Sermons 2024

Text: Isaiah 51:4-6
Theme: Salvation Forever

Outline
1.    Trust in the Lord’s Salvation
2.    Hard to trust in our world today
3.    Steadfast because of His Holy Spirit

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My dear beloved flock, the text for our mediation today is the Old Testament lesson of Isaiah chapter fifty-one verses four through six.
Intro: Boys and Girls, I pray that you are doing well today. Have you ever been waiting a really long time for something amazing? Maybe it seems like your birthday or Christmas just won’t get here fast enough. You live your lives eagerly waiting for those great fun days. The same is true for us as Christians, we look forward to an awesome day. One better than any birthday or Christmas. It is the day of Jesus’ return, when we will live with Him forever. As we wait for that day, how can we live in the trust that He gives to us? You may go back to your seats and those who love you.

1.    Trust in the Lord’s Salvation

Our Lord today promises that His salvation is assured. He is talking to a nation that is under siege. The Assyrian army is at the gates of Jerusalem itself. The land is war-torn and desolate. Yet, the Lord promises through Isaiah that He will act to save His people. “My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples.” The Lord will judge between the nations. He will act in His righteousness for His people’s salvation. He promises that He will be coming soon to save the people and redeem them from all of their enemies. The Lord saves Jerusalem from the hand of the Assyrians during the time of King Hezekiah by the work of the angel, breaking the siege. He brings His people back from exile in the land of Babylon through His servant Cyrus. Yet, the Persian king could not deliver God’s people from their sins and from death. A greater deliverer was to come in order to accomplish that rescue.  

No matter how great Cyrus, Hezekiah, and all the other kings of Persia, Israel, and Judah were, they could not provide the ultimate deliverance that we need from our sins. We need a greater deliverer. That greater deliverer is none other than the Servant of Yahweh in Isaiah. None other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh for us. Unlike Cyrus or the other kings, Jesus saves us from more than just physical enemies. He saves us from all enemies, physical as well as spiritual. He saves us from the power of the devil by being tempted as we are, yet withstanding through the power of God’s word and living a prefect life in our place. Jesus saves us from our sins. In our place, Jesus bore the wrath of God for us on the cross of Calvary. There God promises that you are saved, redeemed, and His beloved child because of the sacrifice of Jesus that covers all of your sins. He even proves it by raising Jesus from the dead again. Rising again from the dead Jesus destroys the power of death and gives you new life forever.

2.    Hard to trust in our world today

This fact of our salvation because of what Jesus has done for us is hard for us to trust today. It is hard for our sinful nature to comprehend this fact. When confronted with the Lord’s salvation, we balk. Our sinful nature says “I am not that bad of a person.” “I lead a pretty good life.” “I have not done that many sins.” “I do not need salvation.” “Just give me some time, I can do it on my own.” 
Other times we might reply with skepticism, as much of the world does today. “What do you mean that Jesus died for me?” “How can one guy’s death over two thousand years ago mean anything for me today?” It is hard, in the midst of the darkness of this world, to trust in our Lord’s salvation. It is hard to remain faithful in this world. We do not know when Jesus is going to come again, so the world tempts us to think that He is never going to come again. It’s been so long already, surely, he’s too delayed so just go on living your life however you want to live.

We agree that two thousand years ago was a long time. It seems impossible that Jesus’ death has any impact upon our lives today. After all, a lot of people have died since then. During the Roman times, a lot were crucified. Yet, Jesus’ death is different. As God in the flesh, His death was not because of Himself, but because of us. His death does have an impact upon our lives, today and forever.

3.    Steadfast because of His Holy Spirit

How? Because of the very fact that He defeated death for us. He lives forever and because He lives, so too do we. How do you and I know this? Because He gives us of His Holy Spirit that we can remain steadfast in this world. We can answer the doubts and skepticism with the very word of God. That God does indeed keep His promises. Note the number of times that God says I, me, or my. He uses the first person twelve times in these three verses. His salvation is fully dependent on what He has done for you and me. 

His salvation is not just for a brief period of time. His salvation is forever. It is not tied to this world or how we feel. It is secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is being prepared for God’s people even now by Christ (Jn 14:2). His righteousness will never fail. God’s righteousness did not fail to secure our salvation: Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished!” God’s righteousness did not fail to declare Jesus innocent of all charges by raising him from the dead. God’s righteousness will not fail to finish the work Jesus has begun in us by the Holy Spirit’s power through the Word and Water of Holy Baptism. God’s call to listen is a call to look to Him and away from all the false hopes that the world offers. It is a call to seek God’s eternal salvation, to yearn for it more than we do food, friendship, and financial gain. While none of us can claim to do this perfectly, it is precisely for this reason that God’s salvation is so precious and pure. It is His righteousness that will not fail. It is His salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that will last forever. He calls us to receive what he has provided, and he promises that we will be forever glad.

Let us always depend upon the Lord for His salvation and constantly hold steadfast to His promises.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 

Sermon Outline
At Just the Right Time, He Comes!
    I.    At that time of trouble as has never been before (these days right now!), Michael has come as God’s special agent to protect us.
    II.    At that time in the future he knows to be right, Christ himself will come to deliver us.

Sermon
Intro: Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
My dear beloved flock, the text for our meditation today is the Old Testament Lesson of Daniel Chapter twelve, verses one through three.
Boys and girls, I pray that you are doing well today. Can you remember a time in your life when you were afraid because you were by yourself and you needed someone to come to help you? Maybe you were lost in the store. Maybe you were scared of the thunderstorm and needed mom or dad to comfort you. I am sure that you were hoping that someone would get there soon. People look for and love heroes, especially when they’re in need of protection or need to be rescued. Even fictional (super!) heroes fascinate us. In our text for today, we hear of a hero even stronger than any superhero that comes to save us. Who is that hero? How does He save us? Ponder those questions as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you. 

At Just the Right Time, He Comes!
I.
The Book of Daniel is a book about struggles, battles, and war. Daniel arises at a time when God’s people are taken into exile in Babylon, a thousand miles from home. The first six chapters of the book are the history of God’s people as they were taken and lived in Babylon. Daniel became an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar by interpreting the king’s dream. He was thrown into a den of lions for continuing to pray to the true God. His friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were cast into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to an idol. But the triune God, the Ancient of Days, was with his people as they fought their battles against the old evil foe and the world around them. These men were heroes of the faith, bright shining stars for the Lord!

The second six chapters of Daniel describe more battles that God and his people would fight. These chapters are prophecy. Most of Daniel’s prophecies are in symbolic, picture, language. We see many of the same pictures in the Book of Revelation: strange creatures, symbolic numbers, battles between spiritual forces in heaven and on earth.

Thus, the Book of Daniel is divided into two distinct sections: one historical and the other prophetic. Some of the prophecies had immediate fulfillments in the decade and centuries that followed Daniel, while there were also prophecies that had in mind an even greater fulfillment. Such is the case before us in our text, looking ahead to when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead. Today we look at the last battle in the Book of Daniel.
Daniel says, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time” (v 1b). He’s describing a time that will take place just before the last judgment. It’s a struggle for the children of God living in a world ruined by sin. It’s a world that hates God’s message and hates God’s messengers. The people of God also struggle as they wrestle with temptations and with the weakness of their own sinful flesh. We speak of this troubling time between Jesus’ first coming and second coming as the “end times.” Everything before Christ was preparation. Christ came and brought fulfillment to God’s Law and promises. Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification. And now things are being brought to a close for the final fulfillment: the deliverance of Christ’s people as he is coming again and will take us to be where he is. We will live eternally with him.
Every generation thinks it’s going to be the last generation because every generation thinks society can’t get any worse than it already is. And yet the world continues to get further and further away from Christ and his Word. When we look in the newspapers, on the internet, on TV, we wonder: Where has the love for God gone? Where is the concern for one’s neighbors? We are pilgrims in an unwelcoming and unholy land.
To look at the world as it is today and ponder how much worse it will get between now and Judgment Day is a frightening thought! It’s going to get worse, says our text, such as never has been. This is a prophetic statement. Our Lord has allowed his prophet to peer down the corridors of time before Judgment Day. And what Daniel sees is horrific. The Hebrew word translated “time of trouble” that Daniel uses contains the idea of getting squeezed in on every side, almost like being squashed in a vise grip. Are you feeling like that today?

Jesus echoed Daniel’s warning about those last days: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Mt 24:21–22). Today, Jesus’ word rings ever true. There are wars and rumors of wars. Our nation is losing its way. It doesn’t respect life in the womb or before the tomb. More and more people lambaste Christian teachings, wanting to silence us, and religious freedoms are being taken away. It’s all happening just as foretold, a time of unparalleled trouble, a time of all-out opposition to God, a time of false prophets and persecution, of famines and earthquakes. Trouble is all around us and in us. When pressured, the light of our faith life sometimes flickers to dim.

How can we get through this mess called “life”? God gives Daniel the answer—an answer that was as good back then as it is now. God has given us more than a prophecy of doom. He gives us a promise of deliverance. “At that time,” he says, “shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people” (v 1a). Michael is the only archangel specified in the Bible. He is the general of God’s army of angels, which protects God’s people from the forces of evil in the world, from the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Michael serves as God’s special agent to keep his people from the devil’s plans and purposes. In these last troubled times, in the midst of it’s-only-getting-worse troubles of this world, the Lord, our Emmanuel, remains present with his people. He is here to save! We will not be abandoned. The Bible repeatedly calls on us to remain faithful unto death because that final time of reckoning is definitely coming. God promises that there will be a time of final and ultimate deliverance.

II.
All is not doom and gloom. “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book” (v 1c). Daniel is seeing the final deliverance on the Last Day. In the midst of a world gone mad, God reminds us that he will deliver us. Through faith in Jesus, we belong to the people of God, and we will be saved. At the last trumpet call, in the blink of an eye, God’s angels will gather up all of his people. Not one left behind. It’s a breathtaking picture God gives: Jesus coming down out of the clouds with the archangel shouting the command for all to appear before the Christ. At his call, the graves give up their dead, and body and soul are reunited.
That trumpet call of God, that voice of the archangel, will bring about the resurrection of all flesh. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some t14o everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (v 2). “Many” here is all inclusive. The word Daniel used is better translated “the multitudes, everybody.” There will be a perfect restoration of our bodies so that they are imperishable, no longer subject to the effects of sickness, suffering, and death. And those bodies, our bodies, will be reunited with our souls.

Then the judgment will commence. All will be gathered before the throne, both believers and unbelievers. On that throne will be Jesus, our Savior. He was given that position by his Father as the Redeemer of all mankind, the One who gave his life on the cross for the sins of all mankind, all those gathered before him on that day. Those who do not believe in him as their Savior and Lord awake to shame and everlasting contempt—which is hell, eternal separation from God, a place of suffering and pain with no joy, only sorrow.

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (v 3). Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved. Where he is, there they will be also, at home with him forever in heaven, where there will be no more suffering, pain, tears, or death. There they will shine like the brightness of the heavens and sing God’s praises together with the angels. Here is the source of courage we need to face our own death and the source of comfort we need as we mourn the deaths of our family and friends who loved the Lord.

Jesus Christ is no masked marvel or secret superhero. Although he came once veiled in flesh, he wasn’t covering up his identify but revealing it: a true man of humility who bleeds like us and bled for us. He comes to us today through the preaching of his Word, the splashing of Baptism’s water, and the eating and drinking of his body and blood in Holy Communion. He isn’t covering up his identity but revealing it. Jesus is invincible, unstoppable, miracle, solving our deepest spiritual need (sin’s guilt) despite our weakest of physical handicaps, mental disturbance, or emotional breakdown. Jesus will come soon on the Last Day (a date only the Father knows). We are ready, whenever that day is, because He is with us to protect us and is coming to deliver us. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20). 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard, and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Text: 1 Kings 17:8–16 
Theme: Rich with little

Outline
1.    Widow, at Elijah’s request, meets His need with little to offer, Lord richly and daily blesses her
2.    We often want to hold onto what we have, as small as it may be.
3.    God forgives us of our selfishness and empowers us to give fully for His work.

Sermon
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
My dear beloved flock, the text for our meditation today is the Old Testament lesson of First Kings chapter seventeen verses eight through sixteen.

Intro: Boys and girls, I pray that you are doing well today. Do you have a lot of things? I am sure that your parents provide you with a lot. They give you toys, food, drink, and many other things. You may not have a lot but a lot is provided for you. This is what we see in our reading for today. The window at Zarephath does not have a lot, only flour and oil. Yet, God richly provides for her , her son, and Elijah that through the time of the drought, they never run out. How does God richly provide for us today? Ponder that question as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you.

1.    Widow, at Elijah’s request, meets His need with little to offer, Lord richly and daily blesses her

In our text for today, we see the prophet Elijah in the midst of a severe drought. He is sent, not to any of the widows of Israel, but to a lone widow at Zarephath to care for him. This drought has covered more than just the land of Israel. It is outside Israel’s boundaries in Gentile territory. The importance here is that it shows that Yahweh had also produced a drought in Baal’s own home territory.  Baal cannot even take care of his own territory. It is fully under Yahweh’s control, as is everything. 

At Elijah’s request for a some water and a cake. We see the dire straits of this poor widow. She is in the city gate, gleaning for a few sticks that she might make a small meal for her and her son, and then await death by starvation. Grain and oil were two of the major exports of the city of Zarephath. The fact that they were in short supply is an indication of how severe the drought was. They are also two of the most basic commodities for survival . The widow has enough for only a single solitary meal for her and her son before they face death. She’s probably thinking, “Great I cannot feed my own son but now I have another mouth to feed in this man of God
Yet, the widow grants Elijah’s request. She goes, gets her flour and oil, makes him a cake and returns. She takes Elijah into her house. Every single day, a new miracle. The flour is still there. The oil has not run dry. It is never plentiful, but it is what they need to survive. The Lord rewards faith and richly supplies all that the widow, her son and Elijah need for daily bread. The meager amount never runs out, new each day is the Lord’s mercy.

2.    We often want to hold onto what we have, as small as it may be.

Truly the Lord’s mercy is new every day. Even for us. He gives us our souls and bodies as well as everything that we need to take care of them for this body, life, and life everlasting. Sometimes the Lord gives us a lot. Other times, like the widows in our Old Testament and Gospel readings it’s a small meager amount. 

What do we do with the amounts that we have been given? Often times, we often want to hold onto what we have, as small as it may be. When faced with a situation like the widow at Zarephath, our response would be one of selfishness. “No, I only have a small amount.” “I am going to keep it for myself and my son.” My wants, my desires, my needs take first and foremost priority. We turn inward out of concern for our own survival. If your last supper is on the way, don’t give it away. If you’re down to your last penny, don’t give it away. That’s how we think. We will even justify it in our minds saying, “Certainly God understands the nature of scarcity.” Yes, he does. The problem isn’t with him; it’s with us. We’re happy to feed the poor when cupboards are full, happy to give . . . donate . . . tithe when the account is overflowing. When it gets down to it, we tend to trust in our abundance. When things get scarce, we turn inward on ourselves, depending upon ourselves rather than God. 

Many times we do this to the hurt and harm of our neighbor. We are so focused on our own wants and needs that we do not stop to consider the needs of those around us. Even worse, we look down upon and demean those who are poorest among us, those who might need the most help. We dismiss them and hurt them, often to our own harm.

3.    God forgives us of our selfishness and empowers us to give fully for His work.

In the midst of scarcity what should be our response to the needs of those around us? The accounts of both widows teach the same lesson: God uses scarcity as a doorway to trust. Trust in the Lord and his provision is the only way either of these stories makes sense. A widow obeys, and they all eat for days. The Bible doesn’t say what happens to our other widow, but the point is clear: When We Trust in the Lord, There Is Always Enough. That’s easier said than done, of course, but it really should be no surprise, because God has been using scarcity to lead his people to trust for a long time. When the Israelites were wandering forty years in the desert, God provided manna in the desert and brought water from a rock.

We even see it in the New Testament. With just five loaves and two fish, how many thousands of men, women, and children did Jesus feed (Lk 9:10–17)? 5,000 men besides women and children. There was so much abundance they even had leftovers, because with Jesus there is always enough.

Yes! Jesus is always enough! A lesson we struggle to learn, but one that time and again points us to the cross. Jesus came to be enough—more than enough to pay the full price of our sin. His mission was not about multiplying food to fill our earthly stomachs but about ransom and restoration to free our souls and fill us to overflowing with grace and forgiveness. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Christ came to be enough: “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (9:26).

Having forgiven us all of our sins of selfishness, pride, and scorn by taking them upon Himself, Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit in the waters of Holy Baptism that you may indeed trust in Him to provide for all of your needs, both your physical needs as well as your eternal needs.

Conclusion: It is into the full sufficiency of Christ that you have been baptized. You have been joined with him in his life, death, and resurrection. You are credited with his righteousness, empowered with his grace, crowned with his glory, and loved with a never-ending love. So perhaps the next time you find yourself facing scarcity, wondering if you have enough, remember that with Christ there is always enough. When you are down to the last dollar in your wallet and you happen across that person in need of a helping hand and you’re wondering if you can afford to give; remember with Christ there is always enough. As God’s redeemed children, we need not fear scarcity because our Father is a God of rich abundance. When we put our trust in the Lord, when we put our trust in Jesus, we can be sure, no matter the circumstances, there is always enough. 

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, guard, and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.