Sermon in Minneapolis 20.07.2014

Let us unite our hearts in opening thanksgiving and prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, you have already heard our prayer of faith. Father, we, gathering this morning, all pray in that simple way that you would protect us, Father, on this way that leads to eternal life in heaven. Father, that you would lead us to those fountains of grace which are found here in your kingdom and on earth where the forgiveness of sins is preached in Jesus' name and blood.

Father, we each come here this morning with our own battles, our own trials in our life of faith. We know how close the enemy is. But you, Father, you hear our prayers. Father, you can protect us and we trust in you, Father. We turn to you, Father, in prayer that you would keep us as little children here on that narrow way that leads to eternal life in heaven.

We pray, as your Son has taught us, Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Let the kingdom come, that 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 and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

For our text this morning, I will read from the Gospel of Matthew, from the 16th chapter, beginning with the 13th verse through the 19th verse. And the words are, in Jesus' name, as follows. When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Amen.

First of all, I want to bring the greetings of love and God's peace to you, dear brothers and sisters here in Minneapolis. These greetings coming from the children of God there in our home congregation in Rockford. That sister congregation that is perhaps maybe the closest, I haven't measured the distance, but certainly very close geographically to the Minneapolis congregation, but I think even closer than that for many of the Rockford members have come from this dear flock here in Minneapolis. We believe in the same way. We have the same hope. It's a lively hope. What is that hope? It's the hope of eternal life in heaven.

And we are a battling congregation. We fight the threefold enemies of the world, the enemy's souls, and our own flesh and blood, our own reason, our own corruptness that came from that fall when Adam and Eve there in the garden ate of that forbidden fruit, which God had said not to eat. But we do not travel of our own strength, of our own power, of our own understanding or knowledge. But we have our Heavenly Father in heaven. He's over our lives. He knows everything about us. And we journey here in this congregation, not just our local congregation as we spoke, but this greater congregation, this one that doesn't have geographic boundaries, but has a wall between faith and unbelief, faith and unbelief.

This portion of scripture for this Sunday speaks about, on some heading, the duty of the disciple, the servants of God's congregation, the work of God's kingdom. It touches on three particular matters, at least as I read through this, that seem to come out in this conversation that Jesus had with His disciples. There was this one portion, and the opinions of those on the outside of God's kingdom. And then there's a portion that speaks about, how do we believe? And then there's a portion that speaks about, this duty, this calling, this work that we have been given, here in our daily life, our journey here on this earth, which is to use the keys of God's kingdom.

And how do we use those keys? You little children, you know, don't you know, how we use the keys in God's kingdom? You've seen, and you've used them in your home. Those keys are the keys of forgiveness. There's also the keys of binding, but in that home, isn't it that one key that's used so, so many times when we preach the gospel to one another? That we can believe our sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood. This is the work of God's kingdom. It's the work that already the little children do in the home, and the grandparents continue to do until their last death, as long as they can on this earth. Our work never ends, does it? We first believe of the gospel ourselves, and then we gladly and freely preach this gospel to those around us.

So Jesus, he spoke with the disciples. They came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, and he asked the disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? What's the opinions out there? What are people saying? It's not an old question, is it? We could say it's a question even in our time that comes up. There's many forces around God's kingdom, and there's many thoughts, and there's many opinions in the world. When we start to listen to those opinions, isn't it a dangerous place to be?

We spoke of Adam and Eve. Remember how Eve began to listen to the sermon of the enemy of souls there in the garden, and he began to approach her with his opinions and his reasons. And he told her in this way that, that why do you think God doesn't want you to eat that food? It's because you'll be as wise as him. When we think about that, isn't that something we would want even? We would, oh, if we could be as wise as God, wouldn't believing be so easy? When we pause to listen to those messages, we begin to think about them, and we become so quickly confused. The enemy of souls, he weaves those webs so finely, especially in these last days, to confuse the children of God, attack the children of God.

We don't see these attacks so much in the churches of this world, the dead faith, but where do we see the enemy of souls so diligently working? Working to try to break the love in God's kingdom, working to try to draw that one sheep to the edge so he can lead that one out of God's kingdom. So it was in Jesus' time also there was these different opinions, the different thoughts of men. Here was our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the midst of the people.

Sometimes I think in this way that wouldn't it have been so easy if we lived in the time of Jesus and we could see him there before our eyes? And yet we know. It wasn't so easy for the disciples either, was it? How many times Jesus had to correct them, had to remind them, of who he was and why he had come here on this earth and how that carnal thinking was so close to them?

So we see the disciples and they gave an answer to Jesus. They said, well, and we can see that that they were in the world but not of the world. They were no different, I suppose, than many here. We hear many different things, opinions of the world. And here's what the disciples had answered. They said that some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. See, even in this short verse we can see from the testimony of the disciples, we can see how those in the world were confused. How they were unable to see the Lord and Savior Jesus even though he walked in their midst.

They wanted, I suppose we could say that they fear God. They, you could say that they believe there is a God. They believed, I think, in this way perhaps also that the Son of God was going to come, that he was going to be born into this world as promised by God. I think there are still those in our world today who are awaiting for the birth of Jesus Christ. There are those who say there is a heaven and they say that well God is a God of love and surely he would not let anybody be left on the way here in his life that they would not be acceptable to him. That they could live however they choose. Believe however they choose. But simply reach heaven by believing in God.

Jesus was aware of the opinions of the people. When we read the scriptures the scriptures show how Jesus knew what was in the hearts of men. He knew the thoughts when the disciples were having their discussions he knew what they were talking about and where their positions were what they had fatted on. He knew the unbelievers the Pharisees he knew their thoughts he knew where they were going with their questions and that hasn't ended has it? He knows our hearts. He knows what our thoughts are. He knows what our questions are in life.

We remember from the scriptures of the visit by Nicodemus. Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night. Nicodemus he could say he had a troubled conscience. He could see Jesus and he knew that he knew that there was something different here. I think you could say he realized even perhaps from his thinking that this probably is the Jesus of which the scriptures speak. He came to Jesus by night and he said unto him in the third chapter of John in the first verse and he came to Jesus by night and said unto him Rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from God.

So he says here he acknowledges there is something different. Rabbi you are a teacher come from God. And he says the reason for that is that no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. He had seen the miracles that Jesus had done and realized that this was something from God. And Jesus cut straight to the question that was in Nicodemus' heart I suppose and maybe on his mind was how could he be a child of God.

For Jesus answered him and said verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. From that very simple message he could see into the heart of Nicodemus. He could see that he was struggling to find God's kingdom but he was struggling to find it with his mind. With his own reasoning with his own understanding. And so when Jesus told him that he had to be born again that was difficult for him to understand because he thought it wasn't a physical way that he had to be born again of his mother but Jesus was telling him very simply and very clearly he was not a child of God. He was not living with the correct understanding of God's kingdom. And that he would not be able to understand matters of faith except that he believes.

So often we try to understand matters with our mind and I know we struggle with that at least I know I do many times struggle with trying to understand matters through our mind. I remember even how as we can sometimes in trying to help one find God's kingdom we fall into that trap of trying to help them understand through their reasoning and their questions. Often they come with questions and they're good questions. Just as Nicodemus had a question. It was a good question to find the kingdom of God.

When we were early in our married life and I think I've spoken of this before but so often it comes to my mind how we were at our home services and there came an unbelieving lady there to the services. She had come because she had met some believing ladies who were going to college there and they had been talking about matters of faith. And she had the same question I think as Nicodemus that how can I find God's kingdom? How can I be a child of God in this kingdom? How can I have what I conceive these two sisters have? It's so beautiful, so precious. It's so special. I want it too.

And so after the services were done there was a Finland minister there visiting and keeping the services and after the services were done this lady she started to ask some questions. And it was maybe a simple question. I don't remember what the question was but we tried to answer that question. And the answer to that question kind of just made her kind of just kind of turn her head a little bit like this and you could see she was thinking about that. She was thinking about the answer. And in thinking about that answer came another question. Well then what about this? We tried to answer that question and then what about this? What about this? and it led to a fairly lengthy discussion that was going nowhere except from question to question.

The same one brother who had been visiting there with some other elders had kind of you could say perhaps the ear of the Holy Spirit listening but not understanding but understanding in this way that there was something going on here about faith discussion and about matters of faith and so he asked the question then through the translator that well what's that question over here? What's the discussion about over here? And so we attempted to relate the discussion and some of the questions. And he asked us if he could ask a question. And he said sure. Asked the lady if she wanted to answer a question for this Finnish brother and she said she would.

He said I have this question. Are you a sinner? Are you a sinner? How does it feel when you ask that question even you dear brothers and sisters? Where does the question go? Does it go right to your heart? As it does to mine? Yeah. We're all sinners here aren't we? Is there anybody here who is not a sinner? Even those Pharisees that we heard about the last Sunday in our service that had come with that woman caught in sin of adultery when Jesus said who is without sin cast the first stone? They couldn't throw stones.

And so this lady when she was asked that question what do you think the answer was? Yes. I'm a sinner she said. So he said would you like to have your sins forgiven? Yes. And he preached the gospel to her and we preached the gospel to her. She rejoiced that her sins were washed away and drowned in the sea of grace. It's so simple believing brothers and sisters. We can't like Nicodemus experiencing we can't find living faith with our reason. We can't find Jesus when we look for outward signs we see him as somebody else. As the opinions of the world as John the Baptist or maybe even they had done so far to think of Old Testament prophets that had come again Jeremiah and Elias or one of the prophets but not Jesus.

They could not see him as Jesus because without faith we can't see Jesus. Thomas he was after Jesus had risen again from the dead he had those many doubts and when the disciples told him they had seen Jesus what was his answer he said I won't believe unless I personally see. We remember Jesus was not in the room but when he appeared there in the room who did he first talk to was Thomas. He said, Thomas, come here. Come to here, he said. Right here, touch the prints of the nails and the wounds in my side. Thomas didn't need to, did he? Jesus spoke to him how he was in that room even so Thomas couldn't see him. But he knew his thoughts and he related those thoughts and Thomas was able to see and to believe.

And then Jesus said, because you have seen and believed, you are blessed. But he said, blessed are those who have not seen with their own temporal eyes but yet have believed. Speaking of you, dear brothers and sisters, and all the children of God today who believe in that simple way that my sins are forgiven through that merit work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And nothing else matters.

This is what Jesus continued then with the disciples. He asked them then, well, you've heard these opinions and what the people say, but whom say ye that I am? How is it, dear brothers and sisters, who do you say Jesus is? Do you confess Jesus in your life? Do you endeavor to live according to God's word and the truth as a fruit of faith? Do you see Jesus in your life? Do you see Jesus in your life? Do you know what Jesus is?

We had our services here a few weeks ago, our summer services at the Rogers High School. There were many people that came there, I would say somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 people at the peak. We remember the very short, very clear call from God's kingdom to these services. From John chapter 1, verse 47. Come and see. That portion was taken from that exchange between Philip and Nathaniel. Philip saw Jesus. Jesus was living there in his heart. He was rejoicing over this matter that he was a child of God, simply believing and journeying on that narrow way that leads to heaven. And he wanted his friends to come and see. To come and see the Lord and Savior Jesus.

We remember how Nathaniel answered. He said that, well, could any good come from where? Capernaum? Galilee. So, Jesus was just the carpenter's son. Could any good come from there? It was such an evil place where people were living there. And in our mind and our reason often think in this way that well, God's kingdom should be very visible and very high and very like more glorious than the kings and the kingdoms of this world. That's how the Pharisees thought. God. But it is not. It's a lonely kingdom. It's a kingdom of sinners. It's a kingdom that's hidden from the world because they see the outward faultiness of believers. Sinners.

But Philip encouraged Nathaniel with the simple word to come and see. And when Nathaniel came to Jesus he spoke and behold a man in whom there is no vile. I believe in a translation that simply says look a man who has no sin. Nathaniel had to stop again before that question then am I a sinner? And it stopped him in his tracks and Jesus had said that he saw him sitting there in the shade of that tree and he said when did you see me there? When did you see me? And Jesus explained how he saw him and Nathaniel believed. He saw into his heart he saw where he was he saw that he was seeking for God's kingdom but like many of that day seeking with their reason even as the Pharisees sat in their reason.

In Matthew in a reference here from the 21st chapter of Matthew when Jesus had spoken in the 23rd verse it says and when he was come into the temple the chief priest and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said by what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority and Jesus answered and said I also will ask you one thing which if you tell me and I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. He says the baptism of John once was it from heaven or of men simple question that he asked the baptism of John is it from heaven or of men.

But the scriptures then so clearly relate of this it says how they reacted to that question that the Pharisees said and they reasoned with themselves if we shall say from heaven he will say unto us why did ye not then believe in him but if we shall say of men we fear the people for all hold John as a prophet and they answered Jesus and said we cannot tell and he said unto them neither shall I you by what authority I do these things.

So you can see how that reason of the Pharisees of that day was that stumbling block for them to believe they could see this question that yes if I admit that John the Baptist was a child of God that he was believing with a simple childlike faith and understanding then Jesus would put them together and say well why then did you not believe John why didn't you want to believe us as him so they didn't want to go there they didn't want to be they could see this was Jesus but they didn't want to be there in that kingdom their reason was keeping them out.

And we see the reasoning then in the second part of their answer because if they would say well then now that he wasn't from God but he was of men well then what was their position there well the people they saw John as a prophet and if we now say publicly no he was just a man then the people will leave us and we'll lose our position our authority over them or the long whole follow Jesus.

So you can see where the reasoning leads us to this model this one that can't give a core answer one that can only attack which was where the Pharisees were left they were always attacking Jesus they were always trying to find some fault with which they could accuse him and this is what the reasoning of man in this world does this always seems to attack against our Lord and Savior Jesus even yet our day that surely this can't be Jesus surely this cannot be the kingdom of God how could such a small flock be the only living flock here on this earth how could it be that these few in our area most many believers came to the services 5,000 we live in an area here where there's million over a million people in this population area now.

Remember once a fellow minister was traveling back in the 70s they were traveling I think from Minneapolis to Phoenix if I remember right and they had been traveling a long time it's a long journey isn't it they were going by one of the big towns one of the big cities and the minister told the driver he said let's stop here already in this city and visit some believers and have a cup of coffee and the believer that was traveling with him that was driving he looked and he says brother I'm sorry there's no believers here in this city he could not believe it coming from Finland I suppose where there's more believers in almost every area you can find somebody to stop and have a cup of coffee but here in this big land of America with so many people so big of a city and not even one believer there.

But living faith is not of numbers it's not of popularity it's not of the reasoning of wisdom of man but as Peter answered and said that thou art the Christ the son of the living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven.

So God has lumped us first God has given us this time of visitation in our lives each one of us has had that time of visitation and what has that visitation been has it not been in this way that how do I care for my matters how do I find peace of conscience when I fall into sin where is it in this world the Bible talks about it it's this treasure hidden in a field where can it be found it is right here in our midst this morning this is the kingdom of God this is where grace is found the forgiveness of sins where else would we turn but it is not our reasoning or our wisdom is it brothers and sisters is there anyone here that could say that I have found God's kingdom through my own wisdom or my own understanding but is it not simply this way for the children who have grown up in God's kingdom perhaps been believers all their life it has been preserved as a gift of faith through this forgiveness of sins God through his Holy Spirit reminds you when you have sin just as he did for Adam and Eve that calls to you that we're ourselves grace even those moments and opportunities when we ourselves have not had strength perhaps two children have experienced that when a matter has taken place and you haven't been able to speak about it and perhaps God has sent mother father there to visit with you in the quiet of your chamber in the quiet of your room maybe it's been a visit maybe it's been a note maybe it's been a friend.

We had in our home we had precious gathering of believing youth in the evening some of the believing young men were over they came for sauna I don't know I think they might have visited it out there at the sauna in the pool until 3:00 hours of the morning what do believers talk about for all that time you suppose it was all about hunting and fishing which boys will often talk about I don't think that was all their conversation but I wouldn't doubt that Jesus was in their midst that they talked about living faith because that's what God's children do when we gather together and the gospel is preached there when we gather together and oh how good those visits are when we are able to preach the gospel to one another these are the moments we treasure aren't they they're not the things of this world but it's those moments when we're able to believe our sins forgiven and we have that small taste of heaven oh how precious that time is oh all we long to come to the hearing of God's word.

When that invitation went out to come and see were our hearts excited I know we were as hosts but I think often times it is that way when the family packs up to go to services you can feel the excitement in the vehicle can't you mothers and fathers even the young are excited about going there to the hearing of God's word sure we see our friends and sure we do visiting but what do we hear in every sermon do we not hear that sweet message of the gospel and this is even I think why we have come to services this day sure we will see our friends sure there will be a little time for visiting before we go home but wouldn't it seem like the services were empty if we did not hear that gospel of the forgiveness of God this is that sweet message which we long to hear in our life and this is why we come over and over again this is why we sit day after day at those services listening to those sermons that we need to hear that so often in our lives it feels like we so often arrive with cold hearts believe all sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood this is what we long to hear believe all sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood believe all sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood believe all sins forgiven in Jesus name and blood in Jesus name and blood please leave all sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood.

We have a good God. And he cares for us on this journey to heaven. We need to be here. And God brings us here, even in spite of our own weary and weak flesh, so that we can be comforted with this gospel, so we can be uplifted and strengthened in our faith. And this is that foundation, then, that Jesus spoke of in the end of this sermon, that upon this rock I will build my church. It's this gospel, and these keys of forgiveness and keys of binding that he gave. This is what he gave us for our journey of faith, is this forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name and blood. That is our foundation, that rock upon which God's kingdom is built.

And the storms will come, you elders, have seen those storms, and they may come again in our time, but when we are able to believe in such a simple, childlike way, God will preserve us in living faith to the very end. I also desire to live this same gospel. Dear brothers and sisters, can you forgive me for all my sins and my many faults? And I want to believe with you, and may God richly bless your journey to heaven, dear brothers and sisters, that one day we will be able to gather there and show us glory, there rejoicing for eternal, eternity, not eternal life, eternity, forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen. Let us unite our hearts in the Lord's benediction. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make that face 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 of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.