Celebrate Jesus' Powerful Pentecost Promises

CELEBRATE JESUS’ POWERFUL PENTECOST PROMISES (Outline)

JOHN 14:25-27 - May 15, 2005 - PENTECOST

INTRO: Today is a festival day of celebration. We are reminded of the importance and value of the very first Pentecost and the many promises the Lord made concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We have already heard these divine promises in today’s lessons (listed at the end of this sermon). The Lord made his promise through the prophet Joel. Peter proclaimed the promise fulfilled on that very first Pente-cost. From the very first promise of a Savior for mankind made in the Garden of Eden until now – the Lord God almighty has kept them all. We agree with the prophet Joshua as he reviewed his life. "You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed"(JOSHUA 23:14b). Today we rejoice and celebrate the fulfillment of another of God’s great promises. We consider our text this morning with the theme:

CELEBRATE JESUS’ POWERFUL PENTECOST PROMISES.

I. The Holy Spirit – the gift of faith.

II. God’s peace – the gift of forgiveness.

I. THE HOLY SPIRIT – THE GIFT OF FAITH

A. The setting of our text this morning is shortly before Jesus is to be betrayed and crucified.

1. Jesus has gathered together the disciples to encourage for this departure.

2. Verse 25. Jesus knows the time to speak with them and explain is limited.

B. Jesus’ death on the cross would be a devastating event for the disciples.

1. The disciples hardly knew Jesus. His public ministry among them was less than 3 years.

2. But Jesus was not going to leave his disciples without help or without hope.

C. In verse 26a Jesus promised that the Counselor would come (the Holy Spirit, Comforter).

1. The Holy Spirit would reveal / teach them what they needed to know by the gift of faith.

2. Verse 26b. The disciples would also recall all the words the Lord Jesus had taught them.

D. You and I are generations removed from the first crucifixion. We are generations removed from that first resurrection and that very first Pentecost. At times we might forget or downplay the importance of God’s gift of faith in our lives. After all, the world around us and may be even our own family members find little actual value in faith. Faith cannot be bought or sold – how can it be that important? This is all the more reason for us to be reminded that without faith we are lost and condemned creatures. "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me"(PSALM 51:11,12). Like David we repent and realize that with-out God there is never any reason for rejoicing. We celebrate Jesus’ powerful Pentecost promises.

E. Jesus’ promise is that the Holy Spirit makes unbelievers into believers. It is important to remind our-selves that we cannot save ourselves. We cannot earn and we cannot buy and we cannot pray our way into heaven. Eternal salvation comes purely out of divine grace—God’s undeserved love for sinners! Holy Scripture describes this blessed process of salvation. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws"(EZEKIEL 36:26, 27). We celebrate Jesus’ Pentecost promise of the Holy Spirit – God’s gift of faith to and for mankind.

F. To know God, to trust in the Savior is amazing grace. None of us deserve to be saved. In fact, the very opposite is true. Each of us deserves to be punished eternally in the fiery depths of hell. Instead, by faith – the gift of the Holy Spirit to every believer, we are saved. In Peter’s first sermon following Pente-cost the hearts of the crowed were convicted. They felt the burden of sin for having been instrumental in handing Jesus over to be crucified. They wanted to know what to do. "Peter replied, ’Repent and be bap-tized, 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’"(ACTS 2:38). We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit – faith that lays hold of the merits of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

TRANS: CELEBRATE JESUS’ POWERFUL PENTECOST PROMISES. The Holy Spirit – faith.

II. GOD’S PEACE – THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

A. Remember the setting of today’s text, it is shortly before Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion on the cross.