Sermons

Lent 5 Midweek (8th Commandment)

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

[[8th Commandment]]

INI + AMEN.

What’s in a name? Your name? Everything! It’s almost as important as your Social Security Number, your credit report. Once your name’s trashed, you’re ruined. It’s hard to come back from a lie, a rumor, a truth! What’s in a name? God’s name? Jesus. “The LORD saves.” God’s name: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Given to you in your Baptism. There everything of God, given to you in His name. What’s in name? Your neighbor’s name? Yes, their name, too. Actually, them before you. Continue reading →

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Sermons, Uncategorized

Questioning

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

All eyes—all ears!—on the Lord. That’s the life of faith; that’s the life of a disciple. He speaks. We listen. He delivers; we receive. That, too, is faith. To trust Jesus is to hear and receive from Him. To His disciples He gives life. (He gave His life—not just for His disciples, but as a ransom for many, for all.) The life Jesus gives is delivered in His Word and Gifts. Jesus leads His followers to His Word and Gifts—to hear, receive, and believe. This isn’t a before confirmation sort of thing. It’s a life-long sort of thing. It’s really the life of a Christian: all eyes—all ears!—on the Lord. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Judica—Lent 5 (Jn 8:46–59)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

((5. Oops!: There is death—ever present foe.))

Death. That’s uncomfortable. Death. Who wants to talk about that? No one, really. Death: the opposite of life. Why would we want to talk about that? Especially on a day like today! It’s very true that death makes us comfortable. Death is an ever present foe. Has been since almost the beginning.

Death came because of the devil’s lie: “You won’t surely die…you’ll be like God.” That was a lie. The Lord’s Word held true: “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Then Adam and Eve were afraid of God, and they died. We’re afraid of death, too. Don’t like to talk about it. Don’t want to think about it. We’re afraid of death because, like Adam and Eve, we’re afraid of God. If we die, we meet God. Better put that off as long as possible. Death. Uncomfortable? Afraid? Of course, it’s death! Continue reading →

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Sermons

Judica—Lent 5 (Jn 8:46-59)

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

“A ram for an Isaac.” That’s our focus now until Easter. Payment must be made. Justice served. “An eye for an eye.” “A tooth for a tooth.” “A ram for an Isaac.” That’s the glory of God—true glory. That’s Abraham’s joy—true joy. No other way than the Ram’s way, the Son’s way, the Calvary way. So, we put away trappings of other glory that shifts our eyes and minds away from the true joy and glory of the cross. First, no “Alleluia.” Then, no “Glory be to God on high.” And now, no “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.”

Judica. “Vindicate me, O Lord.” “Declare me innocent!” His glory is to do exactly that. No other way for Him. There must be payment, sacrifice. Justice must be served. That’s the Ram’s way, the Son’s way, the Calvary way. That cross really is Jesus’ glory, His coronation. The joy of Abraham, too! “A ram for an Isaac.” But not just Abraham, you too! Your joy! A Ram, the Lamb of God, for you. That’s Genesis and John, and it all—like everything else—comes together at the cross.

ABRAHAM’S JOY—YOUR JOY!—AND JESUS’ GLORY IS THE CROSS. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Lent 4 Midweek (7th Commandment)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

[[Seventh Commandment]]

INI + AMEN.

“Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” All things are gift from the Lord. What He gives is a gift. What He doesn’t give is also a gift. In His giving and in His not giving the Lord is giving gifts. He’s gifting everything. He knows “how to give good gifts to His [baptized] children.” Whether He gives or withholds—all is received in the way of gift by His baptized children. He’s gifted to you; He’s gifted to your neighbor—also you to them and them to you. Everything, everyone is a gift from the Lord. The Lord has created us to live begiftedly—as, from, and through His gifts. This is the Seventh Commandment—gifts from Him to your neighbor through you. All things are gift from the Lord. Of course, they are! As James says, “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” Continue reading →

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Sermons

Laetare—Lent 4 (Jn 6:1–15)

Laetare—Lent 4 (Jn 6:1–15)

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

INI + AMEN.

Rejoice! Laetare! We’ve lightened the Lenten purple to rose. We see the heart of Lent this week—the joy of it. Lent isn’t all about sadness, darkness, ashes, death. It is if you look at you, then only those things. That’s our trouble. We’re turned inward. If it’s not about me, I tend to not care, but Lent’s not about you or me. That’s where the joy comes in. Lent’s about Jesus. All eyes on Him—Him for you. With Jesus, eyes fixed on Him and His cross, there’s no mourning, there’s joy. We follow Him on His Calvary, salvation way. The royal banners forward go! Rejoice! “Rejoice with Jerusalem,” His Church, “all you who love her.” Rejoice! Laetare! Her King, your King is come! Continue reading →

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Sermons

Lent 3 Midweek (6th Commandment; Ephesians 5:22–33)

Lent 3 Midweek (6th Commandment; Ephesians 5:22–33)

Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO

[[6th Commandment]]

INI + AMEN.

Of all the Commandments besides the 1st Commandment, this is the most appropriate one to look at in Lent. The 1st Commandment (“You shall have no other gods”) would fit in Lent because Lent is all about what Jesus, your God, has done to save you. Jesus is the “God” of the 1st Commandment, who died and rose for you. But we looked at the 1st Commandment in Advent, so we’re left with the 6th Commandment (“You shall not commit adultery”). Continue reading →

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