Services/Sermon in Cokato 26.04.2020

Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, let us unite our hearts together in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Our dear Heavenly Father, we who so often are doubting and weary, we often bewildered and troubled, we desire to ask of you, dear Father. Uplift and comfort us, we who struggle in this endeavor to preserve faith and good conscience. We're so slow to believe. We ask, dear Father, increase our faith, feed and nourish us, and wherever thy word is heard this day, open thy gracious word unto us.

Dear Father, protect us and guide us. Preserve us as little children here in thy blessed kingdom. And bless and grant that peace and brotherly love and the unity of the Holy Spirit and righteousness would dwell in our midst here. And we ask for your blessing unto our leaders of our land, to grant wisdom unto them, to guide and lead our land, so blessing and peace and justice would fill our land.

And we pray as thy beloved 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.

My dear brothers and sisters, both near and far, the vast majority of you are there in your homes, gathered together. And it's good that God grants us this blessing that even during these uncertain times, bewildering times, that we can gather around the feet of our beloved Jesus, sit and listen to what he has to say unto us. And one day soon, this too shall pass. And we'll be gathered together here in this tabernacle, enjoying fellowship one with another, and thanking God for his blessings that he has bestowed unto us.

I thought to read the psalm text for this Sunday, which is the second Sunday after Easter. And the theme for this Sunday is the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, who is our shepherd. And so we'll read from the 23rd Psalm, from its beginning to the end, which indeed speaks unto us of our Lord Jesus. And these words are in Jesus' name as follow.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.

I believe my personal thoughts here that this is maybe the most beloved and comforting psalm of David. Because it brings our thoughts and our minds there to our Lord Jesus. And from this psalm, two pictures arise, emerge from it. The Lord is as a good and protecting shepherd who tenderly cares for us, his children, and who guides us patiently and gently through the manifold of life's troubles and dangers.

And also a Lord as a loving and kind master who receives a tired and weary traveler, one who is driven from behind by the enemy and unforgiven sin, by the trials and afflictions and sorrows and burdens of the way and journey and brings us here to this spot, to this place of peace, joy, and righteousness simply by living faith and trusting upon his word.

We know and we have all experienced how our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, blesses us with the living bread of heaven and of life. Even today we're gathered around this same living bread, which he so graciously nourishes and feeds us with his undying word. And we're surrounded by the living waters of grace and forgiveness. Goodness, we are secure in the loving care of our Good Shepherd. He lifts and he carries us all the way to heaven's home.

Beloved boys and girls, young and old, dear brothers and sisters, even you, our dear neighbor who may be listening near or far. Jesus is with us through the living Holy Spirit. He is speaking to us now. And the message that our Lord Jesus wants to give on to us is this, that even here at the very beginning of our services, you can believe, just as you are, in your own personal place of watching, all of your sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

When we think of the shepherd's duty, it's an important duty. There were many shepherds watching and abiding their flocks on that night in which Jesus was born. And when we think of this duty that the shepherds have, and even the spiritual duty that is given on to the shepherds of our Lord Jesus today, be they the servants of the word, as Luther speaks of us in this way, that we are nothing but the shepherd dogs of our Lord Jesus.

And yet, in every home congregation, you who are sitting there listening at home, you fathers, you are indeed the shepherds of your little flock there, along with your beloved spouse, mother who nurtures and teaches the children from the time they're able to comprehend.

We know that the shepherd shields us from dangers, warns us of sin. The shepherds take care that not even the least and the smallest would be lost, shields us from all dangers. Jesus often spoke of the shepherd, shepherd's duty of the sheep, his sheep and his lambs. And Jesus said that my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Such is the chief shepherd, our Lord Jesus.

Nothing has changed and Jesus arose victorious into heaven some two thousand years ago, but he is still here in our midst. His loving, gentle voice is heard through the living Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, which dwells in God's kingdom, has been from the very beginning, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which has never erred, and which is a calling and gathering voice, which is gently calling, lovingly calling, and yet also lovingly reminding and exhorting, and yes, lovingly rebuking us when that chastisement is needed in our life.

Many of the texts for this day speak onto this same theme of the Good Shepherd and Peter writes in one of the texts for this day in this way, speaking unto the shepherds, yes, even speaking unto you, dear fathers, feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, and not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And Peter here reminds even you boys and girls, youth, this next verse, he says, likewise the younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. But then he reminds all of us, he says, yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. And then he gives a warning, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

And so on. The old, one of the Old Testament texts for this Sunday also speaks unto us and reminds us in that the 23rd chapter of Jeremiah with these words, and I will set shepherds over them which shall feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed, neither shall be lacking, saith the Lord.

And so this duty of these spiritual shepherds is from God, our heavenly father, that he has placed here into his kingdom. And yet the beginning of this Old Testament text for this day reminds us and again a warning there unto us. Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people. He has scattered my flock and driven them away and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doing, saith the Lord.

But then he continued in this same portion, he says, and I will gather the remnants of my flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds and they shall be fruitful and increase.

And then this verse that I read first of all, and I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.

My dear brothers and sisters, we are living the last days and our heavenly father, the chief shepherd of the flock of God's kingdom, Jesus himself, through the living Holy Spirit, is gathering the remnants of the flocks from throughout the world, as we have experienced in our life, in these last days where God's gracious word has began to find fertile soil in the hearts of those who have been lost.

And when we think of the time of Jeremiah and how the enemy came there into Jerusalem and the enemy took, he took from the children of God there in Jerusalem, from among the Jewish people, the enemy took the strong and the powerful and the wise and the knowledgeable, and the weak and the tired ones were the ones that were left there in Jerusalem.

Nothing has changed. Satan is still gathering from among the children of God as he has from the beginning of time, those who in themselves are strong, those who in themselves are powerful, those who in themselves are wise, and those who in themselves are knowledgeable, and who is left here in God's kingdom in holy Jerusalem, but the weak and tired ones.

But even during the time of Jeremiah, it was the elders that were left there in Jerusalem who told those who were taken away to remember Jerusalem. Yes, remember the beauty of God's kingdom. And the message that God sent them to those captives in Babylon. It was a message of hope, and it was a message of a blessing for their future.

This is the kind of heavenly father we have. This is the kind of chief shepherd we have that is guiding us today. We have been in these last days been reminded of the miracle of Easter. And how Jesus said, I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. He did not leave his sheep nor the flock.

Know what he has promised. Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world. And we can, we can with boldness and of good courage say, as our text says, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. No, we are not in need of, we are not in need of anything. This shepherd of the flock provides unto us daily what we are in need of.

And so we have much reason even this morning to thank God. All has been prepared and all has been given unto us. And so one does not need to question that what is required of us or what are we able to give. For all that we can give is only our own heart. Humbleness and obedience and endeavoring to believe. Other than that, we need not worry. Everything else shall be given.

I shall not be in want of anything. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. Yes, heavenly manna is yet given unto us daily, filling the pastures and making the pastures green before us. And living waters of grace and forgiveness which have run from the beginning of time and will continue to run fully until the last day. He leadeth us to these still waters.

We are not in need of anything. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Yes, we have all experienced the defeats that the enemy of the soul has caused to come into our life. Death. We have been in the shadow of death, and yet we do not need to fear, for we have the staff of the gospel of the forgiveness of sins and the rod of the word of our heavenly father.

And again and again we can come onto that grace throne of our heavenly father, where he exhorts us come boldly onto the throne of grace in time of need.

And in the third verse he reminds us how he restoreth my soul. He leadeth me to the paths of righteousness for his namesake.

There is that plea of David in that 51st psalm where he is pleading unto God restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. And uphold me with thy free spirit, that pleasant spirit, that living spirit of our heavenly father.

And he pleads make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out my iniquities. And he pleads create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me. And cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Yes the valleys often have been deep and dark. But what grace of grace that our chief shepherd has come unto us. He maketh us to lie down in those green pastures and he leadeth us to those still waters.

We are so fortunate and so blessed even in the midst of trials and afflictions, sorrows and weariness of the way. It matters not because before us is the eternal shores of heaven. And we are just here for a while encouraging us to preserve faith and good conscience.

And he says thou preparest the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil and my cup runneth over.

Even in these last days we have been reminded how those doubt-ridden and weary disciples of the good shepherd when they sat down to that table not even knowing that it was the Lord Jesus on the other side until he took bread and he broke it and he blessed it and he gave it on to them.

So we also experienced in our life time and time again these experiences we feel very near and very strongly the presence of our Lord Jesus.

Thou anointest my head with oil. Oh how that brings to mind a vision of Aaron in that hundred and thirty-third psalm where it's related unto us in this way as that ointment ran down the beard even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirts of his garments.

It says here in this way, behold how good and pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity. That and this is a taste of heaven when we are able to dwell together with our dear brothers and sisters in living faith in unity and how pleasant that is.

And it says it's like the precious ointment upon the head that ran upon the beard even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirts of his garments. And it says the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.

For there the Lord commanded the blessing even life forevermore.

Thou preparest the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.

There is a prayer that the apostle Paul prayed unto those early believers there in that sinful city of Ephesus. It is a prayer that you and I have for one another where he said in this way:

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.

To be strengthened with might by his Spirit, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that he being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height.

And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that he might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Imagine now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or even think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end.

And he concludes here in this psalm of David, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Yes, the bright and glorious Easter sun has arisen once again this day and we are so blessed, so fortunate that we can be here even as the least of the flock.

And even that gospel text for this day when Jesus appeared before the disciples there on the shores of Tiberias, peace be unto you, my peace I give unto you.

He approached Simon, he is approaching you asking you, lovest thou me more than these? Simon answered, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.

Jesus told him, feed my lambs. Again he asked Simon, lovest thou me more than these? And again Simon answered, yes Lord, I love thee, thou knowest that I love thee.

And Jesus told him to guide the sheep. And again Jesus asked Simon, lovest thou me? And again Simon cried, Lord, thou knowest all things.

And again Jesus lovingly reminded him to feed my sheep.

Peter, who had gone through the school of life and by the grace of God was able to humble himself of himself, of his strength, of his power, and he came and found himself in the place of a little child knowing how the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves.

And it is so comforting to know that he will not leave you but rather he sees you even now in your lonely place of watch and he is not forsaken, he is not forgotten but he is approaching you with this wonderful message that you can uplift your weary arms and believe at this moment all of your sins and thoughts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

Remain trusting upon the shepherd, our shepherd, our Lord and Savior Jesus, the shepherd of his flock wherein we are the little lambs and the sheep of the sheepfold of our heavenly father.

And may he always preserve you here in this place as a little lamb, as a little child simply believing fully and thoroughly trusting upon him that come what may come it matters not what matters is that your names are written in the lamb's book of life.

And we live of grace and of forgiveness and believe upon the undying living word of our heavenly father as he alone through the Holy Spirit opens it unto us so simply we believe and remain uplifted and comforted in this place of a little child joyful that our shepherd of the flock is yet here in our midst and he has preserved us to this day by his grace.

And I also need to hear that can I have my sins forgiven and it is with joy that I believe with you and we say in Jesus' name Amen.

And we ask that the Lord bless us and keep us, that the Lord would make his face shine upon us and be gracious unto us, and that the Lord would lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace.

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