Services/Sermon in Minneapolis 23.02.2020

May grace, mercy, and peace be with you through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us join our hearts together in opening prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, this morning, as we have gathered around your holy and unperishing word, we first ask that you be with us through your Spirit, that you would open your word, that you would open our hearts to receive it, and that you would allow us to believe. Give us faith. As we gather, dear Father, nevertheless, we also remember those who mourn, those who suffer great trials in this life. Dear Father, give us strength to be with them. Father, give us a sacrificing mind and heart to help them in their needs. Above all, dear Father, give us that type of thought that we could guide them along the way when their steps are weak, that we can help them in living faith as we have then helped.

Dear Father, this Sunday morning, we especially ask that you would remember us through the works of your dear Son, who suffered and died for us. Remember, dear Father, that we are flesh. We beg and pray that you would see us through your Son, that when our faith ends, it will open in a new life in heaven. Help us so that we are not left along the way. So we simply ask, dear Father, that you would bless our services. And we pray as 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.

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.

Before reading our text for study, I want to bring greetings of God's peace from your neighbors there in Rockford. Amen. Amen. We've been able to be here, me and my wife here, now the second time this week. And it's nice to see you again. We don't often visit as much as we would like to. Amen. Amen.

And while you are listening to us, the text for this Sunday speaks to us about the sacrificial love of Christ. And although this text that I have chosen is not one of those texts set aside for this Sunday, when reading those texts this part of God's Word somehow came before me and it seems like it speaks to it as well. So I would ask to read from the fifth chapter of the letter to the Ephesians. The first 16 verses reading those words in Jesus' name.

Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh saints. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain word for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil. Amen.

As mentioned the topic for this Sunday is the sacrificial love of Christ. And when reading this text and thinking about it it speaks to that and when looking at this text it also I believe speaks to our relationship with our brothers and sisters in faith and our own relationship with God. And how each of those can be looked at through that sacrificial love.

When we first think of the sacrificial love of Christ it follows the first two verses be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

When we think of God or Jesus and the love that they have for us first we could understand how God has loved his creation and all of us being as part of that creation we are under that love of God. Every man woman and child in this world is under that love of God. And the scriptures tell us in this way that God allows the sun to shine upon the just and the unjust. His blessings are sure and his guidance for humanity and this world are sure and they follow his plan and not one of us know what that plan is other than what we find in God's word.

And so when we think of that we have reason to already be happy and be joyful that we are one of his children. And in fact that leads us to the second part of this how Jesus has this sacrificial love or God has that. He has already loved us he has given us life but nevertheless he did not leave us in that condition because we all know the effects of sin we have been born with corruption. Sin corruption from the beginning of this world has been evident. We don't even need to read the pages of the Bible to see that. In newspapers and history books it's filled with the evilness of men. But even scriptures tell us how the evilness of men is apparent. And it goes even further than that it speaks of God's children the chosen people who could not even follow after God in such a way. Scriptures tell us how the believers fell and were renewed again and fell and were renewed again. It's one of those continual things where we find in scriptures how God has called his children back for no other reason than this than he loves them. He wouldn't have reason to do that. He wouldn't have to do that I guess is what I want to say.

And it even goes further than that. That when we were still in our sins he gave his only son to die for us. It's understandable that we would expect that God would help us if we were good people. if we were I guess for lack of better term it's already that type of a person that we don't need help. It would be easy to be good to that person. But God when he looked out across the world and saw how they had fallen so far from him while they were still in their sins. And I include us in their two while we were still in our sins. We are all part of that plan of God and his love. While we were still in our sins God gave his son to be sacrificed for our sins. Hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

It's an interesting thing if you have time to study that to look at for instance what Luther has spoken about the sweet smelling savor. And others theologians who speak of that same savor. How in the Old Testament scriptures when the sacrifices were done it wasn't sweet. you and I well know the smell of burnt material. And here in our locality it's depending upon what is burnt as well is very very harmful. But nevertheless the believers of that day even in those sacrifices were able to smell that sweet smelling savor. And it pointed to the sacrifice which God would one day perform there in Golgotha at Golgotha on the middle cross. It was a sweet smelling savor to them. And in the same way that sacrifice which God performed on our behalf on that day on that first good Friday it was a sweet smelling savor.

It's something sweet to think about that we don't need to make our own way. We don't need to follow all these rules of law which are found in this great big book in front of us. And to follow them so precisely that every letter would be followed and every dot would be adjusted for. Every T crossed in our own minds and thoughts. Isn't it a sweet thing to understand how Jesus took that away?

And so the apostle begins this chapter by telling us that be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. We are one of his dear children and it's from that perspective that even the rest of this chapter is to be looked at. That we are one of his dear children. We are one of his followers or as another translation of scriptures tells us as one of his imitators. We ought to imitate him. And isn't that what it really is?

In some ways I've put this in the context of our own families the home congregation with our children and what that means. we are not as some people may believe in this world. I know I've been accused of that when I was younger that I'm brainwashed. I remember there in high school some of my fellow students basically telling me that. But I will say this that we are followers of our parents in so many ways and parents I'm sure you recognize that in your children you see how they follow you and they try to emulate the things that you do whether they be good or whether they be bad.

We nevertheless want to as the apostle says want to have the mind of Christ. And isn't that a difficult thing to consider? It seems well and good and it seems like a lofty goal and it's more than lofty. It's an impossible thing. But nevertheless that is what we desire to do. We want to be followers of Christ. We want to try to have the mind of Christ. To live according to what he has taught us and according to scriptures and follow after his word.

And in the same way the apostle tells us that we follow after our teachers. Those who teach over us. And some of this previous part of this letter speaks to that and how the apostle says that he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. And he goes through that type of thought.

And when you look at this whole letter of Ephesians it speaks to how Paul wishes to tell these Ephesians or guide them into how they treat one another in that congregation but nevertheless he also says that I don't remember exactly where it is but when he speaks about those kinds of issues that it's not like we wish to follow one individual person be that far from us and not that we would wish to follow even names be that far from us in fact in another part of the scriptures he speaks to that we we we we are not as if brainwashed by any man we don't follow man that way but nevertheless as believers we wish to be followers of God be followers of Jesus and in that process we find our brothers and sisters in faith and we find examples from each other it's like we're imitating each other in a sense we learn as the apostle says how it is to live in the house of God knowing this first and foremost that in the big scheme of things we are followers of Christ of God we are one of his dear children we are being gathered unto him we are not being gathered unto man we are being gathered unto the Lord Jesus Christ and to his sacrifice.

And so the apostle here changes a little bit and I don't know exactly what these Ephesians were struggling with necessarily but the apostle here is very precise in his rebuke of them he says but fornication all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh saints.

It's an interesting thing that let it not be once named among you and so I asked you this morning does that sound like some kind of a list it obviously is a list dear brothers and sisters it's in here in scriptures with many other things as we read further on it says neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient it's those things which the apostle here wishes to show are signs of unbelief that they who do those things will not inherit the kingdom of God as he says further on.

And so when we think about this from a personal standpoint from our own lives of faith how does that fit into following after Christ to look for the mind of Christ to have a sacrificial love the apostle wishes to lead us into this that as God has loved us so we wish to love him and we wish to follow after him and faith is what saves but nevertheless these are fruits of faith that we don't do those things and in fact they could be looked at as fruits of unbelief.

In studying for this text I ran across one of Luther's sermons this particular chapter and he mentions something to this effect that the people of his day were looking at things in ways that weren't profitable they weren't according to what was truth they were those people who looked at a Christian and thought that now that once they're Christians that they're perfect they're sinless and he says he points that out to them because he wants them to understand that the believer can stumble and fall but on the other hand when Luther speaks of that he also wishes to warn about these things and he simply leaves it in terms of scriptures here where it says for this he know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God those are words of scripture that are we can accept them as truth we can't go by them and neither did Luther in his day he wanted to tell those who thought that that a Christian was me was the earth he got those were perfect there was no there was no need to do anything anymore I I guess it's perhaps wrong words to use them that way.

But they were giving the thought that they were free. They were free from sin. But nevertheless, it didn't stop them from doing the same things again and again. And so, some of those who professed to be a Christian in his day, it was as if, like he says, they said that the mountain had already been climbed. The victory was already won.

And what they missed was this, that in Jesus, Jesus' victory was won. The price that he paid on Golgotha was perfect. There's nothing we can do to change that. There's nothing else that we can do to add to that. There's no sacrifice that we can make that would make his any better. In fact, it makes us worse.

But Luther turned their thoughts to this, how we are in battle. The believer is in battle against them. And when one has repented from unbelief in this world, they didn't miraculously turn into some perfect believer. But the battle has just begun.

And so, some of these things were perhaps important for Luther to tell the Ephesians of his day, that fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become a saint. But he wanted them to battle against sin. And he wanted to tell them that when we speak of battles, it's not just some... How would I even say it? It's not just some thing that we do vicariously through Jesus. It is a battle on our own behalf.

And when we speak of real battles, there are real consequences. Some will fall. Some will be wounded. Some will be slain. The battle is real when we are in a battle of faith against our own flesh and blood, against the world and powers of sin.

And in some ways, I've thought a little bit about how we as believers of this day have looked at the matters. And it's not much different. But on the other hand, sometimes I've thought when I've talked with co-workers or those who have not heard anything about Lestadian Lutherans, it becomes really apparent that there are things that we say that mean nothing to the listener. They pass right by. They don't understand the depth of meaning that we've placed into those words.

And in this case, when I've looked at what the Apostle here is speaking about and how he has framed it in other letters, the word I'm thinking about is the endeavor. And it feels as if the intention is good that we wish to speak of the endeavor. And I would say not to stop speaking of the endeavor in that way. But nevertheless, the Scriptures are more pointed than that. It's a battle. It's a fight. It's a fight of faith.

To endeavor it means to just try. And I guess if you don't make it, just try. It's more than that. Because the goal is only reached by faith. And we have to have faith at the end of the journey. There's no other way. Not when we just try to have faith. We have to have faith. We fight for faith. We battle a battle of faith. And it's important that we have that battle.

Because scriptures are sure as we have been led to believe and understand. And that there's only two results after death. One is which we don't want. And the other is a reward of eternal life. And that is the destination that we travel for. And it's worth battling for. It's a good fight. As the Apostle says in another place.

And so these sins that he mentions, I guess we could make the list longer, shorter, any way we want to look at it. But nevertheless, all sin is worth battling against. And the Apostle perhaps here wishes to explain to them that it feels like in that congregation in Ephesus that there were those who were who didn't want that battle. Yeah, it's alright. They were joking about things. Even these things about sexual issues.

He says, Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

And so that's the second part that I wanted to talk a little bit about. The sacrificial love that we have towards our brothers and sisters. Towards our congregation members. I think we would all agree. First that our personal goal is heaven. Heaven.

And when I look around here this morning, I don't know if there's one here that I would say doesn't have that goal. I certainly hope that there's none here that don't have that goal. It is something that may happen.

I remember back when I was a youth one of my siblings brought this man home to speak to my father. They had apparently had many discussions about faith matters. About eternal things. And what does it take to make it to heaven?

And what does it take to make it to heaven? And this sibling of mine had reached the end of their words that God had given them and suggested that this man come and speak to my father. And I remember he came over a few times. Long conversations. Point by point they went through scriptures. scriptures. And they studied them and came to the same conclusion. Yes, that that's how I believe. And they seemed as if they believed the same.

And so my father is almost I characterize as maybe a moment of frustration just as as so how do you think that we're different? And the man began from the beginning to explain how they believed the same thing. And then he said that as a basis as a result of our discussion he says I know Paul you will make it to heaven and I will not.

My dad said you don't have to feel that way. You don't need to follow that path. And I'll never forget it to this day. He said my grandfather died in that church over there. My father died in that church over there. and so will I. He don't want to fight the battle of faith. He could see the victory that it would bring. It wasn't in him.

Faith is not of every man. I don't claim to understand that dear brothers and sisters. To know your sin. to know your end and accept that. I don't understand that. But nevertheless we can speak to each other with love and concern.

Luther when he looks at this text tells the believers of his time. When you see one of your brothers or sisters in one of these types of sins. He quotes this other verse here of Paul. He says have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them.

And Luther continues that thought and speaks about that reproving and he uses very very familiar words in meekness with the mind of Christ. Not making ourselves better than the other person. That's far from us. We all are guilty of sin if we begin to look at our own portions.

But that is not what's here in question. We wish that all of us would make it. We wish to help each other along that way that leads to heaven.

so with that in mind Luther also talks about how that's accomplished. And this viewpoint is seen throughout of Luther's writings. I didn't understand this as well as I do now and I still don't understand it very well but Luther speaks a lot about baptism and what that means.

And when he speaks of it he speaks of it in terms of three things which are always connected. And to me that's what makes baptism more real and understandable. he puts these things in that first discontext.

I don't know if you recall the long list of theses that he nailed upon that door the day of reformation. And one of those things that he says he says that when our Lord Jesus our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said repent he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

And so he places that entire life of believers and repentance into this thought about baptism and the washing away of sins that picture that comes from that. And he also places in the context of our everyday life he mixes those three ideas together so often that it becomes as if one subject.

We live out baptism in our life. we live of grace. We live of repentance. And I know and believe that this is something that has been lost on so many Lutherans of our day. And that is for instance why we have added the word Lestadius onto our name. Because he and his study of Luther had come to these similar types of writings of Luther.

That when you hear them they are recognizable as things that we preach about today. Luther quotes the Augsburg Confession, one of our confessional documents that we hold to. And in the Augsburg Confession it talks about repentance and how we live of that repentance each day.

So quoting from the Augsburg Confession it says, Properly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. One is contrition or the terrors that strike the conscience when sin is recognized. The other is faith which is brought to life. by the gospel.

And then it adds, or absolution. This faith believes that sins are forgiven on account of Christ. Consoles the conscience and liberates it from terrors.

So there's two things that are in play here when we speak about the sacrificial love of Christ and of God. there's the bigger picture. First, that God has loved us and He accepts that we are heaven acceptable by faith. He doesn't have to do that, dear brothers and sisters. Scriptures tell us that that's true. And I don't understand why.

He sees us through His Son, the Lord Jesus, when we have faith. And when you look at the Lord Jesus, He's perfect. He was innocent. He was sinless. And still He suffers for us. And for that reason, we can say we are heaven acceptable when we have faith.

But on the other hand, it is equally true, as Luther says, that we are in battle. And the one that doesn't recognize that he's in battle will quickly be slain. The wounds will come.

And we can live of the gospel, as the Augsburg Confession tells us. Not just the general gospel, the belief that Jesus has suffered for our sins, but in absolution, in the forgiveness of sins. When one brother or sister tells another that their sins are forgiven, and Jesus is the name of what? Believe your sins forgiven.

It's an important thing. It's the battle. We battle because as the Augsburg Confession says, that sin causes terror in us. In Jesus name of blood, leave your sins forgiven. In Jesus name of blood. In Jesus name of blood. In Jesus name of blood. In Jesus name of blood. In Jesus name of blood.

We don't have to fear. God has given us a perfect way to bring peace to ourselves. To let us believe again freely. It's not in confession. It's not in the words that we say, but in those words of absolution, it brings peace, it brings faith again. It reignites the flickering candle.

Oh, if we had always remembered that. Wouldn't our relationships be always wonderful? One of our songs of Zion comes to mind. The story of a dear brother who was a servant of the word. He was on a preaching trip in Sweden and got news from home that one of his unbelieving boys had been in a severe accident.

He was in the hospital and he hurried home, made it to the hospital and as he sat there, God gave him words that he put down on paper. He believed all this was forgiven in Jesus' name and blessed. The words were here as a flickering candle. has been my life of faith. And so often my feet so stumbling waver upon the way. For there the open fountains were seen in his sight. For there's grace and forgiveness over all sin and defilement and brought him peace.

so dear brothers and sisters, we live of the sacrificial love of God. He lives in us through the Spirit, through his Son. Let us pray that God would give us that mind of Christ to take care of our children at home, our grandchildren, whoever they may be, our dear brothers and sisters in faith, so that not one would be left on the way that we would all make it to the goal.

So my dear brothers and sisters, to anyone that listens this morning, you need not have fear, you need not worry, you need not doubt. You can uplift your heart and believe all of your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atonement, blood, even unbelief, even no matter what it may be, believe your sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atonement, blood, believe that unto peace and freedom and joy.

And this morning I came surrounded by so many fears and doubts and wonder, can I believe my sins forgiven? I want to believe together with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, you have shown your word, we trust that you can also give it the increase. Keep us in faith till that day when you call us home. This we ask in your Son's name, in Jesus' name, amen. Amen.