link to youtube sermon. youtube username is wildernesspreacher1
http://youtu.be/8RYncm9-2OQ
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Epiphany 2 Sermon
In the Name of Jesus, our savior who justifies us, Amen.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us, Amen.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Jesus does what He says. He told the lame to walk, and they walked. He told the blind to see, and they saw. He told the deaf to hear, and they heard. This is the same with the water in our Text today. They have no wine. Jesus commands the water become wine. The master of the Feast drank not water from the stone jars, but the sweetest and most delicate of wine tickled his taste buds. Jesus made water into wine, not by some manmade method, but by making it so solely by His Word. He is God and created something out of nothing. He took that which was by nature the liquid of the workday and made it the drink of joy and happiness. It is without a doubt, Jesus took normal water and changed it into wine. He did this, as St. John records, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
Christ Jesus did many miracles in order to manifest or reveal Himself as God in the flesh. He was not just some carpenter’s son, but the only begotten Son of God truly united with man in the personal union of the divine and human nature. Because He is God, He has authority over His creation. That which was a moment ago water is now wine. You can’t explain it. All you can do is receive faith that believes in the words and promises of Christ Jesus. All you can do is taste the wine. Just like the disciples, all you and I can do is believe.
Oh, what unshakable faith those disciples had. They saw Jesus perform miracles and they believed and confessed Him to be the Messiah, or the anointed one to redeem Israel. They never doubted for one moment the divinity of Christ Jesus. They never had a moment of weakness or unbelief in their Messiah. Oh, if this were true then there would be no need for the Son of God to become man to save us Lost and condemned sinners. The disciples doubted Christ. They betrayed Christ. They persecuted Christ. They denied Christ. Even though they believed after seeing the miracle at Cana, their faith or belief would be short lived for it quickly turned into doubt and skeptism. For believing Peter denied Christ. Faithful Judas betrayed Christ. And trusting Thomas is now known as the doubter.
And what of you and me? Do you have faith in Christ that knows no bounds. Oh yes, you have those moments of great faith, when everything seems to be going according to plan. You have those times in life where you say, ‘Everyday is a gift from God. I am truly blessed. I have a good husband or wife. My kids are good students. I have a house that doesn’t leak and a car that starts. I am not starving and I just got a raise at work.” Oh yes, it’ easy to believe that God is the giver of all when things are good. It’s easy to believe in God when he gives you a joyous life.
It’s easy to believe when you’re not tested and persecuted. But the moment something bad happens in life, where do you run? Oh yes, when death draws near you cling to God because you hope your last minute conversion or deal with God will bring you into heaven. But what of those times in life that aren’t life threatening. What do you do when you lose your job? What do you do when you are the outcast at school? What do you do when you need to replace your engine and your sub pump breaks at 1am without you knowing it and floods your entire basement which will take thousands of dollars to fix? Do you praise God for being the great giver of all good things. Or do you take His Name in vein and curse He who created you and sustains you. Repent. For just like the believing disciples at Cana, your faith is short-lived. You quickly cling to the things of this world, or worse, you curse and deny God like Peter and betray Him as Judas did.
The disciples believed in Jesus at Cana. But their faith was short lived. For some of the disciples abandoned Christ along the way, and the rest fled from Him at the cross, except for St. John. The were not saved by their steadfast faith and obedience. Neither are you. They were redeemed and forgiven their weakness as are you by the glory of God in Christ Jesus. For Christ did not come to perform miracles. He didn’t come to feed the thousands with temporal bread. He didn’t descend from Heaven as a new Law giver, nor did He humble Himself to be born of a virgin in order to rise up and defeat earthly powers. No, Jesus came for one reason. He came for the unbelief and sin of the world. He came for that glorious hour. For when His Mother requested help, He answered, “My hour has not yet come.”
The disciples were not saved because of the water turned into wine. That miracle was done in order that they may know that Jesus is not just man, but true God united with man in the personal union in Jesus Christ. He is God. Because Jesus is God, when His hour came to go to the cross, He did not die as a mere man, but as true God and true Man. Because He is God, His death on the cross satisfied the wrath of the Father forever and eternally overcame sin, death, and the power of the devil. Because Jesus is God, the hour of the cross is not one of sorrow or defeat, but of glory and victory. For Jesus did not remain dead in the tomb, but rose triumphant over the grave in order that you and I may be justified by His death. The disciples were not saved by the belief in His divinity, nor are you saved from eternal condemnation because you think Jesus is God. No, you are redeemed and rescued from everlasting punishment on account of the vicarious death of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death was for you. He did not die for Himself, but for you. Just as He gave the wine to bless the marriage at Cana, so He gave His own blood for the joy of the world, in order that He may forever be your Lord and savior.
His death is for you. Just as St. Paul declared to the Ephesians saying, “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Christ gave Himself up for you on the cross by dying your death and suffering the wrath of God on your behalf. But that was 2000 years ago. What is that to you today? You can meditate on the cross as much as you want, but just as the disciples at Cana, you may believe, but it is temporary and weak. However, Christ doesn’t wait for you to have great faithfulness in His sacrifice. No, for today He brings the benefits of that Sacrifice to you. For on the day you were baptized, you were washed clean through the water and the word and presented in splendor to Christ Jesus. For Christ comes today to preach His word of life and salvation accomplished for all on the cross. You are holy and without blemish, not because of your great faith and acts of love, but through the declaration of Christ Jesus that you are holy and righteous in His sight. Your sin now belongs to Him and His righteousness is your eternal possession. Be at peace little flock, for today He who turned water into wine is present in His Body and Blood for your forgiveness. Hear the eternal words of joy, though you are a sinner, by the Word of Christ, you are a saint, a blessed one in the eyes of the Father, without a spot or wrinkle before Him. Yours is the banquet feast. Yours is the Kingdom. For by the word of Christ, you are forgiven. Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Amen.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us, Amen.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Jesus does what He says. He told the lame to walk, and they walked. He told the blind to see, and they saw. He told the deaf to hear, and they heard. This is the same with the water in our Text today. They have no wine. Jesus commands the water become wine. The master of the Feast drank not water from the stone jars, but the sweetest and most delicate of wine tickled his taste buds. Jesus made water into wine, not by some manmade method, but by making it so solely by His Word. He is God and created something out of nothing. He took that which was by nature the liquid of the workday and made it the drink of joy and happiness. It is without a doubt, Jesus took normal water and changed it into wine. He did this, as St. John records, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
Christ Jesus did many miracles in order to manifest or reveal Himself as God in the flesh. He was not just some carpenter’s son, but the only begotten Son of God truly united with man in the personal union of the divine and human nature. Because He is God, He has authority over His creation. That which was a moment ago water is now wine. You can’t explain it. All you can do is receive faith that believes in the words and promises of Christ Jesus. All you can do is taste the wine. Just like the disciples, all you and I can do is believe.
Oh, what unshakable faith those disciples had. They saw Jesus perform miracles and they believed and confessed Him to be the Messiah, or the anointed one to redeem Israel. They never doubted for one moment the divinity of Christ Jesus. They never had a moment of weakness or unbelief in their Messiah. Oh, if this were true then there would be no need for the Son of God to become man to save us Lost and condemned sinners. The disciples doubted Christ. They betrayed Christ. They persecuted Christ. They denied Christ. Even though they believed after seeing the miracle at Cana, their faith or belief would be short lived for it quickly turned into doubt and skeptism. For believing Peter denied Christ. Faithful Judas betrayed Christ. And trusting Thomas is now known as the doubter.
And what of you and me? Do you have faith in Christ that knows no bounds. Oh yes, you have those moments of great faith, when everything seems to be going according to plan. You have those times in life where you say, ‘Everyday is a gift from God. I am truly blessed. I have a good husband or wife. My kids are good students. I have a house that doesn’t leak and a car that starts. I am not starving and I just got a raise at work.” Oh yes, it’ easy to believe that God is the giver of all when things are good. It’s easy to believe in God when he gives you a joyous life.
It’s easy to believe when you’re not tested and persecuted. But the moment something bad happens in life, where do you run? Oh yes, when death draws near you cling to God because you hope your last minute conversion or deal with God will bring you into heaven. But what of those times in life that aren’t life threatening. What do you do when you lose your job? What do you do when you are the outcast at school? What do you do when you need to replace your engine and your sub pump breaks at 1am without you knowing it and floods your entire basement which will take thousands of dollars to fix? Do you praise God for being the great giver of all good things. Or do you take His Name in vein and curse He who created you and sustains you. Repent. For just like the believing disciples at Cana, your faith is short-lived. You quickly cling to the things of this world, or worse, you curse and deny God like Peter and betray Him as Judas did.
The disciples believed in Jesus at Cana. But their faith was short lived. For some of the disciples abandoned Christ along the way, and the rest fled from Him at the cross, except for St. John. The were not saved by their steadfast faith and obedience. Neither are you. They were redeemed and forgiven their weakness as are you by the glory of God in Christ Jesus. For Christ did not come to perform miracles. He didn’t come to feed the thousands with temporal bread. He didn’t descend from Heaven as a new Law giver, nor did He humble Himself to be born of a virgin in order to rise up and defeat earthly powers. No, Jesus came for one reason. He came for the unbelief and sin of the world. He came for that glorious hour. For when His Mother requested help, He answered, “My hour has not yet come.”
The disciples were not saved because of the water turned into wine. That miracle was done in order that they may know that Jesus is not just man, but true God united with man in the personal union in Jesus Christ. He is God. Because Jesus is God, when His hour came to go to the cross, He did not die as a mere man, but as true God and true Man. Because He is God, His death on the cross satisfied the wrath of the Father forever and eternally overcame sin, death, and the power of the devil. Because Jesus is God, the hour of the cross is not one of sorrow or defeat, but of glory and victory. For Jesus did not remain dead in the tomb, but rose triumphant over the grave in order that you and I may be justified by His death. The disciples were not saved by the belief in His divinity, nor are you saved from eternal condemnation because you think Jesus is God. No, you are redeemed and rescued from everlasting punishment on account of the vicarious death of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death was for you. He did not die for Himself, but for you. Just as He gave the wine to bless the marriage at Cana, so He gave His own blood for the joy of the world, in order that He may forever be your Lord and savior.
His death is for you. Just as St. Paul declared to the Ephesians saying, “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Christ gave Himself up for you on the cross by dying your death and suffering the wrath of God on your behalf. But that was 2000 years ago. What is that to you today? You can meditate on the cross as much as you want, but just as the disciples at Cana, you may believe, but it is temporary and weak. However, Christ doesn’t wait for you to have great faithfulness in His sacrifice. No, for today He brings the benefits of that Sacrifice to you. For on the day you were baptized, you were washed clean through the water and the word and presented in splendor to Christ Jesus. For Christ comes today to preach His word of life and salvation accomplished for all on the cross. You are holy and without blemish, not because of your great faith and acts of love, but through the declaration of Christ Jesus that you are holy and righteous in His sight. Your sin now belongs to Him and His righteousness is your eternal possession. Be at peace little flock, for today He who turned water into wine is present in His Body and Blood for your forgiveness. Hear the eternal words of joy, though you are a sinner, by the Word of Christ, you are a saint, a blessed one in the eyes of the Father, without a spot or wrinkle before Him. Yours is the banquet feast. Yours is the Kingdom. For by the word of Christ, you are forgiven. Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Amen.
Friday, January 7, 2011
sermon for Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ
In the Name of Jesus, our Savior who justifies us, Amen.
Let us pray: God’s own child I gladly say it, I am baptized into Christ, Amen.
My Wife, Allison, and I will be celebrating our 5th year anniversary this June, the 3rd to be exact. Just a few weeks ago Allison and our eldest son, Lonny, were in a wedding of a good friend. As goes with any person that is married, going to another wedding brings back the memories of your own wedding. You remember the rehearsal at the church. All your loved ones, some you haven’t seen in a while and those you hope to not see for a while all gathered to see the blessed event. Your friends are there wishing you the best during your years as a couple and mooch off your dinner and reception food and festivities. Finally, the day of the wedding arrives. Everyone is in their best attire, the men in the tuxedos and the women in beautiful dresses. The pastor is adorned in vestments and the church decorated with majestic flowers and ribbons. However, these all look to the beautiful woman walking down the aisle to be united to the man that God has given to her. Allison’s dress a stunning and glorious pure white. You could tell that she had taken care of that dress and would take care of it after the wedding and for years to come. Allison takes great care of her white gown, for it is a dress of purity, beauty, life, and union with her husband.
Hear now the word of the Lord as recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew that says, then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
St. John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance. Therefore, anyone who desired to be baptized by John must first and foremost be a sinner. Why then does Jesus come to be baptized by John? Is He not the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the blessed Virgin Mary and therefore not a sinner like you and me? Why then does Jesus stand with the sinners and descend into the Jordan in order to be baptized by another sinner, John?
Why are you baptized? Unlike Christ our Lord, you and I are conceived and born in sin. This original or inherited sin we received from our parents with an evil inclination all our lives. We are not born as children of God pure and holy, but rather as St. Paul declares in Ephesians, we are born as children of wrath like the rest of mankind. Does Baptism just wash away and forgive this inherited or original sin? After Baptism, do we change and desire nothing but the goodness of God? Do you desire and yearn for nothing more than to live in pure faith toward God and unconditional love for your neighbor?
Just like my wife’s wedding dress, all of you who are baptized received a gown of righteousness of pure white. For in Baptism, you received forgiveness of sin. But what do you do with your dress? Do you take care of it? Take the wedding dress for example. How many brides take their wedding dress after the ceremony, grab a shovel, and go clean a pile of horse manure out of a stable? Do they go, white dress and all, and march into the dirt and filth left over by the beasts? Do they get their dress covered in horse droppings without any chance of it ever being clean again?
If a bride were to do this you would call her crazy or at the least unappreciative of her dress. But this is what you do with your baptismal robe of righteousness. For you take the sin that is forgiven, both your original sin and all actual sin or sin you commit, and you march right into the manure of this world and its master the devil. You forget the truth that you are baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and you cling to the things of this world. For your white robe of salvation is quickly stained and torn to shreds the moment you resurrect from the font. For sin doesn’t smell like manure to we who are fallen, but rather, sin has the sweetness of roses and honey in our nostrils. Sin doesn’t have flies swarming around it that reveal its stench. NO, the devil displays a beautiful bouquet of flowers that is whatever sin you commit. You and I both have them. Those sins that we just can’t stop committing. NO matter if we know it’s manure in the eyes of God, we continue to commit the same acts of unbelief. For you know that gossiping is wrong, but you keep on doing it, yearning for that next rumor to rise up so you can add fuel to the fire of division and deceit. You continue to march into the grotesque sin of this world with your robe of righteousness without a care that you no longer have the appearance of Christ, but of the devil. Hear the same words that Christ heard from John, Repent. For you’ve been judged guilty of desecrating your everlasting salvation by living with sin as your master, in place of the One True God.
But this isn’t enough. You can’t just repent and believe. Without a payment you remain guilty of your trespasses. Without sacrifice, you still receive the punishment for your abandonment. Without the ransom paid, you remain captive to the will of sin and the devil and your tongue remains a den of demonic language. Your repentance cannot save you. For God only hears the repentance of the sinner.
This is why Christ Jesus stood amongst the sinners before the Jordan River. For He who knew no sin, became sin for us. Christ stood amongst the sinners and was baptized by John in order to fulfill all righteousness. For after Christ was baptized Behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Christ Jesus had no need to be baptized. However, The Son came down from heaven, not to condemn the world, but to redeem it through his precious blood and sacrifice. Christ was baptized for in taking our flesh, He became the sin of the world, not just the chief sinner, but the sin of us all. Christ stood in the Jordan as the only sinner worthy of condemnation in the eyes of the Father. For this is why the Father is well pleased with His Son. For Jesus saves, not by example, but by the merciful act of standing in our stead in order that the wrath of the Father may be consumed in Him. This is why He is baptized. He carried the sin of the world into the Jordan in order for it to be forgiven. Dr. Martin Luther declares the words of Christ to John saying,
That is why it is necessary for Me to be baptized and to receive the forgiveness of sins, so that, hereafter, My Baptism may be poured out and preached in the whole world: that I have borne and baptized the sin of the world and washed it away and obtained the forgiveness of sins, so that whoever believes in Me and is baptized according to My command is also cleansed from his sins and pure and has a merciful God.
Christ Jesus took my sin and your sin upon Himself. Yes, we committed the sin and deserve the punishment thereof, but because Christ had borne them in His very flesh and taken it to the cross, it no longer belongs to us, but to Christ. Our sin belongs to Christ. For in Baptism, Christ Jesus took your sin away and washed you clean of your transgressions. Cling therefore to your baptism for in it you have the forgiveness purchased for you by Christ the crucified one.
You can’t keep your robe pure and white. Attempt not to attain your own salvation by making deals with God and goals for yourself to live a better life today. Hear the words of Christ Jesus, I forgive you your sin. Because you are baptized, you are forgiven your sin. Your deceitful tongue is forgiven as the precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus pass over your lips for forgiveness, life, and salvation. Know this today, that all Christians who have been baptized have the heavens opened to them and God shall never shut them to you. For Your Baptism is Christ’s baptism. He has consecrated every font where His Holy Word is joined with the water in order that the Father may behold you and be well pleased. The Father does not see you, a sinner, but the righteousness and purity of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you fall and sin out of weakness, which you will, be not long from your baptism, in the Spirit, crawl to your baptism for there were you washed not just of one sin, but all your sin. Dear Christian firmly hold this gift and give God thanks forever, for it gives the power to uplift in all that you endeavor. For when nothing else revives your soul, your Baptism stands and makes you whole, and then in death completes you. God bless and keep you all in your baptismal grace until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, Come, Amen.
Let us pray: God’s own child I gladly say it, I am baptized into Christ, Amen.
My Wife, Allison, and I will be celebrating our 5th year anniversary this June, the 3rd to be exact. Just a few weeks ago Allison and our eldest son, Lonny, were in a wedding of a good friend. As goes with any person that is married, going to another wedding brings back the memories of your own wedding. You remember the rehearsal at the church. All your loved ones, some you haven’t seen in a while and those you hope to not see for a while all gathered to see the blessed event. Your friends are there wishing you the best during your years as a couple and mooch off your dinner and reception food and festivities. Finally, the day of the wedding arrives. Everyone is in their best attire, the men in the tuxedos and the women in beautiful dresses. The pastor is adorned in vestments and the church decorated with majestic flowers and ribbons. However, these all look to the beautiful woman walking down the aisle to be united to the man that God has given to her. Allison’s dress a stunning and glorious pure white. You could tell that she had taken care of that dress and would take care of it after the wedding and for years to come. Allison takes great care of her white gown, for it is a dress of purity, beauty, life, and union with her husband.
Hear now the word of the Lord as recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew that says, then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
St. John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance. Therefore, anyone who desired to be baptized by John must first and foremost be a sinner. Why then does Jesus come to be baptized by John? Is He not the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the blessed Virgin Mary and therefore not a sinner like you and me? Why then does Jesus stand with the sinners and descend into the Jordan in order to be baptized by another sinner, John?
Why are you baptized? Unlike Christ our Lord, you and I are conceived and born in sin. This original or inherited sin we received from our parents with an evil inclination all our lives. We are not born as children of God pure and holy, but rather as St. Paul declares in Ephesians, we are born as children of wrath like the rest of mankind. Does Baptism just wash away and forgive this inherited or original sin? After Baptism, do we change and desire nothing but the goodness of God? Do you desire and yearn for nothing more than to live in pure faith toward God and unconditional love for your neighbor?
Just like my wife’s wedding dress, all of you who are baptized received a gown of righteousness of pure white. For in Baptism, you received forgiveness of sin. But what do you do with your dress? Do you take care of it? Take the wedding dress for example. How many brides take their wedding dress after the ceremony, grab a shovel, and go clean a pile of horse manure out of a stable? Do they go, white dress and all, and march into the dirt and filth left over by the beasts? Do they get their dress covered in horse droppings without any chance of it ever being clean again?
If a bride were to do this you would call her crazy or at the least unappreciative of her dress. But this is what you do with your baptismal robe of righteousness. For you take the sin that is forgiven, both your original sin and all actual sin or sin you commit, and you march right into the manure of this world and its master the devil. You forget the truth that you are baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and you cling to the things of this world. For your white robe of salvation is quickly stained and torn to shreds the moment you resurrect from the font. For sin doesn’t smell like manure to we who are fallen, but rather, sin has the sweetness of roses and honey in our nostrils. Sin doesn’t have flies swarming around it that reveal its stench. NO, the devil displays a beautiful bouquet of flowers that is whatever sin you commit. You and I both have them. Those sins that we just can’t stop committing. NO matter if we know it’s manure in the eyes of God, we continue to commit the same acts of unbelief. For you know that gossiping is wrong, but you keep on doing it, yearning for that next rumor to rise up so you can add fuel to the fire of division and deceit. You continue to march into the grotesque sin of this world with your robe of righteousness without a care that you no longer have the appearance of Christ, but of the devil. Hear the same words that Christ heard from John, Repent. For you’ve been judged guilty of desecrating your everlasting salvation by living with sin as your master, in place of the One True God.
But this isn’t enough. You can’t just repent and believe. Without a payment you remain guilty of your trespasses. Without sacrifice, you still receive the punishment for your abandonment. Without the ransom paid, you remain captive to the will of sin and the devil and your tongue remains a den of demonic language. Your repentance cannot save you. For God only hears the repentance of the sinner.
This is why Christ Jesus stood amongst the sinners before the Jordan River. For He who knew no sin, became sin for us. Christ stood amongst the sinners and was baptized by John in order to fulfill all righteousness. For after Christ was baptized Behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
Christ Jesus had no need to be baptized. However, The Son came down from heaven, not to condemn the world, but to redeem it through his precious blood and sacrifice. Christ was baptized for in taking our flesh, He became the sin of the world, not just the chief sinner, but the sin of us all. Christ stood in the Jordan as the only sinner worthy of condemnation in the eyes of the Father. For this is why the Father is well pleased with His Son. For Jesus saves, not by example, but by the merciful act of standing in our stead in order that the wrath of the Father may be consumed in Him. This is why He is baptized. He carried the sin of the world into the Jordan in order for it to be forgiven. Dr. Martin Luther declares the words of Christ to John saying,
That is why it is necessary for Me to be baptized and to receive the forgiveness of sins, so that, hereafter, My Baptism may be poured out and preached in the whole world: that I have borne and baptized the sin of the world and washed it away and obtained the forgiveness of sins, so that whoever believes in Me and is baptized according to My command is also cleansed from his sins and pure and has a merciful God.
Christ Jesus took my sin and your sin upon Himself. Yes, we committed the sin and deserve the punishment thereof, but because Christ had borne them in His very flesh and taken it to the cross, it no longer belongs to us, but to Christ. Our sin belongs to Christ. For in Baptism, Christ Jesus took your sin away and washed you clean of your transgressions. Cling therefore to your baptism for in it you have the forgiveness purchased for you by Christ the crucified one.
You can’t keep your robe pure and white. Attempt not to attain your own salvation by making deals with God and goals for yourself to live a better life today. Hear the words of Christ Jesus, I forgive you your sin. Because you are baptized, you are forgiven your sin. Your deceitful tongue is forgiven as the precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus pass over your lips for forgiveness, life, and salvation. Know this today, that all Christians who have been baptized have the heavens opened to them and God shall never shut them to you. For Your Baptism is Christ’s baptism. He has consecrated every font where His Holy Word is joined with the water in order that the Father may behold you and be well pleased. The Father does not see you, a sinner, but the righteousness and purity of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you fall and sin out of weakness, which you will, be not long from your baptism, in the Spirit, crawl to your baptism for there were you washed not just of one sin, but all your sin. Dear Christian firmly hold this gift and give God thanks forever, for it gives the power to uplift in all that you endeavor. For when nothing else revives your soul, your Baptism stands and makes you whole, and then in death completes you. God bless and keep you all in your baptismal grace until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, Come, Amen.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Sermon for All Saints written
In the Name of Jesus, our Savior who justifies us, Amen.
Let us pray:
Today we celebrate the Festival of All Saints. This day we remember the faithful departed who left us this past year. Our loved ones who no longer suffer here in this valley of death but now live in paradise in Christ Jesus. They have been welcomed by God into heaven and are at eternal rest in Abraham’s bosom.
In the Gospel lesson today, Christ Jesus went up onto the mountain, opened His mouth, and began to teach His disciples the Beatitudes. Those statements of the blessed. Today we remember All Saints Day, both those saints who have survived the tribulation and you who are here today. Therefore, just as the Father welcomed this past year the faithful into eternal heaven, so He welcomes you here today. Welcome you who are meek. Welcome you who are the peacemakers. Welcome you who mourn. Welcome you who thirst and hunger after righteousness. Welcome you who are merciful and pure in heart. Welcome you who are poor in spirit and who are persecuted. For today belongs to you. It does not belong to the unbeliever, but to you who live the Christian life. Welcome all of you who are saints, who live in love toward God and your neighbor. Welcome, for you go through the tribulation and are faithful to Christ Jesus. You are in this place therefore, God is glad with you and shall bless you in everything that you do.
Before you continue in this line of thought, hear the words of Christ Jesus that say, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Not one of you walked through the church doors today in meekness and humility, but in false pride, ignorant concerning your own depravity. Not one of you sat down in the pew as a peacemaker, for not only do you give into the gossip and slander that happens within your daily life and within this very church, but also you add fuel to the burning pile of sin and deceit through your hidden agendas and false notions of piety. Not one of you pick up your hymnal thirsting and hungering after righteousness, for after the third stanza of the hymn, you are ready to sit down, suffer through the lessons and sermon, and get out of here so you can enjoy the rest of your day. No, not one of you came in as those who are persecuted, for your head is still on your shoulders, and money still in your pocket book. The blessing of God did not fill your heart and mind as you walked in, but rather the cares of this world and its God, the devil, infected every moment of your thoughts. You are not welcomed in this place because of some worthiness within yourself, nor can you earn sainthood. Repent, for your reward is not in heaven because you survived the tribulation and fought the good fight.
If your blessedness depended on your ability to be pure in heart and holy, then you would have no comfort. You are not born as a child of God, but as a Son of wrath with the mark of the beast sealing your forehead. However, hear the Word of God according to the Revelation of St. John that says, Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
Welcome. You who are gossiper and slanderers. Welcome you who are prideful and arrogant. Welcome you who are hateful and vengeful. Welcome you who are corrupted by sin and the devil. For you are welcomed to this place, called to this place, dragged to this place, not because you have done something good in the sight of God, but because you are sealed with the sign of His beloved Son. For Christ the Lord purchased and won all creation from sin, death, and the power of the devil on the cross. There, at Golgotha, did Jesus Christ bleed so that you may be blessed. Christ our Lord was persecuted more than the prophets of Old, for He suffered not just the wrath and greed of man, but more than that, suffered the wrath of Almighty God. For when the Law of God found Christ on the cross, it cursed Him and killed Him. Jesus became a curse upon the cross so that you may be blessed by the Father.
Hear the words of Christ Jesus, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” These words were spoken over those who crucified Christ Jesus, and they are the same words that Christ continues to pray and preach today. As the messenger of Christ Jesus, I forgive you your sin. You are a sealed servant of God for in the waters of Holy Baptism you died to this world, the Old Adam was drowned, the devil conquered, and now you live in Christ Jesus. The same cross that marked you in Holy Baptism is proclaimed to you this day. You don’t come here to hear about the blessed life, or for me to tell you what to do to become a saint. No, you are brought here by God to be declared righteous in His sight. Receive the Holy Absolution of God the Father, your sin is forgiven, you are no longer cursed, but blessed. Blessed are you when other revile you and persecute you on account of Christ Jesus. Blessed are you when the devil tempts you. Blessed are you when the world is against you. You are blest because Christ Jesus became a curse for you. You are blest, redeemed, forgiven, because Christ Jesus took your sin upon Himself and granted you his righteousness and innocence. Take His body and drink His blood in the Lord’s Supper for it is His desire that you be a blessed child of God the Father.
Today is All Saints Day. The day we remember all the faithful departed. But more importantly, we hear the same words that blessed them and gave them saving faith. Your sin is forgiven, you are no longer a slave to sin, but a child in the house of God. Be at peace during this valley of suffering, for Christ Jesus has already purchased your reward of eternal life and gives it to you whenever you hear His word. Live in peace blessed saints of God, For Christ Jesus accomplishes everything for you, Amen.
Let us pray:
Today we celebrate the Festival of All Saints. This day we remember the faithful departed who left us this past year. Our loved ones who no longer suffer here in this valley of death but now live in paradise in Christ Jesus. They have been welcomed by God into heaven and are at eternal rest in Abraham’s bosom.
In the Gospel lesson today, Christ Jesus went up onto the mountain, opened His mouth, and began to teach His disciples the Beatitudes. Those statements of the blessed. Today we remember All Saints Day, both those saints who have survived the tribulation and you who are here today. Therefore, just as the Father welcomed this past year the faithful into eternal heaven, so He welcomes you here today. Welcome you who are meek. Welcome you who are the peacemakers. Welcome you who mourn. Welcome you who thirst and hunger after righteousness. Welcome you who are merciful and pure in heart. Welcome you who are poor in spirit and who are persecuted. For today belongs to you. It does not belong to the unbeliever, but to you who live the Christian life. Welcome all of you who are saints, who live in love toward God and your neighbor. Welcome, for you go through the tribulation and are faithful to Christ Jesus. You are in this place therefore, God is glad with you and shall bless you in everything that you do.
Before you continue in this line of thought, hear the words of Christ Jesus that say, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Not one of you walked through the church doors today in meekness and humility, but in false pride, ignorant concerning your own depravity. Not one of you sat down in the pew as a peacemaker, for not only do you give into the gossip and slander that happens within your daily life and within this very church, but also you add fuel to the burning pile of sin and deceit through your hidden agendas and false notions of piety. Not one of you pick up your hymnal thirsting and hungering after righteousness, for after the third stanza of the hymn, you are ready to sit down, suffer through the lessons and sermon, and get out of here so you can enjoy the rest of your day. No, not one of you came in as those who are persecuted, for your head is still on your shoulders, and money still in your pocket book. The blessing of God did not fill your heart and mind as you walked in, but rather the cares of this world and its God, the devil, infected every moment of your thoughts. You are not welcomed in this place because of some worthiness within yourself, nor can you earn sainthood. Repent, for your reward is not in heaven because you survived the tribulation and fought the good fight.
If your blessedness depended on your ability to be pure in heart and holy, then you would have no comfort. You are not born as a child of God, but as a Son of wrath with the mark of the beast sealing your forehead. However, hear the Word of God according to the Revelation of St. John that says, Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
Welcome. You who are gossiper and slanderers. Welcome you who are prideful and arrogant. Welcome you who are hateful and vengeful. Welcome you who are corrupted by sin and the devil. For you are welcomed to this place, called to this place, dragged to this place, not because you have done something good in the sight of God, but because you are sealed with the sign of His beloved Son. For Christ the Lord purchased and won all creation from sin, death, and the power of the devil on the cross. There, at Golgotha, did Jesus Christ bleed so that you may be blessed. Christ our Lord was persecuted more than the prophets of Old, for He suffered not just the wrath and greed of man, but more than that, suffered the wrath of Almighty God. For when the Law of God found Christ on the cross, it cursed Him and killed Him. Jesus became a curse upon the cross so that you may be blessed by the Father.
Hear the words of Christ Jesus, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” These words were spoken over those who crucified Christ Jesus, and they are the same words that Christ continues to pray and preach today. As the messenger of Christ Jesus, I forgive you your sin. You are a sealed servant of God for in the waters of Holy Baptism you died to this world, the Old Adam was drowned, the devil conquered, and now you live in Christ Jesus. The same cross that marked you in Holy Baptism is proclaimed to you this day. You don’t come here to hear about the blessed life, or for me to tell you what to do to become a saint. No, you are brought here by God to be declared righteous in His sight. Receive the Holy Absolution of God the Father, your sin is forgiven, you are no longer cursed, but blessed. Blessed are you when other revile you and persecute you on account of Christ Jesus. Blessed are you when the devil tempts you. Blessed are you when the world is against you. You are blest because Christ Jesus became a curse for you. You are blest, redeemed, forgiven, because Christ Jesus took your sin upon Himself and granted you his righteousness and innocence. Take His body and drink His blood in the Lord’s Supper for it is His desire that you be a blessed child of God the Father.
Today is All Saints Day. The day we remember all the faithful departed. But more importantly, we hear the same words that blessed them and gave them saving faith. Your sin is forgiven, you are no longer a slave to sin, but a child in the house of God. Be at peace during this valley of suffering, for Christ Jesus has already purchased your reward of eternal life and gives it to you whenever you hear His word. Live in peace blessed saints of God, For Christ Jesus accomplishes everything for you, Amen.
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