2 Timothy 1:8-14 John 3:1-21 February 5, 2017 Pastor Dave Bolte

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "2 Timothy 1:8-14 John 3:1-21 February 5, 2017 Pastor Dave Bolte"

Naomi Hodges
5 years ago
Views:

1 2 Timothy 1:8-14 John 3:1-21 February 5, 2017 Pastor Dave Bolte In a study 1 of self-identified Christians last Fall, this was one of the true/false questions: The Holy Spirit is a force, not a personal being. How would you answer that --- True, False, or Not sure? In the study, an amazing 56% said true! 56% of Christians in the study believe the Holy Spirit is only a force and not a person of the Holy Trinity! If that was not bad enough, it gets worse. Another 17% answered not sure! That means 73% of the Christians who answered that survey are so Biblically ILliterate and doctrinally UNsound that they do not even know who God is!! I sure hope you would have answered it correctly! The Holy Spirit is NOT a force! The answer is false! The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit is God. The Bible gives the Holy Spirit divine names, divine works and attributes, and divine glory and honor. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity! In the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son, but yet, there remains only One, True, and Holy God. 1 Evangelicals' Favorite Heresies Revisited by Researchers, September, 2016, found online at: 1

2 The Holy Spirit is worshipped and glorified in the same way we worship and glorify the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is almighty, majestic, eternal, uncreated, and incomprehensible just like the Father and the Son. All these things tells us that the Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is not simply a force, or the love of God or a symbol of His power! The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity! In the Nicene Creed we confess: [We] believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; Who spoke through the Prophets. NICENE CREED In the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son, but yet, there remains only One, True, and Holy God. One of the main works of the Holy Spirit is to create faith in your heart, so that you can believe in Jesus as your Savior. 1 Corinthians 12:3: No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit creates faith within you: by His power, you know and believe that Jesus is the Savior, and that His life, death, and resurrection earned your eternal salvation. In Christ, you are forgiven, and reconciled to God! Jesus describes faith as being born again. The Holy Spirit works through the water of Holy Baptism to create faith. 2

3 Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. John 3:5-6 The Spirit gives birth to spirit is the Holy Spirit giving your spirit new life; you are born again as the Holy Spirit works through the water of Holy Baptism. This time you are not born into sin, but you are born into righteousness, holiness and the Kingdom fo God! The Holy Spirit works through the water of Holy Baptism to create faith. We confess the work of the Holy Spirit like this in the Small Catechism: I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called my by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctifies and keeps me in the one true faith. [Explanation of the 3rd Article of the Apostle's Creed, 1991 SC page 144] God the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to create and strengthen faith in your heart. That is why Worship, the Sacraments, and Bible Study are so important to us as Lutheran Christians. Worship, the Sacraments, and Bible Study are all focused on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit works through His Word to nurture, strengthen, and fortify your faith! And as the Holy Spirit works through Worship, the Sacraments, and Bible Study, He is at work to sanctify you. Sanctification is a biblical word that means to make you holy. It has the idea that you have been set apart for a special purpose. God the 3

Holy Spirit sets you apart from the sinful world, created faith in your heart, and teaches you how to live in the Kingdom of God. for a minute and make sure you understand what this means.

4 Holy Spirit sets you apart from the sinful world, created faith in your heart, and teaches you how to live in the Kingdom of God. for a minute and make sure you understand what this means. The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, works in you personally, individually through the Word of God. You yourself have been set apart; you yourself have been born again with water and the Spirit, you yourself have been give eternal life, you yourself do not belong to the sinful world any longer; you yourself now belong to God and you yourself now live in His Kingdom! The Holy Spirit works in you personally, individually through the Word of God. One of the ways that the Bible teaches this to us is by revealing that the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within you. The Holy Spirit is so much a part of you that the Bible calls your body a temple. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Cor 6:19-20 Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit! A Temple is a place where God lives and dwells. God the Holy Spirit lives and dwells in you! The Holy Spirit has worked through the Word of God to sanctify you: you have been set apart and given faith; you now belong to God and you now live in His Kingdom! This is what it means that you have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit! 4

5 The things you do and the things you say are holy. What you do with your body is important. Your whole life is now lived out in the presence of God Who lives within you! That influences what you do with and how you treat your body; It impacts how you speak and what you say It effects all your interactions and relationships with other people It directs how you live your life and the things that you do The Lord has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 God has done that for you! The Lord has saved you and called you to a holy life! The Holy Spirit works through Worship, the Sacraments, and Bible Study, to make you holy --- to sanctify you. The Holy Spirit, the Third person of the Holy Trinity, lives in you and is at work through you! Amen! 5

6 Invocation P: C: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen! P: C: P: C: P: C: P: C: Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord! Be all Thy graces now out poured On each believer's mind and heart; Thy fervent love to them impart. Lord, by the brightness of Thy light, Thou in the faith dost men unite Of every land and every tongue; This to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!" by Martin Luther, The Lutheran Hymnal, #224.1 Collect Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, we pray that you will work through your Holy Word to sanctify our lives so that we may glorify our Father in Heaven and obey our Lord Jesus Christ, it s in His Name that we pray to you, Amen! 6

7 Confession/Absolution P: Holy Spirit C: Lord and Giver of Life, you have sanctified me by your Word, but my life does not reflect that. I have sinned against you and against others. My words, thoughts and actions are not holy nor just, but sinful and selfish. Please hear my prayer of confession. S I L E N C E F O R M E D I T A T I O N P: The Holy Spirit is the Lord and Giver of Life Who forgives sin! As a called and ordained servant of the Word, and by the Holy Spirit s authority, I announce to you that all of your sins are forgiven in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! C: Amen! 730 prayer FIRST PARAGRAPH Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, we thank you that you sanctify us through Your Holy Word. Enpower us to glorify our Father in Heaven, and obey our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to know and understand that our bodies are Your Temple, and to live our lives accordingly. Give us the realization that our entire lives are holy! 7

8 The Holy Spirit works through Worship, the Sacraments, and Bible Study to sanctify you. It means that you have been set apart for a special purpose. God the Holy Spirit sets you apart from the sinful world, created faith in your heart, and teaches you how to live in the Kingdom of God. 1. TRUE, FALSE, or NOT SURE: The Holy Spirit is a force, not a personal being. (Your answer: ) 2. The Holy Spirit is the of the Holy Trinity. 3. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; Who spoke through the Prophets. Creed Nicene 4. Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of and the. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. John 3: I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called my by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctifies and keeps me in the one true faith. Explanation of the 3rd Article of the Apostle's Creed, 1991 Small Catechism, page is a biblical word that means to make you holy. 7. Do you not know that your body is a of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6: Your is now holy. 9. The Lord has saved us and called us to a not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 10. The Holy Spirit works through, the, and, to make you holy --- to sanctify you. 8

9 2 Timothy 1:8-14 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. John 3:1-21 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. 3 Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 4 How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked. Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother s womb to be born! 5 Jesus answered, Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. 9 How can this be? Nicodemus asked. 10 You are Israel s teacher, said Jesus, and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. 9

10 BIBLE VERSE WORD SEARCH J Q N L Q C D S K C Y S A H H H U O E H L S E N E A L J Z T D R N R S E B I L J E N O L I D O I U H P U F H L Z P N H W D S S S C S T I I U A Q S O O T E H V I O N T O W N C F R T J U N I P G T C J G N H A E G D H P E M U N N D C T D I A X E M O C T B M A A G M Q T S V V V P F F H N S N N W D H O B T I R I P S G E G I F T S N T B X G E F J R I A H J P P H D V D U A B T B E L I E V E L N P R Z L S V F I F N H K B K A T T G H W L K G U K E K U T Y I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called my by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctifies and keeps me in the one true faith. [Explanation of the 3rd Article of the Apostle's Creed, 1991 SC page 144] (One letter words are not used, and if a word is used in the verse more than once, it is only in the puzzle one time. Words may be down, across, backward or diagonal and some words may overlap one another. 10

11 This logo takes many elements from Luther s seal, which is the most easily recognized symbol for Lutheranism. It was common in Luther s day for people to create a seal or coat of arms for their families, and that seal told the world what the family cared about or did for a living. It s no surprise, then, that Luther s seal was all about Jesus! At the center of Luther s seal, and at the center of the Reformation 2017 logo, is a red heart in the middle of a white rose. (The heart and rose together are commonly referred to as Luther s rose.) As Luther explained in one of his writings, The heart in the middle of white rose shows that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. It immediately sets [the believer] into the midst of a white, joyful rose, not like the peace and joy the world offers. That is why the rose should be white, not red. White is the color of the spirits and all angels. At the center of that rose is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Jesus is the center and Rock of our faith. He has been since He came to Earth in the flesh, and He still is today. The word still bears witness to the ever and ongoing relevance of this one, saving truth for sinners. 11

JOHN 3: the kingdom of God unless they are born again." 1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named

JOHN 3: the kingdom of God unless they are born again. 1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named 1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For