The sermon for May 28 was based on John 15:26-16:4.

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

Once there was a professor at the seminary who was lecturing on the work of the Holy Spirit. He was telling his students that the Spirit works to give faith by the means of grace, by the Lord's Word and Sacraments. A student, who wanted to find the Holy Spirit elsewhere, raised his hand and said, "But wait a second! Just in the means of grace? The Bible says that the Spirit works where and when He wills!" The professor responded, "Yes, it does. And the Bible tells us exactly where and exactly when He wills to work." These are wise words to keep in mind.

Next Sunday is the Festival of Pentecost, celebrated as the birthday of the Christian Church and the spectacular arrival of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. It is a day indeed worthy of celebration. Amongst Lutherans, however, the day can seem uncomfortable. Why? Because Lutherans are sometimes accused of giving the Holy Spirit the short end of the stick; I preach Christ and Him crucified like a broken record, and this supposedly prevents me from preaching the Holy Spirit and His blessings. Lutherans lack those extraordinary signs, like speaking in tongues, and the explosive zeal of those early Christians.

If Lutherans do indeed ignore or even resist the work of the Holy Spirit, then you are in serious danger indeed. But is this accusation true? No, for if you remain faithful to pure doctrine, then you are in accord with the Holy Spirit. But because this accusation arises, it is good to preach to you about the work of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God.

The Holy Spirit comes in Acts 2 with the sound of a mighty wind and flames of fire upon the apostles, who then proclaim the Gospel in various languages. After Peter preaches, the people are cut to the heart by the Law he has preached, and penitently ask what they should do. Peter tells them, and so they are baptized. What happens from then on? They continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine; they continue in the Word. They continue in the fellowship, the breaking of the bread; they continue to receive the Lord's Supper. Thus forgiven and strengthened in faith, they pray and they serve one another.

What do you have in common with that first Pentecost, and what are you missing? You are missing the sound of wind, the flames of fire and the miraculous ability to preach in other languages. What do you have in common? You have Baptism, the Word and the Lord's Supper. You have what is necessary: wind and flame don't deliver the forgiveness of sins, but the means of grace do. And, having been forgiven and strengthened in faith, you pray and serve one another.

Therefore, as long as you cling to the means of grace for the forgiveness of sins, you are one with those Christians in Acts 2. The congregation that remains faithful to Word and Sacrament is a whole lot closer to that early Church than a congregation that doesn't; for it is by these means of grace that the Holy Spirit is at work.

Jesus says in today's lesson that the Holy Spirit testifies: "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning." Notice that the whole Trinity is working to save you, because the Son sends the Spirit from the Father to testify. Notice also that the Holy Spirit testifies, not demonstrates. The Holy Spirit regularly works by the Word, not by signs and wonders. He can work such things if He desires, but the absence of extraordinary sights does not mean He is absent. Notice further that, when the Holy Spirit testifies, He testifies about Jesus: The work of the Holy Spirit, in concert with the Father and the Son, is to testify about the Savior, not about Himself. Therefore, when the apostles testified, they spent little time on the Holy Spirit; by the work of the Holy Spirit, they testified of Christ. This is important to understand: The Holy Spirit puts the spotlight on Jesus. If you focus upon the Spirit instead of the Son, you are not doing what the Holy Spirit would do.

Two weeks ago you heard that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and of righteousness. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, because on account of sin the world does not believe in Him. He produces evidence in order to convince people that they are guilty of sin before God. This evidence is the Law of God in His holy Word, because the Law shows your sin; and only the Holy Spirit can convince you that you are indeed a sinner.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness because Jesus goes to His Father. He convinces you that the righteous, sinless Son of God went to His Father by way of the cross. He convinces you that the righteous Savior has suffered for your sins, and now gives you forgiveness and clothes you in His righteousness so that you are be acceptable to God. The Holy Spirit's evidence for this is the Gospel: By the work of the Holy Spirit the Gospel is proclaimed, forgiveness is given and faith is strengthened.

The work of the Holy Spirit is therefore to preach the Law and the Gospel, which sounds like the doctrine and practice of Bethany Lutheran Church. And that, in a nutshell, is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is sent from the Father to testify about the Son. He convicts the world of sin by the Law and announces the redemption of Christ in the Gospel. And as He gives the forgiveness of sins, He also gives faith to believe.

Given Gospel lesson for today, can you conclude that the Holy Spirit is at work here at Bethany? Absolutely! By the grace of God, your Pastors proclaim His Law and His Gospel, and by these means the Holy Spirit is at work. By that same Word, He works forgiveness and faith in Baptism and the Lord's Supper, just as He did among those early Christians in the book of Acts. Sure, the Holy Spirit can do extraordinary things like tongues of fire or languages if He desires, but His foremost work is to glorify Jesus and point to Him. But you shouldn't especially miss rushing winds or tongues of flame, for they do not give forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Rather, given the Lord's Word and Sacraments, you have far better workings of the Spirit, for what could be more extraordinary than receiving everlasting life?

On this Exaudi Sunday, rejoice. As those first Christians gathered around Word and Sacrament, so do you; in fact, to ignore the means of grace and pursue the Holy Spirit elsewhere is to snub Him. Is the Holy Spirit here? Most certainly. Does He desire more attention for Himself and less for Jesus? Most certainly not! To focus upon Christ and Him crucified is certainly, and only, the work of the Holy Spirit.

Apart from the Holy Spirit you would not be a Christian. It is only by the Spirit's work that you confess your sinfulness and need for the forgiveness won by Christ at the cross. It is only by the Holy Spirit that you believe in Jesus, for it is He who has called you by the Gospel. It is only by the Holy Spirit that you remain a child of God, because He has gathered you into the Church and keeps you in the one true faith, the faith of Jesus Christ, crucified and raised for you. It is by the work of the Holy Spirit that you can be sure that you are not forsaken, that Christ has redeemed you and will deliver you. It is only by the Holy Spirit that you have the certainty of salvation, for He is faithful and continues to strengthen your faith by the means of grace, giving you the forgiveness won by Christ at the cross. It is by the Holy Spirit that you have the confidence of eternal life; for though you grow weary, He continues to call, gather, enlighten, sanctify and keep you in the faith, so that you may be raised from the dead to life everlasting. It is by the work of the Holy Spirit that you have the comfort of knowing that He has made you one in Christ with those who have gone before you in faith.

Apart from the Spirit, you have none of these gifts. But by the Holy Spirit's work, the kingdom of heaven is yours for the sake of Jesus. You can be sure the Spirit is with you, because you know exactly when and exactly where He works: In the Lord's Word and Sacraments. Thanks be to God, who for the sake of His Son sends His Holy Spirit. For on this day, and each day, the Holy Spirit is at work to convince you that, for Jesus' sake, you are forgiven for all of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Last Updated: 5/27/2009