August's Sermons

Church Period: Epiphany 2nd Sunday After
Sermon Title: Thank God For His Good Work In Us
Sermon Date: January 15, 1984
Rev. August Hauptman
Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Dear Christian friends:

What do you think about our church, Pilgrim Lutheran Church? Are you satisfied and happy about our church or not? Some people are not satisfied with our church. They complain about it. Do you thank God for our church? Often we see some weaknesses and faults and fail to see the good things that God has done for us here at Pilgrim Lutheran Church.

We need faith to see the good things God has done for our church. St. Paul can help us. He had such a faith and spiritual vision. Although the church at Corinth had many problems and groups quarreling with each other, Paul saw many good things that God had done for the members and he gave praise and thanks to God for the good work in the people. This helped them and encouraged them to improve and become a better church.

We need the same encouragement and improvement, so let us attend to our texts and

Thank God For His Good Work In Us

Can you think of a good work God has done for us here at Pilgrim?

In our text St. Paul tells about a good work which God had done for the church at Corinth. He writes to them, "God made you holy through Christ Jesus, and called you to become saints, together with all people in every place that worship our Lord Jesus Christ." (verse 2) Truly a wonderful work God did for those people at Corinth!

As God called the Christians at Corinth to become His people, so He has called you and me. And as God made them holy, by Jesus Christ, so He has made you and me holy or saints.

By nature we are not holy. We are sinful and unclean, and we cannot free ourselves from sin and eternal punishment of sin. But God has shown mercy to us. He has called us to faith in Jesus, who died on the cross that we might have forgiveness of sins and become holy people, His people, His saints. As God made the church at Corinth holy, so He has made Pilgrim at Los Angeles holy.

God has made us His saints and with that He gives us hope for eternal life. We need this hope. During 1983, eight of our members died. And we ourselves are dying people. After Adam sinned God said to him, "You were made of dust." (Genesis 3:19) So we need this hope of the resurrection and eternal life. Thank God! He has given us this hope! In our text St. Paul tells about Jesus' coming again in glory to awaken the dead and call them to arise to eternal life. We read, "God will make your faith strong to the end, and He will take care of you. Then you will be without blame on the Day our Lord Jesus Christ comes again." (verse 8)

God has made us become His saints and He promises that we shall remain His saints unto the end, until His son comes again in glory. Although often it seems that God has done nothing good for us and although we seem not to be His saints because we still sin and wrongs do, yet we are really His holy people in Jesus. God has announced it! It is true! He has done this wonderful work in us without our deeds! Thank Him and praise Him!

If we really thank God for His good work in us, we will show our thanks by trying to serve Him better as we wait for Jesus to appear in glory.

God has given us many gifts so that we can serve Him with glad and thankful hearts. In our text St. Paul reminds us about these precious gifts from God:

"Daily I thank God for you,
because He gave grace to you
in Jesus Christ. And He made
you rich in everything that
you say and know about Jesus.
And He established the good news
of Jesus in you. So that you
have every gift while you wait
for our Lord Jesus Christ to
come again." (verses 4-7)

We the members here at Pilgrim, like the Christians at Corinth "have every gift" so that we can serve Him while we wait for Jesus to appear in glory to take us home. We must not say that we can't do God's work or will. We can! He has made us able to do it. He has given us all that we need to do His work: faith, hope, joy in Jesus, His Word, Baptism, the Holy Supper, all spiritual blessings, and also earthly blessings, time, talents, and money.

What is God's will? His chief will, His good and gracious will is that all nations hear the Good News of Jesus the Savior for sinners. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:45-50 and John 20:21) Evangelistic work and mission work, that is His chief will.

Today we will have our ANNUAL MEETING. We will hear reports about how our church did the Lord's work during 1983. We will elect the 12 trustees who will be our Board of Directors for 1984. We will choose various members to serve on the seven standing committees. We will adopt the 1984 budget and other goals for 1984. This should be a very exciting and interesting meeting for every member of Pilgrim. We all are saints of God and he has equipped us with various gifts and talents so that we can serve Him and do His work as we wait for Him to come again in glory and take us to our true home in heaven.

Let us thank and praise God for the wonderful blessings He has given to us here at Pilgrim Lutheran Church! Then we will be excited and thrilled to do His work better and better as He helps us!

Amen.