Sermon in Rockford 27.12.2014

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

This evening I thought to read from the book of Isaiah, from the 29th chapter, beginning with the 17th verse to the end of the chapter. We read these words with that prayer that the Heavenly Father would open His word.

Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off.

Then make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught. Therefore thus saith the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

Amen.

The State Church of Finland today celebrates a day which we don't always celebrate here. It's a Sunday for the innocent children, and their service revolves around that theme. In the same vein, though, the text for St. Stephen's Day, the day after Christmas, tells us about a similar type of idea. Stephen was the first martyr in the New Testament. He was killed for his confession of faith. In the same way also, when we think of the innocent children that are martyred, they were killed because of the works of the enemy of the soul. But at its base, though, they were killed for their faith. In the sense that they were, for instance, during Jesus' time, killed because Herod was trying to kill the Messiah. So those texts tell us about those ideas.

What's interesting, at least to me, is this thought that the Heavenly Father has seen fit that even this way is placed in front of us basically two pictures. First, we just celebrated Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. And the church calendar then turns our thoughts and minds to martyrs. There are those who do not accept what God's Word tells us. They have been there since the beginning. From the beginning pages of the Bible, we recall the story of Cain and Abel, for instance.

In our day as well, the birth of the Lord Jesus is, in some quarters, mocked and scorned. And in many ways, they wish to remove it from public view. Sometimes, though, when we as believers think about it, it seems like it would be a valid reason to begin to struggle outwardly to try to preserve those things in society. But nevertheless, God has seen fit to allow those who, as scriptures say, have a zeal towards God, to fight for that and has preserved us from that battle.

It is, dear brothers and sisters, a battle. A battle of darkness versus the powers of light. And because we are dwelling in the kingdom of light, we battle against darkness. It's not always that case, though, dear brothers and sisters. It will not always be that way. In the sense that things change because of the disobedience of men, things change.

And this part of God's word tells us about a prophecy of that birth of Jesus. It explains what would happen after that birth. It explains the falling away of the people of Israel, the Jews, who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. But it also explains to us about another turning: a turning away from darkness into light, becoming a child of God, turning to faith through repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Here, the prophet Isaiah talks about that day as if it be just a little while. It won't be long. It's not yet a very little while. And Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest.

When I read this verse, it seems to refer to this: that this fruitful field would be the Jews, the people of Israel, the people of God of that time. And thus Lebanon being the unbelieving world, the Gentile world. And so it shows that at that particular day and moment, Lebanon was not fruitful, but yet the people of God, the people of Israel, were as a fruitful field. But then it shows that picture of how those will change.

It didn't seem to be very long, did it, dear brothers and sisters, that it changed during Jesus' time? And even if we pause to consider that killing of innocent children, Jesus was rejected immediately. His mother and father, Joseph and Mary, had to take him and they fled to Egypt, fearing the wrath of Herod, who made a decree that all children under two would be killed.

In another part of God's word, in Jeremiah, it talks about a different event, which in some sense mirrors that day of Jesus and the killing of children. The people of Israel had been taken into captivity. And in the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, it says that they had begun to lament about the things which were happening. When they were taken into captivity, their captors didn't care who they were, whether they were rich or poor, great or small. They killed them.

And it says in the 15th verse, Thus saith the Lord, a voice was heard in Ramah. Ramah was that place where they were led captive. It was lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children because they were dead.

Those types of events have happened over the years, and they seem to be of great importance for sometimes world events. Leaders are known for their heinous deeds. Here, a few thousand years from Herod's time, he's known as one who massacred children. And it wasn't so many years ago that we recall stories of someone who massacred people in Germany, in Hitler.

But dear brothers and sisters, the enemy of the soul is not idle. He's working very diligently in the world. And if we look around us today, another massacre has begun. It's not happening at the hands of evil dictators or those who require children to be killed, but it's being done willingly by people killing their own children.

What will be said of our day if this world continues? Or is it another example of how we live end times? A man has been led so far into darkness as they have begun to kill their own children.

A fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest, but Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field.

Not so many years after Jesus' birth, when you read the scriptures, you recall, I'm sure, those narratives of Jesus' suffering and death, where his own people rejected him. They were no longer that fruitful field, but there are no fruits shown any longer. They're simply a forest.

As we said earlier, it is as that they had a zeal towards God. They wanted to be a believer. They believed themselves to be the people of God. They showed themselves to be a towering tree, but there is no fruit. No fruit for the granaries of heaven.

In that day, something marvelous happened, something that has stretched to our day, dear brothers and sisters. So that in that day, the deaf shall hear the words of the book. What a remarkable thing. The deaf will hear the words of the book. Doesn't this imply something more than just hearing? Sure, you can listen. You can hear things. But did you actually hear it? They heard the words of the book. They heard the words of God. They were the Gentile people.

You recall Jesus sent His disciples into all the world to teach all nations, and the nations heard the words of the book. It says, The eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity. They didn't know anything about God and His kingdom, but yet when the apostles began to do their work, their mission work, the eyes of many were opened.

It speaks to us of the days of Pentecost, when so many received the grace of repentance in one day. So the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity.

Sometimes the mission trips that we make to Togo and Ecuador bring a different perspective to these words found in scriptures. I believe that that's one of the benefits that God has given to His children to allow that to happen, for many of us to see that with our own eyes how those who have turned to faith from unbelief, they've never heard of Lestadians before, but yet they begin to see as if out of obscurity.

I remember one of the discussions we had with one of those brothers. He was talking about Catholicism that he grew up in and lived for so many years. He was lamenting to me about how it felt like God's kingdom wasn't spreading so fast there in Ecuador. He had heard news from Togo how many accept God's word there. And he was lamenting the fact that it wasn't growing there in Ecuador.

And when he thought about it for a little while he said when they were brought up in Catholicism he said that Luther was seen as if he was a devil, and he was always placed in that perspective. He said when his son returned before he received the grace of repentance, when his son returned and told him that he had converted to Lestadianism, to Lutheranism, he had given him up to devil worship.

But when God allowed him to see out of obscurity the story changed. And he so nicely explains to those who would ask the reason for his joy, saying that he doesn't understand that much but he knows this: that his sins are forgiven.

They see out of darkness and come into a marvelous light.

It's difficult for us who have lived in God's kingdom all our lives to sometimes put ourselves in their place. We haven't known what it is to live in darkness.

A dear brother in faith was once telling me about one of his loved ones who lived in darkness. He said that they believe they're right. They believe they're following Jesus in the correct way. And in that sense he opened to me that part of God's word. And he told me, look at this part, and it's where Jesus talks about darkness. Jesus says, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?

If you think you walk in a light and you're in darkness, as great darkness you cannot comprehend it. Walking blindly towards eternity.

It's no wonder then that Isaiah here then continues and says that the meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord. There were those who traveled at the time of Jesus' birth who were of the Jewish people. They walked in meekness and when they saw the day of Christ they rejoiced.

I recall that old man Simeon who saw his Lord, held him in his arms. He was meek. God had humbled his heart. He had taken hold of him. He was unable to talk until that day, but his joy was increased.

And the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

I find it so remarkable that God's word always brings us back to such similar words about the poor. The poor among men shall rejoice.

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said this way, Blessed are the poor in spirit. Let's see if you can read that part out of the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew said, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. The mighty don't rejoice in that. They try to find their own ways.

We just referred to Herod, and he didn't rejoice in the day of Christ. Wouldn't things have been different if he had heard that the Messiah was to be born, and he sought for him in that sense that he could begin to worship him?

But isn't that the way with sinful men? It's so much so that in this world there are so many phrases that have come as a result of that. How power corrupts. We fall prey to that.

God's word gives us those examples as well, even those believing kings were corrupted by that power. You recall, for instance, the stories of King David, and how he used his powers in the wrong way and fell into sin of adultery and murder.

But the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. And the reason why they rejoice is that the terrible one is brought to naught. The power of the enemy of the soul was crushed. The serpent's head was crushed. That's reason for joy, dear brothers and sisters.

The scorner is consumed. And all that watch for iniquity are cut off.

When we have joy in the midst of scorn, the power of the scorner is consumed. It falls on deaf ears.

It's sometimes difficult though as human beings to accept scorn and just listen to it and to not fight back. I can think of many examples in my own life, some which I perhaps can say. But I'm sure you can think of those in your own life where you've been mocked or ridiculed by this world and perhaps you found how just the ear to listen to what they say without words of rebuttal calms the scorn.

The scorner is consumed. All that watch for iniquity are cut off. Those that look for sin are cut off.

For some reason in the last few weeks I've had conversations about the last heresy. And the reason why I bring this up again or bring it up tonight is I've always recalled that Bible class we had here a few years ago. We had the elders in front of us and we interviewed them.

If you recall that evening I came with my own questions, the things I wanted to know. I've never sat down and interviewed someone about that and asked them basically everything I could think of.

My question to that dear sister that night was, before the heresy happened, could you have pointed out who was going to be left in faith and who would go in heresy? And she replied something to this effect: that as people we make those judgments. You visit with those who you believe are looking at things correctly, and you begin to create this opinion of people that isn't correct. It didn't separate that way according to the mind of men.

So as a follow-up question I asked her then, what's the difference then? What made some fall to heresy and some stay in faith? And her reply was this: that the ones that stayed in faith lived of the gospel.

This part of God's word reminds me of that, that those that watch for iniquity are cut off. It doesn't matter how they present themselves outwardly, or how they attempt to fool their neighbor or friend. When it comes time for God's cleansing, those that watch for iniquity are cut off.

And then it really doesn't matter, then does it, how you lived. In this sense that whether you think that someone was wild or humble, we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. But the important thing is this, that we put sin away as it attaches.

During Isaiah's time, though, there were people, as it says here, it says that these terrible ones, the scorners, those that watch for iniquity, make a man an offender for a word. They take a word that you say and they twist it and make you into the offender.

They lay a snare for him that reproves in the gate. Some other translations imply that this is, for instance, a talk about someone who's being brought to court. And traps are set for them in their words, trying to convince people that they're not the one that's at fault.

And it says, it turns aside the just for a thing of naught, for something that seems so little, they try to make even the just person appear guilty.

God's word tells us to be exactly the opposite, doesn't it? It tells us to even love our enemies. It tells us that in being kind, it's as if we put coals upon their heads. It tells us to turn the other cheek.

Why? It says, therefore, thus saith the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

The house of Jacob is a reference to God's kingdom. It knows no boundaries of things that man makes up. We heard about that this morning through our dear brother.

God's kingdom, the boundaries don't follow race, or sometimes even as we think of as creed or religion. It doesn't follow those types of lines. But it follows faith of the heart.

To your brothers and sisters, God's kingdom is known by different names in this world. They're not always the same. For instance, some of the believers in Russia belong to the Orthodox Church. The believers in Finland belong to the Church of Finland and to an association of peace. We belong to the Lestadian Lutheran Church. Those in Togo belong to what they call the Church of the Forgiveness of Sins.

The names are different, but to the world, they are totally different. They see those outward organizations as being what they are, separate entities. But God's kingdom knows different bounds than what we see.

I remember one brother who was struggling in faith came and asked me once, he said, are there believers other than Lestadians? I so wanted to say yes. Yes, that only the Lestadians are believers.

My mind wants things to be cut and dry.

Dear brothers and sisters, when we think of the things we've spoken about tonight in the midst of, for instance, these deaths of innocent children, God's kingdom really doesn't know those bounds.

So the study of the Lutheran Church is simply an outward organization to help the work continue. But it's just an outward organization. God's children are found throughout the world and the number of God's children are increased day by day, even in that outward form of abortion.

That knows no bounds, dear brothers and sisters. It doesn't know bounds of religion like we see them.

So in that sense, we have to say that those who die today, there are some who are Muslim, or at least their parents are Muslim, but their children are being brought into the granaries of heaven. God has found a way. His ways are so much higher than our ways.

The house of Jacob shall not now be ashamed. The Israelites perhaps thought that now they're, because they're Israelites, they will always be this, you know, quote, house of Jacob. They are the believers. And in Jesus they were ashamed. They didn't want to be with him. They wanted him to be looked down upon. They cast him away.

But that house of Jacob, the true household of God, is not ashamed. It says, neither shall his face now wax pale.

But when he seeth his children, and it says in almost in parentheses, his children which are the work of mine hands, in the midst of them, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

In God's kingdom, we fear God. We fear God more than men. We fear God more than the scorn of men.

We will do sometimes things which seem odd to this world because we see the recompense of the reward.

It's all important, dear brothers and sisters, because our journey is towards heaven. We're not fighting some type of temporal battle. We're not trying to make ourselves look good to people around us. Our goal is to make it to heaven.

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God leads and He guides. When we travel putting sin away as it attaches, God will bless that. He will carry us then to heaven.

It is so sure that Isaiah ends this text by saying, they also that err in spirit shall come to understanding. And they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

I don't know if this is referenced to, for instance, the Apostle Paul when he was converted. He was a Jew among Jews. He was known for his knowledge of law. He was with those that persecuted Christ. He erred in spirit. That says, they shall come to understanding. God showed him the way. He blinded him even physically on that road to Damascus to show him that he was spiritually blinded. But he was brought to understanding and faith.

And it says, even they that murmured shall learn doctrine. That parents of prodigal children can take comfort from this word of God, can pray to God for their children, that even they that erred in spirit will come to understanding.

God can be so gracious. Even they that murmur and complain about things which they see in God's kingdom can learn doctrine, can learn about how we believe.

Doctrine is not what brings us to heaven, it is faith. But nevertheless, doctrine is one of the ways that we perhaps can distinguish those who walk in faith. It is important for us to know what we believe.

For instance, we could say a point of doctrine for us could be this: that Jesus was God. It doesn't help that we believe that Jesus was a person on this earth, and simply a person. Many people know and understand that and believe that. But faith in that isn't helpful. But we need to believe that Jesus is God.

And that is what doctrine is. There are some who have left God's kingdom who have a different doctrine. They are known by their understanding, their fruits. But God gives us this thought and idea that he can bring them back as well. He is a good God, a gracious God.

And we can pray on behalf of our brothers and sisters who have strayed, who have lost faith, on behalf of our friends and family who have given up the battle of faith, that they could again be led to God's kingdom.

Dear brothers and sisters, this evening we have been, as children of God, we have been able to live in the kingdom of light, the kingdom of God's dear Son, the Lord Jesus.

And as we live in the kingdom of light, that light shines even into our hearts. And it shows to us those things which are not beneficial to our faith: sins and burdens that so often accumulate on our conscience and they burden us down.

Sometimes those sins can seem so little to the outside world, but nevertheless they burden us.

It's good that God has given us a way to remove burdens, a way to put sin away. And it's found in the gospel of the forgiveness of sins.

Dear brothers and sisters this evening, if you came tonight knowing your sins and feeling its burden, you can uplift your heart to believe and forgive in Jesus' name and precious blood. Be happy and joyful.

And dear brother, dear sister, if you came here feeling happy and joyful this Christmas season, you can also believe the same gospel, the same message. Jesus was born for you and he died and rose again on your behalf. It is reason to be joyful that your sins are forgiven. You can also believe your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And let's walk hand in hand towards heaven. Let's help one another. Let's carry one another's burdens. They can sometimes be heavier than we know.

So, I remember one sister complaining to another sister. The one had only one child. And the other sister came to her and began to tell her that you lead such a blessed life. You don't have very many cares. You have your child. You don't have very much work to do.

The other sister said, and when I unburdened my shoulders, she didn't want to switch.

The brother or sister next to you may seem secure and happy. They may be struggling under burdens and cares.

So, dear brothers and sisters, let's care for one another. Not look to the outward person, but let's help one another on this way to heaven.

With each other's help, with the help of God, in the care of the gospel, we will make it.

Can I hear the same gospel? Can I believe my sins forgiven? I want to believe together with you.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

We close in the benediction. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up His countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.