Dear Christian friends:

Today is Pentecost Sunday, and the whole Christian Church remembers and celebrates because on that day Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to His disciples as He had promised. The Hymns, Epistle and Gospel have told of the Holy Spirit's coming and about the wonderful blessings He brings for God's people.

Without the Holy Spirit the Church is dead, no spiritual life, and you are also dead if you don't have the Holy Spirit. Yes, you walk-around and do, and eat and drink and play, but God says you are dead if His Spirit does not live and rule in your heart.

Do you have God's life in you? In your heart? Are you alive and awake to God or are you sleeping and dead?


That question we want to consider and answer today. The Holy Spirit came to the disciples first as Jesus had promised. (Retell the wonderful event)

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They were changed men. They were mature and had love for their enemies and all people. There were surprising gifts of language.

Has the Holy Spirit come to you? Have you heard a strong blowing wind? Have cloven tongues of fire appeared on your head? Can you speak new and strange languages? No!

Maybe you think, "nothing wonderful like that has happened to me. I do not yet have the Holy Spirit." Don't worry! Jesus has not promised to send the Holy Spirit to us in that wonderful way. He did that only once for the twelve disciples. That was an extra special pouring-out of the Holy Spirit.

Well, how does the Holy Spirit come to us today? By God's Word and the Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Before He ascended into heaven Jesus prayed for His Church to the heavenly Father. He prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17) "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." (Romans 10:17)

Have you been baptized? Do you hear God's Word regularly in Church? Do you come often to the Lord's Supper? If you answered, yes to those questions you should have the Holy Spirit living and ruling in your heart. True, some people hear God's Word and it goes in one ear and out the other. I hope that is not true about you. I hope that you hear God's Word and keep it in your heart, so His Spirit can make you alive and live and rule in you.

If you hear His Word and keep it you will be a new person, not like before or like others in the world who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

After the Holy Spirit came to the twelve disciples we read that they were changed men, new men. Before they were afraid and shy to tell others of Jesus. Now they boldly preached His Word and risked their lives to tell of their Savior. Also they now showed love for their enemies and strong love for one another and love for God and receive pleasure and joy in doing His Work.

Are you a new person? Do you have joy and hope in Jesus, your Savior? Do you find pleasure in serving Him and doing His work, or do you think that is a bore? Dull? Are you sorry and sad when you fail to do His will? Maybe you don't care.

Has the Holy Spirit come to you? If He hasn't, now is the time to awake from sleep and arise from spiritual death. "Now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) Don't make hard your hearts and resist the Holy Spirit. He is speaking to you and beseeching you to hear and believe and live for God. Hear His voice.

Has the Holy Spirit come to you? If He has come to you, thank God and hear His pleading more and more, so you can continue to improve and have more and stronger faith, have more hope and joy in Jesus and receive pleasure in doing God's Work. Continue to pray, praise and worship.

Holy Spirit, hear us
On this sacred day;
Come to us with blessing,
Come with us to stay.

Lighten Thou our darkness,
Be Thyself our Light;
Strengthen Thou our weakness,
Spirit of all might.
(Holy Spirit, Hear Us, hymn)

Amen.