"The Clear Promises of God's Word"

Text: Luke 20:27-37

God grant that the certainty of the heaven won for us by our Lord Jesus might gladden your heart and lighten your step, as we journey ever nearer that grand and glorious New Jerusalem. Amen.

Dear Fellow Christians – Joint Heirs of Heaven who long to join our Lord for all eternity:

The human mind simply cannot comprehend what it has not been allowed to understand by its (our) Creator. That means that even though we may use words like "omnipresent" to describe our God, we still cannot fully comprehend what it means to be in all places at one time – to not be limited by our human concepts of space and time. We can describe God as omniscient (all knowing) but we really have no concept of what it means to "know everything." The sheer volume of information is beyond our ability to comprehend. In this way our God remains something of a hidden God; that is, there is much to our God that he has not chosen to reveal to us.

Make no mistake; God has revealed all that we need to know about him in order that we might join him in paradise for all eternity, but the information that we do not know is immeasurably greater than that which we do know.

Pick an attribute of God, consider it in this light for a moment, and you will quickly discover how shallow our understanding truly is. In every case, we are required to reduce the attribute to known, understandable quantities – and still our understanding falls far short. Take the divine characteristic of "eternal" for instance. Does anyone really understand what it means to be eternal? Can anyone comprehend an existence that cannot be measured according to the passage of time? Who can understand timelessness? The best that we can do is to take concepts that we can understand, and to use them as something of a measuring stick. To help us to comprehend eternal, for example, it might help to bring to mind something that seems endless – like campaigning for president in the United States…

The point is that in a sinful world we continually struggle for understanding and insight, but we must be wise enough to know when and where our God has chosen to remain hidden, or when the full comprehension of a certain truth lies beyond our understanding or intellect; when it lies beyond that which our Creator has determined to reveal to us. To attempt to go beyond the limits that our God has set, to endeavor to answer what we are not capable of answering, such things can lead only to frustration at best, doubt and unbelief at worst. This truth is brought home to us by our text for this morning, found in the Gospel of Luke, the 20^th Chapter:

^NKJ Luke 20:27-36 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, ²⁸ saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ^{29 "Now there were seven brothers.} And the first took a wife, and died without children. ³⁰ "And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. ³¹ "Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. ³² "Last of all the woman died also. ³³ "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife." ³⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; ³⁶ "nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

So far the verbally inspired words of our God. What a great comfort and blessing to be reminded that these are indeed holy words – words without error for falsehood of any kind. With full confidence in the truth of these words, we pray: “Sanctify us through your truth, O Lord. Your word is truth.” Amen.

Fellow Saints in Christ Jesus, election season – which lately seems to be year-round every year – is upon us and it makes me yearn for heaven. Like Christmas decorations, election hoopla seems to come earlier, stay later, and grow ever more gaudy. Perhaps the worst part of any campaign season is the demise of truth and sincerity. Men and women say anything and everything in a pathetic effort to secure votes. What is almost humorous about the whole mess is that the vast majority of constituents know that the candidates are lying, but nonetheless come to expect and even embrace the lies. What is even worse is the fact that almost anything and everything in our society becomes tainted during a national election – everything from the price of oil to the way we conduct foreign policy. It is both puzzling and disturbing that truth seems to go on vacation during major campaigns, returning only after a winner has been named. It gets to the point where you simply have no idea what to believe in the news. Open a newspaper or turn on a newscast and you really have no way of knowing if what you are hearing or reading is fact or fantasy, sincerity or spin. As those who love clarity and truth, the fog of politics is and ought to be repulsive.

As frustrating as the deceit of election season is, we can all learn from it. What we can learn – what we need to learn – is that sinful human beings love to cloud the facts to promote their own agenda. As discouraging as this is in the world of politics and the media, such fog and distortion has catastrophic consequences in the area of our Christian faith. Our text for this morning provides the perfect example. The Sadducees came to Jesus in our text with their own personal fog, their own special distortion and attempt to confuse. The Sadducees were a religious/political sect in Jewish society that denied all things supernatural – most notably the resurrection from the dead. They owed their existence – at least indirectly – to Alexander the Great, who brought Greek influences to bear in Israel following his conquest of Palestine in the 3^rd Century BC. The Sadducees adopted many aspects of Greek philosophy, and that in turn caused the formation of a rival group known as the Pharisees.

The Sadducees, true to their Greek philosophical roots, used logic to bolster their teachings. There is, however, a fine line between logic and fog when it comes to the word of God. Remember how we began by talking about how God is, in many ways, a hidden God, and how certain truths are simply beyond our capacity for understanding? The Sadducees were not content to let God be God. They boldly went were God did not intend for them to go, and the results were disastrous – both for themselves and for their followers. In denying all things supernatural, they also denied, as we said, things like the resurrection. In a silly attempt to prove their position, they brought an apparent conundrum to Jesus in a feeble attempt either to trip him up or win him to their side in their ongoing battle with the Pharisees. The fog they tried to create had to do with marriage and remarriage in heaven. Jesus burned through their fog with the bright, clear, sunshine of his holy Word.

Understand the advantage that Jesus has here. Not only is he the perfect, sinless Son of God, he just happens to have the truth on his side. In practical terms, that means that all Jesus ever had to do was to tell the truth, and that truth dispelled myth and granted clear direction. He also happens to have been a resident of heaven from all eternity, and therefore knows a thing or two about what it is like. The simple truth that Jesus relates here, to all who would care to listen, is that our existence in heaven will be unlike anything that we have known here on earth. That means that the salvation that Jesus has won for us by taking our sins upon himself will be unlike anything we have ever known - more easily compared to the existence of the angels in heaven than to anything that we can know or have experienced here on earth. That means that you can think of any wonderful, pleasurable, fantastic thing here on earth, and then realize that heaven will not resemble that in the least. It will be unimaginably better. This is, in fact, another of those cases where we simply have no point of reference or comparison, no experience that would allow us to have the faintest idea what heaven will be like. It will be wonderful beyond our present ability to comprehend, that much we know; but just how wonderful and how awesome is beyond us.

All we can say with certainty, when faced with such lofty truths, is thanks be to God, who gives us such an inheritance in Jesus Christ our Savior! Imagine the utter and abject misery of eternity in hell. That is what every one of us had earned by our lawlessness and disobedience to God's holy will. Nor did we have any chance of "turning things around" on our own. Jesus had to supply what we could not – would not – supply: perfection. When Jesus died, your sins died with him – your sins, my sins, the "sins of the world" Scripture tells us; all were nailed to the cross – forever dead and gone. Trusting that that message of forgiveness in Jesus Christ is true, it is and remains your own personal possession. The blessed result for you and me is heaven, but just how great, how wonderful, spectacular, how great heaven will one day be is, again, beyond us. For now we can only imagine in part the contrast between the heaven that we have been given, and the hell that we had deserved.

That was the message that Jesus proclaimed to the unbelieving Sadducees in our text, and yet Jesus' rather limited picture of heaven, while informative, would fall short of teaching us what it ought to teach us if we failed to apply his words to other aspects of our life and conversation. In other words, where today do we experience the fog of confusion in the realm of our Christian faith? In what other areas of our Christian existence do these words from our Savior apply?

The general answer is that they apply anywhere and everywhere the devil or his minions try to confuse or pervert the strength and clarity that God offers to human beings in his Word. Take, for example, the event that we commemorate on this day: All Saints' Day. How has this day been clouded or manipulated by devious men down through the ages; how has the devil himself tried to rob us of the comfort and hope that should be ours on this occasion? The simple answer is that Satan first succeeded in destroying the Church's balance when it comes to "the saints." There are indeed saints, both living and dead. A saint is anyone without sin – which in turn makes that person an heir of heaven. Every single believer sitting in this congregation or reading this sermon is, by God's definition, a saint. All Saints' Day, however, was not designed for self-worship. It was established to comfort us with the cherished memories of those fellow Christians who have died in the faith, and who rest now with their Lord Jesus in heaven – eagerly awaiting the day of resurrection.

Satan obviously hated any such commemoration, so he set about perverting it – clouding the facts concerning this celebration. To this end he successfully convinced men to teach that a saint was a human being who had more good works than sins on God's eternal ledger sheet. Such "saints," so it is taught, were allowed immediate entrance into heaven without having to suffer purgatory. What is even worse, the devil then taught (through these same men) that others could and should pray to saints, and that they would then credit their extra good works to the account of the one praying (living or dead) and that such accounting would shorten their time in purgatory.

Is it then any wonder that former Catholics in particular tend to want to throw out All Saints' Day altogether? The fact remains, however, that the devil's confusion – the fog of his perversion – should never be allowed to rob us of the truth and comfort that God offers in his Word. When God's Word burns through the fog of the devil's idea of All Saints Day, the clarity that remains is truly inspiring and exhilarating. Then we can see the reason why the commemoration of this day ought not be tossed on the scrap pile of history, for then we can see victory! Victory, in rank upon rank, thousands upon thousands of the saints arrayed in the perfect robes of Christ's righteousness. We see them there, standing before the throne of God and we hear them shouting their perfect harmony of praise to their holy God. Their voices know no doubt or confusion or apprehension, for all of those things have passed away. Their faces are lined with no cares, no sorrow, no pain, since such things no longer exist. There we see only comfort, peace, security, and joy.

And you and I, dear Christians, will one day join that holy assembly. We will join because Jesus did indeed erase the debt of our sins. We will one day stand in the glory of heaven, as Jesus says in our text, equal to the angels and we will be called blessed sons of God. On this day we therefore thank and praise our Savior for past victories – loved ones who have passed from life, to life eternal, led there by the hand of their Savior. And we thank and praise our God for our forthcoming victory, as our God has clearly promised us. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

Scripture Readings and Sunday Bulletin for November 4, 2007

Isaiah 65:17-25 " For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. ¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. ¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. ²⁰ " No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. ²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. ²² They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. ²³ They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them. ²⁴ " It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. ²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:5 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, ¹⁴ to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. ¹⁶ ¶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. ⁵ Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Luke 20:27-37 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, ²⁸ saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁹ "Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. ³⁰ "And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. ³¹ "Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. ³² "Last of all the woman died also. ³³ "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife." ³⁴ ¶ And Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; ³⁶ "nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. ³⁷ "But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

2510 E. Divide Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-4885 Cell: (701) 226-8510

Website – www.bismarcklutheran.org

Mr. Mark Johnson, President (222-1855) Mrs. Eileen McEnroe, Organist

Michael Roehl, Pastor

23^rd Sunday after Pentecost – November 4, 2007

The Opening Prayer by the Pastor

The Opening Hymn ‑#231- (Red Hymnal)

"We Now Implore God the Holy Ghost"

The Order of Service – Supplement page 12ff. (Brown Hymnal)

The Scripture Lessons: (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

The Old Testament Lesson: (Isaiah 65:17-25) As we enter the last month of the Church Year, we focus our thoughts in this first reading on the kingdom that will one day replace this earthly kingdom. Hear the beautiful description from the Prophet Isaiah of the peace that even now reigns in our hearts as Christians – a foreshadowing of the joy and harmony of heaven.

Psalm of the Day – Psalm 85 (Supplement page 40) (Brown Hymnal)

The New Testament Lesson: (2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5) How good and how desirable it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. This is part of the joy of belonging to God's Church, and sharing our faith and worship with like-minded Christians. God grant to this congregation the harmony Paul desired for the flock in the ancient city of Thessalonica.

The Confession of Faith ‑

The Apostolic Creed – page 15. (Brown Hymnal)

The Pre-Sermon Hymn ‑#467- (1-5) (Red Hymnal)

"Built on the Rock the Church doth Stand"

The Sermon – Text: Luke 20:27-37 (Printed on the back page)

"The Clear Promises of God's Word"

The Offertory – (Supplement page 16 insert)

The Post-Sermon Hymn -#463- (Red Hymnal)

"For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest"

The Offering Hymn ‑#788- (Verses 1 & 3) (Brown Hymnal)

"Lord You Love the Cheerful Giver"

The Prayers of the Day followed by the Lord's Prayer

The Benediction

The Closing Hymn -#794- (Brown Hymnal)

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem"

Silent Prayer

Attendance ‑ Last Sunday (63) 2007 Average (55)

This Week at St. Paul:

Today -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service

-11:00 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

-11:30 am. – Voters' Meeting

Wednesday -6:00 p.m. – Confirmation & Bible History

-7:00 p.m. – Midweek Bible Study

Next Sunday -8:45 a.m. – Sunday School and Bible Class

-10:00 a.m. – Worship Service w/ Holy Communion

-11:15 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

CLC News – A copy of this quarter's Unified Synodical Report is available in every mailbox, with extra copies on the entry table. This is the only update on synod news currently published by the CLC. Please take time to read it over and to forward any questions to Pastor Roehl. Please remember in your prayers Pastor James Naumann, who fell down a flight of stairs this past week and broke both his leg and ankle, and Pastor Ed Starkey, who recently underwent gall bladder surgery. Both are now recovering at home.

Individual Member Data – Please remember to turn in your data sheets.

On Guard – Forewarned is forearmed. A major motion picture starring Nicole Kidman is scheduled to be released in December entitled "The Golden Compass." The movie is being marketed as a children's film, but parents need to be on their guard. The film, written by an avowed atheist, is aimed at undermining the influence of religion, and does so in a very seductive manner that affects and appeals to children. Parents tend to allow their children to view films based on their ratings. While this movie will likely be rated PG, Christian parents would do well to steer clear.

Voters' Meeting – A reminder that the Quarterly Voters' Meeting is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. this morning. Agendas are available from Mark Johnson. A short meeting is anticipated.