Pastor: Wayne C. Eichstadt

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Hymns: 747; 798; 234; 755/528; 36

WELCOME in the name of the Lord – The Triune God - Our Creator/Preserver, our Redeemer, and our Sanctifier to whom there is no comparison!

Pre-Service meditation: Psalm 19

Pre-Service prayer:

Dear Lord, there is no one else like You! I praise and thank You for Your marvelous creation of which I am a part! I praise and thank You for buying me back from sin and death so that my guilt is removed forever! I praise and thank You for bringing me to faith and keeping me in it so that I will be glorified with You to live with You forever! Be with us in our worship today. Come to us and bless us as we glorify and praise You. Amen.

INTRODUCTION: "Who is like the LORD?" This was the question asked each day during the past week in our Vacation Bible School. This morning’s worship service, asks the same question and turning to the same truth of God’s Word as did the children, we find that there is none other like the LORD who is our God who has made us, preserves us, has redeemed us, sanctifies us, and promises us eternal glory! This is He who alone is God! This is the God who loves us! This is the God whom we love! This is the God we worship with all glory and praise!

Earth and all stars, loud rushing planets…sing to the Lord a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorm…sing to the Lord a new song!

In Scripture, especially in the Psalms, God characterizes ALL of creation singing His praises—and indeed it does! From the tiny hummingbird which flutters its wings so fast the eye can hardly see them, to the soaring Eagle that glides through the air currents high above the earth—God has created all creatures by His power and with wisdom. From the simple one celled organisms to our own bodies that are so intricately and wonderfully made that not even complete college courses can plumb the depths of wisdom which God has used in creating life—God has made all things fearfully and wonderfully. From the gentle rain soothing a sun-baked earth to the awesome power of mighty storms to the wonders of outer space which we’ve only begun to know—God controls the universe.

Everything you see, all that you are, and all that you can do is the work of Your Creator. Who is like the Lord who could create such things? There is none like Him. Nor did He turn away from His creation after it was complete. Rather, the same powerful and wise God who created all things also upholds and preserves it by the same power and wisdom!

Who is like the LORD who made all things in earth and heaven and declared them good?! Who is like the LORD who provides for you and is ready to help you as you call upon Him in need?!? Who is like the LORD? None other, for He alone is GOD!

The perfect world which God created became marred by sin. God’s glory, wisdom, and power are all very much evident in this world of sin, but nonetheless it is marred. God’s crowning work of creation—Adam and Eve—disobeyed Him. They sinned against God so they and all their descendants (including you and I) would be under sin’s curse and justly condemned to eternal punishment.

However, our God is JEHOVAH—the LORD, a gracious God and God of promise who from eternity planned our salvation and then in due time accomplished our salvation. Forgiveness of sins, complete removal of our sins’ guilt, and life everlasting belongs to you because Jesus, God’s Son, lived a perfect life for YOU and died for YOU on the cross. Jesus came and paid His blood as a ransom, to buy you back from the sin, death, and devil which had ensnared all of us.

Who is like the LORD our Redeemer? Who is like our God who while we were still sinners and His enemies loved us with so great a love that He saved us?! Who is like the LORD? NO ONE!!!

The news of redemption, the message of salvation is brought to us through the Gospel. That Gospel Word is the power of God for salvation. The message of salvation is what satisfies and refreshes the sinful soul. The salvation is won by Christ and given freely by God’s grace. Read Isaiah 55:1-5

The Holy Spirit is our sanctifier, the one who sets us apart. The one who makes us "saints"---that is, "believers." Without the work of the Holy Spirit we’d still be lost. He is the one who brings us into the forgiveness of sins won by Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who guides us through this life with the Word, defending us against our enemies, strengthening our weak faith, and equipping us to do good works out of love and in service to our precious Savior.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

At age 14 it was the hardest thing I had ever done. I was packing my suitcase and some boxes and leaving home to attend high school at Immanuel in Eau Claire. It was exciting because it seemed as if I was growing up and it was a brand new adventure. But I enjoyed living at home and to leave it behind for a brand-new kind of school, and to live in a dorm with a host of other adjustments just wasn’t the easiest thing. It was my decision to go to Immanuel for school, but that fact did not keep the homesickness from settling in the pit of my stomach. It was a bit sad and at first difficult to be separated from home in that way; but it was well worth it and I never regretted it and I would never change it for anything because of the Christian education I received.

Some younger children experience "separation anxiety" when they are left with someone other than mom or dad; and almost all of us experience a twinge of "I wish I was somewhere else" if we are in a place that removes us from our "element" and "comfort zone."

The most grievous separation anxiety we face on this earth is the sorrow that comes when we are separated in time from a loved one through death. Jesus Himself faced this separation sorrow and wept at the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus.

Separation is inevitable on this earth. The anxiety and the sorrow that come with separation are, likewise, a natural part of human emotion. The more we treasure someone or something, the greater the effect will be should separation occur.

In the first portion of our service this morning, we have been hearing and considering the incomparable greatness of the power, wisdom, and love of our God—power, wisdom, and love which He daily demonstrates to us and uses for us. We treasure our Lord very highly. But what if we were separated from Him, our greatest treasure. What then?!? Could we survive such separation anxiety? We need never entertain such fears, but rather have the confidence that "THERE IS NO ‘SEPARATION ANXIETY’ WITH CHRIST!"

Paul asks the question "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer Paul expects and goes on to give is that NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ! "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" [v. 35] There is earthly trouble aplenty, there always has been (since sin entered the world) and always will be (until Judgment Day). There is pressure in this earthly life of all sorts and from many sources. There is distress and sorrow. There is persecution. There are needs like food, and not everybody is full. There are needs like clothing and not everyone has a closet full of the best clothes and the latest style. There is danger in the world—accidents, wicked people who want to harm others, guns, and other weapons used against people.

The daily pressures—the stress, the frustrations you face cannot separate you from the love of Christ.

Persecution is a natural result of following Christ. Paul quoted Psalm 44 and wrote, ""For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."[v.35] Should you experience persecution because of your faith that cannot separate you from the Lord. Listen to some of what Paul endured: "From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). Not even all of this could separate Paul from the love of Christ, and neither can similar persecution and trials separate us from His love.

In our country we can seldom speak of true and genuine needs that cannot be fulfilled, but we do at times have them. Even in the midst of our prosperity and luxuries there can be need, but need and destitution on this earth cannot separate you from the love of our Savior.

Should we happen to walk down a dark alley and be mugged by a robber, should we fall prey to a stalker, should we have an accident on the highway, should terrorists attack our land—whatever the danger, whatever the "sword" may be, NONE of this can separate you from the love of God which we have in Christ Jesus.

Paul continues, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" [v.37] Being the victor is pretty exciting all by itself. In a contest or game, it is hard to imagine something that would be BIGGER or BETTER than winning. Yet, Paul says we are MORE than winners. We are hyper-conquerors, over-achieving conquerors—much more than the average victor. We have a glorious victory!

How can something be beyond victory—more than conquering? We are "more than conquerors" because of the magnitude of the victory. Consider the difference between winning the first game in a baseball season and winning the final game of the World Series; or the first game in a football season and the final victory on Super Bowl Sunday. That difference from the victory in the ordinary game to the victory of the championship game that declares you world champions is the difference between victory and "more than victory" – hyper-victory.

We have victory over a foe like none other. We have victory over the power of Satan and death. To be victorious over all the powers of hell is "hyper-victory" – being more than conquerors. To have totally defeated sin, death, and the Devil; to no more being under their influence; to be full victors and heirs of eternal life is more than just a small win . It is complete victory with eternal implications.

Christ has made us more than conquerors. It took more than a simple sacrifice for Him to win our victory—He gave His own blood! The life and the blood of the Son of God won our victory for us. The price paid for our redemption makes it more than just an ordinary victory. The TOTAL defeat of the enemy and the VAST QUANTITY of "spoils of war" namely, the rich spiritual blessings we receive from Christ.

Through Christ we have peace with God, a conscience that is purged because the sins are totally removed, the confidence of knowing that our amazing Lord is control, guiding us day by day, blessing us by His wisdom and according to His love. These are all things we have because of Christ. These are all gifts with which the Holy Spirit has enlightened us. These are the things that make us more than victors. We are MORE than conquerors through Christ. We have the victory, and in Christ we will remain victorious all the way to and through eternity.

For this reason, Paul continues, "I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." [vv.38-39]

Paul begins his list with life and death. Of all the things we might imagine separating us from our Savior, the first would likely be death because on this earth we know of no greater separation. It was the separation of death that troubled the Corinthians, so by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote what we now know as 1 Corinthians chapter 15. In this chapter, God assures weak hearts that CHRIST IS RISEN from the dead. THANKS BE TO GOD who gives us the victory!

The Thessalonian Christians were, likewise, troubled by the separation of death. They wondered and worried if perhaps those who had died before Jesus returned would somehow be at a disadvantage compared to those who would still be living. Paul assured the Thessalonians that the separation would not affect their eternal outcome at all because those who die in the Lord (no matter when it is) as well as those who are live in the Lord when He returns—all believers will be taken to the full and eternal glory of heaven (cf: 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff).

But death is "separation." There is spiritual death. This is the type of death Adam and Eve experienced in the moment they first sinned. It is the separation of the soul from God because sin stands in the way. It is the separation of soul from God that made Adam and Eve suddenly recognize their nakedness and be ashamed and which made them fearful of God when before they had enjoyed His presence. The separation caused by sin has been removed by Christ. Jesus has reconciled us to God, bringing us back together by removing our sin (cf: 2 Corinthians 5:18ff). Sin no longer separates us from God.

There is temporal death—the kind of death we witness on the earth when someone dies and we see him no more. Death is sorrowful, but can it separate a child of God from his Lord? NO! NEVER! For those who are in Christ death on this earth is only a gateway to eternal life. Temporal death cannot separate us from our Savior!!

Eternal death, that separation of soul and body from God forever in hell, simply cannot exist for those who die in the Lord. For the sins that would condemn us to this eternal salvation have been removed by our Savior. So on the final day, God will see us as holy and pure, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and He will welcome us home. DEATH of every sort has been conquered by Christ and CANNOT SEPARATE us from our Lord!

Paul declares that neither angels nor principalities nor powers can separate us from the love of Christ. Think of the demon possession that was taking place while Jesus was on the earth and the power over people’s lives and bodies those demons had at times. Consider what Scripture says about the dark and powerful forces of our spiritual enemies—the Devil and his evil angels. God describes the Devil as a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour (cf: 1 Peter 5:8). There is nothing in Scripture that would allow us to ever consider the Devil and his crew as anything less than powerful and very dangerous enemies against whom we need to continually stand, watch, and pray. As fearful as these enemies are and as warned as we need to be, they cannot separate us from the love of Christ because in Christ we are more than conquerors over them.

Are those spiritual forces real and out to get us? Yes they are. May we take them casually? No, we may not. Do we need to stand guard against them? Yes, every day, every minute of our lives! But with Christ and His Word, can they separate us from the love of God? NEVER! NOT A ONE! Those powers, principalities, and forces are less than Christ our Savior. " "He raised Christ….far above all principality, and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21).

Neither things present nor things to come can separate us from the love of God. We might feel like we have the confidence NOW and am secure, but I don’t know what lies ahead. What if there is something tomorrow, or next week, or somewhere in my future life that just might have the potential to separate me from my Savior? It’s not going to happen. Yes, there may be unknown things lying in our futures, but none of them can separate us from our great and glorious God.

There are people who spend a lifetime trying to figure out the future, trying to prepare for every incidental thing that might come their way in life – finding enough money for retirement no matter what happens, doing this, doing that, because they never want to be caught off guard and unprepared. No matter what they do, no matter how much preparation they make, there will always be something for which they were not ready. But this will not happen in our spiritual lives when we put our faith and our trust in Christ. NOTHING in the FUTURE can separate us.

People thought Titanic was unsinkable. They didn’t take into account the events that occurred. Our salvation in Christ holds no such surprises. It IS fully unsinkable! Nothing in the past, nothing in the present, nothing in the future can change what Christ has done for us and separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul concludes by saying "nor any other created thing." God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. There is NOTHING on this earth or in the heavens that He did not create and there is nothing that He created which can separate us from Him.

However, what about being separated by sin? We know of people both in Scripture and in our day who pursue sin and are living without repentance and without Christ. Some have once believed but then fall from faith. These are separated from Christ, aren’t they? Yes, because they have separated themselves from Christ and His love. John writes in Revelation, "The cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death(eternal death)" (Revelation 21:8).

For such, the love and work of Christ has remained constant. The forgiveness of sins Jesus gives has remained constant. By their own choice these have removed themselves from Christ. Yet, forgiveness and restoration remains for all who return to their Savior in repentance while in their time of grace on the earth.

A sinner may neglect or reject Christ and thereby separate himself from his Savior, but for those who abide in Christ and with His Word there can be NO separation. Jesus said, "If you abide in my word you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31).

Who is like the Lord? There is not one. He is YOUR Lord! He is your God who loves you, cares for you, and will glorify you. Who or what can separate you from this wonderful Lord? No one and no thing.