A sermon for the Day of Pentecost, by Fr. Dan Suelzle
The power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost turned a group of uneducated disciples into courageous preachers who proclaimed the mighty works of God in Christ. Just as the Spirit transformed Peter from a man who denied Christ into a bold witness of the resurrection, God continues to perform his works wherever His Word is proclaimed. This divine power is not a vague energy we tap into for a quick boost; rather, it is a concrete, life-giving force that meets us in our absolute helplessness. Like a physician administering CPR, the Holy Spirit raises us from spiritual death to life through the Gospel, initiating a saving faith that we could never achieve on our own strength or reason.
As baptized believers navigating a broken world, we continually need the Spirit’s ongoing work as our helper, comforter, and teacher. In the midst of our daily struggles against sin, temptation, and a culture that rejects the truth, the Holy Spirit actively silences the devil’s accusations by pointing us back to the cross and unburdening our consciences through forgiveness. He does not deliver this teaching through isolated, individual experiences, but through the tangible gifts of Word and Sacrament within the gathering of the Church. By anchoring us to Christ’s truth, the Holy Spirit grants us a divine, lasting peace, ensuring that the same miraculous work that began at Pentecost continues to sustain and keep us in the one true faith today.
Listen to the sermon audio below.
All Saints Lutheran Church and School 