Services/Sermon in ElkRiver 14.07.2019

In the name of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let's begin our services this morning by quieting our hearts and minds in opening prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, we have again awakened unto a new day of grace wherein we, your children, can travel here, gathering the blood drops of your only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who you sought so good to give as your gift into this world. And that by and through His atonement work, yet today we know that when we are able to believe on Him, that we are acceptable to you, dear Father in Heaven.

As we gather this morning, dear Father, for services and this opportunity to gather around your holy word, we also ask for your service blessing. You who know the needs of each and every one of your children, give today that which you see fit and that which is needed for our journey here.

Lord, allow, dear Father, that the doors of your grace kingdom would yet remain open and that from your kingdom would go that calling and invitation to all those who do not know of your grace and mercy.

Lord, allow, dear Father, we have recently, dear Father, celebrated the independence of our homeland and our neighboring country there in Canada, celebrated also Canada Day. And we ask, dear Father, that you would continue to bless our nations so that your word could be freely preached here among our countries.

Lord, dear Father, give, dear Father, also to the leaders and governments of our countries that desire to lead and guide and do that work that you have even given to them so that it would be to your glory, so that you would give your wisdom and blessing and protection to our leaders and also to our nations.

This morning, dear Father, we enclose these and all our unspoken petitions in that prayer which your Son has taught us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

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.

And the gospel text for this church calendar Sunday is found in the gospel according to St. Luke, its sixth chapter, verses 36 through 42. And we will read these words in Jesus' name.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.

And he spake a parable unto them. Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master. But everyone that is perfect shall be as his master.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou speak clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. Amen.

Before we begin to study and examine this portion of God's word as he would allow, I want to bring to you, dear brothers and sisters here in Elk River, greetings from my recent trip to Finland.

I was able to travel there in June and spent almost three weeks there among the believers there in Finland. I served at a confirmation school as a teacher at Sikatharma camp and also at the St. John's services there at Sikatharma and then had some days to visit at the SRK office and also attend summer services there in Finland.

I have to say that God abundantly blessed the trip. Many were the visits and discussions I was able to have there gathered there at the confirmation school. It felt just like confirmation school here at home, believing young brothers and sisters there, endeavoring in that same faith and on the same journey to their home in heaven.

Many, many warm and loving greetings from the brothers and sisters there in Finland. And I know there were even personal greetings sent that I have since that time, even though I promised to bring them personally, have even forgotten some of them, but take this even as those personal greetings from there.

I did spend a couple of nights with Sarah and Make there at their new home in Patayoki and there is at Patanyemi, now I don't remember which, but they're in the old area anyway. And they asked that their greetings be brought here.

And again remembered how those weeks ago we gathered here to wish them God's blessings and send them on their journey to Finland and they wish to thank for that evening and the love and care and support that they have experienced here. And they also asked that we continue to remember them.

This portion of God's word, which we have read this morning, speaks much of God's love and mercy to his sinful and created mankind. And our text began in this way, Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

There was a time when Jesus traveled here on this earth and he gathered there and was eating a meal in the house of Simon, the Pharisee. And also there was, that came into that home was a woman which was a sinner and she had there anointed the feet of Jesus and with the tears that she shed, she washed his feet and dried them with her hair.

And Jesus, knowing the thoughts and question there that were in Simon's heart, addressed him and said in this way, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors, the one owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him the most?

Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

When we, dear brothers and sisters, even consider this personally and realize and are able through faith, able to comprehend how much we have been forgiven, that great debt of sin which God has not counted against us.

Then, when we travel here and endeavor, this is the same love and mercy that we are asked to extend not only to our brothers and sisters but to all people.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also reminded of this love that the Father has shown to sin-fallen mankind and to his created people. And there Jesus reminded that God maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God who is above all even extends his blessings to all people and even in this way those temporal blessings.

Asaph in his time pondered this and even considered wrongly with this question that why would those that are unrighteous, those that are even evil would do things that are against what God would command how God also blesses them. But it is so.

God has seen it good to even extend this blessing and his blessings to all people.

But when we have been able to believe then also we are given this duty and task to carry forward and speak of God's kingdom to those that we encounter and speak of that greatest reason for joy that we have.

That today we are children of God. Today we have been given grace to believe. Today we travel here knowing and believing that our sins are forgiven before God.

The next verse in our text begins in this way judge not and ye shall not be judged. This is a very well known part of scripture and it is a portion of scripture that is often quoted even by those who do not believe.

And we even during our life in different situations maybe you dear brothers and sisters have even encountered this when visiting about matters of faith with those who haven't believed.

That there is this type of thought there that when we speak of God's kingdom when we speak as God's word does instruct and encourage when the rebuke over sin and the reminder of the need for repentance is preached the answer might be that we are being judgmental but we are not able to judge this judgment is left to God.

But God's word does carry with it both the message of grace and the message of truth.

In the Bible it's recorded how God's word is like a two edge sword and it pierces even to the joint and the marrow and divides there how God's word spoken both in grace and truth does carry this message and this reminder of the need for repentance that one would be found acceptable to God and this is only found here in God's kingdom.

That verse ends in this way forgive and ye shall be forgiven.

Jesus also taught of the need that we have to care for one another in that familiar church law of Christ he gives that order of how we are to care for those offenses that happen.

And after he had given this teaching and instruction Peter had asked of Jesus well how often should I forgive my brother would seven times in a day be enough and Jesus answered to Peter and said not seven times but seventy times seven.

How that forgiveness that God extends is not measured or counted but it is freely preached freely offered and preached to those who feel penitence and remorse over their sin and if we aren't able to forgive our text here reminds that neither will we be forgiven.

In the next verse it talks about a good measure and here is a picture of grain being measured how it's pressed down and shaken together and running over.

During his time the prophet Amos rebuked those that sowed grain to the people and he wrote and spoke in this way hear this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the land to fail saying when will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the ephah small and the shekel great and falsifying the balances by deceit.

So in the prophet's time those that sold grain they short changed those that had brought their grain to sell they made the measure small and then they charged more than what was the set price for that grain.

Our text speaks though of this mercy that God has extended to us give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down shaken together and running over.

When I was considering this text my thoughts went back to last weekend's summer services where there I suppose 6,000 or so and I'm sure many of you here today probably all of you at least for part of the weekend were able to gather there and how we were able to gather there around God's word again and again and again hearing not a different or a new message but that same simple message of God's kingdom.

The gospel was preached again and again and for even such a cold one as I how God's grace was able to warm my cold and tired heart.

I've thought that it certainly is good that we have these opportunities like summer services winter services special services in our congregations where we pause for a little bit longer period of time in life's busyness and hurry.

It's certainly good that we pause as God has intended the Sabbath day for that day of rest and the opportunity to pause around his word.

But I guess my experience often is in the busyness of life that those raindrops from grace seem just to run off my cold and tired heart but when we have an opportunity like summer services to gather there for a period of days how the cold and tired heart again is softened and that gracious dew from heaven is again able to there penetrate.

And it is as our text said that it is that good measure that's been pressed down and shaken packed into that container that tightly that the more that's poured in runs over the top of it and this is that mercy of God which we then are supposed to extend to our brothers and sisters and to all people.

Jesus taught also the golden rule how we are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us and this portion also contains that reminder for us and it says for with the same measure that ye mete or the same measure that you distribute or give out it shall be measured to you again.

And isn't it so dear brothers and sisters that in spite of our sinfulness our weakness and poorness we have yet wanted to and desire to love our brothers and sisters and we find how God again and again so abundantly blesses each and every one of us.

Our text then concludes with a parable and in this parable it talks about how we want to consider our brothers and sisters and also the care that we would have for them.

When we think of this parable or this example that Jesus gave of in love approaching a brother or sister in faith over some matter that has maybe arisen between us or some error or fault that has occurred in their life it asks first that how are we able to help another remove that mote that is in their eye or that speck of sawdust that would be in their eye if we aren't able to see or remove the beam that is in our own eye.

And I think in this time and maybe in all time Satan would preach this type of a message that we can't care for one another because we ourselves are so sinful and this is certainly true that even the work of and that duty of love of caring for one another happens as sinful people.

And there has even and can be this type of a thought from the one that is being cared for that comes from their flesh that how are you able to care for me when you yourself are so sinful.

And here we're reminded and instructed that and here is that in this parable that Jesus told where our first place of watching is.

We know that faith is a personal matter we can only believe for ourselves as much as we would want to believe for even dear ones that no longer believe but we can't.

Faith is a personal matter and it's a personal endeavor and a personal place of watching and first and foremost the question that we all should ask is how are my matters.

But neither does this prevent and it cannot prevent that care that we need to have for one another.

And when we think of our theme in this text of God's mercy for us when we have been forgiven so much out of this love comes then that desire to care for and help our brothers and sisters in the church law of Christ with which Jesus taught to his disciples that as it's recorded in the 18th chapter of Matthew it begins that chapter with these words.

It was around the question that the disciples came to with Jesus that who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and Jesus called the little child unto them and set him in the midst of them and said barely I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And then this 18th chapter goes on and just before where Jesus teaches this church law of Christ he tells a parable of a hundred sheep how if one of those sheep has been lost the shepherd leaves those ninety nine sheep that are safe and goes and looks for the one that is lost.

And concluded that parable in this way Jesus concluded in this way by saying even so it is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

And then he goes on to teach how we are to care for one another.

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone and if he hears thee thou hast gained thy brother.

And then it also gives that instruction how these matters if through that visit or those visits that they aren't able to be resolved and cared for how we should take others to help to discuss in the matter.

And then the church law also includes this that if in these smaller discussions the one who is being cared for isn't able to hear that this matter would be taken before the congregation.

And if one is yet unable to hear that they are then bound in their sins and no longer carried and held as a brother or sister in faith.

And with this is yet the intent that none would be lost the one who has fallen would be cared for.

This is that love that God has given and it's part of that love our human mind and our sin corrupt portion and the message in the world around us isn't this type of a loving message that carries both with it the grace and the truth but rather we would want to our mind would want to ignore even at times those things or as the world teaches and we hear this type of a message that God loves all and we aren't able to judge another.

And such a self-centered society we live in that what is good for me needs to be accepted even those matters which are contrary to God's word and how he teaches through his spirit here today.

So we are instructed yet that we are to care for one another.

And in Paul's letter to the Galatians I think it gives a good picture of what this care is.

In the beginning of the sixth chapter he writes in this way brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thyself lest thou also be tempted.

That when we are aware of or maybe we've even personally been offended by another how are we to approach them.

We are to approach them as if from below not from a place where we're coming down on them that we are in any way better than they are but approaching them with humility.

And as Paul reminded the Galatian believers and he reminds us today that even in these matters we need to consider ourselves that we wouldn't also be tempted.

But God has so meant it that we do care for one another.

And dear brothers and sisters haven't we needed that care of each other that care that is only found here in God's kingdom.

This parable also brings us to another point where we may be in that type of a spot or situation as King David was when the prophet Nathan approached him.

David had fallen into the grievous sins of adultery and then to cover up that sin had murdered the husband of the one he had fallen with.

But David no longer could see his condition and the prophet Nathan came to him and told him a parable of a poor man who had one sheep and a rich man with many flocks and how when that rich man received company into his home he didn't take of the goodness of his flocks but took that poor man's only sheep which was raised almost as a child would have been in his home and killed it and dressed it as a meal for his guests.

David's anger was kindled and he said that that rich man needs to be put to death and here David's heart was revealed and Nathan reminded David that David you are that rich man.

David was able to humble himself God had again opened to him his condition and his sins were forgiven.

God it can be so in our lives dear brothers and sisters that we could find ourselves in this type of a spot where we do not see the matter.

My hope and prayer is that if I'm not able to see may I always be able to hear that love and that call of the God's kingdom and of my brothers and sisters when they would approach me.

But it can be so that one when they are approached may not hear that care.

And how is it that we through faith are able to see God's kingdom.

God's kingdom here on earth is that pillar and ground of truth and herein are his children and this love which is the first fruit of the spirit and is opened when we are able to personally believe is such a love that it covers the weakness and faultiness of our brothers and sisters.

But if sin has come into our life what begins to dim it it may be that personally the power of the gospel no longer contains that same power but it also may be that we begin to look at our dear brothers and sisters in this kind of a critical way.

We don't see them as dear and precious escorts for us on the way to heaven but we see them as weak and faulty and sinful people.

But God's love through faith is this type of a love that gives a covering over the weakness the faultiness the poorness of our brothers and sisters and therein we see dear escorts for us.

May it be dear brothers and sisters that this remains for each and every one of us our picture how we see our brothers and sisters in faith.

But when we think of these things and we think of the mercy that God has shown unto us how is it been for you dear brother dear sister has it been for you like it's been for me that even in this we realize that we have fallen short.

It can even happen and my experience has been that where I can be pretty easy to come to some conclusion about something that has happened or even in this way have preconceived notions about people.

This is part of how we are as people we can in some way even be judgmental toward others.

When we consider these matters often we realize that again and again we fall short of God's intent.

Our text spoke of how the disciple never raises above the master but rises to that perfection of the master but we are not able to travel here perfectly.

We travel here carrying that sin corrupt portion that we have we battle our flesh we battle the world that is around us and we battle that enemy of our soul who personally knows each and every one of us where the fence is lowest and where he can make his task.

But this morning isn't it a precious matter that we travel as weak and faulty ones and yet here in God's kingdom yet here this morning from the heart of the heavenly father to your personal address there where you are comes this message that you can believe this morning personally all sins all doubts all temptations forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood.

And when we believe simply in this way we are preserved in faith we're preserved here as a little child in God's kingdom this kingdom here on earth which will one day for each and every one of us open that kingdom of glory there in heaven.

It's important to care for our matters here using those gifts that God has given when sin remains there as something that bothers and troubles in the heart and the conscience that we turn to a brother or sister in faith and speak even precisely of those matters and have them forgiven and also that we remember to care for one another here.

None of us is able to make it through this life alone we need the care of our dear brothers and sisters on our way to heaven.

Before God's word this morning I find myself the weakest in the poorest and ask that may I yet believe my sins and doubts forgiven.

I promise to believe along with you we have a great reward waiting for us in our home in heaven dear brothers and sisters and for this reason it pays to continue to believe in Jesus name.

Amen.

Let us close with the Lord's 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.