Services/Sermon in Cokato 25.12.2019

Let us thank and pray. Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, we, Thy grace children, have come before Thy face and into the hearing of Thy holy and precious word.

Dear Father, we have that age-old prayer that You would be present with us through Thy Spirit, that You would come close to us and feed us with that bread of life. Dear Father, we pray that Thou would break this bread of life so small that each of us that are gathered here this evening could receive some morsel, some bit of that bread of life, so that they could be nourished and they could receive that power that they need to continue in faith.

We, dear Father, plead unto Thee that Thou would be merciful unto us, that Thou would look upon us through Thy Son and not see our sinfulness and our lackings, but that Thou would look through Thy Son and see in us those that are redeemed through that work of Jesus, that redemptive work.

Dear Father, we want to have that prayer that Thou would bless our congregation, that Thou would bless the Zion of North America, and that Thou would wherever the children of God are gathered together and wherever the children of God are, that Thou would protect and keep them from the evilness of this world.

Dear Father, we ask that Thou would continue to bless Thy kingdom, that Thou would give faithful servants to bring this good message of the gospel unto Thy children. This evening, dear Father especially, we remember that great event when You sent Your Son into this world to fulfill that ancient promise that there would be a born of the seed of woman, one that would come to crush the head of the serpent.

And we remember, especially now, those events that took place so long ago but seem so fresh to us and so alive. So we ask that Thou would speak unto us through Thy Holy Spirit, that we might receive comfort and instruction and be encouraged to continue on this way that leads us to life eternal.

Dear Father, we remember too that Thy Son came into this world as flesh and blood, as one who perfectly knows the matter of life, how it is to travel here as a human being with our many frailties, our many faults and errors. So we ask that Thou would open Thy work to us that we might receive that which we need to make this journey.

But we pray, dear Father, too, certainly for ourselves, that we could be preserved in faith and that we could finally reach that destination of life eternal, that we would be kept from all harm and danger. But we pray too for our friends, our prodigal children, for our community, for all people, those who at this time do not have this hope of eternal life.

We pray in their behalf that Thou would open their hearts and they could see the great need that they have for the Lord Jesus Christ and that redemptive work that He has done. Lead them here to that kingdom where they can receive grace and forgiveness and be able to make this journey together with us.

For the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask too that this peace of Christmas be extended here to our community, here to our land, that our fellow countrymen, the citizens of this country, that they enjoy, at least in an external way, that peace that You have intended for all people.

But most importantly, that in our nation there would yet be a time, a visitation, a time where the people of our country, who have their roots in so many different countries, that they would come here to Thy house, to the house of grace and to the house of bread, and receive that comfort and that forgiveness that Thou hast promised from Thy Son.

That we, dear Father, have many of our own personal petitions, the cares of our heart, and we wish to include them into that prayer that Thy 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 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.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

It has been quite a while since I have served here in Colorado. Once we finished our work at the LLC office, we have been able to travel to different places in different parts of the world, and we have been able to enjoy the fellowship of the children of God in many places. We have been preserved in faith through the power of the gospel, and we are thankful that we can be part of God's kingdom and part of a congregation.

And the advice that comes to mind even at this time is when we left from the UP and I confided in one of the brothers how hard it is to leave and how that has, of course, been my home for many years. But he had this kind of advice for me: He said that if you are going to a believing congregation, that's really all that you need. And it is true.

We carry this human part that is flesh and blood in many ways, but we carry this spiritual part too that lives here in the kingdom of God and finds the hope of eternal life here. We have such a great gift, dear brothers and sisters, that we can be part of the fellowship of God's kingdom, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, meaning not just that we come to services and we have friends, but that it is really a fellowship of God's kingdom.

We know each other from the heart and we make this mutual journey. I thought that we could read in Jesus' name and with powerful hearts a single verse that is pointed for today from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, chapter 52, verse 7. There are many beautiful texts, and I read them and studied them, but as often is the case when we come to serve, all of those thoughts fade away, and we must be before the word of God ourselves, and we must trust that somehow God will speak unto us, give us those words of comfort and that food that we need to make this journey.

So I read that single verse: "Oh, beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that sayeth unto Zion, Thy God reigneth." Amen.

Amen.

By the texts that are appointed for today, we are encouraged to think about Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who came here in flesh and blood. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And when we think about that, we are before something that is impossible for our mind to understand. How could the Son of God come here to this earth? How could He take upon Him the form of a human being? How could He suffer and die and shed His blood and give His life? How is it possible?

There were those in the early New Testament time who, because of their carnal mindedness, could not accept that Jesus was the Son of God, that God would send His Son in such a lowly fashion to this earth. And the Apostle John wrote a great deal about that.

But when we think of this, why did it have to be this way, that the Son of God would come in His flesh and blood as we are? And we perhaps remember or know that because of our sin and death, the burden of sin fell upon mankind, fell upon each of us. And we were guilty as part of the human race. We are guilty of the whole manner of sin.

And yet we could not bear that burden of sin. It had to be the Lord Jesus Christ in that form that we are in, that He would bear the sins of the whole world and take upon Him the curse of God for our sins. Paul said that He became sin, which is very difficult to understand, but He, in the simplest way, bore our sin debt.

But He also had to come in the form of the Son of God because there is no way that the debt of sin could be paid by man, but it had to be paid by God, God's own Son in our behalf.

I thought too of part of this scripture that is almost never used and is perhaps glossed over when it comes to this fact that Jesus came in flesh and came here to be even as we are. But I think in most Sunday school programs, somewhere or some part of it recalls this, that Jesus was of the house of David and part of the root of Jesse, who was David's father, a branch of Jesse, meaning that His lineage came that way.

The first chapter of Matthew is, or maybe almost all about this, is such that it lists the names of each generation. As it says, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Abraham, and it lists many names which we won't read. It would be very difficult for us to sit through that.

But the way it comes to mind is it's recalling the words and the thoughts of Father in Faith, Martin Luther, about this lineage of David, where it begins kind of in this way: Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob, Judas, and his brethren. Judas begat Fares, and Sarah of Tamra. And it continues in that way.

And some of these same names are recorded in the Old Testament and the story of their life. And if we go back to look at that, who were these people? Like Luther noticed, and it was such an insight, I think, that when we speak about Judas, that's Judah, the oldest brother in the household of Jacob.

And then if we think of Tamar, who was Tamar? Tamar was a lady of that same household whose husband had passed away. And the custom of that time was that the head of the household would then, or one of the brothers, would have to take that lady to be his wife.

But as the case went, the next younger brother was, or next brother available, was somebody very young. So it's a kind of a story, but she could not wait. And between her and Judah, her father-in-law, they fell into that grievous sin of adultery. And from that were born twin sons.

And if we follow that through the lineage of Christ, and look at many of these names, we see also the example of Rahab, who was a harlot in the city of Jericho but came into faith.

So the lineage of Christ, dear brothers and sisters, we could say is not a pretty one from the way of life. There were many faults, many grave errors, many gross sins that occurred in His lineage, and it continues. We don't have to read all of them.

But I think He wanted to come, dear brothers and sisters, into such a lineage of great sinners so that the sinner could approach Him, could come up to the throne of grace no matter how great, how gross the sin may be that one has, that encouragement to come unto the throne of grace to receive that forgiveness of sins and be able to continue the journey.

But such sinners have preceded us in the journey of faith, those that have been very, very fallen into grievous sins. But Jesus came to such a one, and it says, I think in the book of Hebrews, it goes further to speak of what kind of throne of grace do we have and what kind of high priest so to speak.

For Jesus was a picture of the high priest of the Old Testament. So seeing that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession or we could say our confession or journey of faith, for we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.

So Jesus had to come in that form of flesh and blood. He completely understands the way of each of us, our trials and temptations, our tendencies to err, to go off the path. He lived in a household with mother, father, and with other children. He grew up in a community where he could see others and how people lived, what happened.

But it was because God so loved the world that He sent His Son that those that believe upon Him would have the hope of eternal life.

And so we have that kind of God of love that instead of casting us away as worthless, poor, and hopeless travelers on this way of journey of life, He instead so loved us that He sent His Son.

Elsewhere in the scripture it says that we did not love God first but He loved us first and called us to be His own. And it pictures for us that we would have been so helpless, we would not have known to search for God, to care about salvation, to be anything other than carnal and sinful.

But He opened our hearts. He called us here to His kingdom. Many of us are childhood believers and maybe some here are those that have been called into God's kingdom from the ways of this world.

But it is because of that love and we should love one another, and we understand at least in part, not perfectly, but we know that that kind of love is that love for the undying soul.

That kind of love causes us to open our mouths, to make our feet move, to go and help one another in time of need or to care for one another when our brother or sister in faith is starting to journey in a way that will lead away from God's kingdom.

That the love of God causes us to approach that brother or sister in all humility to help them continue here in the kingdom of God by the power of the gospel and by God's grace.

So that love that we have has been kindled in our heart because God has saved us. He has plucked us from, we could say, the sure damnation, the open hell as some have pictured it if we continue to walk in the ways of this world or in the ways of our own righteousness.

But He gave us life and continues to give us that life here in God's kingdom through the power of the gospel.

John the apostle pictured it this way: that if we love Him who begat us, then we love them that are begotten of Him.

So we would say it in our time that if we love God who gave birth to us, then we will love the others who have received that same birthright too.

So it is our duty and our because we have love for the undying soul to help one another and to love the undying soul more than we would be careful about our own pride or worried about approaching another brother or sister.

But then our text speaks in such a way that it speaks of the good tidings of the gospel in a picturesque way: how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publish peace.

We can see, I think first, the Lord Jesus Christ who came into this world so many years ago, 2000 years. He came in the angels we heard last evening through our brother brought that message of peace and goodwill on earth.

And that story, that simple story of the birth of the Lord Jesus, is in a way so easy to miss one of the main points of it, which is this: that the birth was announced, that it was made known to mankind, it was not hidden, it was given to the shepherds, we know who were lowly.

But it has come through the generations, through many generations. It has found people who were troubled by their sins, people who longed for the peace of conscience and peace with God.

It has come through generation by generation. It has come the good news of the gospel, the good news of the forgiveness of sins, that the one need not remain under the burden of sin but can be freed from sin and can be part of God's kingdom and can have the hope of eternal life.

We as the children of God understand that mystery, that mystery of faith, how it is that one comes here into God's kingdom and for us even more so how is it that we are preserved in God's kingdom.

But when I was reading these words, I thought of how is it that we preach one to another the forgiveness of sins.

And of course, we know that each of us here know that we preach, "Believe all your sins forgiven in Jesus' name, precious blood," or "Believe your sins forgiven in Jesus' name."

And recently I read in the catechism of that part that many of us are familiar with, of the confession of sins, and in the context of that time of turmoil, Luther tried to teach those people that probably had this kind of question: "How do I put sin away? What should I do?"

Because they had been under the bondage of the Catholic Church at that time and the power of the gospel had been somewhat hidden by them.

So when they came then to faith, many of them wondered, "What should we do?" And he wrote instructions. You can read it if you pick up your catechism tonight.

But what I found very interesting was that the confessor father would preach unto the sorrowful one that, "Believe your sins forgiven in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

That is the word that they used at that time. That causes us to think that the power of the gospel is the Spirit of God.

And many people could use the same words that we use, but if they are not of God's kingdom, that they do not have the Holy Spirit, that they are just simply words without power.

So we in our time use those words, "Believe sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood," and that is the power of God in our life that lifts off the burden of sin because the Spirit has given that power and rests in the hearts of our brothers and sisters.

So it is not our brother and sister that forgives us but the Spirit of God speaking through them.

So we have those good tidings, dear brothers and sisters. We have such a house of grace and forgiveness, a house of peace, the peace of conscience.

We have the power by which we can make this journey of faith.

I was thinking too, and I have thought numerous times about it when I observed individual believers in our own household, how it may go.

But how is it that we are able to take the next step in faith when we have the trials of life, when we have burdens, when we have worries and cares?

How was it possible that the mother of many children or father who maybe worries about will there be an occupation or can I make enough money or older person who was at the end of life, how can I possibly make another step towards that destination when the doubts and the accusations of the enemy of soul come to our mind and cause us to fear that are we the children of God, do I really believe in the right way, will I be found amongst the flock of God's children?

We have all manner of doubt and fear and temptation. The world is full of evil, but Jesus understood all that we face and He did not come in such a way to condemn us but to draw us close to Him and to be that Savior and to pay for our sins.

So the mystery of faith we could say at least in part is that God has given us His Spirit. That Spirit answers to the voice of the good shepherd and we can hear the voice of the shepherd speaking unto us.

We can't explain how it is, how could it be possible, but we have that Spirit and because of that the Bible says in a different spot that by that we know that we are the children of God.

So we travel with these two portions: the portion of clay, the portion of corruption, of defilement, but we have also that new portion, the new Adam, who has been given unto us the Spirit of Christ.

And that Spirit answers to the voice of the good shepherd that we hear so that we have that testimony in our heart that we are the children of God even though we are also corrupt and feeble and sinful in many ways.

But we oftentimes find how hard it is to believe that we are a child of God, and for that reason what faith becomes is weak when we start to doubt.

We have that very core of the gospel. The very core of the gospel is the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins. It's kind of like, I suppose you could say, a piece of fruit that has a core and it has an exterior part.

The gospel message contains teachings and admonitions and advice, instruction, but the very core of it is the forgiveness of sins.

And we oftentimes refer to that very core when we speak about the gospel because that's the power of God, that's salvation.

So when we are down and trodden, when we are fearful, when our faith seems to be, we can't see it, it doesn't feel like we are because of our wretchedness, we need to hear that our sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And we approach another brother or sister and we plead for that gospel: "Can I, as a wretched one, as a sinful one or with certain sins, can I hear that blessed gospel that believe all sins forgiven, believe all sins forgiven Jesus, believe all sins forgiven Jesus' name, precious blood?"

That we need to continue in faith, that power God has given unto us. That's how we as wretches can take one more step towards that goal of eternal life that we cannot possibly, we cannot even comprehend the value and the power of the gospel in our life.

So dear brothers and sisters, uplift your hearts to believe the forgiveness of all sins in Jesus' name and precious blood. Believe unto peace and unto freedom and unto joy.

And I need that gospel to us very, very weak brother in faith. "Can you preach to me?" I promise to believe together with you and make this journey towards the atonement shore in Jesus' blessed name. Amen.

Let us conclude our Christmas evening services by uniting our hearts in the 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 the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.