Sermons 2025

SERMON OUTLINE 

Introduction: Lights and candles used for Advent prepare us for the coming of Christ. 

I. The tradition of holiday lights originated in Europe and was brought to America. 

a. Candles on the Christmas tree arose in Germany to mimic the stars over the nativity stable. 

b. The use of electric holiday lights arose in America to extend the use of lights. 

II. Holiday light decorations remind Christians of the restoration of righteousness.

 a. Darkness symbolizes sin that separates us from God. 

b. Light signifies righteousness to live before God’s glory. 

III. Lights point us to Christ’s first advent. 

a. Zechariah announced the light that the Messiah would bring. 

b. Jesus’ birth was heralded by the light of a star and the appearance of angels. 

c. John’s Gospel describes the light that Christ brings to a dark world. 

d. By grace through faith, we now receive Christ’s light of righteousness and glory.

 IV. Lights point us to Christ’s second advent. 

a. Jesus’ return will inaugurate a righteous realm in which believers will dwell forever. 

b. The final chapters of the Bible use the symbolism of light to communicate God’s righteous and glorious presence with us forever. 

c. We look forward to the final advent in which Jesus will disperse the darkness of sin forever. 

SERMON INTRODUCTION 

We prepare for Christmas with many blinding and bright decorations, including candles and electric lights. We see lights everywhere during this season. Some strings of lights cover the wide spectrum of colors; others are simple clear white. We decorate our homes with lights both inside and outside. Some neighborhoods even have competitions to see which household can put on the best exterior light display. Communities string lights on their streets and poles. Businesses and shopping malls decorate buildings with dazzling displays of holiday lights. Amusement parks like Disney World, Bentleyville, and Silver Dollar City put up millions of lights to amaze their visitors. 

Here in our church sanctuary, we see lights blazing constantly. During this season, we display the Advent wreath, which holds five candles that we progressively light as we approach Christmas. Our Christmas tree, as you can see, has been wrapped with strings of electric lights that shine like a galaxy of stars. We have the eternal flame that constantly burns bright to remind us of God’s constant present with us. We have three candles to remind us of the praise and blessings that we receive from, give back in thanksgiving to, the Holy Trinity. On Christmas Eve, many churches hold a candlelight service in which the flame is spread from the Christ candle on the altar to the small candles held in the hands of all the gathered worshipers. This signifies that the coming of Christ brings the light of righteousness to all who believe. 

Why do we decorate this Advent with lights? Is it only for sentimental value? Or is there a deeper significance? 

To answer these questions, we will consider when lights were first used for Advent and Christmas and what their original meaning and purpose were. 

I. The tradition of holiday lights originated in Europe and was brought to America.

 Last week, we learned that the use of Christmas trees began in Germany in the Middle Ages. The practice of attaching candles to Christmas trees began in the 1500s. In fact, tradition says Martin Luther was the first to do this. One cold December night, as he traveled through the woods, Luther looked up to see the stars shining through the branches of the fir trees overhead. He decided to simulate this vision in his home for his children by tying candles to the branches of a Christmas tree. This would mimic the scene of stars shining over the stable at Christ’s birth. 

This practice caught on, and as it became more common, candles were attached to the tree branches by pins, then by holders, then by lanterns. These lights reminded Christians of the lights that accompanied Christ’s birth, including the Bethlehem star and the angels who lit up the night sky with the glory of God. 

They reminded people that Christ is the light of the world. Eventually, German immigrants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries brought this tradition to America. Over time, the practice of decorating evergreen trees with lights was adopted by other ethnic communities in the United States. Of course, Americans are known for innovation, and that includes the development of Christmas lights. After the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1880, it wasn’t long until his company developed a string of incandescent lamps to be used for Christmas decorations. At first, one electrical string held eight bulbs, each the size of a walnut. But these lamps were expensive. By the 1930s, strings of lights became more affordable, and by the 1950s, they became standard decorations on the interior and exterior of American homes. Today, over 150 million sets of holiday lights are sold in the United States each year, lighting more than 80 million homes and consuming a whopping 6.6 billion kilowatt hours each December. In 2015, that was more than the country of El Salvador used the entire year, according to IGS Energy. 

II. Holiday light decorations remind Christians of the restoration of righteousness.

 Christmas lights are beautiful. But for Christians, they hold a much deeper meaning. In the Bible, darkness is the symbol for sin and light is the symbol for righteousness. So, lights at Advent and Christmas point us to the purpose of Christ’s advent: to remove sin and restore us to righteousness. 

The fall into sin brought spiritual darkness to humanity. People lived in the darkness of evil and deception. God promised a light to break the darkness of sin. That light would appear with the advent of the Messiah. 

The prophet Isaiah foretold the luminous impact the coming of Christ would have: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2). 

The prophet went on to announce this light breaking in through the birth of a child, the Son of God: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). 

III. Lights point us to Christ’s first advent.

 Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in the coming of Christ into the world. Jesus’ birth was signaled by the light of a special star that guided the Wise Men (Matthew 2:1–2, 9–10); this brilliant astronomical beacon led them to the newborn King. His birth was also heralded by the luminous glory of the Lord that shone around the shepherds (Luke 2:9). Even before His birth, John the Baptists father, Zechariah, declared , “Because of the tender mercy of our God, . . . the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78–79). 

John’s Gospel doesn’t narrate the events of Jesus’ birth, but it does describe the impact of that birth. John writes, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Jesus came to enlighten everyone with His own righteousness and glory. Later Jesus announced, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). 

By grace through faith, we who were once in the darkness of sin now receive Christ’s light of righteousness and glory. The apostle Paul declared, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

The candles of the Advent wreath and the lights on the Christmas tree celebrate the first coming of Christ, “who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). 

IV. Lights point us to Christ’s second advent. 

These lights also point us to the second coming of Christ. Jesus’ return will inaugurate a new creation in which the darkness of sin ends and the light of righteousness endures forever. We who are made righteous through faith in Christ will abide in that eternal righteous realm forever. 

CONCLUSION Light decorations are visible everywhere during this season, from candles to LEDs. They convey a powerful message: the light of Christ’s righteousness has come to disperse the darkness of sin. That’s what Advent is all about—the eternal glory that Jesus won for us at His first coming by His Death and Resurrection from the dead, as we look forward to experiencing that glory fully at His second coming. Every time you look at Advent and Christmas decorations shining brightly, remember their message: Jesus has come and will come again to bring you the light of His righteousness and glory!! 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Text: Romans 15:4-13 

Theme: Patient Welcome 

Outline 

1. We are often unwelcoming because of distrust. 

2. God welcomes us in Christ for our salvation 

3. Because God is welcoming to us, we can welcome others 

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 Epistle of Saint Paul’s letter to the church in Rome the fifteenth chapter verses four through thirteen. 

Boys and girls, I pray that you are doing well today. Do you enjoy saying hi to people? Sometimes you like to be really outgoing and say hi and good morning to everyone, even people that you do not know. I love that you do that. Some people do not like to do that because they enjoy getting to know people before doing so. Saint Paul tells us that in Jesus, God welcomes us. I know that you have seen this picture before. It is one of mine and your grandpa’s favorites of a man entering into heaven and Jesus giving him a giant hug. How does God welcome us in Jesus with a giant hug? How does Jesus’ welcome help us to be welcoming to those around us? Ponder those questions as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you. 

1. We are often unwelcoming because of distrust.

 How welcoming are you? Would you describe yourself as an extrovert or an introvert? 

Just as there many people out in the world today, so too within the church. 

Some people are bubbling and joyful all of the time, enjoying the crowds, the busel of conversation, and getting to know lots of people. Others are more reserved, quiet, and stoic. They enjoy smaller gatherings with close friends, a quiet night at home alone to recharge, and getting to know a few people very intimately. Many are somewhere in between, and others have learned how to be more extrovert like while still needed introvert times. 

Does this mean that you automatically enjoy and get along with everyone that you meet? There are people that we put up with and tolerate because we know that we have to. That boss that always seems to have a scowl on their face. The coworker that you just cannot seem to make happy no matter what you do. That spouse that always seems to nitpick what you do, no matter how well you do it. There are some that we tolerate and others that we love to be around upon this earth. 

One way that I can describe this is picture McDonald’s fries. Think of them. Fresh. Hot. Glistening with salt. A perfect golden brown. Can you smell them right now? So, here is the question: If I have McDonald’s French fries on my plate, do I tolerate them? The answer is no. I do not tolerate them. I enjoy them! I like them. I love them! Point being, we do not tolerate things that we like. We put up with things we have to put up with. That is what broccoli is for (just kidding, I like broccoli; kale on the other hand is a product of the fall). 

Tolerating and putting up with things or people is not being very welcoming. Because of our sinful nature, we often distrust those around us. We ponder how they are going to hurt us again, when will the next fight happen? How are they going to let us down this time? Oh, great, what task did I fail now? How far is that verbal jab going hit this time? I am already hurting, are they gong to provide comfort or rub further salt in the wound after a long, rough day? Even simple pleasantries become masks. A grumpy coworker says hi and your mind thinks, ‘Oh great, what do you want now? You never say hi without needing something from me.’ 

God should take this kind of attitude towards us. He should wash His hands of us completely because we do not pray rightly, we either come in arrogance, demanding for something from Him for ourselves or others, or we come timidly and meekly, unsure of what to even say or if God can even fulfill our request. 

1. God welcomes us in Christ for our salvation 

Yet, what does Saint Paul say? “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. ” 

How has Christ welcomed you? He took on the form of a servant for your good. 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 

9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says, j“The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

 In Jesus Christ, the God-man, God became a servant for your good. He fulfilled every single one of the Laws given to the Jews, living a perfect life, even when it meant going to a cross. There, in perfect obedience, Jesus bears the sins, shame, and distrust, not only of the Jews, but also yours and mine. 

He dies the dead that you and I deserve. He bears the full wrath of God so that God does not look upon us in distain or merely tolerates us. Rather, in Christ, He opens His arms and gives us a great giant welcome in Heaven as His dear and beloved Children. Jesus, through His life and death, undoes every difference and distrust that arises because of our sinful nature. The Jesus of Advent, the root of Jesse (Romans 15:12), the sun of righteousness arisen with healing in His wings is the Messiah who healed the breach between Jew and Gentile in His body, broken upon the cross that He might break down the dividing wall between them. As seen when the Temple curtain tears in two from top to bottom at His death, signifying that the barrier bearing the inscription, “No stranger is to enter within the balustrade round the temple and enclosure. Whoever is caught will be himself responsible for his ensuing death.“ has been done away with forever. 

Though His death and Resurrection, Jesus is our peace between us and God (Ephesians 2:14), and is our only hope for our cracks to be healed, our mistrust, our differences, our divisions to be solved, the very source of our salvation. 1. Because God is welcoming to us, we can welcome others All this God has done on our behalf, purely because of His divine goodness and mercy towards us. As His people, we emulate what Jesus has done for us in our daily lives. It does not mean that we have to get along with, or even enjoy being with, other people. Rather, it means that we see them as Jesus sees us. We see them as a human being, created in the image of God. We see a soul that Jesus died and rose from the dead, to save and redeem them. We see a person whom the Holy Spirit works though us, to bring the blessed gifts of God’s Word, that He might create and sustain saving faith in. We do this, seeing that in Christ, all barriers have been broken down, that it does not matter what we look like. It does not matter the color of our skin, the mental faculties that we posses, if we are wearing the best clothes or coming in tattered jeans and a cut off t-shirt. We are welcoming of everyone, because God in Christ, has first welcomed us, forgiven us of all of our sins, and still deigns to invite and welcome us to His table in the Holy Eucharist, to feast upon Jesus’ true body and blood, in, with, and under, the bread and the wine, that our faith is strengthened in love towards God and service towards those around us, that we may welcome others with a giant hug, or high five, just as Christ welcomes us, drawing us to His Cross. 

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

SERMON OUTLINE 

Introduction: 

Evergreen decorations used for Advent appear in many different forms. 

I. Evergreen decorations used during Advent originated in Europe. 

a. The Christmas tree arose in northern Europe to represent the tree of life. 

b. Evergreen garland arose in England to present life in the dead of winter. 

II. Evergreen decorations serve as a symbol of eternal life. 

a. Green signifies life. 

b. Evergreen signifies life that is eternal. 

III. Evergreens point us to Christ’s first advent. 

a. Jesus came to restore and give us eternal life, which had been lost due to sin. 

b. Christ became human to bring eternal life through His death and resurrection. 

c. God, the source of life, indwells and empowers us with His life.

 IV. Evergreens point us to Christ’s second advent. 

a. Jesus’ return will inaugurate a new creation without sin and death.

 b. Evergreens are associated with eternal life and the tree of life. 

SERMON INTRODUCTION 

Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas and for the coming of the Lord. During this Advent season, we reflect upon common decorations that we see all around us this time of year. We put up a lot of decorations that can help us prepare for the coming of Christ. This first week of Advent, we will focus on how evergreen decorations, especially our Christmas Trees, help us prepare for the coming of Christ. 

Look around this time of year, and you will see greenery everywhere—garland, wreaths, trees, and sprays. We decorate with different kinds of conifer trees—pine, spruce, fir—as well as with broadleaf evergreens like holly and ivy. We love to sing songs that celebrate these evergreen decorations, such as “O Tannenbaum” and “The Holly and the Ivy.” 

As we will during our Advent Midweeks. Indeed, the Christmas tree has become the universal symbol of the Christmas season, trees are displayed everywhere throughout the world: in homes, offices, town centers, shopping centers, public spaces, even on Halmark Christmas Cards. Even here in our church sanctuary, we have decorated our church with an evergreen tree and wreaths and garland.  These decorations have a churchly significance; they point us to spiritual truths. 

Why do we display evergreens in our church and in our homes as Christians? Is it only for aesthetic value—to make the place look pretty and festive? Or is there a deeper significance? 

I. Evergreen decorations used during Advent originated in Europe. 

To help us answer these questions, let’s go back to the very origins of the use of evergreen decorations during Advent and Christmas. Historians tell us that these decorations were first used in Europe during medieval times. The use of the Christmas tree appeared in northern Europe around AD 1000. Usually, a small fir tree was cut from the forest and brought into the house. By AD 1400, Christmas trees were commonly found in German homes. They were decorated with apples, nuts, pretzels, wafers, and gingerbread. 

Furthermore, December 24 was observed as the feast day of Adam, during which a “Paradise Play” was presented. This drama reenacted the events that took place with Adam and Eve in Paradise as depicted in the opening chapters of the Bible. In this play, a fir tree represented the tree of life. Christians associated the evergreen tree with life for this winter festival. Around the same time, garland made of green holly and ivy appeared in England during Advent and Christmas. 

Christians would decorate their churches, houses, and streets with evergreen branches. They even wrapped a pole with evergreen garland as a kind of winter maypole. This was done to present the warm hope of life in the bleak, cold, dark, dead of winter. 

II. Evergreen decorations serve as a symbol of eternal life. 

Green is a symbol of life because living plants are green. In cold climates, many plants lose their green in the winter and appear to be lifeless. But evergreen plants such as fir, pine, and holly trees retain green leaves in the winter. They have become a symbol of life when other plants appear dead. 

Moreover, evergreens are a symbol of eternal life. This is because they are ever green. They prevail over death, even in the dead of winter. Remember that the fir tree symbolized the tree of life for Christians in the Middle Ages. In the Bible, the tree of life offered eternal life to all who ate its fruit. 

Accordingly, Christians since the Middle Ages have decorated their homes and churches during Advent and Christmas to remind them of the gift of eternal life that Jesus’ advent offers. II. Evergreens point us to Christ’s first advent. Christ’s first coming was to restore eternal life that had been lost when our first parents fell into sin. 

In Paradise, Adam and Eve had access to the tree of life, as depicted by a fir tree in the medieval Paradise Play. But they forfeited that eternal life by sinning. Thorns infested the ground as a symbol of the curse and of death (Genesis 3:17–19). 

Jesus, the Second Adam, came to restore life that was lost in humanity’s fall. In His advent two thousand years ago, God the Son came as a human being to give His life so that we sinners might receive eternal life. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He brought life to us through a thorny crown and a sacrificial death on the cross, exchanging His life for the death that we deserved. 

The evergreen holly branch is associated with Christ’s death because its thorny leaves remind us of the crown of thorns He wore on the cross. Its red berries remind us of the drops of blood that fell from His head as He hung on the cross. His death destroyed death, and His resurrection restored life. Jesus proclaims, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25–26). 

Through Christ’s first advent, you and I have the gift of eternal life. God the Holy Spirit indwells us and empowers us with His life. He compares Himself to an evergreen tree in Hosea 14:8: “I am like an evergreen cypress; from Me comes your fruit.” God is our never-failing source of life and fruitfulness. 

III. Evergreens point us to Christ’s second advent.

 But that’s not all. Jesus’ return will inaugurate a new creation in which sin and death no longer exist. In the Bible, evergreens are associated with the new creation, which brings the reversal of sin’s curse and the blessing of eternal life. Recall that evergreens are associated with the tree of life, which we will have access to when Jesus comes again. 

The final chapter of the Bible describes that scene: “On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed” (Revelation 22:2–3). The tree of life is everbearing, evergreen, bestowing the fruit of everlasting life. This life is ours because of Christ’s first and second advents. 

CONCLUSION 

Evergreen decorations made of pine, spruce, fir, and holly trees are ubiquitous during this season. They convey a powerful message: evergreen symbolizes everlasting life. That’s what Advent and Christmas are all about: the eternal life that Jesus won for us at His first coming, which we will experience fully at His second coming. So, every time you look at evergreen decorations, remember their message: Jesus has come and will come again to give you everlasting life! Evergreen decorations made of pine, spruce, fir, and holly trees are ubiquitous during this season. They convey a powerful message: evergreen symbolizes everlasting life. That’s what Advent and Christmas are all about: the eternal life that Jesus won for us at His first coming, which we will experience fully at His second coming. So, every time you look at evergreen decorations, remember their message: Jesus has come and will come again to give you everlasting life!