Archives: Sermons

11-20-22 Last Sunday

November 20, 2022
We just heard three parables from Jesus, all with the same theme, that He will return and He will judge the living and the dead, and He wants us to look forward to that day, to pray that it comes quickly, as we just sang, “O Jesus Christ, do not delay, but hasten our salvation!” Or as Revelation ends, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come,…

11-13-22 Trinity 22

November 13, 2022
The kingdom of God is like a king who is settling debts with his slaves. That’s what Jesus says. That’s what the Church is now and what Judgment day will be. God settling debts with his slaves, with people who rightfully belong to Him, as the Psalmist says, “It is You who have made us and not we ourselves.” We are not our own. This should remind us that we all have a debt to…

11-6-22 All Saints’ Day

November 6, 2022
In all three of the readings for All Saints Day we are told that the saints will see God. Jesus declares, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The apostle John writes, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” And St. John again…

10-30-22 Reformation

October 30, 2022
Today we observe the 505th anniversary of the Reformation. On October 31st, 1517 Martin Luther, a German professor at the University of Wittenberg, posted 95 Theses for debate on the topic of repentance, and he also sent a copy of the theses to his bishop. But instead of leading to debate at the university or to the bishop correcting certain abuses, the 95 Theses led to much more public debate and examination, which began to…

10-23-22 Trinity 19

October 23, 2022
Jesus found himself constantly surrounded by people – crowds pressing in on him, even into the house where he stayed in Capernaum, even trampling one another, until late at night. And very often Jesus would get up before the sun and leave, go to a deserted place, to get away and be alone and pray by himself. That’s what He had just done before the events of our Gospel this morning. He didn’t leave to…

10-16-22 Trinity 18

October 16, 2022
Jesus is the great lover of the Law. He says, “Do not think that I came to overthrow the law, I did not come to overthrow but to fulfill. I tell you not one jot, not one tittle will fall from the law till all is fulfilled.” And that “until” there doesn’t mean that once Jesus fulfills it, the law will fall with all its jots and all its tittles. When mom leaves the kids…

10-9-22 Trinity 17

October 9, 2022
Jesus says, “Take the lowest seat.” It looks a lot like the advice many other wise men and philosophers give. Solomon, the great wise man of the Bible, says, Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence     or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”     than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. But Solomon comes far short of saying what Jesus…

10-2-22 St. Michael and All Angels

October 2, 2022
The angels are the lovers of humanity just as the devil is the hater of humanity. Angels are pro-human, the devil is anti-human. The angels love us because God loves us. Jesus says, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you their angels are constantly gazing at the face of my Father who is in heaven.” They gaze at the Father’s face. And the Father’s face is…

9-25-22 Trinity 15

September 25, 2022
When Jesus tells you not to worry about your life, he doesn’t point you to Elijah or Moses or other great and holy men in the Old Testament. He doesn’t say, Look at Elijah, how my Father cared for him, fed him with food brought by ravens, multiplied the widow’s flour and oil to keep him alive. He doesn’t point to the manna that His Father made fall from heaven in the time of Moses…

9-18-22 Trinity 14

September 18, 2022
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever!” (Ps. 107:1). Consider with me what great benefits God has given us. He has made us, body and soul. Our very existence is a gift of God. He did not owe us life, but he gave it to us out of fatherly divine goodness and mercy. And he did not speak us into existence as he said, “Let there be”…
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