Blessed Are All Saints

If you would like to hear the sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church in Layton, Utah for All Saints' Sunday, "Blessed Are All Saints" click on this MP3 audio link. The audio includes the Hymn of the Day, "Oh How Blest Thy Faithful Children," a hymn for All Saints written by Rev. Eric Stefanski, sung to the tune of Galilean. The sermon begins at the 5:45 mark.

Have a blessed week in the Lord as dear children of God, blessed to be saints in the kingdom of heaven now and forever.

A servant of the Word and His folk,

Pastor Hering

Here is a rough preaching manuscript if you prefer to read along or read instead.

TEXT: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:3-12 ESV)

Dear Blessed Ones of the Father,

Truly God is proclaiming to you in the All Saints' Day Gospel reading for today that you are among those who are blessed. And to be among those who are blessed is to be a saint, to be sanctified—that is, made holy. Blessed are all saints, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• God has given you new birth and marked you as one of all those saints in Holy Baptism;

• God is proclaiming you to be one of all those saints in the Word I am preaching to you now and wherever the Word of God is preached and taught for the forgiveness of the poor in spirit;

• God enfleshes you with Himself and all those saints when He gives you the body and blood of Christ in Holy Communion;

• and God sends you forth into the world as one of all those saints carrying the benediction of His name-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

You who believe these things are indeed all saints who are blessed because in these things Jesus comes to you and you are made one with Him—the blessed One of whom the beatitudes of Matthew's Gospel speak.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Jesus became poor in spirit for us when "For our sake [His Father] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become) the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 Therefore theirs is the kingdom of heaven who are poor in spirit and confess their sins. For they are forgiven and blessed in Christ.

4"Blessed are those who mourn. Jesus mourned as He wept over Lazarus at his tomb and over Jerusalem for their unbelief, and as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that not His will but His Father's be done. Therefore they shall be comforted who mourn the curse of their sin and certainty of their death for they are blessed in Christ and share in His resurrection.

5"Blessed are the meek, Jesus became meek though he was in(C) the form of God, did not count equality with God(D) a thing to be grasped, 7but(E) made himself nothing, taking the form of a(F) servant,[b](G) being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:6-7 Therefore they shall inherit the earth who do not claim their own sinful works but Christ's work as their glory.

6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus, though the Son of God knew He was to be in His Father's house, hearing and speaking His Word and doing His will. Therefore they shall be satisfied who seek the righteousness of Christ in His house of Word and Sacrament.

7"Blessed are the merciful, God desires mercy, not sacrifice so He sent the merciful One Jesus. Therefore they shall receive mercy who receive God's mercy in Christ rather than offer their feeble sacrifices..

8"Blessed are the pure in heart, Jesus pure—spotless without blemish of sin. Therefore they shall see God who have been purified by His blood and washed in the living water..

9"Blessed are the peacemakers, Jesus suffered and died to bear the wrath of the Father and make peace with Him on our behalf. Therefore they shall be called sons of God who are made one with the only begotten Son of God.

10"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, Therefore theirs is the kingdom of heaven who remain faithful unto death bearing all the world's disdain.

11"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Blessed are all saints who have gone before us to deliver this faith to us. We remember them, like Roger, for their living in W & S to the last day.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15

with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:20b-21

During the service of the Sacrament we in the Sanctus, "Holy, Holy, Holy," we sing: "Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord."

"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" Matthew 21:9

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. Psalm 118:26

Jesus is the One who comes in the name of the Lord to make us blessed along with Roger and all the saints who have gone before us. So now blessed are you who come in the name of the Lord--baptized, forgiven children of God YOUrs is the kingdom of heaven and blessed are you with all Saints --In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

HYMN OF THE DAY: Oh How Blest Thy Faithful Children

TEXT: Rev. Eric Stefanski TUNE: Galilean (LSB #826)

1. Oh, how blest Thy faithful children
Ever dost Thou give them rest,
By the cross their sins removest
Far away as east from west.
Now they dwell by grace forever
Cleansed from sin, from fear set free;
For Thy death hath opened Heaven,
And in death they live to Thee.

2. Blesséd now the poor in spirit;
Thou to them dost Heaven give
Who confessed themselves as beggars,
Looked alone to Thee to live.
Blesséd are we pining mourners
Comforted alone in Thee:
By Thy grace Thou wilt sustain us
'Til at last Thy face we see.

3. Blesséd are the ones who meekly
Ever trust Thy gracious will,
Who have suffered lack, but gladly,
For Thy promise Thou fulfill:
A new Earth and a new Heaven
Thou shalt give for their abode,
Treasures there beyond all measure
Glory that naught can erode.

4. Those who for it thirst and hunger
Shall forever more be filled
With the righteousness of Jesus,
Which God's righteous wrath hath stilled.
They are purchased with His merit:
'Gainst their debt His blood sufficed;
They show mercy, for receivéd
They the mercy won by Christ.

5. Lord, Thy sufferings hearts pure maketh
In them who by grace shall see
Thee in glory, for Thou takest
From them all iniquity;
And peacemakers Thou has made them
By the peace received from Thee:
That the sons of Thine own Father
All might know them now to be.

6. Now rejoice we in the sufferings
Which we for Thy sake receive,
Since Thou didst for us win Heaven;
Grant us ever to believe
That the prophets and the martyrs
Gathered 'round Thy holy throne
With Thine angels shall receive us
Entered there by Christ alone.

∆ 7. For Thy saints above we praise Thee,
Who hast led them there by grace;
For Thy Church this prayer we raise Thee:
Bring us also to that place.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Praise and glory be to Thee
Gracious, everlasting, clement,
Holy, Blessed Trinity. Amen.

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