PENTECOST

Oh God, who once gave the promise, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground," Is 44:3, we extol and praise you that today you so gloriously fulfilled this promise in your 12 messengers and poured your Holy Spirit in floods upon them. We ask you, during these days give also our thirsty souls to drink of that heavenly water and so make the desert land of our hearts fruitful. Ah, without your Spirit we are dead, cold, and incapable of any good; oh, therefore, send him down upon us so that we will become alive in the faith, ardent in love, and strong and happy in all good works. Lord, grant us just one little drop, only one little drop and it will satisfy us. Then we will also ever extol and praise you forever and ever there above before your throne. Amen! In Jesus name, amen!

The text. Acts 2:1-13.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus.

We Christians believe in a triune God, in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. To honor this Triune God we celebrate every year three great festivals. Christmas is the festival of the Father, Easter the festival of the Son, and Pentecost the festival of the Holy Spirit. On each of these great festivals we celebrate a great deed of God for our salvation: at Christmas, the love of the Father who sent his only begotten Son Into the world to be our Redeemer; at Easter, the grace of the Son who completed the work of our redemption; at Pentecost, the communion of the Holy Spirit who brings us to the knowledge and enjoyment of the Father's love and the Son's grace and wishes to make us partakers of redemption.

The real reason why we celebrate Pentecost is, therefore, not the miracle which the Holy Spirit did in the apostles. This, of course, is a great and glorious miracle, having most important results for the entire sinful world. For only by the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Ghost were the apostles, enlightened, sanctified, and strengthened in the faith so that they could go out into all the world as infallible and steadfast teachers of mankind and preach the Gospel of Christ to all creatures in the languages of all people, found the Christian church, and spread it throughout the entire world. Only by the miraculous out-pouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles were they also equipped to write the New Testament at the impulse and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and thus in their writings preach the Gospel of Christ to all men, even after their death, until the end of days.

However, the pouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on that first Pentecost had an even greater meaning. It was, as it were, the opening of a spring which had been sealed up, from which a mighty stream gushed forth, which gradually poured itself out over all mankind, which still flows today, and will flow until Judgment Day. The out-pouring of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles was only the beginning of that which from that time on should happen to all men a signal, as it were, of that event given from heaven. Of course, the gift of performing miracles which was connected with the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, which was necessary to found the church, ceased in the course of time; but the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost himself has continued throughout all the centuries and will continue until heaven and earth will disappear. As we read immediately after our text, Peter therefore says in his Pentecost sermon to those who in amazement saw what happened. "This is that which was

spoken by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." Acts 2:16,17a.

And has this prophecy perhaps remain unfulfilled? Not at all, my friends! it has been fulfilled in the past and goes into fulfilment even now. Wherever and whenever the Gospel of Christ is preached, there the Holy Spirit pours himself out in all places and times upon those who hear it, and fills all those who accept it in faith, and thus seals it as the divine truth. Therefore, let this be the subject of our Pentecost devotion:

THE GIVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, AN INCONTESTABLE

PROOF OF ITS DIVINITY AND ITS TRUTH

II. For the Unbelievers who Perceive this Giving of the Spirit to Believers.

I.

My friends, all those who have been true Christians have become that when the Holy Spirit was given them through God's Word. And the Holy Spirit has at all times worked three things in each one.

The first thing which all those have experienced who have become true Christians is this, that through the working of the Holy Spirit they have either suddenly or gradually come to the living knowledge that they are lost sinners who can never be saved in their natural condition. When on that first Pentecost Peter had first preached the Law to many thousands, we read, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37. This anxious, heartfelt question about the true way to salvation was nothing else but the working of the Holy Ghost, who was connected with the Word preached by Peter; like a two-edged sword the. Spirit pierced the souls of the hearers.

There is a second thing which the Holy Ghost does so that a person becomes, a true Christian. When a person, who is frightened over his sins and is concerned about his salvation, hears the Gospel of Christ, the Savior of sinners, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit enters his heart. There then arises in such a person the divine certainty that God is gracious to him and has forgiven him all his sins, that he has become a child of God justified by grace through faith and an heir of eternal life. This also we see in Peter's frightened hearers on that first Pentecost; when the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins was presented to them, we read, "With gladness and singleness of heart they praised God." Acts 2:46,47. This joyful praise of God in confident faith was nothing else but a working of the Holy Spirit who shone through the preaching of the Gospel like a heavenly fire and had kindled the .heavenly light of faith in the hearers.

A third work must always be added to these two works mentioned so far: man's fright over his lost condition and the joy at the grace he received; it is that a hearer of the Gospel then becomes an entirely new man. The sins which he formerly loved he now begins to hate. The sins which he in the past despised as trifles now seem great and serious. Even if he sins in weakness, he is filled with unrest until he has confessed his sin of weakness to God with a stricken heart and sought and found forgiveness of it in Christ's reconciliation. His daily life is a daily struggle against sin, even against the most secret sinful thoughts, lusts, and desires. He tears his heart more and more free, from the vanities, goods, and honor of this world in which he before sought

his happiness. He loves God and his Word more than anything else; he would rather give up all his worldly possessions, yes even his life, than surrender God and his Word. Love to his brethren, yes to all men, even to those who offend him burns in his heart; he loves them as he loves himself. In short, he becomes an entirely different person in heart, spirit, mind, and all his powers.

Of course, a true Christian must also confess with Paul, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect," Phil 3:12a; but he can without lying immediately add, "But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." This amazing inner and outward change is nothing else but the work of the Holy Spirit who is concealed in the Word of the Gospel like a heavenly, fruitful seed.

Or is that not so, my friends? I ask you, you Christians: Have you not experienced all this in your hearts? Was there not a time in your life when God's Word pierced your innermost soul like an arrow, when you were restless because of your sins and the question escaped from your heart, "What must I do to be saved?" After a longer or shorter time was there not also that time in your life when the Gospel of Christ made you certain of your pardon from God and certain of your salvation? And finally, did not the point arrive from which time on you became the foe of all sin and began to pursue the Christian life?

See, all this the Holy Ghost worked in you and in this almighty giving of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel you have absolute proof of its truth and divinity. For one of the first teachings which reveal to man the hidden depths of his sinful corruption must be the doctrine of the Omniscient who can examine the very heart; no human teaching can do that. A doctrine which brings the peace of God into man's soul which the whole world cannot give a man must be the doctrine of the Omnipresent God who alone can turn man to be his dwelling place; no human teaching can do that. A doctrine which creates a new heart in man must be the doctrine of the Creator of all things who also has created man's heart and therefore who alone can transform, cleanse, and sanctify it; no human doctrine can do that.

Oh my dear Christians, do not let yourselves be deceived in your faith by the talk of unbelievers who want to prove sometimes out of the laws of a reason blind in spiritual things, sometimes from the course of the stars, sometimes from the bowels of the earth that the Bible and especially the Gospel of Christ cannot be God's Word. Within you you carry the proof of the truth and divinity of the Gospel which the wisdom of this world cannot overthrow. And this proof is the giving of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel. Eternal thanks be to God that he has not organized things in such a way that it takes great learning to become certain whether the Gospel is true and divine. No, since God wants to save all men, God has arranged things in such a way that even the most simple can become certain of that. The Holy Spirit himself bears witness in the hearts of believers for his Gospel puts an end among Christians to all strife about the truth and divinity of the Gospel. Though ever so many witnesses against the Gospel may arise here on earth, before the one great Witness who is enthroned above in heaven and testifies in the hearts of believers, all such are revealed as false witnesses before God and men. The Christian can answer to the most ingenious arguments of mockers: Though I cannot oppose your arguments from reason with even stronger arguments from reason, you are still to know this: the Gospel of Christ is the divine truth, God the Holy Ghost himself has inscribed it in my heart with flaming letters and nothing in heaven, nothing on earth, nothing in hell can erase this writing. The truth and divine origin of the Gospel is as certain to a Christian as his own life. A Christian can more easily tear his heart out of his body than the certainty of his faith from his soul. As little as a rational person lets himself be convinced that a sweet fruit

whose sweetness he has tasted daily is bitter, so little does a Christian let himself be convinced that the Gospel whose divine power he has experienced every day in his heart is a powerless teaching of man.

II.

My friends, according to this it seems as though the imparting of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel is indeed an incontestable proof of its truth and divine origin for believers because they have experienced this in their hearts but no proof for unbelievers. That is not at all the case. For even though those who still do not have the true faith have not themselves experienced the giving of the Holy Spirit and with him the truth and divine origin of the Gospel in their hearts, they nevertheless perceive clearly enough the imparting of the Holy Spirit to believers. Secondly, permit me to speak to you of this.

It is true, my friends: in our today's festival text we hear that when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the apostles, some unbelievers mockingly said, "These men are full of new wine." But why did they say this? Solely because they knowingly resisted the Holy Spirit. For was it not contrary to sound reason to call the apostles drunk because they were suddenly so changed? that they who previously were so fearful now suddenly had become heroes with lion-like courage? that they who were uneducated Galilean fishermen had now suddenly become the most powerful orators who ever lived? that they who formerly could scarcely speak their own language correctly had now suddenly become capable of preaching the great deeds of God in all the languages of the world? Woe to those mockers! What they saw and heard on that first Pentecost Day will some day testify against them before God's tribunal.

The same thing is true of all unbelievers of all ages, also of our own day.

Bear in mind: every day unbelievers see with their own eyes that those who are earnest about the Gospel have become entirely different people than they through it. They see: true Christians are not only zealous in church attendance, they are also faithful and diligent in their earthly calling, conscientious in their business in general, give everyone his due, steer clear of dishonest profits, do not seek to become rich, are peaceable, gentle, and reconcilable, unassuming over against everyone, friendly and obliging, chaste and decent in their works, words, and attitudes, moderate in eating and drinking, truthful and reliable in words and promises, generous to the poor, willing to lend to him who would like to borrow of them in his difficulty; they are faithful, loving husbands and faithful obedient wives, faithful neighbors, good citizens who are concerned about the welfare of the country, willing to submit to the laws of the state and to help bear its burdens; they do not join rioters; they are faithful servants and workers who serve their masters and employers as though they served Christ; all this they do not only because their faith demands this of them but because it makes them capable and willing to do it. Must not even the unbelievers conclude that a teaching which brings such fruit must be from God?

Bear also in mind: even though the Gospel goes completely and entirely counter to the natural mind of man, unbelievers know that through the simple preaching of the apostles it has spread with tremendous rapidity over the entire world. There is no people so barbarous and deeply fallen, nor is there any people so well educated or at home in all the arts and sciences among whom the Gospel is preached from whom large hosts have, not been convinced of the truth and have, become converted through it; great learned men as well as simple souls, rich as well as poor slaves of vice as well as honorable, great people, even princes,; kings, and emperors as well as beggars, the fortunate of this world

as well as the unfortunate. Must not even unbelievers conclude that a teaching which has such a divine power to convince and converts must be from God?

Finally, bear in mind: unbelievers read in the most trustworthy histories how in all ages the Gospel has been perverted, in part by heretical doctrines, in part disgraced by the godless lives of many confessors; in order to remove it from the world it has been in part assailed by the mighty as well as by the wise of this world, sometimes by sly cunning, sometimes by bloody violence. And what has happened? No heretic, be they ever so many, no offence be they ever so numerous, no storms of persecution be they ever so fearful, have been able to smother the heavenly fire of the Gospel on earth. Even delicate children and weak women have proven themselves to be invincible heroes of the faith in the severest persecutions; no torment be it ever so frightful could move them to fall away. The more murderously the church was persecuted the more have joined it. The blood of the martyrs has at all times been a seed from which have grown up only so many more confessors of the Gospel. How often have the foes of the Gospel already cried, "Victory!" because they supposed that the Gospel was finished, and behold! the Gospel once thought dead has always celebrated the Easter of its resurrection. Only 50 years ago it seemed as though rationalism would in the end certainly triumph over the Gospel; but what has happened? In these last terrible times the Gospel has again begun to grow green and blossom. If they did not want to tolerate it any more in one country, it took up its dwelling in another. If Christian nations rejected it, then the heathen accepted it. Must not even unbelievers conclude from this that a doctrine which has such an indestructible life must be from God himself?

If by God's direction unbelievers should have found their way here today, I cry to you: You think that Christians are fools for still believing the old Gospel; you consider yourself too enlightened to do that; but of a truth', you live in fearful blindness. You are the fools! The imparting of the Holy Spirit who is connected with the preaching of the Gospel refutes as with one blow all your counter-arguments as empty hollow phrases. Indeed, you stj.ll may have experienced nothing of the imparting of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, but do you not perceive this working in true Christians? You cannot deny that. And if you do not let yourselves be convinced,, some day. this will testify against you before God's judgment throne.

Oh, that you would not wilfully close your heart! Oh, that you would still be captured by the power of the truth! Of a truth, then you would also experience the imparting of the Holy Spirit in your heart. For Christ himself says, "If any man will do his will," that is, if anyone will believe in me, "he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." Jn 7: 17. Oh, do not fight any longer against God but today fall down with unbelieving Thomas before Christ and say, sighing for faith, "My Lord and my God!" Finally, you will also like Paul, who from a persecutor became the greatest herald of the Gospel, joyfully confess, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." Rom 1:16.

And you, my friends, who already truly believe and have therefore experienced the miracle of Pentecost, oh, rejoice today on this triumphal festival of the Gospel; for the Lord has done great things in you. Oh, persevere in your faith until the end also in this age of apostasy; when finally the night of your hour of death will come upon you, the heavenly light of the Gospel will then also shed its light upon you, you will depart in peace, there receive the crown of the conqueror from Christ's pierced hands, and you will then rejoice with inexpressible eternal joy.

May our gracious God through the imparting of his Holy Spirit grant that to us all for the sake of Jesus Christ our exalted and ascended Lord and Savior. Amen.