Sermon on Minneapolis 31.10.2015

When thinking today of this day that we're living, we remember it as All Saints Day, or All Saints Day Eve. We remember, especially in this last year and in the recent years, those loved ones who have gone on to their place of rest. There have been those mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers. Some perhaps have been younger children or older ones.

But what we experience when our loved ones leave us from this life is the majesty of death. All of us have been granted opportunity to live. All of us have been given this time that God has ordained for us to live and to dwell here on this earth as a part of our families, loved ones, residents of God's kingdom, and so on. We know, according to God's Word, that our days are numbered. And God gives us, according to His day, according to His time, our day in which we live.

And in God's Word, it reminds us of the many blessings that we receive here in this life as His children. It has often been said that God's children are blessed both in this life, but also even more greatly in the life that is to come. When we ponder and consider the blessings of this life, they are numerous, they are many, and God gives those blessings often in mysterious ways. We sometimes count blessings in one way, only to some days and years later realize that God's blessings have come in some very quiet ways or hidden ways.

But one of the ways that I have experienced the blessings of this life, the blessings of a believer, are on occasions such as this, where we're able to pause for a few moments in our busy lives to consider that which waits for us. The book of Hebrews says that here we have no continuing city, but we seek one that is to come. It has often been said that we journey here with our feet firmly planted in the soils of the earth, but our hearts are far away in heaven.

Some years ago, shortly after a dear brother had passed away when we were living in Colorado, he was a young man of 15. He died in faith. It was a short time later that one of the brothers visited there with us in Colorado, and he wanted to go visit the grave of this young man. And so we went. And as we stood there over the grave, this brother said, "It's good to visit these places because this also is our final place."

We have those kinds of opportunities and moments in our lives to ponder, to stop, and to consider what is it that God has in store for us His children. Through faith, through the eyes of faith, we can see the shore and glory of heaven. Our earthly eyes cannot see that. And I've often thought that there are those times, moments when God gives those moments in our lives, when it feels as if heaven touches earth. It could be at special occasions, special services. It could be in memory of some special occasion, but there are those opportunities that God gives as a stopping in this wasteland as we tarry homeward. A stopping where we can pause to reflect and to remember where our journeys are going towards.

In this 11th chapter of Hebrews, it is one of those chapters that I, and probably you, stop to read from time to time. The book of Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is required for us to make it to heaven. It is only through faith, by grace, through the merit work of Christ alone, that we're able to reach that destination.

So when the author writes in this 11th chapter, he writes and remembers many of the former saints who have gone before us. He speaks of Abel. He speaks of Enoch. He speaks of Noah. How Noah, being warned of God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Noah endeavored. And by faith he was protected and saved.

We also hear of Abraham's faith when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out not knowing where he went. But by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in the tabernacles of Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. And when we read from the accounts of those brothers' lives, we find that they journeyed as we journey by faith. Abraham went even when he didn't know where he was going. He traveled with God's direction and God's protection.

And also it says through faith also, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised. And our text said and references these all died in faith. But then later on in that same chapter, he again speaks of Abraham. When he was tried, he offered up Isaac.

And I thought of that which Abraham would have been given this son, this son of his old age. And what would it have been that Abraham and Isaac would have spoke about as they were walking up the mountain where Isaac was carrying the wood for the sacrifice. And he asked his father, "We have the wood, but where is the sacrifice?" Abraham told him, "God will provide."

I have wondered, as they journeyed up that mountain, what would it be like for me as a father with my son? What would I visit over? What would I talk about? I asked this question to a dear friend who has gone on to his eternal place of rest now, just over a year ago, almost two years ago. And what was it that he spoke about with his sons when he knew that he was living his last days? He said he spoke about faith, the importance of faith, the importance of believing, and the importance of the gospel.

Everything else in that moment, in that time, pales by comparison when a person is facing their eternal destination. So when we ponder and consider all of these that the writer has written of, by faith Joseph, by faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

And then by faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

So this evening, beloved brothers and sisters, these all died in faith. They did not receive the promises here in this life, but they were sure of them, they knew of them, and by faith they were persuaded of them, and they embraced them, and they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

This evening, brothers and sisters, we also say the same. This is not our eternal home. The home in which we are living today is a temporal home. It is a home for a short period of time. What waits for us is the glory of heaven.

Heaven is that place that I think all of us, when we ponder it, what does it mean? Can we attain to it with our own feeble mind and weak understanding? Heaven? I cannot possibly comprehend what heaven would be. Can you?

I thought how the glory of heaven has changed as I've aged. In my mind as a young boy was that kind of place when you read from the book of Revelations, this place where the streets are paved with gold, and there are these beautiful jewels and precious stones that heaven is, as John is related. And I was intrigued as a young boy, and I even thought, what would a street that is paved with gold be like?

But as I've grown older, that part of heaven has seemed to be less important. Now, when I think of heaven, I think of heaven as that place of rest, an eternal rest, a place where we can lay aside this travel staff, where we can lay aside the weapons that we travel with.

When we sang in that song, 601, and the writer of that song writes of how I was a weak one toiling with my brothers, we were together lifting one another. And then he says that I had this grace, I worked beneath the sun, hope everlasting shined on all my labor.

I thought here the songwriter found reason for joy, that God had granted him that grace to work and to serve. We've been also given that kind of time as parents, as believers, in these ways that we can serve in God's kingdom. God's granted us this time of grace where we work beneath the sun and we work with hope everlasting, shining on all of our labor.

And then he says next, beloved brother, beloved, working in the home fields, toil yet a moment, hear the singing swallow, soon weary brother, soon a bell will chime, you'll leave your sowing there with all your sorrow.

And in the last verse then of that song, then he speaks of that eternal place of rest. Brothers and sisters this evening, those former pilgrims have endeavored in the same way that we are endeavoring, by faith. And they confessed that they were strangers and foreigners as we do.

And he says, now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, and he hath prepared for them a city. That city waits for us.

So on this day of grace, beloved travel friend, you can with joy uplift your hearts and thank God for the abundant blessings and gifts that he has granted to you, and mostly this, that he's called you to be one of his own. And he gave for us his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who has paved the way to heaven for us.

All that is required of us is that we would follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He has done all. We don't need to burden ourselves with our own corruption, our own worklessness, but Christ has merited salvation for us.

This evening we have reason for great joy that we are on the way to heaven. We will attain that destination by faith. Remain believing this evening, sins and doubts forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atoning blood. In believing this gospel, you will make it to that place of rest.

I also ask this evening, can I also be reassured of that gospel? Can I believe my sins forgiven? I want to believe with each of you. In Jesus' name, amen.