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God Saves Everyone

Text: Mark 8:27-38
Date: Lent II + 3/1/15

Before I begin I feel I have to make it very clear that the sermon title, “God Saves Everyone,” does not mean to fall off the doctrinally pure wagon to begin to preach “universalism.” God has made it possible for the whole world to be saved. God so loved the world. Yet those who reject the gift of His salvation make it necessary that, in the end, they also will be rejected, as our Lord says at the end of today’s Gospel reading, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” This title was simply meant to contrast last week’s title: “God Tempts No One,” but “God Saves Everyone,” that is, there is no salvation except that worked by God. Continue reading “God Saves Everyone”

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God Tempts No One

Text: Mark 1:9-15
Date: Lent I + 1/20/15

Oh, my! Here we are again, still stuck in Mark chapter one. We have observed how urgently this Evangelist wishes to move us to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Mark apparently assumes that you have heard of Jesus’ virgin conception in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 and His birth in Bethlehem in fulfillment of Micah 5:2, possibly even having read Matthew’s recent publication, so he doesn’t feel it necessary to mention that. It is, of course, a very important part of the gospel but for some reason not to Mark as much as his goal, the testimony of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Continue reading “God Tempts No One”

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With Shining Face

Text: Mark 9:2-9
Date: Transfiguration + 2/15/15

Today serves as sort of a bookend to the season of Epiphany. It began at our Lord’s Baptism with a dramatic appearance of the Holy Spirit and the Voice from heaven declaring, “This is my beloved Son.” Today the season ends with the even more dramatic vision of our Lord’s Transfiguration, the Voice from heaven repeating, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” In the first chapter of Mark’s gospel it is interesting to note how the Evangelist, already from the beginning, here and there hints at the heart of the gospel, namely, the resurrection of our Lord. Today we are given a glimpse, a vision, a description of our Lord Jesus Christ in His full heavenly glory. Continue reading “With Shining Face”

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Unwearied Grace

Text: Mark 1:29-39
Date: Epiphany V + 2/8/15

This is the sixth time we are hearing from only the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel this year. And we would hear the remaining paragraphs of this chapter if the Epiphany season were one week longer this year. Here we see Jesus beginning His earthly ministry. Baptized by John and tempted in the wilderness (of which we will hear on the First Sunday in Lent), Jesus is introduced to us by Mark as the incarnate Son of God who comes preaching, teaching, healing and casting out demons. This is what Jesus came to do, namely, to restore the fallen, dying, sinful creation to God’s original design, holy, pure and living. But this was only the beginning. Continue reading “Unwearied Grace”

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Nothing New

Text: Mark 1:23-28
Date: Epiphany IV + 2/1/15

Conversion from sinner to saint, enlightenment from unbeliever to believer happens in different ways to different individuals; different yet the same. No one has the ability to come to faith in God on your own. God must first come to us. And He has. When He sent His Son into our flesh, being born of a woman, the ancient doors of heaven, previously barred because of our sin and death, were flung open. In Jesus of Nazareth the heavens are opened to all. Christmas was such a joyful event that even the world gets into the act to a certain extent. We’ve seen those doors dramatically ripped open at our Lord’s baptism, the Spirit resting on Him and the voice of the Father from above. Today we see the awesome power of the open door of heaven as Jesus casts out an unclean spirit from a man; a pretty dramatic event if you stop to ponder each detail. St. Mark tells us how the people at first “were astonished” at Jesus’ teaching. Now he says “they were all amazed,” asking, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” Continue reading “Nothing New”

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The Heavenly Call

Text: Mark 1:14-20
Date: Epiphany III + Conversion of St. Paul + 1/25/15

Interesting studies at this year’s Theological Symposia at our Fort Wayne, Indiana seminary! We heard presentations thinking about “culture,” and specifically the culture we find ourselves in today. Things change! So we gather here today to hear how the Gospel of Jesus Christ (“the same yesterday, today and forever,” Heb 13:8) and our call to follow Him and to testify or witness to Him to the world that is now around us is, on the one hand, the same as it always was, and yet how that call and following and testimony and witness and the world has changed and is changing. Continue reading “The Heavenly Call”

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The Heavens Opened

Text: John 1:43-51
Date: Epiphany II + Confession of St. Peter + 1/18/15

In the beginning of the Gospel we announce with John the Baptist, with the holy evangelists and with the holy Church throughout the world the coming of the Savior of the world, as we say in the creed, coming down from heaven. In this way the scripture says that heaven itself, formerly closed to and against us, was now ripped open by the grace of God breaking through to us. Now today’s sermon title could be taken as a repeat of all that talk about how the heavens were opened. But today when St. John reports Jesus saying, “Truly, truly I say to you, you will see heaven opened,” He means to say that by faith in Christ the heavens have already been opened and stand and remain always open to you. That is, ever since the coming of the Christ—as the Son of Mary in Bethlehem, as the Baptist’s “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” and as He came to you in the water of your holy baptism—ever since Christ came the doors of heaven have stood open to you. They will not be shut until everyone who will has entered. Today we say that for every believer in Christ heaven stands and remains open. Continue reading “The Heavens Opened”

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O Savior, Rend the Heavens

Text: Mark 1:9-11
Date: Baptism of Our Lord + Epiphany 1 + 1/11/15

Today is the starting line, the countdown of Advent and Christmas is over, “three, two, one,” and today we hear the gun shot word, “Go!” “Lift off,” “And they’re off!” Do you remember that Advent word? We sang that beautiful hymn “O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide,” expecting and inviting our Savior to “Come down with mighty stride.” It was before Christmas so we were getting in the mood to gather on a silent night, holy night around the tender Christ child in a manger. We sang in images of light and morning dew, clouds and rain, of hill and dale in garb of green and meadow fair. We looked for and expected comfort and joy. So now here we are, ready to go. The Christmas trees and decorations are gone, and we take comfort and hope in the fact that the days are getting longer and the season of Spring is on its way to rescue and liberate us from the harsh, cruel winter. Continue reading “O Savior, Rend the Heavens”

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All Wisdom and Insight

Text: Ephesians 1:8 (3-14)
Date: Christmas II + 1/4/14

Solomon of old asked God not for a long life or riches or the life of his enemies but for “an understanding mind” and God gave him “a wise and discerning mind.” In the Holy Gospel today St. Luke tells us that Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom,” and that in his discussions with the doctors or teachers in the temple that “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Spiritual wisdom and understanding come from God alone. As the psalm says, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding” (Ps 111:10). From that time “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Continue reading “All Wisdom and Insight”