Winter Services/Sermon in Monticello 09.02.2020

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

Dear Heavenly Father, Holy and Righteous God, you who are our creator, you have made each and every one of us as individuals and as children in your kingdom. This morning as we gather together and we consider this theme of unmerited grace, we come before you, Father, with great thankfulness in our hearts that you have chosen us from the midst of the many, many people in this world to be one of yours, to own the name of a child of God.

We who feel so poor and unworthy. Many times doing those things which we do not want to do, but yet you continue to love us, to teach us, to guide us, to bring us to the feet of your dear Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, where we are able to hear again that proclamation that our sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. We do not know how to find words to thank you, Father, but we pray that you would always keep us in your kingdom, that you would one day bring us to the shores of glory where we can gather with those saints who have endeavored to keep faith in a clean conscience, to battle the threefold enemy, to gather the blood drops of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus. What a wonderful time that will be when faith changes to seeing for each one whom you have called.

We pray, Father, for those yet on the outside of your kingdom. We know that the work is not yet done. There are those seeking and searching souls in this world, and that you have given that mission command to go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name and blood of Jesus. This morning as we gather, we pray for your service blessing that you would give words that would strengthen and uplift us in our journey of faith, that you would comfort us, and that you would give us ears to hear that which your Spirit has to teach and instruct us and uplift us yet today.

And we join all these thoughts into 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. 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.

This morning, for our study, I will read the word of God which is found in the gospel of Matthew from the nineteenth chapter beginning with the twenty-seventh verse through the end of that chapter, verse 30. And the words are in Jesus' name as follows.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee. What shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Amen.

This Sunday on our church calendar is the beginning of the Easter season, a time when we especially remember the suffering and death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that which he has done on our behalf, that which he has done which has opened the way for us the possibility to attain eternal life in heaven.

And isn't this our goal? Dear brothers and sisters, this morning, as always, our goal is to attain eternal life in heaven. This theme for this text is unmerited grace. As we gather this morning, brothers and sisters, is there anyone here who, when they consider their life, when they consider the endeavor of living faith, when they consider that understanding which they have, is there anyone who feels that they have merited this name of a child of God? Or are you, together with me, feeling how we are unmerited, unmeriting travelers in God's kingdom?

So many times feeling our own shortcomings and feelings. So many times, perhaps even as this text speaks, wondering, will I make it to heaven? And what is that reward that awaits for a traveler in God's kingdom? It is so often interesting to me to see how the Spirit moves in God's kingdom when we are wandering and pondering that which we should use for a text, and then when the songs and hymns of Zion are sung for the beginning of the service, we see how God leads to these texts and also to the songs and the services of God's children. Though the theme is this unmerited grace, the text speaks of the endeavor of faith and the yearning that a child of God has for eternal life in heaven.

And our theme for this winter service this weekend has been this theme from the Psalms: "Be still and know that I am God." When God has brought us here this weekend to be still, to step away from the cares of everyday life, to ponder the most important matters in our life, that endeavor of living faith, that journey that leads to the eternal shores of heaven. Has it not caused you in your thoughts and in your heart this weekend to think about heaven and the goal that awaits us there? Have you thought about heaven? I think perhaps many of you, maybe even all, think of heaven every day.

When that sun arises, when you see creation all around, when you pause at the end of the day to see how God has guided your life, given those blessings. Sometimes the blessings are blessings of joy. Sometimes they are trials in our life, but yet nevertheless, these daily events cause us to think about God and heaven and eternal life. This is a thought that goes through the minds of many people. I think if we were to ask people around us, our neighbors and our friends, our schoolmates, our workmates, if we would ask them, do you want to get to heaven?

I think many or most, maybe not all, there are some who don't believe at all in God and so forth, but I think many people would say yes. They want to get to heaven. I say this because I remember in my work life when those two planes crashed into the towers there in New York. I remember how my workmates were quiet that day. How many of them said, "God save us."

How many of them the next day related how they had been to prayer services that night before. I think it is the will, the desire of many to reach heaven. But God, for His own reasons, chooses those whom He calls. He has chosen you and me. Prior to this text, there was a young man who came to Jesus.

He had that kind of question. And he said, in the sixteenth verse, "One came and said unto him, Good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" The enemy of souls has deceived so many into this kind of thinking that there is some kind of good thing that they would do that would please God and to attain eternal life. And I would say that they are on the right track. It's a very good question to ask.

But also to instruct in this way, if there would be someone seeking and searching for God's kingdom that is listening here today or over the Internet, that when we seek for something that pleases God, it is not of our own goodness or duty or deed, but what pleases God is when we believe upon His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and put away that sin and burden that attaches to us on our daily journey.

This is what pleases God when we look to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. This young man who asked Jesus, he called him good master, so he could see that Jesus was indeed a good master, a teacher, the Son of God. But Jesus asked that, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God."

But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. So he brings them to the law that Moses received there on Mount Sinai. And he brings them to that point for that reason, that he would stop to consider those 10 commandments. And has he kept those commandments or has he broken a commandment and fallen in twos and needs this gospel of forgiveness?

The young man, as we know, you've heard this story, he was self-righteous and he was looking at his own outward goods and his own possessions.

And he told Jesus that he has kept the commandments. Jesus had reminded him, "Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

And the young man said unto him, "All these things have I kept from my youth. What lack I yet?" And we know elsewhere Jesus had taught how if that thought is in our head, in our mind, that we are angry or upset with our neighbor, we have already committed murder in our heart.

Or if we have looked upon someone with eyes of lust, we have committed adultery in our heart. We are sinful. We have that inherited sin, that corrupt portion. And Jesus answered this youth who asked, "Then what lack I yet?" Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me."

In other words, forsake all that which you have. Acknowledge that you are a sinful person and to put away your sins, have your sins forgiven. There he was standing in front of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we know how many came to Jesus and how many were able to leave from that visit owning the name of a child of God, having their sins forgiven. Jesus wanted to forgive those sins.

But the condition of the heart was in question. And this young man, he could not find a place of forgiveness. He could only see his own goodness. And he was troubled that Jesus told him to forsake all and to follow Him. The young man, I'm sure, could see that it was not an easy way to go to give up his possessions and to follow Jesus.

The young man, when he heard that saying, he was sorrowful and he went away, for he had great possessions. Jesus then said to his disciples, "Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Here, speaking of that spiritual richness, when one has no need of this gospel of forgiveness in their life. It sounded like a pretty harsh thing when Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Now I know you young children and perhaps you have that question that I had when I was young. We know what a needle looks like in our day and that hole is called the eye of a needle in our time. How could a camel go through there? Sounds impossible. But what Jesus was talking about was the wall to the city.

There was a small opening there where the people could go through the wall back and forth into the city. But the camels, they had to stay on the outside. But from time to time, I guess, there was need for the camel to come inside of that wall into the city. And so if you know a camel, I'm sure you children know what a camel looks like and it has that hump on its back sometimes too. And it has those long gangly legs.

And so that camel had to get down right on its belly and to crawl through, and I'm sure possibly even needed help from behind pushing and some pulling. So it was not an easy task. But Jesus used it as that kind of a picture how one has to humble themselves. That camel had to get down so low to take everything off of its back that it was carrying, to come there inside of the city. And this is the picture that Jesus is using here, that one who comes into God's kingdom from the outside has to remove all of their own goodness, their own understandings, their own righteousness.

And even those who have fallen by the wayside into the sins of the world, the sins of addiction and alcoholism or whatever falling they have fallen, they have to also in this way humble their hearts to realize they cannot overcome these difficulties on their own, but they need the love of God and the support of the children of God to carry them through their trials and their difficulties. The disciples, when they heard Jesus' words, they were amazed and they asked that question then that who can be saved. Jesus then speaks of this unmerited grace. He said, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

So it is God's work. It is not man's work. As we have visited even again this weekend in our visits, we cannot believe for anyone else. Mothers and fathers, as much as they would want to believe for their children, they can't. Children who have had parents who have left faith, they want to believe for these parents, but they can't.

Brothers and sisters, our neighbors and friends, we can't believe for them. And when we have visited about this, we have thought also in this way, it's easy even for ourselves to believe. Oh, the enemy of souls comes so close. It's our own daily struggle. Our focus has to be on our own journey of faith that we would love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all of our mind.

That he is our creator and his son, Lord, Savior Jesus is our redeemer, our savior, and we trust in this Holy Spirit, which Jesus sent to his own to lead and to guide. If it was for myself, I would be quickly lost on the way that leads to eternal life in heaven. But I'm so thankful for those escorts that God has given to me. Those escorts, as I've spoken of those elders when I was a youth, that would come to me and to say, to put my matters away. Encourage me to be a child of God.

And yet also in my age, it has not changed. I daily need those escorts with me to help me on the way in the journey. So only this can we say that we can speak of this treasure which we have. And we hope and pray that God would open the hearts and soften the hardness of the soil, that one would receive that seed which God gives to sow. We are the sowers.

The seed is God's word, and it is the condition of heart which receives it. As we heard from this young man, the word which Jesus sowed, there was God's word. But the heart was hard and that seed bounced away. But with God, all things are possible. You and I are a testimony of that.

When we look at our journey of faith, our endeavor, it hasn't been so good or successful, but yet we are gathered here today as children in God's kingdom. Even God has allowed us to pause and to be still and to consider that reward which awaits for us in heaven.

And here, even in this portion of God's word, Peter and the disciples pondered these words which Jesus had said to the young man. These words when he said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." And Peter, when we remember Friday evening when our brothers spoke of Peter, he was that quick one and he was also that one who we heard denied his faith.

But God loved his undying soul and Peter was able again to return on the way in journey as a child of God. He saw again the Lord and Savior and believed his sins to be forgiven. And so here yet he is that kind of spokesperson, the one with the questions. And here he comes with a question that says, "Behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee. What shall we have therefore?"

It's true. This statement, when you think about the disciples, they were called from this everyday life. They forsook their daily work life. They were fishermen, many of them, and they left their nets there in their boats. Others also left their daily calling, I guess you would call it, their daily work and saw a much more important work to do.

They forsook, perhaps we could say, the temporal riches that maybe would have come through their work and their activities. But more importantly, they forsook their own righteousness and their own goodness. They saw Jesus as the Lord and Savior, just as Nathaniel was able to see Jesus as the Lord and Savior when Philip called to come and see. Brothers and sisters, you have also forsaken much, and God sees that. It does not make you any better.

I think of so many children of God who have perhaps forsaken the riches of this world and this life. Yes, maybe there are some who could have had good jobs and perhaps high positions in companies, but they've chosen to be mothers in God's kingdom, tending to those little children which God has blessed into your home. Fathers perhaps could have taken on new positions in their companies and been raised on pedestals and become famous persons. But you have chosen to serve God. You have chosen to accept those blessings into your homes, those gifts which God has blessed into your marriage, those little children.

There have been those who have forsaken all of the temporal work. They have gone into the work of the ministry on our behalf. They endeavor every day to focus on the spiritual needs of God's kingdom and arrangements even, that we would have these kinds of services or occasions. There are many, many ways in which we forsake our things of this world and things of this life. You, dear youth, you have forsaken the calling of the world.

We know how it is. Especially in our day, you are on that battlefront. There are so many temptations. There's music always around. There are the parties and the alcohol, the drugs that are so readily available. And yet, God has given you strength to shy away from those, to battle away from those temptations, to forsake those pleasures and joys of this world and this life, to endeavor to travel as a child of God.

I remember an example from many years ago when drugs were first coming into the school. And then there were two believing youth that were asked to give a report or a presentation as part of their English class, or I forget what class it was, but they were given this topic of drugs to speak about. And of course, in speaking about it, they confessed their faith, that the drugs were harmful, that the drugs would lead one to a life of destruction. But what happened there, when they were given that assignment, it was God protecting them. Because as they went through their school life, they did not know of the drug life in their school.

It came out later that there were lots of drugs in the school. But these believing youth, they didn't know anything about it. And they wondered how that could be. But it was for this reason that God protected them. When those who sold those drugs or offered those drugs heard of that confession, how they understood the matter of drugs, they didn't dare to approach them.

They didn't want to be caught. They knew from the confession that God had given to these students that they would not be accepted, that they would be turned into the school teachers and to the authorities. So when in weak ways, in trembling, we confess our faith, God protects us. And we are able also to forsake then the offerings of the world and this life.

This is the journey and the endeavor of a child of God. It is not a successful journey. It is not one that we feel that now we are successful because we have battled the enemy of souls. But where does our success come from? Our success comes from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He is the one who has paid for our sins. He is the one who has opened the way to us for eternal life in heaven. And so Jesus says here to the disciples, and he says this to you and to me this morning. In the twenty-ninth verse, he told the disciples, and everyone that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name's sake shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life. So we see that Jesus instructs that we would put God and Jesus first in our life.

That when we believe in God as the creator, when we believe in Jesus Christ as the redeemer and the one who can wash away our sins, then we are able to see God's kingdom as a golden candlestick. We are able to have that taste of heaven here on earth. And it is referred so often as a double blessing. We receive that blessing when we believe our sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. And when that last day comes for us, when we are brought there to the shores of glory, then Jesus says, "Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit eternal life."

Then we receive that second blessing. So we have this joy here on earth, brothers and sisters, that we can gather those blood drops of Jesus into our heart, that we can, from day to day, travel on that narrow way that leads to eternal life in heaven, that reward that awaits a child of God. That reward which we so yearn and long for. That reward which we have spoken and sang of in this song five seventy-nine. That second verse says how blessed fortune on this journey to believe in Jesus here, but more blessed than in heaven when they see their Jesus dear, in their homeland, in their homeland, from all sorrows where he's free.

This is that destination that awaits the child of God, that eternal blessing there in heaven. And this is what God has brought us again to remember here during these winter services here in Monticello, this time of stillness to be still and to reflect on what God has done for us in our life. How he has brought us over and over again to those green pastures and that still water. And if there would be one on the outside of God's kingdom, the still water, as we heard in the presentation last night, it causes us also to think about are we battling against God's kingdom? Are we fighting against God?

Are we stirring up these waters, trying to cause trial and tribulation? Also, these pictures of these still waters cause one who is battling God's kingdom to pause and to think, where am I? Am I on that narrow way that leads to eternal life? Am I in the love of the kingdom? If brothers and sisters are speaking to me of their worries and their concerns, is it out of love?

Is it because they want me to reach the heavenly shores too? Do not be like that young man who saw his own goodness and his own possessions, trusted in his own understanding, but like that camel, to humble yourself, to come through the doors into God's kingdom, or to put away those sins which have attached that may be leading you outside of God's kingdom.

Simply put away your sins and your doubts, your own understandings, your own wrong watchings, whatever they might be, even your sins that have happened. Even this day, fathers and mothers, perhaps impatience with their children getting ready for church, perhaps children disobedience to mothers and fathers, perhaps not even in an outward way with words and deeds, but even with our thoughts.

If such a traveler has come here today, even now, uplift your heart, believe all of your sins and your doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atoning blood.

Be of good comfort and good cheer. And if there would be one seeking and searching like that young man looking for God's kingdom and eternal life, even now, uplift your heart. Believe all of your unbelief and all your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atoning blood.

This is God's kingdom here on this earth. This small flock is traveling and battling against the threefold enemy.

Our destination is eternal life in heaven, where there shall be no more sorrow or battling or worries or doubts or fears, only eternal joy. What beautiful songs will be sung there, praise and thanksgiving to the heavenly Father for that which He has done in our behalf.

Coming here this morning again with my own doubts and fears and worries, can I believe my sins and doubts forgiven too? And I promise to believe with you, dear brothers and sisters, in Jesus' name. Amen.