All Saints' Day Services/Sermon on Minneapolis 01.11.2009

Praise, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We will begin our service this morning with opening prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, on this All Saints Day, we wish to thank you for those loved ones whom we have been able to keep in our midst and who have now gone to heaven's glory. And we continue with that hope and prayer that you would preserve us and protect us in this kingdom so one day we would be able to meet them and our Savior face-to-face in heaven's glory. So we ask for your service this morning in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Today, on All Saints Day, I'll read an epistle text set aside for this Sunday from the last book of the Bible, the last chapter in that book, chapter 22, verses 1 through 5. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun. For the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Amen.

We are now living during the time of autumn, and most of the leaves have fallen from the trees. And in a short period of time, all the waters will be frozen, the lakes frozen over. The kids will then go skating out on the frozen lakes. And around us, it will seem like nature is dead and dormant. We will then be living the winter season.

This text of ours tells us of a season, a season of summer. And it says, and gives indication in our text, that there will always be leaves on the trees, and everything will always be green. And there, it will be so that the waters will never freeze over. It seems to give indication that it will be a perpetual summer. Almost like paradise again.

And when we read this book of Revelation, many of the symbols and pictures and indications of this book of Revelation are referring to events and things after this time that we live beyond the border of life and death and referring to life eternal. But that is not completely so. For in the previous chapter, John, when receiving this book of the Revelation, heard that great voice from heaven and he heard and he saw the vision. He saw the tabernacle coming down out of heaven and the voice of God said, Behold the tabernacle of God which is in the midst of man.

So this text and the book of Revelation also speaks about events during our lifetime here during this time of grace. So here in this book of Revelation it begins in the first verse and John was able to see this vision and he God showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. So it was a source of crystal clear water and what was its origin what was its beginning it came from the throne of God and the Lamb, so indicating that the beginning and the source of everything is from God our Heavenly Father.

And we know that the Bible speaks of a throne and on that throne will sit God the judge of all and his son Jesus Christ. But here it is speaking of water and what is this water of which is spoken. The Bible speaks much using this metaphor of water. We remember when Jesus was visiting with that Samaritan woman at the city well in the middle of the city and during midday that non-Jewish woman offered Jesus a Jewish man which was prohibited for a man and a woman to speak in a public location. And this woman was a Samaritan an arch enemy to the Jews. And yet Jesus later on indicates that this woman was also a prostitute. But yet Jesus broke down all barriers and went to speak with this woman and received that water that she was offering. But then Jesus changed the topic and he said if I drink that water that you offer me from this city well I will thirst again. but I want to offer you you Samaritan woman water and this water if you receive it and accept it will well up in you and spring forth onto everlasting life.

This woman was able to receive the grace of repentance when she received and accepted this water of living life the picture and the metaphor of the living gospel of God's kingdom.

We remember when the prophet Ezekiel saw a very similar picture in one of his visions of a stream of a crystal clear stream that was flowing across an arid desert and eventually ended up flowing into the ocean or into a sea and Ezekiel was asked to go step into this river and see if he could see how deep it was. First of all he stepped in up to his ankles.

We remember when Jesus was visiting with his twelve disciples at the last supper where he instituted holy communion where Jesus was offering to wash their feet. Peter refused and he said you shall not wash my feet. Jesus said to Peter if I can't wash your feet you will have no part with me. But then Peter wanted Jesus to wash his entire body. But Jesus said when a person is washed all that needs to be done thereafter is to wash one another's feet. And what I do to you you do to one another.

So the prophet Ezekiel stepped in up to his ankles and then stepped in further up to his knees. The Bible talks about supporting those with evil knees and weak arms. Then the prophet Ezekiel stepped in further up to his waist. The Bible speaks that our waist or our loins are girded about with the truth of God. Prophet Ezekiel stepped in further and then found no bottom to that river at all and he was forced to swim.

We know that when a person is able to approach the throne of grace and have their sins forgiven they are washed into the stream of grace which is a bottomless stream of grace. And it speaks about the infinite mercy and grace of God. Even though the enemy of souls would wish to dip in and try to dig up and bring back those sins that have been washed away in this stream. It has been said that the enemy of souls does not have a dipper with a handle long enough able to bring back those sins that have been washed and put away which are separated in the eyes of God as far as the east is from the west.

So this is that stream of life that crystal clear stream that John in this book of Revelation was able to see and it began its origin was from heaven from the throne of God and the Lamb.

But then in the midst of the street on either side of the river there was a tree of life and this tree of life is a picture of Christ Jesus himself but it's amazing that this tree of life was on either side of the street and also in the middle of the street.

The Old Testament saints the believers of old did not and were not able to see Christ Jesus as a human being here on this earth but they believed in that promised gospel. They believed in the promise of God of the coming Messiah who would one day come to take away the sins of the world.

And we during the New Testament era believe in the fulfilled promise of God that Christ Jesus has come he has fulfilled the law of God to the last letter and he has suffered died and shed his blood on the middle cross for your sins my sins and the sins of all mankind.

So in the middle of the stream and on either side of the river there was a tree of life which bear 12 manner of fruit. We often see the number 12. There were 12 apostles that Jesus selected and 12 comes up time and time again in the Old Testament as well. There were 12 tribes of Israel when the prophet Elijah erected that altar. He began by selecting 12 stones and so on and so forth.

And it has been said that this number 12 is referring to the doctrine of Christ. When the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians and speaks about the living temple of God and the foundation upon which it is built. Paul writes in this way that it is built upon the foundation of the prophets and the apostles. And this we could say is in reference to the 12 living fruits.

And these living fruits are such, it gives indication of victory over death. And when the end of time will come, whether we leave this world individually or whether we leave collectively at the end of the world, we will be taken up into the winds and into the clouds. The foundations of this world will tremble and quake and crumble. But that foundation of faith that we are standing on will be sure and firm.

As Jesus said that even though the winds will blow against that house, the waves will beat against it and try to shake it and cause it to collapse and crumble. It will not fall, for it is upon a sure foundation.

So that moment when we leave this life we will be taken up into the winds and into the clouds to be forever with our Lord Jesus. And Paul writes to the Thessalonians, let us rejoice in this matter of resurrection.

But then it continues, it bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the trees were for the healing of nations.

And what is our source of healing? When we have a thin, sick heart and conscience and we are wounded on the journey in the spiritual sense, we do not go to the local clinic or the hospital to have these wounds of conscience taken care of, but our source of healing is in the gospel message and the glad tidings of Jesus Christ which bind our wounds and heal them and make them whole again.

And there shall be no curse.

This morning I was sitting in for a few moments at the lesson for the ninth graders, the upcoming confirmation class, and they asked a question about the law of God and what is its duty and purpose.

We know that the Bible speaks of two offices, the office of the law and the office of the gospel. The office of the law which is of God and still valid and enforced today is an office of condemnation, it's an office of death, it's an office of wrath.

So why is such an office existing? If, for example, a person would go to visit their local physician and the doctor would order an x-ray or MRI or CAT scan, and the results come back and it shows that maybe a person has a tumor or a broken leg or some other element inside the body that this machine of high technology was able to diagnose.

So the law of God is like an x-ray machine or an MRI or a CAT scan. It shows that there is a tumor in the body, a deadly tumor. It's like you are now under a curse. It's like you have received a death sentence.

So the law shows what is the problem. But can that MRI, CAT scan, x-ray heal that tumor and cure that ailment? No.

So there shall be no more curse. Where? In the tabernacle of God which is among men.

So the purpose of the law is to direct one who is in unbelief. Be like an x-ray machine for one in the darkness of unbelief. Don't you see that you have a malignant tumor in you? You are under the curse of God. In your state you are not heaven acceptable. You need to see the oncologist. You need to go to find the place of healing where your sins can be cured.

And so the law awakens that person to the realization of their state and condition and leads that person by the hand as a tutor or schoolmaster onto the source of hope and everlasting life. To the threshold of God's kingdom. To the throne of grace. To the mercy seat.

Where a believer is able to preach and proclaim onto such a person, Be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven.

And here in God's kingdom as children of God. We are not under the law but we are under grace. For Christ is the end of the law. Under salvation for all who believe.

So there shall be no more curse. But the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it. And the servants shall serve him.

The servants are as the apostle Paul says in this way. We are your servants for Christ's sake. So every child of God is a servant, is a messenger of God.

And one thing is asked of the servants as it was asked of the apostle Peter at the sea of Tiberias. Peter, do you love me? Peter, the second time, do you love me? And the third time, Peter, do you love me? Peter became sorrowful and responded, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

Jesus said to Peter and to all of his servants and to all of God's children, feed my lamb, feed, guide my sheep, and feed my sheep.

And they shall see his face, the Bible gives warning about seeing the face of God in the Old Testament. If a person would ever see the face of God, it would be an automatic death sentence. No person has ever seen God and lived.

So, what then does it mean that one will be able here in this vision, here in God's kingdom, be able to see his face? Because whoever sees his face, it will be an automatic death sentence.

But Jesus says in this way that whoever has seen me, Christ Jesus, has also seen God, my heavenly father.

So, how do we see Christ Jesus when he is no longer with us? He is there in the glory of heaven at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.

The Bible says that his brightness and glory shines from the face of Christ here in our hearts vying through faith. When we can hear the proclaimed gospel message, the glad tidings of Jesus Christ, therein we see the face of Christ.

And it is a good speaking, it is a loving voice, son and daughter, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven unto you.

And when by faith we can see in the gospel the face of Christ Jesus, our Savior, we at the same time see the face of God, our Heavenly Father.

And his name shall be in their forehead. This also is indicating that we have the correct understanding of the doctrine of Christ according to the Bible. And we have this new name that we have and we are called by our Heavenly Father. We are known of him. We are his own.

And there shall be no night there and they shall need no candle, neither the light of the sun. For the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever.

Here in God's kingdom it has been said that the gates are open night and day. There have been indications or there have been times and situations where perhaps your phone has rang in the middle of the night or someone has come knocking perhaps at late hours of the evening and they have had an important question. What can I do to quieten the pangs of conscience? Can I have my sins forgiven? Is such a one turned away? It is too late. I am tired. I am going to bed or I am sleeping already.

I am sure you would find time to visit with that person and preach that most precious gospel of God's kingdom.

So there shall be no night there. It says of God's kingdom that the perfect light and the glory of God shines in God's kingdom. And it is such a bright light that when it shines into our dark heart and soul that often reveals even those little things that need to be corrected and put away and exhorts us to go to the mercy seat, the throne of grace, where we can have those weights of the journey put away and washed with the blood of the Lamb.

But then, as I mentioned already, this text tells of a season, a perpetual summer season. And on the one hand, it is telling us about the time of grace, the time that we are now living here upon this earth. But it also gives indication of that time of glory there in heaven one day.

We remember when Adam and Eve were there in paradise. It was literally paradise. And in the middle of the garden was that tree of life. There was no death. There was no curse. Everything was perfect and it was bliss.

And this is what it will be like one day when we can make it to the end in faith. Lay down our travel staff and receive that crown of life there in the glory of heaven. We will be able to see the face of our Savior just as he is in all of his glory.

We will not need any light at all. For the Bible says that Christ Jesus himself will be that light. And he shall reign and we shall reign forever and ever.

So on this All Saints Day when we especially wish to remember those former saints who have left this life before us and are waiting to be called to heaven's glory from the bosom of Abraham. We renew our hope and renew those promises that seem how it may seem, feel how it may feel, with the hand of faith we wish to cling to the grace promises of Christ Jesus.

And those sure promises of the grace of God and the power of the gospel will lift us and carry us and one day bring us to heaven's home where we can see those former believers and saints with Christ Jesus and heaven's glory.

So have a fortunate journey all the way to our destination in heaven one day. And even now you can believe sins forgiven in his name and precious atonement blood.

In Jesus' name, Amen.