Thanks be to God. Hey, how was that for a blast from the past? Did you recognize that? That was, that was our former associate pastor, Steve and Lee. And, um, he, it was two years ago. We recorded that for Pentecost weekend and we wanted to, to hear that again, uh, on all the different voices and languages of God’s word. Being spoken just as a remembrance back to that text in Acts chapter two, which is what the sermon is based on today, when the Holy Spirit was given and people spoke in all kinds of languages, Pentecost, it’s when the, we recognize that God sent the Holy Spirit. It was 50 days after the resurrection and um, wow. It was, it was 10 days after Jesus ascension. And it was not only the sending of the Holy Spirit, but it was also the birth of the church. So thanks to everyone who’s wearing red to celebrate our birthday of, uh, of sorts. And, uh, you know, here at, at Victory, we believe in God, the Father, son, and Holy Spirit. Now, Lutherans aren’t known to really kind of major in the Holy Spirit, like some church bodies do. Do you know what I mean? Some people have said to me, oh, you Lutherans, here’s your Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy scripture. Now there’s truth in that we hold the scripture God’s, God’s word, high. This is God’s inspired word, and these actually we believe in, in the original languages as they’re given. These are God’s words. So if you wanna know what God is saying, look no other and no further than the scripture. It’s what’s there, right? But I also know that, you know, God doesn’t say to you in his Bible, you can’t find chapter in verse if you’re considering a major decision, should I move here? Should I go see that person? I mean, the Bible speaks to how we live our lives, certainly. But if you’re looking for, should I go to this school or take that job? Or what should this decision be? Boy, wouldn’t it be nice to have a chapter in verse to go to. Well, God still speaks to us today. It’s God, the Holy Spirit, and we’re gonna look at what that means for us, because I think we all desire to have that s supercharged spirit filled daily life as a Christian. I know I have and I did certainly in my young twenties. I remember a specific season in my life that I was looking for something more spiritually, some deeper sense of God’s presence and power. I was already a believer. I had grown up in the church, been baptized as a child, confirmed, grew up in my young twenties, still following the Lord Jesus. But I hadn’t yet grasped all that God did for me in Christ, including even in my baptism as an infant. ’cause I think we see baptism, for example, as something we’re gonna do for God. It’s God who’s the acting agent and baptism. It’s all about what he’s doing for us, saving us, declaring us righteous in Christ, putting his name upon us. But I hadn’t yet grasped. All that he did for me, not just in my baptism, but in my life ongoing, that he forgave my sin, that he made me his child and gave me his spirit. I knew Jesus, but I had not yet fully understood that I’d already received the Holy Spirit, so I went searching, and in my young twenties, I, it led me to a, a group of Christian friends who are part of a charismatic church, joyful people, energetic worship. And they taught that to really have the Holy Spirit, you needed a second experience. It was called a second blessing, is what they called it. And the sign that you had the second blessing, this evidence that you had, this Holy Spirit was that you could speak with in tongues, right? The gift of tongues. And that’s taken really in part out of our texts in Acts chapter two, and the word that’s translated English as tongues, it’s really.

A glos, it’s it’s languages. And so back at the first Pentecost, people heard all kinds of people speaking in all kinds of tongues as they heard the gospel in their own language. Well, I wanted this gift of tongues, so I, I sought it. I wanted it, I prayed for it earnestly, and I didn’t receive it. And I cried out wondering if God was holding out on me. Everyone else seemed to have the flame, the gift I didn’t was something wrong with me. I don’t know if you’ve ever wondered that yourself, and it took me a, a number of years, some faithful Lutheran teachers. In fact, it wasn’t till I was in seminary that I finally began to fully understand. I wasn’t missing the Holy Spirit. I already had ’em. I didn’t need a second experience. I needed a fuller understanding of what God had given me in Christ, starting with my baptism through His word and with his people. The Holy Spirit, you see, had already been poured into my life. He’s been at work all along, calling me through the gospel, enlightening me with his gifts, sanctifying me, setting me apart as holy, and keeping me in the true faith. And that’s what he does for you as well. That’s what we’re gonna look at. Today and I learned something else. The Holy Spirit gives all kinds of gifts, not just tongues. There’s actually more than two dozen gifts listed throughout scripture, and they’re not the same for everyone. You can’t demand what kind of gift you get from the spirit. They’re given by the spirit’s discretion. The Bible tells us not according to our demands, and they’re given not for status. But for service, for the building up of others. So let me begin with this truth assertion today. You don’t have to chase fire to be filled. If you’re in Christ, the spirit of God is already with and with you. Pentecost. It’s not some mystical experience for an elite few. It’s a promise and a gift for all who are in Christ Jesus. I. Pentecost is the day that God set his church ablaze. Not to destroy it, but to transform it. He poured out his spirit, and if you followed along in the text that was read, not like a gentle breeze, but like a rushing wind and like a fire from heaven, hence our flame. And God, the Holy Spirit is still doing that today. But if you’re at all like me, and if we’re honest with ourselves sometimes, don’t we kind of feel more like damp kindling than roaring firewood? I mean, you may wonder at times, Hey, where’s the power in my spiritual life? Where’s the wind under my wings? Where’s the flame within me? And if that’s you, my dear friend, then this message is for you. It’s for anyone. Who’s ever felt dry or forgotten? Sidelined, used up uncertain because Pentecost, it’s not about our strength. It’s about God’s spirit poured into empty hearts that reassures us. You are mine. You are not alone, and you have an inheritance you didn’t earn, but it’s grand and it’s one that you can never lose.

So let me start off with this assertion. The spirit comes to fill what’s empty in our text. The Bible reads, when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, let me give a little backdrop to that verse first, before Pentecost, the disciples, they weren’t crusaders, they were cowards. They were waiting, fearful. Hiding, hoping they had the words of Jesus, but not yet the power. They had the commission from Christ, but not the courage, and it was into that space, this void really of emptiness of waiting that the spirit came and not because they were ready, but because God was. And I think in our worship and in our spiritual lives, we can often think, oh, I need to bring something to God. God, what can I give you? And I understand that desire. So we think about, well, how can I ratchet up my devotion or my energy or my readiness? But the Book of Acts, I think shows us that God is the one who brings the fire. It’s not something that the disciples screw up in their own wills. We just need to be present. To be open, ready, responsive. Martin Luther writes in his small catechism, it’s his teaching documents, uh, in the Apostles Creed, and we’re gonna confess this later on in our confession of faith about the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? It’s a great Lutheran question. Well, what does this mean for us today?Here’s what Martin Luther writes. I, and this is about the work of the Holy Spirit. I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Christ Jesus, my Lord, or come to him. Did you catch that? I believe I can’t come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlighten me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. Did you hear that? It’s, it’s not about you climbing up to God. It’s about God descending down to you and the spirit that feels that which is empty. And did you kind of catch this? The spirit’s job, it’s not to give you spiritual fireworks, it’s to give you faith. And where faith exists, it’s evidence that the Holy Spirit is there as well. You know, if you’re feeling dry, you’re not alone. Christian research group called Barna in a recent study reports that over 60% of Christians in the US describe their spiritual life as stagnant dry going through the motions. Nearly half say they’ve never experienced a moment that they would call being spiritually alive. Hmm. But Pentecost tells us something different, that God is not done with dry hearts. He specializes in reviving them. In fact, better yet, God specializes in bringing back from the dead to life. The spirit comes to fill what’s empty. Second, the Spirit assures us, we belong to the Father. Jesus says in Luke chapter 11, if you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

See, God’s not playing with your heart. He’s not holding out on you. If you’ve asked for the Spirit, you have it. God delights to give his spirit, and he does so not to the deserving, but to the ask Him the Holy Spirit. It’s not a prize for the perfect, it’s a gift for the child who cries out Abba. It’s a term of endearment. It’s like calling out daddy. It’s the word the Apostle Paul uses in Galatians four where he writes, and because we are his children. God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts prompting us to call out Abba Father. Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child, and since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Let’s be clear about what this means. If you’re in Christ, the Holy Spirit is with and within you. I dunno if you’ve really thought about this, but before Pentecost, the spirit would come upon people for a season for specific tasks. Think of King David or the prophets, even the artisans for the tabernacle. And then later for the temple, the Holy Spirit would come upon people but not remain upon them. The Holy Spirit first came and remained on Jesus at his baptism, but then it’s not until after Pentecost that the Holy Spirit then comes and indwells every believer. That’s what we’re celebrating today. Jesus himself said to his disciples the night he was betrayed, he said, very truly, I tell you, it’s for your good that I’m going away unless I go the Advocate, capital A. That’s a name for the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that a great name? Unless I go, the advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. And so for all in Christ, the Spirit is now within you. And to whisper really the most important truth, you will ever hear that in Christ, you are now a child of God. And that cry, Abba, it doesn’t come out of our. Worked up emotional experiences. It comes from the spirit himself testifying with your spirit, that you belong to the Father, you are his and he is yours. Let that sink in. The Spirit teaches us not just to know that God exists, but to know him as Father. That you’re not a servant in God’s kingdom. You’re a child in his family. You are an heir of everything that Jesus has won for you, and it’s the spirit’s job to remind you of that when your heart forgets One of our Lutheran confessional writings, it’s called The Apology to the Augsburg Confession. It really means the defense of the faith. We believe this teaches what scripture says, puts it this way. The Holy Spirit is given to those who hear the gospel and get this to kindle in them. Faith and other godly affections. Those are the godly affections. Include things like assurance, belonging, love, identity. Did you know what the number one fear among Americans over age 65 is? According to the Pew research, it’s not dying. It’s the fear of being forgotten, seen as irrelevant, or not seen at all, unneeded. And if you might be feeling that, ooh, listen to the spirit. You’re not forgotten, you’re family. Because the Holy Spirit is working in you to call out Abba Father, you belong. The spirit comes to fill what’s empty. The Spirit assures us that we belong to the Father. And finally, the Spirit secures our inheritance and guides our steps as Sandy read for us earlier on the Old Testament. Prophet Joel wrote, I will pour out my spirit capital S on all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy even on the male and female servants. I will pour out my spirit. Did you catch the sweep of that?

The spirit is for all people, young and old, male and female, wealthy and poor. The Holy Spirit turns ordinary believers into bold proclaimers of truth and hope, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t just empower us. He secures us. God’s spirit is isn’t picky. He’s generous, inclusive, poured out on all flesh. Not just pastors, not just men, not just the spiritual elite. All ages, all vocations, all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus. And that means that you are part of God’s family and his spirit failed mission in the world. That flame in heaven, it didn’t stop in Jerusalem or stay there at Pentecost. It’s spread and it’s still spreading today. But that’s not all. The spirit doesn’t just secure fu send us forward. It secures our future. We have this inheritance. The apostle Peter writes about it this way. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope. To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for you. Guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wow, that is thick and rich. I could preach a five part sermon series on that. Should I go ahead and do it right now? It’s wonderful. We gotta do that sometime. The Holy Spirit guarantees your future is not up for grabs. And you’re not guessing your way through this life either. You’re sealed with the spirit, walking toward an inheritance that cannot be taken, guided by the spirit. Day to day you have this inheritance. Now notice it’s not some 401k you hope doesn’t run out. It’s not a reputation that you try to have to preserve. It’s a heavenly inheritance kept by God, secured by Christ sealed. By the Holy Spirit, another one of our Lutheran Confessions that explains our beliefs. It’s called The Book of Concord, says it this way, the Holy Spirit gives faith which justifies before God. That’s good news. And by this faith, we are born anew and we receive the Holy Spirit so that we may become heirs of eternal life. And that’s true not just for us individually, but also for us as a church. This is why Victory’s vision statement ends with this necessary needful phrase, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let me, uh. See if I can tell you what our vision statement is. By memory. I’m not gonna look on the screen, but you can track me on the screens. Here we go. Victory Lutheran Church is a joyful and loving community that intentionally transforms and deploys Christ centered disciples who lead others into God’s mission, frontiers. And here it’s empowered by the Holy Spirit. Friends, we’re not just gathering here to consume spiritual goods. By God’s grace, we are being shaped, transformed, and then sent as spirit empowered disciples into God’s mission in his world, and without the spirit, it’s just a strategy, but with the spirit, it becomes a mission.

Let me do a quick pastoral aside here and just address this thing about how does God’s spirit speak to us today, both corporately and individually, and it’s important that we understand this. I believe and that the Holy Spirit speaks to us today. But we gotta be wise and cautious. As I said, the Holy Spirit speaks primarily through the written word of God. If you wanna know God’s word, we believe that this is the inspired word of God and as given in the original languages, the very words of God. So God’s gonna, if he’s gonna speak to you, you can know that this is God speaking to you when you’re in the Bible. But secondarily, the Holy Spirit does speak to our hearts. And how is that done? It’s, it’s really confirmed through prayer and by godly counsel. Lemme give you an example. So you can’t read in the Bible some chapter and verse that, Hey, you should take this job, or You should move to that city, or you should invest in this fund, whatever concern you’re challenged with. So how do you discern? Well, you pray over it deeply. You search the scriptures, and then as Pastor Susan taught us last fall, do you remember those of us who are here for the five parts study and how to hear God speak, hearing God’s voice that you share it with? Caring friends that you trust who know the Lord, who pray along with you and then can speak into your life. You ask them, does this sound like something God’s spirit might be saying to me? And then with them you discern it prayerfully. And this helps keep you from like sanctifying your own thoughts and saying that that’s God’s voice. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Bible, God’s written word, but he may also use your circle of Christian friends to help confirm what he might be saying to you specifically in a certain spot and season in your life. So what does Pentecost mean for you today? Well, it means you. You don’t have to fake your faith. God knows even when your tank is empty and he’s already on his way to fill it up, just ask. Second, you don’t have to wonder if you’re wanted. If you have the Spirit, you belong. You are a child of the Father, and as such an heir, you don’t have to fear the future.

There’s an inheritance kept for you, not in a vault, but in heaven, guarded by God himself. So whether your faith feels like a blaze or maybe just a flicker, take heart, God’s spirit is still at work within you no matter how you’re feeling. And if you’re tired, he’ll grant you rest. If you’re doubting, he’ll remind you of who you are or maybe better put whose you are. And if you’re dry. He’ll quench you and refresh you with his spirit again. Maybe you feel like a burnt out match, kind of used up, maybe just barely flickering on not sure where your faith stands. Well then Pentecost today is an invitation. You don’t have to try to relight your own flame. You just have to receive the fire that God is already offering and sending. So pray, ask, and receive. For, as Jesus himself said, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, or as Martin Luther once said, where Christ is there, the Holy Spirit must be and where the Holy Spirit is, he brings Christ and His kingdom. May that be true for you and through you. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you that we’re not slaves, but sons and daughters and heirs through Christ. Come Holy Spirit, fill us again with your fire. Remind us of our inheritance and help us to live boldly that we might serve in your strength. And walk in the way of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.