Sermon in Minneapolis 19.11.2006

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Continuing our services, yet with that hope and prayer of faith that our rich Heavenly Father would again divide onto us of His Word, as we have now already received in abundance today through our dear brothers. I shall read from the prophet Daniel, the last chapter, the 12th chapter, the first three verses. We hear these words read in Jesus' name as follows.

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen.

This time of the year, as we've already heard, as we approach the close of the, or the end of the church calendar year, we have final judgment Sunday ahead of us, and then starts again the next year with the Advent calendar, as we approach Christmas. So, these texts and our thoughts at this time of the year cause us to pause and think about our lives, about the travel of man, about mankind's journey here in this world. And as we just heard, our dear brother, about our own mortality.

We are, of course, as citizens of our nation, as citizens of this world, we are so earthly. Our vessels are so bound to this earth that it is hard for us to imagine, to stop and think, contemplate those things that pertain to eternal life. Because we are all sin corrupt. It is our nature. Our lives, our thoughts, our tasks, our tasks to this world. But the word of God is, and the word of God teaches us that, as his children, we should be, nevertheless, also, aware of and contemplating those things that pertain to eternity.

And that is, of course, why, dear brothers and sisters, you came even this evening to services. Because God, through his word and his spirit, again this evening, has refreshed and instructed us, as he always does there, where his children gather, his word is spoken, and his spirit can reveal. He reveals our own sinfulness, our sin corruption. He shows us of what make we are. But he also points out the marvelous work that he has prepared on behalf of us, the sin fallen people. Because he knew how weak we are. And that we would need this kind of assistance or help in order to be able to make it to heaven.

He prepared in his Son a complete righteousness, perfection, so that by faith we would be acceptable before him. And by preaching, the gospel could be spread to those seeking and desiring salvation. So we live a wonderful time of work and peace, even though we see those changes in the world around us, and those things happening that we wonder, what is the will of God? And where is this world going to?

Nevertheless, we rejoice that we can freely gather in worship, and freely confess faith. Though we do not have to live such a time of persecution, as Daniel refers here to, and as in the gospel text for today Jesus points out. And at the end of this text, those words that Jesus refers to, in the 11th verse, "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waits and comes a thousand three hundred and thirty-five days."

So there is coming upon this world such a time, when the possibility and the freedom to have daily worship, to daily sacrifice and believe in God is taken away from mankind. And Daniel calls it the abomination that makes desolate. Obviously, if those who are outside of the kingdom of God have no access to grace any longer, and no access to the gospel and the forgiveness of sins, and they see this huge oppression before them, it will cause them also to think about the salvation of their souls, and they will be left then with no possibility to hear, or to believe, or to attain salvation.

And certainly that would be a desperate situation, and it would be, as Daniel says, make people desolate. What is the condition of those who are already believing, who have their sins forgiven? Even though they cannot freely worship and gather, freely confess, does it mean they cannot preach or believe? Of course not. The condition will be the same then as it was during other times of persecution, when the children of God believed, confessed, and went even to death to martyrdom for that confession of faith. But they knew, and were assured, that heaven is theirs by faith.

So we live a wonderful time, dear brothers and sisters, a time when we do not have to suffer such, or as Paul says, in one place, you have not yet suffered unto blood. And certainly we have to admit that we have not suffered unto blood for the confession of our faith, for our confession of the gospel. We thank God that such is the case, that our time of peace and work is a time where we can freely rejoice, gather together to rejoice over this lamb who was slain on our behalf, so that we can have peace with God.

This is a wonderful blessing that God gives to those whom he has called chosen from this world. Not because we have merited it, or earned it, or deserved it, because of our special position here in this world. But as sinful people, as sin corrupt and earthly, no different than anybody else, we are partakers, nevertheless, of a heavenly blessing. The blessing that which we will experience, as Daniel was told, that, at the end of the chapter, "Go thou thy way, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of days."

When the fiery-eyed judge comes to judge this world, there will no longer be an opportunity to ask or to hear, to receive the blessing of salvation. As Jesus describes it, two will be working in the field, one taken, and the other left. Two working at the mill, one taken, and the other left. The end happens in a twinkling of an eye. It is instantaneous.

And so, even though somebody may have planned their lives, that they would ask for the gospel before the end comes, they will not have that opportunity. That is why it pays to remember as Solomon instructed, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth before the evil days come, drawn in the eye, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."

Learning, says John, related of the Sunday school child, learning of Jesus, learning of the word of God, learning of the Ten Commandments, learning to pray, all of these ground us and root us so that we are able to stand, stand in faith, and as Paul writes to the Ephesians, stand, and we are loins girt with truth, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and so on. Always ready to preach, always ready to confess, always ready to tell others what great blessings God has done in our lives.

Because when the end comes, when the books are opened, what is read, what is found beside each name, dear brothers and sisters, if there is just a list of deeds and nothing is blotted out by the blood of Christ, there will be nothing but a list of sins. And because of that list, such a person will have to suffer, as Daniel wrote, some shame and everlasting contempt.

But if beside each name, beside your name, dear brothers and sisters and mine, there is marked by the blood of Christ forgiven, forgiven, forgiven. All of our sins, each and every day, every moment of our days, are covered with the blood of Christ. God looks upon you through the merit works of his Son and he sees no sin. By faith you are saved through the merit of Christ. Not of works that any should boast. It is truly a gift of God.

So we rejoice and so we endeavor. So you confess and so you believe that here today we live and as Luther said, even if I would know that tomorrow the end would come, I would still plant an apple tree today. We live each and every day departure ready. Each and every moment of our lives we desire to be as those who are acceptable to God. Endeavoring and living of faith.

Because then it makes no difference when the end comes. If it comes tonight or tomorrow or at some time hundreds of years in the future, it is still a victory. Because whether it is a personal departure from this world when God calls us home at the end of our lives or if it is a mutual departure at the end of time, it is a great victory because we can go from trial and tribulation to eternity to the paradise of heaven to rejoice forever.

And that, of course, is why we believe. That is why you have believed to this day that you can here battle but one day be crowned. Here you run and struggle and endeavor but one day you can rejoice. Here we have trials and tribulations. Jesus says, "Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."

He does not promise us a life that is free of trials and tribulations or a life that is without difficulties or a life that does not mean that our faith isn't tried. But what does He give us access to? He gives us access to His righteousness and the power of His resurrection and victory. That is, He rose from the grave victorious over sin, death, and hell. So we also can rise victorious. We can rise again and again even though having been wounded by sin we can rise and battle beyond because God gives us access to His power by the gospel.

When sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus there is therein the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. It is your power, dear brothers and sisters, to this day. It is your power, dear elders, by which you have endeavored through many trials and tribulations and maybe even much sin corruption to this day. It is your power, dear parents, by which you bring children even into this world and raise them as little children of God. It is your power, dear brothers, your young brothers and sisters, by which you fight against the evilness and the sin corruption of our time. It is God's power unto salvation for each and every one of you.

One of the other things that Daniel points out in this chapter is that in these battles of the end times I often recall our dear brother, elder brother, Elmer, when we spoke sometimes about these battles around the land of Israel and so on. He always said that Israel will never be defeated. It will always be victorious. And so, of course, God has assisted and helped the people of Israel in that new homeland.

But Jesus told those children of Israel, the nation of Israel, that you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord."

And so, the scripture speaks of another time of visitation for the children of Israel, and such may be the will of God. We don't know. That is in God's calling and in God's hands. We know that there are those from the Jewish nation at different times throughout history who have believed that there is him at this time.

But Daniel notes in chapter, that when he, in other words, Satan, the enemy of righteousness, shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. So, in some senses, there's two references there. There's the possible reference to the nation of Israel as the chosen people of God. But there's probably a more important reference there to the daily sacrifice and the abomination that makes desolate, that when we no longer have freedom to worship and to gather around the word of God, then the end of time is nigh at hand.

Both of those signs, of course, are not in our lives or in the world today, and we rejoice and thank God that such is not the case. But the word of God is there given to us, and God reveals that each time in his congregation by his spirit that which his children have need of. And so we come, in God, that he will also reveal unto us at every time that which is his will for us and for the world.

We have a good, dear heavenly father who takes good care of us as his children. He has taken care of us to this day, and certainly he will take care of us as he gives us days, days and years.

So be encouraged, your brothers and sisters, to hold to those promises of God. Lift up your hearts to believe in this evening that your sins are forgiven. All your sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus. And you can travel here with that assurance that he who has begun this good work in you will also finish it on that day of Jesus Christ.

Sins are forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. I also ask my own heart and soul, and I believe by many sins and doubts forgiven. So I desire to believe, together with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

We close in the Lord's benediction. The Lord bless us 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 his eternal peace. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.