RSS FeedReconciled To God
March 5, 2010
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Topics: News
Jesus Rescues Us from Death and Brings Us into Heaven
February 25, 2010
The prophet Jeremiah faithfully preached “all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people” (Jer. 26:8). He called the people to repentance, lest the Lord’s judgment come upon them. The violence that Jeremiah suffered for this preaching foreshadowed the cross and Passion of Christ Jesus, who suffered the judgment of God for the redemption of all people. For Jesus “comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35) in order to lay down His life for the sins of the world.
Earthly Jerusalem was blind to His gracious visitation, and so put Him to death like the prophets before Him. Yet, His sacrifice upon the cross was the cornerstone of the new Jerusalem, His Church. He visits us today in mercy with His preaching of forgiveness, to gather us to Himself within that holy city, “as a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (Luke 13:34). For “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).
Topics: News
Ash Wednesday 2010
February 19, 2010
Sermon from Ash Wednesday 2010…
Topics: Podcast
Jesus Christ Is Our Champion against the Devil
February 19, 2010
Jesus Christ, our Champion against the devil, endures and overcomes “every temptation” (Luke 4:13) on our behalf. He worships the Lord His God, and serves Him only by trusting the Word of His Father: “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
Jesus’ victory is now ours through His gracious Word, which is not far away but near us—in our mouth and in our heart, in the proclamation of repentance and faith. For “with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom. 10:10). Our confession of Christ includes the prayer of faith, which is not disappointed; “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
The Lord is not oblivious to “our affliction, our toil, and our oppression” (Deut. 26:7), but has mercy upon us. He has brought us out of bondage through the “signs and wonders” of Holy Baptism, “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut. 26:8), and now He leads us by His Spirit even in the wilderness.
Topics: News
God Makes Light Shine In Our Hearts
February 14, 2010
God Makes Light Shine In Our Hearts
I. The God of This World Sows Blindness
II. The God of Love, The God Who IS, Sows Light
III. Light Shines through the Gospel
Topics: Podcast
TRANSFIGURATION
February 14, 2010
The last Sunday after the Epiphany has Jesus’ transfiguration as its theme. Three disciples went with Jesus up a mountain and there saw Jesus shining in the glory that was his as true God. He spoke with two glorified saints, Moses and Elijah.
The Old Testament reading from Exodus tells how one of the two, Moses, was also radiant as a reflection of the glory of God, whose word he proclaimed. We are reminded that such borrowed or reflected glory is nothing like the intrinsic glory of Christ, Who is God the Son, and the source of all light.
The Epistle from Second Corinthians directs our attention to the light of the gospel. This reveals the glory of Jesus Christ. When we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, the light of the gospel shines into the hearts of men and gives knowledge of the glory of God. This shows the importance of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ so that God may be known in his glory.
The Gospel from Luke shows us the glory Jesus has as the eternal Son of God. This is glory we do not see now. The disciples saw it only for a moment. Peter wished it could have continued. But it cannot here on earth. This glory can be shared only the way Moses and Elijah shared it. That happens when Jesus takes us into eternal glory. What is important now is to hear the Word of the chosen One of God, the Lord Jesus. To him we are to listen.
While our text from the Gospel for this Sunday presents a fitting close for the Epiphany season, it also prepares us for the Lenten season which begins on Ash Wednesday. The topic of Christ’s conversation with Moses and Elijah was the “departure” of Christ which would take place in Jerusalem.[1]
[1]Wendland, E., Wendland, E., & Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship. (1999, c1982). Sermon studies on the Gospels : (ILCW series C) (electronic ed.) (114). Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House. (Revised)
Topics: News
WOST Post Holiday Party
February 11, 2010
THE WOMEN OF ST TIMOTHY will be having their post holiday party on Friday, February 19th, 6:30 pm at Sue Mecklenburg’s house. Please bring an appetizer or dessert. If you plan to attend, please sign up in the narthex.
Topics: For Women
Jesus Manifests His Divine Glory by Forgiving Sins
February 5, 2010
When Isaiah beheld the glory of the Holy Triune God in the Temple, he confessed that he was lost because he was sinful and unclean. If even the holy angels cover their faces in the presence of “the King, the Lord of hosts,” then how could Isaiah stand before Him? (Is. 6:1–5).
The glory of the Lord, however, was manifested precisely in His forgiving of Isaiah’s sins. He touched Isaiah’s mouth with a burning coal from the altar of incense, and sanctified his lips for the proclamation of His Word (Is. 6:6–9).
Similarly, when Simon Peter witnessed the glory of God in the miraculous catch of fish, he was brought to his knees and confessed, “I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). Yet, the Lord Jesus did not depart from him, but calmed his fear and raised him up with His gracious forgiveness (Luke 5:10).
With this same forgiveness and love, Christ gathers people from every nation into His Church and pours out His Spirit upon them, first with the gift of saving faith and then all other spiritual gifts. The gifts of that same Spirit are manifested in the speaking and hearing of the Gospel for the building up of the Church (1 Cor. 14:12).
Topics: News
The Brothership of Jesus Gives Us Sonship
January 5, 2010
THE “BROTHERSHIP” OF JESUS GIVES US “SONSHIP”
I. Christ Our Brother by Birth
II. Redeems Us To Be God’s Children
III. A Relationship We Live Joyfully
Topics: News
The Fullness of Time
December 31, 2009
What does this mean that “the time had fully come?” It means that Jesus is king of kings, and uses History to His own purposes.
Lest there be any doubt that He now rules as true God and true man, lest there be any doubt that He has ruled from eternity, let us see how He as king of kings molded history to his needs.
The area in the middle between the rivers is the Plain of Shinar where Noah’s descendents began to build a powerful civilization, until God scattered them by confusing their languages and dispatching them to the four corners of the world. The world was divided this way so that rather than joining in rebellion against God, the nations would be weakened so that the promise of the Savior to come would be kept alive. It would be kept alive in such a place and in such a way as to touch each of these other civilizations.
And so it continued for a long time, with city states with differing languages growing up. It was in this situation that Abraham was called, and the promise given to him that in his descendent all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
It stated that way, with all these little nations rising and falling. But then things began to change, and quickly (in historical terms). The Assyrian empire exploded, (around the name Assyria) about 640 years before Christ. Soon it was replaced by the New Babylonian, (dotted line) which took over Judea in 606 B.C.
It was at that time, 550 years before it happened, that Daniel foretold the events that followed, particularly in his vision of the great statue in Daniel chapter two.
The New Babylonian was replaced by the Median or Medo-Persian Empire (the area marked by the dot-and-dash). The Medo-Persian Empire was replaced by the Empire of Alexander the Great (long dashes) that covered nearly everything there but the boot of Italy.
Tradition has it that that when Alexander approached Jerusalem, he was met by the priests who told him he was expected, and showed him Daniel's prophecy, including the general extent of his conquests. (Alexander spared Jerusalem.)
Finally by about 100 B.C. the last of the earthly empires of Daniel had taken root and held sway over the meeting-places of three continents. This was the empire of iron, the Roman Empire, eventually extending from North Africa to Southern Russia, and from England to India.
When the time had fully come, and Jesus was born, He entered a world prepared for the gospel. One common government, one common language of commerce, freedom of commercial shipping, one system of roads, a dependable system of law enforcement, even a decent post office.
On top of that, the philosophical atmosphere created opportunities for the gospel. The nations were corrupt; faith in the old deities had been lost. It was not unusual for someone such as Paul to strike up a conversation dealing with matters religious.
So it was that as King of kings and Lord of lords, God saw to it that… when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law.
Topics: News
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