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.
1. It would be a very difficult and trying time for these disciples.
2. At the end of verse 27 Jesus wants them to not be afraid and not to have troubled hearts.
B. Jesus wanted the disciples to remember the promise of the Counselor who would teach them.
1. Jesus also left them with something the world could not provide – divine peace.
2. Verse 27a. This peace of Jesus is the peace of forgiveness; it is a soul satisfying peace.
C. This is a peace that the world cannot give in verse 27b. Peter is a good example of this fact.
1. Peter promised not to deny the Lord. But Peter did deny the Lord Jesus, 3 times.
2. After his resurrection, Jesus made a point to forgive Peter. 3 times Jesus repeated forgiveness.
D. God’s forgiveness for mankind comes to us as another gift of the Holy Spirit. It is only by faith, it is only through faith that the believer can begin to comprehend the forgiveness of our heavenly Father. This forgiveness from God through his Son, Jesus Christ, is also that peace which the world cannot give. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross"(CO-LOSSIANS 1:19,20). We celebrate Jesus’ peace, which is revealed to us through the gift of forgiveness.
E. Because of divine forgiveness our lives are dramatically, drastically changed. No longer are we so self-centered and selfish that we only think about ourselves. We clearly and all too often see that very selfish attitude in the world around us. Everyone is looking out for number one – himself or herself. Now the believer has seen the love of God in his or her life and that makes a world of difference in our attitude and living. "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature"(ROMANS 13:14).
F. Our faithful, forgiven living is to make a difference in this world darkened by sin. There are many who do not have peace in this life. Many are looking in all the wrong places for fulfillment and satisfaction. All too often people ignore that peace which comes through repentance and forgiveness of sins. As too many wander farther away from God and peace our efforts are to be renewed by our joyful Christian liv-ing. "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation"(2 CORINTHIANS 5:19). Reconciliation is defined in this verse with the phrase not counting men’s sins against them. What joy for others to hear from our lips or see in our lives that peace the surpasses human understanding – your sins are forgiven!
CONC.: On this Pentecost Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ powerful Pentecost promises. Every Sunday we celebrate this precious promises. More than that, we can also celebrate every day Jesus’ promises. Every day our lives are changed because of the Holy Spirit who has worked faith in our hearts. No longer are we lost and condemned creatures but now we are found. Every day this certainty of eternal salvation is ours because of God’s forgiveness. Every day we have that peace which the world cannot give. Indeed, the Lord God almighty has made many promises. Our Lord God almighty has also kept all of these prom-ises. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness"(2 PETER 1:3). Today, every day, we celebrate Jesus’ powerful Pentecost promises – that now have found fulfillment in our lives – the Holy Spirit – God’s gift of faith and divine peace – God’s gift of forgiveness. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST readings (ILCW – A): JOEL 2:28-29; ACTS 2:1-21; JOHN 16:5-11
