The Festival of Pentecost – Pr. Faugstad exordium & sermon
Festival exordium:
The Christian Church has a Holy Spirit problem. This is no fault of the Holy Spirit; it is the fault of sinners who want to shape and fashion the Spirit in ways that suit their own sinful ideas.
The liberal Christians say the Holy Spirit is feminine as a balance to the “masculine” Father and Son. They also claim the Spirit is leading them to new revelations and new teachings which often directly contradict what the Bible says. You can be certain to find these errors in churches flying rainbow-colored flags which state, “The Spirit is still speaking.”
Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians expect to receive the Holy Spirit apart from the Bible. They wait for the Spirit to move them, to “put something on their heart” to do, or to give them special messages and insights. If they are particularly attuned to the Spirit, they expect to be able to speak in heavenly languages or have special gifts like the ability to heal.
Many Christians today fall into these traps. They look for the Spirit outside the Word. They judge if the Spirit is present by how they feel, and they trust that feeling to guide them in decision-making and planning for the future.
But none of these things is promised in the Word of God. Looking for the Spirit apart from the Word and Sacraments can only result in confusion and chaos. The Holy Spirit is not working to bring new teachings to the Church. He is not leading people away from the written Word. He is not trying to guide us through our feelings.
Jesus said: “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…. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (Joh. 16:13,14). The Holy Spirit leads sinners to salvation and faith in Christ through God’s holy Word.
That’s what He was sent to do on Pentecost. His coming did not create confusion and chaos. It brought clarity and order. He gave the disciples the ability to speak the Gospel message in real languages for the salvation of many souls. About three thousand people believed and were baptized that day, the beginning of the New Testament Church (Act. 2:41).
The message of the Church has not changed, and neither has the work of the Holy Spirit. He continues to glorify the Father and the Son by bringing the truth of God to sinners through the proclamation of the Word.
In celebration of the Holy Spirit’s work among us, we stand to sing our festival hymn, #399, “O Light of God’s Most Wondrous Love”:
O Light of God’s most wondrous love,
Who dost our darkness brighten,
Shed on Thy Church from heav’n above,
Our eye of faith enlighten!
As in Thy light we gather here,
Show us that Christ’s own promise clear
Is Yea and Amen ever.
O risen and ascended Lord,
We wait fulfillment of Thy Word;
O bless us with Thy favor!
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Sermon text: St. John 14:23-31
In Christ Jesus, who kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit after His ascension, so we would be guided into the soul-saving truth of God, dear fellow redeemed:
The summary of God’s Ten Commandments is love—love for God and love for neighbor. We want to keep those Commandments; we want to have love and show love like God wants us to. But other things besides love—negative things—compete for space in our hearts. Anger tries to push its way in, along with bitterness and hatred, pride and selfishness, and the desire to get revenge. Our sinful flesh thinks of reasons why we are not required to show love, or why certain people don’t deserve our love. And love gets crowded out.
The same thing can happen with peace. We all want peace in our hearts, the peace of knowing we are created by God, redeemed by God, and loved by God as His own children. But doubts creep in, along with sadness, worry, guilt, and pain. We do not feel content, that we are where we are supposed to be, or that we are doing what we are supposed to do. Which way should we turn? How can we find our place and finally be at peace?
These are common struggles for the Christian. The answer is not to try harder to fill our hearts with love or to reach a point of peace. Love and peace do not come from our own efforts; they are gifts of God the Holy Spirit. The way He gives these gifts is through the holy Word of our Lord. Jesus says in today’s reading, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” The word “keep” means to pay attention to and hold onto the Word, to recognize that it is the source of our faith and life.
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit whom the Father would send in His name, “He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” The Holy Spirit works through the Word. St. Paul wrote in his First Letter to the Thessalonians, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (2:13). The Holy Spirit is working through the Word to strengthen our faith in Jesus, which also increases our love and peace.
The more we learn about God’s love for us, the more we love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we will want to please Him and honor Him by loving the people around us. In our Catechism workbook, the students and I always have a good discussion about this True/False statement: “More important than being in church on Sunday is living a moral life.” Is that True or False? It is False for two main reasons. First of all, living a moral life does not save anyone, unless we have lived a perfect life (which we haven’t). Second, church is where we are connected to our Lord’s means of grace, which are the fuel source for the Christian life.
The Holy Spirit is at work through Word and Sacrament to get rid of the things in our heart that contend against love and peace. When we are feeling angry or bitter about wrongs done against us, He shows us the love of God the Father for the world of sinners that rejected Him, love that caused Him to send His only-begotten Son (Joh. 3:16). He shows us Jesus willingly going to the cross though He had never sinned, carrying all our sins and shedding His blood to wash them all away. How can we hold grudges and dwell on the sins of others when our perfect Lord offered up His holy life in our place?
For our sadness, worry, and guilt, the Holy Spirit opens our ears to hear the absolution of Jesus, that our sins are all forgiven, and He opens our mouths to receive His body and blood for the remission of our sins. God’s forgiveness brings peace to our hearts, the peace of knowing that we are right with God because of the saving work of Jesus. Some Christians look at the Bible as information only that we have to do something with. So they contend that the power is not in the Word, the power is in us. But that is not right. The Holy Spirit brings us the gifts that God’s Word declares.
For every promise of God, the Holy Spirit tacks on the all-important words: “for you.” Jesus lived a perfect life for you. Jesus died on the cross for you. Jesus rose again for you. Jesus is present now, giving His holy body and blood for you for the remission of sins. God wants you and every sinner to know and believe these things, and the Holy Spirit makes the connection through the Word from God’s heart to yours.
By His powerful activity through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Spirit changes hearts and keeps changing hearts. We heard how many were converted on that Pentecost Sunday when some three thousand believed and were baptized. Immediately after this, we are told that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Act. 2:42). In other words, they showed their love for God by keeping, holding tightly to, His Word. They also showed love to their neighbors: “they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (v. 45).
These are the fruits the Holy Spirit produced in them and through them. And He is doing the same work among us today. Imagine how our abilities would be wasted and our time and our possessions if all we cared about was ourselves, if the Holy Spirit did not change our hearts and sanctify us through the Word. Now we see that life is so much more than what I want or what I can get or what I can do. It is about what God calls us to do, what He gives to us, and what He has planned for us.
His love for us brings love to our hearts and joy and peace. St. Paul lists these as the first three “fruits of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22). If the Holy Spirit did not put these things in us, we would not have them. We might experience for a time a worldly love, a worldly joy, and a worldly peace, but because they are all from the world, they are corrupted and cannot last. Only the fruits of the Holy Spirit can and will endure because they are the perfect gifts of God.
This is why the Holy Spirit was sent upon the disciples after Jesus’ ascension—to give you the gifts of God. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.” He said this because He knew He would complete the work for man’s salvation, making peace between God and sinners. He also knew He would return to the Father in triumph, and that the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon His followers to guide them into all truth.
This is what the Holy Spirit still does today. He Puts Love and Peace in Our Hearts. He put these gifts in our hearts on our Baptism day, and He continues to put them in our hearts through the proclamation of the Word and the distribution of the Sacraments. These powerful means move us to love God and our neighbor, and they bring us “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phi. 4:7).
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from stained glass at Saude Lutheran Church)
The Second-Last Sunday of the Church Year
Text: St. Matthew 25:31-46
In Christ Jesus, who judges us not by the love we have shown others, but by the love He has shown us, dear fellow redeemed:
Are you ready for “Judgment Day”? We can’t help but feel some fear at the thought of it. On that day, Jesus will peel back the barrier between heaven and earth and reveal His glory to all mankind. He will come with a shout, with the sound of a great trumpet, accompanied by the angels. All the works of darkness will be exposed by His holy light. There will be nowhere to hide. Jesus says that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Mat. 12:36). That is terrifying, because we have filled our life with careless words.
But the way Jesus describes the last judgment in today’s reading gives us a different perspective on the day. We are told of a King sitting on His glorious throne, but then He is described as a Shepherd. Those are very different pictures. A king gives orders; he exercises his power. A shepherd dutifully cares for the sheep. Here we see Jesus separating “people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
For the sheep, He only has sweet things to say. He calls them ones who are “blessed by My Father.” He says they will “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Then this Shepherd-King does something remarkable. He starts recounting all the good things the sheep have done for Him! They gave Him food when He was hungry, drink when He was thirsty, a home when He was a stranger, clothing when He was naked, encouragement when He was sick and in prison.
The sheep are dumbfounded, as sheep often are. They ask, “When did we do all these things for You, O Lord? When did we sheep do these things for You, our Shepherd, our King?” And He will reply, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.” This happy exchange is probably not the first thing that comes to our minds when we think of Judgment Day. But it is how Jesus describes it, so it is good for us to dwell on His words and to find comfort in them as the last day approaches.
On the other hand, Jesus does not only speak words of comfort regarding that day. The goats at His left hear a very different message. Jesus does not say, “As long as you tried to be good and do what is right, you can enter My kingdom.” Or, “as long as you were sincere in your beliefs and followed your heart, that’s all that matters to Me.” This is the way the unbelieving world speaks. We hear many people—including professed Christians—say that all religions worship the same god, or that all religions are different paths to get to the same place. This is “Universalism,” and Jesus never teaches it.
He makes a much more exclusive claim about Christianity. He says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Joh. 14:6). Those who deny the Son of God incarnate cannot have the Father. The apostle Peter once told the Jewish religious leaders that in rejecting Jesus, they had rejected “the cornerstone.” Then he added, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Act. 4:11,12).
This is why the goats ended up at Jesus’ left. They denied Him. They rejected the salvation He won for them. They did not want to hear His Word of truth. They wanted to go their own way. So Jesus will say to them on the last day, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” He will explain that when He was hungry, they did not feed Him. When He was thirsty, they gave Him no drink, and so on.
In their desperation, the unbelievers will cry out, “Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?” Their thinking is that if only they had the chance, they would have helped the King. If they knew of His needs, they would have stepped up. But they miss the point. The point is not that they failed to do enough good works for God to earn their way into heaven.
Doing good works doesn’t get anyone into heaven. Ephesians 2 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (vv. 8-9). If we wanted to get ourselves to heaven by our own works, we would have to live a perfect life in every way. But none of us has even come close! We have broken each of God’s Commandments more times than we could count.
This is why the sheep are so surprised to hear their Shepherd-King recount all the good things they had done for Him. We know how much we have sinned and how far we have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). But the sheep are not those who have always excelled at doing what is right, or who have sinned less than others have. The sheep are believers. Their trust and confidence are not in themselves and what they do, but in Jesus and what He has done.
The opposite is the case for the goats, the unbelievers. They may have been really nice people, but they did not trust in Jesus as their Savior. Because they rejected Him, nothing they did was actually righteous in His sight. That is what Hebrews 11:6 emphasizes, “without faith it is impossible to please him.” No matter how much money a person gives to the hungry and the poor, no matter how many strangers they welcome or prisoners they visit, if these are not done as fruits of faith, the Shepherd-King does not count them as being done for Him. It is impossible to please God without faith.
But then it is also the case that with faith it is impossible not to please Him. Faith produces good fruit. So when you and I go about our day, serving the people around us, these are good fruits in God’s sight. Usually we aren’t even aware of the good. We go to work, pick up groceries, clean the house, and pay our bills. We have devotions with our family, and we pray. There is never enough time to get everything done, and we probably feel guilty for not doing more.
But Jesus considers all these little things that barely seem to matter to be great works. He looks at our imperfect and lowly efforts like a parent looks at the scribbled drawings of a little child. In His eyes, the scribbled efforts of our humble lives are beautiful. On the last day, He will put our good deeds on display, like a child’s drawing showcased on the kitchen fridge. He counts all the things done for “the least of these [His] brothers,” as being done for Him.
We know that He looks at us like this not because we are so good, but because He is so good. Whatever good we accomplish starts with His good. Our love for others starts with His love for us. We learn what it means to serve the least by watching the Son of God humble Himself to serve the world of sinners. The world was happy with His miracles. The sick and demon-possessed were glad to be healed. But most people walked away from Him. Some even conspired to kill Him.
Still He went forward. He lived a perfect life according to the law of God, showing perfect love to God and to His neighbors, a life free from sin. He did not “repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling” (1Pe. 3:9). He did what He teaches His followers to do. He loved His enemies. He did good to those who hated Him. He blessed those who cursed Him. He prayed for those who abused Him (Luk. 6:27-28). Then He willingly gave up His life, so that all sin would be atoned for, and sinners would have salvation.
The holy life He lived is the reason you now stand holy in God’s sight. When you were brought to faith in Him, your sins were removed from you, and His righteousness was placed over you. This is why you can get ready for Judgment Day without being afraid of what will happen to you. You will not be judged for your careless words or any of your sins, because Jesus paid for them all. And you will not be judged as failing to do enough good, because Jesus’ life of good works, His life of perfect righteousness, is credited to you.
The King who will sit on His glorious throne on Judgment Day is a “King of love.” He is your Savior. Like a Shepherd, He will gather you and all His sheep safely to His side. Then you will never again hunger, never again thirst, never be left out or go without. You will be with Him, so you will have everything you need. On the last day, you will respond to His love for you like the hymnwriter expresses it:
The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary 370, v. 1)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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(picture from “The Last Judgment” by Fra Angelico, c. 1395-1455)