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sermon: Made His Wonderful Works to Be Remembered (Part Two)

Mark Schindler
Given 04-Oct-25; Sermon #1841B; 42 minutes

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Two weeks ago, Saturday, September 20th, 2025, marked the 75th anniversary of the death of my sister Cathy. She had been born on June 28th, 1949, just 15 months before that darkest of days from my parents' life. According to my mom, Cathy was a seemingly normal, happy and healthy baby girl. Until they started to notice signs that things were not quite right. Things like she had not started to crawl or walk within the normal time frame of a toddler. She also started to show a few other signs that were adding to my parents growing apprehension. After some tests, it was determined that she had a rare form of brain cancer. For months before she died, our family doctor, a general practitioner, some today call him the primary care physician. Who was also a close family friend, would take specialists out to dinner on his own. During the meal, he would casually mention to the doctor he had a patient with a very rare condition that the other doctor might find interesting. He would then take the other physician to the hospital, even late in the evening to examine Cathy and see if the doctor had any thoughts into a method of recovery. My parents went through some of the very dark days while at the same time were continuing to look forward in hope to a future of their lives together and a family that would include Cathy and their unborn child whom my mom was carrying at the time. They never gave up hope in the future that God was giving them. Then on September 20th, my dad, who had flown with Cathy up to the Mayo Clinic, had to call my mom, who was home caring for their 11 day old newborn son, with the heartbreaking news that Cathy had died. Many of you have heard me recount this family story before, and you may find it unusual maudlin way to begin this second sermon in the wonderful works of God he made to be remembered with a focus on his very personal works in our lives. But I thought it necessary to begin with what I know to be personally one of the darkest times in my own family that was endured and overcome. By continuing to build a life with a focus on God's promise. This promised personal works to be remembered as best they understood them without God's Holy Spirit. Cathy may have died at 15 months, but her presence within our family never diminished for Mom and Dad and by extension for the 6 of her siblings. She was an integral part of our family, and that she was a symbol of trust in God and his wonderful works to be remembered that grew to bind us together as a family, even though Cathy's death was a conspicuous whole. My family was not called within the carefully determined order of God at that time, although some place down the line they will be called into the place God is carefully determined for them in his plan. But they could see God's hand involved in His creation, as God said he expects from all men, no matter where they fall in His plan as he reveals Himself. In truth, all are called to recognize His wonderful work, even when they have not yet been given the precious privilege that we have right now to have an intimately personal relationship with him and see him, even though it's through a glass darkly. Getting back to those not yet called but still recognizing God's hand. A few weeks ago at Charlie Kirk's memorial service, Robert Kennedy Junior said something about dealing with grief that was was true in my family and really is the reason I began the sermon the way I did within this time that is almost overwhelming to us all, whether part of God's luck now or not. Let me make it perfectly clear. Only the weak and base of this earth whom God has determined to call to have the intimate relation with Christ and His spirit dwelling within are truly his at this time. But we cannot let our calling an election become one of arrogant pride, not mindful of all who God is eventually going to bring into his family. We are under judgment now to develop the intimacy with Christ as one body in truth, to whom much is given, much is required. So please do not get swept up in following Christ in any other way than through truth. But we can glean some useful things. That may help us keep focused on Jesus Christ, even from those who have yet to truly know God's perfect plan under his marvelous works to be remembered. Mr. Kennedy began his speech by telling everyone. Charlie's overarching passion was his Christianity and his devotion to his God. He believed that we should live our lives in perfect imitation of Christ. He believed that we should turn every day, every moment, every interaction into a prayer. Charlie understood the great paradox that it is only by surrender to God that God's power can flow into our lives and make us an effective human being. He then went on to relate something his mother had told him following his question to her regarding the pain of the death of his brother. He asked her, does the hole that they leave in you ever get any smaller? She said it never gets smaller, but our job is to grow ourselves bigger than the whole. We do that by taking the best quality and most admirable character traits of the person that died and integrate them with restraint and practice into our own character. In doing this, we make ourselves larger and the whole gets proportionally smaller. Brethren, our great privilege is to truly know Christ. Consider and remember His personal works in our own lives and continue to grow beyond the pain and sorrow of sickness, troubled circumstances of life, and the grief that comes with it. This is not to say that we are, we can eliminate all that is grieving us, but it means that as we continue to thankfully recognize the wonderful personal work. Of the true God As he has revealed himself to us. His personal work to be remembered so that we can be strengthened and continue moving forward in truth as we live within the chaos while not trying to fix it or become part of it for Mom and Dad, Cathy's death left a hole that never got smaller and of course she herself never lived long enough to develop those admirable character traits mentioned to build on. But in the continuing to build a family where Christ, as best they knew Him, was at the center, the wonderful personal work of God continued to be seen and became the building blocks for them to faithfully stay the course in teaching Cathy's siblings. To greatly appreciate God at work in all the men's lives. How much more does God expect of this from us? Mr. Kennedy in his, his speech went on to tell a story of his granddaughter leaving for college in Europe. Which she had packed a Bible in her suitcase. When her mother asked her why she was taking the Bible, she responded, I wanna be more like Charlie. Brethren, we have been given the privilege to be really be like Christ in truth, but we need to be faithfully weathering the storms. As Hunter mentioned, Of life while always recognizing and remembering with thanksgiving the wonderful works of God that over time make those holes that never go away. Proportionally smaller. As I thought on this back on September 20th while we were heading into the fall holy day season, I thought to myself. How much I long to be the witness to the day that the hole finally goes away. When my parents are reunited with Cathy in the resurrection at their time, and they begin together to truly appreciate what is now ours to know in truth. I also had a thought regarding Romans 8, so please turn with me to Romans 8th chapter. Romans 8, and we are going to pick it up right and First was just first one. Romans 8 and verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Paul is specifically addressing this to those who have been called and given the privilege and responsibility to walk in truth according to the indwelling of Christ's Holy Spirit. Overall, this is not to all that are sincerely claiming to know Christ, but are sincerely wrong. Brethren, again, going forward, do not throw away what God has graciously given us at this time. We have been set apart as Ted talked about. So much in the sermon at the first sermon. But not so that we can boast. Continuing now in Romans 8 and in verse 3. Romans 8 verse 3. For what the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any one does not have the spirit of Christ. He is not his. Verse 9 is the key. Christ will only dwell in those called now to live as He lives in both the letter and the spirit of the law of God. Those who are set apart, who are holy as Ted talked about. This is a precious treasure. They must be carefully guarded within a world that may have a great deal of hope in Christ, but are not yet called to know Him and use all the tools that He gives to learn to live as He lives. We have certainly come to understand that God's perfect and very deliberate plan is done in order. And everyone is called according to his God's perfect purpose and timing. We have the privilege now to be among those weak and base of the world who are not of the flesh, but of the spirit that dwells in us. Continuing now in verse 12 of Romans. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. Down in verse 14, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God, for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear. But you receive the spirit of adoption by whom we cry Abba Father. The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children and heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Indeed, we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Brethren, this is now. Us As God is preparing us to serve when we finally when he, we are finally revealed to be the first fruits of the glorious sons of God at Christ's return. Let's consider Romans 8:19 to 25. For the earnest expectation the creation. Eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of children of God, for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs, and together unto now. Not only that, but we also Who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body, for we, we were saved in this hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Brethren, the whole creation groans, and we groan with it, even though by the grace of God we are now called and under eternal judgment. However, does this mean that everyone who understands the rudimentary truth of the hope of the resurrection through Jesus Christ are outside the ability to carry on in hope? Those people that are outside of this. Holy body They aren't because they should be able to see God's hand involved in the creation, brethren, all this is leading up to the incredible promise from God to His elect, a promise that may be part of the hope that moves even those who are not called at this time according to God's purpose. But this hope is something that needs to be an absolute certainty with the minds of those who are called now according to his purpose, to prepare for all those who will be called according to his purpose later in their order. Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together to For good to those who love God, to those who are recalled according to His purpose, for whom he foreknew he all he predestined, to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called, whom he called these he also justified, and whom he justified these he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things if God is for us? Who can be against us? Brother, we spent a great deal of time in this sermon. Looking at those who are being called according to his purpose later. But still have a glimmer of the hope in Jesus Christ, that things will work out even through the raging trials of this life that they have really can't even understand. Much of that hope, although supported by peripheral knowledge of the singular sacrificial work of Christ. Does not produce what God expects from each one of us right now. Yes, they may recognize that the only way is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it does provide enough hope to vaguely recognize that all things will work for good to those who love him. However, it does not set them apart from the world as his. Only God does that. And that's what he's done with you. Without learning and living all the truth of his word, it still leaves them short of truly believing that all things will be worked out to good by him as we learn to cooperate fully with him according to his word. One of the biggest signs of that is the Sabbath, as it was mentioned already. As John Reitenbas said a number of years ago in quoting the nominal father of modern philanthropy, George Peabody, our job is not to bring order to the chaos of this world. But to do our work within it. This is another clear truth that we must hold on to as we see the marvelous works of God personally in our lives that we persevere throughout this time, even within the grief that affects us all. We spent a good deal of time in the last sermon I gave, looking at the marvelous works of God and the very details of his creation generally, general works that every man should recognize according to God. We also spent a good deal of time looking at Moses as an example of what God expects from those he calls into his holiness, as Ted mentioned again earlier today. By learning and living within the marvelous works of God toward deliverance of Israel, God expected Moses to start taking action, recognizing how to work with God, anticipating in faith and trust the next move God expected him to make just as God would. God was training him to know how to do his Father's will on his own and work in tandem with him while remembering God's marvelous works and that he will always be the one that leads the way. And gives us everything we need to do our part. Again, in thinking about Moses, I'd like us to consider how God is training us to live as opposed to all who I mentioned in the first part of this sermon. Before God drove Moses into the wilderness, Moses knew of God with an idea even of his role in God's promises of deliverance of Egypt. Perhaps we can compare that. To all who peripherally know Jesus Christ today. We are all aware of the incident where Moses acted on his own, killing the oppressive Egyptian. We aren't going to turn there for lack of time, but this was not in line with God's word and His will, as Moses took things into his own hands that he had determined from what just the things that he knew. At that time, but not in God's presence. It was not until God finally called him into his presence 40 years later that he truly began to learn his responsibility before God, as we noted last time, in seeing and participating in God's marvelous works while in God's presence, he began the lifelong journey to do things exactly the way God would do them in truth. Even though as a carnal man he continued to stumble along the way. Brethren, there is a good lesson for us here personally, even as we live in a world where we note with a degree of admiration people sincerely living lives in hope of Jesus Christ. They are still ultimately doing things their own way without the firm hope of living by every word of God. This is a very important lesson to keep in mind as we head toward God's commanded holy time in the feast of Tabernacles this next week. These same people who we can admire in a way only end up headed for pain of doing things their own way as they draw down. On sides And we can see how well that's going. It's going just as well as it worked for Moses when he took it in his own hands against the Egyptian. However, when God calls His elect into His presence and we turn to be holy as He is holy, just like Moses did 40 years down the road. He expects more from those set apart to learn, to live. By his every word in learning to always be seeking to be just like him. We've been called to be like Moses, set apart to learn and live the God's way of life in a world where nominal Christianity, as sincerely committed as some seem, are not in line with Jesus Christ, who always did the will of His Father. Remembering his wonderful works that will truly keep us moving forward directly behind Christ, even in the most grievous and troubling times of life in this world. Over the past few weeks since the last sermon I gave on the wonderful works of God to be remembered, the complexion of this sermon has changed a bit because of all the pain and suffering I have been dealing with among the brethren as we all grown in this world. It has been especially impactful to me as we prepare to head to the God's holy feast of Tabernacles and the very precious gift God has given His people during these difficult times. So before going any farther, I'd like to cite a few lines from a letter we received from someone because it very much applies to so many of us at this time. This lengthy email was typical of several we have received in the of late that has made me seriously grieve with these people who find themselves almost overwhelmed within the circumstances of life in the flesh. Toward the end of this particular letter from this person, this person wrote, Please pray for my help. I am struggling now more than ever. If you only knew, then you would understand, but we do not know. What one another really goes through because we haven't walked in their shoes we can listen to the details of the story, but unless we have been there walking through it, it's impossible to know the depth of things. Unquote, it is from the depth of this pain we need to very personally consider the wonderful works of God to be remembered as God has given us time to come out of this world and into His holy presence together to remember and rejoice, lifting each other up as we seriously remember all of his personal work in each of our lives. He knows exactly what each of us needs because Jesus Christ has walked in our shoes and assures us there is nothing that can separate us from Him. And those who are learning to live as he lives. The Feast of Tabernacles is a pivotal part of this process, so please turn with me back to La Vegas 23, where we've been at quite a bit. over this last couple of weeks. Leviticus 23. I'll pick it up right with the 1st 1 and 2. Levi is 23. And in verse one, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, speak to the children of Israel and say to them, these feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are my feasts. Brethren, here is an absolute command from God to Moses, proclaiming His holy Sabbath of rest and refreshment and meeting with Him weekly and throughout the year on His holy ground. Who better than Moses could understand what this meant to proclaim what God had made holy. And the awesome responsibility that goes with it. Only those who God has called now to be holy as He is holy can truly appreciate this invitation. Those in the world can find a measure of hope in Jesus Christ, but only those whom he has called to dwell with Him can be lifted by submitting to His word in all things. Reading on down. Starting in Leviticus. The end of chapter verse 2, 23 and the end of verse 2 through 4. Where God tells Moses. You shall proclaim to be holy convocations. These are my feasts. 6 days shall work be done, but the 7th day is the Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation, as we are keeping today. You shall do no work on it. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which shall you shall proclaim at their appointed times. God's appointed seasons, holy time to be used as he directs. That's what his feasts are. Brethren from Leviticus 23:5 to 37, God gives instructions for keeping His holy days throughout the years that include solemn assemblies, rests apart from this world, various offerings during that time that God has declared holy, including the Feast of Tabernacles. However, we see a vital addendum. In verse 36 regarding the feast of Tabernacles and specifically remembering the wonderful and very personal works of God as his personal assurance to get us through our times of trouble. Leviticus 23 and verse 37 to 43. I'm going to read this out of the New Living translation, because I thought it's really Uplifting Leviticus 23:37. These are the Lord's appointed festivals. Celebrate them each year as official days of holy assembly by presenting special gifts to the Lord, burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquord offerings, each in its proper day. These 1st 38, these festivals must be observed in addition to the Lord's regular Sabbaths. And the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the Lord. Verse 39. Remember that this 7 day festival to the Lord, the festival of shelters, begins in the 15th day of the appointed month after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The 1st day and the 8th day of the festival will be days of complete rust. Verse 40. And the first day gather branches from magnificent trees, palm fronds, boughs from the leafy trees, willows that grow by the streams, then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days. Verse 41. You must observe this festival to the Lord for 7 days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation. For 7 days you must live outside in these little shelters. All native born Israelites must live in these shelters. Brother your native born Israelite through Abraham and through Jesus Christ. Spirit dwelling within you and verse 43. This is the key. This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors to live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. In his commentary on Leviticus 2343. Adam Clark wrote something we need to keep in our minds as we keep this very special feast of refreshment and remembering with joy as we remember God's very personal work in each of our lives. Adam Clark wrote. That your generations may know, etc. by the institution of this feast, God had two great principles in view. Number one, to perpetuate the wonderful display of His providence and grace in bringing them out of Egypt and in preserving them in the wilderness. To to excite and maintain in them a spirit of gratitude and obedience by leading them to consider deeply the greatness of the favors which he had received, which they had received from his most merciful hands. Clark continues signal displays of the mercy, kindness, and providential care of God should be particularly remembered when we recollect that we deserve nothing at his hands and that the debt of gratitude is all the debt we can pay in it we should be cheerful, fervent, and frequent. Kyle Dulwich in his commentary, adds the following. The origin and true signification of the feast of Tabernacles are not to be sought for in the natural allusions to the blessing of the harvest, but the dwelling in booths was the principal point of the feast, and this was instituted as the law for all future time. That succeeding generations might know that Jehovah had caused the children of Israel to dwell in booths when he led them out of Egypt. A booth or hut is not to be confounded with a tent. But serving as a defense, both against the heat. Of the sun and also the wind and the rain, their dwelling and boost, Kyledillage continues, was by no means intended to bring before their minds the people the unsettled wandering life of the desert and remind them and then remind them of the trouble endured there. For the recollection of privation and want can never Be an occasion for joy. But it was a place vividly before their eyes and of future generations of Israel, a memorial, or remembering of the grace, care and protection which God afforded to his people in the great and terrible wilderness. Personally, Moreover, the booths used at the feasts were not made of the miserable shrubs of the desert, but of branches of fruit trees, palms, and thickly covered trees, the produce of good and glorious land into which God had brought them, and in this respect they presented a living picture of the plenteous fulness of blessing with which the God had enriched His people. This fulness of blessing was to be called to mind. By their dwelling in these booths in order that in the land wherein they ate bread without scarceness lacked nothing. Where they built goodly houses and dwelt therein with their herds and flocks, their silver and gold and all that they had multiplied. Brethren, we need to consider this spiritually. All these gifts have been multiplied for us. Continue with Kyle Deli, they might not say in their hearts that my power and might and my hand has gotten me this wealth, but might remember that Jehovah was their God who gave them power to get wealth so that their hearts might not be lifted up and forget Jehovah, their God. Who had led them out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. Brethren, together we are not covered by miserable shrubs of this wilderness. But with the beautiful blessings of God during this difficult walk, brethren, we all need to be headed to the feast this year with the goal of lifting each other up within from within our own difficult walk in this world by recalling and sharing God's personal work within each of our lives to be remembered, his marvelous personal works to be remembered. Please allow me to start it off to proclaim just one wonderful, very personal work of God that God made me remember. I do this, brother, in thinking about what the apostle Paul said about speaking as a fool when he reminded the Corinthian Church of his own perils in life. I am no Paul and nowhere near the perils that he went through, but I thought this needed to be shared with all of you that are struggling. Through trials to know that God is right there with you. At the beginning of this year, I was diagnosed to have an advanced stage of cancer. Following a PET scan to determine the extent, there were a number of other issues that they noted on the scan that required a follow-up MRI that showed several other things that I already knew were there from an old guy. But just to be sure, it did not involve the cancer. The oncologist wanted me to follow up with my gastrointestinologist, Doctor Bluenstein. While sitting with Nancy in the waiting room, I noticed Doctor Bluenstein down the hall by the nurse's desk, and he was limping. The receptionist overheard me, mentioned to Nancy that what I noticed, and she said, oh, Doctor Bluenstein tore his Achilles tendon while playing pickleball of all things. So when I saw him finally saw Doctor Bloom and sign in the examining room, I started bantering with him about the dangers of pick a ball in his torn cars tendon. In the course of the conversation, he told me he was trying to put off surgery, hoping it would heal over time, even though the surgery in most cases was the only way to fix it. We started comparing notes as I told him. I had torn my Achilles once playing volleyball at a picnic. He asked me to describe it a bit, and I told him as I went up to spike the ball, I heard what sounded like a gunshot and felt as if I'd been shot in the back of my leg. He said, That's exactly what happened to me when playing pickle ball. He asked if if I had surgery, and I told him no. He said, he asked, how long did it take to heal? Because he was already going over a month and he was still limping as badly as before. He asked, Was it healed by 3 months? And I told him it was much sooner than that in my case. And then the conversation ended at that point as we got down to the business at hand. This may sound like a silly story, brethren, but I shared it with you because I tore my Achilles tendon at a church picnic back in the 1980s. As Nancy and I were driving home from Doctor Bluenstein's office, we both had the same thought. When I tore my Achilles, I immediately asked for one of the elders who was at the picnic if he would anoint me, which he did in his conversion van, almost immediately God healed that terror. As Nancy and I drove home from this visit to Doctor Bluenstein's office as part of the follow-up concerning cancer, we knew God was using Doctor Blumenstein's injury and the typically difficult recovery from such an injury to remind us, hey, I've got this. I'm right here all the time. Remember the wonderful works done to be remembered. Brethren, one of my biggest concerns, as Nancy and I have faced this trial was that it would limit even more the gift God has given. Me to be of service to you, and that's the main reason we have not made this well known until now. I did not want you to feel like you should not bother us because what we are dealing with. So please continue to let me serve you as long as God gives me the ability to do so in assisting Richard and Martin as best I can. But at this time. As we all head to the feast of joyful remembrance, God's very personal and merciful works in each of our lives, so that we can endure to the end must be remembered. I wanted to share His wonderful work to be remembered in my life. In hopes it will help you in your trials to call to memory with thanksgiving all that he has done and is doing in your lives as you face your own so very much more difficult trials. So that we can all do as James wrote there in James 1:2, my brethren counted all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith through remembering the marvelous works of God, I add, produce patience. In the most serious depths of the trials of the apostle Paul faced, he wrote the following to the Corinthian Church as recorded in II Corinthians 1:8 through 10. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death on us that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from the great from a so great a death and does deliver us in whom we trust. That he will still deliver us. Brethren, we are going to close, where I started the last sermon. In Psalm 111, so if you'll turn to Psalm 111 with me. I'm 111 First we will pick it up. 1 verse 2. The works of the Lord are great, studied and remembered by all of them who have pleasures in them. Down in verse 4, he has made his wonderful works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. And down in verse 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding of all those who do His commandments. His praise endures for other. Brethren, we have been invited to stand on holy ground at God's feast of Tabernacles, to remember with joy. The wondrous works of God who has in the past and will continue to deliver us in our most difficult trials of life of this life always he has made his wonderful work to be remembered by us very, very personally.

MS/aws/

 

 

Sermon Topics

False Gospels

Jesus Christ's Return

Life after Death

Repentance

Resurrection

The Gospel

The Kingdom of God