Sermon in Ishpeming 03.05.2009

Into His perfect unity, enjoying that hope and sharing that hope that we have received by and through the grace of God and through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith, who is the chief cornerstone in the house or building of God, who did in perfect obedience to the Father fulfill the work or accomplish the work that He was sent to do and which even this morning we, brothers and sisters, gathered here can be assured of through that unperishing Word of God.

And so from that assembly of believers many greetings of love and peace were sent to you, brothers and sisters, here in our area. According to the Scriptures, faith is a gift of God. And it is entirely given from God's love and grace. It is not something that we have any ability to reach for so we can do it through faith. The words of Luther come to mind when thinking of this great love and grace of God when he said that I believe that I cannot with my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him. But He has called us through the Holy Spirit, through the gospel. As it has been from the very beginning, it is even yet today.

And I trust and believe that you, brother and sister, agree that it has been only by and through the grace of God that we can own that righteousness, peace and joy which is in the Holy Spirit here in God's kingdom. And that we can own in our hearts that peace which passes all understanding and that living hope unto everlasting life, life eternal in the glory of heaven. And this, even at this moment, we are assured of, brother and sister in faith when we can, from grace, believe the gospel of the forgiveness of our sins.

Even as we begin this communion service, this message is proclaimed here in our midst from the kingdom of God through the office of the Holy Spirit as God has ordained, and as Jesus himself has authorized his own to do, to preach sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood. And so, brother and sister, even at this moment, grace is abundant. You may, from grace, believe all your faults and sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. I also wish to hear again for my weak faith that my sins are forgiven. Amen.

Apostle John, art thou their Lord? You have truly forgiven me, and have for us all never forgotten. I and you, I and you, as very confident people, a quick that you witness. You may be given God's word, in cheating songs. You may be given them strength, in healing and healing. You may be given the fullness and essence. Begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

How much is said in these few words that whosoever believes upon the Lord Jesus is born of God. And it is as Jesus once said the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent. It is not that we have been able to believe upon him of our own strength as already mentioned but that we have been chosen. Jesus has said that you have not chosen me but I have chosen you.

And so it is such a marvelous matter that we can claim that we through the gospel have received such a great and precious hope that we have been chosen and that through this gift of faith as it is written the first fruits of this faith is love. And as we heard here that love is first unto him who has first loved us. John writes in the same epistle that we have not first loved God but he has first loved us.

And so then John reminds us here then that if we have experienced this love of God and then are able then to love him because he has loved us so greatly then we also love our brethren, our brothers and sisters who have also been begotten by him in the same way that we are loved. Amen. Ourselves have been begotten.

This is what the apostle Paul also proclaimed in his day of work as a child of God. He in one place says that that which he has received he also gives. Was it not the apostle Peter who also said to that impotent man that he didn't have gold or silver but he says that which he has received he willingly gives. And it is out of that love that has first loved that love of God.

And so then there is this testimony as apostle John writes here by this we know that we love the children of God and that we love God. When we love God and keep his commandments and this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous. This is entirely by the grace of God is it not brothers and sisters.

We of ourselves are not capable or able to love as we ought but that this love is a gift and through this love we also experience the power of God in that we do not want to lose this hope and it is the desire from this love that we wish to keep his commandments and we are told his commandment is not grievous. In other words what is required is that we only believe and endeavor to travel in obedience of faith.

How then is this love preserved? We are always encouraged to put away sin and believe that our sins are forgiven and thereby we are preserved in this love. Because when we are able to hear the gospel it is the message of love which comes from the heart of our heavenly Father in heaven.

This love is an indescribable love in that as we are able to love as we are able to love as we are able to love as we are able to love as we are able to love as it is said in scripture it is an eternal love because God himself is an eternal God without beginning and without end and so this love also.

This word, the word of God, is the word which proclaims of this love. It is a word of which Jesus said that though heaven and earth will pass away my word will never pass away. It is the word of love and from this love is grace and forgiveness.

It is from this love that God has first shown mercy unto sin-fallen man and this mercy is revealed through his Son, the perfect sacrifice that he promised there in the garden of Eden and which was fulfilled when he did, when the time was accomplished, that he did send his Son born into this world in such a lowly and humble way that even the weakest and the poorest traveler in this world is able to come to him.

God through the Holy Spirit through the gospel is able to draw even the most wretched and poorest sinner unto his beloved Son. Jesus himself said that no one can come unto me except the Father draw him. And so it is the work of God entirely that we have been able to recognize and in obedience believe upon his Son the Lord Jesus and through believing in his name we have received the hope of eternal life.

Then in the second portion of this text John writes for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus himself said that he is the Son of God. To his own in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith and so it is by this faith upon him that we also have that victory as John here says what is our victory it is even our faith.

By and through faith we are able to overcome the attractions or the enticements of this world and by and through faith are we able to fight against that which is evil and defend that which is good according to God's word.

And so it is such a simple and precious matter brothers and sisters we are not there is no requirement that we must have such great knowledge or ability to do anything but to simply believe and all gifts and blessings are added on to us freely from God's love and from his grace and so we are able to do that.

With these words we can be comforted that though the world rages around us and especially in these last days these last few years how evil has truly become so acceptable to our society and the people of our own country and this is all prophesied in God's word that the days will come when evil will abound.

But yet is it not good that we have this security as children of God in his kingdom. This kingdom which established on the Lord Jesus has no end as the prophet was it the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning the prophecy of or the who prophesied of the coming of Jesus and of his kingdom he said there shall be no end.

And so we brothers and sisters have this living hope in our heart that we belong to this kingdom here upon this earth which will one day be raised to the kingdom of glory in heaven.

And so John explained much here which feels to be hidden at this moment when he says that this is he which came by water and blood even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and blood and it is the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth.

But there are three for there are three that bear record in heaven the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one. We remember how John in the beginning of his gospel mentions that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and so he is here explaining also that the record in heaven is a Father, the Father and the Word or we could say the Son and the Holy Spirit in the picture of the triune God.

And then here on earth are three that bear witness in earth the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three agree in one. The water is a picture of the gospel and that gospel is in harmony or is inspired by the Holy Spirit and the blood as we know is a thing of the Holy Spirit and a picture of life.

When Jesus died on the cross he shed his holy and innocent blood which brought to this sin corrupt earth the hope of life. Even as the blood is such a vital life giving in our natural body so it is also in a spiritual sense.

Therefore we through the gospel hear the gospel and hear that in Jesus' name and in his precious life giving blood we have the remission of our sins.

And so then the last part of our text John writes that he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave his Son.

Remembering a certain brother who wrote in this way that there is a threefold testimony or witness that we as children of God have one is that we have this are assured of this testimony among our brothers and sisters that we are united into this precious fellowship.

And so there is this testimony in the kingdom of God. Secondly there is that testimony in our own hearts that we have through the gospel been freed from our sins and we have been given from grace that living hope of life everlasting.

And thirdly there is that testimony in heaven as we are assured by the word of God that our names are written in the book of life in heaven. What a precious threefold testimony this is.

And it is so assuring comforting to know that we are traveling to heaven with fellow travelers brothers and sisters in faith who are able through the power of the Holy Spirit to take care of us to help us.

There are many places in scripture which teach us how we are through that love concerned one of another. It is a correct concern when from that love that we love as we heard in the very beginning of our text that love that God has kindled in our hearts toward our brothers and sisters because we have experienced His love through His grace and mercy.

And so John continues then that this is the record that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son.

Only a few weeks ago we were celebrating and being reminded of that very important happening that assures us that we are not believing in vain. That we have a Lord and Savior who has defeated the powers of sin and death and hell.

Though He gave His life on the cross and shed His life's blood yet the powers of death could not hold Him and He rose a victor from the grave. And so believing upon Him dear brothers and sisters we also by faith own that same victory.

The victory over the powers of sin and death and hell and have been given as Apostle John here says the hope of eternal life made possible through this precious and redemptive work of the Lord Jesus.

And then he says these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

And so this morning again brother and sister there is grace to believe upon Him who is the author and finisher of our faith who has gained the victory and who has in His love and grace call us to be His own and continues to call even as He once said come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Jesus has taken the full burden of our sins for the sins of the whole world to the middle cross of Golgotha where He paid the debt in full and through His resurrection victory we have hope even this morning brother and sister unto life eternal.

So when you come to the Lord's table come as you are simply believing that message of the gospel believe all sins and false doubts and fears forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood and receive for the strengthening of your faith the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jesus' name. Amen.