But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Dear Friends in Christ, and fellow redeemed:

Energy conservation is all the rage in our world today. As we come to realize more and more that most of our means of producing and using energy are directly related to the rise of carbon emissions, we see the need to become more efficient in the use of power. Some of the ways of reducing our energy footprint are relatively simple: the use of compact florescent lights can have a major impact on our energy consumption. Turning off lights when we are not in a room can also help. But that isn't enough. We need to find ways of improving gas mileage in our vehicles. We want more efficient furnaces and air conditioners and refrigerators. We need to look at truly renewable and environmentally friendly ways of producing energy, such as wind and solar power. If we don't become better stewards of the world that God has created for us, we are either going to find that we will run out of the resources we use so callously–or we are going to find that we have damaged our environment beyond repair.

I wonder if we truly realize how much we rely on some form of power to maintain our lifestyle. It has been said that the industrial revolution was fuelled (pun intended) by the relatively cheap and available sources of power. Today's economic development still depends on that affordable and accessible power–whether that power comes from hydro electricity, fossil fuels, or wind or solar energy. Think of the sources of power you have used this morning: you used the power of an automobile engine to bring you to church. Even before that, you needed to power the lights that helped you see to comb your hair. You probably used energy to prepare your breakfast–or you relied on energy to keep the milk cold that you put on your cereal. We need electrical power for the lights that brighten our homes, or the stove or microwave that cooks our food. We need power for our furnaces and our air-conditioners. We need power for our computers, our portable phones, and the remote for the television. And yet, we tend to take that power for granted until a power failure leaves us stranded in the dark, or dead batteries leave us vainly trying to change the channel on the tv. Where would we be without the various kinds of power that are so much a part of our world?

For us, a more important question today is, "where would the church be, and where would our congregation be, without the power that God has given to us?" Our predicament would be far worse that simply being stranded because we were out of gas. It would be worse than having to cook over a wood fire because the stove doesn't work. Without the power that comes from above, there would be no hope for us or for the people of our world. We would be as dead and useless as a smoke detector without batteries, or an electric fan without electricity.

There are those in our world today who think the church is an empty, powerless entity that has nothing to offer the people of our day and age. But, contrary to the belief of such people, we gather together to celebrate the fact that the church is not powerless, but power-full, filled with all the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. As Jesus ascended into heaven, He left His church with a promise: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And on this Pentecost Sunday, we once again remember with joy that Jesus kept His promise in giving us that Spirit who is poured out so abundantly. Moreover, we rejoice that we who are sent to be His witnesses are given His Word of power in the gospel, which is the very power of salvation. This is the only power that really can change our world.

If Mothers' Day gives us an opportunity to thank our mothers for the blessings they bring to our lives, then surely we realize that Pentecost is a time to thank God that the church of God is a church full of power through the Holy Spirit. We see the power of the Spirit at work in the ministry of the apostles. We are told, And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 4:33 - ESV) In the same way, we see the evidence of the Spirit's power in the church through the special gifts that He bestows upon the people of God. These special manifestations of His power in our lives equip us with the special gifts and talents that enable us to work together as one body in Christ, giving us the power to do great things for the Lord. We could look at the Old Testament examples of the Spirit bringing power to His people, such as Sampson, who was able to do those super-human acts as the Spirit came upon Him mightily. Or we could look at the artisans who were able to create the tabernacle and all the wonderful furnishings that went into it through the power of the Spirit at work in them. It is good for us to be reminded again and again that God is at work in us; He does bless us with the wonderful gifts of the Spirit who does exactly what Jesus said He would do: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

And truly, we do need that Spirit's power, for we are powerless without it–and I do mean powerless. We are not merely weak, or failing in strength, or unable to do all that we could do. We are spiritually dead, worse than batteries that have lost their power; worse than cars which have run out of gas. We may be alive in the sense that we have a physical existence in this world. But we are powerless to change or avert the terrible future that awaits us because of our sinfulness.

Yet, thanks be to God! The good news is that the Spirit of power is at work in us! That power is made known in the faith and life we have by the Spirit. As Luther reminds us in the explanation of the third article of the creed: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. (SC, Third Article) The Spirit of Grace and truth has come to us; He has opened our sinful hearts and minds so that, even as we feel the burden of our sin, we can know and experience the power of the gospel–that good news that declares to us all that Jesus, our Saviour has done for us. The Spirit works in our hearts to convict us of sin, so that we can indeed confess: Oh, Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor miserable sinner, confess to You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You, and justly deserve Your temporal and eternal punishment. But the greatest blessing is when the Spirit makes known to us that wonderful, powerful, soothing message of forgiveness and life through the cross of Jesus Christ. He declares to us that Jesus Christ came into this world to live in perfect obedience to the holy law of God, and then to offer His holy life as a sacrifice of atonement for us. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, and then conquered death and the grave in His glorious resurrection so that we might have forgiveness of all our sins and life in His name. And that is the gospel that the Spirit brings to us. He works in us so that the words of John 3:16 are not just words, but they are our assurance of life and salvation: God does so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

In our day and age, we may talk about the benefits of solar power and wind power as the only hope for an energy hungry world. Or we may be impressed with the potential of nuclear power to change our world—or destroy it. But no matter how many kilowatts or megawatts of power we can produce, there is no other power in all the world that can do what the gospel can do. That is why St. Paul says: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16 - ESV) It is this gospel, this good news of salvation in Jesus Christ that gives the church of God all the power it needs to change the world. It is the only power that truly can make a difference in the world. What else is there that has the power to bring hope in the midst of the greatest despair? What else has the power to turn death to life or to bring forgiveness to the worst of sinners? People may want to trust in their own good works or in medical science to save them. They may trust in man's own ability to overcome the evils and perils of this worldly existence. But sooner or later all these things lose their power to help us. Only the gospel, that good news of all that God has done, is doing, and will continue to do for our salvation actually has the power to do what we need. Only the gospel can save.

And that is the power which the Holy Spirit brings to His church. In our Scripture preaching and teaching, that power of the gospel is unleashed. Where God's Word is, there the Spirit is at work to bring life and salvation to dying, condemned sinners. It is in the sacraments, in Baptism and Holy Communion, that God the Holy Spirit works that we might receive the blessings and benefits of a Saviour who washes away our sins, or who gives us His very body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And this is the power that the apostles received. I found about 60 references in the book of Acts to the Holy Spirit at work in the ministry of the apostles. On Pentecost, Peter preaches the gospel, and as the Spirit worked in the gospel, 3,000 people believe and are saved. And we hear several times that, through the preaching of the gospel, the church continued to grow. But it wasn't just the growth of the church. The Spirit at work in the Word made a difference in the lives of the people who were touched by its power. It brought hope and peace and joy. It gave people a reason for living, and direction for their lives. And, best of all, the gospel saves, assuring us of eternal life through the ever-living Lord Jesus Christ.

On this Pentecost Sunday, we want to remember that the Holy Spirit still calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church through the gospel. He empowers His church so that we can use the Word of the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation to everyone who believes. And since our power comes from the Spirit, there is no energy shortage, no crisis, no concern about the power–as long as we are seeking God's help and strength. If anything, we need to unleash that power for the sake of the world. Remember that Jesus said: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses. We aren't given this power for our own sake. In fact, Paul reminds us: To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7 - ESV) The church unleashes the power that the Spirit gives us when every part of the body of Christ uses the gifts that God bestows through the Spirit. We use that power as we go boldly and confidently to the world, sharing the Gospel that people need so much. In a world filled with violence, selfishness, greed, hatred, and all those other things that suck the energy out of our lives, we need the comfort of the Gospel. In the darkness and uncertainty of life, we need the light and life that the Spirit brings. We have the power! God grant that we may 'use' it in joy, to the glory of His holy name! Amen.