Pentecost Draft

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

So, we are moving closer to being able to reopen for worship, and there is much fear swirling around the reopening of Churches. I saw reports out of Germany earlier this week that there were 107 infections out of one church – and I saw many throwing fear and outrage over that. And California released plans for reopening – and as for Illinois...? But sooner or later we will be gathering here together again, because when they are able, the people of God gather in His house. That's just how things work – when we can we go to church. Even back on the day of Pentecost, people gathered from all over the world to God's house in Jerusalem. But Pastor, what about safety! How quickly we forget, how little we understand the history of worship – we forget that safety in worship has always been on the hallmarks of the Christian faith.

Let's start with the basics – what is the first commandment? (You shall have no other gods.) And what does this mean? (We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.) Fear has always been part of the Christian faith – a healthy fear, a proper fear, and understanding that you don't mess around with God, you don't run ram-shod over Him. That if you presume to just saunter up on to God and do things your way, things go poorly. Our lesson from Genesis today – there's no fear, no respect of God – we'll just build our way up to Him. God puts a stop to that. Or even earlier in Genesis – Cain is discouraged because he worshiped wrongly, made lousy sacrifices. There is a respect, a decorum to be had in the presence of God.

This continues throughout the Old Testament. When Moses sees the burning bush, what's the first thing he gets told? Take off your sheep-stained sandals, you are on holy ground. Holy – where there's something different, something special – and you act differently when you are here. And with the Tabernacle – you don't just traipse in there – the priests operate with respect. The second day the Tabernacle is open two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu decide to just ignore God's instructions and do things their way, and they die. There's a right and safe way to worship God, to give God the honor, respect, and glory due Him.

Now, we are in the New Testament times, and things are much easier with worship. As Christ Jesus has made the final sacrifice for sin, I don't really have to cut or burn anything anymore, which is just fine with me. The temple curtain was torn in two, and we enter God's house baptized and clean and forgiven – much of the danger has passed. That's a great thing. But we still have maintained a sense of reverence, a sense of decorum. This is because we do acknowledge that great things happen here in this place – that while God could choose to bring us His Word, His Baptism, His Supper in a multitude of different places, He has set aside this place for you, He has made this Holy place for you to receive His good gifts. And I would hope this break would rekindle your sense of how this place is a holy place. And we treat it as such. I'm not the most stodgy of pastors (nor as I the most casual), but you've never seen me, let's say... sit on the altar. Probably have a hard time even imagining it. It's good that that would be hard to imagine, because we maintain respect and decorum and still teach it here because of respect for what Jesus gives us here.

And so, when we do resume open worship – we'll have reverent, joyous worship where we receive Jesus' good gifts of life and salvation. We will just have some extra layers of reverence and decorum and respect that are added. Respectful of each other – which is most certainly fine, for if the temple of old was to be respected, how much more ought we show respect to each other, for we all are baptized children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit. Because this is what we see start on Pentecost. It's not that the New Testament is actually less formal or less stuffy than the Old, it's that the angle has changed. In the Old Testament, everything was funneled to Jerusalem, because it was in Jerusalem where Jesus would come and suffer and die on the Cross and redeem the world, and all eyes, all nations where to be focused there. That's why we see folks from all over the place drawn to Jerusalem in our Epistle. But now in our days, we are on the outward path – the Holy Spirit is given, is poured out, and the news, the proclamation of what happened on Cross in Jerusalem nearly 2000 years ago is take forth and away from there unto all the world. There is no longer one temple to go to, but rather every Christian is made a sacred and holy temple of God – for prayer and proclamation. And wherever Christians are gathered – be it just 2 or 3 – because I've done plenty of services for folks where there's only been the two of us – or be it 10, or 50, or whatever – there Christ Jesus is present in His Word and His gifts – all over the world. And this is a wondrous thing – and so we do have places and buildings still today so that the locals know where they can come. Any new person showing up in Herscher can see this building and tell that it is a Church, that it is a place where Christ Crucified for the forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed.

Because that is the proclamation of the Church. Even from the beginnings of the New Testament Church at Pentecost. Consider how Peter really starts his sermon: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. The law is proclaimed. Bluntly. The Christ, the Messiah came, and He was put to death. And note – Peter is talking to many people who weren't even in Jerusalem when Good Friday happened – yet the reality is this. Their sin, our sin – that's why Jesus was on the cross. Let us in the Church never soft pedal the impact of sin, or brush it off as unimportant. Nor should we be surprised when we see the impact of sin upon the world. The wages of sin is death. We know this and teach this. And the wonder is this: Jesus decided to take up that wage in your place, so that even should you die you will not remain dead. That is a jaw-dropping awesome thing. Yes, Jesus died on our account, but also true is this - God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Jesus who died has been raised, and life has been restored. Death has been defeated. Yes, your death has been defeated. You death from whatever, be it old age or cancer or an accident or whatever of the myriad things that have put people we know and love in the cemeteries and one day will come calling for us – your death has been defeated by Christ. Death cannot hold Christ Jesus, and because Jesus holds on to you, has bound Himself to you in Holy Baptism, death will not have any hold on you either. Repent and be baptized 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.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. This promise indeed is for you, even though you are far off in both time and space – for you are those whom God has called unto Himself.

And Peter ends his sermon saying this way: And with many other words he bore witness to them, and comforted them saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.” Peter comforts, exhorts – paracletes them. Proclaims the Word and the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and those who received his word were baptized and saved. Salvation happens. God's plan of rescue, your rescue, continues. Doesn't matter what you see swirl around you, it doesn't matter the fears and dangers that arise – fears and dangers arise in every day and in every generation – only a people with no fear of the Lord would expect otherwise. This still is true: You are saved and redeemed by Christ.

This is why Jesus told the disciples, and why through them He declares to you, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jesus died and rose so that you would have peace, that you would be forgiven – and nothing stops that. Nothing can change, cancel, close, or destroy that. And while things in the world swirl around and change – in the world they need to swirl and change because the world is a dizzying and confusing place – in Christ Jesus you do have peace. And He has had His Word proclaimed to you, and He has seen you baptized, and He has poured out His Spirit upon you, and He and the Spirit dwell with you. And this is a wondrous truth – one that we should marvel at, that we should treat with reverence. It is a truth to be proclaimed in all places – and also in this specific place and building as well.

So, I do not know what the future holds – but then again, I never have. None of us ever know what the next week will hold in store – or what new strangeness and fears will pop up this June. What is steadfast and constant is what we are focused upon here – the love of Christ Jesus for you. That He has died and risen, and we are saved by Him. God grant that we might soon again safely gather together and receive His good gifts together – but know and remember that you still receive His good gifts even while we are apart. This is the joy of being the Baptized – a wondrous gift the world will never understand, nor that they can ever take away. Amen. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

Easter 7 Draft

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, alleluia! +

Man, bad stuff will happen. I mean, peel the paint off the wall bad stuff will happen. This is what Jesus tells the disciples that Maundy Thursday evening – and not just bad stuff to Jesus, but bad stuff is going to happen to them. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think that he is offering service to God. And it happens. The disciples in that upper room are all driven out of the community, forced to run – most of them are murdered cruelly and harshly. John dies naturally, but off in exile. Bad stuff will happen.

I use to get really annoyed when I'd have to run into the Christian book store to pick up supplies, because I'd pass the racks of the current best sellers, and so often they'd be these incredibly happy go lucky things. Here's the Christian guide to success and power and victory – it was like walking into a self-help section with a slathering of Jesus tossed onto it, and I would get really annoyed, because it was making a false promise. Jesus doesn't say that everything will go well. In fact, Jesus is quite often blunt, telling us that in this life, in this sinful world where you are surrounded by sinners, bad things will happen. Some you will bring upon yourself – some will just happen to you. And the lives of all the saints of both the Old and the New Testaments are examples of this. Bad things happen – and being faithful doesn't mean that they won't happen to you. In fact, being faithful to God paints a target squarely on you and Satan is going to fire away.

Bad things happen. And Jesus is honest with us about that. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. When bad things happen, we are spiritually assaulted. We are assaulted by Satan and our own sinful flesh. And fears and doubts come crashing in. It wasn't supposed to be like this, did I do something wrong, why isn't God doing X, Y, and Z to fix it? We see the bad things, and we are hounded by Satan and sin with the threat and specter of death – hounded away from Christ.

So, remember what Jesus told you. Jesus has never blown smoke up your skirt about how everything will be rosy. He's not some prosperity preacher – it's take up your Cross and follow Me. That “oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz” song isn't Scripture, it's Janis Joplin. Jesus has been utterly blunt and honest with how there will be hardship and difficulty and pain and death in your life. And so what we see today should be no surprise. Christians don't get a get out of COVID free card, we don't get to ignore governmental regulations without consequence just because we're Christians. No – Jesus has placed you as a Christian squarely in the middle of the real world, the real, harsh world. The real world that will fight tooth and nail against itself and doubly so against you because you are a Christian and Satan wants nothing more than to crush you and drive you away from Christ.

So over and against this, Jesus wants you to stay focused on the message, on the Gospel, on the good news of your salvation. Because you know what is true about all the bad stuff you see – it doesn't change the fact that Jesus Christ has died for you. Do you see your sin? Doesn't change the fact that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary that first Christmas. Doesn't matter how big that sin that bugs you is – Jesus still was born. Is the world gone all crazy and dangerous and foolish? Doesn't change the fact that Jesus, True God and True Man, died and rose for you to win you forgiveness and win you eternal life. Easter service was sort of canceled or just stuck on line – not Easter itself, not the Resurrection itself. All the hardships we face, all the trials – they're not going to catch Jesus off guard. It's not like they are some surprise twist that Jesus didn't see coming – and even with them coming, He did everything He needed to do to be your Savior, to forgive you and redeem you and save you. He doesn't forget you – we're the ones tempted to forget, but Jesus never forgets His love for you.

And thus, He sends the Holy Spirit. When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit – and you know what the Holy Spirit's job is? To give you Jesus. To fix your eyes upon Jesus. To come to you in and by the Word of God, and to place your eyes smack dab upon Jesus, in good days or bad days, in normal days or strange days, yesterday, today, and forever. The Holy Spirit bears witness about Jesus – proclaims over and over to you that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, that this is true, and that nothing in the world can change that fact.

And this is what the Apostles were sent to preach. The Holy Spirit works through the Word, and the Apostles were sent to proclaim the Word of God. And we who have been given the gift of faith by the Holy Spirit, we who have heard the Word – we too are given to proclaim it.

And this is important, something much more important than the question of why do bad things happen? Bad things happen because we are sinners in a sinful world. Don't give me that “why do bad things happen to good people” junk – sinners in a sinful world. You're not “good” - you're a forgiven sinner – you are declared good and righteous in Christ Jesus. And so the bigger, the more profound question isn't “why do these bad things happen” but why did God put you right here, right now, right smack dab in the middle of this badness right now?

When we see bad things, our sinful flesh likes to jump to the idea of punishment, but often that's just our sinful flesh thinking we can dig our way out of things. If I've been bad, maybe I can be good and work my way out of it. Well, I suppose diet and exercise might make me less likely to get sick but there's something more profound at work than Jesus just telling me to put down the junk food. Might be part of it – but only a small part. No – why are you here, right now, in the middle of all this badness?

Let's ponder the Apostles again for a moment. Next Sunday is Pentecost – and we will hear them preach, and it will be neat, and all that. And they get sent into some lousy places, full of badness and wickedness. Why? Not for their own good – but to do good for the people God put into their lives. To be God's instruments of love and compassion, of proclaiming the Gospel. God put them in the middle of the bad because that is where God needed His love proclaimed the most, His love shown the most, His care given forth the most.

Why are you here, now, in the middle of all this badness? To love. To forgive. To show mercy. Over and against and in the midst of all this sin and death surrounding us – you are sent by God to love and serve your neighbor, to care for their bodily needs, as well as to proclaim the peace of Christ Jesus, His forgiveness, and the hope of the resurrection in the midst of a world that desperately needs it. Because really – the world and its situation isn't any more bad now than it was last year at this time. The main difference is perhaps we see it a bit more clearly now. We see the panic, the fear, the danger, the isolation and loneliness all the more clearly. We see it in ourselves more – we feel it more clearly ourselves. And God in His wisdom and in His love for His creation that is being sorely abused by Satan and the powers of hell has forgiven you, and been merciful to you – and He has placed you right into the middle of the fray to be His own instrument of love and mercy and forgiveness to people who desperately need His love and mercy and forgiveness.

And some won't appreciate the love. And some won't want to hear the mercy or peace. And some will scoff at the forgiveness. So be it – Jesus told you that this would happen. Show the love anyway. Forgive people anyway – even if they don't deserve it, because no one deserves God's forgiveness. That's the point of it being forgiveness. Love and forgive each other – and in that way God will see that you yourself receive His love and forgiveness, His encouragement and strength. And God will bless you with the Holy Spirit to keep you and strengthen you in Christ Jesus for the love He would have you show, for the works that He has prepared for you to walk in, even until He chooses and knows that it is best to give you rest. You have received the love of Christ, and He sends you forth with that same love to cover the multitude of sins, of badness that we see unleashed upon this world – because your neighbors need that love just as much as you do.

So, do not fear the badness that you see. Do not be shaken by it. Do not be driven away from Christ Jesus by it. Rather – know it for what it is. It's Satan attacking the world, attacking the people for whom Jesus died for. And Jesus will not stand for that – and so here you are, and He is with you, to give you daily bread as you tend to the daily needs of your neighbors, to forgive you as you forgive those who trespass against you. And He will not lead you into a temptation that you cannot bear, and He will deliver you from evil. He has done so – for you are a baptized child of God, and nothing you see can change that. You need not flee wickedness – God destroys it through His love and forgiveness that He gives to you and through you. This is what Jesus' death and resurrection for you has accomplished. Amen. Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, alleluia.

Easter 6 Draft

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, alleluia!

Sinful human beings like control. We want to be in charge of things; we want things to be done our way. This is why these stay at home orders chafe so much. For almost two months I've been told I can't run up to Darien and sit down and have a nice, Lithuanian Lunch, or whatever other stupid whim of the moment that my mind fixiates on in the moment when I'm staring out my window. And on top of that, we certainly don't like being told what to do by others. Don't tell me I'm supposed to wear a mask in public – though really it's not that big of a deal and it's just a matter of being polite. See, I've got my mask on, I promise I won't cough on you (I can't wear one in service, you have a hard enough time hearing me as is). But this whole control mess – not having control, seeing places where others control you – we could even add in the times where you've been domineering over other people and tyrannical yourselves – this whole control mess epitomizes what sin is. We want control. And the fact that we don't have control angers and terrifies us.

And we can do stupid things to try to gain control back in our lives. We can jump through all sorts of justification hoops – whether it's conspiracy theories or I'm acting for the greater good, or they started it – sin is basically me wanting to control everything, me not wanting to let God be God, me not wanting to receive the days that the Lord my Maker gives unto me. We see a story about this in our Old Testament lesson. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Now think briefly on the Exodus – the children of Israel had seen the 10 plagues shatter Egypt, they crossed the Red Sea and saw with their own eyes God destroy the armies of Pharaoh, and they saw the Pillar of Fire, the Pillar of Cloud. They saw water from the Rock, and the worthless food was manna and quail! How can they complain like this – if you are left to die in the wilderness it is because you refused to believe the Lord when He said that He would lead you into the promised land! Why do you grumble so? Well, you see God, it's like this – I really want more variation in my diet. And so they grumble. Instead of seeing the miraculous care that they had received from God, they grumble.

Sound familiar? I can look at my pantry, my freezer, and I can loathe this worthless food because I want Lithuanian and I want to get a Kugelis – which is this wonderful potato dish... get the point? We really are no different, and although we like to do the whole “if I were there, I would have behaved better” - yeah, you probably wouldn't have. I probably would have been one of the idiots swallowed up by the earth in the rebellion of Korah – thank you Lord for saving me from my own stupidity. These days – well all days, but especially these days where we are frustrated are good days to remember the 1^st Article of the Creed, the 4^th petition of the Lord's Prayer. God still is your Creator, and He still takes care of you and preserves you. He still provides you daily bread, and He still protects you from harm and danger. God keeps on being God.

But I want to continue on in the Old Testament for a moment – let's push that a bit further. Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you.” Punishment and hardship comes, and they recognize that it comes from the Lord. Yes, God is letting these serpents run around and He is teaching us a lesson – again, understand why Pastor Brown doesn't like object lessons. And the people learn from it. They are driven to repentance.

Now, consider our days. Well a virus is less exciting and more tedious than fiery serpents, but how do we understand this? We are right to understand this as something which God in His wisdom and His Fatherly love has allowed, and even sent, to us to chastize us and to drive us away from our pride and unto repentance. I'm guessing in the extra time of reflection you've had these past two months you have seen things about yourself that you realize are not good. Excellent – you are being repented by God, and the mirror of the law is doing it's work. Our sin is revealed so we can repent it and fight against it.

However, there is a danger, and false move and shift that the American preachers are want to do in times of tragedy. The temptation is to want to name someone else's sin. God's unleashing this upon America because of... sin that I conveniently don't happen to like or engage in. A conservative type might want to say this is vengeance against abortion or homosexuality; I've seen a few liberals saying that this is punishment for our capitalistic greed. But those are all pinning the tail on some other donkey – that's really blaming other people. And that's an attempt to exert control – because if we just change what THEY do, then everything will be better. And then of course, there are the more extreme attempts at control – Pastor, what if you made a pole and stuck a bronze virus on it – okay, maybe not bronze but we could take a styrofoam ball and stick push pins in it and it would make a really need crafty model for a virus.... Not the point. It's not the time to blame, it's not the time to try to control things not given to you to control. It is a time to pause and ponder our own sin.

Moving forward to the Gospel lesson – it had turned dour in the Upper Room that Maundy Thursday evening, for after dinner Jesus had given this sad, confusing speech about scary things, how He's going away and we're going to have sorrow. And then, towards the end, He says, “In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you.” And Jesus has addressed the sorrow and the hardship that the disciples will face, the sorrow and hardship that we ourselves face, and He gives the solution. Pray. You, O Christian, have been given a fantastic gift, a wonderful access to God Almighty. When you pray, the Father has promised to hear you. You do not call upon His Name in vain when you pray, but rather He has promised to hear you. And Jesus has instructed you to pray - “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

And here's where we need to hold our sinful horses a moment. We are control junkies, we love control – and we hear “whatever you ask” and “ask and you will receive” and we hear this through the idea of control... whatever I want? Even the pony? I want to point out two things, the important things, that we forget. In My name, in Jesus' name – and for joy.

To pray in Jesus name is to pray with His authority – it is to pray confessing that Jesus is in control, not you. It is to pray in accordance with what Jesus has instructed us to pray – like what we pray for in the Lord's Prayer. And if we go outside of what Jesus has instructed, if we try to take control of the situation we we would want, well, that's bad. Consider this as an example – let's say I tell my son Victor, “Go tell your brother Ambrose to come inside.” If he tells Ambrose, “Dad said to come inside” - that's great. If he says, “Dad said to come inside and that you are supposed to clean my room” that's missing the point and bad. Likewise, when we pray in Jesus' Name, we pray what He has told us and instructed us to pray for – that's the range of the whatever we get. Prayer isn't something we use to control God – it's not witchcraft or sorcery – that's taking God's name in vain. Rather our Prayer throws us to God, places us back in Jesus' Word, reminds us that God is in control and that He is in control for you.

And we know this, because Jesus has said that He wishes our joy to be full. Joy doesn't come from me getting my way – if I get my way on one things, I'm still grumpy and unhappy because there's something else I'll want my way on. It's why you can't please a person who constantly complains and why if you're a complainer you're never happy. That's all about control, and there is no joy in our control. Where is there joy? There is joy in Christ Jesus for you. There is Joy in Jesus Christ saying to you, “see all this sin that is driving you into misery and despair – see all you wicked thoughts and stupid wants and perverse plans – see your wretched mistakes and grating grumblings and casual cruelties – see your shame and your guilt and your anger and your fear... well, I have taken that all away from you, and I have carried it to the Cross, and I have borne it all for you, and I have died and I have risen and you are forgiven. You are forgiven and you will rise to new and glorious and utterly enjoyable life – not because of what you do, but because of what I have done for you. And what I have done for you – well, it is finished. It's good. And in Me, you are good again.

That's what Joy is. Restore unto me the Joy of Thy Salvation. And that is what God will give you, that is where His gift of prayer will lead you. When you pray in Jesus' Name you are thrust back into your Baptism where that Name of Jesus was placed upon you, washing away your sin. When you pray in Jesus' Name, you are thrust back into the words and promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation that He has made to you. And Jesus' promise to you holds true. Even in hard times. No, you needn't take control. And yes, you may see your desire for control as the sin it is an repent of it. Jesus is in control, and He is in control for you, to redeem you. And this is true even today – hear again what He has said to you. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world. Amen. Christ has risen...

Easter 5 Draft

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, alleluia!

Sometimes our Lord will cut across our bravado. What's the old phrase – pride goeth before a fall? Our Lord has expressly told us that He will cut across our bravado, our false boldness, our bluster. Jesus Christ is the Truth – and tall tales and boasts are not of the truth. And so, part of what Jesus does that Maundy Thursday night is call the disciples' bluff a bit. Remember, they had been all bold and boisterous that evening – we'll never leave you Jesus. Peter had the whole “I'll never deny you” - oh really, well remember that boast Petey when you hear the Rooster crow, alright? These were the disciples, they were supposed to be in the know, in the inner circle – they could handle anything!

And Jesus takes them down a peg – gently, mind you. The Passion is terrifying for the disciples; Jesus gets them thinking so it's not quite as big a shock. Now I am going to Him who sent Me and none of you asks Me, “Where are You going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Getting taken down a peg hurts, even if you need to be taken down a peg. Being reminded of your weakness, of your need for God hurts – we see this clearly today in the rampant fear. And for the disciples it was extra scary – because if Jesus goes away, it's going to fall to them to take care of things. Daunting – you betcha that is! Oh well, disciples – adulting is hard. And their boasts and pride war with their fears and doubts – a mess I'm sure you're familiar with – and Jesus is talking about going away, this is bad, isn't it?

Nope. Not bad at all. In fact – Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. What's coming is better. What's coming, what the Church will look like in 20 years is better than it is now, disciples. It will be better for everyone when you're Apostles instead of disciples. And it's true – even now, even in the midsts of pandemics and all that jazz, it's better. We've got a leg up on what the disciples had when they were following Jesus. Why? Because we live in the post-Pentecost Church.

Right here Jesus points the disciples and us to Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit is poured out – the Helper, the Comforter, the Paraclete. That's a great word there – that word “Helper” is the Greek Word Paraclete. Right, so what's a Paraclete. Well, when you were in court on trial for a crmie your Paraclete was the person who sat along side you (para, like parallel) and called (cleted) out to you to tell you whatever it is you needed to know. It's your defense lawyer, the person who faces off against the Accuser – the Satan in Aramaic. And your Paraclete would speak to you all the things you would need. He'd calm you down if you were panicking, he'd explain what the Accuser is doing with all his tactics, he'd tell you how to counter them – and if you were going to go say something stupid to the judge he'd stop you. Useful fellow, a good paraclete.

Jesus here is describing what the Holy Spirit does for you. You have received the Holy Spirit. You are Baptized, washed with water and the Word and made a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are part of the same Christian and Apostolic Church with the same Spirit given at Pentecost. Jesus sends you His Spirit along with His Word, and whenever you hear the Word of Jesus, Jesus gives you the Holy Spirit at the same time – you don't need to try to find the Holy Spirit or Catch Him – He is with you and He is with the Word.

And what does the Holy Spirit do? Well, glad you asked – And when He comes He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. When the Spirit comes He's going to lawyer on up and take the case square on, and He's going to have His fancy and fine lawyer talk and take it to the world – and He's going to smack the world around over three things – sin and righteousness and judgment. First - Concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me. The Holy Spirit will show sin to be sin. In fact, you can't really know sin to be sin apart from the Holy Spirit and believing in Jesus. Most other cultures, they don't really have the idea of sin. People might make mistakes – but most of the time they deny that fact. Or people might have bad habits – but those get swept under the rug. But the idea of sin – the idea I am corrupt and that I fight against my creator and that every action I take is tainted and twisted – that even I, Eric Brown, as I stand here in the Church and preach, am a poor miserable sinner – in thought, word, and deed – corrupted and vile and deserving of death? Or that you, the folks listening, hearing – that you yourselves are sinners to, and that even believing in Jesus you'll need to confess, that every week in service we'll rightfully start confessing our sins? That makes no sense to the world. That makes no sense to us apart from the Holy Spirit giving us faith in Jesus. In fact, the only reason we could bear to consider the weight of our sin is because we have been given to know Jesus, that He takes our sin up upon the Cross and Crucifies it. And that's what the Holy Spirit reminds you of via the Word of God, and that's what we proclaim to the world.

Second – Concerning Righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no longer. The Spirit will proclaim Christ Crucified. Okay, Christ Crucified, Risen, and Ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father – Christ Crucified. Because that is what righteousness is. The world thinks that to be righteous is to be nice, a decent fellow. But in reality the world doesn't know what righteousness is. What proof? Go get into a debate with someone about how we should handle governmental policy concerning Covid. What's the “right” thing to do – oh, you'll hear so many theories about what the right thing to do is. Even we here might toss our own two cents, our own two worthless cents into the discussion. No, you want to know what righteousness is? While you were yet a sinner, Christ Jesus died for you. He takes up the weight of your sin, and in its place He gives you all that He is – for He is righteous, no one is good but God alone, and Jesus Christ, true God gives you all that He is, and you are made righteous, justified in Him. Righteousness has nothing to do with what you do or your thoughts or plans – righteousness is Jesus for you. And the Holy Spirit will proclaim Christ Jesus for you in a world that often forgets or ignores Jesus.

And the third – Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Oh, and just in case you get freaked out by what you see in the world, just in case the sin and death and chaos and illness and bicker that Satan has wound up gets you a bit concerned, the Holy Spirit will proclaim again and again that Satan has been defeated by Christ the Crucified, that Jesus has risen and you will rise and that there's not a thing that Satan can do to stop your resurrection. Jesus wins. Period. This world's prince may still scowl fierce as he will. He can harm us none! He's judged, the deed is done! We can forget that sometimes. Sometimes we get overwhelmed. The Holy Spirit doesn't. And so in His Church the Spirit will proclaim the Victory of Christ by Christ Jesus' own Word of Truth, and He will keep you in this victory and truth. That's what the Spirit does.

And this is the life of the Church. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. The disciples couldn't get everything right at that moment. And to be honest, we don't get everything at all moments. There are some things about the Christian faith I understand better now than I did years ago, and there are some things about the faith that I understood better as a Second Grader. That's life. And that doesn't surprise Jesus. In fact, that's why He sends the Spirit – because the Spirit will continually guide us into Truth, to Jesus – the Spirit will make you see Jesus for you in all the ways that you need to see Jesus for you on the given day you're in. He's got it under control, and He has it under control for you. And the Spirit will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. The Spirit will over again over proclaim what is coming – not what Tuesday's powerball number is going to be or when I can go to a game at Wrigley again (I'd even be happy getting up to Comiskey or whatever they call it these days again). The Spirit will proclaim to you Christ's Victory and the truth that He shall come again. And everything God knows you need to hear about Jesus until then, the Holy Spirit has got that in the bag. The Spirit will give you Jesus – He will glorify me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit will Gospel you, He will pour out the good news of Christ Jesus' salvation – so that whatever else is going on, you know, you hear that you have Jesus. That you are forgiven, redeemed, and bound for eternal life. That every good blessing of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is yours.

And that's true today. Still is. Because the Holy Spirit is still with you now, in the Word of Christ Jesus. God has comforted you, He has given you the Comforter, the Spirit – so that even now and in all your days, you know that Christ Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and that you have forgiveness and life in His Name. And this is a free gift of God, with no boasting needed. So, let the Lord cut across your bravado – He gives you something better. He gives you the Spirit, who proclaims always that Christ is Risen....