11/6/2022: All Saints' Sunday "We Feebly Struggle; They In Glory Shine"

ALL SAINTS’ DAY

If you strain ever so carefully, you can hear it — the joyful music of the heavenly triumph song sounding in the distance, and people are singing with gusto. Christ is coming! Today Christ's Church pauses to remember that we are pilgrims on earth, and Jesus is returning to take us to heaven. Heaven is our home; that's where we rightfully belong, and that’s what God is preparing for us who believe. That truth may be lost during the day to day grind, but not today. Today’s service has no intention to drag God down to us, but every intention of lifting us to God.

WE FEEBLY STRUGGLE; THEY IN GLORY SHINE

We believe in “the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints” (Apostles’ Creed). All with saving faith in Jesus as their Savior are holy. (Saint comes from the Latin word sanctus which means holy.) God grants the status of saint to all believers. Since sainthood is achieved through faith in Christ, we refer to believers as the invisible Church. Members are unknown to us since only God can see the heart. Furthermore, even if we knew the identity of each saint on earth, they would not look all that different from the rest of mankind. Believers still struggle with trials, temptations, and sin. Nor does membership in the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints make life easier. In some ways it makes life more difficult as we struggle against a world that is hostile towards Christ. However, some members of the communion of saints no longer struggle with trial and sin. They are not oppressed by an anti-Christian world. These are all the saints who, through their Christian death, have triumphed over all these things. The blessedness of being God’s saint is no longer invisible for them. They live in the glory of Christ’s light. This week, we thank God for those members of the communion of saints who have gone before us and now enjoy everlasting life. We feebly struggle, just as they once did. But now, thanks to Christ, they in glory shine. Their example encourages us as we patiently wait to join them.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Adam Mueller will preach on Luke 21:5-19: “Something Better”

View the service folder.

Watch the livestream.