Spring Services/Sermon in Cokato 05.05.2013

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we will continue our concluding service here for yet a few moments by reading a portion of God's Word, namely the 17th verse of the third chapter from the Epistle of James. And these words are in Jesus' name as follows. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Amen.

Amen. Amen. It's been good to be here, hasn't it, dear brother and sister? Here at the feet of Jesus to hear what he has to say unto us. These days of special services are needful in our lives. I remember as a young boy, during those years we had spring services at the time of Pentecost. Indeed, they were called Pentecost services. There in that little brick building across the way. I remember the joy of those services.

Yet when I was younger, living quite a distance north of here, growing up as a child, we very rarely had services. I remember one time asking my mother. It was Sunday morning. And it was a church about a half a block from our house. And I watched from the window as people were going into the church. Why don't we go to church? And the church was going to church. Services then were far and few between. And yet, even as a child, I yearned.

You know, boys and girls, dear brothers and sisters, beloved youth, there's been much that we've heard during these days. Comforting words, words of instruction, words of comfort. Such is the wisdom of our Heavenly Father from above. You know, in the Old Testament day, even as the writer under the letter of Hebrews writes, how in sundry times in the past, the Father spoke unto the people through the prophets. During those days, the prophets heard the audible voice of God. And they made known His will then unto the people.

Some 2,000 years ago, God sent His beloved Son here upon the earth. And the people heard the wisdom of God through His beloved Son, who preached here that sweet message from God's kingdom. That still small voice was heard in the midst of that darkened land. Always calling, gathering, blessing.

Then, as we've heard, God then, who went on to have His Son to suffer and die, so that our sins could be purged through His merit work and work of reconciliation. And Jesus then left unto His own that mission command to go and preach the gospel to all nations. As we've heard during these days how He promised, I will leave unto you the Comforter, or the Holy Spirit.

That didn't mean the Holy Spirit dwelt in the believers in the Old Testament day. It dwelt among the children of God when Jesus was here. But what it meant is now begin the time of the New Testament, the time that we are living, where we no longer hear the audible voice of God speaking to the prophets. We no longer hear the voice of our Lord Jesus encouraging you simply to believe that your sins are forgiven. Always calling, enlightening, comforting, teaching, lovingly rebuking.

But now we are living the time of the work of that third portion of the Godhead, of the work of the Holy Spirit here upon the earth. The Holy Spirit that dwells here in God's kingdom wherever it may dwell here upon the earth. But also that Holy Spirit that dwells in you and you and you. Each one personally. That Holy Spirit that guides and directs us here in this life.

Dear brothers and sisters, the work of the enemy of the soul is no different than it was thousands of years ago when the children of God were journeying in the Old Testament day. The same lusts and enticements were then there as they are today. But what is happening is that the temptations are the same but the tools that Satan has today are much finer as we heard last evening. Satan has placed into our homes devices to entice and to cause us and he is always saying come this way.

We've heard during these days of services of happiness and joyfulness and how there's a difference there. The people in the world seek after happiness. Happiness is such a fleeting thing. It's here one moment and it's gone and it's here again and it's gone. People search for happiness in many different ways in the world through alcohol and illegal drugs and through power and through glory and through the lust of the flesh. And they think they have happiness and it's gone. They do not have what we have.

Joy, joyfulness in the Holy Spirit, something that dwells here in God's kingdom but something that dwells in your heart personally. Every child of God has this joy that God has gifted unto us. This miracle here. He writes unto us that but the wisdom that is from above is first pure. God's word is pure. It is the truth. It is unchanging. It is the same today as it was from the very beginning and it remains the same unto the end.

Today is prayer Sunday. As we've heard last week, last week in this land there was a day of prayer. Very commendable, isn't it? Politicians commented on this day of prayer and prayed on behalf of this land. Very commendable prayer. But many of you don't know that on that same day there was a day of reason that those who have no belief in a living God deemed that same day to be the day of reason.

I heard one politician speaking. As a matter of fact, even in this state there was a little rally at the state capitol on that day. There weren't many people there but there was one politician and there were about 50 people, 50 atheists who had no belief in God.

Dear brothers and sisters, this also takes faith even though they don't realize it. They have to have a belief and faith that there is no God. They have no proof that there is no God. They just believe and have faith that there is no God and they are so wrong and so lost.

But one politician spoke of the day of reason, how reason has brought such happiness unto mankind. I thought, yeah, that's well said, that's well said, very well said. It's brought happiness for a moment and vanished. If we look at the history, even modern history in the history of your grandparents' day forward and those countries that had no belief in God, atheist communist countries, there was pain and suffering and death. Reason brought death not unto hundreds of thousands, it brought death unto millions of people.

On the other hand, we think of reason. Reason is a gift of God given unto us. God has given man wisdom and diseases have been cured and progress has been made so our lives have become a life of ease and there's been many blessings from it.

But how was it with the two disciples when they left that upper chamber on that first Easter day? Evening was coming and they had to go to that little village and the Bible says as they journeyed and reasoned among themselves. Boy, reason isn't far from any one of us, dear brothers and sisters. But how dangerous it is when we begin to use our mind to comprehend the matters of living faith. The mind cannot comprehend the simplicity of living faith.

We heard of Jonah. How can reason explain Jonah in the belly of the whale for three days? It's impossible. And this is what the world tries to teach. The world is trying to get away from the living God far, far away. They accept all manner of lifestyle and immoral life and they want us to accept it. It's a free form of expression of art and that's what reason causes.

And reason also causes pain when we begin to go down that way. Reason destroys hope. It destroys faith. But we here in God's kingdom are so fortunate that all that's required of us is to simply believe. The way of salvation has been made so simply and so clearly unto us. Jesus prepared the way of salvation so completely that we need do nothing other than, as he said, to believe upon him whom the Father has sent. And that is what we endeavor to do.

And oh, how this fleshly portion battles against this inner portion day after day. We battle against this fleshly portion. It preaches to us reason and why we shouldn't do this and why we should be able to do this. And yet we have gifted unto us the Holy Spirit of our Heavenly Father. It's the third portion of the Godhead. Every child is a royal priest of our Heavenly Father. We are all in the royal priesthood and this Spirit that God has gifted unto us battles against those things that the enemy of the soul continually tosses at us and places before us.

And that's why it's so important, as even in the very final pages of the Bible, our Lord reminds us, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the church. In our daily life, the Holy Spirit is that which gives light unto us on the correct way. Yes, our flesh models that and makes it hard to see and many times, many, many times we need to come to the place of repentance. Such is our life.

And that's why it's been so good to be here these days to hear what Jesus has to say unto us. He says here that the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable and gentle. Dear brothers and sisters, has it been hard to sit here? Well, the Marthas have taken such good care of us and fed us so well that, boy, I was getting drowsy too. But it feels so good to be here, doesn't it?

How about those two disciples? Oh, they were so downtrodden. They were so doubt-filled. Their human reason was trying to understand what had taken place. They were there in the upper chamber when those women came. Those women came with that message from the angel that Jesus is not dead, He lives. And as they were returning to that upper chamber, Jesus himself approached the women and with this joyous news these women ran to the upper chamber and burst into the room and told them that Jesus is not dead, He lives.

The first the angels told us and then Jesus himself approached us. You know what the Bible says in that latter portion of the gospel of Luke? You know what it says? And the disciples thought it was but idle fables and they believed not. That is exactly what we are. We're so doubt-ridden. That's why it feels so good to be here, to be fed. We're so empty, leaking vessels. We need to be filled again and again.

And when Jesus approached those two, then they didn't recognize Jesus. That's how downtrodden they were. They didn't recognize him. They had been with him for three years. Imagine, boys and girls, Jesus approached these two disciples and they didn't recognize him. Reason obscured their vision and their hope so greatly.

And you know what Jesus did? You know what Jesus did? He took their hand and he began at the beginning of the holy scriptures and he began to speak unto them what the Bible says concerning him, the promises that God had given. And you know what he did? He led them to the sure foundations of God's kingdom and God's word and little by little he fed them. He fed them through the holy word of God and little by little they didn't even realize it then but their footsteps were lighter and they were beginning to feel good.

And the Bible says then when they came to that little hut where they were going in that hamlet, Jesus made as he was going to go on and now the shire were long and night was very close and the disciples said no, no, no, come in with us. They didn't want this man to go further because what he was speaking to them felt so good. It was filling their empty leaking vessel but they yet didn't recognize him.

And they went into that house and then Jesus sat down and there was some bread there and he took the bread and he gave it to them. And at that moment their eyes opened and the Bible says Jesus just disappeared from their midst. He just disappeared, just poof, vanished before their eyes.

But you know what they said? You know, these two disciples, they looked at each other and they said, Did not our hearts burn within us when he spoke to us? By the way, that's why we're here. That's why we've been here. That's why it feels so good, doesn't it? God's word is peaceable. It's gentle. It just surrounds one. It just feels so good, doesn't it?

And he continues. He says that it's easy to be entreated. God's word, it's easy to embrace. As a matter of fact, God's word embraces us. It surrounds us. God's word takes one from the valley of sorrow to the place of exaltation. That is what God's word does. That is why it's important.

And I'll have to say, boys and girls, you know, I'm amazed you're sitting here so nicely and it's been a long day but services are almost over. Spring services are almost done. Full of mercy and good works. Boy, you know what the psalm writer wrote of the mercy of God? It's so great. He said it's as far as the heaven is above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that love him. It's unending.

The mercy and the grace of our Heavenly Father is so abundant. The apostle Paul asked them that because his mercy is so great or this grace is so great, then do we go and sin? And he said, God forbid. The Holy Spirit does not instruct one to go sin. No, never. But this flesh, oh how this flesh wants that fleeting happiness that the world offers. It's a battle.

And yet we were reminded of King Hezekiah, you know, when he cleansed the temple and he told the priest to take care of your matters and then began to take care of the matters of the people, their sins later on. Then when they were surrounded by that army of Senaturib, 185,000 soldiers completely surrounded their city, the people were terrified, believers and unbelievers alike.

And Hezekiah then began to speak unto them and remind them that with them is the arm of the flesh of man but with us we have our Heavenly Father. And you know what the Bible said? It said and the people rested themselves upon the word of Hezekiah the king. They rested upon God's word. Doesn't it feel good?

There's a reason why God reminds us to be still and know that I am thy Lord. We need these times when we can stop and we can feel the warmth of God's word to be encouraged and reminded of, you know, we heard of the apostle Paul how he lamented to God about that thing that buffeted him daily. He had that thorn in the flesh.

As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul said, Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? But God reminded him grace is sufficient. It is for you and for me. But it's important that we cling, dear brother and sister, that we endeavor unto obedience of faith, that we would endeavor to preserve faith and good conscience.

Everything has been prepared for us. We live of the righteousness of faith. We can't merit anything before God. We can't offer anything unto the Heavenly Father. All has been done for our behalf. The way of heaven is there right before us. It's prepared by our Lord Jesus.

You know that portion we heard even during these services, that portion when Jesus said in that 14th chapter of John, that let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions and I go and prepare a place for you.

Do you know when Jesus said those words it was in that upper chamber and he had just told Peter because Peter and all the disciples had said, Lord, I will go to death and I will go to prison and even to death for you. And he looked at Peter and he said, Peter, Peter, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you and he has prayed for you, dear brother and sister.

And he told Peter, Peter, before this night is past, before the crowing of the morning of that rooster, you will have denied me three times. And that's now when he began this portion but let not your heart be troubled. He had just told Peter that he will deny his faith and yet he is encouraging him, but let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God and so on.

He says that to us, dear brothers and sisters. The battle, all the battle is fierce but we have in our homes that wonderful spiritual piece of furniture, that grace throne of our Heavenly Father where we can come again and again and again to ask for forgiveness.

He says here, but the wisdom that is from above, the word of our Heavenly Father, is pure, then peaceable and gentle and easy to be embraced or entreated and full of mercy and of good fruit without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Yes, God's word is without partiality. It's a word that continually calls and unites one together in the Holy Spirit, that continually reminding us that it pays to believe. Yes, the battle is fierce but we have God with us. Who can be against us?

And so we have reason for joyfulness here in God's kingdom. Let the world have their happiness. It is fleeting. What happiness do they have on that last day when our Lord Jesus comes in that eastern horizon, that day of judgment? What happiness is there that day for those in unbelief?

But yet even then and there will be believers here on that day living and they will be gathered along with those that are resting there, those loved ones who have gone before us and it is a day of joy, a day of joyfulness.

Why do you think Peter reminded us, even think it not strange, beloved brother, concerning that fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you but rather rejoice? We are a people of joy. We are a people of hope. We are a people with a bright future. Heaven awaits for us.

And it has been so good to be here and dear brothers who have served us during these days, we wish to thank you for taking time to be here serving us. But above all, we thank our Heavenly Father that he grants unto us his servants who through the Holy Spirit opens the word unto us so that we may be in a little bit be comforted and uplifted and taught.

We are such a fortunate and blessed people. But I'm going to borrow from these words and dear brothers who have served us, these words are intended for you but mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, dear brothers and sisters in faith, beloved youth and even you children, these words belong to you.

He says, we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father.

Yes, above all thank you Heavenly Father and that in itself is so comforting. He's promised, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. All that's required of us is to simply believe even now that your sins and doubts are forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And oh, I need to hear this gospel so that I can believe my sins also forgiven. Yeah, I certainly desire to believe with you and we thank God for allowing us to partake of these days of service.

And so we say, dear Lord, bless us and keep us, make your 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.