Fall Services/Sermon in ElkRiver 09.09.2018

In the name of the Triune God, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, we will continue here this afternoon for a few moments, again with that open prayer that God would divide from His Word those morsels that we yet need as we endeavor on the way to Heaven.

And for our closing devotion for these fall services, I will read one verse from the 12th chapter of Luke, verse 32, and we read these words in Jesus' name: Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Amen.

Before we look at and study this short portion of God's Word, on behalf of the Elk River Congregation, I want to thank our dear brothers, John, along with his wife, Sarah, Brett, and his wife, Marita, and their families for coming to be here with us and be in our midst for these services. It's been, again, one of those times where God has abundantly and richly fed us through His Word. Brothers, you have freely served with that which God has given, and we, above all, give our thanks to our dear, rich, Heavenly Father.

And we ask that when you travel home, you take our greetings with you to your home congregations, and that you would remember us here in your prayers, that God would preserve each and one of us as children in His kingdom.

These special service weekends also require much work on behalf of the home congregation, brothers and sisters, in planning and carrying out the various tasks. God has opened your hearts to freely and happily serve for the benefit of His work, and we thank you also for this service.

This short verse that we read, I guess, has come to mind over the past week or so, when thinking about this turn here at the conclusion of our services and recalling again that theme that was selected for our services from the book of Matthew, which we know is that conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory."

Last evening we heard an introduction following discussion on this theme. We heard there so preciously as God opened in some way the nature and what His kingdom is. But we acknowledge there too that even this matter, something so great as God's kingdom, is something we don't completely understand. But we accept even this through faith.

Our text here begins with the words, "Fear not." And these were words of Jesus to His disciples and to those that believed on Him. In this twelfth chapter of Luke, as in many of the other places, the multitudes had gathered to hear what Jesus would say. And here and also other times, Jesus specifically addresses His own. That group that there was also listening to Him, part of that bigger multitude or throng of people that was listening to Jesus. Jesus, and He tells them to fear not.

We, today, feel that connection to the disciples, to the former travelers who have gone before, those that are recorded in the Bible. Jesus knew them. We know Jesus knew them. God knows us so closely as the Bible records that there wouldn't even be a hair that would fall from our head that isn't unnoticed. And He knew they were fearful. We, too, fear. We worry. We doubt. But Jesus went on in this way to comfort the disciples and to comfort those that believed on Him. He says that it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Our dear, rich, heavenly Father delights in us, His children. And He's delighted to give us His kingdom. We heard in our presentation and discussion last evening that God's congregation dwells here on this earth. And God's kingdom is not present without God's congregation. But that congregation, or that kingdom, extends beyond the borders of time and also includes that realm, those witnesses, that throng of saints that have gone before, that are waiting for us there on the shores of heaven.

In our introduction, the dear brother also reminded us that when we think of God's kingdom, it's not by accident, but it's recorded for us in God's holy word how Jesus, when He taught in parables, taught many times of what God's kingdom is. If we look in the 13th chapter of Matthew, we see some of those examples, some of those parables that Jesus used to describe His kingdom.

In that chapter, He describes the kingdom of heaven and a field that was sown, and that field grew both the wheat and the tares, or the weeds. He described also God's kingdom as a net that is lowered into the sea, and the fish are gathered in that net, and some of those fish are the acceptable ones, and some are the ones that are thrown out. He also, in one of those parables, describes God's kingdom as a treasure that's been hidden in a field. And when the man would discover that treasure, he buys that field, so he would be able to own that treasure.

He also, in one of the parables, says that the kingdom of heaven is like a feast that the king prepared for his son. And there were those invited guests who had other things in their life and chose not to attend, but the king encouraged that the servants would go out and find guests for the wedding.

These parables that Jesus used to describe in some way can begin to open also to us the nature of God's kingdom.

I've thought even about our services that we've had this weekend. Began on Friday evening and then yesterday evening and again today. And I've thought of you little boys and girls that have come here with your moms and your dads to services and how you've also sat here in the benches to listen. And I know at times it's not so easy to sit and listen for a long time and I know you get tired.

I guess I know this from home. Last evening our little boy, I was reminding him it was time to go to bed and when I said we would go again to services tomorrow, he said, "We're going again to services tomorrow?" Maybe he was wondering what time he needed to get up in the morning. Night might have felt at that point a little bit too short and how he would get up in the morning. But such it is.

And even us older ones or us older boys and girls also experience that tiredness.

What I've felt again here this week and as often has been my experience when we are able to gather a little bit longer around God's word, that the gentle rain that God gives in this way has been able to reach and penetrate my cold doubting heart.

We do pause even on a weekly basis and sometimes more often to gather around God's word, but often my experience is, maybe it's your experience too, that in the busyness, the hustle and bustle of life, that Sunday even comes and goes and I know I reflect back and think that I wasn't even able to pause that time God gives these opportunities when we can gather a little bit longer and be here in the hearing of his word and what he has to give unto us.

And we thank God even for this.

Dear boys and girls, have you ever thought about this question or maybe you've been asked this question: Do you have a home?

When we think of our home, we think of that place of security. We know food will be there, we'll have that clothing, our mom and our dad, our parents, brothers and sisters, our close ones are there with us, and home can be that secure place and we feel that.

Dear brothers and sisters, aren't we fortunate that we have this type of a home also as God's children?

Our text reminded us that it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Here we have that home, as we've heard here during our services this weekend, that place of security, that place of refuge, church.

And we heard also last evening how God's kingdom includes that realm, the kingdom of glory and those saints, those travelers who have gone before.

The 11th chapter of Hebrews reminds us of those former saints. It summarizes partway through the chapter after it's recalled by name some of those ones who traveled, were able to lay aside their staff and enter into that rest of the righteous. It says that these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For that faith such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Doesn't that sound familiar, dear brothers and sisters? We also traveling here desire that better country. We feel here the effect of sin when it attaches in our life, our corrupt flesh, and the evil world that we travel in. And as these former saints, we also desire a better country.

But God has given us here his congregation where we can securely dwell and travel towards that home in heaven.

One of the songs that we sing came to mind when thinking about this, as was introduced and we discussed in the presentation how God's kingdom is here, God's congregation on earth, but also that kingdom of glory.

We sing in one of these songs in our psalm book, the first couple of verses speak about that home where earthly storms won't reach the shore. It's that heavenly home that we long for where there will be beyond those earthly cares and woes that we experience here. There the weary will at last find rest.

But the final verse of that song speaks of God's kingdom here on earth. There also is a home on earth for God's own children. Dear, the Spirit as their refuge guides the flock of Zion here in battle. Here we travel on and journey to our glorious home.

We're fortunate, dear brothers and sisters, when we are able to endeavor in faith. God has given us this secure dwelling place, his congregation here on earth, where we have also heard this week and of all those many things that come with the congregation and what here we receive.

May it be that God's congregation for each and every one of us is preserved as that beautiful home here on earth where we can freely dwell and travel as children.

The prophet Zachariah was asked by the angel what he saw in that vision and he said that when he looked he saw a candlestick all of gold.

May for each and every one of us this congregation, God's kingdom, always remain that beautiful candlestick all of gold.

We, when we travel here, experience the blessings and protection, the care of our brothers and sisters, our escorts on our way to heaven.

But most importantly here in God's kingdom and between brothers and sisters, we can turn again and again and often as is needed to put sin away, be encouraged that even those doubts and fears that come along the journey can be forgiven and put behind us.

One day when we're able to weigh down our travel staff and close our eyes to this life, God has promised that he will change this faith into sight. Faith will no longer be needed, but there will be with our heavenly father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in heaven's home.

We travel here with the hope of heaven through faith and through believing. One day that hope will change to see.

And isn't it such a happy matter that we can travel here in the care of God's congregation, dear brothers and sisters?

As we conclude our services and we return to our own places of watching, again uplift your hearts to believe just as you find yourself this afternoon. Leave all sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood. Believe freely, believe sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

We have such a good, rich heavenly Father who cares for us, cares for us in his congregation here on earth and has promised to carry his own one day to be with him in heaven.

It pays to believe that reward which we await for and will receive.

There is a great reward.

For myself, I came here feeling doubts and fears and my own sinfulness and asked, "Can I yet believe my sins forgiven?" I promise to believe along with you in Jesus' name. Amen.

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you here at the close of these services that you have abundantly fed us with your word again. We thank you for this kingdom that you have given here on earth where we can securely and confidently dwell as your children.

Dear Father, we ask that we would not only be hearers of your word but also doers of your word according to your will. Continue to call those outside of your kingdom open to them the need to seek and search for you.

We enclose these thoughts and all our thoughts this afternoon in that age-old prayer: The Lord bless 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.