Sermon in Cokato 14.02.2016

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

Our dear Heavenly Father, as we have come from our varying lots in life to gather here at the feet of Thy beloved Son, we ask, dear Father, simply to feed and nourish us, uplift and comfort us, for we who so many times fall into that snare of the tempter and sin attaches.

Dear Father, we thank You for this grace gift that Thou hast given unto us and this offering unto all mankind. Dear Father, we thank You for the merit work of Thy beloved Son, who suffered and died on our behalf, and rose victorious on that Easter morning, so that we can enjoy that salvation that He has prepared unto us through His merit work.

Dear Father, we simply ask this morning, preserve us here as Thy children, desiring the sincere milk of Thy word that we may grow thereby. And preserve us, dear Father, this day and all the days of our life, so that we may one day enjoy the glory and the peace and the righteousness and the beauty of Thy home there in heaven.

We pray, dear Father, as Thy beloved 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. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed 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.

Yesterday there was the youth and many of the parents who are here for ski days, beginning here at the church, and then enjoying the day in that nature that God has created unto us.

But the topic that was spoken of yesterday afternoon here prompted my thoughts also to go into that area of the forgiveness of sins. And I thought I'd read from the prophet Isaiah from its 55th chapter, the beginning three verses, which, again, we need to remember the time frame of when it took place.

We're studying in a Bible class of the prophet Jeremiah. This is now that time when those children of God were, after being decades in captivity in Babylon, now just beginning to approach into Jerusalem again, into Israel, their homeland, joyfully returning.

And so these are the words, some of the words that they heard as they finally returned home. And these words are in Jesus' name as follows.

John 1. John 1. Oh, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me. Hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Amen.

First of all, we need to remember, in the Middle East where this took place in those days, and even today, it's a very arid area, very dry, very hot summer, and very oftentimes little rain.

And so, it's not like here where we dwell, where we have water, plenteous water, 10,000 lakes, and streams, and rivers, and every summer in the spring, we get our spring rains, and rains throughout the summer.

So, water is plenteous here in this, where we live. But it's not so there.

And so, water was a precious commodity there. And as a matter of fact, they even built earthen vessels, huge vessels, cisterns, where they could collect rain water.

And, of course, they dug wells where they thought they would find water. And what was very, very precious to them was spring water. Water that came out of rocks and flowed steady.

I remember when I was a young lad living in the north woods of Minnesota, and there was a spring by our house. It was more than a spring. It was an artesian well.

And at that time, they had built there a structure. And so, now the water was directed into this huge pipe.

And the water, the pipe, well, I guess I was a young lad, so maybe it wasn't so high. But it seemed like it was high up on that wall of that building that they had constructed there.

And that water flowed just steady, 24 hours a day, every day. And we'd go there in the summertime, and it was cold. And we'd go under that water, and we couldn't stay there very long.

And, you know, to this day, we stop there. Whenever we're up there in the north woods, we stop there and bring home this same water.

And it's so incredible because we may have some of that water six months later, and when we pour it out of that container, it's just crystal, crystal clear. There's no sediments, no impurities at all in it.

And so, this is why those springs there were so precious, especially because it was so arid.

And so, this message that they heard that the prophet Isaiah then caught their ear, he said, Lo, ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.

Well, they had been traveling for how long? Many, many days and weeks returning home. And I'm sure many of them got very thirsty.

You know, they carried little vessels with them and bags that they put water in. And then the spiraling would drink that water throughout the day as they were traveling home.

And now they got, they were there. And this is part of that message that they heard. They stopped. It got their attention.

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Again, when that Samaritan woman was at that well, when Jesus came there to Jacob's well, and He began to speak unto her, and then He started telling her, telling her about the living water of our Heavenly Father.

That when one drinks this water, one never thirsts again. And she was so amazed. And she said, Lord, give me of this water. She wanted that.

And again, Jesus had told her to go tell your husband. And she said, I have no husband.

And again, Jesus said, Thou hast said right, for thou hast had five husbands.

She had lived an unbelieving life. A life filled with strife and sin and turmoil.

And that thought that many in the world today have that the spouse they have is not any good. I'm leaving that spouse. And then they think that they can find a better spouse.

And so this woman had done five times. Living in adultery.

But yet, Jesus, as He spoke to her, she wanted this living water. And she had need of the forgiveness of sins.

And she indeed received the forgiveness of her sins. And she ran back to the village, that Samaritan village.

And she told all that would hear what had happened to her. That she met the Lord.

And the Bible says that there were those that listened to her and they believed. They believed her.

And then, of course, the Bible says, then many came from the city. The city emptied.

And Jesus spoke to them. And then they told Jesus, Come, abide with us.

And Jesus went into that Samaritan village and He was there two days.

And the Bible said, and many, many more believed upon Him.

They wanted that living water.

That portion in the Gospel of John where Jesus was talking, again, of this living water.

And He said it in this way. He said that He that believeth on Me, as the Scriptures hath said, through the Holy Spirit, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water.

This living water that Christ offered, and those that accepted that, now, out of them, this living water began to flow.

And it says in the 39th verse, But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive.

And so, when they believed that word, that Gospel message, the forgiveness of sins, the same living water began to flow from them.

Recently, I was visiting with some elders, and He was remembering that time when the children of Israel, each of the 12 tribes where they brought their staffs before the Lord, and they laid them down on the ground, and 11 of those staffs, they were dry.

When you have something dry, it makes a hollow, hollow noise. It's kind of hard on the ears, actually.

And then Aaron placed his rod down, and something incredible happened.

There was growth in that staff. It was tender. And it began to sprout tender leaves, and to blossom there before their eyes.

It was a picture unto them of that which the Holy Spirit and God's kingdom. How it is living and tender, and it's not hard on the ears. It's easy to behold and to listen.

Such it is in God's kingdom.

But you know, we as children of God here, who, yes, we have this Holy Spirit. God has gifted unto us this living Holy Spirit.

And it's this Spirit that dwells in us that guides us throughout the day, in our temporal life, there in your little home congregation.

And it reminds us continually of what is right and correct before the Heavenly Father.

It reminds us to endeavor to be obedient.

And it gives light unto us that where is the way to heaven.

It always shows that correct light.

Because the Holy Spirit is unerring. This Holy Spirit that you have.

But yet we carry flesh.

And oftentimes, our flesh begins to overtake.

And can begin to obscure our vision of salvation.

And we can start becoming dry and demanding.

And even thinking of ourselves that we're so successful. We're so good.

And then we look down at the other believers that how worthless are they and sinful.

Satan can cause this in our life also.

And then from that lofty position, we look down with our proud hearts that, boy, thank God that I'm not like them.

You know, this isn't far from any one of us.

You know, to fall on those sins on the right-hand side of the way. Those sins of self-righteousness.

And of course, we've experienced those sins on the left.

And there's no question.

There's no question.

When that sin has beset, there's been distress and sorrow.

And even though Satan may say unto us that, well, it's no big thing. Don't worry.

But thank God that our Heavenly Father has His free offering of grace.

Oh, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.

You know, these children of God that were in Babylon, you know, they were there many decades.

And that's why the prophet Jeremiah had reminded them that, dear children, build homes and houses, plant gardens, have children, give your daughters unto husbands, and pray for the good of the city.

Jeremiah was reminding them that one can experience the grace and goodness and abundant love of our Heavenly Father no matter where one may be at any given time.

And so the conditions there actually were fairly good.

As a matter of fact, there were those Israelites who didn't want to return back to Jerusalem. Unbelieving.

But there was one thing that they experienced.

And that was a spiritual hunger and thirst for God's Word.

They wanted once again somehow, sometime, to be able to enter into that temple, into that worship service of our Heavenly Father.

They longed for this.

That was what they were lacking.

And now, they hear this precious message, this free offering of grace from our Heavenly Father.

And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

What is this wine that the prophet Isaiah was speaking of?

It was nothing more than that work of salvation of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

That messianic salvation that God prepared unto mankind.

And so, what is this milk that the prophet was speaking of?

It's nothing more than the Word of God, that precious, comforting, uplifting, calling, gathering, uniting Word of our Heavenly Father.

And that's why Peter who often, Peter was so oftentimes so bold and so full of himself even through the flesh when our Heavenly Father taught him in that school of grace and mercy and forgiveness.

He was in that lower courtyard when he had already told Jesus that I will never deny Thee. I will go to death for You.

And Jesus was in that upper courtyard and being tried.

And Peter was down there and it was cold and there were fires going.

And Peter was gathered around those fires of those unbelievers and warming his cold heart, cold hands.

And one said to him that you're one of them.

And he denied. He said, I am not.

And another said that surely you're one of them.

And again he cursed and denied.

And then the third time a damsel said that, no, I saw You with them.

And again he denied.

And the cock began to crow.

And he remembered those words of Jesus.

That before the cock crowed, thou hast denied me thrice.

But it's so comforting.

And I'm sure when he ran out of there into the darkness in unbelief, he had denied the Lord and Savior.

But I'm sure it was comforting when those believers reminded him, but don't you remember what Jesus said unto you and unto us?

He spoke specifically to Peter, but he was speaking to you and I also that Simon, and Simon, Satan has desired to have you that he could devour you and sift you as wheat.

But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not.

But when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jesus knew that he was going to deny his faith.

But Jesus knew also that the Heavenly Father has grace and mercy unto Peter and he received forgiveness of that unbelief into which he fell.

And that's why Peter, who went through that school of that grace and mercy and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father, learned the place of a child.

And that's why he reminds you and I, dear brother and sister, when he speaks in that first epistle of Peter, these words and I have often used them he says that we should be as newborn babies desiring the sincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby.

That's why we've come here.

That this precious milk of our Heavenly Father through His word that it would strengthen and uplift and comfort and lovingly remind and rebuke us of where is the way of salvation.

Oh everyone that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

God's incredible love, miraculous love that He has for sin-fallen mankind, for you and I, it's incomprehensible.

And as the brother reminded us that unconditional love that God has unto us, that free offering of grace of which we have been able to be participants of.

God has given us everything that we have: our birth, life, our skills and abilities, our homes, our families, everything God has given unto us.

It's been a gift from God unto us.

And from the very beginning the work of God's kingdom has gone forth from the funds of His own.

Jesus and the disciples when they were there at the temple one morning and as they were watching people put money into the treasury, there came a widow, a poor widow.

And they saw when she put in just the mite, a portion of a cent.

And Jesus told His disciples that she has given her all.

There's a portion in the apocrypha which speaks unto us how God loves a cheerful giver.

I don't have the apocrypha here now but it speaks in there how important it is that we give unto the work of the kingdom willingly and with a cheerful heart.

It does no good unto us to give anything begrudgingly.

It is important that we freely give that which we're able to give.

How do you think the work of the kingdom went on in the Old Testament day and how were all the priests and their families cared for?

It was through the sacrifices of the people when they brought them there to be sacrificed.

That is how they lived.

That is how God's work has continued to this day.

And it is important sometimes we struggle in our own minds.

You know, we've experienced incredible blessing of our Heavenly Father.

Father, I was just visiting with somebody about not that many years ago when the dust of the last heresy began to settle.

And as we looked around bewildered and yet with joy that God had spared us in living faith, there was no question.

There was no question with the vast majority where the way of salvation went.

And it wasn't there where those others went in anger and bitterness.

That God showed the way of salvation.

And there was only a handful of families here in this area that remained believing.

Mentioned in Baba Klasso the time of visitation comes and it goes.

And thank God that here in this area is still a flourishing time of visitation.

The blessings that God has granted on the increase where today here are hundreds and hundreds who are endeavoring in living faith.

I was talking to a brother yesterday and he mentioned that I sometimes mention there's 600 here a Sunday morning if everybody is here.

And he was saying no dear brother I think you're way off.

He said it's a lot more than that.

But it's incredible the blessing of God and the blessing of God here in North America.

The growth and those who have received the forgiveness of sins from unbelief and have entered into God's kingdom.

But sometimes we struggle.

We may struggle even on that leadership that God has provided unto us and we try to second guess and we have different opinions.

And of course on many temporal issues there are many different opinions and that's good.

That's very good.

But it's important that when we as believers come to a consensus and an understanding that even if we don't agree with it that we tip our hat and believe.

And especially in the doctrinal matters it is imperative that we do so.

And we don't have all understanding and no we don't.

We're of so little understanding.

And yet, and yet God has protected us and shielded us to this day.

But that's why He's saying here He's saying incline your ear and come unto me here and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you.

It is important that we come to the hearing of God's word.

It's important that there in your little home congregations as you visit one another that also you visit about the most important matter and about the joys and the sorrows of life.

It is very important.

Faith cometh by hearing by the word of God.

It says here in the sixth verse and seventh verse in this way it says seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

And let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.

And let him return unto the Lord and He will have mercy upon him and to our God He will abundantly pardon.

Yes, it is important that even us in our everyday life we so often time stray on those byways and highways that the enemy of the soul has placed there.

It's important, extremely important as Jesus taught seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else shall be added unto you.

That daily we would seek that place and that place of that free offering of grace and forgiveness.

He asks a question here wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which satisfieth not?

Hearken diligently unto me and eat that which is good and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Boy, if we've ever lived the time it's today that people are going hither and thither to spend money for that which is not bread and to labor for that which satisfies not.

This temporal it's become a god to some people an idol that they must have more and more of and they spend their entire existence around this stuff that one day will burn.

And He's reminding us here that boy don't, don't, don't, don't, don't go there dear brothers and sisters that which satisfieth not.

But hearken diligently unto me.

These are the words of our Heavenly Father.

And eat that which is good and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Yes dear brothers and sisters it is such a miracle that we're able to be here in God's house here in this tabernacle of our Heavenly Father here upon the earth.

And God loves, oh how He loves all mankind.

He loves those unbelieving loved ones that you have.

He loves all these unbelieving neighbors that surround us.

The peoples of this great land that we live in those who are, who are, who have been so deceived by the enemy of the soul.

And indeed all the peoples of the world.

God loves the sinner but He hates sin.

It says, it says I'm going to read a portion where John was able to behold the glory of heaven.

I don't know if anybody else was given such a vivid, vivid vision of heaven than John.

The beauty of heaven.

And Jesus was speaking unto him and He reminded him and us all of us He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Holy Spirit is unerring dear brother and sister.

I as a person I'm a great sinner and err many times and of so little understanding and wisdom.

But such is our lot here in this life.

But thank God that our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit continues to nurture and to teach and to instruct and to uplift and to comfort and to lovingly rebuke us always gathering and enlightening unto us of the beauty of the unity of the Holy Spirit here in God's kingdom.

And as the apostle has reminded us and those words are so true where he said how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of the tidings of joy.

Yes this living water flows here here in His kingdom.

It completely surrounds us.

It is always present and near.

Our Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus is very close.

Boys and girls when you go home beloved youth Jesus is there in your home.

That grace altar that where that living water flows from is ever present there.

And the apostle has reminded us when he writes there in that fourth chapter of Hebrews in this way that let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Yes dear brothers and sisters it pays to believe to cling on to this gift that God has given unto us.

And again from that third chapter of Revelation where Jesus Himself says this and reminds us behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown.

And He says behold I stand at the door and knock and if any man hear my voice open the door.

Yes you dear unbelieving ones open that door of your heart and Jesus said I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.

Yes the Holy Spirit through the gospel of the forgiveness of sins opens that door unto our Lord Jesus unto that way of salvation.

It is so simple.

It is so, so simple.

And yet as we have experienced oftentimes it can be so difficult.

But dear brother and sister our Heavenly Father even now desires to remind you to uplift your hearts and believe all your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood and be of good comfort.

We have nothing to fear here in God's kingdom.

Yes the world is raging and roaring around us.

The politics of our day is very, very frightening.

And yet dear brother and sister we have nothing to fear for with us is the arm of our Heavenly Father.

And He reminds us if God is with us who can be against us.

Yes and so be joyful.

Yes even joyful in the peace and not of evil and sorrow and thoughts and desires of a future with hope for you and I and the children of God.

And that is what we have dear brothers and sisters here in God's kingdom.

Yes we can, we can be happy and joyful.

Soon, soon those better days are before us when no longer are there any more trials and difficulties, battles of faith that we experience and the onslaughts of the enemy of the soul and that sin that he places and brings to us.

Soon all that is is passed and we can behold the face of our Heavenly Father forever in the glory and in the beauty of heaven.

It pays to believe doesn't it?

Where would we go even as the apostles when Jesus and the disciples saw that many of those who heard the word have they turned away and they were offended at that word.

And Jesus asked His disciples will you also go?

And they said Lord where would we go?

Isn't that the truth?

Where would we go?

For it is only here in God's kingdom where we experience the living word of our Heavenly Father where we partake of the living water and that bread of life again and again and again.

Yes it pays to believe.

Be of good comfort all your sins and doubts are forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And boy I need to hear that gospel that can I believe my doubts and sins forgiven?

I desire to believe with you 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.