Services/Sermon in Seattle 18.02.2018

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us quieten in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit an opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Dear Heavenly Father, we as your children come before your holy face once again this morning with both thanks and prayers, dear Father. We thank you that this morning each one of us as your children can yet own the gift of faith, can yet believe in that merit work of your dear Son, our Lord Jesus, that He has done for us, can yet, dear Father, own the hope of heaven one day. You have given us, each one of us as your children, such a gift, dear Father, with faith that we can't even fully comprehend or understand. Here are weak thanks even this morning. And also for all of the temporal blessings in our lives, dear Father. All of the things that we need, you have provided for and helped with. You know our needs before we would even ask. We've been given food to eat, families and friends, jobs that we work in, and all of the things of this life. And we wish to pause this morning yet and give thanks for these blessings, dear Father. And we would pray that you would continue to bless us as your children.

Above all, dear Father, that you could help each one of us in our lives of faith. Help each one of us to make it to heaven one day. Protect us as we travel in this world that grows ever darker. And give us strength to believe, dear Father, to believe that precious message of the gospel. The message that sounds forth from your kingdom that sins are forgiven in the name and in the blood of Jesus. Through this, we receive this strength to yet believe. And it's by and through your grace alone, dear Father. Protect our nation and call all of those yet on the outside, dear Father, that they could find your kingdom here on earth. And also begin traveling on the pathway that leads one day to heaven by faith.

We enclose all of our prayers in that prayer of your dear Son this morning, dear Father, saying, 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. As we begin our services this morning and wish to extend a warm welcome to our services and even those greetings from our neighbor congregation there in Northbound. We were able to have a discussion evening last Sunday and I know many of you were there also from here, but greetings from our fellow congregation there in the Northbound.

For our text this morning we'll read from the letter to the Hebrews, one of the texts that's for the theme of this Sunday. Today is the first Sunday in Lent. And Lent is this time before Easter. This year Easter comes earlier. Good Friday is March 30. So it's in March. And this time leading up to Easter is this time of Lent or fasting, preparations for Easter. We see in the newsletter there the theme for this Sunday is Jesus, the victor over temptations. And this portion from Hebrews speaks to that.

And we read these words in Jesus' name as follows from the fourth chapter of Hebrews verses 14 through 16. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as 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 time of need. Amen.

This letter to the Hebrews was written for those Jewish believers many years ago and for all of us throughout time then following the writing of this letter, but it was encouragement to those Jewish believers to continue believing on the merits of Christ and to continue traveling on the way that leads to heaven. And this same instruction is for all of us today.

In this fourth chapter, in this letter, the author first has some strong reminders to harden not your heart, to harden oneself to that instruction. And it's actually towards the end of the third chapter where this encouragement and this reminder, this exhortation is, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. And he goes on to remind them how in times past the children of Israel many times had hardened their hearts to God's instruction and not listened. And how for some then, unfortunately, they fell away from God's kingdom and they lost this gift of faith. So he encourages them to continue laboring, endeavoring in faith.

A little bit before our text, he encourages, there remain it therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that has entered into his rest has also ceased from his own works as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Rest. This rest that he's talking about is, in a spiritual sense, is the rest of our heavenly home. And until that time would come, we're not able to rest. As God's children, we must continue endeavoring in faith, traveling in faith, continuing on this narrow way that leads toward heaven.

And he goes on to speak in this letter then how, which brings us up shortly here to our text, but he reminds how in this endeavor of faith, how God's word is a living word. Word. And it can see even to our very thoughts, the very inner parts of our heart. It says, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

God's word is a living word, quickened by the Holy Ghost. And it says further then that neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. In other words, that no one can hide from the eyes of God, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

So when we consider this then that if God is able to see everything and knows all about us, knows how sinful we are, how then is it even possible for us to believe? And here the writer turns our focus to the Lord Jesus. He says, seeing then, and this is the beginning of our text, seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our profession.

So he encourages us to hold on to this faith, to not give up, to continue traveling and endeavoring to believe. How is it for you, dear fellow traveler, when we pause to consider our life of faith? Don't we find that we so often fall short? We so often fall into sin with our thoughts. Thoughts go places where we can't control them. Our mouth, things come out of our mouth that we wouldn't want to say. Sometimes we have swearing, even you children can relate to this, sometimes bad words, or we can be angry and say mean things.

So we have these things that we battle with, and then we live in a world around us that has so much to offer that for this old portion that we carry for our flesh, all around us we see it, the sinfulness and those many temptations, the entertainment of this world, the music that is close, many different videos when we think of to go online.

Friday night we were able to gather for a men's evening as men and young boys and to visit even, have a chance to visit even some of those temptations and specifically even the temptations for men and boys online and so forth, to view those images, sexual images and that, that aren't according to God's word and our sin.

And here then we have this battle, all of us, and we each know our own temptations. The Bible also though encourages us that there's no new temptation under the sun. If we were to go back where Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, he talks about this, that there's nothing new under the sun. I mean, we know we have new technology that has come out and brought about these, brought about perhaps more temptations or more access, but the temptations are the same, the lust of our flesh and so forth are there.

And here in the letter to the believers in Corinth, if we can even find that, yeah, here in the 10th chapter, the 12th and 13th verses, wherefore let him that think if he standeth, take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as common to man.

So he's, God's word here, Paul's telling the Corinthians in this letter, he's writing that there's no temptation but such as common to man. They've been there from the beginning. We have this old portion, this tendency in our nature, to gravitate or to move or to fall into sin.

But he continues here in this letter, he says, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able. God knows each of us very closely and personally. He knows our thoughts, he knows, we know the Bible tells us, he knows even the amount of hairs on each one of our head. When we stop to even think of that, of all the people in the world, that's a lot of people and to be able to know all those hairs, that's just one example of God's mighty power and all knowing. Omnipotence is the word for it.

But it tells us here too that it says, he will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.

How is it when we find we're tempted and we fall into sin, what has been our help? Hasn't it been this comfort and instruction and healing the message from the Lord Jesus that's reassured again and again, dear brother, dear sister, sins are forgiven in the name and in the blood of Jesus. This is what gives us that little bit of strength to continue.

We know the disciples, it was no different for them they had this prayer even to Jesus. They relayed one time in the gospel, it relates this short prayer, but it's a prayer that many times even we have and it's good to remember. And we join with the disciples with this short prayer. In the gospel of Luke, the disciples related to Jesus in this way, Lord, increase our faith. Lord, increase our faith.

This is a simple yet powerful prayer. God hears our prayers. And it says here that Jesus reminded them, it says, and the Lord said, if he had faith as a grain of mustard seed, he might say unto this sycamore tree, sycamine tree, be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea, and it should obey you.

And in another place, we know he said where if you had the faith of this little mustard seed, you could move mountains.

So it doesn't require great amounts of faith to your fellow travelers to make it to heaven. It just requires faith, a little faith. This is encouraging for us.

We know in our time, there's been many questions about matters. And it's good that we can have freedom to ask questions in God's kingdom. Questions on matters of doctrine and so forth. What is the understanding in God's kingdom on this matter, or Holy Communion, or the forgiveness of sins, or these matters? Many different questions.

And when the question comes from a heart that is seeking God hears and knows that, and will help, and we can't even have wrong understandings, and does that mean that one doesn't have the perfect understanding is not believing? We would say no, that we can have a wrong understanding and still be believing, but may it also be our prayer that God would give us the right understanding and the understanding that's in harmony, in union, the same as in that understanding from God's kingdom, from the Holy Spirit.

Because the Holy Spirit isn't the spirit of many different understandings. It's the spirit of truth, the only truth, the foundation, and it guides and leads God's kingdom.

And so it's good that we can have these visits and discussions, but let us even pray for this same prayer as the disciples, that God would increase our faith, and also that He would keep us as little children in His kingdom.

The disciples, we remember, they debated one time, probably more than once, but one time it's recorded in the Bible, they were wondering, who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? How did Jesus teach them? He brought this little baby, it doesn't tell us how little, but a little child it tells us, into their midst, and instructed them to be as little children.

We could even look at that part there how Jesus said it in His gospel, in the 18th chapter of Matthew. Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

May it be our prayer that we could always be as little children in God's kingdom, to have this simple childlike faith, believing upon the Lord Jesus.

And we see here that Jesus is such a shepherd that He knows our battle. He knows how it is for us here on earth. Each one of us, whether we're in school and school life, in work life, in our retirement, in our old age, all stages of life, He knows what it's like.

It says, we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. In other words, that is such a one that doesn't know what it's like and what our weaknesses, infirmities are our weaknesses.

It says, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. That's the difference. Jesus was tempted, but He was perfect and was without sin.

But isn't it an uplifting reminder that He does know what it's like for us. And He has this encouragement that even also in the Gospel of Matthew, what else did Jesus instruct or teach and remind us? Here's one of the places would listen to these words that when we've been tempted and overcome and fell into sin and these sins weigh us down, He says, come unto me, all ye that labor are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

He goes on to continue how His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

So this is where we're encouraged to place all of our cares, all of our worries, all of our troubles, to not carry them on our own, but to turn to our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

This last verse of our text tells us how then. He says, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.

We're encouraged to come boldly when we think of this word bold, it's someone that's not shy and willingly jump right up, be the first one in battle and so forth, or not fearful or scared.

And we could think of, what is this throne of grace? In the old days, the king sat up on a throne. It was this big seat up front, up high, a place of power. And the people would bow down to the king.

But in God's kingdom, it's not that way. The throne of grace or the mercy seat is that picture of the work of our Lord Jesus. His work. And at the core of that throne is the gospel, the message of the forgiveness of sins.

And that throne has been set very low. So low that even the poorest or the weakest one could come and ask them, can I also have my sins forgiven? And here one then finds, dear brother, dear sister, sins are forgiven in the name and the blood of Jesus.

And even this morning as you dear listeners are here, this message of the Lord Jesus belongs to you. Personally, you can uplift your hearts to believe all of your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

Be of good cheer. It's such a gift that we have to be able to believe. We do have to labor to battle in faith. And as we each know, it's not an easy battle.

The world around us, as we touched on, we could go on, there's so many things there. We all know, personally, the temptations that are out there for us, and our own flesh that has this tendency towards, it doesn't want to do anything good.

We have these two parts in us. That flesh that always wants to stray and be disobedient. And then the other side, through faith, is the Holy Spirit that dwells in us also. It desires to be obedient to God's word and to listen to the instruction of God's kingdom.

So there's this constant back and forth battle. How many times it seems that our flesh, we talk about the threefold enemies. We've mentioned the two parts, the world and our flesh, but the other third and probably the equally mighty, our flesh, is the enemy of souls, the devil.

And we all have heard him, haven't we? He's right on our shoulder here, many times whispering those thoughts in our mind, that even this message, well don't go to services, it's, yeah, don't go there, it's easier to stay home or do something else, same old thing there, but he doesn't want us to come to the hearing of God's word, to be in the fellowship of the other believers, he wants us to be off by ourselves.

He also, when those matters and those temptations are right there, how was it, what did he tell Jesus? I mean, remember, he took Jesus, after Jesus had been hungry for 40 days, hadn't eaten, then came the devil right close and offered him bread and offered him power and all these three different temptations, we won't go into all of them now, but he was right there talking to Jesus.

I guess one thing we can go there is how did Jesus answer the devil when Jesus was having this discussion with him? After these temptations, the devil's right there talking to him, and if you'll do this, I'll give you all these things if you'll fall down and worship me, Jesus told him that, get thee hence, Satan, in other words, go away, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, and in other places, get thee behind me, Satan, go away.

We can remember these same words of our Lord Jesus, when the enemy and the tempter is right there whispering in our ear, that come and listen to this music, it's okay, or this worldly music, or partake of this worldly event, it's okay, no one will know, or no big deal, it's old fashion, some of that instruction, he wants us to be disobedient, and not listen to the instruction from God's kingdom, because he's happy when we have sin on our heart, he's happy when it weighs us down, because he knows we're that much weaker, and he wants us to just give up, to put faith away.

But dear fellow travelers this morning, be encouraged that it does, despite of all these shortcomings that we have in our own sinfulness, we have this throne of grace, and we can obtain mercy, and grace in those times of need, and it pays to believe, the reward is everlasting life in heaven.

The Bible tells us what the other reward is, eternal damnation, suffering, pain, need, when we labor in faith unto that rest, it's a permanent, eternal rest then, where we'll have no more temptations, no more sin to weigh us down, no more sorrows, no more pains, but eternal and everlasting joy and happiness, happiness, and this even, we can't even really get our minds around to fully comprehend, we visit about it, and we need this encouragement, but we even here have to travel in trusting in faith that it is according to God's word, and it will be a place that we can't even begin to imagine, but a place of pure joy and happiness.

And so yet this morning, continue for this day, for this moment, endeavoring in faith, believing upon the Lord Jesus, and yet, as we close, you can yet, as we leave services this morning, yet, go away believing all your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

I also desire and need to hear this same gospel for my own part. Can I also believe? I desire to believe along with you, dear brothers and sisters, and isn't it a precious thing, too, that we have these escorts in God's kingdom, these fellow travelers that are on the same journey, the same battle of faith.

We may have different temptations and different things we each personally wrestle with, but many of them are common and we have these escorts then that we can turn to and visit about the way, visit about faith matters and receive this help and encouragement one for another.

So, continue yet endeavoring to believe and one day we'll no longer have to. We'll be reunited there with Jesus in heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Let us close our morning service then with the closing benediction saying, 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 of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.