Spirit endures forever.

This is because the Holy Spirit doesn't comfort you with physical comfort, but with spiritual. How does the Holy Spirit comfort you? Jesus says, "He will bear witness about me." The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus. That is how he comforts you. He gives you hope for eternal life that cannot be taken away from you.

From Scripture you know that God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), who punished the whole world with a flood that killed all people except 8 souls. He rained down burning sulfur on sexually immoral and greedy Sodom and Gomorrah. Time and again he sent punishment upon Israel for their false worship. And as you examine yourself according to the Ten Commandment you see that you are indeed a poor miserable sinner, who deserves both temporal and eternal punishment from this wrathful God. Yet, the Holy Spirit comforts you by bearing witness of Jesus, whom God sent to bear his wrath on the cross. In Jesus, you see God's love for you. His blood washes away your sins and appeases God. There exists no true comfort for a conscience burdened by sin outside of the comfort of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which the Holy Spirit preaches to you.

Not only does the Holy Spirit comfort you when your conscience stings with guilt. He strengthens you to endure in the faith and confess Christ, even under extreme circumstances. Take St. Peter for example. He denied Christ three times when questioned by a few people, even calling down curses upon himself swearing that he was not Jesus' disciple. Yet, when the Holy Spirit fell upon Peter, he preached repentance and forgiveness of sins to the same crowd that cried, "Crucify him!" on the day of Jesus' death. And so, the Holy Spirit can strengthen Jaime and Luke, not only to confess Christ in the presence of family and friends today, but before hostile forces throughout their lives.

It is also important to note how and where the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ and gives comfort. Jesus says to his disciples, "And you also will bear witness." Jesus' disciples bore witness of him when they preached and wrote the New Testament. You can find the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which he makes of Jesus in the Holy Scriptures and in the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments. This is why Jaime and Luke will confess that the Scriptures are the inspired word of God and that they intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully. This is where the Holy Spirit works and brings comfort: through his Word.

It is impossible to become a Christian without the Holy Spirit working through God's Word. This is how the Comforter takes out your heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh, so that you walk in God's statutes and obey his rules. This is also how the Holy Spirit keeps you in the true faith.

The testimony of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that can give comfort to your conscience when it is burdened with sin and guilt. It is the only thing that can give comfort when you face persecution from the world. It is the only thing that can give comfort when every worldly comfort has left you, even when you are dying. And that is why we rejoice at Jaime and Luke's Confirmation today. Because they have been taught the testimony of the Holy Spirit. And they are going to testify themselves that they believe in Christ. And it is this testimony, which will give them comfort throughout their lives. And it is this testimony that will give them confidence to stand before God on the Last Day. Jaime and Luke, may the Holy Spirit comfort you with the testimony of Jesus Christ today and every day of your lives. Amen.

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Rogate Sunday (Easter 6) :As Dear Children Ask Their Dear Father

5/7/2018

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John 16:23-30
May 6, 2018

"Our Father who art in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father." So, writes Martin Luther in the explanation to the introduction of the Lord's Prayer, which you all learned in your Small Catechism. And these beautiful words are not the wishful thinking of an optimist. Jesus himself teaches us that these words are true when he says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give to you.", and "In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."

The Father himself loves you! That's what Jesus says. And so, we Christians should have the confidence to ask God as dear children ask their dear Father. But how can we, poor miserable sinners, mere mortals, who like the grass are here today and gone tomorrow, presume to make requests to the holy, eternal, almighty God? Jesus says, "Because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."

To love and believe in Christ is the same thing as to ask in Jesus' name. Jesus is teaching us to pray in faith. It is because of our faith in Christ that God answers our prayers. Not because our faith is some marvelous work that impresses God and earns satisfaction for our sins. If that were the case, we would never pray in confidence, because we would always question whether our faith were good and sincere enough. But Jesus doesn't tell us to wait until we feel worthy before we pray and make our requests to God. Instead, Jesus invites us to pray in his name, trusting that Christ has made everything right between us and our heavenly Father.

Faith receives what Christ has done for us. We believe that Jesus came from God. Well, why did he come? He didn't take a vacation from heaven. Neither did he establish an earthly kingdom. No, Jesus came to live under the law in your place and love and serve in every way you've failed to love and serve, even while battling temptation in every way you have and more and remaining sinless to go to the cross and suffer the punishment God had built up for all sinners. That was Christ's purpose in coming from the Father. When Jesus departed from the Father and became man in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the only path back to his Father was through pain and suffering on our behalf. Jesus came from the Father and returned back to the Father in order that you might also go to the Father through faith in him.

To pray in Jesus' name, and in so doing, to pray as a dear child to his dear Father, does not involve any merit on your behalf. Rather, to pray in Jesus' name is to acknowledge that you are an unworthy sinner and to ask God to answer your prayers solely for the sake of Christ's holy obedience and bitter suffering and death. Christ Jesus departed from the Father to endure the shame of the cross out of obedience and love for God the Father, who sent him to save you, and out of affectionate love for you his dear lambs. Nothing in the history of time and beyond time pleases our heavenly Father more than the fragrant offering and sacrifice, which Christ offered upon his cross to God the Father. Because it is this sacrifice, which gives us the right to call upon God as his dear children. Jesus did this willingly for your sake. And he gives you the benefits of this sacrifice freely to be received by faith. It pleases God greatly to hear his children pray for the sake of his Son Jesus and what he did on the cross for them.

Through faith in Christ you are a dear child of God, as St. Paul writes in Galatians chapter 3, "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Notice how St. Paul moves seamlessly from faith to Baptism. You can't separate faith from Baptism. Jesus says, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16:16) And St. Peter preaches, "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." (Acts 2:38) In Baptism God connects all of the benefits that faith receives, the forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and eternal salvation to all who believe. Babies too should be baptized, because they are sinners and need salvation.

Some argue that babies shouldn't be baptized, because they can't have faith. Well, it's quite presumptuous to assume that babies can't have faith while adults can. In fact, it is impossible for anyone to have faith except it be given as a gift by the Holy Spirit. And in Baptism, the Holy Spirit is given, as Scripture says. Everyone who is baptized, including little babies like little Kendrick, receive the Holy Spirit and put on Christ.

Kendrick has received Christ by grace in Baptism. He is a child of God, because of what God has done to him in Baptism. Kendrick's Baptism has joined him to Christ's death and resurrection, which is so pleasing to our Father in heaven. And Kendrick has the right and distinguished honor of asking the almighty God as a dear child asks his dear father. As St. Paul again writes in Galatians chapter 4, "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

And this is a great lesson to all us parents. What is greater, heaven or earth? Who is more important, us sinners or the almighty God? And so, we must recognize that our children are not our own. We are at best earthly parents. Yet, our baptized children have a heavenly Father, who is far greater than us. And it is our God-given duty to teach our children to call upon this heavenly Father.

Kendra and all Christian mothers brings her children to church, because Scripture tells us that the Church is our heavenly mother (Galatians 4:26). And although earthly mothers provide essential nurture, it pales in importance when compared to the nurture provided by the Christian Church, which feeds her children the forgiveness of sins, increased faith, eternal salvation, even the true body and blood of Christ with all the benefits of the cross.

Charles and all Christian fathers must also bring their children to know their heavenly Father, who knows his children more intimately and loves them far greater than Charles or any of us fathers could ever dream to love our own children. And our weak minds are able to see this feebly when we ponder God's love in the passion of Christ. And so, all you fathers need to teach your children to bow their heads and pray to their heavenly Father and to go and listen to his word. Do it by example as well by praying to him and hearing his word, for he is your heavenly Father too.

Jesus says, "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." This is a perplexing statement from Christ. I know I've asked for things that I have not received, at least not in the way I expected. Yet, even if I were to get everything my heart desired, could I actually say that these things would make my joy full? Can any of us say that if we receive what we ask for, then we would be complete? And so, we learn that we have a lot to learn about what we should ask for.

I should call my father more often than I do. For one, because I love him and he loves me. For another reason, he is a lot wiser than I am. He's 35 years older than I am. He's been married 38 years longer than I have been. And he's been a pastor for 36 years longer than I have. He has a lot more experience than I do. And because he has so much more experience and knowledge, when I talk to him, I should spend a whole lot more time listening than I do talking, so that I learn. Well, how much more does that apply when conversing with the eternal, all-knowing God!

Prayer is when we speak to God. Does God speak back to us? You bet he does! And if we are going to learn to ask for things that will complete our joy, we need to listen when God speaks, so that we know what to ask for. God teaches us what to pray for in no more succinct and comprehensive way than when Christ teaches us the Lord's Prayer. Here we learn that God want us to ask for great things.

Hallowed be thy name. Here God would give us the very Gospel, to teach us of Jesus and how to love him and to protect us from all false teachers. We pray that the very name of God would be holy among us! There is nothing greater than God's name. Thy kingdom come. Here we pray that the forever reigning kingdom of God would be established in our very hearts! That the Holy Spirit would come upon us, so that we can believe his Word and live in his kingdom in this life and the next. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Here we pray that God would break the teeth of Satan, to protect us from the temptation of this world and the weakness of our fallen flesh. These three things are the greatest things we could ask for. And the more we learn from our Lord, the more we marvel how God invites us to pray for such great things and that he promises to give them to us!

Your joy can be filled! But it won't be fulfilled with a new car or a nice retirement home on a spacious acreage. It won't even be fulfilled by your wife and children. Your joy is filled when God makes his holy name to dwell among his church, when his kingdom expands and you are in it, and when Satan is placed beneath your feet by the blood of Christ.

The Lord's Prayer also invites you to pray for everything you need in this life, which gives you confidence that God cares for your body as well as your soul. God invites you to pray for forgiveness with the promise that he will forgive your sins as often as you repent. He invites you to pray for protection from temptation, with the promise for the way of escape from every temptation. He invites you to pray for deliverance from all evil, including an evil death that leads to hell.

God invites you to pray for great things, if you will listen. He invites you to pray for things that only a great, powerful, and loving Father could invite you to pray for. And he is ready to give you all these things even before you ask him, even as he sent his Son to die for our sins long before we could ever ask him to.

There is nothing too great for you to ask God. He has given you his own Son. And so, so he will graciously give you all things. You can call him Father despite all your sins, because Christ has earned that right for you. And so, we rejoice with the Psalmist and say, "Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me! Amen.

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

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