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Showing posts from June, 2019

Sermon - Exaudi 2026 - 1 Peter 4:7-14

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Gossip , Eugene de Blaas, 1903 Covering One-Anothers’ Faults Jesus not only overlooks our sins, but forgives them and covers us up We glorify Christ by forgiving one another, and covering up their shame Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! “ Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. ” Strife is all too common among us and it’s hard to get along with others. Some people are really mean, some are really annoying, and some people are both. Sometimes this comes out after just brief interactions, other times it’s with people you are around all the time. Perhaps this happens most often with those whom we love a lot. So today St. Peter instructs us: “ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ” When considering our sins and the sins of one another, it’s important for us to establish our love for one another in Christ. Jesus teaches us: “ Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ” St. Paul says: “ Wal...
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Sermon - Trinity II - Luke 14:15-24

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“ Come, for everything is now ready. ” What more joyous words have ever been spoken than that simple invitation to the banquet feast? Christ declares today that His heavenly banquet feast is ready! A banquet has been planned, the tables professionally arranged, the food delicately and magnificently prepared, the seats have been set, the musicians have arrived and warmed up, and now everything is ready. You hear the servant’s call; it’s time to go and feast at the banquet.  The man was right who sat near Jesus and said, “ blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God! ” Trully, blessed is everyone who dines at the Lord’s table in His kingdom. What does this feast consist of? Well we read in Proverbs, “ Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight. ” The bread and wine that Proverbs describes is instruction in the Word of the Lord. “ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wis...
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Sermon - Trinity 2019 - John 3:1-17

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Do all of the religions in the world believe in the same God? Many today would say yes. It’s a common and popular belief today that all religions lead to the same goal, as if there are many paths which lead to the same destination of heaven. Likewise, there are many who believe that there is but one god who goes by many names, meaning that all religions worship the same god. Among Christians lately here in America a phrase has been bandied about which tries to equate different religions with one another. It’s a dangerous and misleading phrase that will lead to people falling away from the faith. That phrase? Judeo-Christian. It’s a phrase which piles Judaism, Mohadism, and Christianity into one big lump. Why? What’s the common thread between all three? Abraham! Abraham plays a role in all three, and thus, the people of these various religions are lumped together under the phrase of Judeo-Christian.  But the fact of the matter is, the Christian faith is nothing like the faith o...
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Sermon - Pentecost 2019 - John 14:23-31

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Happy birthday! Pentecost is rightly considered one of the chief holy feast days of the year, for today we celebrate the birth of the church. When Christ, by the authority of the Father, through the Holy Spirit, established His church on earth. Jesus makes this abundantly clear when He says, “ If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ” This home our Savior speaks of is the church here on earth, where the whole divine majesty of the Trinity dwells with us and we with Him. Thus today when we celebrate pentecost and the sending of the Holy Spirit, we would do well to consider in our sermon today who belongs to the church, where the church is to be found, and what the great treasure is of belonging to this church. So if I were to ask you who belongs to the church, how would you answer? I don’t just mean our local congregations, but who belongs to THE CHURCH? Who belongs to the one holy catholic and apostol...
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Sermon - Exaudi 2019 - John 15:26-16:4

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Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! “ I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. ” In our lessons today Jesus gives us a warning in order to prepare us for this age that we live in today. Christ warns us of this present hour to keep us from apostasy, to keep us from falling away from the faith.  The cold hard truth is that the world is changing today, there’s no doubt about it. It’s long been noticed that church attendance in Europe is staggeringly low, with about 10% of the populace attending church each week. Here in the US it’s hardly any better and rapidly becoming worse, with about 22% of the population attending church services weekly. Many have fallen away in the past three decades.  Moreover, among America’s youngest adults, 35% of them have absolutely no religious affiliation. Of the 65% that do have a religious affiliation, only a small minority absolutely believe God exists. For well over a thousand years the world...
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