Services/Sermon in Rockford 19.08.2018

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us quieten our hearts in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Our dear Heavenly Father, as we have gathered here around Thy blessed Word, we simply ask, dear Father, to strengthen our faith. Dear Father, we ask to open Thy Word unto us through Thy Holy Spirit, feed and nourish us, guide and instruct us, and grant unto us that encouragement, uplifting, and comfort that we so sorely need.

And we ask, dear Father, remember those who are in a darkness of unbelief, our loved ones and our neighbors. Lead them here unto Thy kingdom, unto Thy grace, and unto Thy truth, and grant unto them a heart of a child.

And we ask even this morning, dear Father, preserve us in a place of a child, as little children here in Thy kingdom, living and being nourished through Thy undying Word. And for all this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

For our text this morning, I was struggling for a text, and I came onto this text. It's a pistol text for this Sunday, but it's somewhere in the three-year church rotation. I'm not even sure exactly what year. And it's going to be from the third chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the first ten verses.

And we, here in God's kingdom, kingdom of joy and peace and righteousness, this text also reveals unto us of the joy of believing, and the joy of receiving this gift of living faith into the heart, and entering into the tabernacles of our Heavenly Father, His kingdom here upon the earth.

And these words are in Jesus' name as follow. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple, who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked in alms.

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the beautiful gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto them. Amen.

A lot of loving greetings from the believers there in Cocado. It is precious when we can relay greetings of love and peace to one another. And they did ask to bring these special greetings to you here in Rockford. I fondly speak of Cocado, that we're there on the western fringes of Wright County. But greetings and greetings of love and greetings of peace.

On our church calendar, we note that the theme for this Sunday speaks simply in this way: Jesus, our healer.

I don't know how your life of faith has been. But in my life of faith, I have stumbled many times. Sin has beset me. I've had wrong understandings. I've had many doubts. And especially I've had doubts: Will I get to heaven?

And the one thing that I have learned in my life is this: That we are in need of a continuous healer. And Jesus is our healer. And there's not a day goes by that I don't need to hear personally that message of that joyous gospel, the core of the gospel, that my sins have been forgiven unto me.

And I'll have to say that even at the beginning here, I do need, I need to ask your brothers and sisters again, can I have my many doubts and my sins also forgiven? It is with joy that I believe with you.

And that is the trademark of God's kingdom. It's a kingdom of joy. It's a kingdom of peace. It's a kingdom of righteousness. And God's kingdom is ruled by the living Holy Spirit of our Heavenly Father, the Creator, our beloved Lord Jesus, who redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit that sanctifies and makes us holy.

And in our discussions among one another and with our unbelieving neighbors, it's important that we speak of God's word, the Bible, and our Heavenly Father, the Creator. And God's word is the highest authority.

And it's good to relate unto them of the grace of our Lord Jesus, how He died for the sins of the entire world. And He redeemed us and saved us.

And then also that third portion of the Godhead. Very important. Because without this third portion, we wouldn't have either God or the Lord Jesus. We would not have living faith.

And there's millions and millions of Christians around the world today that believe upon this written word of our Heavenly Father. They read it. They endeavor to follow the instructions of the Bible.

Many of these, I have to say, my countrymen, my neighbors, are upright, moral people. Very good people. Good citizens of this land. And yet something is missing.

Because it is the Holy Spirit that opens this highest authority of man, the Holy Scriptures. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is a dead word. The Holy Spirit makes God's word a living word.

You mothers and fathers have experienced that in your home. Trying to teach your children and remind your youth and so on. And speaking to one another.

It's been the Holy Spirit that has been within you, that has guided you in your teachings, in your little home congregation.

And you boys and girls, you have this same Holy Spirit. And it's this Holy Spirit that speaks to you when you've been disobedient. And reminds you that you need to have sins forgiven, to go to your mother and father and ask them for forgiveness for your disobedience.

That's the simplicity of living faith. Isn't it?

And so, in God's kingdom, there's joy. This text that we read, it's a joyous text, isn't it?

Some unbelieving man for, I don't know how many years, but he was 40 years old. He had never walked. He was born handicapped.

And it states there how he was carried daily to the steps of the temple there by that gate that was called Beautiful. And there he was, every day, begging for sustenance, for bread, so that he could live to make it to the next day.

And the good citizens of that day, the believers and unbelievers alike, I'm sure, would give him alms that he was begging for.

And that picture of this unbelieving man who had never walked in his entire life, and people were in the temple assembled already, and as we heard, Peter and John spoke to this unbelieving man, "Gold and silver I have none, but that which I have, give I unto you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

And he gave him his right hand, and that man who had never walked in his entire life stood.

And that picture in my mind of him now, he had just entered into the tabernacles of the living kingdom here upon the earth. He came from the darkness of unbelief into the glorious light of God's kingdom.

That glorious light of the Holy Spirit that shone upon him.

And I'm sure that those in the audience there could hear something out there, and the temple doors were opened and this man, he comes leaping and jumping and praising God.

And I'm sure they all turned around and looked at, what is this commotion?

And then they recognized him that this is that lame man who sits on, lays on the temple steps begging. It got their attention. That is for sure.

And it's a beautiful picture of the joy here in God's kingdom. He had received the forgiveness of his sins.

Unbelief. I have experienced that joy many times, I have to say, my dear brothers and sisters.

When Jesus, our healer, had approached me again and again through his beloved angels here upon the earth.

And I was able to speak of that sin that had beset me and they had preached the gospel message and it brought joy into the heart. It brought peace. It does every time without fail.

That is what the message of the gospel brings when it comes into a receptive heart. A heart that is in need of care. And grace and truth.

And that's been my life, dear brothers and sisters.

So what takes away joy? Boys and girls and beloved youth, you know what takes away joy. It's sin. And it does it every time when sin comes. It takes away joy. It takes away the peace of conscience without fail every time in my life.

So then what does the Holy Bible, how does the Holy Bible instruct us? Young Timothy was instructed in this way to preserve faith and good conscience.

Preserve faith in that first chapter, the first epistle of Timothy. He was encouraged holding faith and good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.

There was once somebody asked an elder speaker brother this question. I don't know, the topic maybe was around, well it was around sin, that's for sure.

And maybe it was from those pistols of Paul where he spoke of those named sins. But I can't remember, but the brother asked, or sister, I don't even remember, that what sin, what sin destroys faith? If that was the word he used.

What sin causes death? I think that was what they said. What sin causes death?

And the old speaker brother, he thought and he said, every sin every sin. That's how dangerous sin is.

And even at the beginning, we carry this inherited sin. Even before any committed or actual sin has happened, we carry inherited sin, which battles against God continually.

That's our flesh. That's our starting point.

But what grace of grace it is that God has gifted us with this precious jewel, this gift of living faith, and the gift of the Holy Spirit that guides and directs us. Grace.

So then, do you have all the answers? Beloved youth, you know, when you're traveling and you come to a crossroad, you know, and you don't know which way to go, you ponder, you stand there and ponder and think, and you don't know.

But the Holy Spirit always, the Holy Spirit is always guiding. And if we go down the wrong way, very quickly we know we've gone the wrong way.

And so then questions arise. Where do we find answers in God's kingdom? It is here, in God's kingdom, through the living Holy Spirit that dwells.

Because this Holy Spirit in the kingdom of God here is never aired. It's the Spirit of grace and truth. It's never aired.

Imagine, it's never aired from the beginning of time.

What has happened? With man, though, already in the beginning he fell into sin. Continuously falling into sin.

And, you know, the prophet Isaiah spoke, prophesied, and I'm sure even of this happening, of this man coming into the, into the tabernacle, leaping and jumping and praising God.

And it's in the 35th chapter of Isaiah.

Well, I'm going to, I'm going to read a little bit more, a little before it and a little bit after it.

And it says, Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees.

Say to them that are a fearful heart, be strong, fear not.

Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.

For in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert, and the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.

And the habitations of dragons where each way shall be grass with reeds and rushes, and the highway shall be there, and the way, and it shall be called the way of holiness.

But it says, the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those, the wayfaring men, the fools, shall not err therein.

That's you and I, the simpletons, the fools, the simple, timid, meek, sheep of our Lord Jesus and the lambs. That's who we are in ourselves.

We are so unsure. We are so sinful.

And yet, we are reminded how Jesus, our healer, comes onto us.

That dry, parched heart, that cold, empty heart is filled with living waters grace, of grace and truth.

And he does this again and again and again.

And I ask you, my beloved brothers and sisters, is there joy in your heart this morning? Or is there strife? God knows. I don't know.

Do you know what the Apostle James wrote about strife? You know, we think of strife, even in our home congregation, mother and father, husband and wife, oftentimes there's a disagreement, just a little strife.

I'm going to read what James says of it. To me, it's eye opening.

So in the third chapter of the epistle of James, and he says, but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth.

And he's speaking of this strife, he says, this wisdom descended not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish strife.

Even little strife, it's from Satan. It's not from God.

And he says, for where envying and strife is, if there's strife in your life, here's what the Bible says is in your heart. There is confusion and every evil work.

That is what strife causes in our life.

We want our life, we want our heart, that it would be a joyful heart, and our conscience would be at peace before God and man. Don't we?

Isn't this the trait of a child of God, I ask you? Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

And that's what we strive for every day.

Sin comes. Disobedience comes. The little strife in our little home congregation comes.

But what grace of grace we have with us, Jesus, our healer.

God is God is God I have to say we have continuous grace. It's all around us. We're children of God.

And all we have to do is beg for forgiveness. And our Heavenly Father forgives us every time.

This is the correct heart of a child of God. One that strives to be obedient unto the will of our Heavenly Father.

But then when disobedience has come that we strive unto that place of repentance and put sin away.

Because you know what the same prophet said of this. It's in the 30th chapter of Isaiah. The first verse it says Woe to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me.

So if we don't take counsel of our Heavenly Father through the understanding of the Holy Spirit in God's kingdom, where are we taking counsel from?

Isaiah said, Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me.

Our place of counsel is here in God's kingdom through the understanding of the living Holy Spirit. That's according to the scriptures.

We can't say otherwise. We can, but it's not according to scriptures.

Then he says something quite starking here. He says, And those that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit.

You remember one of the first heresies? I should say one of the early heresies. The heresy of Ham, the son of Noah.

When he went into his father's tent and he saw his father's nakedness, he went and related of it to his brothers.

His brothers who had the correct understanding through the Holy Spirit, you know what they did? They took this garment and they put it on their shoulders between them and they walked backwards into the tent and covered their father so that they would not see his nakedness.

What does that mean? We see here in God's kingdom pardon sinners.

We don't look at God's children that you are so sinful, you are so poor, you are so wretched. No.

We look at God's kingdom with love, with humility, with kindness, with gentleness, with love.

That's how a child of God looks at one another. Isn't it? I ask?

It is. That's from the heart of a child.

Noah's brothers covered that sin with a covering, with a garment.

It was the gospel of the core message of forgiveness of sins.

And that's what we do here in God's kingdom.

We don't look at the sinner and begin to tell others of their sins, but rather we want to cover them with that covering that is of the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father.

We don't want to become bright eyed and look upon the other children of God that they have no understanding. Their understanding is so poor, it's so corrupted, they're so sinners.

No. Why? Because I'm such a great sinner. That's why.

Because we are such great sinners ourselves that we have nothing to boast of. We don't have any merit. We don't have...

We are... When our life ends, we are a handful of dust.

And it is a living soul then that there is the two options as Jesus related when the sheep are separated from the goats.

Life is simplified on the last day. There is only one truth and grace from our Heavenly Father.

You cannot begin to stretch the borders of God's kingdom.

If I begin to stretch the border, I'm on the outside.

Because the border goes from heart, from believing heart, to believing heart, to believing heart.

Heart.

There is danger there.

We need to pray from our Heavenly Father first and foremost that He would grant us a heart of a child.

Then we can pray for wisdom and strength.

Why? So that we could help one another because we are so prone to fail and fall.

And you think of your gifts that God has given you.

Don't belittle that gift that you have.

It's a precious gift from God.

He's given it especially to you, you children, you youth, you parents, you my dear brothers and sisters in faith.

Use this gift of God to build and uplift and to comfort and to lovingly instruct one another.

Not to tear down and destroy and accuse and so forth.

And that's what the Holy Bible has reminded us. The Old Testament and the New Testament.

But it's interesting here how the prophet Isaiah speaks of this covering and that, woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel but not of me and that cover with the covering but not of my spirit.

Spirit.

And then he says that they may add sin to sin.

That is our flesh.

We seek for justification for our sins.

The enemy of soul often takes us down this wrong road.

And I have to say that those, my beloved unbelieving neighbors and my unbelieving loved citizens of this land.

Oh, how they have thought to justify their sins through their good works.

They believe that through prayer that they receive the forgiveness of their sins.

To speak directly with God.

And he's such a gracious God that certainly he forgives me my sins.

And it's all against the Holy Scriptures.

The Scriptures does not teach that.

But even you and I, my dear brother and sister, Satan can cause us to begin to justify our sin and our sinful life in many different ways.

Don't go down that way.

That way leads into unbelief.

And this covering of which the prophet spoke, it's not the covering of the Holy Spirit.

The covering that they were using was that covering that they hid sins underneath it.

One sin after another and again and again.

And what happens? What does sin cause? The Bible says it separates us from our heavenly Father.

It brings death.

It does.

And so we want to remain in the place of a child.

A little child.

Simply believing the sweet message of the gospel.

Wednesday evening we had a Bible class lesson and they had a picture there of the good shepherd with the lambs all around the good shepherd and it was such a beautiful illustration of God's kingdom.

Jesus is our good shepherd.

We hear the voice of the good shepherd but he warned that there are those thieves and robbers that want to come in and false teachers.

Prayers.

It's a warning from Jesus.

It's a warning from the apostles in their letters to the different congregations.

It's a real warning.

It pays for us to stop every one of us in our own place of watching and look into our heart.

Where am I?

Is there peace?

Is there joy in my heart, in my conscience?

And if there isn't, what grace of grace we have here in our midst Jesus, our healer who has promised.

He has said, I will never leave thee or forsake thee.

That is the kind of heavenly father and good shepherd we have that is watching over us.

In the Bible, there is much spoken of joy.

One of those portions, it's one of those favorite verses of mine.

It's in the 118th Psalm and it says in this way, the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the Lord.

And the right hand of the Lord do it valiantly.

That is the only place, that is the only place here on earth that we can hear the voice of rejoicing, the voice of joy, the voice of salvation, the voice of truth and grace nowhere else.

God's love.

And he says here in this 116th Psalm, the Lord preserveth the simple.

Think about that.

The Lord preserveth the simple.

Well, we already heard the prophet, how he explained of that way, that beautiful way to heaven, that not even a fool will be led astray.

And that's referring to us, we, with the heart of a child, the simple.

He says, the Lord preserveth the simple.

I was brought low and he helped me return unto thy rest, O my soul.

That is our prayer, that our soul could be at rest from strife, from sin.

And that we can be as that leaping, jumping, walking man as he entered into the temple, praising God.

He says, for thou hast delivered my soul from death.

Jesus is our healer.

My eyes, mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling.

And then he reminds, the Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over to death.

Yes, yes, I have been chastised much.

But thank God for this chastisement that has been on me.

It has always led me back to that correct way of faith, that correct way that has only one goal, at the end, and that's the goal of heaven.

That is why we're reminded to be as a little child.

Jesus often spoke of that and reminded us of that.

He literally took a little child into his arms and he says, of such is the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God isn't made up of wise, learned, scholars.

It's made up of little lambs.

God is wise.

Oh, yes, there have been those that have been wise and scholarly and believing also.

But God's kingdom is a kingdom of children.

We are a level-headed flock.

There is no one that is of greater stature than the other.

God only looks into our heart.

And he desires that your undying soul would reach the glory of heaven. Amen.

Then there is from that 51st psalm, that beautiful 51st psalm of David when he was pleading with God help.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to the loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

And he speaks of how it was when he was in the force of sin.

How his bones waxed old and the dry parched heart and so on.

And he says, Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother deceive me.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden parts thou shalt make me know wisdom.

And he says, Purge me with hyssop, that I shall be clean, and wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness.

That is our prayer, dear brothers and sisters.

And it's our prayer every day that we would be able to hear the joy and the gladness here in God's kingdom.

That we would not begin to live with strife in our heart.

Because strife is from Satan.

And all that causes in our life is evil works and confusion.

Salvation.

But we have such a gracious and loving Heavenly Father.

And he has promised he will not leave you and me.

And then he said there that I'm going to read it so I don't misquote it.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold in me with thy free spirit that holy holy spirit of our Heavenly Father.

That precious guide that every one of you have.

Every child has that.

That is our prayer.

But you know when Jesus relayed that message unto that angel in Sardis he reminded that pastor of that church I'll read right from the beginning.

Listen to these words.

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

I know thy works that thou hast a name and that thou livest and are dead.

Then he encourages them be watchful and strengthen the things which remain and that are ready and that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent.

He's reminding him of that former teaching that he had from the Holy Spirit as a child of God and he's encouraging him now to return back to this old teaching that he had.

But he warns him he says if therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come on to thee.

And then he says something remarkable here.

He's lovingly rebuking that pastor of that church to come back to that old teaching where you were before through the Holy Spirit.

And he gives a dire warning what happens if he does not and he says here for thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments.

These are the words of Jesus that there were still those believers in that congregation who have not defiled their garments.

What does that mean? It means that they also were sinners but they were pardoned sinners and they came to that place of grace and truth again and again and again and Jesus our healer healed them each time.

It is so important dear brothers and sisters and then when he writes to the pastor of the church of Philadelphia I know thy works behold I have set before thee an open door no man can shut it it is the door to everlasting life and he said of it no man can shut it that is the hope we have here in God's kingdom and that is the reason of joy that we have.

We have the door of heaven open before us and Jesus himself says no man can shut it.

Well one would think well yeah maybe because that believer is so strong listen to what Jesus says I know thy works behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it for thou hast a little strength.

For thou hast a little strength that's why no man can shut that door because you have little strength but he continues he says and thou hast kept the word and has not denied my name.

It's so simple living faith is so simple all we have to do is remain in the place of a child simply believing the gospel message of our heavenly father the message of joy the message of peace and the core of the gospel that even now you little children my dear beloved youth and mothers and fathers brothers and sisters in living faith no matter where you are at this moment in your heart you can freely believe all of your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood and cling to this gospel and it is there every day it is there many times each day we have continual grace and God has promised I will not leave thee I will not forsake thee.

That is the reason of our joy here in God's kingdom and this is what that man experienced there that on that day when when Peter and John preached unto him the gospel of the forgiveness of his sins and with joy he was coming into the tabernacle of God leaping and praising God.

We have great reason to rejoice we are yet here in God's kingdom but we need and we must be in the place of a child endeavoring to believe endeavoring to do the will of our heavenly father and having faith and trust upon him that your sins are forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood.

And I also need to hear this again unto myself that can I believe my many many failings and my many weak words and all my sins and doubts can I believe he is forgiven.

And so in the midst of this endeavor we have joy and peace and righteousness.

Yes we still carry this we still carry this sin corrupt portion that battles against God every day but we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us and that light of the Holy Spirit will lead us to heaven and the glory of heaven one day.

These trials and afflictions and stresses and of life the tears they're all left here and we will be rejoicing together in heaven.

I ask you does it pay to believe does it pay to believe yes yes it pays to believe and be of good comfort my dear brothers and sisters all sins and doubts are forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood in Jesus name amen.

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.