Sermon in LLC Winter Services 1980 in Phoenix 04.02.1980

Yes, our service is by reading a few words from the first epistle of Peter, the first chapter beginning with the first verse, and the words are, in Jesus' name.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.

Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul.

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto what they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them, that have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into. Amen.

Certainly, my heart shares those same fears that have been already expressed by our dear brothers. In the office of preaching the gospel, the carnal mind and the enemy of the soul is so eager to hinder, to give instruction, that would be against the course of the Spirit of God. God, it certainly can only be done in faith. As one who is preaching, must also by faith believe that God is the giver. As the listener also, as he listens, by faith believes that it is God who gives. And at the same time, in speaking, by faith believing that the Spirit of God which dwells in the congregation will also know and discern if the sound is strange. These gifts God has implanted into his kingdom for the benefit of our undying souls. Amen.

With these burdens of fears and doubts and tremblings, I wish to ask brothers and sisters, if I can have all these and all sins forgiven, can you please forgive me?

We have already today heard much of this Apostle Peter. And this text which we heard here are the words of the Apostle Peter, which he wrote onto these various congregations. And we first understand that he wrote these words as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. And they are truly words which are, I am sure, precious and also very familiar unto each one of us.

We first would understand or notice how in his introduction to those he was writing to were to him very dear and precious. They were those who were living and sharing the same way of faith and life as the Apostle Peter himself was. In his salutation he says, unto these, as he calls them strangers, who were believers, saying, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace be multiplied.

When we consider the elect, we are speaking of those whom God has, through his grace call of the gospel, called into his kingdom. Those whom he has given eyesight to see that he has on this earth a kingdom from which he speaks. It is that kingdom which Jesus, the Son of God, did establish, from which the voice of Jesus is yet heard.

The scripture assures us of the promises of Christ unto his own before he ascended into heaven. When he said, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. By faith we believe that this kingdom which Jesus established, the kingdom of God, is the dwelling place of our Lord and Savior. As it is also described or known as his body of which he is the head.

There are many descriptions of this kingdom which are given to show us what a precious kingdom it is and how that through this kingdom flows the streams of God's love and grace and mercy by and through the gospel. The work of God is done through this kingdom and the primary work as it is written in the description of the purposes of the kingdom of God is to bring or to preach the gospel of repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

That is the purpose that God sent his own son into this world was to bring the message of peace from heaven the gospel and that is none other than this that unto a sinner a penitent sinner he can hear and believe unto the saving of his own soul the gospel of the forgiveness of sins as Jesus when he began his public ministry preached son and daughter be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven.

These Christians these elect unto who the apostle here is writing knew of their election by the testimony which he had either heard or experienced in this that the power of gospel had effected even in them that fruit or testimony of faith living faith and the description which he gives or how this had come about was through the sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

As we understand God has in his mysterious and marvelous plan of salvation established this kingdom and that the Godhead the triune God each having its own office or purpose as Luther so very plainly and simply explains God the father who is the creator and God the son our lord Jesus Christ who is the redeemer and God through the holy spirit who is the sanctifier the purifier which gives life unto the word of the gospel and this being made available or possible through the redemption work of Christ and the sprinkling of his holy and innocent blood.

This giving unto us the picture and assurance also that in the giving or shedding of his blood we have received life without the shedding of the blood the scripture tells us there can be no remission of sins and where there is no forgiveness of sins there can be no hope of life but as Luther also explained that where forgiveness of sins is there is hope and there is life and there is peace.

This is the work of the kingdom of God to bring this message of salvation to reveal the love and grace which God has gives and offers unto all men but yet as we speak of this kingdom we must also say that God does not have many kingdoms but one kingdom which is through which the living word is spoken and only from this kingdom can a sinner be pardoned.

It is only through this kingdom that the living gospel which is given power by and through the spirit of God can a sinner receive unto his heart and soul the hope of salvation everlasting life.

The apostle then continued blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

In thankfulness even we brothers and sisters can acknowledge and be uplifted or refreshed in this in these words of the apostle which he expressed in first giving this thanks and praise unto God the father who is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ for it was by his love because of his love eternal love that he gave his only begotten son to be the propitiation for our sins and as we have heard not only for our sins but for the sins of the whole world and which is according to his abundant mercy.

Again when we stop to think of the mercy and grace of God that how first of all how great it is it is truly because of God's great love that he has offered this mercy this grace and forgiveness for it is the love of God even that works in the hearts of his children the brothers and sisters in faith that inspires the forgiveness.

When Jesus spoke of this forgiveness he instructed in this way that as your father has forgiven you so also forgive ye your fellow travelers your brothers and sisters in faith.

This forgiveness is only possible when it is inspired or directed by the love of God and it is impossible for one to offer the forgiveness of God unless he has already or until he has first received this forgiveness himself.

This forgiveness again can only be received from the living word of God the gospel from his kingdom and this gospel is given only by and through the grace of God it can only be heard by the grace of God and it can only be comprehended by faith through the grace of God.

All that we have received all spiritual blessings as well as our temporal blessings have been given unto us according to the abundant mercy and being the most important the spiritual blessings which the apostle here described in saying as he has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

That lively or living hope which we have and which we understand through faith is made possible unto us through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead as it is said the resurrection of Jesus from the dead assures us of the victory he has won for us the power of death and the grave could not hold him he rose victorious on the third day from the power of the grave and by faith in him believing on him we have this same hope living hope that like as he was raised from the dead so we also one day will rise to the glory of heaven to receive that inheritance which we heard here described everlasting life.

The apostle says to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you.

Again how often often it seems it would be easier to believe if we were provided with some sure sight or sign of that glory which is in heaven of that incorruptible reward.

The apostle Paul says that but those things which we see we no longer hope for and this again unites with that portion of the scripture which says that the righteous shall live by faith and by faith are you saved.

Through grace so that which we would see would no longer be by faith or by hope so it is that we hold to these promises of God by faith believing even as the word of God tells us that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered the heart of any man what God has prepared for those that love him.

The greatest treasures of this world would not be worthy to be compared with the greatness of that treasure which God has prepared for you and I brother and sister and we have this treasure when we are by faith believing the work of God as it is described for a person or that work which is acceptable to God by a sinner is this believe believing on him whom God has sent and it is as we have heard already believing with a childlike heart and mind that God has prepared our salvation for us in his own son and that he has offered it unto us by his great love and mercy as a free gift.

As Luther also explains this without any merit or worthiness in me but he has called us through the gospel.

And further the apostle says who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The apostle Paul speaking of the gospel says that it is the power of God unto salvation unto those who believe and the apostle Peter here says the very same.

Can we not also say brothers and sisters that we have been kept by the power of God on even unto this moment by the word of the gospel by believing the word unto the salvation of our own soul for it is only by and through faith in believing the gospel that one can receive or own that hope of everlasting life.

And so unto this moment we have been preserved in living faith faith and as we are often reminded that yesterday's faith has passed but we are believing only for today moment by moment and tomorrow has not yet arrived.

So we are reminded and also comforted by this gospel that it is only by and through the power of God's word through the gospel that we are as the sons and daughters of God and that we do own by faith a righteousness which is acceptable unto God.

Then the apostle here speaks and we would say we could say that it is a voice of experience when he says wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

The way of a trial of God is not without trials and temptations and God for those purposes or for this purpose has permitted that each one would experience trials and temptations for the trying of faith.

Concerning trials and temptations I am sure each one has experienced moments when it seems that the trials and the weight and burdens and sorrows are sometimes even greater than we could begin to bear but we must again remember how the apostle speaks concerning trials and temptations that there is no trial or temptation that would come upon you that would be greater than one could bear.

In his epistle to the Corinthians the apostle says there has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it.

God is faithful he does not try one greater or harder than he is able to bear and what precious promises we have here that he does with this trial or temptation or sorrow also give us the way of escape.

And what is that way of escape it is the throne of grace of which we have already heard here today which he has placed in his kingdom where the streams of mercy continue to flow in endless or abundant supply.

And that throne of grace we are so in such love and loving invitation in a loving invitation invited to come as it is written in the letter to the Hebrews to come boldly unto the throne of grace that ye may find help in time of need.

And that which flows from this throne of grace in the midst of God's kingdom is the living gospel that we though tried and tempted and with many burdens and sorrows can lift up our hearts to believe once again all our sins and doubts and failings forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood.

In this way our faith is tried all all those impurities of that gold of faith are burned away so that on that moment when our call would come to leave this life that our faith would be that precious lump of gold from which all the impurities of sin and defilement have been burned away through the power of the gospel and we would be found acceptable and found as we heard here unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

This salvation which we own by faith is rooted entirely on the redemption work of our Lord and Savior and has been granted and extended unto us by the eternal love and grace of God and this been given as a grace gift not that we have in any way earned or been entitled but we who have who are worthless and unmeriting sinners God has given and offered this grace even unto you and I to see that he has his kingdom and to hear that living gospel which has freed us from the power of sin and death and has given us the hope of life and also already in this life the peace of God in our heart.

It is a peace that is not known by those on the outside because the peace of God is that peace which is given from heaven when the bonds of sin have been broken when a sinner is freed from his sin and there is no more accusation no more burden or weight of sin but all these have been removed by and through the bloody gospel and the peace of God then rules the heart.

And the apostle then describing the author and finisher of our faith says whom having not seen he loved in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your soul.

This we have received through the redemption work of our lord and savior we with our natural eyes have not seen him but as we hear heard that as we have been called into this kingdom we have been given a spiritual eyesight to see him and also we have been given that love which is from heaven which is returned unto him from whom we have received as Jesus told his own ye have not first loved me but I have loved you.

And so it is impossible for one to love the lord and savior unless he has first received this love from heaven this love being a grace gift unto the pardoned sinner who in childlike faith accepts and believes the living gospel which is preached from the kingdom of God unto one who has been awakened to the knowledge of his sin and who with penitent heart and mind has begged for has asked for grace and forgiveness.

This grace and forgiveness is offered freely and it is never withheld from a penitent sinner and I am sure each one of you brothers and sisters have time and again experienced how abundant and how great the forgiveness of God is that when we have been burdened by sin when we have been troubled when we have needed the uplifting and assurance of the gospel that it has freely been preached unto us with all the with abounding in the love of God assuring us that as we have as we hear and believe our that our sins are forgiven in Jesus name and precious flood they are truly forgiven also in heaven and they are drowned in the sea of grace.

This salvation which we have received through faith is that salvation of which the apostle here speaks concerning the old testament prophets that they also inquired and searched diligently as we heard and prophesied of the grace that should come even unto us.

They as they were inspired by the spirit of God prophesied of the coming of our lord and savior they through faith believed in the promises of God when he already in the garden of Eden gave that promise that he would send a savior who would redeem the who would redeem mankind or who would pay the sin debt for the sin of the whole world.

The prophecies of our new testament time also speak of the coming of our lord and savior that he will come the second time but as he when he comes the second time he does not come then as a as a lord and savior but he comes as a judge and he will come to gather his own from the four corners of the earth and to bring them to receive the reward which we have by promise.

It is certainly important especially on to those who are on the outside of God's kingdom who are not partakers of the grace gift which God offers from this kingdom that they would realize that in their condition they are hopelessly lost that their sins will weigh them down into the depths of hell.

The word of God through his law reveals unto a sinner his sin as this is the purpose of the law to give knowledge of sin and when this knowledge has been revealed through the power of God unto a sinner the gospel then can do its work and this is the work as we have already mentioned of the kingdom of God.

And it is that even hope and prayer of the believers even at these services for those who are outside of this grace kingdom that the word of God would so prick their hearts and consciences and bring this knowledge of their condition that they are not saved and that they have need of the great gospel.

It is our hope and our prayer that such a one would receive this knowledge would also then come into the kingdom through the door which is Christ that is to accept with a childlike heart and mind the gospel of our Lord and Savior that unto a sinner is preached the gospel of the forgiveness of all sins the greatest of all sins being the sin of unbelief in the name and precious blood of Jesus.

And then unto such a one God will give the manifold the many gifts the gifts of love the gifts of the necessary gifts that would keep one on the way of life.

So it is for this purpose even this afternoon that the word of God is preached that unto you brothers and sisters who are believing who are children of God the gospel is preached for the uplifting of your faith for the refreshing of your faith in the hope that we have in the word of God that is eternal life.

So even I as a poor and weak servant and also in such weak and halting words wish to assure each one of you brothers and sisters with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that even at this moment you can lift up your heart to believe all sins and all your doubts and many failings forgiven in the name and in the precious blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And should there be an unbeliever here in our midst unto you we would want to say that this gospel is available humble your heart under the mighty hand of God and accept with a childlike heart in mind this gospel which is the power of God unto the saving of your soul believe all those all your sins especially the sin of unbelief forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood so you too can also enjoy the treasures which are offered in offered unto the believer from the kingdom of God and that treasure is namely the hope of everlasting life in Jesus name. Amen.