Sermon in Cokato 06.11.2016

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us quieten our hearts in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Our dear Heavenly Father, as we approach you this morning, we simply ask, dear Father, increase our faith and preserve in us this heart of a child so that we may one day receive that inheritance which thou hast promised unto us there in the glory of heaven.

Dear Father, that threefold enemy oftentimes is so fierce that besets us. Oftentimes, daily, we struggle and battle. So, dear Father, grant unto us power and strength that we may simply cling to that message of joy that thou proclaims unto us through thy gospel.

Dear Father, grant unto our lives contentment. Contentment even in the place of a child where questions and oppression is swirling around us. That we can just be as a little lamb here in thy sheepfold with thy beloved Son as our great Shepherd.

Dear Father, we ask simply, open thy word unto us. Grant words of instruction, guidance, and encouragement. Dear Father, feed and nourish us. And all this we ask in thy beloved Son's name. In Jesus' name, Amen.

I'm going to read a text from the Psalms this morning. On our church calendar, we note that the theme for this day, it speaks to us simply of this: From death to life. That's something that the human mind would be impossible to comprehend. From death to life.

And I'm going to read the 139th Psalm, which isn't the text in this calendar year, but next year. One of the Psalm texts. And also it has been a Psalm text for Easter morning. And so we gather here at the feet of Jesus to hear what he has to say unto us.

And we'll read from the 139th Psalm. I'm going to read verses 1 through 12 and maybe 14 and 17, 18. We'll see. And we'll begin in Jesus' name as follows:

O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising. And thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down. And art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me from behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. And if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be a light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as day, and the darkness and the light are both alike unto thee.

I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, that my soul knoweth right well.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand.

And when I awake, I am still with thee.

And then verses 23 and 24:

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way of everlasting. Amen.

When we think of the miracle of salvation, and the series of those miracles, of that gift of salvation that God has prepared unto us, we have to say, among the greatest is resurrection.

On that first Easter morning, when those women came to that sepulcher and found it empty, they heard that message of joy from our Heavenly Father through those angels: Jesus is not dead. He lives.

And this is the message that we hear again and again. Wherever the children of God begin to gather, we are reminded of this.

Jesus, in his suffering, death, and resurrection, completed unto us the way of salvation to heaven.

And a resurrection morning, of which we so oftentimes speak of that Easter day. One day, we, each one of us in our return, will also experience that day of resurrection.

When we are united together in heaven, eternally, eternally, with our Heavenly Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We oftentimes get questions, don't we, dear brothers and sisters? Questions about this or that.

Oftentimes, we may question about things concerning God's gift of salvation and this gift of living faith.

And it's good that we gather together and discuss our thoughts.

Many times we are correct and right. And sometimes we find that we have erred in our understanding and our thoughts concerning this miracle of salvation.

But, dear brother and sister, when you question, dear brother and sister, question with the heart of a child, with that prayer unto the Heavenly Father, that He would lead me from that way which I may be traveling to that correct way of salvation.

And in this way, when we begin to question about matters of living faith, our Heavenly Father always, always, always returns us to that ancient way of which the prophet Isaiah had prophesied.

In that sixth chapter of Isaiah, 14th verse, the seventh chapter of Isaiah, wrong. It's amazing how easily one forgets from where one is searching.

And it's in the Bible here. It's in the prophet Isaiah. But I'm not going to waste time trying to find that portion.

But it speaks about the ancient way. And it speaks about it in this way that, dear brother and sister, that when you come to those crosswords in life, and you have questions about the most important matters that man could question, and that is the way of salvation.

Where do the footsteps of our Lord Jesus go? And a prophet assures us, and he says that when you come to this point, ask for the old way, for the ancient way, where the former saints have gone.

And then he says, and walk therein.

And then he says, he doesn't say, but then there are no longer questions. But he says, you will find joy therein. Not turmoil, not question, but joy.

When one once again comes onto that way, that correct way of salvation.

You know, when we talk about resurrection, as the Apostle Paul, he wrote about it in the 15th chapter of Corinthians, where there were questions there in Corinth among the believers of resurrection.

And there were some who said that, no, no, that's a figment of one's imagination. There is nothing to this thing of resurrection.

And it says in the 15th chapter here, here, here, here, here, here, here, if I can find that part where he speaks about how you've been questioning this very question of resurrection.

I don't see that verse, but I'm going to start here in the 12th verse. It says, now, if Christ be preached that he arose from the dead, how say some of you among, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

And this is what some of the believers were saying. And this was the question of the day, among other questions in Corinth at that time, some 2,000 years ago.

And the believers were discussing this question of resurrection. And there were those who said there is no such thing.

And he says that, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, and ye are yet in your sins.

And so, our Heavenly Father sent the Apostle Paul there to Corinth to speak about these questions that the believers had during that day.

And this was one of them.

And our Heavenly Father opened this matter unto the believers, very simply and very clearly.

And he says in the 20th verse here, Christ, and he was speaking of this resurrection that comes on the last day.

And he was speaking of this resurrection that comes on the last day when all humanity is gathered together before the creator of the universe and all living things.

And then the righteous judge will then begin to put the lambs on the right side and the goats on the left.

Then all questions are simplified. Indeed, life, the very essence of life is simplified.

There will be gathered there all those from those thousands of different religions and beliefs and faiths and all constructing these ladders and stairways to heaven.

And they will stand there before the righteous judge and realize, woe, woe is me. I have taught in the wrong way. I have constructed and built in sin and distortion.

And then God will say unto those on the right side, you, dear children of God who preserve living faith, come, ye blessed of my Father, and inherit eternal life in heaven.

This is that resurrection of which we await.

The theme for our church calendar speaks unto us from death to life.

There is much spoken in the Holy Scriptures on this.

We could go on for days and days speaking of this issue.

But what is more important in this day and age is the first resurrection.

What is the first resurrection? Salvation?

It's when somebody in unbelief can hear thy sins and unbelief is forgiven.

Then one literally goes from death to life.

This is that which this theme for this Sunday speaks unto us.

And how important it is that we are those messengers of the Lord Jesus.

That we would be free and bold to proclaim the gospel, the power of God unto salvation.

And you dear unbelieving one, Jesus reminds you in the very final pages of the Bible, you who may even today be listening to that word of our heavenly father that teaches and instructs us.

This is what Jesus says. Fourth, third chapter of Revelations, the 20th verse:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and if any man hear my voice, open the door. I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.

And now he is speaking to every one of us.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the church.

In our text, a beautiful psalm where the psalm writer beholds the miracle of salvation, beholds the wisdom, the grace and mercy and goodness of God.

O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest altogether.

Our heavenly father knows you and I better than you and I know ourselves.

He is with us at all times.

There is not a moment when we are not before the face of our heavenly father.

And as the psalm writer here relates we will hear.

He knows what we are going to say before we even know ourselves what we are going to say.

He knows our thoughts even before we begin to have the thought.

And he says thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thy hand upon me.

Thou hast sheltered me from behind and before.

That is what the psalm writer has reminded us.

He is protecting you from before and behind.

He is with us at all times.

The mind cannot begin to comprehend this omnipotence of our heavenly father.

How all knowing and wise he is.

The psalm writer here says, such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it.

No, not even this much. It is impossible.

But it is comforting for us to know that he is with us at all times.

And when Moses was giving his farewell speech, he reminded the children of God, and he's reminding us today in that 31st chapter of Deuteronomy the sixth verse, he says, be strong and of a good courage and fear not nor be afraid of them for it is for the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

This is the kind of heavenly father we have.

That he goes even with you little boys and girls and you youth and to the oldest member of our congregation and kingdom and everyone in between he is with at all times and at all moments.

Whither shall I go from the spirit or whither shall I flee from his presence?

It is impossible.

If I ascend up to heaven thou art there and if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there.

What does he mean if you make your bed in hell?

We have been studying the acts of the apostles in Bible class and Peter from his sermon of Pentecost reminded us of this.

In the second chapter of the book of Acts in the 27th verse he says in this way behold thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.

Imagine that a child of God who falls so deeply that indeed he is in the midst of hell in utter darkness and dismal condition of life.

God is there.

And he promises and I will not.

If I make my bed in hell behold thou art there with me.

He does not leave us there.

How is this possible?

Through his grace.

Through his mercy.

Through his forgiveness.

King David, also a very wise and just king and was a believing lad and a believing king, fell into grievous grievous sins: adultery, murder, deceit.

But when the prophet Nathanael came unto him, he humbled his heart.

He had been in the depths of hell.

He was in unbelief.

If he would have died in that condition, he would not have inherited eternal life.

God did not leave him there.

So then you ask, well, what about King Saul, who also fell into unbelief and into the depths of hell?

Why then did he not leave a testimony of a child of God here in this kingdom?

Why?

It is not because of the lack of grace and mercy and forgiveness.

No, because the psalm writers praised God for this, that his mercy is higher than heaven is above the earth, and so on.

King Saul did not humble his heart unto forgiveness.

That is all that happened.

The grace and the mercy was there.

God was approaching him and he hardened his heart in unbelief and he died.

He went from life to death and before him is eternal death where there is no life, no life but pain and anguish.

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there.

If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

God is continually searching and seeking for your undying soul.

You who may be questioning and being oppressed by the enemy of the soul.

You who even at this time may be carrying a great burden of sin, troubled, footsteps heavy, slow, yet God approaches you with grace and mercy.

What a wonderful God we have.

If I take the wings of morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me.

No matter what one does, God is by us.

He desires to uplift and to carry, to lovingly rebuke and admonish and to forgive.

He loves your undying soul.

He loves the undying souls of all mankind.

He especially loves the undying soul of your unbelieving loved ones.

And remember God is near.

And to pray to God that our unbelieving loved ones would humble their hearts and believe the gospel in their own heart.

This 139th psalm is a very encouraging psalm unto us.

If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me.

Oh, we feel our unworthiness.

Oftentimes, this faith seems to be so tiny.

Darkness is seeming to overwhelm us.

And yet, you dear child of God, who even at this time may be struggling mightily to preserve faith.

You who may think that sermon of Satan who is saying you're such a hypocrite.

No, don't listen to that.

No.

You are not a hypocrite.

You are a little lamb of our heavenly father who is struggling mightily to follow him.

And he's promised you he won't leave you.

That even though it may seem that darkness surrounds you completely.

Well, how was it, dear brothers and sisters, in that plague of darkness there in that bondage of the children of God in Egypt where that plague of darkness came.

And the Bible says it was that plague of darkness.

That darkness was so thick that you could lean against the darkness and not fall.

That you could put your hand here and you would not see your hand.

And yet, there were the children of God were.

The sun shone mightily and brightly there in that flock of believers.

So it shines also, dear brother and sister, in your faltering heart, you who think that I'm so corrupted and so sin ridden that it doesn't pay to believe.

Even there, this sun of grace shines so greatly.

It is as the noon day sun.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as day, and the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Yes, unto our heavenly father all things are possible.

And even in your life, dear child of God, all things are possible.

Cling to this gift that God has given you.

Then he continues here in the 14th verse:

I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are thy works that my soul knoweth right well.

Yes, all creation.

The Bible says that after God had created everything and last of all, the crown of creation, man and woman, and he said, and it is good, it is beautiful.

God's creation is perfect.

Perfect.

And God continues to create life.

And the soul comes and preaches unto us.

And no, no, no, those little babies and children are a hindrance in your life.

Do not accept them.

This is what Satan preaches and the world around us preaches today.

No, no, God's creation is perfect.

You and your brother and sister are perfect before God.

You who have this gift of faith, you who have been made pure and your sins are washed away as white as snow, those blood red sins.

It pays to believe dear and dear child.

And to remember that you are perfect before our heavenly father.

You who have this gift of faith, you who have been made pure and your sins are washed away as white as snow, those blood red sins.

It pays to believe dear and dear child.

And to remember that you are perfect before our heavenly father.

And he says, how precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God, and how great is the sum of them.

God only wishes good unto you and unto all humanity.

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand.

And when I awake, I am still with thee.

Yes, the miracle of salvation.

Then he concludes here in this portion.

This conclusion brings us to the midst of this day, I believe, of the questions and the oppression that he says, search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my thoughts.

Dear brother and sister, you who are of any age have experienced trial and affliction of life.

Trials, the very nature of a trial is very difficult, very tiring.

It brings doubts oftentimes weary one.

Every one of us who are of any age have experienced trials of life.

Many, many different forms and fashions.

Here, imagine the psalm writer is praying to God to search his heart.

Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me.

What does reason say here?

The psalm writer is begging God to send trial.

It goes against reason.

But the reason the psalm writer wants God to try him is that and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of everlasting.

That is why.

And that is why we experience trials.

Because oftentimes the only place we can turn is to our heavenly father and I dare say at all times.

Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my thoughts.

You dear child of God who may be questioning pray this unto the heavenly father and God will help you that way won't seem obscured and you won't be questioning even if God does not give you the answers but God will place you there in the midst of his kingdom there will be those lambs of God all around you.

And again I come to that beautiful song, concluding song, that song 221, that third verse:

Your mercy finds the weak and poor, it flows neath the temple door and runs to every lowly place to fill the hearts with healing grace.

That this is the miracle of this salvation, the miracle of our heavenly father how much he loves you.

And that is why we are encouraged dear brother and sister that we would preserve faith and good conscience and that we would remain in that place of a little child.

Is it easy, your brother and sister, when you find yourself that you've been wrong on any given issue or matter?

Boy, it hurts the flesh.

You know, we as people we don't want to be wrong.

And is it amazing dear brother and sister how oftentimes you and I are wrong and how oftentimes even though we're understanding the enemy of the soul may cause to go to the right or to the left and yet God is near.

He is always near and he places us there.

And even in these days then there has been much criticism placed upon other children of God and criticism even upon those former saints who have gone and reached the glory of heaven.

Dear child of God pray that this would not happen unto us which the apostle Paul reminded young Timothy, young speaker brother who was beginning that work of a servant, a little shepherd dog here in God's kingdom.

He said preach the word, be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine with patience and doctrine with truth and love.

And he says for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.

And pray to God that we never find ourselves in this place where it is hard to endure sound doctrine.

And it says but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.

A servant of the word is not raised into the position of serving God's kingdom.

A servant of the word is lowered into that position.

He is a servant of the congregation.

He is a servant of the kingdom.

And yet it also has its duties and responsibilities to preach the word in season and out of season.

And yet the servant also is a little lamb in the midst of the other lambs.

We need encouragement and instruction.

We need grace and mercy.

We need love and we need forgiveness.

May our heavenly father dear brothers and sisters grant unto you that understanding and wisdom that we would help one another.

You know it's been spoken about how the servants are on the walls of Zion and indeed they are on the walls of Zion and they have been reminded that to blast that brass trumpet to warn of sin and not to tire in the duty.

But you board members you are there right beside those servants also.

And you dear children of God every one of you are there on the walls of Zion in your little home congregation.

You mother and father you are proclaiming the gospel message every day.

You are reminding, rebuking, lovingly rebuked and you need much patience and long suffering and love and truth.

We are all there on those walls of Zion to help one another against that fierce full onslaught that is before us every day.

And may God give us this heart: search me, O God, and know my heart and try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me on the way of everlasting.

Yes, place me there in the midst of God's children.

And dear dear dear dear brothers and sisters, rest assured even you who may be so mightily struggling just in everyday things of life and the politics of the day or whatever it may be, the sins that have been said.

Rest assured God is near.

He sees, he knows and He is leading us on the way everlasting.

We need not fear.

We can be bold.

We can freely proclaim that Gospel and do so, dear mothers and fathers, dear brothers and sisters, one to another.

In your home congregation, even if you are the only one there in your home, we need one another.

And so God has blessed us.

And you can rest assured, all sins and doubts are forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

And you who may even this day be struggling with those matters that are so difficult and burdensome to carry, of which the Apostle Paul speaks of them unto the Ephesians and unto the Galatians, reminding them that they who do such things shall not inherit eternal life.

And that is why God has placed into our midst loving confessor mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, to which we can beg for forgiveness.

And now as we come here to the Lord's Holy Supper, we remember why.

Why?

That Jesus prepared that first holy communion unto His disciples.

He knew how weak and poor they were.

He knew that they needed encouragement, even in this way, to partake of the body and the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus in this visible manner.

There is not forgiveness in communion.

Jesus had first washed the feet of the disciples.

He proclaimed that gospel of forgiveness unto them.

And communion is for the strengthening of our life of faith.

It is so simple.

And so we endeavor to believe as a little child.

And I also need to hear this gospel, dear brother and sister, that can I believe my many sins and doubts also forgiven.

I certainly desire to believe with you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

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.