Dear Christian friends:

(Show the people the Sears ad from the Los Angeles Times newspaper.)

Sears has a big 3 day sale for bargain hunters. You can save 45% to 50% on Craftsman power hand tools. You can save $ 7.00 on a gallon of paint! Men, you can save $50.00 on a $150.00 suit! Here's a video recorder that costs $990.00; you can buy it for $600.00; and save $300.00!

Wow! This is really a good sale, a wonderful offer from Sears! Maybe this afternoon you will hurry to Sears and buy some things and save lots of money. Sorry! You can't! Why? The sale is finished! The sale started last Thursday, February 24th, and ended yesterday, Saturday, February 26th. This wonderful offer from Sears was limited, 3 days only. Sorry! Too late!

Every good sale or offer is time limited.

In our text we read about God's "sale" or offer. God's offer is most valuable offer of any. And God's offer is also limited. The Bible warns us, "Today is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) Now is the time to accept God's offer or bring it to others; tomorrow may be too late.

If anyone refuses God's offer he refuses the most valuable offer of any. He refuses the greatest love!

In our text we read how the people of Jerusalem refused God's offer. In doing that they refused the greatest love and protection. Jesus wept because the people of Jerusalem refused God's offer. He cried out with broken heart: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone those God sends to you. Often I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under wings, and you would not." (verse 34)

Here Jesus compares God's love for the people with a mother hen. You know how a mother hen loves and protects her baby chicks. When she sees a cat coming or a hawk flying and circling above she quickly calls the chicks and they hurry and hide under the protection of her wings. Also after the baby chicks have been out eating and running around for a while they become cold because they do not have enough feathers yet, so the mother hen calls the chicks under her wings to warm them. A mother hen loves her baby chicks very much. She will even die to protect them from hawks or cats. Like that God in Jesus loved the people of Jerusalem and like that God loves us also. You know Jesus died on the cross to protect us from Satan and hell!

When the Jewish people refused God's offer in Jesus they refused the greatest love, protection and warm comfort. They refused the most wonderful Friend, Helper, Protector, Comforter and Savior! They re- fused salvation and eternal life! God wanted to love them, forgive them, help them, protect them and save them for heaven. But they didn't want it. They killed the prophets and stoned the preachers God sent to them and at last they killed Jesus, His only Son. Nevertheless God still loved them and wept with broken heart when they refused to believe in Jesus. Jesus says, “I would, but you would not," The Jewish people refused the greatest love, the love of God!

When you and I refuse God's offer we also refuge the greatest love and protection, the love and protection of God.

Do we refuse God's offer? Sometimes we do. When we don't want to come to church on Sundays regularly. Every Sunday here in church God makes His precious love-offer to you and me when we read the Epistle and Gospel Lesson and when I preach the Gospel Sermon. When we give the bread and wine in the Holy Supper God is making His precious love-offer to you and me. If we don't want to come to church and to Lord's Supper we are refusing His offer. Or if we don't listen and get excited to hear His Word or even sleep in church or dream about other things or are not sorry and don't confess sins; or don't really believe in Jesus for our Savior. Also when we fail to pray, praise and worship God we show that we have refused His offer. Also when we don't care to support preaching and missions and don't want to tell others of God's love in Jesus, we show that we have not really accepted His offer. Maybe so, so!

Remember, when we refuse God's offer in Jesus we refuse the greatest love, protection and comfort:

"Oh what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer."
(TLH 557 verse 1)

Today God offers us salvation in Jesus. Now is the time to accept His precious offer. If we delay and wait for another time it will be too late. God's offer is time limited, same as Sear's sale offer was time-limited.

The day of judgment follows the day of salvation. The day of wrath follows the day of grace!

When the Jewish people refused God's precious offer God took it back. Jesus says here in our text, "You would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate." (verses 35-36) The temple is collapsed, not used. God's Word is not preached in your temple any more. Since that time and also today few Jews believe in Jesus. Their day of salvation is past, finished. God's offer of salvation to the Jewish people was time-limited. God loved them before all other nations and wanted to save them, but they didn't want it, so God sent Paul to preach the Gospel to the other nations. The Jews now go to hell.

We are part of the other nations. Today is still our day of salvation. Today God makes His offer to you and me through the Word and Sacrament. Pilgrim Lutheran Church for the Deaf was organized on February 20,1933 by Pastor G. Ferber. Since 80 years and more than that God has been offering salvation to the deaf of Los Angeles and Southern California through the Lutheran Church. Will God continue to make His offer in the future, another 25 years or 50 years? Maybe; maybe not! We don't know.

Martin Luther said that the Gospel preaching usually stays in one place about 25 years. Then the people become tired of it or refuse to believe it and no more appreciate it, or change it and preach man's word instead of God's Word. History shows that is true. Many countries that once had the Gospel preaching no more have it: Russia, Turkey, Greece, Ethiopia, Europe and other places once had many strong churches. Today they have few left and they are weak. All who refuse God's kind offer must go to hell. (Mark 16:16, Matthew 25:41,46)

We must encourage one another to accept God's offer. The Bible asks us a good question: "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3) The Bible urges us to watch and warn one another: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today (while there is still time); lest any of you be hardened (Stubborn) through the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:12-14) And Jesus Himself warns us: "Many of you will fall again into sin and betray and hate each other.

And many false prophets will appear and lead many astray. Sin will spread and multiply every place and people's love will become cold. (Matthew 24:10-12) These are the Bible's warnings to us. Let us give attention and wake up!" When we see that any member is not coming to church any more we must visit them and encourage them.

The Bible also promises, yes Jesus Himself promises: "But those who endure (continue believing and resisting temptation) unto the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:13)

God makes a precious offer to us in Jesus, but it is time-limited. We must accept it today when it is offered or tomorrow it will be too late!

Amen!