Thanks Giving services/Sermon in Minneapolis 01.12.2002

For these concluding services of our Thanksgiving weekend, youth days, and congregational days, we shall yet pause for a few moments around the word of God, which is on the LLC calendar, an Old Testament text for next Sunday. But according to the new Finnish calendar that's been in use for a couple of years, it's been switched to be an Old Testament text for today. It's from the prophet Isaiah, the first Advent Sunday text, chapter 49 verses eight, nine, and 10.

Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time, I have heard thee. In a day of salvation have I helped thee, and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.

That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the sun nor heat smite them. For he that has mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of the water shall he guide them. Amen.

This portion from prophet Isaiah is from the latter part of his book, and it's known as Deutero-Isaiah or, in other words, Second Isaiah. We know the fifth book of Moses is called Deuteronomy. The word Deuter means second. Anomie means law. In the fifth book of Moses, it talks about Moses giving his farewell speech, but also reiterating the law that God had given unto him to the people the second time.

So our portion for this evening is from Deutero-Isaiah, or the second section of Isaiah. From chapter 40 to the end of the book, Isaiah tells of that period of time when the people of Israel were living in Babylon, in the captivity of Babylon, where they were for seventy years after being brought there in exile when King Nebuchadnezzar had attacked Judah, the southern part of the country, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

So Isaiah is now talking to the people in that faraway country. They're in captivity of Babylon and in many different ways, giving them encouragement about that time which will soon come to be when they can return from bondage, outward bondage, physical bondage, again to be a free people back to their homeland there in Israel.

And so the prophet Isaiah is speaking using many different pictures and illustrations describing what will soon come to be for these people. And that thou mayest say to the prisoners, they were prisoners in the outward sense. But a person may be a prisoner, and first and foremostly, in this text, in the spiritual sense, a prisoner under the bondage of the law, but also one may be a prisoner in the bondage of open sin and in the snare of the enemy of souls. He who does sin, says Jesus, is a slave of sin.

That you may say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, spiritual doubt darkness, show yourselves. Then they shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in high places.

Luther, when explaining this portion, says, when speaking about pastures, there is always a pasture there where the word of God, the gospel of God, is spoken. As we say in that shepherd's Psalm, Lead me beside the still waters. Bring me to the green pastures. And we know that we are fed. We are given drink by the word of the gospel, which is preached and proclaimed by and through the Holy Spirit.

So then they shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat or the sun smite them. When the Bible speaks of the sun of righteousness, it is speaking about Christ Jesus. But here, when it is speaking just about the sun and just about heat, it is talking about a conscience which is seared with a hot iron. It is an awakened soul in the condition of unbelief when matters are not well before God, the heavenly Father.

So such a person who is able to experience the grace of God, they shall then be led to the pastures.

They shall not hunger or thirst. No longer will the heat or the sun smite them. For he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even to the springs of water shall he guide them.

But then these were the latter verses of the text that we read. But then in the first verse, the eighth verse, the prophet Isaiah says, I will preserve you, and I will give you for a covenant of the people to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.

A covenant of the people. The prophet Jeremiah, the next prophet following Isaiah, speaks about two kinds of covenants. And there is the so-called old covenant, which is not in question here in our portion in Isaiah. But then there is so-called the new covenant, which is the covenant the prophet Isaiah here is speaking of. So prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah describe more clearly or more fully, we could say, about this new covenant.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant, or in other words, the old covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. And this covenant, they broke, said prophet Jeremiah, to the people or about the people. Although I was a husband unto them, said the Lord.

But then again, telling what this new covenant is.

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. And this is the covenant that the prophet is speaking about in our read text now this evening. After those days, said the Lord, I will put my law, which is not the law of Moses, but it's the law of grace, in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

So what is this new covenant of which the prophets, both Isaiah and Jeremiah, are speaking of? Prophet Isaiah in chapter 55 says, and I will give you an everlasting covenant of the sure mercies of David.

An everlasting covenant. It is a covenant of grace. It is a covenant of the forgiveness of sin. This is the constitution of the kingdom of God. This is the law, we could say, or the foundation law of the kingdom of God.

Yohani Gerasimov said during his time that the kingdom of God is ruled by the gospel. And when I read Martin Luther's explanation on this portion we have before us this evening, he says, it is a rule by mercy. The kingdom of God is ruled by the word of the gospel.

Sometimes people in the world, people in unbelief, have this kind of wrong idea or wrong false notion about those who are in faith. That faith is a matter that is only for old people, for example.

Such people who are dressed in black clothes. Such people who never grin or laugh. As the saying says in Vin, only the most serious are saved. But this is not true.

And some people may think that those who are in faith are as if traveling toward the cemetery, one foot already in their graves.

And then when they observe the kingdom of God and the great numbers of youth and children here in the kingdom of God, they as if marvel and are in disbelief. And perhaps think that the parents are forcing their children to come to services. And they are kept there in their faith with harsh rules and regulations.

But we all know as believers, as children of God, how untrue this is.

And so when we go to examine this new covenant this evening, I wish to begin by asking a question.

I'll ask myself this question. I'll ask the children and youth this question. I'll ask the parents this question, and also this question can be asked of the elders as well. The question is this, why are we believing this evening? Why in general are we believing?

And this comes down to the matter of if I can find a portion of what I'm looking for from Titus 2, where Titus is speaking—Paul is speaking unto Titus, a coworker in living faith, about grace. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto all men.

So we could ask, what is grace? We heard this afternoon in one of the speeches during the discussion, grace is something that we receive. It's not something that we have earned, but it has come as a free gift completely of the goodwill and favor of God, our heavenly Father.

There's a document that confirmation teachers use, which has been recently translated, and it gives definitions for various religious terms and concepts in the Bible that are attempted to be explained and taught then under the confirmation students. And the definition that is given for this word grace is as follows: Jesus especially sought fellowship with such people who were held or considered to be unimportant and great sinners. And this comforted these people, but it offended others.

In this way, Jesus showed God's incomprehensible love, which seeks sinners and wishes to save them. This love, which becomes ours without our own merit, is called grace.

Thursday evening, we talked and visited about that portion from Colossians and how we sing with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace unto the Lord. And what does this mean? We sing with grace unto the Lord.

The effects of grace are such that it is voluntary. It is something which is uncompelled, something which is spontaneous. It is done with cheerfulness, and it is also prompted by love.

Paul writes to the Ephesians in this way, also describing what grace is: By grace you are saved through faith, not of yourselves, not of works, that a person would boast.

So when speaking about this very important concept in term called grace, it is spoken of when it tells the Bible is speaking of one who receives the grace of repentance, and sins are washed away. For example, Paul tells about Abraham, the forefather in faith, that he believed in God, and this was accounted unto him for salvation or righteousness.

When we think of the time that we are now living as children of God in God's kingdom and think, for example, of earlier years, years past—in some way, even though faith is the same, the spirit is the same, doctrine is the same—in some ways, things in God's kingdom have changed.

What do I mean by this? We heard this afternoon how we are so fortunate nowadays where we have various and numerous camps and several campsites, a couple of campsites where we have the opportunity when we wish to gather, for example, for a weekend event. Not many years ago, and the older ones remember, there was no such thing. Nevertheless, faith is the same.

The spirit is the same.

One friend was keeping a presentation, and he was speaking about repentance. What is repentance? And there at that camp, there were hundreds, several hundred youth in their mid-teens and early teens. And the one given the lesson asked a question:

Raise your hands out there in the audience. Whoever has witnessed, been present when some person has received the grace of repentance from the world? Not one hand went up. They had never personally been present in witness when a person received the grace of repentance. However, they knew very well what it meant when a person would make repentance.

Vilasudari, in the nineteen thirties, was in one locality in the old country, and we could take examples from this country as well. But in one evening's time during the services, nearly a hundred people received the grace of repentance.

We have noticed lately, you are those that we make repentance and come into God's kingdom from the world. However, we have been very encouraged to hear those greetings from foreign mission work when the brothers have returned. And often there are those, and often many in numbers, who have received the grace of repentance.

In this connection, I would mention that Wednesday, I am leaving with Neil Warnomy and his wife, Ruth, to Ecuador for a ten-day trip, and we ask to be remembered and carried in your prayers.

But yet, one more example. We remember, at least the older ones remember, how in years past, there was often rejoicing when the cup overflowed for many of the listeners during services. And out loud, people would begin to praise and say, "Lord Jesus, be praised."

There were one services in the old country in the Oulu Cathedral. Dreamfall services, several thousand people were in attendance. Every seat was filled. The aisles were also filled with people standing. The speaker opened up the Bible, read his text, and said but two or three sentences. And there erupted such a loud praise and thanksgiving that the speaker's voice could not even be heard.

It was drowned out. The speaker closed the Bible and walked back into the sacristy. I'm sure there are many children and youth here this evening who have never witnessed or experienced such a thing. Nevertheless, the kingdom of God is still the same. Living faith is still the same.

The spirit in God's kingdom is still the same, and God's grace is still the same. When apostle Paul was writing to Titus, for example, there where Titus was living, there were many people who are living in open godliness, living and doing such things which were morally and ethically completely contrary to the word of God and were living in, we could say, the gutters and the sewers of this world in a metaphorical sense.

But even though it is incomprehensible to the carnal mind, grace also belongs to such people, and especially it belongs to such people. Jesus had to say once to the Pharisees and scribes that the publicans and the sinners will enter into God's kingdom before you.

So we could mention a few examples. The thief on the cross. Jesus was there on the Hill of Golgotha hanging between two criminals, one on each side, who were about to be put to death because of their transgressions against the temporal law of the land. They had broken every commandment that existed, all 10 commandments.

And while they were there hanging on the cross on either side of Jesus, one of the hearts of the two criminals was awakened. And he said to the other that we are here suffering because of due cause. We have earned it. But he who is between us is innocent. He is sinless. He is suffering and about to die without any cause.

And so we could say that this was the eleventh hour for these two criminals. The one criminal's heart was hard as stone and was unmoved by even the last moments of his life. But the other thief's heart was warmed and was now seeking for God's grace and mercy.

He turned to him who was in the middle and said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." I'm sure he was bloody and hurt. Turned with his last strength to look at that thief on the cross begging for mercy, and he said, "Today, you shall be with me in paradise."

He was able to hear the message of God's grace and mercy. And at that moment, he was translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God, dear son. This is often called the grace of the thief on the cross.

And with no lesser power, no lesser grace will anybody be translated from darkness unto light. And also it is for a child of God with no lesser power and might than the power of God's grace will we be preserved as children of God on this narrow way of life.

And with no lesser power than the power of the grace of God, will we one day make it to our everlasting home in heaven.

The prodigal son left from his father's house asking for that inheritance that was due to him. He went out into that faraway land and spent all in terrible, unrighteous living, as it says in the Bible, living in open ungodliness and in sin.

And there, I'm sure he had done everything and experienced everything that could be imagined. But his heart was awakened there in that faraway land.

He remembered how good it was to be in his father's home when he had peace on his conscience. He began to travel back toward home. The father came to meet him. When the father met him, he did not begin to speak to him harshly. "Where have you been all of these years? Why have you done what you did? Now confess all that you have done. Have you confessed everything?" But the father said to this returning boy, who was outwardly and inwardly in rags, filthy and disheveled, gave him a kiss and said to his servants, "Prepare that feast for him. Undress him of his filthy garments and dress him into that festive garment."

What a surprise for this prodigal son. He thought, I'm sure, at the most, he could go and live out in that house, workhouse that was reserved for the servants. Or maybe he could stay in the entryway of his father's house and go no further. But just think. By the grace of God, he received all of his sins forgiven and again became a fully authorized member of the house, a child of God.

But then this is the grace of repentance. But then begins the journey of a child of God. And a child of God is then led and guided on this narrow way of life. And the apostle Paul writes to Titus in this way, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto all men." And we could say it appeared unto the prodigal son, and it appeared unto the thief on the cross. But the thief on the cross died immediately and was translated from this time to eternity.

But if one's life continues, then one's life continues with a new teacher, a new instructor. One receives the Holy Spirit in their heart and in their soul, which leads them and guides them and instructs them on the narrow way of life. As Paul writes to Titus, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust. So it teaches a child of God to deny ungodliness, not do ungodly things, and not to fulfill the worldly lusts. For it teaches a child of God how to live, that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

There's one beautiful song that is in the Finnish language, and it is not translated as far as I know in the English language. But it tells about the new mind that a child of God receives upon making repentance. "My mind has been changed to examine your salvation in that great honor and glory which is in heaven." But on the contrary, it is not in this way as we could read from one hymn, Hymn 415 verse 1.

"Christ does not govern with commandments nor does he govern with demand." But it continues, "You touch us with your mercy. You embolden us with your grace." So grace begins to teach. Grace begins to lead.

Grace begins to guide a child of God. For example, during the time of Lestadius, after he received the grace of repentance in 1844, then his sermons received a new power, the power of the Holy Spirit. And when people began to make repentance, they needed not to be told anything. But automatically, they began to return those reindeer that they had stolen. They began to overturn those kegs of liquor that they had been brewing.

They discontinued to live in fornication they had been living in. And there's even one example of a group of believers that traveled from Gdansk, Northern Sweden, all the way to Helsinki to repay that toll duty that they had held or kept secret as they were transporting goods across the Finnish-Swedish border. Grace began to automatically teach the hearts of these newborn believers. Nobody had said a word. In Tsavo or Karelia, at the end of the 1800s, there was one sawmill, and there was also a cafeteria on-site.

And, of course, the workers would eat in the cafeteria. And there were also believers who were working there at the sawmill as well as unbelievers. At times, one believing minister who was a worker there as well would conduct services for the believers. The unbelievers were displeased with this activity, and they began to complain to the owner of the sawmill. The preacher brother happened to be a foreman.

And so the owners came out to the sawmill, and they asked this foreman who was a believer and a preacher brother what was happening out there. He said, we have been sawing logs into timber, into lumber, but also at times we have been keeping services. He said there have been people who have made repentance during these services. And he said, do you know what? There had been many things of the property that had been disappearing from the storeroom.

But after people made repentance, the stolen goods began to automatically return and reappear again. The owner, after listening to the foreman saying this, said, continue sawing logs into lumber and continue keeping your services. We can see how the grace of God began to teach, instruct, and guide these believers. But the grace of God is such, it never teaches a child of God to commit sin, but it instructs a child of God to avoid sin and avoid the places of sin. As we read clearly here in this portion to Titus, it teaches us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lust.

And when we have stumbled, we have erred, sin has come upon our heart and conscience. Grace then begins to instruct us and lead us to the throne of grace where we can hear from a brother and sister in faith that good speaking voice of the blood of Jesus. Grace is still sufficient. It has not run dry. Unto you belongs the gospel.

You can believe just as you find yourself. Sins and faults forgiven in Jesus' name, in precious blood. I'll again ask that question that I asked in the beginning: Why are you and I believing this evening?

The apostle Paul continues when writing to Titus because we are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. For this reason, we speak about grace. For this reason, we beg for the grace of God. For this reason, we wish to be believing that we would one day reach our everlasting home in heaven. For this reason, we endeavor when sin has attached that we would approach the mercy seat.

And for this reason, we wish to travel, keeping faith in a good conscience because we want to one day reach our heavenly home. A fisherman went out one day to check his nets. While he was out there with his rowboat, a very thick, heavy fog came over the large lake. He lost his sense of direction. He rowed one direction.

He rowed another direction. Pretty soon, he didn't know where he was, and he was all tired out. His young daughter guessed what the predicament was, and she came out to the shore of the big lake and began to cry out again and again, "Father, row this way. This way is home," repeating this again and again.

When the father was way out there on the lake, tired and lying on the bottom of the boat, he heard a faint voice. So he sat up with new strength and began to slowly row toward the direction of that voice. He finally reached shore and took his daughter into his arms. But when his daughter had been there for perhaps many hours crying out again and again to the father, she got sick and ill with pneumonia. She ended up in the hospital, and soon she died.

The funeral was now being held, and this young daughter was being buried into the bosom of the earth. The father, who was an unbelieving man, as if heard the voice of his daughter calling out and crying to him, "Father, row this way. This way is home." The father there at the funeral of his daughter was able to receive the grace of repentance, and now in faith, able to go beyond that way that led and leads to that road and that goal where his daughter had gone.

Why are we believing this evening? We wish to one day lay down our travel staff, be able to go and see our former believers that have gone to rest, but above all, that we could see our Lord and Savior there in our home in heaven as he is face to face. But how does it seem many times for you and I? It seems that I am so tired, so weary, so many times faint in this heat of battle against the threefold enemy, the devil, the world, and our own flesh. But the grace of God belongs to such a youth, such a one as you. It is seeking you.

It is searching for you. It is calling out for you. Grace belongs to you. Brothers and sisters, as we sing in that farewell song, the grace of God will carry us until we reach the destination. You can remain believing by grace this evening.

All travel faults, sins, cares, and misgivings forgiven. In Jesus' name, in precious atonement blood. And this is the gospel I also would like to hear for myself. Can I believe my any faults and sins forgiven? I desire to believe together with you.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for these moments again this weekend when we have been able to gather around the hearing of your holy and unperishing word. We ask that you would bless the sowing of the word in our hearts so that we would not only be hearers, but also faithful doers. Protect us and keep us in living faith, and bring us one day to our heavenly home.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.