Sermon in Rockford 24.07.2011

And the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us unite our hearts in thanksgiving and prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, as we continue gathering around Thy holy and dying Word this day, we once again ask that You would be present in our midst through Your Spirit, that You would open Your Word, that You would open our ears to hear, and that You would open our hearts to believe. For this we pray in the name of Thy dear Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This evening for our text, I shall read the Word of God, which is found in the 145th Psalm, beginning with the third verse through the seventh verse, and the words are in Jesus' name as follows:

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts, and I will declare Thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness. Amen.

This psalm, which we read here, is a prayer for guidance. It also speaks of that work of the apostles to declare God's gracious works, to praise Him in the nation and in the world around us, and to continue to do that work of the Holy Spirit, to call the sinful people of our time yet into this kingdom of marvelous life, this kingdom of forgiveness, wherein sins can truly be washed away and drowned in the sea of grace in the name and blood of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The psalm writer here begins with these words that great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. When we think about God's kingdom, we think about the Heavenly Father, and that grace and that love which He has had for us and our undying souls. This is truly a marvelous matter when we think about this. And as we even heard this morning through our brother, how God has revealed this to few in this world, and you and I are among those chosen few, it is hard for our mind to comprehend.

I am sure when we look upon our own walk of faith, we see how unsuccessful we have been. We see how we carry that same sin-corrupt portion that has come from that fall of Adam and Eve there in the garden. We see our sinful portion as no different as those in the world around us. We have the same temptations. We are perhaps not so successful as we would want to be in battling against those temptations that the enemy of souls puts before us, those temptations also that rise from our flesh.

And yet, God, for some reason, has called us into this marvelous light. He has chosen us to be one of His own. And He has promised to care for us even unto the end of this world, unto that time, even for each of us, when we will be called from this life. It may be before the end of this world, but we know that we all will one day pass away. And it is our prayer in our heart that God would yet preserve us in His living kingdom so that faith might be changed to seeing that one day we can lay down this journey staff, this gospel of the forgiveness of sins upon which we have so greatly leaned each and every day of the journey, each and every step of the way.

There are, we can say, those that are seeking for God and eternal life in this world. Some are seeking for God directly through prayer. And I would say that there are some who would say that they have found God directly through prayer. They would give such a testimony, perhaps, of praying to God for some kind of a sign, some sort of a miracle. And they may say even that that took place, that they found God in their life. And now are in that kind of a faith that think that they are going to be heaven acceptable.

But that just believing in God does not bring us to heaven. For God is a triune God. There are three heads to that triune God. God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Son, our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, which is the Sanctifier. And so, we might say then that God has taught through His Word that we would have all three.

And Martin Luther teaches there in the Catechism in that creed of the triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three in one. So, to say that one has found God, that is good that one has been seeking for God's kingdom. But God does not answer prayers directly. God does not forgive sins through prayer.

And so, then, we might consider that second person in the Godhead, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And here also, we can say that there are some in this world who confess that they have found Jesus, that they believe in Jesus, that He has done great miracles and wonders for them in their life. And this also is good.

But, we also know of this matter, that Jesus does not forgive sins directly in this world either. That He left those keys to the kingdom of God here with the congregation, that whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins ye retain, they are so retained.

And so, when we see, even in the scriptures, that example of the man named Saul of Tarsus, who was on that road to Damascus, and he was going with that mission there, thinking he was doing God's work, going to Damascus to persecute the children of God. God. He thought that he was acceptable to the Heavenly Father. In his own self-righteous condition, he felt that he had found God and he had found Jesus, and that he was endeavoring to keep the law, at least in an outward way, at least professing or attempting to give that kind of image to the world, that he was living a godly life, one that would be acceptable to Jesus and to God.

But we remember what happened there on that road to Damascus. It was Jesus himself who appeared to him there in a blinding light, and Saul fell to the ground, and he was blinded there. There were scales on his eyes, and he asked then, Lord, what must I do? And we can see here that if Jesus was able to forgive him his sins, surely he would have done it right there.

But Jesus had ascended into heaven. He had fulfilled his purpose here on this earth, that to be born as the Son of God, but to carry or live in that flesh that you and I carry. And he did not sin. He fulfilled the law to the last letter, and he died on that little cross on Golgotha, and he rose again on that third day from hell, victorious over death and hell. And then after 40 days he ascended into heaven.

So he had left these keys to the kingdom here with the children of God. And so it was also that he could not forgive Saul directly there on that road to Damascus, but he gave this kind of loving instruction that go there to the city of Damascus. There I have called a man by the name of Ananias who will come and preach the gospel to you.

Saul was obedient to that instruction from Jesus. He went to Damascus. And we remember also how then the Lord appeared unto Ananias there and instructed him to go and to approach Paul or Saul at that time and to preach the gospel of forgiveness to him.

So it was Ananias in fear and trembling but in obedience of faith he went and did that work which God had called him to do. He preached forgiveness of sins. And we remember what happened then. That miracle took place which Jesus had promised. Those scales fell from Saul's eyes he received a new name there of Paul. And he became a follower of Jesus. He became a member of God's kingdom having that gift of the Holy Spirit that opened now to him a new understanding of the scriptures. A new heart to serve in a new way not from one of self-righteousness but one from a lowly and humble spirit from one speaking now as a hardened sinner that he spoke of those glad tidings of the Heavenly Father and of Jesus Christ and of that Holy Spirit the Comforter which Jesus had also promised.

Christ. And so he spoke then in his speeches the same message that David wrote of in this psalm that great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable.

Is this not also the same glad tidings that you brothers and sisters would speak of today concerning your journey of faith that the Lord is great and there is great reason to praise him. For who of us would be able to say this evening that we would be able to be here as a child of God if it was not for that greatness of God and if it was not for that love that he has for our undying souls and for that grace which he has richly shown unto us each and every day?

Yesterday's faith does not save anyone and so even again today has it not been this way for you brothers and sisters as it has been for me that today is a new day of grace and even yet today we can speak of this greatness of God that surely this day I would have lost my faith except for that love and grace of the heavenly father who has remembered my sighings and my groanings who has brought me to the hearing of his word who has heard my pleas and has opened the word in that way that it has spoke personally to each one of us in our heart that the glad tidings that even as one would find themselves even now this evening that you can uplift your heart and you can believe all of your sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood.

This is that glad tidings of the heavenly father this is that which preserves us in living faith and even here we have to say that how often we struggle even in believing that message of the gospel that so quickly even when that gospel is preached as it not also happened for you as happens to me that the enemy of souls comes there quickly to say that that gospel did not belong to you that that certainly fit for those others sitting there on the pews but you you are such a great sinner that surely could not have been preached and proclaimed unto you.

But yet it is that way dear listener here even if there would be one here who is not believing who is seeking and searching for God's kingdom that gospel message also belongs to you that you can uplift your heart to believe your unbelief and all sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood.

And this is how the Lord is gracious and loving unto us in our life and this is what gives cause for praise to the heavenly father it is God's love when we believe that love there grows in our heart it is that kind of love that cannot even be contained but that love that bursts forth in that way that thanks God and praises him for that which he has done for us.

We have recently been there in Stoney Lake at the confirmation school and we had many lessons there and we had many devotions there but even more preciously we had many discussions from heart to heart faith to faith and I remember of one particular discussion that we had was just speaking with the boys and we were talking about the ways then the journey and the struggles that the boys might have in their life and God gave words to our brother who was serving and he gave ears to our young men there and he gave hearts to believe and we had very precious services there on those benches there by the pond.

And we had kind of humorously said when we went down there for that discussion that we were going to discuss matters there behind the woodshed because there's a little building there a little shed that they have wood in and I remember of this though that after we came back we were going to be having a candlelight discussion and I looked in the question box and sometime between that time when we concluded our discussion and when we came back up to the camp and I looked in that box one of the young brothers had put a note into that box and it simply said this thank you for the discussion behind the woodshed.

He was not thanking men he was not thanking the staff or the directors but I am sure that speech was his way even of expressing his joy and his thanks to the heavenly father that such difficult matters had been discussed and that the gospel had been freely preached and that this young brother could freely believe all of his sins forgiven in Jesus name and blood.

This is that song that rises from the heart that love that God puts there that wants to thank and praise God for that greatness that he has done for each and every one of us and I think you brothers and sisters you know of what this brother was speaking of in his heart for I think we have all experienced those times especially when we have struggled under the weight of some difficult matters when that God has answered our prayer when he has opened up that opportunity and occasion to talk about the way and the journey the gospel has been preached oh how happy we feel it feels like a great weight has been lifted from our shoulders and the joy overflows from the heart and we rejoice that even such a one as I have now been able to come to this place where such a difficult matter has been forgiven and drowned in that sea of grace.

And this is what the psalm writer is writing about here and these are also the same psalms of joy that the apostle Paul spoke of there on the mission journeys which he did throughout the region in which he lived of that day he spoke of that miracle which God had done personally for him that where he had been in unbelief persecuting the children of God now as a pardoned sinner he was able to confess his faith to call others into this marvelous life that they also could believe in that same way and have this same joy in their heart.

The psalm writer continues here that one generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts and we have seen over time especially as we have become older in life we have seen how faith has gone from generation to generation from faith to faith from heart to heart and this work continues yet in our day and in our time.

Here during this past month now I can think of many times where this work has been able to go forward from faith to faith and from generation to generation it seemed like not only a few weeks ago were those summer services there in Marquette perhaps many of you were able to be there and for those who were not able to be there in person probably followed along on the internet as many desire to do when they are not able to travel there to the services and you were able to experience again how God warmed the hearts of the listeners there in those services.

Certainly we were warmed in a temporal way as the weather was very warm there especially those opening days but even warmer were those services as the two travelers on that road to Emma even spoke of that warmth of God's word that they said in this way that did not our hearts burn within us and I think burn is hotter than warm warm is just warm but when we say that didn't our hearts burn within us that it was a much warmer message it was a message that brought comfort and peace and rejoicing in the heart that yes our Lord and Savior Jesus he is not gone but he is here with us in our midst yet today he is yet offering that gospel of the forgiveness of sins to tired and weary travelers he is yet calling and gathering those into this kingdom here while there is yet day for the night is soon approaching the end of time is drawing nigh.

We do not know how much time yet there is to do this work but we see how God is yet doing this work and that word of God went out to those in the area that call again was heard in that region to come and hear to come to listen to God's word come and find that peace and joy that comes from having your sins forgiven in Jesus name and blood.

That message went beyond the regions as we said here in Rockford perhaps there were many who listened on the internet but there may have been others in far far away lands listening there also on their computers to those sermons that God gave to those brothers who served that was not their word and the glory does not go to any one man but it was God's word and that glory and thanksgiving go to the heavenly father for that which he gave to feed our undying souls.

And even to those who are on that internet seeking and searching there was offered that word of God and that love and grace that traveler as you are seeking do as Jesus taught that knock on the door that come there to a child of God who has these keys to the kingdom ask for forgiveness for your sins it does not need to be a lengthy message does not need to be some honorable speech but comes even the simply as Saul of Tarsus said in that way that Lord what must I do.

This is a question that one who is seeking and searching often asks that what must I do and it is a simple answer do you find yourself to be a sinner if you do you can uplift your heart to believe your sins forgiven in Jesus name and blood so simple it is.

Then after services then I had also opportunity as I mentioned to serve there at that first confirmation camp and school at Stoney Lake there were 53 students gathered there for some 11 days there was a staff of 12 counselors and then also four to six more serving in the role of directing and teaching so all in all about 70 gathered there and again we experienced how this faith goes from generation to generation and how the young are a joy to the old.

And I have to say this that in those discussions that we had there with our young my heart was truly warmed and truly there was reason for joy and thanksgiving. I can think especially of two candlelight discussions that we had where we talked about the way and the journey and sometimes in those candlelight discussions it seems like maybe the group is quiet seems like maybe only the speeches are coming from directors or teachers but I have to say in this group that we had gathered together that there certainly was evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling there in their hearts for we basically were able to just sit back the discussion flowed that microphone was moving around the room from person to person and so often times they were raising their hand to take a speaking turn not waiting for the microphone to come around to them.

And there we witnessed how that Holy Spirit worked in that group of 15 year old travelers in this kingdom that they were able to come to the answers in God's kingdom that the elders would have also come to that same spirit one faith one hope one baptism it is not based on our age it is not based on our nationality it is not based on our external wisdom our reason but it is based on that faith that God gives and that Holy Spirit that a hardened sinner has to lead and to guide and we truly rejoice that our young are able to discuss matters in this way it is truly heartwarming to see and to know that they desire to travel in God's kingdom and to live according to God's word in grace and in truth.

From that confirmation school then also came this opportunity to be gathered there with the young congregation in Gillette Wyoming here in this past week and again we see how God does his work in our day and in our time.

There are those young families yes we can say that perhaps their temporal work situation called them into these regions such as Gillette such as Montana such as the regions wherever believers have gone also North Dakota we know and we might think that this is just a temporal calling to move to these areas to find work to support our families but there we witnessed in that way that light of God's word certainly shines into the darkness of this world.

And I already noticed there when we came to that home for services that evening there also happened to be in the neighborhood it was a beautiful evening and it's a young neighborhood and it's a growing neighborhood perhaps many are young couples in the same situation as our young children are and these neighbors were all out there on the street some were moving into homes and some were there to help and some were just sitting there with their children.

But one thing I think that they noticed that at this one certain home there were coming a lot of vehicles there were coming young couples with many children and they were going into that home and they were gathering for some reason there in that home being a warm night it might have been even that way that as the opening hymn was sung perhaps there in the neighborhood was heard the hymn of Zion.

Nobody that I know of came to the door to listen but this I would probably say that that neighborhood now probably is curious who is this young couple that moved into this home only a few months ago who were these young families that came there what was that beautiful singing that they heard coming from the home why and how is it that there were so many children that gathered there the house was full there were many young.

God has blessed those families and in this way these children of God shine that light into the darkness of this world and so when we stop to think about that we see again how God is doing this work from generation to generation.

We see that yes we are driven to different areas for temporal reasons or so it appears but really what is happening is God not moving his candlestick to those places for his reasons we do not know but perhaps there on that same street were those who are seeking and searching for God's kingdom time will tell.

But we do not sow that word with the sickle in our hand we do not sow that seed thinking that this or that might happen but simply it happens that we as that parable the sower in the parable sow that seed in all areas the good ground which is that work which we do in our homes with these children that God has given into believing homes but we also spread that seed on the sandy soil and on that rocky soil God has his reasons why he wants that seed sown in that way and so we do that work we endeavor to live our lives but we endeavor to confess our faith into the darkness of this world.

And so we can join the words of the song writer of that song 329 that we sang here but all the works that thou has made do thank thee and give praise thy children bless thee for thy need thy sheweth them thy ways they tell abroad from hour to hour thy glorious rule thy kingdom's power thy name abroad they blaze and so this is how that work is done in God's kingdom you and I are doing that work whether we realize it or not sometimes it is in duties and serving sometimes it is just in confessing our faith in the neighborhood around us.

And so that brings me to that fourth example that we see yet in our time that there are still those who are seeking and searching here in our own area and we have even seen what we experienced there at our confirmation school that one girl who was there in confirmation who had received the grace of repentance from the world last December she heard of this kingdom of God through those neighbors in the area and those young sisters in faith who confessed their faith in the darkness of this world.

There was one who was seeking and searching there was one who was able to receive this gospel of forgiveness of sins and just as I have marveled when I've traveled to places like Ecuador or West Africa when I have visited with those who have received the grace of repentance I have marveled how God has given them such understanding of the scriptures the Holy Spirit has opened those scriptures unto them and when I have listened to the speeches that they have made to their kinsmen I have had to hang my head in that way that I wouldn't have been able to give even those kinds of words that God gave them such beautiful words such loving words and such words that were based on grace and truth.

And so also we witnessed again there in that confirmation school when we were able to visit with that young one who had received the grace of repentance it was clear to see that that young one had that gift of the Holy Spirit the writings which we read the visits which we had the speeches that were made of one who had grown up in a believing home all her life it is that Holy Spirit that opens that word and gives that understanding that Holy Spirit that causes the change in one's life.

And so that brings us to that third person in the God had this Holy Spirit that when one is seeking for God's kingdom where then should one be praying directly to God should one be looking for Jesus to appear on the road side no this is not the way to find God's kingdom but Jesus revealed it even in this way when he gave that mission command when he said there at the end that lo I am with you always even to the end that Jesus is dwelling then in the midst of his congregation in the midst of the pardoned sinners who have believed of that gospel message through those pardoned sinners.

So here in the midst of this kingdom is that Holy Spirit found it is that sanctifier so we have God the Father we have Jesus the Redeemer and we have the Holy Spirit the congregation which is the sanctifier.

And so when one is seeking and searching for God's kingdom it is found then through your neighbor or friend one who is traveling as a child of God in this kingdom of God here on this earth with that treasure in their heart that treasure of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ here one can find that peace and joy that one is longing for and it belongs to one who would be seeking from the outside of God's kingdom and it belongs also to the children of God for over and over again it seems that we need this same comforting message of the gospel.

And this is why we keep coming to the hearing of God's word this is why we gather for services this is why we come to Bible class this is why we when we go to haps of the young we see how the songs and hymns of Zion are sung we see also how the young times visit about the way and the journey certainly there are many visits there but I have also even witnessed when those young have been gathered in our home that there happens at times that there are two or three gathered in a corner there or at the side they're talking about the way and the journey they are talking about matters of faith and they are encouraging each other in this way to remain in God's kingdom.

So this is that work of the kingdom this is that work which is done every day we do not perhaps see it in that way it was the disciples said to Jesus when did we do these things but do not be concerned even in that matter that did I do them or did I not but simply believe and when you are able to believe and trust God will give those moments and those opportunities he will let that light shine into the darkness of this world and he will give those opportunities for those who are seeking and searching who might be there as your neighbors or your friends your school mates or your work mates we do not know but simply confess that faith which God has given to you.

And so it is then in closing this day that once again we can close in that simple care of the gospel that as you find yourself again you are encouraged in this way uplift your heart to believe all your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus name and precious atoning blood and I also want to hear this same gospel for my many sins and temptations for this day and I promise to believe with you in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

Let us unite let us unite our hearts and give us peace in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen.