Services/Sermon in Menahga 14.04.2017

We will continue these services, this time reading from the book of Ezra, chapter 9, verses 4 through 8, in reading these words in Jesus' name.

Then were assembled unto me everyone that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away. And I sat, asked Donny, until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness, and having rent my garment and my clothes, and having rent my mantle, I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God, and said, O my God, I am ashamed and blushed to lift up my face to thee, my God. For our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up into the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day. And for our iniquities have we, our kings and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil and to confusion of faith as it is this day. And now for a little space grace hath been showed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a new life. And to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. Amen.

Get rocked so we go tomorrow's by you sir on a am a dozen what do you even call it? It was a documentary on Jerusalem. And that documentary was presented from the perspective of three religions: from the perspective of Islam, from the Jewish perspective, and Christianity. The story of salvation history at least in some way winds its way through all three. And in a very interesting way it seemed to show what Jerusalem meant for those three.

This part of God's word carries us to a time though when the children of Israel had just returned. And it says that before our read text it says that things were not well with the believers, especially from the standpoint that the believing young were marrying with those who were not of God's people. And that seemed to be one of the big reasons why this text or this prayer or lament was written amongst other things.

But when I thought about this text it almost shows us in practical terms what the suffering and death and resurrection of Jesus is in our life. It's not some outward thing. In that documentary I mentioned it was very interesting to see some of the traditions I have carried until this day. Those steps which Jesus took from Gethsemane to Golgotha known as the way of suffering, the Via Dolorosa. It shows them as they've traced those steps as a group, as a follower of Christ, those Christian believers of today. And they've carried the cross with them.

I'm not so certain if you've noticed in the news just a day or so ago it was written about those who have taken this to an extreme in some of the countries of South America where they have slogged themselves, where they have nailed themselves to the cross trying to understand what Christ did on their own. And there are others who are telling them that they need not do that.

In spite of all that we can conclude that in our own day as they did in Ezra's day we are people of our time. And because of that, because of the circumstances and events of our time, we do things. Here Ezra says that then were assembled unto me everyone that trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the transgression of those that had been carried away. It was an interesting description of who had gathered there. And I think that's a very interesting description of who had gathered there.

We could look around us today and describe who we are that have gathered here. We could look around and see who have gathered elsewhere and find descriptions. And what kind of descriptions would we find? Would they be similar to this? Those that trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the transgressions of those that have been carried away. It speaks to the fear, the true fear of God. It speaks to this how we know and understand by faith that our own works, our own merits are filthy rags before God. Even the best things that we do are nothing before Him.

And so Ezra after beholding those people that had gathered says, and at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness. Having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God. So he began to pray unto his Lord, his God.

I've often wondered about those things which they did in those Old Testament texts. Some of those things have carried through till today in some form, in some circles of worship. You go into Jerusalem and see how so many people observe their religion in their way. Some bowing down heavily to the ground. Some standing there before that last wall remaining, which they nicknamed the weeping wall. It's something that all of us in this world have confronted in some form or another. And isn't it miraculous, God's rich grace that he has called us into this fellowship.

And so when we look around this evening, what do we see? We see fellowship, we see brothers and sisters on the way to heaven. We see our travel friends, our escorts. We have reason to approach our Heavenly Father in prayer for each other, for ourselves, for our children, our grandchildren, even in those things which are temporal.

Because as when we think about our lives even some of those temporal things are so close to us and they reach across that line of whether it's temporal or spiritual. As we already mentioned before this text just spoke about those who had taken spouses from outside of God's kingdom, is it temporal or spiritual? In some ways we might convince ourselves that it's just temporal, it's who our spouse is, but on the other hand God's word has very specifically warned us about that.

In the same way our earthly calling is that way. It seems such a normal part of our life that it should be separate from this that we do here today, but again after all is said and done isn't it God's guidance, His grace, His our calling that we have? And if we choose something that's contrary to God's word then we're going to have a lot of trouble. That would be a difficult place to work, a difficult position to place ourselves in.

But in all this we have reason. Each evening it says here was an evening sacrifice and it brings to mind that it had to have been every night. And it brings to mind that it had to have been every night that he fell on his knees and spread out his hands unto the Lord his God.

Then Ezra explains why he was in heaviness. He says, O my God, I am ashamed and blushed to lift up my face to Thee, my God, for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass has grown up into the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day.

That's what he saw when he beheld that group. That's what he explained or tried to think about as he told us. He prayed that night. If he had to encapsulate it in just a few short words, it was this, that he was ashamed and he blushed to lift up his face to God. Our iniquities are increased over our head.

If this were the end of the story, he would have been in great distress. Wouldn't that be a dreadful place? On the other hand, even if it's the beginning of the story, as it is for all of us, so many times it is a dreadful place. Our sins are many and so often they increase over our heads. We've gone beyond what even we had thought was doable or that we had thought would be even acceptable. We have gone beyond where we thought grace would cover.

How many of us here today have been at that point? Where have we been? Where have we wondered? Is there enough forgiveness for this? My sin is so great. Does God's grace cover that? I'm sure many if not all of us have at some point thought that.

Our trespass has grown up into the heavens. In some ways when you read this text it gives you this thought that this wasn't just a personal story. It was something that was played out across generations and very publicly. They were taken into captivity because of their sins and errors. God allowed that to happen. It has increased over their heads and then it as it grew up into the heavens.

Since the days of our fathers he says we've been in a great trespass unto this day. We already discussed earlier today how Jesus on the cross said that my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me? Hasn't that been a thought of ours? Why have we been forsaken? Why have we been left to live in our sins?

Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass until this day. There are many portions of God's word which help us understand this even more personally. The relationship that parents have with their kids, grandparents with grandkids and their children, siblings with each other, how we treat each other and how that affects even generations to come.

In one place it says that our God is a jealous God and because of the iniquity of the fathers it carries to further generations the punishments. But on the other hand there are very precious examples in God's word of those who have lived of faith and followed after God.

It was never a more vivid example than in the Old Testament stories about Jacob and Esau and the different directions that they went. Perhaps you recall even the time they met after many years out there in the wilderness as Jacob was leading his people. Esau approached them with a multitude of warriors and I'm sure Jacob and his family were worried about what was going to happen and Jacob went to meet his brother there and it seems to explain how the teachings which are in God's kingdom helped even generations to come.

Esau was a warrior and there before him he's looking at the group that Jacob was guiding and he had a question of Jacob that what are these things? Who are these people that you have? And Jacob turned and looked back and said that these are the children that God graciously gave to me.

Isn't that a comforting family to grow in? To live of faith? To speak of the way and the journey with instruction like that and care like that?

When we think about those forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob it reminds me how in some ways we speak of Abraham in the sense of the father and Isaac in the sense of the son and Jacob in the sense of the Holy Spirit in relative terms. And in this sense I would say that that is what it is like to be in God's kingdom in the care of the Holy Spirit.

That we live with such a father that we Yeph CPED myself in this Bible it says about us that these are those children whom God Kunst graciously given these are those children to whom I give care. It says since the days of our fathers have we been a great trespass unto this day.

And for our iniquities have we, our kings and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the King of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil and to confusion of faith as it is this day. It encapsulated everybody, that sin that they had done. They were all taken captive. It didn't matter how important someone thought they were. They were taken captive along with the rest.

But this last verse which we read brings us back to this day, to speaking about the message of Good Friday, of Easter. Some of these children of Israel had been set free. And Ezra says that, and now for a little space, a little time, grace has been shown from the Lord our God to leave us a remnant to escape.

What a remarkable feeling that must have been, to have been in captivity and then to have been released. Even if there were just a few of them, they were able to escape. To live freely without the constraints of shackles, of slavery.

Somehow this reminds me, one of our Bible classes, two years ago, we were speaking about heresy. And I had taken a Bible class, and I had taken that type of tact in that lesson, knowing that I didn't understand much, that everything I knew was told to me. And I wanted to learn.

And so it was a question and answer session. And I asked four or five of the elders. And I said, I'm going to ask you a question. And they said, elders to be on a panel discussion and we talked about that topic. It was such an open and free discussion. I was so happy to feel the freedom to just ask my questions as directly as I knew them.

One of my questions was this. If you think about who were believers before that split and then who were believers after, did you know beforehand who would remain? I ask you, elders here tonight, many of you know those and remember those days. And perhaps you'll agree with what one of those elders in Rockford said.

She said it didn't make sense after. She had a group of friends that she did stuff often before that split. And they talked about matters of faith over and over. It was their concern. It was obviously something that they worried about. They saw the effects of sin in their friends that were confessing faith and they didn't accept that and they were wondering how to help them.

And she said her group of friends was so close. And she said that they all believed the same way. Because that was a real breakfast back in??? When we really look at the G tab, They don't talk about that. The Hebrews in Hebrews are people they spoke to. They remember. They showed their absences. They Tell their stories. Their friend plans. They're felt good in those discussions.

And then she says that the split came if so good been those discussions. protected him but then she says that the split terminar It didn't make sense. She said a few short months later, she went to another congregation. When she walked through the door into the church, she saw one man there, her age. And her mind, the thoughts flashed. But he's still with us. He's still a believer. She couldn't believe her eyes. She was here.

And that's exactly what he told her. He came and gave her a big hug. She's still a believer. I couldn't help but ask them, what made that happen? How is that possible? That people who were as if on different sides of the issue before the split, were now on the same side, in the same building, believing the same way. And those whom you thought were believing like you, were transgressing. Traveling another way. How is that possible?

And she said, those that remained were grace beggars. In God's kingdom, it doesn't matter what our difficulties are. It doesn't matter if I struggle with self-righteousness. It doesn't matter if you struggle with leniency. What matters is this, that we are grace beggars, and that we live of the gospel. Isn't that the important thing?

Here Ezra says that for a little space, grace has been shown us from the Lord our God. To leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place.

I thought a little bit about this phrase, a nail in his holy place. And in all my studies, it says that this means, it's like a, something that holds us into this place. It's like a peg. It holds you there.

I find it remarkable that this part of, or this translation which we are so used to use is that word nail. I believe that God gives us permission to look to the cross at Golgotha. The writer looks so far into the future. It was the same refuge for them. It's the same thing that kept them there in that holy place. It was that nail. It's the good speaking blood of Jesus which we heard about. It's the message of the gospel. It's an assurance. It's all enveloping. It's our only source of power. It's all that we have.

What else do you have to cling to by dear brother and sister? Our brother welcomed us this afternoon saying that he don't want to hear something new. I don't have anything new. Other than that sure nail that keeps us in this holy place.

What does it do for you dear brothers and sisters? It doesn't do what it did to Ezra. It lightens our eyes and gives us a little reviving in our bondage. We are so tied to our flesh. We are in bondage to our flesh. We are in bondage to our flesh. But we are given reviving. We are given a little bit of freedom from it in those moments. We can as if find ourselves holy. We are holy under that same message, that same belief.

God's word, it brings us to the same spot always no matter how we look at it. There's only one thing. There's only one saving place. And it's in the suffering and death and resurrection of Jesus. Nothing else.

This afternoon dear brothers and sisters isn't that what you want to believe? Isn't that what you believe? Not just want to believe, but you believe. It might be weak faith. You might have doubts. You might have fears. It's what we believe. And it gives us hope. It gives us hope of something better to come.

If it was only for this dear brothers and sisters, is this enough? Coming here to services, coming here to worship, coming here to services. If this is all that it is for, if we can come here as a group and meet together and have dinner, what's gathered us again and again and again over the years is the same hope, the same faith, same love. It's the same hope. It's the same care. It hasn't changed one iota.

I've heard stories from parents from years back. It matches our stories at home. I'm sure it will continue to match the homes of believers. Of believers in years to come. Some people in the LLC archives. Even on the LLC archives. It's very interesting to listen to it. From mother's day sermon back in Minneapolis in 1970. It was half a year before I was born.

And our brother there was talking about, first he related about his own repentance story, and at the end he mentioned about his thoughts on Mother's Day. And he said that he couldn't get past that fact when he looked back over the years. He said that he was just a poor father. But he told the kids that day something that I'll never forget. He said that the prettiest rose that they could ever carry to their mother was when they carried their sinful heart there.

Isn't it wonderful to know when your children are walking in faith? Isn't it wonderful to know in times of trial that you can turn to your brothers, your sisters, your parents, and hear the same message again for so weak and slow to believe? Isn't that what Jesus said? Jesus said to his disciples that they're so slow to believe.

But we are given those times of reviving in our bondage. And those times of reviving are always the same. It has never changed. It's just a simple message. And when you just hear it, out of the blue, it seems like it's just some type of incantation, some saying that's just some Lestadian saying. And in some ways it is.

But when you read scriptures, it brings us back always to the same message of Good Friday and Easter. There is no other name under heaven under which sins can be forgiven. And their brother said, without the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness. It's always the same. It only points to that. All of God's word points to that same message again and again.

And there was one member of our congregation who received the grace of repentance and said he had come to services many times and sat there and listened. And she was a good Christian. She said, do you know what she didn't hear? The whole time. She must have heard it in her ears over and over and over again because that's what we hear at the hearing of God's word, isn't it? The preaching of the gospel.

When she received the grace of repentance, she received the grace of repentance. She received the grace of repentance. When she received the grace of repentance, she said something changed in her. She said she never realized. She never heard that. It was told to her again and again that she could believe her sins forgiven. And it, like, went in one ear and went out the other. It just didn't register.

But isn't that what we came here for? It's the good speaking message of the gospel. The good speaking message of the gospel.

When I was at the Opisto, one weekend there was a language camp and they had a couple of other courses at the same time. And one of the teachers there one evening gave us a presentation about the handicapped. He was leading a course for parents with handicapped children.

And I had never encountered the type of people that he had met. And I had never spoken to him. And I had never spoken to him. And I had never spoken to him. And I had never spoken to him. Sure, I had seen some of, for instance, with Down syndrome or other syndromes. I've seen them at services.

But he spoke about a confirmation camp where there were many, many handicaps. He taught there for a few days and he said they just sat there. In his mind he thought, that boy, isn't this a waste of time? And so then he thought to himself, well, I want to know what they, what they know about the things I've taught. So I'm going to ask them the most core message.

He asked them, why did Jesus die on the cross? And they said, well, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

He said he wasn't going to say anything until someone answered. And it was quiet. One of the students in the back had only one form of communication. She had little blocks that she could move on the table in front of her. She was fidgeting. So he went and stood by her. He asked one more time, why did Jesus die on the cross? And she moved the blocks and said, my sins. And she said, my sins. And he said, my sins. And she said, my sins. And he said, my sins.

Jesus died on the cross for not your sins, dear brothers and sisters. Not for the sins of the whole world. He died for me. He died for you. You don't need to. You don't need to. You don't need to carry sins. You don't need to bear them. So many times we try for days and weeks and months to bear them. We don't need to.

This afternoon, this evening, our dear brother and sister, you can hear the same Gospel message again. You can believe it. You can uplift your heart and believe all of your sins, your faults, your shortcomings forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood. And believe it.

One child asked their parents, said that the minister blessed with the Gospel and some person then raised their hand and asked for the same thing to be said again. They were having a hard time believing it. They didn't believe it until it was spoken in their name. To their address.

I don't say that to have you raise your hand. But I say it and simply ask, do you believe that? Because you can believe it.

So dear brothers and sisters, I do simply just say, lift up your heart and believe all of your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. And I wonder, can I believe the same Gospel? Can I believe? I want to believe together with you. In Jesus' name. Amen.