Sermon Audio

“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

On Sunday, we marveled at the humble coming of Jesus in the flesh and into Jerusalem to die for the world. With an eye toward celebrating that first coming, that first appearing of Jesus in the flesh to man—to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem—we always do so with an eye to His coming again in the clouds with judgment—to the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” For, as we confess, this same Jesus, “Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary...shall come [again] to judge the quick and the dead.”

On that great and dreadful day, we shall see Him as He is. “He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age” (Athanasian Creed)...”very God of very God,” (Nicene Creed) and true Man. And on the day of Resurrection, we shall be as He is: true Man—for on that day, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes (cf. Revelation 7:17), this corruption will put on incorruption, this mortality immortality (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:53-54), and we will be whole; no more Old Adam, no more sin, no more death—in a word, perfect!

But you get that way through no work of your own. In this corruption and mortality, you are powerless and weak to effect such perfection in yourself. No, the Lord makes you...

Sermon Audio

Dear people of God, “Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” Your King is coming to you humble.

On that first Palm Sunday, that is exactly how the King of kings entered into Jerusalem—humble. This is no way for a king to enter into the city. Of course, a week later, we find the King crowned in a way that no king should be crowned or enthroned in a way that no king should be enthroned. But here is the King of kings’ chariot: a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. And there is the King of kings’ crown: thorns. And there is the King of kings’ throne: a cross. This King is executed as a common criminal after He had entered into the city as a common peasant. His coming then was humble...lowly.

So...yeah, I did it again: waited to post a group of sermons. Well, the latest manuscripts and recordings are up. Here's the list:

• Michaelmas
• Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity
• Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity
• Last Sunday of the Church Year

Sermon Audio

It’s the end of the church year. Following the observance of the Festivals of the Reformation and All Saints, the church finds itself in the last two or three Sundays of the year, before the first Sunday in Advent. Appropriately, our attention turns to the end of all things, the return of Jesus Christ to judge the quick and the dead, and the resurrection of all flesh.

Sermon Audio

“When you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” Jesus says, “run for the hills.”

I suppose that it’s fitting that in the One-Year lectionary, this lesson appears around Election Day on these shores. Jesus is very much making a political statement. When you see the abomination of desolation, run for the hills!

It has been a while, but I've added some photos to the photo album linked at the main domain. It's a couple of albums from earlier this week. Check them out by following this link. Over time, as I find time to go through our vast collection of photos, I may add more albums to the site.

Sermon Audio

Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

I’m not one who has taken a current event and molded a sermon around it, spare once, following the wildfires last summer. I have mentioned a current event in sermons in connection with the text, but never has an event such as this meshed so well with a text for a Sunday morning.

There is controversy in Texas over a billboard. While it has drawn some supporters, the overwhelming reaction has been outrage. On the billboard is a man portraying Jesus. He is crowned with thorns. His outstretched arms bear hands with holes in them where it would appear there once were nails. Covering the body of the Jesus figure are tattoos. Outcast, addicted, jealous, faithless, and cheat some of them read. It would appear to be a great representation of what Jesus’ death means for you. These tattoos show you that Jesus has taken these conditions and illnesses and struggles—these sins—from you and bore them Himself in His passion and death. Of course, where it falls short is that the nail holes would indicate that this Jesus is a post-resurrection Jesus, and following His resurrection, Jesus would not be carrying the sins of the world in (or on) His flesh.

One of my favorite actors sings a song by and with one of my favorite musicians. Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Downy, Jr. and Sting, from 2011: