Bible Study: One Christ, Many Creeds: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Pentecostalism, Emergent/Evangelical Churches, May 1, 2016

This Bible Study is taken from and based upon the "One Christ, Many Creeds" curriculum from Concordia Publishing House. It was taught at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN on May 1, 2016. Play the audio by clicking here. You may also follow along with the teaching using this sheet.

Sermon Audio: John 16:23-33, May 1, 2016

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on May 1, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on John 16:23-33. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon Text: John 16:23-33, May 1, 2016

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The text this morning is from the Gospel of John, the 16th chapter:

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  And He is risen, and He is ascended to the right hand of God the Father.  From there, Christ rules over all things.  He, alone in all of the universe, has power, glory, honor, blessing, and dominion.  Amen.

     But He is not bodily gone from us forever.  He now sits in the heavens, a place which He has created, and He shall descend upon the earth, carrying with Him all of the saints who have gone before us.  And on that day, when Jesus Christ returns, He shall remake all things.  He shall remove the stain of sin which we have left upon this earth.  He shall return our land to the Eden it was.  And He shall make us glorious as He is glorious, not that we should be equal with God, but that Jesus would share all things that He has with us.

     In that day, we will need nothing.  We need ask God for no thing, for He shall give all things to us freely, without price.  We shall have the Bread of Life in our midst, and from His pierced side would flow the fountain of eternal life.  That which is His, which is all things, shall be inherited by His creation, every man, woman, and child who is baptized in His name.