Sermons 2025

Text: Jeremiah 26:8-15

Outline
1.    Prophets proclaim what they are told to proclaim.
a.    We don't always enjoy Gods Word, J-town like Shiloh.
2.    Jesus, as the Incarnate Word, is faithful.
3.    God’s word is true, gives true security.

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 mediation today is the Old Testament Lesson from the prophet Jeremiah the twenty-sixth chapter verse eight through fifteen.

Boys and girls, I pray that you are doing well today, and enjoying the day that God has given to you. Have you ever had someone call you a bad name? How did it make you feel? Pretty sad, especially from people that you think are your friends. Even at home, sometimes our brothers and sisters are not always kind to us. They can hurt our bodies, our feelings, sometimes even our hearts. In our text for today, we see that some people were horrible to Jeremiah. They even said that they were going to kill him. How does God protect Jeremiah? How does He help us today to hear His Word and be kind, even when others are not being kind back? Ponder those questions as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you.

1.    Prophets proclaim what they are told to proclaim.

What is the role of a prophet? A prophet is one sent by God to proclaim His message to the people. The prophet had to preach what he was commanded to preach, with little thought for his own personal safety. At times that message is a joyous one to proclaim. Many times throughout Scripture, the message that the prophets proclaim is not a joyous one. Often it is one of Law, of repentance. Turning away from idols, away from vain hearts, away from manmade commands, and turning to the Lord, asking for His forgiveness. 

This is the message that Jeremiah was sent to proclaim to the people. In verse two of this chapter, we read: Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’ ”  

a.    We don't always enjoy Gods Word, Jerusalem like Shiloh.

While our text does not given us the message, it does given us the people’s reaction to this message. The priests, prophets, and all the people grab Jeremiah and threaten him with death. They are incensed, they are outraged that Jeremiah would have the gall to proclaim a message of the destruction of Jerusalem within the very house of the Lord, the Temple. They are full of pride, arrogance, and a false sense of safety. They think that Jerusalem, the place where the God of Israel has promised to be with His people. Jerusalem will not end up like Shiloh, a former sanctuary of the Lord. Shiloh was completely destroyed because of its pagan idolatry and was never inhabited again.

Yet, that very fact is what Jeremiah proclaims because of the sins of the people. Has anything changed since the time of Jeremiah? Jeremiah’s opponents “do not seem to care if it is a word from God, for the defense of their way of life overrides any such theological question.³ How often and in what ways do we respond to the call to return to the Lord, to listen and turn from our evil ways, to walk according to his will, with our own “the church, the church, the church” (cf. Jeremiah 7:4)? That is to say, how often don’t we console one another with the downward spiraling logic that, since we are the church, we must be right? Just like the people of Jeremiah’s day, we often fall into a false sense of security, pride, and arrogance. We do not always enjoy hearing the Word of God. Our sinful nature does not want to hear the fact that we are not perfect. We do not want to be reminded that we are the ones who need to change, not God. We do not always read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God because the Law hurts.

2.    Jesus, as the Incarnate Word, is faithful

Thanks be to God that He has no left us with only His harsh rebuke of the Law. In love, God the Father send the Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our pride, arrogance, and to give us true security. Jesus, as the very Word of God incarnate, is faithful to everything that comes from the mouth of God. As our Lord walked upon this earth, His very first proclamation was that the Kingdom of God was here. Here is God's very word for our salvation. Yes, Jesus was with tax collectors and sinners, not to give approval for what they were doing, but to lead them to true repentance. The suffering of Jeremiah and the threat of death, foreshadowed what will happen to our Lord. People were angry with what Jesus was saying and doing. Whereas Jeremiah was spared in our text, Jesus was not. The Word made flesh, heard the words of the Sanhedrin that sentenced Him to death. He was taken to Pilate, eventually  the cross, where He bled and died that you might be restored.

3.    His Word gives true security

Indeed, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead, your sins of arrogance, pride, and false security have been cleanse. In Christ, you are given humility and true security. You have true security found in what God has done and continues to do for you. You have been washed with water and the Word in Holy Baptism. You have been claimed as God’s own dear child, not because of yourselves, but because of God Himself. Every week, you feast on Jesus’ true body and true blood, in, with, and under, the bread and the wine, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of every single one of your sins and the strengthening of your faith. You have His Holy Spirit living within you. Not only does the Holy Spirit sanctify you through His Word, but He also enables you to hear the harshness of the Law, turn from away from your sins in repentance, and receive the forgiveness of your sins in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, thanks be to God that He has forgiven all of your sins. He removes your false security and gives you true security through the death and resurrection of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 

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

SERMON OUTLINE

Jesus’ hands are the hands of the Lord
Jesus treads upon the waves
Jesus is God in the flesh
His hand can seem mysterious and at times terrifying
Peter tries to take things into his own hands
We do the same
The Hand of the Lord is quick to save Peter
The same Hand of the Lord has reached down to save us

SERMON

O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the mediation of our hearts, be acceptable in Your Sight, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

In our Lenten and Easter series, we will be focusing on the hand of the Lord. We are focusing on the hand of our Lord Jesus, God in the flesh, the Creator. In our Gospel for this evening, Jesus’ hand reaches down save Peter. Thus our theme tonight, The Hand of the Lord saves.

Up to this point in Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus’ hand has been at work. Right before our text, Jesus took five loaves and two fish into His hands. With that He fed five thousand men, besides women and children. Jesus was in control of that situation, and He had control of what was happening with Peter even before Peter needed Jesus to grab him out the water. It was Jesus who made the disciples get into the boat. When they were struggling against the wind and the waves, it was Jesus who came to His disciples, walking on the waves. 

All of this points to who Jesus is. He is God, the Creator in the flesh. Job said that it is God “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea” (9:8). Jesus is the Great I AM. He is the Word through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3). He is God walking on the sea. When His hand stretches out, it is truly the hand of the Lord. That also means that what Jesus does with those hands also is the work of God. His hand is in control. 

Sometimes, our limited understanding has difficulty grasping this control. There are times when God seems distant, mysterious, and even terrifying. 

While the disciples were out in the boat, they had one of those moments. They were frightened early in the morning. They were not scared of the wind and waves. They had seen and controlled their fair share of wind and waves out on the Sea of Galilee. What terrified them? It was this figure walking on the water! They cried out, “It is a ghost!” Now that would strike fear into the heart of a fisherman. 

But the Lord addressed each of their concerns. To their being troubled, He said, “Take heart.” To their cry that it was a ghost, He said, “It is I.” To their being afraid, He said, “Do not be afraid.” The Lord immediately addressed all of their concerns right there! They had everything that they needed in His words. Everything was in His hands and under His control.

But Peter, instead of clinging to Jesus’ words alone, ended up taking matters into his own hands. He wanted Jesus to prove that it was him on Peter’s terms. “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matthew 14:28). Surprisingly, the Lord agreed. Peter was walking on the water on his way to Jesus! But it was not long until Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink.

Before we are too hard on Peter, we should see that Peter’s actions also shine a reflection on our own attempts to take things into our own hands. So often it happens in a moment of uncertainty, and we may wonder why the Lord is allowing this or that to happen. How often have we been like Peter, not content to trust in the Lord’s words of promise? Rather, we have attempted to seize with our hands something out of our control when we ought to have started by folding our hands in prayer. How often have we discounted patience in the Lord in favor of brash action? How often have we attempted to be so bold as to live as though His words of promise were not enough for us? How often do we end up crying out, just like Peter, at the mess that we made when everything slips through our fingers? It illustrates our sinful condition all too well. Our hands alone cannot keep us from sinking to the depths of Sheol and eternal judgment. All that we can say with Peter is this: “Lord, save me.”

Immediately the hand of the Lord reached down and saved Peter. Jesus acted at just the right time. Jesus made them get in the boat at the beginning of this scene. He immediately calmed their fears. Now our Lord reaches out His hand in compassion and mercy at the right time. While Peter was attempting to take things into his own hands, soon it was the Lord’s hand reaching out and grabbing ahold of him. Everything is in the Lord’s hands. Peter is too.

The Lord has answered our cries of “Lord, save me.” The Lord has reached down into the depths. Our Lord has taken upon Himself our own human flesh. He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, for us. This is the Hand of the Lord at work to save us today. Only God in the flesh can do that. Only the Word, through whom all things were created, can pull us from the depths of judgment and despair.

This is true even in our moments of uncertainty and doubt. It is not a promise that every challenge, hardship, or trial will go away immediately. It is not a promise that working through it will be easy or that there will be easy fixes to everything that ails us. Because of our sinful condition, we not always understand the workings of God in our lives. 

However, when it comes to salvation, the Lord’s merciful hand is right there. His presence and forgiveness in His Word are immediately there when we need Him. His Word and Sacraments are true, no matter how great or little our faith is. They derive their power not from our faith but from Jesus Himself. 

He has reached down with His Word and His Sacraments to save you. You can trust in His true promises.Your old self has been drowned in Holy Baptism so that the new will arise. He has reached down to proclaim to you in Confession and Absolution that your sins are indeed forgiven. He has reached down to feed you with His very body and blood, given and shed for you! You have everything that you need today! You have everything that you need in the gracious hand of the Lord that created you, saves you, and sanctifies you.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.
 

Luke 4:1-9

Sermon Outline
    2.    Sin is why we’re here—in this wilderness.
    1.    We’re why Jesus is here in this wilderness.

CHRIST IS WITH US IN OUR WILDERNESS.

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 Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke, the fourth chapter verse one through nine.

Boys and girls, I pray that you are doing well today. This church year is going by fast! First Christmas, then Epiphany, now Lent, soon we will celebrate Easter. Why do you come to church?  This Christian Church, is here for one reason—for God to expose and remove your sin. That’s the only business of the Church. That’s why you’re here—or should be. The purpose of Lent, of Christ, of the Church is to take away your sin. God’s forgiveness—acting, doing everything—because of sin. How does God forgive all of your sins? Ponder that question as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you.

2.
Unfortunately, if we don’t think our sin is so serious, so deadly. Then we do not think that our sins will eventually give you up dead, then we don’t really need the Church; we don’t need Christ. What good is a bloody Savior no one needs? 

So we end up going through the motions of religion. After all, nothing really happens here that interests us. Some people try to redefine Church as a social club or charitable organization—where you can do “nice things” for others who need it. You can gather and socialize with fellow people. The idea is that we’re all fine and good. It’s the other people who need our deliverance. Well, true. Every neighbor needs your mercy and charity.

But if we ever lose sight of the fact that we are “poor miserable sinners” (where every word of that hurts!); that of all the people in the world, we are the most guilty, the most sinful, the most unclean; that my sin (whether it’s secret or out in the open) drives me out of heaven and into hell forever! Hell is a real, bitter place: total isolation, misery, you and your terror never separated, ever—if we ever lose sight that we need deliverance from our sin, and our children need deliverance from their sin, and our co-workers and friends and classmates need deliverance from their sin—if we ever lose sight of the quiet tragedy in us (behind the easy grins and Sunday best clothes), then the Church has lost its purpose. God put this Church here, in this city, this very place, for you, so he can remove your sin. That’s why he is here now.

That is my job as your pastor—to speak truthfully about what God’s word says about us—I must stand before even all the “good” people who have come . . . and announce what is true about us. That sin has infected you with death. You can’t escape it. It’s festering in your deepest parts, working all the way down and all the way through. Of course, the world—and even we Christians—sometimes defend ourselves, say we’re mostly(!) “good” deep down. But if we mean it, then the world and we don’t understand sin at all. Sin rots you. It decays. It perverts what it touches, and it touches you. Proof? Ever been sick? Mistreated someone—friend or enemy (enemies are easier to mistreat!)? What grudge are you still holding, even here in this place? Have you ever been rejected and even once known tears? Suffered an accident? These things are not God’s judgment on you for specific sins, but they are signs of the sin that is on all people, all creation, on you. These things cannot happen to sinless people in a pure, sinless world. It’s all residue—sometimes a thick residue—of sin. I can prove you touched a hot stove by showing you your burning fingers. I can show you your sin by showing you your pain, your weakness, your anger, and your bitterness in this world.

If your marriage is perfect, your children are perfect, health is perfect, house is perfect, school is perfect, if nothing breaks down, nothing disappoints, if nothing hurts, if everything is “milk and honey,” then relax. You’re safe . . . sin has not polluted you. You will live forever, even without Christ, apparently. (“Who needs him?!”) But if your life is not perfect, your health not perfect, your family not perfect, then something deadly is causing it, all this grief and pain.

It is not God. God doesn’t break things or pollute or trouble things. God is peace and not chaos around you. Love, not hate. Life, not death in you (although sometimes—the muddled way we perceive things—we’re not too sure; we “suspect” him). If chaos and hatred and sickness and suspicion and death have invaded your life and family, then you ought best recognize it. It is this: Sin has corrupted you—and deep—after all. You are “ruined” by it and condemned by it. It’s a “wilderness” (a wasteland) out there, and you are lost in it, forever.

1.
But what happens immediately after Jesus’ baptism? Luke states “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.”

Look beside you in this wilderness, this desert. There is Jesus. Also alone. Also starving after not eating for 40 days and nights. Also miserable. Also stalked and hunted by Satan seeking whom he may devour. This is Jesus on his way to dying too! Why is Jesus here? He has never sinned. His body—flesh and bone and heart and soul—are pure and holy (in the biggest way!). Why is he in this barren place—hungry, tempted, suffering like this? Don’t you know? Because you are here.

Jesus cannot stay in heaven’s peace and glory while you are here suffering. If you lose all things, he loses all things. If you starve and sweat and squirm, he, too, must starve and sweat and squirm. If you suffer condemnation, he suffers condemnation. If you are to die, he must die too. He loves you too much to leave you here in sin’s desert, this world—even with its bright excitements and occasional splendor and excellent advertising—all at Satan’s tempting disposal. While “this world’s prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,” Jesus is “by [y]our side upon the plain” where you are and where the fight is. And Jesus does the fighting himself—hang on a tree, rise from the dead, ascend!—he indeed “holds the field forever” (LSB 656:3, 4, 2).

So something more is happening here: wherever Jesus walks in this desert, new life springs up. Your life. Life from heaven—from God to you. Like a leafy green tree heavy with fruit in the middle of a desert where you didn’t expect it. A tree of life to eat from, and so to eat and get life—after the Garden of Eden tree is long gone. And he is a spring of life-giving water, bubbling up (Jn 7:37–38) in the middle of your desert—shouting out defiantly against Satan and his carefully cultivated drought all around you. Jesus shouts his last Word upon the cross: “Tetelestai” “It is Finished!” “Forgiven!”

Jesus suffers. Jesus starves. Jesus wanders in this bitter forty-day wilderness for one reason: you are here. But he’s not here to empathize with you—not just to throw a comforting arm over your shoulder, just to say, “This is pretty bad, isn’t it?” He’s here to finally get you out of here, to re-create you, and take you back to heaven to his Father. That’s why the Holy Spirit led him to your spot, to the desert. And so he brings life down from heaven to this spot in the desert. He brings food down from heaven, healing for you—for your hurt mind, your heart, your bruised body and soul—the whole of you. God “authored” you. Sin wrecks you. So death claims you. But Christ heals you of death, forgives, perfects you.

His water is the only water in the wilderness that will save you. So he says, “I baptize you with it . . . in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And his food is the only food that will nourish you “to life everlasting,” so “Take and eat, this is my body . . . given . . . for you. And my blood shed . . . for you . . . forgiveness.” Here is life from heaven in this wilderness. Here is deliverance from Satan “and all his works and all his ways.” Here is cleansing from your sin!

This is why your God is in the desert, why

CHRIST IS WITH US IN OUR WILDERNESS.

Why his Body, the Church, is here, and even right here. Why you are here at this moment. This life, this deliverance, this cleansing is yours. And now your sin is deadly on you, but your God is with you . . . and has delivered you.

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