Services/Sermon in Cokato 19.04.2020

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

Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, as we have once again gathered around the hearing of Your precious and holy Word, we come this morning, dear Father, desiring to thank You for last night's protection, awakening us to a new day of grace.

Dear Father, we thank You for this beautiful day that You have granted unto us. We thank You for all the blessings that You have gifted unto us in this temporal life. We thank You for our homes and our families. Thank You for our dear escorts that You have blessed us with. We thank You for the work that You have provided, and all that is included in this daily bread.

Dear Father, as we gather around Your Holy Word this morning, we desire to uplift our thanks. Thank You for our dear friends, thanking You for this most precious gift, this gift of Your dear Son, who You saw it good, dear Father, to send down from heaven, to live that perfect life, to suffer that awful death, to be cast into the depths of hell, but was risen victorious Easter morning.

Dear Father, we humbly thank You that You have called us to be Your children. For we know, dear Father, that without You, we would be lost in the darkness of this world.

Dear Father, remember those who are struggling with difficulties in this life. Maybe it's ailments of health. Whatever those trials, difficulties are, dear Father, that You know, comfort, uplift, and carry, as You have promised, even the weakest traveler.

Dear Father, we ask for a service blessing this morning, that You would give us of Your goodness for the edification and upbuilding of Your kingdom unto Your honor and glory.

And we pray as Your dear Son taught us to pray. 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.

On the church calendar this morning, dear brother and sister, I'm sure many of you have looked at that. The theme is Witnesses of the Resurrected this first Sunday after Easter. And I thought I would read a portion of God's Word from the Gospel according to St. John, in its 20th chapter, and we will read verses 19 through the end. Again, with that prayer to our Heavenly Father that He would give us He sees good at this time. The words are in Jesus' name.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But He said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again, His disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

This portion of God's Word that we heard read comes to us after those happenings that took place that we have visited about the time of Easter. We heard in our service on Wednesday when Jesus appeared to those two that were doubt-ridden on the way to Emmaus.

The disciples had been told by Mary, those three women that were there at the sepulcher that morning when they went to find Jesus, that angel that was there which appeared before them told them that Jesus would appear unto them again.

This portion that we read today is that time when Jesus did appear to His disciples. The disciples were behind locked doors. They were fearful of the Jews, the Bible says. Fearful that they would be persecuted and put to death because of them believing on their Lord and Savior, Jesus.

These disciples there behind locked doors, we can well imagine what they must have been thinking witnessing what had taken place Monday, Thursday, Good Friday, Easter morning. They had been told that Jesus was alive. But there, they were doubt-ridden.

How often, dear brother and sister, do we on this journey of faith become doubt-ridden? Even in the midst there are many doubts and fears, just as Jesus here appeared unto His disciples, do we not also witness this?

Jesus, when He rose victorious from the dead that Easter morning, it's interesting when we read the Scriptures, He only appeared unto His own. That's who seen Him.

I was thinking about this, dear brothers and sisters. Who does Jesus appear to this day? Jesus only appears to His own who believe upon Him. By and through faith, we see our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus, here in this red portion that we read, when He appeared unto His disciples, He said, Peace be unto you. This is that same peace, dear ones, that Jesus brings unto us this day.

Peace. Where does this, what is this peace that Jesus is speaking of? It is that peace of conscience when we can believe our sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood.

Peace. This peace is a true peace. And when we read further here in this portion, it speaks of the Holy Ghost. That Holy Spirit appears and is given as a gift unto those who believe their sins forgiven. This is that true peace.

I was thinking about this peace that Jesus gives. My mind went to that portion, the Sermon on the Mount, right in the beginning portion of it. And it speaks of those fruits of living faith.

In my Bible the subheading on it is the Beatitudes. And it says, and He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Dear brethren and sisters, our Lord and Savior Jesus is speaking of you and I. This is that peace of the Spirit that is grafted into each one of our hearts. It's not a rebellious spirit. It's not a spirit of anger, but it is a spirit of love.

We could turn to those, I believe it's in Galatians, where it speaks of the fruits of the Spirit. And these come from that peace that Jesus is speaking of here in our red text. It says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. And it continues, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law.

Another portion that I was thinking of where it speaks about where God is love. And it's in 1 John chapter 4, and I'll read verses 7 and 8. It says, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. For he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love.

Dear brother and sister, these portions of God's Word came to my mind thinking about the day that we're living, thinking about the venues that weekend, you could say, spout off, I suppose you could say, social media, our group meets, and I fear that even in this way, the enemy is cloaks, and the enemy wants to divide us. The enemy wants to break love.

Dear brother and sister, we are children of peace. Peace. I think it's important that we remember this. Oh, it's easy to spout off here and there. But those portions of God's word that we read this morning remind us of what those fruits of the Spirit really are.

Let's not let the enemy divide us over what is taking place this day. Jesus still appears to His own and says peace be unto you.

Jesus, dear brother and sister, uplift your hearts, believe all of your sins and doubts and fears forgiven. Jesus' name and precious blood.

Why has God placed us here on this earth? Simply for that reason that we read in our red text today. Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. Whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

This is the gospel work that goes forth in God's kingdom. And dear brother and sister, we can thank God that He has called us to be His own. May this precious gift of faith be so special that we hold on to it dearly.

How do we hold on to this precious gift, dear ones? Simply endeavoring against the threefold enemy, putting sin away when it besets, believing that precious gospel. This gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.

When we read this portion that we have before us, when Jesus appeared to those disciples, Thomas, we know he's often referred to as doubting Thomas. He wasn't there when Jesus appeared to them the first time.

The disciples even told him of this message that Jesus brought them. That peace be unto you.

Thomas in his doubts and fears, he said, Except if I don't see Jesus myself, I won't believe.

This portion of God's Word is reassuring to me that even amidst my heavy doubts and fears, God will not leave us. He didn't leave Thomas there alone in his doubts. But He came back there, it says, eight days later, before Thomas, so Thomas could witness with his own eyes, see with his own eyes, the wounds of Jesus.

Jesus comforted Thomas. Jesus also said then, speaking of you and I, dear brother and sister, after Jesus there, He said to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing.

He and Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed.

Dear brother and sister, we have a good God. Jesus called us in this text blessed. We can be so thankful that God has called us out of this world to be His children.

It pays to believe. It pays to put sin away so that conscience would remain soft and tender.

This portion continues and says, And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Jesus' name and blood, sins are all forgiven. Be of good comfort. That believing ye might have life through his name.

Dear brother and sister, it is in Jesus' name, the blood that He shed on our behalf, the awful death on the cross. He went into the depths of hell, so we would not have to go there.

There is no other way, dear brother and sister, but through His name we believe.

Uplift your hearts in the light of God's holy and precious word this day. You can believe all your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood. We are children of peace.

This peace is the love of God that is instilled in each one of us who believe. And it pays to believe.

Can I also hear that gospel for my own part? Can I have my doubts and sins forgiven? I desire to believe with all of you.

We have a good God. A God that has promised, come what may come in this world, He will lead and guide us.

God has not left us alone even in this trial in our lives with this world the way it is. But yet He comes to us by and through this miraculous internet that we can still hear God's holy and precious word and be encouraged with the gospel.

I was talking to a dear brother yesterday and we were talking about this internet and how there is so much blessing in it but yet such a place of watching.

Dear brother and sister, remain believing all sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood. In Jesus' name and always blessed name. Amen.

Let us quieten our hearts in closing benediction.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up His countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.