Sermon for Pentecost Eve, at Zion Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL

Rev. Dr. Edward Naumann

At Pentecost we remember how the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, as they were waiting in Jerusalem, and how by His power, they proclaimed the Word of God boldly in the name of Jesus, with the result that three thousand that day were converted to faith, and repenting of their sins, they were baptized. Thus we celebrate what is often called the birthday of the Church.

This event, at which our Lord Jesus sent from Heaven - and baptized his disciples with the Holy Spirit, was something that not only Jesus, but also John the Baptist, and indeed the prophet Joel also most famously prophesied about beforehand. It is, after all, a key moment in the divine economy of our salvation, when the Gospel (the power of salvation for all who believe) was at last published, for the entire world to hear.

In the Gospel of John, we also hear how Jesus spoke about this, which would come to pass, as he comforted his disciples, telling them what would happen after his Ascension to Heaven. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— “

It is Jesus’ unity with the Holy Spirit, just as he is One with the Father, that enables Him to say likewise, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” 

It is also fitting, however, that we associate the presence of God in the Church, (which is made manifest by the sending of the Holy Spirit), with the mission that Jesus gave to his disciples.  God’s presence and His command go together. The difficulty of proclaiming the Gospel, the persecutions, trials and sufferings that inevitably go together with the office of public ministry, go together with the comfort of Christ’s presence. Thus Jesus added to his command, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you;” the comforting words, “And Lo I am with you, even to the end of the age.”

This passage from Matthew 28 is indeed usually quoted at mission festivals, to remind the faithful of the necessity of engaging in and supporting mission work. Similarly that passage is usually quoted from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (10:14-15): “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Indeed I myself have quoted this passage many times, since it is a word from God that so effectively instructs us of the need to do what is undoubtedly pleasing to God, which is to send preachers and teachers, even to foreign lands, to proclaim the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16), in accordance with Christ’s command, which indeed, far from being a superfluous matter, it would be perilous for the Church to neglect!

But our Lord has more to say about proclaiming the Gospel to the whole world - Words we too often neglect, about how we should go about proclaiming the good news of His salvation. And how we should NOT go about His mission.

Consider, for example, Jesus words to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:15, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

Here our Lord makes a statement about overseas missions, but in the negative, much like his statements about how NOT to pray, how NOT to fast, and how NOT to give alms. So there is a right way to do mission work, and certainly also a wrong way.

Jesus rightly criticized the Pharisees for being hypocrites, for not practicing what they preached, for honoring God with their lips, while their hearts were far from Him; for placing their own policies and decrees above the will of God, teaching the ordinances of men as if they were the Laws of God; all the while neglecting the more important things: justice, mercy and faith. We would do well to take heed to Jesus’ admonitions, lest we find ourselves joined with those Pharisees in divine condemnation, rather than praise.

Likewise just as we are not supposed to pray on the street corners, to our own glorification, nor fast with a grimace on our faces, so they everyone knows we’re fasting, to our own honour, nor give alms so that everyone can see our generosity and praise us; so with mission work. We are supposed to be sharing the Gospel out of love for our neighbor, and out of good will toward all men, not for the sake of the worldly glory. And our deeds, when they are known—when men see the good works that we do—are not supposed to glorify us; rather, our Father in heaven, his Son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit, without whom we, of our own strength and effort, would never be the salt of the earth, a city on a hill, or the light of the world. To the contrary, if it were not for God who has had mercy on us, we would still be sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.

When we give all glory to God for the work that He does in overseas missions, we should recognize that this is not some kind of false humility. He IS the one who causes the seed that is planted to grow.

No one comes to believe in Jesus unless the Father draws Him. Without Jesus Christ, without being grafted into Him, we could do nothing. Without being born again from above, and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we ourselves could have no faith; nor can anyone preach unless God gives him a voice, or walk unless God grants him feet.

In short, we confess we have nothing to boast about for ourselves, because we possess nothing that we have not received as a free gift from God. And even if any of us has labored faithfully… There too, he may say only that he has done his duty.

When there is cause to rejoice, therefore, as often there is, when we take great efforts, even traveling over land and sea for the conversion of a single person; and when someone does receive the Word of God and believe the Gospel; we rejoice, certainly, but not to our own glory, but with the company of heaven over the repentance and salvation of a sinner; we rejoice because someone who was like us, a sinner, gets to receive the inheritance God has laid up in store for all who believe. 

Thus we must take up this task, this duty and calling to make disciples for Jesus Christ, not with pride and arrogance, but with meekness and humility; not lording it over those entrusted to our care, but becoming all things to all men, that we might by all means save some; and becoming servants to all, that we might win more. This we must do in remembrance that His is the vineyard; we are the workers. He is the Chief Shepherd, we his servants. If any man is a pastor, His is the flock. If any man is a teacher, His is the teaching; if any man is a voice; HE is the Word.

For that which is begotten of the flesh is flesh; but that which is begotten of the Spirit is Spirit. May we therefore at all times and in all places give all glory, laud and honor to God alone, and with the company of Heaven pour out our unceasing adoration:

“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.” (Rev. 15:3-4)