You Have the Spirit

This is a great season to renew relationships with people.  Last weekend I was at a wedding and saw people I hadn’t seen in years.  And the past couple days I was in Minnesota for the wedding of Lizzy Werth (Pastor Bill and Darla Werth’s daughter).  It was great to catch up.  In May we celebrated Mother’s Day and this month Father’s Day.  These are great times to show appreciation for our parents and guardians.  It’s also the graduation season and we get to see lots of people.  This is a great season for celebrating relationships.  So, how about your relationship with God?  We just completed the Season of Easter and renewed how the relationship with God was established through suffering, death, resurrection and Ascension of our Savior.  And today is Pentecost!  Today we remember that the Lord God gave his disciples a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit to do one main thing—proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people.  We are inspired by Pentecost to do the same thing.  And if you think about it, Jesus was also excited for this special day because it is all about celebrating and strengthening your relationship with God through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because…

You Have the Spirit

Inspired to Tell the World

Recall that John 14 happens the night before Jesus was crucified.  It was a firehose of teaching by Jesus to his disciples because he wanted them to be prepared for the events about to take place. Jesus was about to be arrested, put on trial, crucified, buried, rise from the dead and ascend into heaven.  Jesus was leaving.  Or was he?  Yes, he was leaving to go alone to the cross and then ascend into heaven, but he wasn’t going to leave them alone.  Jesus inspired them with their future purpose and his promise, “¹⁹ Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you. And surely I am with you always until the end of the age” (Matt 28:19, 20).  The disciples had vital work to share the Gospel with the world and he promised to be with them to get it done.  True, they wouldn’t be able to see his smile, feel his reassuring hand on their shoulders, or have breakfast with him on the shores of Galilee, however, Jesus promised to be with them invisibly.  His relationship with his disciples did not stop.  He promised to be with them with a constant, persistent presence by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word!  Jesus makes that same promise to all of us.  We are not alone!  We have the Lord Jesus with us through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to Proclaim his Word to the World.

So, what evidence would you like to hear about that would show the disciples and us that Jesus has a strong and healthy relationship with you? Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will hold on [keep, observe, obey, attend to] to my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  The evidence for us is shown through keeping his commands.  Those with a relationship with Christ want to follow his teachings.  Jesus said, “³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. ³² You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31,32).  This doesn’t sound all that difficult.  Jesus wants us to love him and love our neighbor.  I’m sure we all think of ourselves as being compassionate, kind, gentle, patient and loving.  But, just like the disciples, we are guilty of self-centered, bickering over who is the greatest, or going behind the backs of others to get what we want.  Yes, Jesus gave them the training they needed to Tell the World about Jesus, but they needed the work of the Holy Spirit in the future.  How?

Well, the disciple had three years of personal training from Jesus.  They also had the Old Testament Scriptures for reference.  The Holy Spirit used this training to Inspire them to Tell the World the Good News about Jesus.   Many of us here today have had a lifetime of training in God’s Word by our parents, Sunday School teachers, and personal Bible reading of both the Old Testament and New Testament.  You have all of these resources at your fingertips on your Smartphone Bible apps.  A person can have all these resources available to them, but we still need to Have the Spirit to Inspire us to Tell the World.

Like me, are you feeling a bit sheepish right now?  Is it because you know Jesus’ promise to be with you, you have the powerful gospel in your possession, and you heard Jesus tell you to love him and love your neighbor, but it’s hard to do?  It’s hard to stay mindful of the needs of others and elevate their needs above your own.  It can be hard to love others, because we’re too focused on loving ourselves.   In the heat of the moment are you thinking about Jesus’ commands as evidence that You Have the Spirit who Inspires you to Tell the World about Jesus’ love and show it?  So, today we confess our sins before God that too often we have lashed out with angry thoughts, words and deeds; and all to often failed to share the Gospel of Jesus with the Word.  Then return to Jesus’ promise that You Have The Spirit and are

Empowered By His Word

Remember, we are talking about our relationship with God as it relates to Jesus’ commands and teachings.  We understand Jesus’ warning that when we forget his Word there are serious consequences.  Listen: “²⁴ The one who does not love me does not hold on to my words. The word that you are hearing is not mine, but it is from the Father who sent me.” These words Jesus shares with us from the Father are clear and direct.  They reflect our Bible Study on Psalm 1 & 2.  Blessed are those who listen to God’s Word and cursed are those who don’t.  The elephant in the room is this:  God’s Word Empowers Us to be what God has made us.  Therefore, be in the Word!  Later on, that same evening Jesus explained to his disciples, “⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers. Such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6).

I don’t believe anyone here today would purposely disconnect ourselves from the Lord Jesus.  I do believe that we are all guilty of forgetting the Power of God’s Word.  Let me explain.  Life’s problems come flying in from every direction.  The easy thing for us to do is hit the default mode and without realizing it our brains think, “I’ve got this.  I can handle it.  I can deal with this!”  But, when life is constantly grinding us down that is when our sinful nature springs into action.  The temptation comes and we’re already tired and beat down so we give in.  So often it happens so quickly and without thought.  And none of us want to be in the ditch of rebellion against Jesus, failing to love him or love our neighbor.  That’s when we need help.  That is the help Jesus was talking about. “²⁵ “I have told you these things while staying with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you. ²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid.”  This is the Good News about Pentecost!  You have the ally you need.  You Have The Holy Spirit! 

And just how does the Holy Spirit help us?  The help that comes to us from the Holy Spirit is by the powerful Word of God.  It is recalling the promises God gave us in his Word so we have the weapons we need to fight against the temptation and get back on the path of the Lord.  Jesus keep his promise.  And knowing it is the Word of God that empowers us by the Holy Spirit calls us to remain connected to the Word of God.  Start at home with you personal time in God’s Word.  Then come to Bible Class here on Wednesdays at 10:00 or Sundays at 9:15, or if your of age, join the Young Adults Group and their time in God’s Word.  The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to give us rebirth into faith and keep us in that same faith.  The Spirit uses your baptism to remind you that you are a child of God.  Today he uses the Word of God connected to the Lord’s Supper to assure you that you are a forgiven child of God!

These are the life-giving and Christian-life motivating Words of God that fill our hearts with thanks so we are able to turn around and share that love with our neighbors.  And you know how our neighbors so need this love today.  When there are wars in the world and threats of big wars – people need to hear God’s Word.  When there are people breaking into cars, stealing from backyards and destroying your property—people need to hear God’s Word.  When disease and illness, troubles and temptations are being used by Satan to attack you, You need to hear God’s Word. 

Oh, the joy of Pentecost!  We know God the Father has laid out the perfect plan to bring us home to himself in heaven.  We know God the Son has come to carry out that perfect plan and save us from the curse of our sins.  We know God the Holy Spirit has been given to us so that he creates faith in our hearts to have a perfect relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Then come all the blessing and

benefits because you have the Spirit.  He reminds you of the peace we have in Jesus through the Word.  He reminds you that your God is a big God who is in control of all things through the Word.    He gives you the heart of love toward God and your neighbor through the Word. 

There are so many relationships that you cherish in your life.  We enjoy weddings, special days for mom and day, for graduations and summer vacations.  But, the greatest relationship for you to enjoy is the relationship you have with God the Father through faith in Jesus Christ, brought to you by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament.  You are empowered by God’s Word to share that love with the world, because you, dear members of Divine Peace, You Have The Spirit!  Amen!