Sermon in LLC Summer Services in Outlook, Saskatchewan 02.07.2015

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let us begin these services with open prayer and thank you.

Dear Heavenly Father, we have so much reason to thank you. We thank you for giving us this precious time to gather at these festive summer services. Dear Father, you know what we need. And you have called up from far and near through your Spirit to gather together around your precious and holy word.

Dear Father, we know that not all were able to make it to these services. And so we also wish to remember those who are in lonely places of watch, that you would cover them with your word. This word which is to be preached during these festive service times.

We ask you, Father, that you would bless the words. You would open the words to your Spirit. That you would give those who serve the words that you wish to give for comfort, for instruction, for the renewing of that living hope that we, children of God, have.

Dear Father, we would also pray that you would give us hearing ears also. That you would open our hearts to receive the word.

Dear Father, we also pray for those who are outside of your kingdom, those who are going to and fro, wondering where is the way, that you would call them. You would call them to your great kingdom, which is here on this earth, which is from where it's proclaimed the gospel of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, who came into this world to die for our sins, the sins of the entire world.

Dear Father, we have many petitions that we wish to say, but we are weak at prayer. So we wish to pray as your 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, power, and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Before I begin to read the text, I wish to shortly bring greetings from my home congregation in Toronto. Many of you were able to make it, but those who could not, they wish that their greetings of the law of God's peace will be brought here to those here, children of God, for our mutual study.

I would ask to read from Paul's letters to the Corinthians, his second letter, chapter 5, verse 17, and to the 6th chapter, second verse. And the words are as follows, in Jesus' name.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who have reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and have given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did teach you by us. We pray you in Christ's death, be reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made righteous in the God's end.

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I secured thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Amen.

This portion from Paul's letter, second letter to Corinthians, begins with what happens to someone who receives the grace of repentance. It says, therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

Paul himself, before he received the grace of repentance, he was Saul, Saul of Tarsus. And we know that he persecuted the children of God. Paul is likely speaking from experience when he writes these words. He himself receives the grace of repentance.

And we can read from Acts how Paul was on his way to Damascus, and he was bringing letters to the synagogue there so that he might find children of God. Then, when he was journeying, suddenly there shined round about him a light in heaven.

Saul, who later became Paul, fell to the ground. He heard the voice, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And Saul said here, Whom art thou, Lord? The Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. But it is hard to be kicked against the pricks.

So although Saul, who was flying, who thought he was doing the right thing when he was persecuting the children of God, he heard Jesus say to him, Why persecutest thou me? If one is providing Christ, one must persevere God's kingdom. And those who persecute God's kingdom, God's children, persecute Christ themselves.

God opens Saul to see the error of his way, in the self-righteousness that he dwells. And it said here in Acts, he trembling and was thought, and said to the Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou art see.

Then we remember how far from us land to the believer, Ananias was given the strength to both Paul and preached forgiveness, serving of forgiveness, or reconciliation. It is this reconciliation, this ministry of reconciliation, that now is calling right to the Corinthians and our text.

Forgiveness, pretensions, is discerning in one's life, turning of complete service or 183 service. Therefore, as he in Christ, he is a new creature, all things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.

And yet, Paul later wrote, he who was self-righteous wrote about himself in this way, for instance, in 1 Timothy and three minutes. He rose, I cannot find it right now, how he was the chief of sinners.

We remember also the message from John the Baptist, who was the forerunner of Christ, who came to preach repentance. He preached repentance and that people would bring forth fruit meet for repentance.

But then John, when he saw Christ, we remember how he said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and also how I must decrease and he must increase.

I also recall how Jesus, when he was on this earth, he began his ministry preaching of the kingdom of God, preaching of the forgiveness of sins. There were many sinners that came to him and were healed and had their sins forgiven them who heard this sermon of reconciliation.

But there were also those who were self-righteous who came to Jesus also. Jesus did not shun those who had fallen, whether they fell on the right side or left side, whether they were fallen into the ways of the world or into the sins of self-righteousness.

But Jesus had come to save all those who were lost.

We remember from John where it is recorded how a ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, came to Jesus, and it is recorded in the third chapter of John in the second verse. It says about Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night, said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art the teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus was not able to understand this message. Later Jesus in the fifth verse explained, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Our text continues, all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.

All things are of God. We believe in God who created all mankind. He created us with his word.

And yet we remember the first fall into sin. Adam and Eve fell into sin. The enemy, the serpent, beguiled them.

And yet God did not leave them in their sins. God, who is almighty and all-knowing, he walked in the garden, called Adam, Adam, where art thou?

And he promised to them a savior who was to be born.

There are many in our time who can believe in God the almighty creator. God speaks to man in many ways in nature.

We believe that he is all-knowing and all-seeing. Nothing is hid from his eyes.

When we were traveling to these services with our quarter home, we were able to journey with another family, and we first stayed just south of here at a provincial park.

And when we left there, there was a moose on the prairie, and we had to honk the horn so that it wouldn't come in the way.

And I watched that moose and all the children watched the moose, and it didn't know where to run. It was not even running in a straight line, but it was in a panic to run away across the wide open prairie, and it could not escape our haze.

And I thought that this must be what it is like for someone who is troubled with sin, not knowing where to turn.

God knows all and he's all.

The psalmist writes of this how God sees all and knows all, how man cannot escape God.

In the 139th psalm it says, Whither shall I go from thy spirit? And whither shall I flee from thy presence?

The 7th verse of Psalm 139, If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. 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.

All things are of God who have reconciled us with himself by Jesus Christ, who have given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

God is love. He promised to Adam and Eve, the first human pair, to send a savior who would crush the head of the serpent, Jesus Christ, who is the beginning of our faith and the end of our faith, who died for us and for all mankind.

Later again from John, Jesus himself preached what is so called the miniature gospel, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

But then Jesus ascended into heaven, but before he left, he said that he would send the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, that would guide and teach us all things.

It is this Holy Spirit that dwells in God's kingdom. It is this Holy Spirit that opens the word of God. It is this Spirit that we pray would lead and guide those servants who are set up here to speak.

Remember to pray for them. God will give them word, speak those which are in course with his will.

To which that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

God and have committed unto us a word of reconciliation.

God gave the keys to his kingdom unto the earth children, to children of God.

Even though Jesus appeared to Paul, Paul in a bright light that shone, Paul heard the words of Jesus.

Paul had to be led to a believer to hear the words of reconciliation.

Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.

This is the power that God gave his own.

In the 18th verse that we read, it said he has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

God's kingdom is a ministry. We have a duty which is to preach the gospel, preach the gospel to all.

Preachers in the 19th verse he says that he has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

The gospel is an oral gospel that is preached from God's children. It is the same gospel that God gave Adam and Eve, first human pair, the first little congregation of God here on the earth.

We have come to these best of services. Why have we come? We have come as it not been for this same gospel message, the message of reconciliation, forgiveness of sins.

We who often fall to whom the dust of this world attaches so easily, we fall into sin. We need to hear this gospel even now.

Dear listener, dear traveler in faith, lift your hearts to believe all sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

This gospel frees us so that we who are under the loving hand of our heavenly Father, we can trust in him.

He who has given us this word of reconciliation, the word of his dear Son of Jesus Christ, he died for us so that we would have hope of heaven through his blood.

I also need to hear this gospel. Can I believe my many sins and doubts forgiven? I want to believe with you.

God did teach you by us. We pray you in Christ's death be reconciled to God.

Do we not also have this prayer that we who can turn to each other, we can hear it from God's kingdom through the services, the preaching of the forgiveness of sins?

We can hear it from those dear travel escorts that God gives us.

We can hear that our sins are forgiven, and when God forgives, they are forgiven never to be remembered. They are drowned in the bottomless sea of grace.

We have received freely from God's kingdom. Grace flows freely.

But since we have also received this grace, do we not wish to preach to those who wish to hear, who are speaking on the outside, they are taught to and fro wondering where to turn.

Just like we saw from that moose that was running across the prairie, that they would hear the precious call of our dear Savior, which sounds forth from God's kingdom.

Son and daughter, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. I have overcome sin and death for you so that you can believe on me and you will then be heaven acceptable. Come follow me.

When we read the text at the beginning, Paul wrote that all things are become new, and so it is that righteousness of life follows first from the righteousness of faith.

We need to believe in Christ, and then we want to journey with his own, his the children of God that are in this earth.

There where the children of God are, Christ is there.

Towards the end of our text, Paul rose, we then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Truth follows grace. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Later in Paul's letter to the Colossians, he wrote in this way, the third chapter, if ye be then risen with Christ, seek ye those things which are above, where Christ did sit on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on the things above, not on the things on the earth.

We know that it is easy for our flesh and blood that we carry to become attached to the things of this world, to even struggle sometimes to come to service.

But when I look around and I see all the young and many young and old at these services already, oh how precious it is that you have come to God's services of God's kingdom here at these festive summer services.

Here we are reminded of the most important matters. There where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.

Most important matter is that when we close our eyes to this world, that our names would be written in the Lamb's book of life, and beside our names there would be written no sin.

Later in this same third chapter of Colossians, Paul speaks of some instruction. He speaks, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

For which things take the wrath of God cometh unto the children of disobedience, in which he also walked sometimes when he lived in them.

But now he also put off all anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man which with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created him.

God created man in his image. God created man for heaven.

This is why God sent his Son into the world to save us from our sins.

This is why he has sent word of reconciliation. He has given keys to the kingdom of heaven here on this earth to be preached to all who wish to hear it, who wish to believe.

For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, in a day of salvation have I heard thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

In closing, I wish that this word would find those that are seeking, who are being taught to and fro, not knowing where to turn, God, that they would come and see, that they would come and hear the word of reconciliation which is preached from God's kingdom to those who are seeking.

They will find a loving God who wishes to wash away all their sins, wishes to turn them onto the way that leads to heaven.

Dear children of God, in closing yet again, uplift your hearts to believe all sins and travel faults forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood.

When we believe in this way, God will take care of us. He will guide our lives. We are under his all-knowing and seeing care. We are in the care of his kingdom here on this earth.

This care that will one day, when we can close our eyes to this life, we can open them again in the glory of heaven.

In Jesus' name, Amen.