LutheranLectionary.org

Series B – All Saint’s Day – Sunday, November 7, 2021 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:27	The holy gospel according
0:29	to saint matthew the fifth chapter
0:32	[Music]
0:39	seeing the crowds Jesus went up on the
0:41	mountain and when he sat down his
0:43	disciples came to him
0:45	he opened his mouth and he taught them
0:47	saying
0:48	blessed are the poor in spirit for
0:51	theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed
0:53	are those who mourn for they shall be
0:55	comforted
0:56	blessed are the meek for they shall
0:58	inherit the earth blessed are those who
1:00	hunger and thirst for righteousness for
1:02	they shall be satisfied blessed are the
1:04	merciful for they shall receive mercy
1:07	blessed are the pure in heart for they
1:09	shall see god and blessed are the
1:11	peacemakers for they shall be called the
1:13	sons of god and blessed are those who
1:15	are persecuted for righteousness snake
1:18	for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and
1:20	blessed are you when others revile you
1:22	and persecute you and utter all kinds of
1:25	evil against you falsely on my account
1:27	rejoice and be glad for your reward is
1:29	great in heaven for so they persecuted
1:31	the prophets who were before you this is
1:34	the gospel of the lord in the name of
1:36	Jesus
1:38	all right what an amazing text we have
1:41	from the book of revelation after this i
1:43	looked and behold a great multitude that
1:46	no one could number from every nation
1:49	from all tribes and peoples and
1:51	languages standing before the throne and
1:54	before the lamb
1:56	clothed in white robes with palm
1:58	branches in their hands now in order to
2:01	kind of understand just the absolute
2:03	magnitude of this beatific vision that
2:05	we have here in the book of revelation
2:07	we have to go back and kind of think
2:09	through a few things and if you would
2:11	you know you think about it in terms of
2:13	the book of revelation there was adam
2:15	and eve they only had one commandment by
2:17	the way one and they blew that and
2:20	and you’ll if you remember how the the
2:22	crime went down uh satan knows full well
2:25	that god never lies you know that about
2:29	god right god is not gonna say you know
2:31	i’m gonna go to the grocery store and
2:33	i’ll pick up a few things and then
2:34	forget to do it he’s not like that you
2:36	know
2:37	i’m like that but he’s not like that but
2:39	all of that being said god never lies
2:42	and so satan knew full well that god
2:44	always keeping his word and that his
2:46	word performs the very things for which
2:48	he sends it when he hears that
2:50	adam and eve are forbidden by god to eat
2:53	of the tree of the knowledge of good and
2:55	evil Jesus reveals to us in the gospel
2:57	of john chapter 8 that the devil was a
3:00	liar and a murderer from the beginning
3:03	which gives us the motivation for what
3:05	went down in the garden
3:06	basically think of it this way have you
3:08	all noticed that
3:09	when you have kids your kids look like
3:11	you have you noticed that i remember
3:14	when i was
3:16	raising our children and my son you know
3:18	he would sometimes do things that were
3:20	disobedient if just being a sinner like
3:22	me but every now and then my wife would
3:25	get really upset and say you look just
3:27	like your father
3:29	all right
3:30	this was a bad thing when she was angry
3:32	you get the idea this is we look like
3:35	our parents well keep in mind adam and
3:37	eve
3:38	god created them male and female in the
3:41	image of god
3:43	and let’s just say that
3:44	satan after his rebellion against god
3:47	wasn’t really keen at looking at anybody
3:50	that even resembled the deity that he
3:53	hated and despised so much that he
3:54	wanted to overthrow and take his place
3:58	and so
3:59	the devil no his decision was murder
4:02	he’s going to murder humanity made in
4:04	the image of god and god’s going to be
4:06	the murder weapon because god said to
4:08	adam and eve on the day that you eat of
4:09	that tree you will surely die
4:14	it’s terrible if you think about it well
4:17	our parents went for it
4:19	they went for it they
4:21	disobeyed god
4:22	they succumbed to the temptation of the
4:24	devil and then we we read in the book of
4:27	genesis chapter 3 that god hands out
4:29	punishments we hear god well cursing the
4:32	serpent you know taking away his legs
4:34	sending him onto his belly
4:36	the other thing is is that well women
4:39	they bear children painfully now and
4:42	then always and again that that joyous
4:44	thing that we experience in marriage and
4:46	that is is that god took the will of his
4:49	of the woman and made it so that as part
4:51	of the curse she would have an opposing
4:53	will to her husband it’s a little bit of
4:55	a challenge if you think about it
4:57	because scripture is very clear that a
4:59	man will leave his father and mother and
5:00	cleave to his wife and the two will
5:02	become one flesh
5:04	one flesh with divided wills
5:07	that’s lovely all right right and then
5:09	of course we all know that adam was
5:12	cursed with the well having to toil and
5:15	work by the sweat of his brow in order
5:18	to put food on the table and that
5:20	eventually every one of us we would
5:22	return to the dust from which we were
5:24	taken
5:25	it’s terrible when you think about it
5:27	but in the aftermath of all of this in
5:30	genesis chapter 3 verse 20 we hear a few
5:32	things that i think are important for us
5:34	as we consider what we saw there in the
5:36	book of revelation the man called his
5:38	wife eve because she was the mother of
5:42	all the living and the lord god made for
5:44	adam and for his wife garments of skin
5:47	and he clothed them if you remember adam
5:49	and eve after biting into the forbidden
5:52	fruit
5:53	they realized very straight away that
5:56	they were both naked
5:58	and nakedness now becomes kind of a if
6:00	you would a
6:01	something that needs to be covered it’s
6:03	a sign of sin and shame and guilt and so
6:06	god himself he makes for adam and eve
6:08	garments of skin which means some animal
6:11	had to die for this to happen we don’t
6:13	know if it was a lamb or a sheep it
6:15	doesn’t say we just kind of assume it
6:17	was probably a sheep it sounds like it
6:19	would fit
6:20	the bill but somebody has to die in
6:22	their place and so these animals die in
6:24	their place so that they can be clothed
6:27	and if you remember in the book of
6:28	revelation we saw that all of these
6:30	saints who are before the throne of god
6:32	they are clothed in white robes god
6:34	still continuing to clothe all of his
6:36	saints but then it says this the lord
6:39	god yahweh elohim said behold the man
6:42	has become like one of us knowing good
6:45	and evil
6:46	and what follows here then is if you
6:48	would a conversation between the three
6:50	members of the trinity the father the
6:52	son and the holy spirit if you remember
6:54	in the book in the earlier chapters of
6:56	genesis god said let us make man in our
6:59	image right and so this is the trinity
7:02	discussing now amongst themselves now
7:04	that humanity has fallen into sin
7:06	well
7:07	he’s become like one of us knowing good
7:09	and evil
7:10	and then what follows here at the tail
7:12	end of verse 22 is an incomplete
7:15	sentence
7:16	in hebrew it you
7:18	you translate it and you go um
7:21	there’s something missing here
7:23	right have you ever thought of something
7:25	so terrible that you know you can’t
7:27	quite
7:28	finish your sentence or maybe you’re
7:30	falling asleep my wife says i do this
7:32	from time to time my wife and i will be
7:34	in bed and we’ll be having a
7:36	conversation and next thing you know
7:38	she’s shaking me going what are you
7:39	saying what you you were in the middle
7:41	of a sentence and you started snoring
7:46	i don’t know what was i saying
7:48	you know
7:49	so this is kind of one of those things
7:51	god’s not falling asleep but the idea
7:53	here is is that we have an incomplete
7:55	sentence and listen to the sentence
7:57	now lest he reach out his hand
8:00	and take also of the tree of life
8:03	and eat
8:04	and live forever
8:07	and then it trails off
8:09	it’s as if the thought is just too
8:11	terrible and
8:13	it’s it’s so awful i mean could you
8:15	imagine
8:16	how devastatingly awful that would be if
8:19	humanity
8:20	lived forever in a sinful fallen state
8:27	i mean i’ve i’ve been on the planet now
8:28	for 53 years
8:31	and i am just done with sin but
8:34	apparently it’s not done with me
8:36	i am you know i don’t want to sin
8:38	another day but could you imagine where
8:41	there is no hope of ever
8:44	being rid of your sinful nature
8:48	no thank you
8:49	that just
8:51	and so that’s why i think god didn’t
8:53	complete his thought here and so to
8:54	prevent that from happening
8:56	yahweh elohim sent out him out from the
8:59	garden of eden to work the ground from
9:00	which he was taken he drove out the man
9:03	and at the east of the garden of eden he
9:05	placed the cherubim and a flaming sword
9:08	that turned everywhere to guard the way
9:11	to the tree of life
9:14	angels standing guard with lightsabers
9:16	okay
9:17	it’s quite the
9:19	vision if you think about it but that’s
9:21	to prevent us from eating of the tree of
9:23	life and living forever in a sinful
9:24	state
9:25	now if you fast forward to the in
9:27	between time between uh what we saw in
9:30	the book of revelation and this uh the
9:33	in between time there we have Jesus
9:35	Christ son of god son of david
9:39	born of the virgin mary
9:41	sinless
9:42	never once committing a single sin
9:45	fulfilling god’s law for you and for me
9:47	so that we can be forgiven and he then
9:50	bearing in his body
9:53	your sins
9:55	my sins god lays on him the iniquity of
9:57	us all and you’ll note then that the
10:00	cross which is a tree of death there’s
10:02	just no way around it
10:04	that the cross then becomes
10:07	the new tree of life
10:09	in fact we’re here today in part to eat
10:11	of that
10:12	tree
10:13	the fruit of the tree is the body and
10:14	blood of Christ given and shed for the
10:16	forgiveness of our sins and we’ll note
10:18	that in eating the fruit of the tree
10:21	of life the new one the cross
10:24	that each and every one of us
10:26	are assured
10:27	of the eternal life that we’ve been
10:28	given as a gift because of what Christ
10:30	has done for us so fast forward then
10:33	you’ll note that
10:34	humanity
10:36	from the garden all the way to today
10:39	is struggling languishing
10:41	dealing with
10:43	well pressed down and destroyed by sin
10:46	have you noticed that sin is kind of a
10:48	lonely thing
10:50	not only to sin alienate us from god it
10:52	alienates us from each other
10:55	it’s just terrible
10:57	you know
10:58	i just marvel at hour not notice i’m
11:01	putting myself into this category
11:04	our ability to be heartless and ruthless
11:09	to care about nobody except for
11:12	ourselves and to treat other human
11:14	beings with such contempt and loathing
11:18	as if their lives have no meaning or
11:20	they don’t matter we do not love them we
11:23	use them it is
11:24	absolutely
11:26	horrifyingly reprehensible
11:28	and so as a result of this
11:30	well our lives
11:32	now in the valley of the shadow of death
11:36	it seems like a pretty lonely sojourn
11:38	but we remember these things then in
11:40	light of all saints day number one
11:43	Christ has made it very clear i will
11:46	never leave you or forsake you
11:49	no matter how isolated or alone you are
11:52	because of your sin or somebody else’s
11:55	Christ has not forsaken you and you are
11:57	never alone
11:59	in fact Jesus says i am with you always
12:01	even to the end of the age and then it’s
12:04	also here then in this
12:06	reading of the book of revelation that
12:08	we come across something else have you
12:11	ever heard the phrase the communion of
12:14	the saints
12:15	didn’t we say something about that
12:17	during the creed the communion of saints
12:19	the forgiveness of sins right we we say
12:22	these things but what does it mean when
12:24	we talk about the communion of the
12:26	saints
12:27	and it’s in this regard
12:28	i’d like to read out
12:30	something that lutheran theologian
12:32	hermann sassa
12:34	wrote decades ago
12:36	before his death kind of musing and
12:38	thinking and meditating on on all saints
12:41	day one of the things that was common in
12:43	his day is that there was a particular
12:45	hymn that was sung as part of all saints
12:47	day that was a funeral hymn seems like
12:49	an odd thing to stick in there but it’s
12:51	not if you understand life everlasting
12:53	so
12:54	in in sase’s writing on this particular
12:57	uh hymn and also on on the occasion of
13:01	all saints here’s here’s one of the
13:02	stanzas he notes patriarchs of sacred
13:06	story
13:07	and the prophets there are found
13:09	the apostles two in glory on twelve
13:12	seats there are enthroned all the saints
13:15	that have ascended age on age through
13:17	time extended
13:19	there in blissful concerts sing
13:21	hallelujahs to their king
13:23	great hymn right great hymn good stanza
13:26	and so sauce are writing on this he says
13:28	thus the old funeral hymn it speaks of
13:31	the church
13:32	and of all the perfected who are in
13:35	heaven
13:36	and this thought of the fathers of the
13:38	church and here he’s talking about
13:40	fathers in the sense of everybody who’s
13:41	preceded us not the church fathers he
13:44	says in this thought of the fathers of
13:45	the church who have preceded us into
13:48	heaven this then rings through the
13:50	centuries
13:52	and all the saints from the beginning of
13:54	the world who have died believing in the
13:56	redeemer whether he was yet to come or
13:58	had come in the flesh
14:00	all members of the people of god of all
14:02	times to the present day in this sense
14:05	all then are the fathers of the church
14:07	and whether Christians have found
14:09	themselves in the loneliness of a
14:11	siberian prison camp or the isolation of
14:14	the diaspora or they’re suffering the
14:17	inner healing alienation within the
14:20	great secularized churches of our time
14:24	it has become ever more the consolation
14:27	of those who have suffered for the sake
14:29	of the church and whom god has led on a
14:32	lonely path to know
14:34	that they are not alone in the one
14:37	church of god
14:39	and this is where we recognize that when
14:41	we confess the communion of the saints
14:43	we are confessing that not only is
14:46	Christ with us but that we are never
14:49	alone
14:50	that the saints in heaven they preceded
14:53	us and as the book of hebrews chapter 12
14:56	says that they are now the great cloud
14:59	of witnesses
15:01	and so because they are the great
15:03	crowd of witnesses the church has always
15:06	historically believed that when we
15:08	gather together
15:10	to worship to receive the word of god
15:13	and to hear and receive the sacrament
15:16	that when we gather together for these
15:19	holy things
15:20	that the company of heaven joins us
15:24	you can hear it in our liturgy we can
15:26	hear it in the liturgy
15:28	you know it
15:29	that when we when we pray these things
15:31	about the the saints therefore with
15:33	angels and archangels and with all the
15:36	company of heaven
15:38	we laud and we magnify your glorious
15:41	name evermore praising you and saying
15:46	right
15:46	what are we confessing here
15:48	we’re confessing that we’re not alone
15:52	no matter how isolated
15:54	difficult lonely your path is because of
15:57	your sin or others
16:00	because of the unfaithfulness of pastors
16:02	who refuse to preach Christ in him
16:04	crucified
16:06	or because you are being persecuted for
16:08	your faith in Jesus no matter how lonely
16:11	your path may be you are never alone
16:15	i remember when i was being confirmed as
16:17	a lutheran i grew up i was baptized
16:19	roman catholic grew up in the nazarene
16:21	church and which really isn’t all that
16:24	better than
16:25	catholicism when it comes to works
16:27	righteousness but i remember when i was
16:29	being confirmed at st john’s lutheran
16:32	church in orange they at that time i
16:34	don’t know if they still have it they
16:35	they had this beautiful old like urban
16:38	cathedral you know made of bricks but
16:40	high gothic style we had we had
16:43	wonderful stained glass windows in this
16:45	ginormous a-frame and i remember when we
16:48	were learning about the communion of the
16:50	saints the pastor took us into the
16:51	sanctuary and he said look up there look
16:54	up there
16:56	looking up high into the a-frame do you
16:58	see him
16:59	no pastor maybe it’s time to call
17:02	somebody you know and he said
17:05	i like to think that’s where they sit
17:07	that that’s where they gather that when
17:08	we gather together in the name of the
17:10	father son and the holy spirit the
17:11	communion of the saints therefore with
17:13	angels and archangels and all the
17:14	company of heaven i like to think of
17:16	them
17:16	joining us and they’re up here
17:20	it was a good good thing to think about
17:22	but note then that even when you
17:26	are in a situation where the only one
17:28	you are able to worship with
17:30	is yourself
17:33	that you are never
17:34	alone
17:35	and it’s in that idea then that sausage
17:38	says
17:39	again whether Christians have found
17:40	themselves in the loneliness of a
17:42	siberian prison camp or the isolation of
17:44	the diaspora the suffering of the inner
17:46	alienation within the great secularized
17:48	churches of our time it has become ever
17:51	more the consolation of those who have
17:52	suffered for the sake of the church and
17:54	whom god has led on the lonely path to
17:56	know that they are not alone in the one
17:59	church of god they who’ve been removed
18:01	from every error and sin of earth of the
18:04	earthly church they now stand with us
18:08	in the seamless fellowship of the body
18:10	of Christ think of it this way have you
18:13	ever had that profound sense that you
18:15	know
18:16	it’s like i don’t belong here i just
18:18	don’t fit in you know i remember when i
18:21	was a kid there was a movie i loved that
18:23	disney put out called escape to witch
18:25	mountain right you guys remember this
18:27	movie yeah
18:28	terrible cheesy special effects but
18:30	still a good story right you know
18:32	nothing like seeing a old winnebago
18:34	flying through the air but all of that
18:36	being said the story is about two kids
18:39	who happen to not be from here and
18:42	they’re actually aliens i know it sounds
18:44	weird okay he’s talking about aliens but
18:46	the whole goal is for them to get to a
18:48	place where they can be reunited
18:51	with their family
18:52	reunited with their people
18:54	and it’s in this sense then knowing that
18:56	we are not alone consider again these
18:59	words i looked and behold there was a
19:01	great multitude that no one could number
19:04	from every nation all tribes and peoples
19:06	and languages and they were standing
19:08	before the throne before the lamb
19:10	clothed in white robes with palm
19:12	branches in their hands and crying out
19:13	with a loud voice salvation belongs to
19:16	our god who sits on the throne and to
19:19	the lamb
19:21	brothers and sisters our epistle text
19:22	makes this very clear
19:25	these are our people
19:28	this is your family
19:32	this is where you belong
19:34	in fact listen to our epistle text first
19:37	john 3
19:39	see what kind of love the father that
19:40	he’s given to us
19:42	that we should be called the children of
19:44	god it sounds so scandalous i know it is
19:47	that we that we you and i
19:49	sinners as we are that we should be
19:51	called the chin the children of god and
19:54	so we are the text says we are that now
19:58	and the reason why the world does not
20:01	know us
20:02	is that it did not know
20:04	Christ beloved we are god’s children now
20:08	and what we will be has not yet appeared
20:10	but we know that when he appears we
20:12	shall be like him because we shall see
20:14	him as he is and everyone who thus hopes
20:17	in him purifies himself as he is pure
20:20	so those are our people worshiping
20:22	before the throne of god our people and
20:25	here’s the thing the ones who’ve
20:27	preceded us
20:29	in the faith that we know who are our
20:31	family members our friends or church
20:33	members who were here decades
20:36	ago
20:37	and are now long gone
20:40	they will be there to meet you
20:44	when you join them
20:46	they are waiting for us now
20:49	they are the great cl
20:50	cloud of witnesses that hebrews talks
20:53	about literally standing in the
20:56	bleachers cheering you on as you finish
20:59	your course
21:01	and there will be a time as awful as
21:03	this world is as lonely and isolating as
21:06	it is and completely out of step that we
21:09	are with it we’re out of step with it
21:10	because the people here who refuse to
21:13	believe in Christ are not our people
21:17	they’re not even our family
21:20	they’re children of the devil and we are
21:21	the adopted children of god by grace
21:24	because of god’s mercy for us
21:27	so listen to our people they cry out now
21:31	before the throne of Jesus and they
21:34	proclaim in bold unified voice salvation
21:38	belongs to our god who sits on the
21:41	throne
21:42	and to the lamb
21:44	and to this proclamation now the angels
21:47	respond and you’ll note humanity leads
21:50	the way proclaiming that salvation
21:52	belongs to our god and now the angels
21:54	who were standing around the throne and
21:56	around around the elders and the four
21:58	living creatures upon hearing this
22:00	proclamation of our people
22:03	they fall on their faces before the
22:05	throne and they worship god and they say
22:07	amen
22:08	blessing and glory and wisdom and
22:11	thanksgiving and honor and power and
22:13	might be to our god forever
22:16	and ever amen
22:18	and then one of the elders addressed me
22:19	saying well who are these who are
22:21	clothed in white robes no longer clothed
22:23	and skins but god has clothed us
22:25	nonetheless nakedness covered up and
22:28	you’ll note that what began in the
22:29	garden as a failed murder attempt
22:33	for the last
22:35	millennials
22:36	how many i don’t know six seven eight i
22:39	don’t know how many millennia we’ve been
22:40	around
22:41	Christ has been slowly
22:43	methodically
22:45	carefully
22:47	dutifully
22:49	making a kingdom
22:51	our
22:52	people our family
22:55	they make up the citizens of this
22:57	kingdom
22:59	and you’ll note this kingdom is so
23:02	ginormous
23:03	so huge this multitude
23:06	forget even doing a census it doesn’t
23:08	make any sense you wouldn’t be able to
23:10	number them anyway
23:12	that’s kind of the point
23:14	and so the one of the elders asked the
23:15	apostle john who are these clothed in
23:17	white
23:19	where have they come he said sir you
23:21	know
23:22	these are ones coming out of the great
23:23	tribulation they’ve washed the robes and
23:25	made them white in the blood of the lamb
23:27	therefore they are before the throne of
23:29	god they serve him day and night in his
23:31	temple and he who sits on the throne
23:33	will shelter them with his presence they
23:35	will hunger no more neither thirst any
23:37	more the sun will not strike them nor
23:39	any scorching heat the lamb that is in
23:41	the midst of the throne he will be their
23:43	shepherd and he will guide them to
23:45	springs of living water and god himself
23:47	will wipe away every tear from their
23:49	eyes
23:52	why does scripture tell us this
23:56	the Christian faith is built on three
23:58	pillars
23:59	three
24:01	faith
24:02	hope love faith in Christ for
24:05	reconciliation pardon and peace with god
24:08	because of what Christ has done on the
24:10	cross
24:11	love towards neighbor and good works
24:14	but also hope
24:16	in the midst of the darkness and the
24:18	loneliness that we have to go through
24:20	because of sin
24:21	although we are not alone
24:24	god allows us to see the end of our
24:27	course so we can keep that end in mind
24:30	so that we can suffer
24:32	well the way we’re supposed to suffer in
24:34	this lifetime not losing hope but
24:37	keeping our eyes on the hope on the on
24:39	the hope of the world to come knowing
24:41	that there is a day when well what seems
24:44	to be a nightmare that never ends and
24:46	that’s what this life can be at times a
24:48	nightmare that never ends but the
24:49	nightmare will come to an end the night
24:52	will go away the sun himself will dawn
24:57	and the light of the new world and that
25:00	day that ends that never ends will
25:02	finally arrive
25:03	and we will see Christ face to face and
25:05	be reunited with all of those who are
25:08	our people
25:09	and god himself will wipe away every
25:11	tear from our eyes so today we can bear
25:15	up today we can suffer is it any wonder
25:18	that Christ in his opening sermon the
25:20	sermon on the mount he proclaims not
25:23	judgments instead he proclaims the
25:25	blessings that exist for those who are
25:28	in him blessed are the poor in spirit
25:31	Jesus says those are the ones who
25:32	recognize they have nothing to give for
25:34	god to god for their salvation they’re
25:37	bankrupt spiritually but Jesus says
25:39	theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed
25:41	are those who mourn and this is not the
25:43	mourning of losing a loved one this is
25:45	the mourning that comes as a result of
25:47	recognizing the magnitude of your sin
25:49	and rebellion against god and lamenting
25:52	that you have
25:53	disobeyed
25:55	your good kind loving creator but Jesus
25:58	says to those who mourn in this way they
26:00	will be comforted and we are comforted
26:02	today with the good news of the
26:03	forgiveness of our sins blessed are the
26:06	meek this is the opposite of the devil
26:08	the devil is the one who’s the opposite
26:09	of meek nothing but
26:12	a tyrannical arrogant conceited
26:15	self-absorbed
26:17	the meek are the opposite the humble
26:20	bless Jesus says they will inherit the
26:22	earth blessed are those who hunger and
26:24	thirst for righteousness they will be
26:27	satisfied blessed are the merciful they
26:29	shall receive mercy is it any wonder
26:32	that ii corinthians says that we are
26:34	ambassadors for Christ and that god
26:36	himself is making his appeal to others
26:38	through us that they be reconciled to
26:40	god for the sake of Christ
26:42	blessed are the pure in heart
26:44	they will see god
26:45	and that you’ve been given your heart
26:48	has been made pure by the blood of
26:49	Christ
26:50	you are forgiven
26:52	blessed are the peacemakers they shall
26:54	be called the sons of god and now back
26:56	to reality the valley of the shadow of
26:58	death blessed are those who are
27:00	persecuted for righteousness sake theirs
27:02	is the kingdom of heaven blessed are you
27:04	when others revile you and persecute you
27:06	and utter all kinds of evil against you
27:08	falsely on my account rejoice and be
27:11	glad your reward is great in heaven for
27:13	so they persecuted the prophets who were
27:15	before you
27:16	so in this
27:18	vision and also in the beatitudes we
27:20	recognize that our hope is in the world
27:23	to come
27:24	and that hope gives us strength knowing
27:27	that we are not alone that Christ is
27:29	with us and that we are not alone as
27:30	Christians a great crowd of witnesses
27:33	that communion of the saints reveals to
27:36	us our true heritage and our true future
27:39	and our true hope and gives us the
27:40	strength to bear up
27:42	in the lonely road of sin
27:44	and death today
27:46	and so we thank god this all saints day
27:49	that we can be
27:50	remembered
27:52	that the most important word
27:54	in today’s observance is all
27:57	you
27:58	me
27:59	them us together
28:01	in the name of Jesus
28:03	amen

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