Tag Archives: Advent

Sermons

Advent 4: Rorate Coeli (Jn 1:19–29)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || AUDIO
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INI + AMEN.

Your sins are either on Jesus, or they’re on you. If He takes them, they’re no longer yours. And He really does take them! Your anger, your lusts, your temper, your drinking, your naughty search history, your gossip, your not helping others, your helping some and not others—all your sins, every last one, aren’t your sins anymore. He’s also taken every single way the world has always turned away from God. In fact, “He became sin for us,” as Paul says. So, what’s the problem? Well, it’s like I said: your sins are either on Jesus, or they’re on you.

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Sermons

Advent 3: Gaudete (Mt 11:2–11)

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

“Are you the Coming One, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus responded, “Tell John what you hear and see: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”

INI + AMEN.

Doubt is a pesky thing. It’s part of life. So is uncertainty. They go together. They affect, infect all parts of our life. And it’s not just our life of service and love toward those around us. They infect our love, our faith toward God, too. Doubt in that area is called unfaith, unbelief.

Doubt or unfaith are opposites of confidence, faith, or trust. The Lord would have us “fear, love, and trust in Him above all things,” but we don’t. We forsake Him, His Word, and His Gifts, finding time for other “better” things. We forsake others, lashing out, judging, mocking, treating them badly. This also flows from doubt and unbelief.

But this isn’t “doubt in the Lord” Sunday. It’s “Rejoice in the Lord always” Sunday. Why? Because our Lord’s got a solution, a cure for our doubt, our unbelief. That’s what we get to rejoice about today, and really every Sunday: what our Lord does for doubters. Continue reading →

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Jesus' Parousia
Sermons

Advent 2: Populus Zion (Lk 21:25–36)

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

INI + AMEN.

((5. Oops!: Dark days are coming.))

Dark days are coming. The Last Days are coming. Soon even the Last Day will come. The signs are all around us. Like buds coming out on a fig tree or any other tree in Spring time. There’ll even be “signs in the sun, moon, and stars”—creation coming apart at the seems.

The Last Days are here. Dark days are here. Society coming apart at the seems, it seems. Wars come. Rumors, news stories, fears of wars come, too. “Distress of nations,” “men fainting because of what’s coming upon mankind.” Then the Last Day comes, then all things will be swept away, like leaves coming down in the Fall. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Advent 1: Ad Te Levavi (Mt 21:1–9)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || <a href="https://app.box.com/s/e72jpgw7j2gasiqhowu5os7c999jstyp“>AUDIO
Immanuel Lutheran Church—Bremen, KS || <a href="https://app.box.com/s/3r0cqitbn5pf4rinytywpvzgjs278pmn“>AUDIO

INI + AMEN.

Advent. “He comes.” That’s what “Advent” means. Jesus comes. He came, He comes, He’ll come again. He comes to save. That’s what it means for Him to be King—He’s Redeemer, Savior.

Advent. He comes. Of course He does. He said He would. He does what He says. He says what He does. What the Lord does is always according to His Word…of Promise.

What the Lord says will happen—happens! If He says He’ll come, then He’ll come. Come exactly how He says He will. So this means that it’s not just the Lord who advents, but His Word advents, too. It comes to pass. It happens. And this is always for your good, your eternal good, your forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Advent. The Lord advents. His Word advents. Salvation advents. All for you. Yes,

THE LORD’S WORD ADVENTS (IT HAPPENS) FOR YOUR SALVATION. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Advent 3: Gaudete (Mt 11:2–11)

Advent 3: Gaudete (Mt 11:2–11)

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

INI + AMEN.

Today seems a bit disconnected. We’ve got our joy candle of rose with our pink joy clothes. We just heard Isaiah sing of “Comfort, comfort My people.” We sang that, too! We heard Paul tell us to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” We sang of a “thrilling” voice. So, what’s the deal with our Gospel lesson? John. Prison. Going to be beheaded. Not much joy there. Death row. Comfort. Joy. One of those things is NOT like the others.

The text isn’t about John at all, though. John’s only important for one reason: He points to Jesus. In Jesus there is enough—more than enough—comfort and joy to go around, even for John in prison.

The joy and comfort of our Gospel text is all about what Jesus says and does and wants. It’s pretty simple. Simple enough for John, his disciples, for you, and for me, too.

JESUS WANTS YOU TO HEAR, SEE, AND RECEIVE HIM. Continue reading →

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Sermons

Advent 2: Populus Zion (Lk 21:25–36)

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

INI + AMEN.

((5. Oops!: The signs are beginning to show.))

Things are starting to blossom, bloom, and grow. We’ve entered that season. A season of the world we try not to think about. The season that leads to the end. To the time and season when there is no more time or season or this world, at all. Just like a tree in spring, so our world blossoms and buds. Continue reading →

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