[Sunday] Gathered Christ, Most Certainly True

The Holy Spirit uses ordinary community to do what "reason and strength" never could.

• Sermon Summery (Click to See)

  Introduction: The Third Article of the Creed

  The sermon continues the series "Most Certainly True," an exploration of the Apostles' Creed. Martin Luther described the creed as a tool that teaches us what God is like. The creed is structured into three articles:

  • Article 1: God the Father, the Creator

  • Article 2: God the Son, the Redeemer

  • Article 3: God the Spirit, the Sanctifier (to make holy)

  The pastor emphasizes the tangible nature of God's work. Just as creation and the life of Jesus were physical and real, the works of the Holy Spirit are also tangible actions in our lives.

  The Work of the Holy Spirit

  The third article of the creed states:

  "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting."

  • Clarification: These are not just a random list of beliefs. They are the actions and creations of the Holy Spirit.

  • Historical Context: The phrase "Holy Christian Church" was originally "Holy Catholic Church." "Catholic" simply means "universal." The change reflects a modern-day discomfort with the word "universal," but the meaning remains: the Spirit is at work in the one, universal church.

  Explanation from the Small Catechism

  Luther's explanation of the third article in the Small Catechism provides the core theological point for the sermon:

  "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. In the same way He calls, gathers, Enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ... In this Christian church, He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers..."

  • Key Point: We cannot come to faith on our own. It is not an intellectual exercise or an act of willpower. Our ability to grasp and hold onto faith is a gift that comes entirely from the Holy Spirit.

  Who is God and How Does He Respond?

  • God the Spirit Initiates Faith: The story of Nicodemus from the Gospel of John illustrates this principle. Nicodemus, a learned Pharisee, came to Jesus at night, unable to comprehend being "born again." Jesus explains that this new birth is a work of the Spirit. This conversation culminates in John 3:16: "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."Our belief is not something we generate; it is a response enabled by the Spirit.

  • The Spirit Works Through Community: Faith is not a solitary "me and Jesus" affair, which is a reflection of American rugged individualism. It is about "we." The Spirit gathers us into one body.

    • Scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6 - "There is one body, one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

    • Luther's Explanation: The creed describes a "holy little flock or a community... called together by the Holy Spirit into one faith, one mind, one understanding... united in love without sect or schism." The Spirit is what draws us together, not our ability to agree on everything.

    • Example (Pastor's Vicarage): A young man attended church faithfully with his wife but did not take communion because he couldn't bring himself to believe. He wanted to believe but honestly could not. Through his continued presence within the church community—hearing the preaching and experiencing the genuine love of the people—the Spirit worked. Years later, he was baptized, demonstrating that faith was nurtured and given to him through the community.

    • Example (Haiti Pastors' Conference): The pastor was amazed at the deep theological understanding and connections made by Haitian pastors, many of whom came from remote and impoverished areas. This showed him how the Spirit powerfully upholds and sustains the church, ensuring the truth of the Gospel is present and understood even in the most difficult circumstances.

  • The Spirit Equips the Church for Service:

    • Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13 - Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers "to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature..." The Spirit works through people and their various roles to build up the entire community.

  • The Central Focus is Forgiveness:

    • Luther's Quote: "All the functions of the Christian community focus on the forgiveness of sins." This is the core of our community life and the central action of the Spirit within the church.

    • Example (Pastor's friend, Chad): Chad, now the head of the American division of Lutheran Hour Ministries, grew up as an agnostic. He began playing drums at a church simply because it was a paid gig. However, by being immersed in the community, he repeatedly heard the Gospel and, more importantly, experienced the genuine love of the people. They called him when he was sick and made him feel cared for. The Spirit worked through this community to bring him to faith. Chad's book, How the Light Shines Through, argues that even in a post-Christian culture, the Spirit provides glimmers of light and hope through the church community.

  Who Am I and How Am I to Live?

  • I Am Part of a "Y'all": I cannot come to faith by my own reason or strength. My identity is not as an isolated believer, but as part of the body of Christ. The "you" in the Bible is most often a plural "you" (or "y'all"). The Spirit works through the collective "us."

  • I Am Called to Participate in the Community: The Spirit works through all aspects of church life, both sacred and mundane:

    • Listening to sermons

    • Coffee and fellowship

    • Baptism (normal water) and Communion (normal bread and wine)

    • Service projects (packing bags for the homeless)

    • Fellowship events (Bunko, St. Patrick's Day parties)

    • Administrative meetings (finances, parking lot repairs)

    • Late-night phone calls of support

  • I Am to Be Present for Others: We are called to "come to things." By being present, we are positioned to both receive what we need to hear and to be the person someone else needs to hear from. The community will be messy because it is full of sinners, but it is precisely in this community that we experience the forgiveness of Jesus and learn to forgive one another. As the Spirit works through "y'all," we are all made more like Him.

  Closing Prayer

  Lord, thank You for being with us and bringing us through. When we feel outside of Your grace, You use the community and Your Spirit to hold us together and remind us that our sins are forgiven. Help us to grab a hold of this truth. Amen.

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Questions for the Week: Most Certainly True: Gathered Christ

1. Luther says in the Small Catechism we can't believe in Jesus by our own "reason or strength." How does it feel to know that your faith is a gift from the Spirit rather than something you have to maintain perfectly on your own?

2. Who is someone in your life who "belongs" to your community (friend group, neighborhood, family) but doesn't yet "believe"? How can you love them without pressure, trusting the Spirit is working?

3. Read Ephesians 4:1-16. There is "one body and one Spirit." We often view faith as a private matter ("just me and Jesus"). What is the benefit in Spirit gathering us together as the Church as opposed to just saving us individually? 

4. Ephesians 4 says we are all given gifts to build each other up. What is one way you feel the Holy Spirit has equipped you to help or encourage the "holy little flock" we belong to?

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What Had happened at Grace this week.