Recent sermons
May 17, 2026 - Acts 1:1-11
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our risen and ascended Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I’m sure you noticed that after the Epistle Reading I extinguished the Christ Candle and that was a way to signify that Jesus has ascended, that we can no longer see him in his bodily form as they did in the post-resurrection accounts. Today is the seventh and last Sunday in the season of Easter. It is on this important day that we remember and celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. Ascension Day celebrates the day in which Jesus ascended to be with the Father. It took place 40 days after the resurrection. It is recorded at the end of Gospel of Luke and at the beginning of the Book of Acts. At that time, Jesus was “lifted up and taken to be with the Father”. I’ve heard is said, the Gospel of Luke is the story of Jesus and the Book of Acts is the story of the Church. But that is not quite right. The first is the story of Jesus and the second is the story of Jesus through the Church. That is why Luke begins the Book of Acts by saying “In the first book, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. Now I’m going to talk about what Jesus continues to do and teach through the Church. Let me give you an illustration that I hope will help us step as near as you can into the Book of Acts Chapter 1. Even as we are here right now, there is an immense power at work. Physicists call it the fourth greatest power in the universe and it is impacting every one of us and for the most part it goes unrecognized. But if it were to stop right now, we would get sick, and we would eventually die, if not quickly. The force is called gravity. A couple of years ago, a study was done on astronaut Scott Kelly. After living in zero gravity for one year, we learned what will happen to us without gravity. 5 percent of muscle mass would disappear every week. 1 percent of your bone mass will disappear every month. Blood production goes down because marrow is working differently and the heart weakens. It actually changed his chromosomes. And after only 6 months in space, it takes 2 to 3 years to recover. Here is the point. We were designed for this power to always be pulling on us. And we would become less human and less of what we were designed to be if it stopped. Now to apply it, in the Book of Acts, Luke is saying the same thing. Humans were designed to have Christ’s continuing power always to be pulling and gripping on it. And if it did not, we would not just slowly become ill, if not quickly, and ultimately we would die eternally. So, let us not be confused by the Ascension. The Ascension is not saying Jesus has taken “lift-off” like Artemas II and He is now far from us and is no longer working with us. Going to the “right hand of the Father” is not so much a location as it is a designation of the authority that Jesus has now assumed. In other words, the Ascension of Jesus celebrates His coronation moment. During His earthly life, He was crowned with suffering. But on Ascension Day, Jesus was crowned with glory. “He received his rightful place as Lord of all heaven and earth.” One might be worried that Jesus has separated Himself from us. But the opposite is true. Because of the Ascension, because of Christ’s ultimate authority, Paul says, “Who can separate us from his love? In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I had a friend on facebook say “What kind of God would have knowledge of a vaccine or a cure for cancer but withhold it from us?” First of all, let me just say it is not obvious to me that God is withholding anything from us. Is it not just as possible that we are not listening or that we often go off on our own producing medicines for things that have worse side effects than the problem in the first place. C. S. Lewis said, “It is really hard to save a person drowning that wont stop kicking and screaming.” None the less, our cry is real, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom?” To this very question, Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” I replied a rather long response to my friend on facebook. But one thing I suggested is the possibility that God could have sufficient reason for allowing it. I don’t claim to know the reason, but it might just be only in a world suffused with suffering will the most amount of people would come to him. As far as my friend on facebook, he has the choice to trust Jesus or deny Him… as do you. As for me, I feel ashamed when I question His agenda. Because his revealed plan of salvation is much bigger and better and further reaching than my plan could have ever been. On Ascension Day Jesus may have traded his sandals for a scepter but do not be confused. His plan of salvation continues for me and for you and for those who have yet to believe and or aren’t even here yet. Strikingly so, Jesus wants you to see yourself in the Ascension. In the hymn just prior to the sermon, we sang “On Christ’s ascension I now build, the hope of my ascension”. In the Collect of the Day, we prayed “leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth”. The Ascension of Jesus attests to what lies ahead for all of us, that at the appointed time, Jesus will return and we too will be “caught up in the clouds to be with Him”. On the final Sunday of Easter, we are yet again reminded, Jesus was the first to be transformed, but He will not be the last. Let that image continue to sink it… let that image bring us great joy. Even in the midst of our continued trials, let us continue to bring our blessings to God. Above all, do not think for a minute we are separated from Him or His work. It is no coincidence that in the Book of Exodus, a cloud and pillar of fire guided the people in the wilderness and so too at the Ascension a cloud took him from their sight. Ex 13:21 describes “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. In other words, the cloud at the Ascension is another way of saying, Jesus is God and he will lead us and guide us through the wilderness. Jesus’ work is not finished. He is just warming up. If he had lived in Alabama, he might have said, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.” In the Book of Revelation John saw a vision of the throne room with all the company of heaven all worshiping the lamb who was not separated from them, but he was in their midst. May the Lord strengthen us in these present days; until that day, when He returns just like he was taken up. Here is what we learn throughout the Bible, but even more, right now on Ascension Day: we learn He will keep his word. And He has a plan… which includes you. There is no reason for any of us to be decimated by defeat. No reason to fear the foe. You aint seen nothin’ yet. “Men of Galilee, people of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly. In the grace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Trust your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.
.jpg)
May 10, 2026 - John 14:15-21
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, today marks a very special day. As I’m sure you are most readily aware; today is Mother’s Day. What are your Mother’s Day traditions? Is it an occasion for getting together, for making contact, sending or receiving cards, having a special meal and going to church with the whole family on this day. Whatever it is that you do, it is a good thing to take time on this second Sunday in May to honor or remember one of God's greatest gifts to humankind, that is, our mothers… Mothers are indeed a gift from God, and besides every last one of us owes our existence to our mother. Although Mother’s Day might not be a liturgical holiday, I do believe a mother is a link to God… a child’s first impression of God love. To all of the mothers in our congregation, I pray a happy Mother’s Day to all of you! Last week Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” He also said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms and I go to prepare a place for you.” Our text for today is a continuation of that same discussion. In fact, Chapter 14 comes from a larger section in the Gospel of John that is known as the farewell discourses of Jesus. In these chapters, 14, 15, 16, and 17 Jesus is saying good bye… and he is also telling the disciples what to expect when he is gone. These words of Jesus are important because they help us to anticipate what is coming in our future. And what is in your future? I would imagine the answer might be different depending on who you ask? But either way, I hope all of you would admit your future is sure and that God is with you no matter what. That is not a license to be negligent or a promise nothing bad will happen to you. The promise Jesus made to them and to you is that He would sending the Holy Spirit. And notice what Jesus called the Holy Spirit in Verse 15. In Verse 15 and three other times in this farewell discourse Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Paraclete.” “Paraclete” it is an interesting Greek word, one that is rendered differently in almost every English translation (sometimes it is left untranslated all together). The King James Version of the Bible rendered Paraclete as “comforter.” The ESV says “helper.” The NIV says “advocate.” The NIB says, “counselor.” Paraclete is a loaded word which means all those thing… it is a word that refers to someone who is called alongside someone else in order to help him or her. It means to instruct, to help, to comfort, to guide. A paraclatos is there to help you make wise decisions and to help you remember. What might you need to remember? The Holy Spirit wants you to remember the words of Jesus. Just last week Jesus said, “cling to my Words and you can have joy even in times of sadness.” Ultimately, the Holy Spirit does just that… He comes to your side in order to keep you on task and to motivate you when the road seems dark and unending. I’m sure we have all found ourselves in dark places, and to this end, I love the fact that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a helper, comforter, (perhaps best translated) “counselor” because this indicates something very important about the Spirit. The Spirit was sent to minister not just to your physical or you’re your spiritual wellbeing but also to the more sensitive side of your human person…. When you’re upset for an extended amount of time who do you call? Not a doctor but a counselor, one that is concerned about your emotional stability. Although that is true, I should probably make clear that the Christian faith is not just something believed in the head or even something you feel in the heart. The Christian faith is also something that you live out in the world. In other words, although it may begin inside of you, it does not end there. I think what I just said will help us understand the command of Jesus in Verse 21. Jesus in this passage commands all of us “to love”. In order to understand this command, we need to notice that love and obedience are jointed. Jesus said, in Verse 21, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” Understand what this means. With these words Jesus is saying that Love is more than a feeling. Feelings cannot be commanded, but love can. Why? It is because love is something that is always directed at someone else. Love is to be for the good of another… Love is way more than liking another person and as the Boston song suggests, it is always more than a feeling. Paul describes love as “patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Love is forever.” And above all, it is a verb. To learn to love is a difficult thing. People hurt our feelings and we hurt theirs. We all make mistakes but the good thing is that being a Christian is not contingent upon whether or not you are mistake less. The important thing is that you remember Jesus Christ is love and that in him is forgiveness. The remarkable thing about John Chapter 14 is that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a paraclete… a counselor. Understand, what is a counselor’s job? Counselors intercede between two parties in order to get them to communicate, and ultimately, achieve reconciliation. One thing we would do well to remember from John Chapter 14 is that God’s love includes you when you are successful and when you are not. The love of God is all about forgiveness not achievements. This morning I’d like to tell you that the Holy Spirit cares about you and wants to reconcile you to God. The Bible says Christianity is about love. That it true, but it is first a foremost about His love for us. God’s love includes you whether you are loving or not. Allow me to suggest that is good news for all of us because there are those times when we have all been caught being very unloving. His love includes all my ups and downs. Emotionally, spiritually, and physically…. Humans are complicated. Yet no matter how complicated your life might appear to you, know that you are understood by somebody…. That someone is the Holy Spirit and He can make sense of even your life. And that is why Jesus calls him your counselor. Jesus said “the Holy Spirit would be with us forever.” That means we are always in good hands and we have not been left “orphaned.” Dear Christian friends, what does all this mean for you? It means you don’t have to wait for heaven to enjoy your life… You can enjoy your life now because You are God’s child today. You have been saved today. Peter put it so beautifully in our reading from 1 Peter Chapter 3. He wrote, “Baptism now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Although we may continue to sin, Baptism, with the help of the Holy Sprit continues to save you now and always. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit is with us forever. And a matter of fact, no matter how life may appear to you, know you are in good hands… trust in Him and let the Spirit be your counselor… let him reconcile you to God.
April 26, 2026 - John 10: 1-10
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Gospel reading for today comes from the Good Shepherd Chapter of John’s Gospel. Every year on the Fourth Sunday after Easter the Church celebrates “Good Shepherd Sunday.” So, on this Fourth Sunday after Easter, welcome to “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Interestingly enough, although it is Good Shepherd Sunday, although John Chapter 10 is from the “Good Shepherd Chapter”, and although Jesus does use the word “shepherd” in this text; just notice that in Chapter 10:1-10 the primary metaphor is not Jesus as “shepherd” but rather Jesus as “Gate”. I once heard someone say “some truths are so great they can only be conveyed in metaphor”. Not only do I think that is true, I also think that is what Jesus is doing in this text… He is conveying a truth so great it can only be expressed through metaphor. Given that even a good metaphor has little meaning outside of its context, I’d like to point out that in Chapter 9 Jesus has just restored the sight of a man born blind in which the Pharisees had claimed the man was blind because of his sin. After all of the back and forth debates between the Pharisees and the man and the Pharisees and Jesus, after all the discussion over spiritual blindness and sin… It is into the midst of this question over sin, who’s in, who’s not, who’s receiving judgement, who’s not; it is concerning this very question that Jesus responds with the Good Shepherd Chapter. On that occasion we hear Jesus saying some of the most comforting words. He said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (vs. 14–15) “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Jesus develops that Good Shepherd metaphor beginning in Verse 11 of John Chapter 10. Jesus as “Good Shepherd” proves to be a beautiful image of God. It is the perfect image of Jesus as Savior, it is also a descriptive and informative image of us, although not all that smart, we are never the less beloved sheep. I’m sure you could guess why it is our tendency to go right to the “Good Shepherd” metaphor and skip over the other metaphor in this text. While the Pharisees had taken it upon themselves to judge who was in and who was out, Jesus in contrast said, “I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” When you imagine a gates, what image do you have in your mind? A wooden gate… maybe it is an iron gate… either way it has hinges and it is attached to a fence to keep the right people and right animals in and to keep the wrong people and wrong animals out. Well, that is not exactly what Jesus has in mind. You see, it is true that gated communities and barbed wire fences carry with them a clear statement of exclusivity… a fence speaks for itself and it does not need a sign to suggest you outsiders are not wanted… “no trespassing”. Understand, that is not the statement Jesus is making. If anything, that was the statement the Pharisees were making in John Chapter 9. In contrast, the statement of Jesus is not exclusive but inclusive. Jesus is gatekeeper and He wants to bring in as many sheep as possible. One of the questions I wonder is whether or not this metaphor opens our minds or closed them. Despite what I just said earlier about the inclusive nature of Jesus, it is true that Jesus is not just the gate but the only gate. In Mark 10 Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Imagine the smallest camel you have ever seen… now imagine the largest needle you have ever used. That is pretty exclusive, if you ask me. Given words like that, I’m not surprised when the church and the people of God fancy themselves as gate keepers. Maybe they do, but we do so wrongly. Here is the point… In the book of John Jesus calls himself the way, the truth, and the life… He says, “no one can come to the Father except though the Son.” Deciding who is in and who is not, deciding what is holy and what is not, sorry to say but that is not our call to make. If we are not careful the image of Jesus as gate keeper will serve as an convenient justification to keep us away from people we deem to be different. But let’s recall the purpose of the metaphor? Is Jesus saying his purpose is solely to keep thieves out? I don’t know about you but the one thing that troubles me is that the thieves and robbers seem to get in with or without the gate. But either way, they are not the point. Remember from Chapter 9, the person Jesus is talking about is the blind man that the Pharisees have written off. The point is that “God so loves the world” that the gate swings open for lost sheep in particular. The irony in this text is that gates normally divide people, but Jesus is the gate in order to make us all one. Jesus prayed in John 17 “I ask that all of these may be made one. As you Father are in me and I am in you may they also be in us.” John’s Gospel is all about answering the question “Who is Jesus?” In this passage Jesus is literally the one standing in the gap assuring us to come closer. Understand, I’m not saying that when there is a clear instance of unrepentant sin that the church shouldn’t call it what it is and go from there… But that is not what this text is about. I know so many people who no longer come to church because in their mind, fair or unfair, they see “the church” as self-appointed gate keepers who are happy to keep the gate closed. Some of us might agree. Some of us might have even experienced this at various churches. In our passage this morning Jesus is reminding us that the Church is neither the gate keeper nor the gate. Jesus is. That being said, remember you are a sheep and your job is simple… follow the Shepherd. I really do love this passage of John. It is a passage that gives us a metaphor of Jesus that our hearts yean for. I mean, if you are honest, none of us should be allowed to enter. Yet in John Chapter 10 it is this very Jesus, cloaked in a metaphor, that comes seeking us. He tells us he knows our names. He tells us despite our wonderings, murmurings, motives, and morals, despite the fact that we are lost and confused, dumb as a sheep, he loves us enough to lay his life down for us. Oh what an image… it is not one of an armed guard standing at Buckingham Palace to keep those on the outside from getting in. Rather it is a Savior who is standing as the gate with arms spread inviting you and everybody else to come in and find pasture. And the image is not just here. The prodigal son is an example of this. But the converse is also true. Poor Lazarous received blessings in the afterlife. The rich man did not… all the same Jesus. So how do you know if I will be received as Lazarous or the rich man? The constant refrain in John 10 is that the sheep know my voice. I call them by name and they follow me. Do you hear Jesus’ voice? Do you respond and follow him? I don’t say that to be sarcastic or cynical. I just think sometimes it is helpful to have honest reflection. I’ve been asking myself those same questions all week long. How do you know it is Jesus’ voice? To be honest, I imagine you have been hearing the Good Shepherd’s voice since before you ever recognized it. Some of you heard the Scriptures being read to you from within your mother’s womb. You heard your good shepherd at your baptism, and on that day, your good shepherd said, “you are my beloved.” And he said, “Come. Follow me.” Ever since then, you have heard him say over and over again, “you are forgiven.” And “Behold I have redeemed you with my own blood.” The point beings, is Jesus speaks, again and again and again, and every time he has given what you needed most. Sometimes healing, sometimes nourishment, sometimes forgiveness, sometimes reassurance, but each and every time, he gives you life in his Name. You have received the invitation… so come on it.
.jpg)
April 19, 2026 - Luke 24:13-35
Today we meet up with a couple followers of Jesus. Currently they are walking on a road leaving Jerusalem and going to Emmaus. Last week they were in Jerusalem to observe the Passover. While they were there, they were also filled with hopeful Messianic expectation. Of course it ended as quickly as it began, and here they are leaving Jerusalem with shattered hopes and clear disappointment. Has Jesus ever disappointed you? Just a reminder you are in Church so don’t tell a fib. I will tell you He has disappointed me. There are times when I feel like God has let me down. I wanted something, and believed it to be good and right, and God shut the door right in my face. Maybe there are things which displease you in your life or in the world that you think God should do something about? Truth be told, we all have ideas of what God should be like and what he should want for our lives. In Luke 24 Jesus encounters two of His followers who hoped and believed in Him… but given the cross and the torture and the abuse of leaders… given all that had happened in the past three days, even though Jesus is standing in their midst they do not even realize it. To be fair, the text does say Jesus did not allow them to see him, but let’s be honest, isn’t it true that all it takes is for God to do the ONE THING you thought he wouldn’t do or shouldn’t do and all of a sudden you can no longer see Jesus. Often times that is all that is standing between us and hopeless and disappointment in God. Consider for a moment what hopelessness does to us. Let us not deny “hopelessness” has power. Jesus walked up these followers and all he asked them “what are you discussing together?” The text says this simple question stopped them in their tracks. “They stood still and their faces were downcast.” You know what you learn here? Hopelessness is powerful. It can stop you dead in your tracks just like PTSD. That being said, know this; Jesus seeks to restore hope and notice how. Look at Verse 26. In that verse “He said to them, ‘Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Don’t miss this. The first thing Jesus said to them was not a platitude or an anecdote or even a statement of sympathy. He goes straight into giving them and interpreting for them the Word of God. All things considered, in the midst of their hopelessness He goes to the one place that can actually restore their hope… the Word of God. I think the troubling thing about this text is that they were not hoping to get a job, or hoping they would sell their house, hoping to get a loan, or even hoping their mother would get out of the hospital. Their previous hope was in Jesus. Notice their words “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.21 We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” Yes it is true; they hoped in Jesus… but here’s the problem… their hope did not include the cross. The cross proved to be a hope dasher rather than a hope builder. They had hope, but it was simply too shallow. In other words, the problem was that they did not hope enough… They hoped Jesus would send Rome packing, they hoped Jesus would fix Israel’s hypocritical leaders and change their circumstances. And although none of that would have been a bad thing, although I’m sure many people in this very church pray for similar divine interventions all the time, just understand, if you have come to Christ merely as a sufferer needing help rather than a sinner in need of salvation than your hope is too shallow. You see, they hoped Jesus had come to redeem God’s people, but what they had missed was that Jesus did exactly that... then and now he redeems this people through the cross and through His Word. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are getting into vacation season and have you ever come back from the beach and someone said to you “it looks like you got some sun.” How cool would it be if we spent enough time in God’s Word that people began to notice and say “Wow, I can tell you got some Son in you.” Last week I said the Thomas story was my favorite text. That is true, but this one ranks pretty close. I just love the fact that Jesus sat at their table, and all of a sudden, he became the host not the guest. Do you realize how striking this is? Just imagine you invited someone to your home and they stand up give a speech, announce the menu, and then proceed to hand out the bread? This was that striking, and in fact it was at that very moment when “their eyes were opened and they realized who was standing in their midst.” This is such a cool text because the phrase “and their eyes were opened” refers back to Genesis chapter 3. If you recall Adam and Eve said “we want to choose the menu” and “we want to choose what we want to take in.” At that moment “their eyes were opened” and all we have been able to see ever since is sin. Luckily for us, the resurrection changes that. Recall last week’s text. Jesus appeared to them in the upper room and “breathed on them”. That word which was is only one time in the New Testament, it referred back to Genesis Chapter 2 where God Breathed life into dust. What is the point? My point is that the resurrection is not just about Jesus’ dead body being brought back to life. The resurrection is a radical reversal that not only counteracts the Fall in Genesis but it also positions Jesus as the ultimate source of nourishment. A diet on Him will restore hope and life. Can you see it? Can you see that Jesus has come to reverse the curse, to stop your fall, and most importantly, to be your host? On that occasion Jesus gave them Word of God and also the Lord Supper “Take Eat. Take Drink”. Unsurprisingly, it opened their eyes. If you want your eyes opened and your sins forgiven… you receive that in the Lord’s Supper. Above all, I hope you are beginning to see this Easter season the difference Christ’s resurrection makes. For without the resurrection story, there is no story. I think more can and should be said. Through the resurrection we learn how to understand the Bible. If you read the Bible as merely a collection of ethics that you have to do, it will frustrate the living daylights out of you. Luckily for us that is not what the Bible is about. Jesus taught them from the Scripture in order to point out that the Bible is all about Him. Jesus was not like the prophets of old that merely warned of judgement. Jesus literally took our judgement and paid for our sin. Ultimately, the message of this text is Jesus telling you “if you want to know me, if you want to see me, if you want to have hope: dig into my Word and receive my Supper.” Hopelessness is dashed when the author of the Bible shows you He is also the subject of the Bible and that He has written you into His story. Thanks be to God. May the grace of God, which surpasses all understanding, trust your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.
.jpg)
April 12, 2026 - John 20:19-30
Happy Easter. He is risen, He is risen indeed Alleluia. Yes I know, I know Easter was last week. And I am aware the living cross is taken down. But I’m here to remind you Easter is not just a one day of the year thing. We are still in the Easter season for six more weeks, and more than that, we live in and through the resurrection every day of our lives. Think on these things. There is a cost for not doing so. The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy wrote a little booklet call Confessions telling about how around the age of 50 he had an existential crisis. He didn’t have much of a faith in anything. He was part of the Russian intelligentsia. He was already a pretty well-known writer, and he asked his friends what happened when you die. And most of his friends said, when you die you just don’t exist anymore. And he was part of a group that said, there is no God and when you die you stop existing. Eventually, the sun will burn out and everything will go away. And Tolstoy started thinking wait a minute if that’s the case, why go on? Why keep writing books? Everything is meaningless because in the end no one will be around to know and it doesn’t matter whether I’m cruel or good, productive or something else. In the end, nothing I do makes any difference. Why go on? You know what his friends said? “Hey, go to the beach. Go shopping. You are a Russian artist. You are morbid. You’re thinking too much. Just enjoy life.” This is why he started going back to Christianity. Because he said, what kind of view of the world is only livable if you don’t think about what you believe. What kind of view of the world is only livable if you don’t think about the implications of what you believe about the world? In other words, the world’s peace and joy comes from not thinking too much about what we actually believe about the world. Can you see how Christianity is so different? That Christianity says the opposite is true. Joy doesn’t come from not thinking about our world view. Joy comes from seeing Jesus, being near to Jesus, praying to him, thinking about what He has done for me. If you are a Christian, and you don’t have a lot of joy, do you know why? You’re not thinking. You’re not thinking out the implications of what you believe. Christians believe that God made the world in joy. It says so in Proverbs Chapter 8. It says when God created the world, he was delighting in us. He made it to be a world of joy. But we turned away from him. And yet he didn’t leave us to rot and turn to nothing. He, at infinite cost to himself, he came into this world. And Jesus Christ died for us. Think of the value that you have to him that he would do that for you. And in the end, he is going to make the world perfect. I mean think about what the Bible actually says. Think about what you believe. And the more you think about it the more you are going to say, wow why am I so upset? Why am I so morbid? Why am I sweating the small stuff? God is in control! He is risen! He is risen indeed Alleluia. So I understand this is an oversimplification, but the world’s peace and joy comes from not thinking about and avoiding what you actually believe to be true. You cannot truly live that worldview. In contrast Christian joy comes from thinking about it. And that means Christianity is thoughtful. It is intelligent. It comes from actually thinking about it what you are, who you were made to be, and what God is doing for you and through you, and what God will do. Seriously, this is why it’s so important to come to church. Because we deliberately focus our attention on thinking about the things of God. And what God will do is very much based on what God did do. And so we read the Bible and discuss these things that are historical facts. “Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God.” Luckily it is the goal of John’s writings that these things have been written so that you might think on these things, so that you might believe, have confidence, so that you might have joy, so that you might have life in his name. Thomas doubted these things but just notice Jesus’ response to Thomas’ request was not to chastise him for a lack of faith but to mercifully give him exactly what he requested point for point. Let us not make it our requirement that Jesus give you exactly your requests point for point before you believe. Even though he did it for Thomas, he did it for Thomas, and John has recorded it, so that you might believe, so that you might see-feel- and experience Jesus for yourself, through them. John testifies to the fact that belief and trust in Jesus can bring you joy even in a closed room, or worse, while in exile, or even near death. John writes in 1 John Chapter 1, 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete. John wrote those words towards the end of his life. John had been exiled in Patmos. Legion has it Emperor Domitian sentenced him to death in boiling oil but he lived. After all John had been through, what gives him strength to continue? It was the resurrection but not just that… it was the fact that Jesus IS alive and active, and he appeared to them. It might seem unbelievable that this man from Galilee, who lived 2000 years ago would become the greatest influence the world has ever seen. The reason for this was Jesus was raised from the dead and he appeared to them. I hear people talk like Thomas all the time saying “I simply cannot believe. That is too contrary to all common sense”… Bingo. It most definitely is and was. But frankly the resurrection is the only thing that explains how this small town country boy from Nazareth became the most influential figure in the world even today. The resurrection testified that all of what Jesus preached and did was actually of God. Jesus preached truth, mercy, peace, forgiveness, justice, remembering the poor, feeding the hungry, liberating the captives… It is nice but that is not all that different than Gondi. The difference between Gondi and Jesus was Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The resurrection was God’s great verdict on the life and works of Jesus. And He will stand forever. Of course some will continue to say, I will never believe unless you can prove it to me. If you need proof… consider the text, Thomas was invited to touch Jesus. Jesus proved it to Thomas, and if historical proof is not enough for you, perhaps that’s not your real problem. What concerns occupies your minds? Like I said earlier, what is getting in the way of your faith? Perhaps lots of things. Into the midst of it, no doubt the resurrection will challenge you to think theologically… to see things more like God, to interpret the world and your purpose in it differently. I heard a story about Martin Luther. You know he struggled with depression. At one point, his wife Katie put on all black like she was going to a funeral. Martin said, “why are who dressed like that?” She said, “God is dead.” He said, “What are you talking about? God’s not dead.” “Well, you are acting like God is dead. If God is not dead and He is alive, start acting like God is alive and that He has given you eternal life.” Easter reminds us we all stand in a crisis of life and death each and every day and that God has definitively broken into our world to give us eternal life. We live in a precarious time, but Easter marks not the end but the beginning into a world that will not end. You and I, in faith, may not be liberated from this world’s crisis but we are also brought into the world of Jesus which has no end. I invite you in morning to exult in the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead and there is no difficulty in this world that Jesus cannot help us to face. In these difficult times, keep your faith, pray, and offer your helping hand in the ways that you can. I pray in the midst of your own existential crisis may you learn to think about what it means for Jesus to be resurrected from the dead, for God to be alive. May we, like Thomas, be moved to confess “Jesus is my Lord and my God”. Let us confess on this day we will live in Him and for Him; that I, with the help of God, will never forsake Him. And He is my Lord and my God, no matter what happens to me. This is one of my favorite texts because it is honest about the difficult nature of being a Christian in this world. But most importantly, it is my favorite because it expresses the heart of God. To the afraid and the afflicted, to the quarantined, to the shut-ins, Jesus breaths on them and says “Receive the Holy Spirit. Peace be to you.” And most importantly, to broken sinners, Jesus says, “You are forgiven.” Let him be your savior. Trust him to do what he says he will do… to bring you peace, and most importantly, to bring you the forgiveness of sins, and ultimately, a life everlasting. He is risen. He is risen indeed alleluia. May our Joy this Easter be complete. Live it. In the grace of God which surpasses all understanding trust your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.
.jpg)
April 5, 2026 - Matthew 28:1-10
Grace mercy and peace be to you this Easter morning… brothers and sisters in Christ, He is risen. He is risen indeed Alleluia. I stand before you this morning with a lively spirit. I’m here to testify with vigor and excitement that the church big C is healthy, it is strong, it is vibrant… the tomb is empty. He is risen! He is risen indeed Alleluia! Last week, I asked you to compartmentalize your emotions. I didn’t use those words, but I asked you to put aside whatever it was that burdened you, worried you, and challenged you… put it aside to celebrate Jesus, to declare victory, to raise your palm branches, to sing Hosanna in the highest blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. It was a great day. We had a great time. The brunch was delicious. But in terms of my worries, fears, concerns, nothing’s changed… until this morning. How are you doing? Are you worried? Are you anxious? Are you scared? Are you hurting? If so the angel has a message for you. “Do not be afraid. He is not dead… He is risen.” I am calling for you to think theologically this morning. In other words, I’m calling for you to have God’s logic and for God to inform your understanding of what you think you know. Do you realize Christianity was born in a grave yard? On Easter the strangest news that had ever been heard began in a cemetery and spread like a wildfire. Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead. And no one expected it. Today, 2000 years after the fact, I, like them, have been sent, to tell you, just before dawn Jesus of Nazareth, was raised by God and he will never die again. Understand, we are not here to celebrate a recessitation. This is nothing like placing an AED on someone who has just suffered a heart attack. The Apostles’ Creed confesses that Jesus descended into Hell. In other words, “Jesus was stone cold Dead.” He was deemed to be a charlatan and an enemy of the state… He was publicly executed and stabbed through the heart by a Roman soldier. Jesus had told his followers at least six times to expect a resurrection, but he was so dead that was on no body’s mind. The disciples locked themselves in the upper room and the women arrived very early that Sunday morning to bring spices intended to deodorize the dead body. At minimum, I think we should realize this: Easter Sunday began with traumatized women and scared disciples… NOW notice how easily the resurrection can overrule whatever it is that you are feeling and thinking. The text says they were alarmed, that means they were emotionally traumatized. The text says they were bewildered that means they were intellectually confused. The text ways that they were physically trembling. That means they were scared. But into the midst of this trauma the angel asserted, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Matthew records, “After they departed Jesus appeared to them with greetings and they were filled with joy and they worshiped him.” It is Easter and although the creed affirms the resurrection triumphed over sin and death, although I know the Angel’s announcement, and I know all the recorded appearances of Jesus; I’m still tempted to see and think like the world and not as God. Maybe I’m not tempted to deny it, but sometimes I wonder what difference does it make anyhow. Just look around! Even if… even if Jesus rose from the grave, how does that help me and my family? Because truth be told deep inside me I can feel my sin as alive as ever before. I’m told Jesus rose from the dead, but that does not change all the people currently sick or the fact that I did a funeral on Maundy Thursday or the uncertainty around the world caused by wars. What difference does Easter make? Perhaps in this difficult time we are being given time to reconsider our lives and our purpose in this world. This is a good occasion to ask yourself where you stand in relationship to Jesus Christ, and what difference does it make… The plain and simple fact is all of us spend a lifetime trying to avoid death as long as we can. A great novelist Walter Piercy commented on the paradox of the twentieth century. He said, “America is bent for life affirming pronouncements, self-actualization, self-expression, and the penchant of self-improvement and life enrichment… how odd that our world which is so fearful of death, as we are all so willing to do almost anything to keep death at bay, it is this very world that produces so much death. And furthermore, no other century in its history has seen more death dealing in its actions than the twentieth century and I’m not even talking about the holocaust or the World Wars. What difference does the Resurrection of Jesus Christ make? It makes all the difference in the world! Death has been the ultimate victor for ages. But then on Easter all that changed. On Easter our loving God intervened. The truth is that human beings are powerless when it comes to death… that much is indisputable, but the crucial point Easter makes, is that God can and does intervene. Peter made that abundantly clear in his sermon he preached on Pentecost. He said, “You nailed Jesus to a cross and put Him to death. But God intervened and He raised Him up again and God put an end to the agony of death.” How do we know He will intervene for us? How can we be sure of anything, other the stone that will be rolled over my grave? Brothers and sisters in Christ, first take note of the empty tomb. “Do not be alarmed,” the angel said. “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” I love Mark’s account of the resurrection because the angels tell the woman to go tell not just the disciples but “Peter” specifically! How gracious is our God. That we was not just raised for the loyal but for sinners… sinners, like Peter,… like me. The truth of the day is we all have the same opportunity to be redeemed and that is exactly the reason why I’m here this morning. In the book of Revelation, John tells us, that the resurrected Jesus holds the keys to eternal life. In Chapter 1 of the book of Revelation, Jesus appeared in all of his risen glory and here is what he said. He said, “behold, I am the Living One; I was dead, and now I am alive forevermore! I hold the keys of death and Hades.” In Revelation 21, “He who was seated on the throne says, I am making everything new. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” That’s the most wonderful news in the world and let me tell you why. Paul said, “Jesus had a death like ours so we too will have a resurrection like his.” “For on the final day, the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable.” In the Nicene Creed we faithfully confess: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come.” I have been sent to preach to you the good news of Easter and the unadulterated message of Easter can be communicated in three words: He has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia. We have a Savior! What a message… it is a message that challenges us, but it is also a message that changes us! One theologian said this, “Facing death brings a unique challenge. Whether the death of the loved one or facing your own death, the closer you get to the grave, the more you realize everything depends on God. Credit card balances, health insurance, retirement plans, and even human companionship stops at the door of the tomb. If there is no God there is nothing. The brutality of the prospect even for believers brings trembling.” Paul says death is the last enemy. We will all face it, but we will not face it alone we will face it with Jesus the risen Lord. Even now, people are afraid. People are uncertain, and at times even trembling. There may not have been many reasons to say Alleluia… until now! Thanks be to God that “God’s mercies are new every morning.” Christ the Lord is ris’n today Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia! Christ has entered our world conquered death and that informs our understanding of what is to come for all who believe. Once again, He is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia. In the grace of God which surpasses all understanding, trust you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.
WAYS YOU CAN DONATE
In Person or Post
Feel free to stop in anytime to the parish office or drop your donation in the mail:
955 Highway 109
Wildwood, MO 63038
Over the Phone
Call anytime the office is open:
Monday - Friday: 9-5
Saturday: 10-3
636-273-6239