The lutheransermons's Podcast

Sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent March 8, 2020

Sermon for the Second Sunday in Lent, based on:

Genesis 12:1-9

Romans 4:1-8, 13-17

John 3:1-17

 

Sermon originally delivered March 20, 2011

Bible Study from March 2, 2020 - Introduction to Colossians

We have begun our new study of Paul’s Letter to the Colossians with an introduction to the letter. Next week we will get into a verse by verse study of the letter, beginning with Colossians 1:1. Here is a summary of the introduction to Colossians.

Colossae was a city in Phrygia, an area within the Roman province of Asia (not what we call Asia today). Colossae was about 100 miles southeast of Ephesus, the capital of Asia, and was close to another city we hear about in Revelations, the city of Laodicia. All of these cities were in what is part of the country of Turkey today.

The apostle, Paul, had traveled near to Colossae during his missionary journeys, but has apparently never visited there himself. (See Colossians 2:1.) One of his converts to Christianity, Epaphras, had probably been sent to Colossae by Paul and had started a Christian church there. (See Colossians 1:7.) At some point, the church was being troubled by false teachings and the idea that some new knowledge, beyond that of Jesus and His saving work, was necessary for the people. Epaphras then travels to see Paul to get help in dealing with these new, false ideas that endangered the Christian faith itself.

Paul was in prison when Epaphras went to see him. (See Colossians 4:3, 10, 18.) Most likely, this was the first Roman imprisonment of Paul, from 58-60 AD. Earlier, Paul had traveled to Jerusalem, where he had great conflicts with Jewish authorities and was arrested. Nothing was being resolved so Paul, as a Roman citizen, eventually appealed to Caesar in Rome to settle his case. (Paul was Jewish, but had been born in a free Roman city, and therefore had Roman citizenship. You can read about this time in Jerusalem and Paul’s dangerous trip to Rome in Acts 21-28.)

We hear in Acts 28:16ff that Paul was in house arrest for two years in Rome, in chains, with a guard watching him, and yet able to have visitors like Epaphras and to share freely the good news of Jesus. See Acts 28:30-31. It was during this time that Paul also likely wrote his letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, to Philemon, and to the Colossians - what are called the “prison” letters of Paul that we find in the New Testament of the Bible. (It seems that Paul then was released from prison and was able to carry on his ministry for a number of years longer, before being arrested again and executed in Rome.)

The Letter to the Colossians, then, was Paul’s advice and encouragement to Epaphras and the people of Colossae, with a strong focus upon Jesus - Who He was and what He did - and how He is completely sufficient for them and for us, for salvation. The new, false ideas coming to Colossae were wrong and dangerous, as they still are when we confront them today.

Finally, since letters in those days were written on parchment scrolls, Colossians follows the typical letter form, with the author identifying himself first and then the people to whom he writes. Paul most always adds an initial blessings and prayer at the beginning.

Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent March 1, 2020

Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent, based on:

Genesis 3:1–21

Romans 5:12–19

Matthew 4:1–11

 

Sermon originally delivered March 13, 2011

Sermon for the Transfiguration of our Lord

Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord, based on:

Exodus 24:8–18

2 Peter 1:16–21

Matthew 17:1–9

 

Sermon originally delivered March 6, 2011

Sermon for the 8th Sunday after the Epiphany

Sermon for the Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany, based on:

Isaiah 49:8–16a

1 Corinthians 4:1–13

Matthew 6:24–34

 

Sermon originally delivered February 27, 2011

Bible Study from February 24, 2020 - Psalm 95

In this study, we looked at Psalm 95. The author is not identified, but part of the psalm is quoted in Hebrews 3:7-11, with the introductory words: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:” This is again a reminder that every part of the Scriptures is a message from God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, no matter who the human writer is.

Verses 1-7A of Psalm 95 are also sung in our Lutheran liturgy in the Matins Service (p.220-221, LSB) and in Morning Prayer (p.236-237, LSB). This song called the “Venite," the Latin word meaning “Come!” Psalm 95 calls us to come into the presence of the Lord and worship Him, in His tabernacle, His temple (V.1,2,6), and in our churches today. We sing to and praise and thank our Lord - and even if we are not good singers, we can still make a “joyful noise” to the Lord (V.1-3).

Why do we sing these praises? Because “the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods” (V.3). He is the only true God, in contrast with all the false gods and idols that others follow. (See also Psalm 96:4-5, for example.) And He is the “Maker” of all things - the heights and depths, the sea and land, and our own Maker (V. 4-6). We are His sheep, and He cares for us, in His pasture (V.7). He is “the Rock of our salvation,” above all, the Foundation for our future and for eternal life (V.1).

These last words point forward to Jesus, Who is our Good Shepherd and knows us by name and cares for us. (See John 10:2-4, 11ff., Ephesians 2:19-22, etc.) We have so many blessings for which we can praise God.

The Psalm ends, though, with a word of warning. Knowing that we are weak, sinful human beings, we are to “bow down” and “kneel” in humble worship before our Lord and keep hearing His voice, so that we do not harden our hearts and go astray against God, in rebellion and loss of faith (V. 7B-11). The example is given of the children of Israel and their rebellion against Moses and God, complaining and quarreling and putting God to the test in the wilderness in Exodus 17:1-7 and again in Numbers 20:7-13 and so many more times in their 40 years of wandering, after their rescue from slavery in Egypt. See also Deuteronomy 6:16 and Psalm 78:15-22 and
1 Corinthians 10:1-12 and Hebrews 3:7-14 and 16-19.

The call is to begin in faith, by the grace of God, but also to continue in that faith in Christ our Savior, today and every day, as God is faithful to us with His gifts and blessings day after day (Psalm 95:7 and 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 and Hebrews 4:1-3,11-16). By God’s grace, “we hold fast our confession," confident in God’s grace and mercy in Christ.

Sermon for the 7th Sunday after the Epiphany February 23, 2020

Sermon for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany February 23, 2020, based on:

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

1 Corinthians 3:10-23

Matthew 5:38-48

 

Sermon originally delivered February 20, 2011

Bible Study from February 17, 2020 - Psalm 96

In this study, we looked at Psalm 96. When you compare this psalm with 1 Chronicles 16:23-33, you will see that David is the author and that this psalm was used as a part of the thanksgiving sung to God, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Tabernacle in Jerusalem that King David had prepared. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, says that this psalm was also used when the temple was rebuilt, after the Babylonian captivity.

Psalm 96 calls us to sing to the Lord a “new” song. The term is used many times in the psalms. See, for example, Psalm 33:3, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1, and Psalm 40:3, where David says of the Lord, “He put a new song in my mouth” - another clear indication that God inspired these sacred writings, too, as well as the rest of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15-17). The first “Servant Song” in Isaiah is also called a “new song,” as it predicts the coming our Savior, Jesus (Isaiah 42:1ff, and especially, v.10).

The Book of Revelation also tells us that those in heaven are singing “a new song” to God, with focus on “the Lamb Who was slain” in order to “ransom people for God." See Revelation 5:6-9, and especially v.9), Rev. 14:1-3, and Rev. 15:3-6, where the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb were sung. Jesus our Savior is that Lamb. He is God’s own Son, the perfect Lamb, sacrificed on the cross, to take away the sin of the world, once for all. (See the use of an unblemished lamb in Exodus 12:1-13, and often in Old Testament sacrifices, and the words of John the Baptist, about Jesus, in John 1:29, and the discussion about the sacrifice of Jesus, once for all, in Hebrews 9:11-14 and 9:24-28, etc.)

Psalm 96, then, gives glory to God and calls us to “tell of His salvation from day to day” (v. 2) “to all the earth” (v.1), “among the nations” and “among all the peoples”(v.3). For He alone is God, the Creator. All other gods are idols, good for nothing (v.4-5). The Lord alone is to be spoken of for His glory and strength. He alone is to be worshipped, and offerings are to be brought to Him (v. 6-9). He reigns and comes to judge all peoples justly. He comes in righteousness and faithfulness (v.10,13). (The New Testament applies words like these to Jesus, Who is the Righteous and Faithful One, for our salvation, and Who will come again on the Day of Judgement. See 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, Acts 17:30-31, and Revelation 19:11-13, for example.) 

Psalm 96 describes, in a poetic way, all creation giving praise to God and rejoicing in Him (v. 11-12); and the prayer is that all “families of the peoples” (v. 7) will also come to know and worship Him, as well.

Sermon for the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany February 16, 2020

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany February 16, 2020, based on:

Deuteronomy 30:15–20

1 Corinthians 3:1–9

Matthew 5:21-37

 

Sermon originally delivered February 13, 2011

Bible Study from February 10, 2020 - Psalm 67

In this study, we focused on Psalm 67, a psalm that reminds us of God’s will that all peoples and nations hear of His love and His care for them, too, and His saving power in Jesus, above all.
From the time that God had called Abram to be the father of the Jewish nation (Genesis 12:1-3), He also intended to bless all families of the earth, through one of Abram’s descendants, our Lord Jesus. In Genesis 17, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham, as he would be the “father of a multitude” of nations, as people from many different nations, not just Jews, would come to faith in Jesus and be brought into His family of faith. See Genesis 17:3-6, and how this passage is quoted in the New Testament, in Romans 4:16-18, and Genesis 12:3 is quoted in Galatians 3:7-14. The true children of Abraham are now those from every nation (the Gentiles , the non-Jews, as well as Jews) who come to believe in Jesus, the promised Savior, and are blessed by Him, together with Abraham, with faith.

Psalm 67, then, is a kind of Old Testament missionary prayer that God’s chosen people, the Jews, would be a light and witness for the one true God to people of other nations. The Psalmist, who is not identified, begins this psalm with a simplified version of the Benediction that Aaron was to use to bless God’s people. See the words of Numbers 6:22-27, and compare them with Psalm 67, v. 1. It is a blessing that we still use today in worship. God’s people are blessed with His grace and Presence, for a purpose, too - “that God’s way may be known on earth and His saving power among all nations” (Psalm 67:2). God’s people are blessed, so that they can be a blessing to other peoples and nations. As they praise God , they can encourage others to praise God, as well, so that eventually more and more people from “all the ends of the earth” will praise and “fear” God (have respect and reverence for Him) because of His blessings and fairness and guidance for them, too, as well as Israel. See Psalm 67:3-7, for Israel, but also for all nations.

In Psalm 67:2, the Psalmist prays to God, above all, “that Your Way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.” God’s Way and Salvation would ultimately be shown in the coming of His own Son, Jesus, who is revealed so clearly in the New Testament as the Savior. This Savior, this Servant of God, is prophesied about, again and again in the Old Testament, too. See, for example, Isaiah 42:1-8, the first of a series of predictions about the coming Savior, Jesus. He, above all, would be “a Light for the nations” (see v.6 and John 8:12) and would bring in “new things” and be “a (new) covenant for the people” (v.6,9). See also Isaiah 43:9-10,18-19, where the coming Servant will be the greatest witness to the gathered nations, but God’s people can also be “witnesses “ of the “new thing” being done by the Servant Savior.” See also Isaiah 44:6-8, with the call to God’s people, “You are My witnesses.” Psalm 67, then, is a call for God’s people, as they are blessed, to be a blessing to others, as witnesses for the Lord. As we read this psalm today, it not just a history lesson from the past. We also, are called to be witnesses, since we know even more clearly what God’s “Way” and His power are, in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). 

Jesus’ “saving power," in His perfect life and death on the cross and victory even over death, becomes the Way to salvation and eternal life, for us and for the whole world. We are called simply to believe the Good News of Jesus our Savior and follow Him in faith. In the Book of Acts, especially, the Christian faith is often simply called “the Way." (See Acts 9:2, 16:17, 18:25-26, 19:9,23, 22:4, and 24:14, for example.)

New Testament believers are also called to be witnesses for the Way and God’s saving power in Christ. We also hear the Risen Lord Jesus saying, “You will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:7) and telling His followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Psalm 67 is a missionary psalm for us and our day, too.