Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian church, the day we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and all who heard them that day in Jerusalem.  Pentecost was originally the Jewish Festival of Weeks, so named because it was seven weeks -- 50 days -- after the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

          More significantly, it was also the beginning of the festival of "Firstfruits", the time when faithful people would bring to the Temple the first harvesting of their crops as a thankoffering to God.  Everyone who raised grain or animals was to bring an offering to the Temple during Pentecost and the week that followed, so people there from all over the Roman Empire had gathered in Jerusalem.  It's another example of God's perfect timing!

          Firstfruits was the Old Testament practice of giving back to God the first portion of what He had given them.  Firstfruits was and still is a show of faith.  If people were willing to give God the first of all they had, it showed they had faith that God would give them the rest of what they need.  They had faith that even if their offering was all they'd get, that if hail or locusts or the stock market should wipe out all the rest, they'd still give their offering to God because they trusted He would provide all their needs.  Firstfruits is a show of faith Christians have adopted by giving God our offerings each Sunday, on the first day of each week, as a way of showing thanks and faith in God.

          So it was on the day of Firstfruits that the Holy Spirit poured out His power on the Apostles and their listeners, and began the Christian Church.  I guess you can say the Holy Spirit is the firstfruits of God for us.  Over 3,000 people received Jesus as their Savior that day, people from all over the Mediterranean area, the Middle East and even parts of Europe.  These people would then take the message of Christ back home with them to share with others.

          Jesus had foretold this would happen.  He'd said to His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;  and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)   The Christian Church started in Jerusalem and spread like wildfire across the whole Empire.  So today, Pentecost Day, we rejoice and give thanks that God began the Church, the vehicle by which we know Christ as our Savior.  The Church is not perfect, but it is still the best way of spreading the Good News to the world.

          The Holy Spirit is often called "The Unknown God."  He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, named together with God the Father and God the Son.  The Holy Spirit's main work is to create faith in Christ in our hearts.  The Holy Spirit uses certain vehicles, certain means by which He shows us God's grace, the love from God we don't deserve.

          These vehicles are God's Word and the Sacraments -- the Bible, Baptism and Communion, the means by which we know God's grace.  That's why we call them the "Means of Grace."  The Gospel and the Sacraments are vessels through which God shows us undeserved love and mercy.  They are the means through which we come to faith.

          If you think of it, there is no way to come to faith unless it's through hearing the Gospel.  Even when we share our faith by word or deed, it's all because of the Gospel.  If there is no Gospel, no one can come to faith.  God does not use magic to make new believers for Himself.  There are no loudspeakers from God in the jungles of Africa!  There is only the Gospel shared by people like you and me who are filled with joy because God loves them.

          If we are help make disciples of all nations like He commands in the Great Commission, we have the Gospel and the Sacraments to get the job done.  The Holy Spirit's primary work is to create saving faith in the hearts of unbelievers, as well as to sustain those who already believe.  And He sustains them best by bringing them into the Christian Church.

          Martin Luther wrote in his explanation to the Third Article of the Apostle's Creed, "I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort 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, and sanctified and kept me in the true faith, just as He calls, gathers and enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith."  Luther knew the Holy Spirit calls us to believe, and then keeps us in the faith.

          One of the ways He keeps believers in the faith is through the "Fruit of the Spirit."  Galatians 5:22 lists them:  "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."  They're listed on the new altar paraments we use today for the first time.  These are attitudes of the heart, not works we do.  Nor are they the "Gifts of the Spirit," for spiritual gifts are abilities given to certain people, as the Spirit chooses.  The gifts of the Spirit are separate blessings from God to help make the Church grow.

          But these nine Godly attitudes - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - are placed within the hearts of all believers.  And all believers have some or all these fruits, regardless of how talented or unskilled they may be.  The small child or the aged grandparent can show love and joy.  They're not skills to be acquired, but attitudes to be desired.

          Not all Christians can have the spiritual gifts of leadership or prophesy or teaching, but all Christians CAN be loving -- joyful -- peace-filled -- patient -- kindly.  The fruit of the Spirit can and should be displayed by all Christians, as God gives us power to show them.

          Fruit grows on a plant because it's the nature of the plant, not a decision it makes.  An apple grows on an apple tree because that's the nature of the apple tree.  An apple tree does not decide to bear peaches this year, but apples, because that's what the tree is there for.

          Similarly, we Christians bear Fruit of the Spirit because that's our nature, displaying the attitudes the Holy Spirit has placed within us.  We are people of God, so we display faithfulness -- gentleness -- goodness -- self-control.  If we do not have these fruit within us in some manner, we should examine whether we really are Christian people or just think we are.

          I have planted a garden this year, and it's one of the nicest I've ever had.  I've planted beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes, squash, spinach, lettuce, radishes, corn, broccoli, cabbage, muskmelon and even pumpkins.  My neighbor Harry can't wait till it grows.  Nor can a certain rabbit who's already been camping out in my scrub oak!  So if it warms up a little and doesn't freeze or hail, my garden should really bear fruit!

          And if we don't give up, we Christians should also bear spiritual fruit.  Every believer in Christ will be fruitful.  Not to be fruitful is to be faithless, without faith, and therefore one must wonder if that person even has salvation.  This does not mean that a believer will always be fruitful at all times.  There will be times when a believer can be unfruitful, so that's why Paul exhorted believers to engage in good works and to seek to be more like Christ lest they become unfruitful and therefore not useful in the Kingdom.

          Sometimes a person's fruitful behavior will be outwardly evident and at other times it is private.  But the fact that you and I do not see it does not mean it is not there.  God sees the heart and knows what the biggest tree or the smallest plant is bearing for Him.  We must be careful of being judges of what is fruitful behavior and what is not.  It is all too easy to have our own mental list of spiritual fruits and to conclude if someone does not produce what is on my list, then he or she is a slacker or even an unbeliever.  Every Christian will bear fruit, but it will be God's fruit, not mine or yours.

          Back when telegraph was the means of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.  He entered a large, noisy office with a telegraph clacking away.  A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned.  The young man completed his form and sat down with other applicants.  After a few minutes, he stood up and walked past the desk.  The other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on.  Why had this man been so bold?  They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet.

          Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who said, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this man."  Another applicant grumbled and said, "That's not fair--He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed."  The employer responded, "All the time you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out a message in Morse Code:  'If you understand this message, come in.  The job is yours.'  None of you understood it, but he did, so the job is his."

          Believers hear the voice of God and respond.  They bear fruit that shows their faith.  God the Son died on the cross that we might be forgiven and acceptable to God the Father.  God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to show us the way to heaven by faith in God the Son.  The Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the only true God, the One we trust for earthly life here and eternal life there.

          Trust in God, my friends, and let Him bear fruit in your lives.  Proverbs 3:4-5 tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on what you think you know.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." May we all trust God that much.  Amen

Copyright © 2002 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.