Reformation

SERMON - Sing with All the Saints in Glory!

INI

Text: Psalm 31:23-24

Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

In Christ Jesus, who has called us, who by nature are sinners, to be His saints, dear fellow redeemed:

As explained in the introduction to our service, the Christian church of Luther’s day and unfortunately branches of the church today as well as any number of sects in our day did not and do not understand the biblical meaning of the word “saint.” Consequently, there is much confusion both within the external Christian church and outside it as well concerning this precious biblical truth. The word “saint,” in either its singular or plural form, is found ninety-six times in the Bible. In every instance it refers simply to someone who believes in God and places his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord! You and I, biblically speaking, are saints in the eyes of God!

The Psalmist David reveals this in our text. Hebrew poetry is thought-poetry. It states an idea and then often repeats it in order to further define it. In our text David does this very thing. He begins by exhorting us with the words, “Oh, love the LORD…,” after which he identifies us: “All you His saints!” He then ends the text with a second exhortation, “Be of good courage…,” and then further defines us: “All you who hope in the LORD!” Consequently, we can say biblically that A SAINT IS ANYONE WHO IS LED BY THE SPIRIT TO PLACE HIS HOPE IN THE LORD!

Therefore, as saints I would likewise encourage you to “love the LORD!” You and I have every reason to do so! As we earlier confessed—we are by nature sinful! We have not loved God above all things, nor our neighbors as God has loved us. We have sinned by doing things contrary to God’s will and sinned by failing to do what He has commanded. We sin in our thoughts, with our words, and through our actions. Yet, God has loved us! In several Bible studies this past week with individuals seeking membership in our congregation, I reviewed the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 5:6-9 in which Paul speaks of that love of God. Paul writes: “When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him!”

Is not God’s love wonderful! He gave that which was most precious to Himself—the life of His only-begotten Son, so that we might be saved. Through Him we have been cleansed. By His work we have been declared saints! How might we love Him? Jesus says so very plainly: “If you love Me, keep My Commandments” (John 14:15). What is the summary of His commandments? It is simply to love—love everyone, in every way, and at all times! Pray that God would give you that “clean heart” and “steadfast spirit” (cf. Psalm 51:10) necessary both to see how to meet the needs and to desire to meet the needs of those around you and so to love them! As you strive to do that, rejoice in the fact that as David promises: “The LORD preserves the faithful!” He will care for you, guide you, and free you to be the saint God has declared you to be—not a perfect man or woman, but a forgiven man or woman declared holy through the blood of the Lamb, a determined man or woman focused on living life to God’s glory and under His blessing!

“Be of good courage,” David likewise encourages us! As God’s saints we have every reason to be filled with courage! Our God stands beside us. He will never fail us, nor forsake us. Rather, David says, He will “strengthen your heart!” Luther wrote in his famous Reformation hymn: “A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon!” (The Lutheran Hymnal, 262:1) That hymn was based upon Luther’s favorite psalm—Psalm 46. It begins, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (vs. 1-2a).

My dear friends, we have every reason to place our hope in the LORD. Consider the history of David—deliverance upon deliverance and blessing upon blessing! Consider the history of Luther—deliverance upon deliverance and blessing upon blessing! Oh, yes, both David and Luther faced many trials in this sin-filled world, as will we all! Yet, as saints of God we can place our hope in the LORD, knowing that in the end our lives too will be summarized in the same way—deliverance upon deliverance and blessing upon blessing! Truly-- A SAINT IS ANYONE WHO IS LED BY THE SPIRIT TO PLACE HIS HOPE IN THE LORD!

Text: Ephesians 2:19-22

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

In Christ Jesus, through whom we have become sons and daughters of God, dear fellow redeemed:

The gospel message is one of reconciliation—reconciliation between God and man. Sin separates man from God and demands the judgment of God. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses man of sin and removes the judgment of God. In our text the apostle Paul tells us that through faith in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ we, who were once strangers to God and foreigners living outside His kingdom, have become “fellow citizens with the saints.” Who are the saints? A SAINT IS ANYONE WHO BY FAITH IS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD!

As saints and members of the household of God, Paul tells us that we are to build our faith and life upon “the foundation of the apostles and prophets” with “Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” My dear friends, is that the case for your faith and in your life? Are you building your faith and life upon the teachings of the Bible, or are you building it upon the thoughts and ideas of men? It is an important question to ask ourselves, for ultimately we must build our faith and life upon something and someone, and the choice we make has both temporal and eternal consequences.

One of the four major biblical truths restored to the church by the Lutheran Reformation was “sola scriptura” or Scripture alone! In the early church this was the norm. We are told in the Book of Acts regarding the early church, “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (2:42a). As the centuries passed, however, and especially when the ability to read was lost by the general population during the Middle Ages, the principle of “sola scriptura” was lost and replaced by the church instructing its members to submit to the pronouncements of men—in the form of church council, the opinions of legal scholars, and the pronouncements of the Roman pope.

Today we are in danger of losing the principle of “sola scriptura” once again. Modern critical scholars within the church—even within the Lutheran church at large—have rejected the biblical claims of inspiration and inerrancy. The Bible is viewed as simply the product of man and, therefore, contains the flawed opinions of man. It has become for large numbers of people simply one option of many upon which to build their faith and life. My dear friends, let us not be misled. The Scriptures are in no way a collection of the flawed opinions of men. They are, rather, the very Word of God written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and, so, provide the only solid foundation for our faith and lives. The opinions of men and women, no matter how brilliant they may seem, will ultimately wither and blow away with the sands of time. God’s Word alone will stand forever! As saints of God, let us embrace it and build upon its solid foundation using the teachings of Christ Himself as the guide for all of our thinking!

Paul points out that as we use the Word of God the Holy Spirit works within our hearts and our lives, incorporating them into the life of His Church. Paul says that the Holy Spirit takes each of us and fits us together with other believers, building out of our lives a “holy temple” in which He Himself takes up residence. Think about what that means for each of us individually. We are never alone, or left to be on our own. God the Holy Spirit is always present to provide help and healing, direction and strength. Are you struggling with sin? Yes, saints do struggle with sin! Then turn to God and His Word. It will lead you to repentance, invigorate your faith, and provide you with the direction you will need to overcome sin! Are you overcome with guilt? Once again, turn to God and to His Word. It promises you God’s forgiveness as you are led to confess those sins for which you feel guilty. It assures you that God has removed those sins from you and, as the prophet Micah suggests, “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (7:19b).

Remember, you have not and cannot save yourself! You do not sanctify yourself and make yourself holy by your own deeds—it is impossible! God has dealt with your sin and declared you His child. He, and He alone, sanctifies you and declares you to be His saints! He, and He alone, is able to preserve you in your faith and bring you ultimately into the safety of heaven. Only cling to Him, rejoice in Him, and relish the fact that you are by faith a saint and member of the household of God! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
Soli Gloria Deo!