A Thankful Slave of Jesus

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD,HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!
All blessings flow from the hand of our God and he gives his people what they need at the proper time. The greatest gift he has shown us is his mercy, that never fails and always endures. Remember what it means when we pray, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever!”

Romans 6:19-23
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Be Reconciled Every Day In Your Calling As Christians

Over the past weeks we have focused on a number of crosses that Christians are called to bear. This week we see how it ties together. Each one of our “little” crosses connects us as believers to our Savior’s Cross. The servants are not above the master. God’s blessings this week as we focus our attention on Him.

Romans 5:9-15

⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

¹²Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

¹³To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. ¹⁴Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

¹⁵But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

Between the “Already” and the “Not Yet

For the next few weeks our sermons will be following an overarching theme. This theme is titled: Christians and Crosses: this will be the theme of the Sermon series based on the selected readings in the coming weeks.

We turn our attention this week to how the Christian is called to be patient and enduring. This is perhaps a
cross that we don’t even know we carry. Yet it affects many aspects of the Christian life. God’s blessings as
we focus on the patience in the face of hardship that our Savior Jesus endured for us!

The Theme for today’s sermon is “Between the “Already” and the “Not yet”” It is based upon a reading for this, the fifth Sunday after Pentecost from Romans chapter 8 verses 18 through 23.

Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

Oh, the Riches, Wisdom and Knowledge of our Triune God!

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
IS THE LORD ALMIGHTY!

The Church eternal proclaims the trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The trinity is clearly taught in the bible, and yet, it is a mystery to us. We know God; he tells us who he is—3 in 1—yet we can’t begin to explain it fully. This keeps a Christian’s faith child like as we understand that God is greater than us. Yet, he comes to us and reveals in Scripture that we are able to call on his name rightly!

Romans 11:33-36

³³Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and^[a] knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”^[b]
³⁵“Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”^[c]
³⁶For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Full Service – June 7, 2020 (Trinity Sunday)

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
IS THE LORD ALMIGHTY!

Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

Meditate on the Battle Hymn

Psalm 22:25-31 New International Version (NIV)

²⁵From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you^[a] I will fulfill my vows.
²⁶The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

In view of God’s mercy…

In you is gladness, Amid all sadness, Jesus, sunshine of my heart. By you are given the gifts of heaven; You the true redeemer are. Our souls are waking; our bonds are breaking. Who trusts in you surely has built securely and stands forever. Alleluia! Our hearts are pining to see your shining, dying or living to you are clinging now and forever. Alleluia!

If he is ours, we fear no powers, not of earth or sin or death. He sees and blesses in worst distresses; He can change them with a breath. Wherefore the story tell of His glory with hearts and voices; all heaven rejoices in Him forever. Alleluia! We shout for gladness, win over sadness, love Him and praise Him and still shall raise Him glad hymns forever. Alleluia!

In you is Gladness. CW 346.

Christians, wake up!

The Bridegroom soon will call us; shake off your drowsy sleep! Lest carelessness befall us, a watchful vigil keep! May all our lamps be burning with oil enough and more that we, with him returning, may find an open door! (CW 10:1)