New Year's Eve - 2018 - E - Whatever Befalls in 2019 Christ is With You

Christmas 1 - E - Heirs of God

Christmas Eve - 2018 - Silenced Sin Night

Proclaiming the One Advent 4

This Week's Proclaiming the One Advent 4

Summary of Christian Doctrine Session 07

Advent 3 - 2018 - G - Look to Jesus

Advent 2 Midweek Sermon outline - Introit

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is the Introit that we sang together earlier.  Especially these words, “Restore us, O God.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear Christians, dear people of Zion, behold your King comes to you.  That is the message of Advent that we hear again and again.  Your king is coming, he’s on his way, he draws ever nearer, your salvation is always drawing nearer.  And, that, dear people of Zion, is good news – Believe it or not!  It is good news that Christ comes to save you, to take you to be with himself.  Lift up your heads, Christ says, for your salvation draws near. 

But your old sinful nature isn’t excited, it’s terrified.  After all, it is a little bit terrifying to think about – that Jesus is coming back, with power and glory and dominion to bring this world to its end, to judge the unfaithful and send them to an eternity apart from his love and care, and to bring peace, comfort and joy to those who are faithful in believing that Christ is for them.  It can be a bit terrifying because we know the truth, that at times we aren’t as faithful as we should be. 

Yes, the truth is we sin.  Day in and day out.  We sin, by the things we do.  We commit adultery, we lie, we steal, we cheat and more.  Behind it all is the idea that we know better than God, that he is subject to our whims and ideas, that our word is better than His word.  We sin.  You sin.  I sin.  It is a reality of life in this sinful world. 

And as a result of our sin, we face death.  A whole slew of dreadful diseases affect us.  Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer and more.  And those are not all, even the small things, like gray hair, bodies that weaken with age, eyes that grow dim, even the common cold is a result of sin.  And all of them show that our bodies are dying.  Yes, one day we face the very real promise of death.  Our hearts will stop beating, our lungs will be still, our life shall cease.  This awaits us all.  And those who die apart from the faith will face eternal death in hell because of sin. 

And its not only death of our bodies that we face, it’s the death of our relationships with our neighbors.  Husbands and wives who will divorce.  Children who will be abandoned or taken away.  Friends that move away or become angry and stop speaking with us.  Brother will turn of brother, father upon child, sister against cousin.  Relationships will be decimated because of sin. 

And the things we love will turn out to be false idols.  Our money won’t stop death, no matter how many thousands are in your bank account.  The size of your home doesn’t change the size of your gravesite.  Having the newest iPhone won’t stop death from calling you someday.  There is no app for that.  And even being the best athletes, singers, financial planners, and movie stars must die, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 

So Merry Christmas, Right?!  Behold, The Day is coming Burning like an oven!  That’s an Advent hymn we don’t hear on the radio!  And yet it is true!  Jesus is coming!  His Advent draws every nigh.  Where’s the good news in that if I must die? 

IT is just this, that Jesus comes with Salvation for you.  He is the one who conquered death in his first coming, and will conquer it for you as well.  He calls you today, not to death, not to continue in sin, not to love the things or people of this world, but instead he calls you to life eternal.  “The Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard” says the introit, “Heard wherever the Word of God is preached.”  And it continues, “and you shall have gladness of heart.”  Gladness of heart because your sin has not been counted against you, but instead against Jesus who suffered, bled and died for that sin.  Gladness of heart because the power of death has been destroyed by the death of Jesus crucified and risen to take away your death– O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?  Gladness, because in Jesus, you have hope of forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.  Gladness of Heart because Jesus, your salvation, comes. 

And so, as we wait for his coming, we pray along with the introit, “Restore us O God!”  Restore us from love of stuff.  Restore our relationships with our neighbors.  Restore our bodies from illness, sickness, cancer, Alzheimer’s – if not in this world than in the resurrection.  Restore us O God, so that our cold hearts become alive at your word and sacraments.  Enliven our hearts within us.  Restore us O God by the blood, death and resurrection of the coming one, Jesus Christ, our God and our Lord.  Let your hand be upon him, the Son whom you have made strong for yourself, strong enough to conquer sin death and the grave for us, our behalf.  We pray along with the introit, because we know that in Christ, what we pray for has been granted.  God’s promises have all been answered with Yes, for the sake of Jesus. 

Dear friends, Behold, your salvation comes, he comes again to restore you, to grant you life, to grant you a heart that loves God and the Gifts God freely gives.  Rejoice O Daughter of Zion, rejoice O Christian, your salvation comes to restore you for all eternity. 

In the name of Jesus.  Amen. 

2018 - Proclaiming The One - Advent 3

This Week's Proclaiming the One - Advent Three

Archive of Past Episodes

2018 Summary of Christian Doctrine Session 06

A Look at the 10 Commandments

2018 Summary of Christian Doctrine Session 05