Author Archives: Rev. Aaron T. Fenker

Sermons

Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord (Lk 2:22–40)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

The Lord’s Word gets filled up. It gets fulfilled. It gets done. Laws cherished and obeyed. Promises kept, made good on. The Lord takes care of it all Himself. It’s all done in Jesus. Jesus cherished the Laws and did them purely and with a pure heart. Jesus kept the promises of salvation. He not only did them, He finished them.

It doesn’t matter if the Lord spoke a command or a promise, either way Jesus fulfilled it: filled it up. He fills up the Laws 100%. He fills up the Promises, too—past overflowing. That’s what happens when Jesus comes. Everything gets filled up. Nothing’s left empty.

Continue reading →
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Sermons

St. Titus—Observed (Acts 20:28–35)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

[Paul said to the Ephesian pastors,] “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers in order to pastor the Church of God that He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28)

INI + AMEN.

Red like blood. Jesus’ blood. Blood that was shed for you. Red like fire. The Spirit’s fire. Tongues of fire at Pentecost. Red for Titus. Titus’ day. The color of the holy ministry, the color of pastors.

These aren’t separate, at all! We’re seeing red today because of Jesus’ blood shed for you. We’re seeing red because of the Holy Spirit’s work for you. We’re seeing red because of pastors’ work, too. Jesus’ blood, the Spirit’s work, the pastor’s work are all connected. They’re connected because

THE SPIRIT USES PASTORS TO DELIVER JESUS’ BLOOD TO YOU. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Epiphany 2 (Jn 2:1–11)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

“Jesus did this first sign in Cana of Galilee and revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”

INI + AMEN.

There’s no reason to go to a Feast where Jesus doesn’t provide His Wine. When Jesus provides His Wine, He’s being God for you, for your salvation. His provision, His delivering His Wine sustains faith in Him. If He doesn’t deliver His Wine, His disciples won’t believe in Him. Through His Wine, Jesus reveals His glory.

The Feast would come up short without Jesus. That’s how things go without Jesus. That’s because we come up short. We run out. We do things in life and in church only as long as we’re interested. How empty and without Jesus’ glory we are!

Jesus never runs out, though. Always more from Him! Always more for you, especially His Wine. It was like that in our Gospel reading: “six stone water jars…each holding twenty or thirty gallons.” Not just a lot, but the best: “you have kept the good wine until now.” That’s how Jesus reveals His glory.

You are His disciple. “Made” one when you were baptized “in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Kept one by Jesus when you receive His “teaching.” But your believing, your being a disciple, also flows from Jesus’ Wine. It’s the same way today as it was in Cana.

Through His Wine and “the water become wine” Jesus reveals His glory. There is no Feast, no glory without Jesus’ Wine. Without it the Marriage Feast is empty. But when Jesus provides His Wine, He’s being your God and Savior because JESUS’ WINE REVEALS AND DELIVERS HIS GLORY TO YOU. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Baptism of Jesus (Mt 3; 1 Cor 1; Is 42)

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

“Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled.” God and sinners together. God and sinners not apart, separate, far off, far away. Is that really the way of things? We say it is—sing it is!—, but is that how we live? Sadly, we don’t live that way.

It’s how Jesus lived. It’s why He came to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Jesus came for sinner’s baptism. He wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Yes, John was confused by Jesus wanting to go through sinner’s baptism. But Jesus had to. That’s what He said: “In this way it’s fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” “All righteousness fulfilled” by Jesus being in the midst of the waters, in the midst of sinners, doused with sinner’s baptism.

That’s the sort of God Jesus is. There’s no, “Hey, you’ve gotta get your act together first” with Him. That’s not to say you shouldn’t repent of your sins. You should! So much so that you actually stop and want to stop doing them! But being so very repentant doesn’t actually get you anywhere with Jesus.

But He comes to the Jordan. He comes to be baptized by John. He comes to be in the midst of the waters, in the midst of sinners, in your midst. Your God, Your Savior comes to bring you to Himself so that you would dwell in the midst of His kingdom forever. That’s how JESUS IS YOUR “IN THE MIDST” GOD AND SAVIOR. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Epiphany of our Lord (Mt 2:1–12)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

Featured Image (Animation)

INI + AMEN.

The body and blood of Jesus tells you everything you need to believe about God. That’s because Epiphany’s all about God revealing Himself in Jesus Christ. He reveals Himself in Jesus to be not only for Jews but also Gentiles. He wasn’t just for those in and around Bethlehem or in Judea—that’s Christmas. And He wasn’t just for “the Magi from the east.” He’s for you and me, too. We know that in the body and blood: given for you, shed for you. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Christmas Day (Jn 1:1–18)

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

Jesus is the Word. Jesus is God. He’s “full of grace and truth.” He’s the true light, true life. “Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings,” as Hark! The Herald Angels puts it. Jesus, the Word, created everything, and then He took on the flesh He created to save us—die and rise for us. “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” “He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.”

Jesus is the Word made flesh. He was sent from His Father to make Him known to you. He came from the Father to deliver you back to His Father. That’s what’s wrapped up in the Christmas story—and one more surprise! And so, Christmas is no different than any other Sunday, and yet everything’s eternally different because of Christmas.

CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT WHAT JESUS, THE WORD, DOES FOR YOU. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Christmas Dawn (Lk 2:1–20)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

Infant holy, Infant lowly, For His bed a cattle stall. Oxen lowing, Little knowing Christ the child is Lord of all. (LSB 393:1)

That’s what happened. We know the story. Heard it last night from the children. We heard it this morning, too. “The decree went out” that “all the world should be taxed.” So, Joseph also went up with Mary, too. She was great with child. That child is holy—the Holy One of Israel! But certainly “lowly.” Subject to Rome. Subject to taxes. Born just like you and me. Manger, feed trough for that child’s bed. Cows. Oxen. Messy. That’s what happened. But why? Continue reading →

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