Services/Sermon in Rockford 14.10.2018

First of all, this morning we have a wedding prayer. Kent Matilla and Kendra Vickerynin will be united in marriage next Saturday, the 20th of October, here at the Rockford Lestadion Lutheran Church. Let us pray on their behalf.

Dear Heavenly Father, you are the Lord of homes. We pray that you would grant this couple one-mindedness and love, and that you would make their home a Christian home. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us join our hearts together in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Dear Heavenly Father, this morning hour, as we have come before your holy and unperishing word, we thank you. For, dear Father, through your word we have been set upon the way which leads to heaven, and through it we find comfort for our endeavor, instruction, rebuke, and so forth, as is recorded there.

Above all, dear Father, we, as we have come before your word, we remember that it explains to us how your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus, suffered and died for us. That still this morning, as sinners, we can believe our sins forgiven in his name and blood.

Dear Father, give us strength to continue our endeavor of faith. Help each one of us along this way.

As we gather, dear Father, we remember those who cannot be with us here this morning. Give them encouragement in their lives of faith. Allow them to still know and understand, as we have gathered as one congregation, that they are members of your kingdom on the same pathway of faith.

This is what we pray, dear Father, and as we begin these services, we simply ask that you would bless our services. And we say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

The psalm text for this Sunday is found in the 145th psalm. I'll read a few extra verses along with those verses that have been selected for this text. So reading from the first verse to the 12th verse, we read them in Jesus' name, with that prayer that God would open His word.

I will extol thee, my God, O King, and I will bless thy name forever and ever. Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name forever and ever. 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. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Amen. Amen.

First, I would like to bring greetings of love and God's peace from the children of God in Lethbridge. We were there for fall services. If I understand it correctly, this year was a little bit different in that there were fall services scheduled in other congregations that were nearby, or the closest congregations, like Williston. And so there weren't very many outside visitors for those fall services. And so it was a smaller group of preciously believing children of God. It was good to be there in their midst, and to feel the hospitality which is found only in God's kingdom.

There, the theme which was discussed throughout the weekend was that we should be on those old paths.

The text for this Sunday speaks to us about God's children being messengers of the Lord. And when we think of that in a general sense, we are indeed messengers of the Lord in simple ways. For instance, just our lives, our everyday lives, and how we react, how we live with our neighbors, our family, our friends, our co-workers. We give a message with our life as to who we are.

We also, as messengers of the Lord, speak to each other as believers about those things which we see around us, the joys and the sorrows. We are messengers of the Lord when we are asked to serve in ways in the congregation. For instance, as Sunday school teachers or servants of the Word or even song leaders, we speak, we present a message which God has given.

This particular psalm was that type of a message that King David created it in a way that allowed the person of that day to memorize it quickly. It was written like an acrostic, an alphabetical order. From the beginning of the psalm, verse by verse, it increased. And it allowed the person who was saying that song to recall it quickly. It's very similar to those things which we see in our songbook, for instance. I remember immediately one of our songs of Zion that children remember easily because of the message that is there is repeated. Jesus loves me. And so that message which is found in that song reverberates through the song and it allows even children to remember it word for word.

And this is what the original language does to this psalm. The psalm of praise is actually the beginning of the end of this book. So the psalm book ends with these last few praise psalms. And so the psalmist here, David, wishes to use that technique to present this to the reader of his day, the singer of his day. So it was perhaps a way that he was able to help ingrain this thought, this message to the listener of that day.

Of course, when we look at the English of our translation, it's King James Version is difficult, I guess, even perhaps in the easiest times to remember for long. It's written for a different era, the grammar.

For example, when I think about just the language part of this text, I thought a little bit about the hymnal process that we went through a few years ago. And someone once asked me why the majority of the songs that I had translated or been involved in were not written in thee, thou, and were written you, your. And I could only come to this conclusion, this understanding that I don't understand that grammar correctly. And every time that I've attempted to speak in that form, it seems out of place. There's a different feel to it. I know there's something wrong with it, but I don't know what. And so I resorted to you, your. It doesn't make the message any different or worse or better. It's the same message, but it may mean something different to a different time, different era, just because of the way it's written.

And as we already mentioned, the original language was very different. And there were things just in the appearance of this psalm which perhaps would catch the eye of the singer of that day that we don't see.

I think the point that I would like to make with that is that perhaps it's one of these psalms that we perhaps should read more and more and study it to see what the message there is. It seems like there's something here for us.

And so that's one of the ways that we are messengers of the Lord. The things we do and say and the way we do and say them. I can only believe and understand that that's God's way. He uses us as he sees and in his ways and he uses us in our failings and shortcomings. We will not be anyone other than who we are.

In the same way this morning dear brothers and sisters I have come before you as I am. I can't preach any different than I can preach. I can't make things sound as if they were from someone else. I only trust and I hope that you dear brothers and sisters are able to pray that God places the words into my mouth and that you can hear God's word.

And I am fully confident that any errors you can place on me. Because as people we are sin corrupt through and through. We are sinners. And even when we do the work we have not changed into someone any better than we are. We are who we are.

The apostle writes that by the grace of God I am what I am. And isn't it God's rich grace that I am a believer in spite of who I am and how I say things or however you would like to look at that.

Nevertheless David for instance he was a sinner as we and fell into actually grievous sins. But God was able to use him in this way. He was able to receive forgiveness for his sins. We recall that story we won't go into depth with that. But God was able to use him for his work and making these psalms.

The same way also we think of the Apostle Paul who I would say fell on the other side of the path but nevertheless God was able to take hold of him as well. And we read his writings as God's word today.

David here says I will extol thee my God O King and I will bless thy name forever and ever. So when we stop to consider this type of message coming from David it could stop us to consider what God did in his life. How he was able to as he says in another place lift him off of a dung hill. He was able to take him as one of his own and so much so that he says in another place that he was a man after his heart.

Isn't that a remarkable turn of events? Isn't that a way we see ourselves as God's children as sinners but nevertheless we are God's children. It's not just some title that we have because it bears with it something great. And it would do us well to praise God as David here says I will extol thee my God O King I will bless thy name forever and ever every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy name forever and ever that's the way we should live our lives in praise of God.

Unfortunately as humans though even though we are believers we do battle against our flesh against our own reason and understanding each one of us is not something that is only on one person but every one of us is that way we battle against our own flesh and it is something for all of us to remember that each day we will praise his name and if we are given that type of obedience it seems like our endeavor would sometimes be different we wouldn't nevertheless be those who simply stumble around from sin to sin although we do stumble nevertheless God has given us faith and allowed grace to teach us that we would wish to follow after his will that we would wish to avoid those things as the New Testament scriptures tell us to avoid even the appearance of evil.

For some reason comes to mind now that this time of year we have a holiday coming up on our calendar called Halloween. I know some of my work companions really enjoy that holiday but nevertheless as God's children over the years we have talked about that holiday and what it means in our life and how we as believers should relate to it.

It's a very secular holiday and at its core is anti God and his word and his kingdom speaking about spirits and devils and those such things. It would be good that we would not partake of it at all to avoid the appearance of evil.

And isn't it one of those kinds of things that when we walk after the spirit and allow grace to teach us it doesn't lead us on those types of paths we wish to praise his name each day.

On the other hand nevertheless there are dangers on the other side that we would begin to watch so closely over our friends and family and place them in such a position that could be impossible to come back from him even there there is a place of watching that we will praise God's name forever and ever.

There are many places of watching for each of us and perhaps we have our own weaknesses and faults but Dear brothers and sisters, we wish to help each other. It pays for us to listen when our brother or sister approaches us for any reason.

In fact, this psalm, when it continues, it says that one generation shall praise thy works to another. And to me it implies this, that parents teach their children, grandparents teach all of us. We learn those things of old. We follow the same path. It's a well-worn pathway, as the songwriter tells us. There's no reason to deviate from that. In fact, any deviation leads to the world, whether we go to the right or to the left.

But we know and understand how our flesh and the enemy of souls in this world continually attacks and tries to broaden the way. And Jesus himself has said that the way is narrow, that leads to life. Abroad is the way that leads to destruction.

One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty works. That's how we, or what we preach as children of God to those around us. It's the message which we give to them. We declare the works of God to our fellow citizens, our friends, family, even to each other as believers. And we encourage each other along the way of faith.

I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works.

You know, in the New Testament scriptures, it gives us perhaps an example of what we could preach. It gives us a picture of a body of water and one who was going there to search the depths of that water. And as God's children, when we search those depths of God's grace, it's bottomless. And the writer in the New Testament says that these are unsearchable mysteries. We can't figure out the depth or the width.

That's an important message to portray to everyone. That as God's children, if we begin to stray, begin to follow our own pathway, we can be called back by God's grace. To know that we can put sins away as they attach, as the journey flows, as they bother us.

We can give that same message to our friends who wander in darkness, that they can be converted, they can repent of their unbelief and begin an endeavor which is a narrow way which leads to heaven.

But that message which we give is a message of God's unsearchable riches. That it doesn't matter what they have done. That God's grace is able to cover that. It's a marvelous thing. It's God's wondrous works.

And when you think of that, the message which is found in the law versus the gospel, the law teaches us our error as if we are in unbelief and brings us to Christ. But it's such a finite message. It's tangible almost. It tells us our error. But the gospel is so great, so wondrous, so unsearchable, as we've said, that it far outweighs the message of law.

Isn't that a good thing to explain to those who are convicted by the law of God? That they can put away unbelief. They can put away sins. And begin to follow after Jesus in life and suffering and doctrine.

Men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts. And I will declare thy greatness.

In the last voice of Zion, it seems like some of God's children were given words to speak of those terrible acts. Great acts. Not terrible in the bad sense, but great, wonderful things. When God was able to call them from darkness to light, and they wanted to declare that to others. To say what was the hope of their salvation.

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

Over and over and over again, we can tell each other about that. How God is good. And how he is gracious.

As our text continues. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. That's the God we've searched for and longed for. That's the one we have come to know as childhood believers. We have been brought to that conclusion. Our parents have shown us the gracious God who is full of compassion.

It says he is slow to anger and of great mercy.

Sometimes when we read God's word, it leads us to a conundrum. Because we don't always find ourselves that way. Are we slow to anger? And are we of great mercy? Isn't that something hard to understand? I know it's hard for me to understand that.

Especially when I think of myself as a messenger of the Lord. As one of you. How can I be that type of messenger if I'm angry? Or if I don't have mercy towards the listener? But nevertheless, God is able to be that way through his children. Those who are obedient to him and want to follow after him. Who have the Holy Spirit. He works through them. And the listener is able to help the preacher.

That is how it is in God's kingdom. Perhaps we've approached someone in error. And the listener is able to teach us how we have gone the other direction. And that God's compassion, his anger is slow towards us. And he gives us mercy.

He is good to all. So in spite of who we are, God is good to us. It's an unsearchable mystery. And his tender mercies are over all his works.

So even when we think of, as we spoke a little bit about the law. That it calls the unbeliever to Christ. God's tender mercies are over all his works. He calls with the law and his mercy covers that. The gospel removes the pain, the worry about the law.

All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord. Everything that God does deserves our praise. It is, again, dear brothers and sisters, one of those mysteries. That when we are rebuked or instructed about something, as God's word tells us, should be done. That all his works should be praised. They shall praise thee.

In spite of what we think or believe, his works praise him. And it says, and thy saints shall bless thee. The saints shall speak of the glory of the kingdom and talk of his power.

There is no other thing for us to do, dear brothers and sisters. We can't speak of ourselves. It's not us. As believers, we're poor examples. We fall each day. The journey is slowed by our own sinfulness. But nevertheless, we don't brag of that. We don't speak of that as God's glory.

We speak how God is good to us. He is able to keep us along the way. He's able to gather us closer. He's able to bring us to the hearing of his word. We can tell those around us, our children, our grandchildren, about that power that has saved us and continues to give us strength along the way.

It says, to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Again, this verse brings us to a conundrum, a mystery. Because God's word speaks about his kingdom, the congregation, in different terms. For instance, one of the places in Old Testament scripture points to this, that God's kingdom is sometimes seen as a hut in the midst of a cucumber patch. Not a very glamorous picture.

But in here it says, this is the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Two opposite viewpoints. And which is it, dear brothers and sisters? Which way truly is it? I would simply say that both are correct.

Because there are many in this world who look to God's kingdom and see it as filled with sinners. Those who sometimes wander in paths of leniency. Or those who sometimes speak a self-righteous message. It can be seen as a hut.

It's a marvelous thing, a mystery, how God is able to change the mind of that type of traveler to see. That nevertheless, this kingdom is glorious. And it has glorious majesty.

I can only recall again, I've said this story before, but it makes this point. Speaking to a dear brother in faith there in Ecuador. Who, when he heard that his son had received the grace of repentance into a Lutheran religion. He said it was more than just some hut. He said it was devil worship. It was nothing to behold.

Dear brothers and sisters, this day he, I know, sees it as a wonderful, grace-filled kingdom. Where there is the glorious majesty of God and His word.

I heard him explain to one in unbelief that trip. About the most glorious thing of all. When this man was trying to maneuver his way through doctrine. As to why those believers said they were in saved condition. And were telling him of the need for repentance.

He was trying to maneuver his way through doctrine. And they said they didn't understand what he was talking about. But this they knew. That when sinful men such as I preached to them. The glorious message of the forgiveness of sins. In Jesus name and blood. It did something marvelous in them. It took away the guilt of sin. It took away that picture of devil worship. It placed them in the midst of God's kingdom. And the glorious majesty of it.

That majesty never changes, dear brothers and sisters. We might see it in a different way ourselves. But it never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The same good speaking blood of the Lord Jesus. The same good saying. The same good speaking blood of the Lord Jesus. Still calls out to sinners.

To you who find yourself perhaps out on the edges. Perhaps you feel the conviction of sin upon your conscience. Perhaps you just doubt and worry nevertheless this glorious majesty of God the gospel of the forgiveness of sins belongs to you my dear brother, dear sister lift up your heart and believe all of your sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood and be happy and joyful.

I want to hear that same gospel can I believe my many faults and sins forgiven I want to believe together with you in Jesus name, Amen.

Let's join together in closing 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 of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen. Amen.