"Grammar Lesson" 5-8-22
Overview
God the Noun, the Spirit the Verb
A simple grammar lesson opens a window into how God works. God is certainly the noun—one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet the Holy Spirit acts so much like a verb. Scripture and the Small Catechism confess that the Spirit calls, gathers, and enlightens us. He calls us to faith and empowers that faith. He gathers us into the one holy catholic and apostolic church—a church that spans the globe and includes the saints already at rest, the church triumphant joined with the church militant. He gathers us because God does not want us to be alone, and because He has something to give us.
By nature, we contribute nothing to this work. Scripture is stark: "the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God" 1 Corinthians 2:14; "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God" Romans 8:7; "at one time you were darkness" Ephesians 5:8. Our confessions echo this—we are born like a rock toward God, with no spark or inkling of inclination toward Him. So if there is going to be faith, that faith is wholly God's work. As Paul writes, "It is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" 2 Corinthians 4:6. The Spirit gives us eyes to see how much God loves us, revealing what no eye has seen nor ear heard 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.
The temptation, though, is to flip the grammar—to treat God as the static noun and ourselves as the verb. When challenges come, we turn inward: "If it's going to be, it's up to me." When life tears us in two, we strain to put the pieces back together by our own ingenuity. Worst of all, we can do this with faith itself. Hearing "whoever believes and is baptized will be saved," or Luther's words about "our trust in this," we conclude that faith is our contribution, the catch in the gospel. But Scripture will not allow it: "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8-9. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" Romans 15:13. The Spirit is the verb, not us.
How does the Spirit do this work? Through the Word and the means of grace. As God once said "Let there be light" and there was light, so He still speaks His gospel and the light of faith is born, piercing the darkness of unbelief. He does not say to us, "Let there be faith"; He says, "In the name of Jesus, your sins are forgiven. You are claimed in the waters of baptism. You are mine." He saves us "according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:5. Baptism is "not water only, but water used together with God's Word and our trust in this Word"—and even that trust is the Spirit's birthing work in rocks like us. He puts the word of forgiveness right into our mouths at the Lord's Table and says, "This is for you." So when problems perplex and life tears at us, we do not look inward for a solution we cannot manufacture. We listen for the verb—God speaking, washing, feeding, forgiving—and discover that we are the direct objects of His grace, the recipients of His action in Christ Jesus.
Transcript
Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to second Corinthians the fourth chapter for 3s
our study today if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find that in 8s
the New Testament on page 159, page 159, second Corinthians the fourth chapter. 13s
Grammar lessons, grammar lessons. 23s
It is really a right of passage for all of us, isn't it? 27s
Grammar lessons can be that which is dreaded, hated, a chore that one simply has to work 32s
through or grammar lessons can be a delight. 40s
As one learns how language works, how language plays the words with each other, the musical 45s
quality that can emerge with language, how language can can dance. 55s
Whatever ones understanding of the Grammar lessons, were, well certainly, we know that 64s
lessons are those important lessons that are applicable throughout our lives. 72s
You recall them, correct? 78s
A noun, a person plays thing or idea, a verb that which indicates action. 80s
When we think about God, God is certainly the noun, isn't it? 104s
One God, three persons, father, son and holy spirit. 114s
But I recall the former professor of mine when he was talking about the third article 119s
of the Creed that article that talks about the Holy Spirit. 124s
I remember him articulating and talking about that the Holy Spirit acts so much like a 129s
verb. 138s
Now certainly all of the Trinity acts like a verb, but in these series of articulations 141s
here by the professor, he happened to be focusing just on the Holy Spirit. 148s
It's really quite true what he said, right? 154s
As we continue on in our sermon series, the scent one, the Holy Spirit, just think of 159s
where we have studied thus far. 165s
That the Holy Spirit calls us. 169s
That's a verb, isn't it? 173s
Culls us to what? 174s
Culls us to believe and then in powers that believe. 175s
We studied last week about how the Holy Spirit gathers us. 180s
We confess about the Catholic nature of the church, Catholic as we say one holy Catholic 187s
and apostolic church, Catholic meaning universal. 193s
That church that goes around the world. 197s
So living word as we studied is a church, but it is only part of the larger church 199s
of the Lord Jesus Christ that extends around the world. 208s
In fact, the expanse as we studied last week of the church is so great. 212s
It includes those saints that have gone before us and are now in heaven. 217s
Those believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that as we gather here this side of heaven on 224s
the Lord's day are seeing the praises of God in the beauty of heaven itself. 228s
The church in heaven and on earth, or what is sometimes called the church, 234s
try and hunt in the church, militant. 238s
The expanse of the church and the Holy Spirit is that one 241s
who gathers us together as the church because God does not want us to be alone. 247s
He gathers us together because He has something to give us. 263s
Calls, verb, gathers, verb. 269s
Well, let's add one more into the stew this morning. Shall we? 276s
Enlighten. Calls, verb, gathers, verb and enlightens us. 283s
As we can see from Scripture, there is nothing in us that by nature has one 295s
tiniest of bit of inclination toward God. 303s
We are born wanting absolutely nothing to do with God. 309s
Scripture is quite stark in the painting of who we are, quite pointed in the words that we are born. 316s
Enemies blind and apart from God. We want nothing to do with it. 325s
I think for example, of first Corinthians the second chapter, there we read this. 331s
Those who are unspear at you will do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit 338s
for they are foolishness to them or Romans the 8th chapter. 344s
The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, Ephesians 5, 350s
for once you were darkness. 357s
Our Lutheran confessional writings there which mirror the echo the holy scriptures describes 359s
us this way. Based upon the Scripture, the count, our confessional, our doctrinal writings 367s
of the Lutheran Church says that we are born like a rock. We want nothing to do with God. 373s
Spark no Ioda of any inkling toward God. 385s
So if there is going to be faith, that faith is totally the work of God in our life. 396s
As he enlightens us, in the old Ford commercial, with the light bulb would go on, 408s
there is a picture of the Holy Spirit. Look, please, it verse 6. 422s
For it is the God who said, let light shine out of darkness who has shown in our hearts 429s
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 438s
For it's the God who said, let light shine out of darkness who shown in our hearts to give the 445s
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 452s
The Holy Spirit enlightens us. It gives us eyes to see how much God loves us. 461s
The Holy Spirit is the one who is at work in our lives that gives us the light of faith 471s
that then dispels the darkness. The Holy Spirit is the one who comes so that we say 478s
that promise of the gospel that's for me. The enlightening work is attributed to the Holy Spirit. 487s
And remember when one member of the Trinity Act, they all act. But we also see in scripture, 500s
these pictures of the Father associated with creation, the Son associated with 506s
demotion and the Holy Spirit associating with sanctification. And part of the sanctifying work 511s
of the Holy Spirit is to enlighten us, first Corinthians 2. What no I have seen, nor ear heard, 519s
nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. These things 528s
God has revealed to us through the Spirit. He calls verb. He gathers verb. 536s
He enlightens verb. The Holy Spirit acts an awful lot like a verb, 552s
doesn't he? And there's our struggle. There's our struggle. 569s
We can be tempted to think of God in being the noun that He is, the noun. 579s
And so we can conceive of God as being the noun and we can conceive of us as being the verb. 589s
That God's the noun and we're the verb. And so when challenges come along in life, 597s
why we can think to ourselves, so how is this challenge going to be overcome and we can buy 608s
into phrases like if it's going to be, it's up to me and all of those kind of things. And so we 615s
think then that as we face the challenges that is up to us to come up with a solution and to affect 621s
the solution and we start to act as if we're the verb. When problems perplex, 630s
we can turn inward upon ourselves and we can think, well, what kind of solution can I come up with that? 645s
Instead of reliance on God, there is a reliance on our own ingenuity and our own strength. And we can act as if we are the verb. 653s
Emotionally, those things in life that can literally tear us in two, tear us in two. And so we are tempted to think, 666s
well, how can we put ourselves back together again? What is it that we can do then? That can 676s
be fact here, putting all of the pieces of our torn and tattered life together and in so doing, 684s
we act like the verb. Now let's go farther here. Our acting like the verb can extend 692s
to our faith. It's an amazing message that God gives to us. It's incredible word 707s
of what God has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ, the predicament that we got ourselves into 718s
because of sin, that's what we confess in and all of its breath and depth and height that we 725s
against him and thought, word indeed, what we've done and what we've left undone. The just punishment 734s
then for sin that falls upon us, which is eternal separation from God, for God is absolutely 742s
just and cannot simply wink at sin and so the wrath of sin should fall upon us. We've got 751s
ourselves into one way of a spot because of our sin and we can't get out of it. But what does God 759s
do in His grace? He sends the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ 767s
bears our sin upon him. God in the flesh, the sinless one, takes all of the sin of the world. That 775s
was is and ever will be again born on the cross, the wrath of God instead of falling upon us, 783s
falls upon the sun and the relationship between God and humankind severed by sin is reconciled. 791s
It is restored through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The tomb is empty. The Father says, 801s
the sacrifice has been accepted and then God in His grace comes and says, I want you to know 807s
for sure this promise is for you. So we wash us in His Word, in baptism. The great victory 816s
of the cross and the empty tomb, we are washed in it. We come to the communion rail and God says, 828s
I want you to make sure you know this is for you. And so He puts the Word of forgiveness right 836s
in our mouth and He says, swallow it. This is for you. God in His grace who in our baptism say, 842s
you are my child. I make the decision and I decide that you are mine and I will never let you go. 855s
God says, you are my sheep and nothing can snatch me. This can snatch you out of my hand. 865s
In our baptism it is the last judgment in miniature and God says, 875s
forgiven life, mine, child. 884s
But there is gotta be a catch, right? There's gotta be a catch to that. Because it just, 897s
it just sounds too good to be true. And so we read and scripture, those who believe 908s
and are baptized shall be saved. And we go, there it is. There's the catch. My faith, 919s
there's the catch. So I better come up with faith. 941s
Look through the right, about baptism. He says, what is baptism? 952s
Baptism is not water only, but it is water used together with God's Word and our trust in this 956s
and we say, aha, there it is. There's the catch. There's the catch. Our trust in this 962s
word. And we can start thinking that our faith is that which we do, that which we come up with. 975s
That which is our contribution to the equation. And we start to act as if we're the verb. 999s
We start to act like we're the verb. No. The Holy Spirit's the verb. Holy Spirit's the verb. 1021s
Scripture tells us in Ephesians 2, for by grace you have been saved through faith. 1041s
And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. Remember a verb, canot's action. 1050s
You've been saved by grace through faith and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. 1060s
Romans 15, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you may 1071s
bound in hope here it comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. We're not the verb. 1081s
God's the verb. God's the verb. So how does the Holy Spirit do this work? How does the 1100s
story of the owner of this company? He was on the floor. He was walking around. 1125s
Very expansive floor. It was a manufacturing place. And the owner is walking around. 1133s
And he sees this guy leaning up against the wall. He's just humming and looking around. 1138s
He keeps watching this guy. He's just keeping leaning up against the wall, humming and looking around. 1146s
Well, it's just inferior to the owner. And so he walks up to the guy and he says, 1155s
how much do you make a week? I say, I make about $500 a week. I want to reach this into his wallet. 1162s
Takes out 10 crisp $100 bills. Takes the money. Stuff's it in the guy's pocket and said, 1171s
get out of here. You loafer and don't ever, ever come back. So the guy walks out $1,000 in his pocket. 1180s
Then the owner, he turns and he looks at the various managers that are all watching this. 1191s
And he raises his voice and and he says, and which one of you hired this loafer? 1197s
I want to know which one of you hired this guy. There's a little bit of silence. 1203s
Then one of the managers said, we didn't. He was just the delivery guy. 1213s
Wait for the package. You see the word comes fourth. And the word 1223s
from the owner to the delivery guy changed the delivery guy's experience and life. 1233s
And the word from the manager changed life for the owner. 1242s
How does the Holy Spirit do the verbi kind of work of the Holy Spirit? 1254s
Look at verse 6. 1262s
For it is the God who said, let light shine out of darkness who has shown in our hearts to give the 1266s
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 1275s
As God said, recorded in Genesis in our first lesson, let there be and speaks the word 1283s
and there is light that pierces the darkness. So also God speaks his gospel word 1290s
and light of faith is born that pierces the darkness of unbelief. God does not say to us, 1301s
let there be faith, but God keeps coming and says in the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are 1311s
forgiven. You have been claimed in the waters of baptism. I have made my decision about you. 1319s
You are saved not by grace or you are saved by grace through faith and this is not your own doing. 1329s
God says, it's my doing and God keeps speaking the words and faith is born. That's why 1336s
you can preach an entire sermon all about faith and never mention faith. You ever realize that? 1348s
Why? Because faith comes from the Word of God as God preaches that faith in us 1355s
to where all of a sudden we say, I'm in love with Jesus. 1367s
I'm in love with Him because the Word of the promise keeps coming to us. 1376s
It's an attitous three. He saved us not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, 1388s
but according to His mercy through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 1398s
Well, what's the water of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit? There's the baptismal fun right there. 1409s
We're God says, I'm going to preach to you now and I'm going to take my word and my promises 1419s
and He washes us in that and keeps coming back to us saying, you are forgiven. You are washed. 1427s
You are mine and I'm not letting go. It is not water only, but it is God's word with the water. 1437s
And our trust in the Word and who births the trust? Who changes us rocks 1457s
into lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ? A rock can't affect that change. 1473s
That change comes from God who speaks that faith into us. 1485s
Now, person-place thing or idea, verb canotes action. But remember this lesson, the direct object, 1503s
the direct object is the recipient of the action. God is noun and God is verb and guess who the direct objects are? 1527s