First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

Lent 4, March 30, 2025
Text: Isaiah 12:1–6
Theme: It makes you want to sing!
Other Lessons: Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16–21; Luke 15:1–3, 11–32

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The Old Testament reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

D. Memory verse!

Isaiah 12:2 (NASB95)
2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the
LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.”

E. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

LSB 927 First Song of Isaiah

Refrain: The Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my
salvation.

I will give thanks to You, O Lord,
for though You were angry with me,
Your anger turned away,
that You might comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and He has become my salvation.

Refrain: The Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my
salvation.

With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon His name,
make known His deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that His name is exalted.

Refrain: The Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my
salvation. Amen

Text: © 2001 Crossway Bibles. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no.
110000247

Introduction

A. The “Dies irae” (pronounced DEE-es EE-ray) is one of the most famous
songs in the history of the church, so famous that you’ll find settings of
it by musicians as famous as Mozart, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff.
1. The title is in Latin, but translated it means “day of anger,” and it
talks about what it looks like when God comes in anger to judge our sin.
2. You’ll find a translation of it in the hymnal, that is, the Lutheran
Hymnal, the hymnal that stood the test of time for more than 60 years.
3. To give you an idea of what it sounds like, here’s just one of the
verses:
a. “Day of wrath, O day of mourning!
See fulfilled the Proph¬et’s warning,
Heav’n and earth in ashes burning” (TLH 607:1).

B. In the “Dies irae,” we have a song about a day, a terrible day, when
God’s judgment comes down on sinners.
1. But here in our text from Isaiah this morning, we hear a different song,
a song for another day, a song for “that day,” when God’s anger turns aside
because of his promised Messiah.
2. So while the “Dies irae” has its place, today we’re going to focus on
what it looks like for God’s reconciled people to sing that second kind of
song (Isaiah 12:6).

C. St. Augustine of Hippo is often remembered as one of history’s great
examples of Christian faith, so great that our hymnal even sets aside a day
in August every year for Christians to reflect on his life and example.
1. But Augustine wasn’t always a shining example of faithfulness.
2. For many years, as a young man, Augustine was far from faithful.
3. He abandoned his mother’s Christian faith to follow various false
religions.
4. He devoted himself to self-serving pleasures.
5. He even fathered a child with a woman who wasn’t his wife.
6. As he broke one commandment after another, he continued provoking God’s
anger.
7. But one day, all of that changed when the Word of God came to Augustine
to show him how he had offended his heavenly Father and show him the Savior
who had reconciled him to God.
8. Before long, he was baptized by a bishop named Ambrose, and legend has
it that to celebrate his baptism, Augustine and Ambrose worked together to
write a song praising God’s goodness and proclaiming his mighty deeds for
all to hear.
9. We know that song as the Te Deum (LSB, pp 223–25), and even today it is
renowned as one of the greatest songs in the history of the church.
10. Augustine wrote it because Jesus had reconciled him to God, and Jesus’
reconciliation just made him want to sing.
11. Some of us may be shy about our voices, that we don’t want to be seen
or heard, but in our hearts, what Augustine felt is really true of all of
us.

D. That Jesus’ Reconciliation Makes Us Christians Want to Sing.
1. And that is a good thing!

(I) Jesus’ reconciliation makes Israel want to sing.

A. Throughout Isaiah’s prophetic ministry, Israel provoked God’s anger with
their sin.
1. Israel’s leaders broke the First Commandment by not trusting in God
(7:10–13).

Isaiah 7:10–13 (NASB95)
10 Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol
or high as heaven.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”
13 Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing
for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my
God as well?

B. Israel broke the Second Commandment by consulting magicians and
necromancers (8:19–20).

Isaiah 8:19–20 (NASB95)
19 When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who
whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they
consult the dead on behalf of the living?
20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this
word, it is because they have no dawn.

C. Israel broke the Third Commandment by rejecting God’s Law and despising
his Word (5:24).

Isaiah 5:24 (NASB95)
24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble And dry grass collapses
into the flame, So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow
away as dust; For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts And
despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

D. You get the picture.

B. God promised Israel that the Messiah would come and bring reconciliation
between Him and them.
1. Isaiah describes the coming of the Messiah in chapter 11 (right before
our sermon text for this morning) with these words:

Isaiah 11:1–5 (NASB95)
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his
roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and
understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge
and the fear of the LORD.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by
what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness
for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod
of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the
belt about His waist.

B. On “that day” when the Messiah comes, God’s anger will be turned away
from their sins.
C. And when the sin that angers God is removed, we are reconciled to, that
is, at peace with Him.

C. Today’s reading is the song that the people of Israel will sing because
Jesus’ reconciliation just makes them want to sing.

(II) How the reconciled Israel sings—Isaiah’s song is a model.

A. Israel repeats the deeds of God.

Isaiah 12:4 (NASB95)
4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name.
Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is
exalted.”

1. God has delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt.

Isaiah 12:2 (NASB95)
2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the
LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.”

2. God has reconciled Israel to Himself.

Isaiah 12:1 (NASB95)
1 Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For
although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort
me.

B. Israel sings among themselves and to others.
1. The people of God sing these great deeds of God to one another.

Isaiah 12:6 (NASB95)
6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your
midst is the Holy One of Israel.

2. The people of God spread the song of God’s great deeds to all the
peoples, to the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 12:4–5 (NASB95)
4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name.
Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is
exalted.”
5 Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be
known throughout the earth.

(III) Jesus’ reconciliation makes us want to sing.

A. The people of God today are no better than the people in Isaiah’s day.
Even today, God’s people continue to provoke his anger with their sin.
1. We continue to experience—even to fall prey to—the temptation to break
the First Com¬mand¬ment by setting up idols in God’s place.
a. What is our “golden calf?”
1. Money?
2. Possessions?
3. Family?

B. We continue to experience—even to fall prey to—the temptation to break
the Second Com¬mandment by saying things about God that aren’t true.
1. Using God’s name to lie in order to cover up something that we say is
wrong.
2. Depending on anything or anyone other than God for our needs.

C. We continue to experience—even to fall prey to—the temptation to break
the Third Com¬mandment by neglecting to gather together in the Divine
Service or to set aside daily time to hear God’s Word.
1. When we refuse to hear it.
2. When we say “I don’t have enough time to do devotions”.
3. When we don’t attend Bible class at church because:
a. I don’t have the time.
b. I’m not interested in what is being studied.
c. I don’t need to study the Bible; I’ll just listen to what the pastor
says.

B. The promised Messiah has come to bring reconciliation between us and our
heavenly Father.
1. The Messiah came to this world and subjected himself to death on a cross
a. The Gradual for the season of Lent declares:
Hebrews 12:2 (NASB95)
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.

B. The death that the Messiah suffered caused God’s anger to be turned away
from our sins.
1. Not having God as the most important person in our lives: Forgiven!
2. Taking the Lord’s name in vain: Forgiven!
3. Failing to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy: Forgiven!

C. Since our sin that angered God, separated us from him, is forgiven, we
are reconciled to him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95)
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.

C. Since our Lord Jesus has already come and incorporated us into His body.
1. We are gathered together as the Body of Christ,
2. we have gathered together for the Divine Service,
3. we have gathered together where we sing frequently.
4. Being reconciled to, that is back together with God by Jesus’ cross,
this just makes us want to sing!

(IV) How we, the reconciled, sing—Augustine’s Te Deum serves as a model for
us.

A. We repeat the deeds of God.
1. Jesus has delivered us from bondage to sin and the devil.

Te Deum

We praise You, O God; we acknowledge You to be the Lord.
All the earth now worships You, the Father everlasting.
To You all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the pow’rs therein.
To You cherubim and seraphim continually do cry:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Your glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise You.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise You.

The noble army of martyrs praise You.
The holy Church throughout all the world does acknowledge You:
The Father of an infinite majesty; Your adorable, true, and only Son;
also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

You are the king of glory, O Christ;
You are the everlasting Son of the Father.

When You took upon Yourself to deliver man,
You humbled Yourself to be born of a virgin.
When You had overcome the sharpness of death,
You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You sit at the right hand of God
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that You will come
to be our judge.

We therefore pray You to help Your servants,
whom You have redeemed with Your precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with Your saints
in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save Your people and bless Your heritage.
Govern them and lift them up forever.
Day by day we magnify You.
And we worship Your name forever and ever.

Grant, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let Your mercy be upon us, as our trust is in You.
O Lord, in You have I trusted; let me never be confounded.

B. Jesus has reconciled us to God.
You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

B. We sing among ourselves and to others.
1. We sing this song and others like it when we come together in worship.
2. We have the opportunity to sing (or speak) Jesus’ great work of
reconciliation to our neighbors who do not yet trust in him.
a. This is an honor the Lord bestows on us!
b. Witnessing is not just with words, but also by singing!

Conclusion

A. So sing it out!
1. Whether it’s Isaiah’s song or Augustine’s Te Deum or whatever hymn you
remember best that rehearses all the mighty works of your Lord Jesus.
2. The Lord calls upon us to make a joyful noise to Him, but it doesn’t
have to be perfect!
3. Sing that message to your fellow Christians.
4. Sing it to the people who aren’t even part of the church.
5. Because Isaiah is here to tell you that your Lord Jesus has reconciled
you to your heavenly Father.
6. And doesn’t that just make you want to sing? Amen.

B. Let us pray:
LSB 927 First Song of Isaiah

Refrain: The Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my
salvation.

Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Refrain: The Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my
salvation.
Text: © 2001 Crossway Bibles. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no.
110000247

C. Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

D. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.

E. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Lent 3, March 23, 2025
Text: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
Theme: What’s the deal with eating and drinking?
Other Lessons: Ezekiel 33:7–20; Psalm 85; Luke 13:1–9

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Epistle reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(D) Memory verses!
1 Corinthians 10:1–4, 13 (NASB95)
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all
under the cloud and all passed through the sea;
2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 and all ate the same spiritual food;
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a
spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you
will be able to endure it.
(E) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 823:1-2 May God Bestow on Us His Grace
May God bestow on us His grace,
With blessings rich provide us;
And may the brightness of His face
To life eternal guide us,
That we His saving health may know,
His gracious will and pleasure,
And also to the nations show
Christ’s riches without measure
And unto God convert them.

Thine over all shall be the praise
And thanks of ev’ry nation;
And all the world with joy shall raise
The voice of exultation.
For Thou shalt judge the earth, O Lord,
Nor suffer sin to flourish;
Thy people’s pasture is Thy Word
Their souls to feed and nourish,
In righteous paths to keep them. Amen.
Introduction
(A) 1 Corinthians 10:7 (NASB95)
7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE
SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.”
(1) That line:
a) “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.”
b) It seems rather strange.
(2) After all, there’s nothing wrong with eating and drinking:
a) we all intend to do both of those things today at some point.
b) And when you have small children around, you know that the natural thing
for little people to do once they’ve sat down to eat and drink is “rise up
to play.”
c) But the apostle Paul talks about it as a bad thing.
d) When the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play, they were
doing something wrong.
(B) Speaking of eating and drinking, do any of you have a food that, when
you think of it, makes you think of home?
(1) For me, it would be the stuffed green peppers or the meatloaf Mom would
make.
a) Mom would stuff green peppers with a mixture of hamburger and rice, top
it with tomato paste, put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about an
hour, and voila! comfort food.
b) For the meatloaf, Mom would put together hamburger, onions, bread
crumbs, top it off with tomato sauce, put it into the oven for about 1
hour at 350 degrees and again voila! comfort food.
(2) Whenever I eat these things, they remind me of who I belong to, of
whose I am.
(C) Food and drink can do that to us (1 Cor 10:3–4), and our Lord Jesus
knows that.
(1) That’s why in those moments when we’re falling prey to the devil’s
temptation,
(2) when we’ve nearly forgotten where we belong and whose we are, He gives
us His body and blood to eat and to drink.
(3) And in that supernatural food and drink, He gives you that sense of
belonging not to your earthly family but to the family of your heavenly
Father.
(D) What’s the deal with the eating and drinking? Paul explains it this way:
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95)
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written
for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
(E) What is Paul trying to teach us here?
4. Israel belongs to God.
(A) How can you tell they belong to God? By what they eat and drink (verses
3-4).
(1) When they need food, Israel eats the manna that God miraculously
provides;

Exodus 16:13–15, 31 (NASB95)
13 So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the
camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the
wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the
ground.
15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”
For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread
which the LORD has given you to eat.
31 The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed,
white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.
(2) When they need water, Israel drinks the water that God miraculously
provides:
Exodus 17:1–7 (NASB95)
1 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from
the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at
Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that
we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do
you test the LORD?”
3 But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses
and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our
children and our livestock with thirst?”
4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people?
A little more and they will stone me.”
5 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you
some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which
you struck the Nile, and go.
6 “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you
shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may
drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons
of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us,
or not?”
(Ex 17:1–7).
(B) Because Israel belongs to God, God expects them to act in a certain way.
Exodus 20:14 (NASB95)
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 6:16 (NASB95)
16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at
Massah.
Exodus 20:2–3 (NASB95)
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
3. But Israel forgets that they belong to God (verse 7).
(A) How can you tell they’ve forgotten? By what they eat and drink.
(1) What are the people of Israel eating and drinking?
a) They’re eating and drinking the feasts that go along with pagan
sacrifices.
(2) When the people worship the golden calf, they go from eating manna and
drinking the water God provides to the eating and drinking that accompany
idolatry:

Exodus 32:6 (NASB95)
6 So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought
peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up
to play.
(B) Because Israel forgot that they belong to God, they fall prey to
temptation.
(1) They give in to sexual temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:8 (NASB95)
8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand
fell in one day.
(2) If that were not bad enough, the Israelites began to have illicit
relations with the women of Moab and Midian.
Numbers 25:1–9 (NASB95)
1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot
with the daughters of Moab.
2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the
people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry
against Israel.
4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute
them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the
LORD may turn away from Israel.”
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have
joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives
a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the
congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway
of the tent of meeting.
7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he
arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,
8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of
them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the
plague on the sons of Israel was checked.
9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000.
(3) These relationships drove them further into idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:9 (NASB95)
9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the
serpents.
Numbers 21:4–10 (NASB95)
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around
the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey.
5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out
of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and
we loathe this miserable food.”
6 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so
that many people of Israel died.
7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have
spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may
remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a
standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he
looks at it, he will live.”
9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came
about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent,
he lived.
The Israelites despised God’s provision of food and wanted him to give
different food and drink than he already had.
1 Corinthians 10:10 (NASB95)
10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Numbers 14:1–4 (NASB95)
1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the
people wept that night.
2 All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole
congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or
would that we had died in this wilderness!
3 “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our
wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for
us to return to Egypt?”
4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to
Egypt.”
2. As Christians, we frequently forget that we belong to God.
(A) Why do we forget?
Genesis 3:6 (NASB95)
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a
delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she
took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and
he ate.
(1) Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
(2) That caused all of their children to be set against God.
(A) When we Christians, like Israel, forget that we belong to God, we can
also fall prey to temptation.
(1) When Christians give in to sexual temptation, it’s often because they
forget their bodies belong not to themselves but to the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:18–20 (NASB95)
18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body,
but the immoral man sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is
in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body.
(2) When Christians give in to the temptation to anger, it’s often because
they forget they belong to a God who will avenge wrongdoing.
Romans 12:19 (NASB95)
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of
God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
(3) When Christians give in to the temptation to grumble against God and
his servants, it’s often because they forget they belong to a God who will
provide for all of their needs.
a) Did Jesus not say in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John?:
John 14:27 (NASB95)
27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives
do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
b) What did the Lord tell Isaiah to proclaim in chapter 40 of his book?:
Isaiah 40:27–31 (NASB95)
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from
the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the
Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His
understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases
power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble
badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount
up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk
and not become weary.
c) Or what about what we hear in Psalm 121?:
Psalm 121:5–8 (NASB95)
5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time
forth and forever.
d) Maybe all this is a bunch of bunk! Why even bother believing in all this?
1) Here’s why we should believe what the Lord has said:
a) He is with us
b) we are His
c) He is ours!
1. Jesus reminds us that we belong to God.

(A) How does he remind us that we belong to God? By what we eat and drink.
(1) Under the form of bread Jesus gives us His body broken on the cross:
a) into which we were incorporated when we became children of God in our
baptisms into Jesus’ death.
(2) Under the form of wine Jesus gives us his blood:
a) which He shed to reconcile us to God,
b) even for all the times we’ve forgotten we belong to Him and have given
in to temptation.
(B) In this eating and drinking where Jesus reminds us that we belong to
God:
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB95)
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you
will be able to endure it.
(1) If we feel tempted to abandon God’s design for the human body and
sexuality:
a) we should look to the Lord’s body and blood,
b) which will enable us to endure the temptation.
(2) If we feel tempted to take vengeance on people who have done us wrong:
a) we should look to the Lord’s body and blood,
b) which will enable us to endure the temptation.
(3) If we feel tempted to grumble against God and his servants:
a) we should look to the Lord’s body and blood,
b) which will enable us to endure the temptation.
Conclusion

(A) 1 Corinthians 10:14 (NASB95)
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
(B) This verse (not part of our sermon text for this morning) summarizes
this entire section of Scripture.
(1) Even Israel, who had seen God’s mighty works throughout the exodus,
(2) they acted as if God were not real,
(3) they acted as if they could rely on gods of their own creation or even
themselves to keep them safe.
(4) In our age, there are many gods.
(5) Some are worshiped as such (e.g., Islam, Hinduism);
(6) others gods are much more subtle (e.g., money, pride).
(7) Luther: “A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in
which we are to take refuge in all distress” (LC I 2).
(8) Our society has many such gods, be they wealth, status, reputation, and
yes, even family.
(C) But the one true God does not and will not tolerate shared allegiance.
(1) If we participated in the worship of false gods or in churches that do
not faithfully confess the Gospel in all its purity, this would indicate
that we agree to what that worshiping community believes.
(2) For this reason, we avoid such false worship.
(3) At the Lord’s Table, He offers His body and blood for the forgiveness
of sins and through them creates a faithful community, one committed to Him
and to one another.
(4) He comes to His people in His Word and in the Sacrament of the Lord’s
Supper, which forgives sins and creates a Church faithful to Him.
(5) From being led astray by the many gods of this world, protect us by
Your Spirit, Lord. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, who comes to us in
His body and blood, and for the gift of this congregation in which we hear
Your Word proclaimed faithfully and the Sacrament is rightly administered.
Strengthen us to build up my fellow participants in worship of You. Amen.
(D) Let us pray:
LSB 823:3 May God Bestow on Us His Grace
O let the people praise Thy worth,
In all good works increasing;
The land shall plenteous fruit bring forth,
Thy Word is rich in blessing.
May God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit bless us!
Let all the world praise Him alone,
Let solemn awe possess us.
Now let our hearts say, “Amen!”
Text: Public domain
(E) Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(F) Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.
(G) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Lent 2, March 16, 2025
Text: Philippians 3:17–4:1
Theme: Stand firm in the faith

Other Lessons: Jeremiah 26:8–15; Psalm 4; Luke 13:31–35

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The Epistle reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

D. Memory verse!

Philippians 4:1 (NASB95)
1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in
this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

E. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

660 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Text and tune: Public domain

Introduction

A. We live in a world where the pursuit of pleasure is seen as a human
right and where instant gratification is regarded as a necessity.
1. It is hard to imagine that suffering for the sake of the Gospel would be
seen as a positive thing.
2. A soldier who suffers for his country is only a hero if people love
their country and understand the grave dangers of losing the war.
3. A suffering Christian is only a hero if Christians love their heavenly
country and understand the dangers of losing the Gospel.

B. The apostle Paul in our text for this morning is calling upon all
Christians to love the free and unmerited grace of God:
1. the gift of Christ’s righteousness
2. so much that we remain discerning and steadfast in the faith when faced
with false teachers and false gospels who present real dangers to our faith
3. even if it means suffering or forfeiting certain worldly pleasures.
4. In order that we stand firm, Paul calls upon us to model our lives after
true servants of the Gospel of our Lord who have remained steadfast and
unmoved in their faith.
5. In our evil, pleasure-seeking day especially, this is critical.

C. Christians Need to Stand Firm, Steadfast, in Their Devotion to the
Gospel of Jesus and His Grace.

(1) It will be difficult to stand firm, steadfast, in the faith.

A. Our standing firm, steadfast, is endangered by weak faith when it is
faced with tribulations on account of God’s Word and with life’s worries
and wealth.

1. Recall the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9,18-23)
a. Some hear the Word with joy but have no root, so when trouble or
persecution comes because of the Word, they fall away.
b. Others hear the Word, but worries of this life and wealth choke it.

2. We rejoice in God’s Word:
a. for it assures us that Jesus has earned heaven for us by His death and
resurrection.

3. But we also worry, and material things are always tempting.
a. Having enough money to pay the bills.
b. Will I ever feel normal again after being sick?
c. We need to be careful!:
1. These are dangerous to our faith!
2. They take our eyes off of who we need to focus on.

B. Our standing firm, steadfast, is also is in danger by false teachers who
pridefully promote obedience to the Law as a way of meriting heaven
(3:18–19).

1. Paul had every reason to boast in his past spiritual life, he had a very
impressive list of credentials:
a. his circumcision,
b. his lineage,
c. a model Hebrew,
d. a Pharisee’s zeal for the law,
e. even persecuting those he thought opposed it (3:4–6).

2. But he found something far greater:
a. Christ!
b. Everything else he counted as loss, even garbage, compared to knowing
Jesus and the righteousness he gives through faith.
c. Paul was willing to share Jesus’ sufferings, even death, in order to
share in Jesus’ resurrection (3:7–11).

3. Many were the teachers of the law who hated Paul for robbing them of
their so-called glory.

4. Many are the false teachers today who boast:
a. in their own works and deeds and spiritual accomplishments,
b. always seeking disciples to emulate them and follow their example.
c. Theirs is no more than a pretense of holiness that is not acceptable to
God.

5. Therefore, we should not allow the Gospel to be confused with their
teachings of works-righteousness, and we should not compromise the Gospel
for the sake of peace.

C. Our standing firm, steadfast, is also in danger by false teachers who
promote sexual deviance and immorality as Christian liberty (3:19).

1. The Philippians faced false teachers who promised to give them the
liberty of indulging their sinful natures, whether it was in the form of
materialism and greed or being seduced to give into our fleshly desires.

2. Times have not changed.
a. Today we see many denominations claiming to be Christian literally
advocating for deviant sexuality, as they are indifferent to all other
violations of the commandments of God.
1. It’s okay to be a homosexual, because that is the “way” God made me.
2. It’s okay to have an affair as long as no one gets hurt.
3. It’s okay to covet someone else’s spouse, for the Lord truly wants you
to happy.

3. We must not allow ourselves to be drawn into their web, for by keeping
faith in Christ, we have eternal salvation.
a. but if we allow any of these dangers to destroy our faith, we lose
eternal life.
b. we need to keep the first things first!

(II) The good news is that our standing firm, steadfast, in the faith is
God overcoming each of the dangers (4:1).

A. When faith stands firm in the face of tribulation for the sake of the
Gospel, God makes weak faith stronger and deeper.

A. We see that other things we’ve been depending on:
a. our smarts,
b. our goodness,
c. our possessions
d. they can’t help us!

B. All we can do is count on that Jesus’ cross has made us God’s children
again
a. with all the promises that come from being His.

C. It’s like the seed planted in good soil with roots down deep into the
soil of God’s Word.
a. What happened to that seed?

Matthew 13:8 (NASB95)
8 “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold,
some sixty, and some thirty.
Matthew 13:23 (NASB95)
23 “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who
hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

B. When faith stands firmly on the righteousness of Christ, God is showing
us the error of teachers of works-righteousness, and how to avoid them.

A. Jesus’ perfect life and sinless death:
a. this is a righteousness that is not our own but a gift given to us,
b. it is the only truth by which we can be saved.

B. Confidence in this righteousness of Christ saves us from sin and death.

C. Any teacher who sends us looking:
a. to our works for assurance of salvation
b. or doubt that our salvation is in Christ
c. is a false teacher and ought not to be trusted.

C. When faith in Christ stands firm, God is leading us to grasp and
appreciate this thought:

Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB95)
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the
body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject
all things to Himself.

A. We are citizens of an eternal city and kingdom, far greater than
anything this world has to offer.

B. Just as Paul was given the gift of Roman citizenship, we have received
citizenship in the eternal kingdom of Christ.

C. Knowing this helps us to reject life’s temptations that are

(III) Why not, then, model our lives after our Lord and those who stood
firm, steadfast, on behalf of the Gos¬pel (3:17)? What they received we
also will receive!

A. Why not model after the steadfastness of Jesus, who was rejected by men?

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NASB95)
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A. Jesus left the joy of heaven and endured the cross with all its shame.

B. But then He was seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

C. He is our greatest encouragement not to grow weary and lose heart.

B. Why not model after the courage and perseverance of the apostle Paul and
his fellow missionaries as they sacrificed everything for the sake of the
pure Gospel?

2 Timothy 4:2–8 (NASB95)
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort, with great patience and instruction.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires,
4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to
myths.
5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an
evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my
departure has come.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the
faith;
8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only
to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

A. Paul preached the Word:
a. pure doctrine,
b. in and out of season,
c. with great patience,
d. even to those whose itching ears wanted something entirely different.

B. He endured hardship and eventually was poured out like a drink offering
and lost his life for the sake of the Gospel.

C. Yet he:
a. fought the good fight,
b. finished the race,
c. kept the faith,
d. and finally received the crown of righteousness that was promised to him.

D. That crown is for us too:
a. for all who love the Lord’s appearing.

C. Why not model our life after those in our own history and in our present
world who have remained steadfast in the Christian faith?

A. Saints:
a. of the early church,
1. Stephen
2. Ambrose
3. John Chrysostom
b. of the Reformation,
1. Luther
2. Melanchthon
3. Bugenhagen
c. and even today face persecution on account of Christ.

B. We may not think that what we do matters:
a. but when we are steadfast in Christ even in the face of suffering or
persecution,
b. even in the smallest of ways,
c. we will be models for those who are around us and those who will come
after us.

Conclusion

A. There is a true story about a man who demonstrated incredible fortitude,
which resembles the fortitude of a Christian refusing to be captured by a
false gospel.

B. The story takes place during World War II.

A. After escaping from Nazi-occupied Norway, a Norwegian commando named
Jan Sigurd Baalsrud is sent from England back to Norway in a covert
operation of twelve soldiers.

B. When their boat is attacked by the Germans, one solder is killed and ten
others are arrested.

C. Only Baalsrud escapes.

D. Thereafter begins a story of horrific suffering.
a. He’s shot in the foot.
b. He escapes by swimming across a subfreezing fjord.
c. He endures avalanches, performing surgery on himself,
d. fever,
e. and hallucinations,
f. all the while being pursued by the Nazis.
g. He hides under a rock for ten days with nothing but a sleeping bag.

E. Eventually, over the course of sixty-three days of brutal pain and
suffering, constantly on the run, he finally escapes to the neutral country
of Sweden.

F. And all this for what reason?
a. To defy the enemy of his people,
b. to set his people free
c. Through his perseverance, he becomes a hero, a model, an example for all
in any country who would be willing to carry on and sacrifice for their
country and its freedom.
d. This true story was made into a movie and it exemplifies what
steadfastness and grit look like.
e. The movie is called The 12th Man.

C. As Christians, we are called to remain steadfast in the faith as we must
be willing to endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel.

A. We are called upon to be the 12th man!

B. There are many times when our citizenship in the kingdom of God calls
upon us to endure hardship and suffering.
C. Suffering for the sake of the Gospel is a noble thing when it is
intended to liberate us from all who would rob us of the freedom and faith
Christ Jesus has given us.
D. Heroes are those who serve as models, as examples, of such steadfastness
in the face of suffering.
E. We are all called by God to imitate those who have endured such
hardships for the sake of the Gospel.
F. Stand firm in the faith, dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
G. Stand firm in the faith of Christ our Lord. Amen.

D. Let us pray:

660 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Text and tune: Public domain

E. Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
F. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.
G. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Lent 1, March 9, 2025
Text: Romans 10:8b–13
Theme: God’s truth: easy and powerful
Other Lessons: Deuteronomy 26:1–11; Psalm 91:1–13; Luke 4:1–13

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Epistle reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(D) Memory verses!
Romans 10:9–10 (NASB95)
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and
with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
So far the reading of our text.
(E) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 587:1-2 I Know My Faith Is Founded
1 I know my faith is founded
On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing,
Unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Our reason cannot fathom
The truth of God profound;
Who trusts in human wisdom
Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient,
It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom,
My faith shall rest secure.

2 Increase my faith, dear Savior,
For Satan seeks by night and day
To rob me of this treasure
And take my hope of bliss away.
But, Lord, with You beside me,
I shall be undismayed;
And led by Your good Spirit,
I shall be unafraid.
Abide with me, O Savior,
A firmer faith bestow;
Then I shall bid defiance
To ev’ry evil foe.

Introduction

(A) The Hebrew language has a good thing going—in a lot of ways, of course,
but here’s one:
(1) The Hebrew word dabar, which basically means “word,” can also mean
“thing.”
(2) This is helpful because in our thinking, words often don’t mean a lot.
(3) Sayings like:
a) “Ahh, that’s just words.”
b) “Don’t give me words; give me deeds.”
c) “Sticks and stones”, they’ll break my bones, but words, they’ll never
hurt me.”
(4) We really don’t value words very highly.
(5) But now, a dabar, a thing:
a) now that’s got some substance to it.
b) it is something one can hold on to, really use.
c) Hebrew is saying that words are substantial.
(B) In our sermon text for this morning, the apostle Paul is quoting the
Hebrew Old Testament book of Deuteron­omy, when he writes:
Romans 10:8 (NASB95)
8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR
HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
(1) That sounds kind of abstract, doesn’t it?
(2) If he were here right now, we might be inclined to ask:
a) “What word are you talking about, Paul?”
(3) What Paul has in mind is this:
a) that the word we believe in our hearts and speak with our mouths isn’t
abstract at all.
b) It’s got substance,
c) something we can hold on to.
d) Or, to be more precise, He’s got substance, someone we can hold on to.
e) We believe in our hearts, speak with our mouths, even receive in our
lips the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.
f) Talk about dabar!

(1) God’s truth is easy to understand.
(A) There is a kind of truth that is hard to understand.
(1) Some truth is hard in that it requires us, so to speak, to climb high
up into heaven.
a) That is, we must use the ladder of scientific inquiry:
1) based on observation and theoretical ideas,
2) to create truth statements that will define our physical and tangible
world.
3) For example:
a) How do we know the stars and planets exist?
– using a telescope.
– checking reference materials.
b) How can we be sure 2+2=4?
– That was what we learned in school.
– Direct observation.
b) The problem is that this kind of truth will always be challenged by
some, never be certain. Why?
1) Observations change.
2) Theories are modified.
3) Assumptions are challenged.
(2) Some truth is hard in that it requires us, so to speak, to descend into
the depths of the earth.
a) That is, we must understand what goes on in the depths of the human
heart and mind.
1) Psychologists and sociologists try to analyze and categorize human
behavior.
2) They try to peer into the subconscious to explain why we do things we
shouldn’t do and don’t do things we should.
a) Why is it so hard to keep God as number one in our lives?
b) Why is it so cool to curse and swear, but when it comes to saying
something positive, you’re looked down upon?
c) Why tell a lie when we know that it is better to tell the truth?
b) Deep down in that dark cavern of our souls there are things happening
that are mysterious, downright scary, even to ourselves.
(B) But God’s truth is easy, not hard to understand—first, his truth of the
Law.
(1) The Ten Commandments are simple truth.
a) Turn to page 264 in the front part of the hymnal and we will read the
Ten Commandments together:
Ten Commandments
You shall have no other gods.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant,
his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
(2) As Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, Moses exhorted them
with these words:
Deuteronomy 30:11–14 (NASB95)
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for
you, nor is it out of reach.
12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for
us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’
13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea
for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’
14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that
you may observe it.
(3) We might ask, “Why did Israel fail to do what God commanded if God’s
commands are so easy?” Did they not understand his commands?
a) They did, as easily as we understand a command to love God above all
things.
b) But just as we cannot make our hearts love God beyond all things because
of the limitations of our sinful nature, so also Israel could not fully
keep God’s law.
(4) When a person realizes he or she cannot fulfill God’s Law, there are
only three options:
a) Give up and run from God (just like what Jonah did).
b) Find ways to pretend we are fulfilling God’s Law (be like the Pharisees:
not practicing what they preached).
c) Despair of fulfilling God’s Law and then seek another way to become
righteous (do more works so God will be happy with me).
(5) Many of the Jews of Paul’s day chose to pretend they were fulfilling
God’s Law, so they rejected God’s other easy-to-understand truth.
(C) God’s other truth is also easy to understand—His Gospel.
(1) It is the easy truth that Paul was proclaiming.
a) He was grieved that his fellow Israelites did not understand it.
Romans 10:1–3 (NASB95)
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their
salvation.
2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in
accordance with knowledge.
3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their
own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
(2) It is the easy truth that Christ is righteousness, the end of the Law,
for all who believe.
Romans 10:4 (NASB95)
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who
believes.
a) It is not a matter whether:
1) Christ might be the end of the law for righteousness
2) or that He could be .
b) No, He fulfilled the Law completely for us.
c) Then, He died to take our punishment on himself.
(3) It is the easy truth of faith, what does God’s Word say?:
Romans 10:8–9 (NASB95)
8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR
HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
a) That’s it!
b) Period.
c) Easy.
(D) The truth of the Gospel, though easy to understand, is also hard to
believe.
(1) Therefore, it’s just as vital to remember…

(2) God’s truth is powerful to create faith.

(A) The truth of the Gospel is easy to understand, but for the natural man,
it is hard to believe.
(1) It is unbelievable folly to unbe­liev­ers.
(2) Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 1:
1 Corinthians 1:18–21 (NASB95)
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE
CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this
age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come
to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message
preached to save those who believe.
(B) The grace of God, God’s undeserved kindness toward us, runs contrary to
our hard-truth way of thinking.
(1) It is so contrary to our natures:
a) to believe that God would save us not by our own works and deeds,
b) but rather by sending His Son into our human flesh to live a perfect
life under the Law to be our substitute and, as our substitute, to die in
our place.
c) it is also contrary to reason that as our substitute, Jesus could unite
our bodies to His body as He rose from the grave to defeat death!
(C) But God’s Word has power to do that thing human reason cannot do:
(1) that is, create faith in God’s easy truth.
a) His Word does not convince us by taking us into the heavens with logic
and scientific observation.
Romans 10:6 (NASB95)
6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN
YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),
b) His Word does not create faith by taking us into the depths of the earth
with psychological or sociological proofs.
Romans 10:7 (NASB95)
7 or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from
the dead).”
c) His Word of truth simply creates faith in the heart when He speaks to
us.
1) His Word has an inherent power to create faith.
a) It creates faith in the hearts of babies.
b) It creates faith in the hearts of broken and sinful human beings who
have transgressed God’s commands and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and
punishment, like that thief on the cross.
2) Paul says later in chapter 10 of Romans:
Romans 10:17 (NASB95)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Conclusion

(A) God’s Truth Is Easy and Powerful.
(B) Down the road from this first Sunday in Lent, we will see Christ stand
before Pilate and declare that everyone on the side of truth would listen
to His voice.
(1) Everything Jesus taught would be truth.
(2) It would not be the word of the world or science or philosophy or
psychology.
(3) It would not be the word of governors or kings or presidents.
(4) It would not be the word of doctors or professors or lawyers or
successful business executives.
(C) Just the sweet, simple, and easy-yet-powerful words of Jesus, like
those spoken to Martha:
John 11:25–26 (NASB95)
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes
in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe
this?”
Amen.
(D) Let us pray:
LSB 587:3 I Know My Faith Is Founded
3 In faith, Lord, let me serve You;
Though persecution, grief, and pain
Should seek to overwhelm me,
Let me a steadfast trust retain;
And then at my departure,
Lord, take me home to You,
Your riches to inherit
As all You said holds true.
In life and death, Lord, keep me
Until Your heav’n I gain,
Where I by Your great mercy
The end of faith attain.
Text: Public domain
(E) Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(F) Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.
(G) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD, MARCH 2, 2025
Text: Luke 9:28–36
Theme: Take up your cross!
Other Lessons: Deuteronomy 34:1–12; Psalm 99; Hebrews 3:1–6

(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Gospel reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(D) Memory verse!
Luke 9:35 (NASB95)
35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen
One; listen to Him!”
(E) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

LSB 414:1-3 ’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here

’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.

’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.

Fulfiller of the past
And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see. Amen.

Introduction

(A) I’m sure several of you are familiar with the Lord of the Rings by
J.R.R. Tolkien.
(1) The movies are good.
(2) Of course, the books by J. R. R. Tolkien are better, but there again,
the book is always better than the movie.
(B) Tolkien introduces us to a wizard named Gandalf.
(1) Gandalf the wizard does not appear impressive.
(2) He looks old and weathered.
(3) They even call him Gandalf the Grey.
(4) That is until the day his appearance changes completely.
(5) Gandalf the Grey is revealed as Gandalf the White.
(6) His hair and garments and eyes shine like pure light.
(7) The scene sounds suspiciously like Jesus’ transfiguration (Lk 9:28–36).
(8) Maybe it is because Tolkien confessed the Christian faith.
(C) Gandalf’s followers must have wanted the moment to last forever, like
Peter did.
(1) Instead, what does Gandalf do?:
a) he dons an old cloak,
b) covers up his glory,
c) and goes back to work in the world looking downright ordinary.
(D) One moment, Jesus shines like the sun.
(1) The next moment, Peter, James, and John see their teacher in the same
dusty, dingy, threadbare clothes he wore up the mountain.
(E) Gandalf covered his glory because it was the best way to save elves and
dwarves and hobbits.
(1) Jesus covers His glory because it’s the best way to save you and me and
the rest of humanity.
(2) After all, if He had fully used his powers as the glorious God, no one
could have crucified Him.
(3) Gandalf conquers fictional powers of evil.
(4) Jesus conquers actual powers of evil.
(5) No matter how well conceived, Gandalf remains a figment of J. R. R.
Tolkien’s imagination.
(6) Jesus is quite real:
a) the real God who covered His real glory so He could walk down from the
Mount of Transfiguration and trudge up the mountain called Calvary.
b) For you.
c) For me.
(F) Look at the first words of today’s Gospel:
Luke 9:28 (NASB95)
28 Some eight days after these sayings, [Jesus] took along Peter and John
and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.
(1) What is Luke’s point here?
a) He is telling you that you need some backstory to understand the
transfiguration fully.
(2) Fortunately, you don’t have to subscribe to a streaming platform to get
that backstory.
(3) The Bible provides it all.
(4) What was said about eight days earlier?
(5) Jesus said:
Luke 9:22 (NASB95)
22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the
third day.”
Luke 9:23 (NASB95)
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he
must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
(G) The transfiguration happens because crosses will be taken up.
(1) That’s not the only reason though for the transfiguration.
(2) But it’s one reason.
(3) Before we enter Lent:
a) before we remember how Jesus takes up his cross for us,
b) before we rededicate ourselves to taking up our crosses as we follow
him,
c) the transfiguration teaches us who Jesus is and what He has waiting for
those who believe and trust in Him for salvation.

(1) The transfiguration shows who Jesus is before He takes up his cross for
us.
(A) The transfiguration shows who Jesus is before He takes up his cross for
us.
(1) A soldier looks at Jesus hanging in agony on Golgotha.
(2) The soldier thinks:
a) “That’s yet another criminal paying the price for what he’s done wrong.”
(3) The transfigura­tion says:
a) “Actually, that’s God paying the price for what you’ve done wrong.”
(B) It’s obvious Jesus is just as human as we are.
(1) Why? Because He dies.
(2) Just like we will, unless Jesus returns first.
(3) But the transfiguration makes it clear Jesus isn’t just a human.
(4) That day, His body glowed with glory that could only belong to God
Himself.
(5) It was an epiphany:
a) a revelation that Jesus is God
b) begotten of God
c) and Light begotten of Light.
(6) Our Lord wants to make sure that Peter, James, John, you, and I all
know that the one who will soon hang on a cross has the ability and means
to pay for our sins.
(C) Peter wants to make the moment last as long as possible.
(1) He wants to build three tents.
(2) Jesus could have stayed on the mountain.
(3) He could have said:
a) “I kind of like glowing with glory.”
(4) If Jesus had stayed on the mountain as Peter wanted, He would have been
spared the cross.
(5) And guess what? You would have:
a) no forgiveness,
b) no resurrection,
c) no heaven,
d) no hope.
e) You would have a life filled with sorrow.
f) And then a death to follow filled with hell.
g) So would I.
(D) But Jesus didn’t come to this earth to put Himself on glorious display.
(1) He came to put himself on a gory cross.
(E) Did you notice what Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were talking about on the
mountain?
(1) It was all about Jesus’ departure.
(2) In Greek, the word is ἔξοδος;
a) it’s where we get the word “exodus”.
b) Even while He glowed with transfiguration glory (literally: “a change in
appearance that comes from within,”) and this is where we get the English
word metamorphosis.
(3) With all this, Jesus remained focused:
a) rock solid
b) in business mode
c) and laid aside His glory to set his people free from slavery to sin,
death, and Satan.
(F) That’s His departure (His exodus) from life when He’s crucified.
(1) Even when Jesus shines with glory as God, He is thinking about how He’s
going to accomplish your salvation.
(G) Jesus has an dying love for you.
(1) He goes to the cross, because He knows His death is:
a) the only way God’s justice can be satisfied,
b) the only way we unholy people can be made holy,
c) the only way we can join Him in glory.
(H) You’d think that a dead criminal couldn’t possibly be serving God.
(1) But the transfiguration shows that the dead criminal not only serves
God:
a) the dead criminal is God.
b) That means the price of your salvation is paid.

(2) The transfiguration shows what we will have before we take up our
crosses and follow Him.

(A) But Jesus is not the only one who will take up a cross.
(1) Jesus knows Peter, James, and John will take up their crosses as they
follow Jesus.
(2) And so will you and I.
(3) Jesus takes up a cross literally.
(4) We take them up figuratively.
(B) Our Lord does not say to us:
(1) “If anyone wants to come after me, let them have an easy life and
earthly riches.”
(2) That’s what the popular evangelical preachers say on tv and radio:
a) that you should expect prosperity on earth.
(3) Instead, Jesus suggests that you should expect resistance from the
world:
a) whether or not your heavenly Father grants you prosperity.
Luke 9:23 (NASB95)
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he
must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
b) John suffered years in exile.
c) Peter was executed.
d) James, the first apostle to be martyred, lost his head courtesy of King
Herod Agrippa.
e) Which is to say, James was the first apostle whose soul got to share
Jesus’ transfiguration glory.
f) And when Jesus returns, James’ body as well as his soul will glow like
Christ.
(C) When you say you’re a Christian, people may laugh because you still
believe the Bible is true.
(1) When you resist temptation, your friends may think you’re a prude.
(2) When you talk about your Lord, some people will consider you hopelessly
out-of-date and close minded.
(3) When you take up your cross and follow Jesus, life isn’t likely to be
easy.
(4) Maybe you’ll have the privilege of dying for Jesus.
(5) Yes I said the privilege of dying for Jesus.
(6) What is the twenty-first-century equivalent of Christians being thrown
to the lions?
(7) Whatever that looks like, if you’re asked to endure it, remember the
transfiguration.
(8) The trans­figuration shows what we will have before we take up our
crosses and follow Jesus.
(9) The glory Jesus has on the mountain is glory you will share, but not in
this life.
(10) And when you realize that’s the glory He has waiting for you in
heaven, you’ll be ready to carry whatever cross may be laid on you.
(D) You might ask:
(1) “Why can’t we just cut to the chase, skip all this stuff about
suffering and go straight to glory with Jesus?”
(2) For the same reason Jesus couldn’t skip the cross.
(3) There are people on this earth who need Him.
(4) You and I are the way our Lord cares for those hurting people today.
(5) And you and I are the way He gets the message of sin and a Savior to
all those people out there who don’t realize that Jesus took up His cross
for them.
(E) Peter would live roughly thirty-five years after the trans­fig­uration:
(1) Thirty-five very difficult years.
(2) But nothing that he experienced in all those years, no matter how
horrible, could erase what he saw on that mountaintop.
(3) I don’t know what you’ll be asked to suffer in the future because you
belong to Jesus:
a) but nothing that you will experience as a Christian,
b) no matter how horrible,
c) can erase the promise God gave you when He baptized you into the death,
the resurrection, and transfiguration of His Son.
d) What the Father said about His Son He now says about you because of
Jesus:
1) “You are my child. My chosen one.”
2) Jesus’ glory will be your glory.
(F) And to make sure you know that promise is for you, so you can remain
faithful until death, your Lord at this altar puts into you:
(1) the same body that Peter, James, and John saw transfigured on that
mountain,
(2) the same body that they saw hanging on the cross,
(3) the same body they saw alive on Easter evening in the Upper Room.
(4) Along with the blood that atoned for you.
(G) Pay attention when the Father says:
Luke 9:35 (NASB95)
35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen
One; listen to Him!”
(1) Listen to Him when He says you must take up your cross to follow Him.
(2) Listen to Him when He says:
a) “The Son of Man must suffer, be killed, and on the third day rise.”
(3) Listen to Him when He says:
a) “I forgive you all your sins.”
(4) Listen to Him when He says:
a) “This is my body given for you” and “This is my blood shed for you.”
(5) Listen to Him when He says:
a) “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
(H) When it gets difficult to carry your cross and live as God’s child—and
it will be difficult—remember the transfigura­tion.
(1) It guarantees that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing to the glory that will be revealed.
(I) You don’t need a streaming service to tell you that.
(1) You know the backstory.
(2) Jesus is transfigured because crosses will be taken up.

Conclusion

(A) The transfiguration tells you that when Jesus takes up His Cross:
(1) That’s God dying to save you,
(2) So before you take up your cross and follow Him,
(3) You know Jesus will share His Glory with you,
(4) His transfiguration glory.
(5) Amen.

(B) Let us pray:
LSB 414:4-5 Tis Good, Lord, to be here

Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.

’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain. Amen.
Text: Public domain

(C) Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(D) Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.
(E) In the Name of the Father…Amen.

EPIPHANY 7, FEBRUARY 23, 2025

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:21–26, 30–42
Theme: Fear not!
Other Lessons: Genesis 45:3–15; Psalm 103:1–13; Luke 6:27–38

Introduction

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The Epistle reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

D. Memory verse!

1 Corinthians 15:22 (NASB95)
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

E. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

LSB 741:1-2 Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense
1 Jesus Christ, my sure defense
And my Savior, now is living!
Knowing this, my confidence
Rests upon the hope here given,
Though the night of death be fraught
Still with many an anxious thought.

2 Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
Likewise I to life shall waken.
He will bring me where He is;
Shall my courage then be shaken?
Shall I fear, or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead? Amen.

F. James was a Christian living in Sudan.
1. James watched Muslim soldiers kill his mother, his father, and each of
his siblings.
2. The soldiers told James his life would be spared if he became a Muslim.
3. What would you do if you were James?
4. James knew the life-or-death consequences of his response.
5. James was still a young boy.
6. But James also trusted Jesus.
7. James refused to renounce his Savior.
8. The soldiers threw James into a blazing fire alive.
9. In the end, James survived.
10. But the burn scars will never leave his body.
11. Those burn scars will be honored at the resurrection.

G. Paul tells the Corinthians he fought with wild beasts at Ephesus,
presumably because he would not compromise his faith in Christ.
1. Authorities threatened Paul repeatedly during his ministry.
2. But Paul kept preaching Jesus, even when, eventually, he was killed for
doing so.

H. Do you want to imitate little James and the apostle Paul?
1. What Paul says in our Epistle lesson for this morning will help.
2. Paul is very blunt when he says:

1 Corinthians 15:22 (NASB95)
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

C. There are only two possibilities.
1. Are you dying with Adam or living with Christ?
2. If you are dying with Adam, you ought to fear!

I. Do Not Fear Living and Even Dying for Christ, Because While in Adam All
Die, in Christ All Will Be Made Alive.

I. We all die like Adam because we all sin like Adam.

A. In Adam, all die.
1. All.
2. No exceptions.
3. You have Adam as an ancestor.
4. So the next time you’re at a funeral, take a good long look at the body
in the casket.
5. Unless Jesus returns quickly, the day is coming when that will be you.

B. You can put me in a solid gold casket, and I’ll be just as dead as if
you bury me in a cardboard box.
1. I can cover your grave with a blanket of beautiful bouquets.
2. The flowers will hide the dirt.
3. But they will not change the fact that you’ll still be a lifeless corpse
six feet under the soil.
4. Because you are connected to Adam.
5. Like I am.
6. In Adam, all die.

C. How does the triage nurse in the emergency room determine if the
unresponsive body that just arrived is dead or alive?
1. Feel for a pulse, right?
2. And check for breath.
3. If possible, maybe find out if there are brain waves.
4. If you have a pulse and breath and brain waves, you have life, right?

D. No!!!
1. Instead, you have death waiting to happen.
2. You started dying the moment you were conceived.
3. So did I.

E. But not Adam.
1. Adam started with life that did not have to end in death.
2. Adam enjoyed a carefree existence.
3. And he could eat from apple trees, peach trees, mango trees, and
especially from the tree of life.

F. God wanted Adam to continue living.
1. So God told Adam not to eat from that one tree, that is, the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
2. From the only tree with deadly fruit.
3. God was protecting Adam.
4. God warned that eating that fruit would kill Adam.
5. Maybe Adam did not believe the consequences could be that dire.
6. God says ignoring His Commandments will kill us.
7. But we’re tempted to believe the consequences could not be that dire.
8. So we sin.
9. And we die.

G. You can try to blame Adam all you want.
1. After all, you inherited sin from him.
2. But Adam isn’t the one listening to the devil when you break one of the
Commandments.
3. You are.
4. Adam isn’t the one who’s harboring anger in his heart toward the person
who makes you mad.
5. Adam doesn’t force you to curse.
6. Or lie.
7. Or covet.
8. Adam is not the one afraid to live for Jesus, because he is dead.
9. You are.

H. You and I are in Adam.
1. And in Adam all die.
2. There is nothing you can do to stop or reverse that reality.
3. As Paul says, we might as well:

1 Corinthians 15:32 (NASB95)
32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it
profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW
WE DIE.

D. Indulge in those sinful desires while you can before you die.

II. But Christ died our death for us, so in Christ all will be made
alive.

A. Unless we have another Adam.
1. Unless there is a human like Adam but unlike us, an Adam who starts life
without any of our sinful inclinations.
2. This Second Adam needs to do what the first Adam failed to do.
3. That is:
a. Heed God’s warnings.
b. And resist every enticement of the devil.
c. On top of this, the Second Adam would have to do something even more
unlikely.
d. He’d have to be willing to die for people who ignore His warnings.

B. Jesus is the Second Adam who volunteers to pay your sin debt in full.
1. Even when your account says you need to die in order to pay your debt.
2. He takes the blame for the sin that kills you.
3. Your sin kills Him instead of you.
4. That in turn leaves you sinless.

C. That is why we clothe the newly baptized in white.
1. It’s also why we cover the bodies at each Christian funeral with a pall.
2. The pall used here at church is white, to tell you the body beneath it
belongs to a purified, baptized child of God.
3. That pall reflects the fact that body beneath it was washed clean and
made white in the blood of the Lamb, the Second Adam.
4. The pall also reminds us where that blood was shed.
5. Someday a pall may cover your dead body.

D. Maybe the pall should also include an altar, where your Lord puts into
your mouth His body that rose from the dead and His blood that pays the
debt it would have taken an eternity for you to pay in hell.

E. In Adam, all die.
1. But you have already died.
a. With Christ.
b. In Baptism.
c. Now in Christ will all be made alive.

F. That’s why when Paul speaks of Christians who have died, he sometime
calls them asleep.
1. Make no mistake; the bodies of Christians die.
2. The wages of sin is death.
3. We will collect our paycheck for the wages we deserve.
4. But when you are in Christ, that death is not permanent.
5. It is only temporary.
6. Like sleep.

G. One Greek word for resurrection (egeirō) means “to be awakened.”
1. If you die before our Lord’s final advent, before the day Jesus returns,
picture Him reaching down into your grave, tapping you on the shoulder, and
saying, “It’s time to wake up.”
2. Then you will wake up from death just like you wake up each morning.
3. You will get up out of your grave like you get up out of your bed.
4. Because whether you’ve been dead only a few minutes or for a few
centuries at His return, you still will be linked to the risen Christ
through your Baptism.
5. And in Christ, all will be made alive.

H. You no longer have death hanging over you, waiting to happen.
1. You have life waiting to be lived, now in this old creation and fully in
the new creation.

I. Yes, death hurts.
1. Death separates you from the people you love.
2. Death is a blot on God’s good creation.
3. So despise death.
4. But do not fear death.
5. Death has been conquered by Christ’s death.
6. Death will be undone.
7. In Christ will all be made alive.

J. That is why James (the boy in the opening illustration) did not have to
fear death when the soldiers threatened to kill him.
1. That is why Paul did not have to fear death when he faced the wild
beasts.
2. That is why you could say at your confirmation,
a. “I am ready to suffer anything, even death, rather than compromise my
confession of faith.”
3. That’s why you can love your enemies instead of hating them.
4. Like Joseph did.
5. His brothers sold him into slavery.
6. But Joseph did not hold it against them.
7. He believed in the God who uses evil to accomplish good, who uses the
evil of death as the gate to life with Him.
8. You are in Christ.
a. Even if they kill you for being a Christian, you won’t stay dead.
b. Not permanently.

K. Perhaps that is why in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul does not say the bodies of
believers are buried.
1. He says they’re planted, “sown” (v 42).
2. Maybe we’ve been using the wrong word.
3. We talk about burying Christian bodies.
4. Maybe we should join Paul in saying we plant them.
5. When you bury something, you put it in the ground and expect it to stay
there.
6. When you plant something, you put it in the ground and expect it to come
out again.
7. We plant the bodies of baptized believers in Christ.
8. That’s why we do not need to fear living for Christ or dying for Him.

L. It’s true that in Adam all die, but in Christ all shall be made alive.

M. Think about this for a moment.
1. In reference to last week’s Epistle lesson, which is right before
today’s text and is connected with what we hear today:
a. If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain:
1. If there is no resurrection, then Jesus is not risen, and Paul and the
other apostles have preached in vain. There is no real, resurrected Jesus
whom they serve.
b. Worse, if Christ is not risen, then we are found false witnesses of God.
1. If there is no belief in the resurrection, and if Jesus did not rise
from the dead, then the apostles are liars.
c. Worse yet, if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still
in your sins!
d. Let’s follow Paul’s logic point-by-point:
1. If there is no principle of resurrection, then Jesus did not rise from
the dead.
2. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then death has power over Him and
defeated Him.
3. If death has power over Jesus, He is not God.
4. If Jesus is not God, He cannot offer a complete sacrifice for sins.
5. If Jesus cannot offer a complete sacrifice for sins, our sins are not
completely paid for before God.
6. If my sins are not completely paid for before God, then I am still in my
sins.
7. Therefore, if Jesus is not risen, He is unable to save you or me.
e. Worse still, if Christ is not risen, then those who have fallen asleep
in Christ have perished.
1. If there is no belief in the resurrection, then the dead in Christ are
gone forever.
f. Worst of all, if Christ is not risen, then in this life only we have
hope in Christ, and we are of all men the most pitiable.
1. If there is no belief in the resurrection, then the whole Christian life
is a big pitiful joke!
2. If we don’t have something beyond this life to look forward to, why
hassle with the problems in being a Christian?
3. One might as well renounce their faith right here and now!

Conclusion

A. This year will see the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II;
the last allied bombs fell on Germany in April 1945.
1. Yet each year, over two thousand tons of unexploded bombs are still
discovered in Germany, often imbedded underground where they landed and
uncovered in excavations for new building projects.
2. All these decades after the war’s end, these unexploded bombs still have
the potential to kill.
3. A German government unit known as the KMBD has the dangerous job of
defusing them.

B. Some two thousand years ago, Jesus’ death and resurrection won the war
against Satan and sin.
1. Yet we still die:
a. sometimes suddenly, unexpectedly.
b. But not forever.
c. When Christ returns, death itself will finally be defused.

1 Corinthians 15:26 (NKJV)
26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Amen.

C. Let us pray:
LSB 741:6-7 Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense

6 Then take comfort and rejoice,
For His members Christ will cherish.
Fear not, they will hear His voice;
Dying, they will never perish;
For the very grave is stirred
When the trumpet’s blast is heard.

7 Laugh to scorn the gloomy grave
And at death no longer tremble;
He, the Lord, who came to save
Will at last His own assemble.
They will go their Lord to meet,
Treading death beneath their feet.
Text: Public domain

D. Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

E. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.

F. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

EPIPHANY 5, FEBRUARY 9, 2025
Text: Luke 5:1–11
Theme: Jesus nets a sinner
Other Lessons: Isaiah 6:1–8 (9–13); Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 14:12b–20

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The Epistle reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

D. Memory verses!

Luke 5:8–11 (NASB95)
8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go
away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch
of fish which they had taken;
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with
Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be
catching men.”
11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and
followed Him.

This is the Word of the Lord.

E. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:

LSB 902:1-2 Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now

1 Lord Jesus Christ, be present now;
Our hearts in true devotion bow.
Your Spirit send with light divine,
And let Your truth within us shine.

2 Unseal our lips to sing Your praise
In endless hymns through all our days.
Increase our faith and light our minds;
And set us free from doubt that blinds.

Introduction

A. A pastor gets a phone call from a woman who had been recently mauled by
her neighbor’s dogs.
1. She wasn’t a member of his congregation or a Christian, but he agreed to
meet her and talk about her ordeal.
2. She limped into his office with jagged stitches on her face and bandages
on both arms and legs.
3. “It’s karma,” she said.
4. “I’ve done some terrible things in my life, and now I have to pay the
price.”
5. Sadly, she was convinced karma wasn’t finished with her yet.
6. Her sins were far worse than the punishment of a few dozen dog bites.

B. It was an average busy morning for the young father—getting his daughter
dressed and fed so he could drop her off at school and head to work.
1. But he heard something strange when he turned on the radio for the
traffic report.
2. An airplane had just crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade
Center in New York.
3. After he dropped off his daughter at school, he heard that a second
plane had crashed into the other tower and that our country was under
attack.
4. He turned around and got back home just in time to see, on live TV,
first one and then the other tower collapse in a great heap.
5. For the very first time in his life, the young man got down on his
knees, clasped his hands together, and cried out: “Oh, God, please help
us.”
6. But then, remembering all the bad things he’d done in his life, he
stopped praying and began to weep.
7. No one had ever told him about Jesus.

C. This was a moment for a fisher of men to tell these people that Jesus
came to save sinners, like himself and St. Peter (Lk 5:8–10).

A. Where can a sinner turn for help from a guilty conscience?

A. It turns out this poor woman in the first illustration was not looking
for a Christian pastor but a religious guru to give her a list of things to
do that might soothe God’s anger.
1. What else could she do but wait in fear for the hammer to fall again?

B. She is an extreme example of a malady that is all too common:
1. living in the world with a guilty conscience.
2. You don’t have to be a religious person to have this debilitating
disease.
3. No one needs the Ten Commandments to know things like lying, cheating,
stealing, and hurting other people are wrong:
a. and that you deserve to be punished for doing them.
4. A guilty conscience is all about living in fear:
a. fear of losing the respect of others,
b. of losing your spouse,
c. or job.
d. It’s the terrifying prospect of seeing your face on a YouTube video with
thousands of comments underneath:
1. all condemning you for the secret you’re so desperate to hide.
2. The worst thing is the isolation.
3. You can’t have a genuine relationship with the people around you or with
God.
4. Even when the dogs are biting, you can’t cry out to God for help,
because His job is to make sure you pay for your sins.

C. It’s like being on a raft all by yourself in the middle of the ocean.
1. The sun is beating down on you, and there’s no land in sight and no one
to call for help.
2. You spend your days waiting for the next big wave or storm to dump you
out of the boat into the deep water where the hungry sharks are waiting.

D. Where can a sinner go for help when all they think about is how God only
exists to even the score?
1. There are far more people living this way than we realize.
2. They’ve grown used to it as a way of life.
3. But it’s a sad life of fear and isolation:
a. waiting for the day when karma will catch up.

B. The problem is worse than most people think.

A. People with a guilty conscience understand God is good and that they are
not good, because they’ve done bad things.
1. Most people think that we’re called sinners because we sin.
2. But God says we sin because we are sinners.
3. And that is far worse.

B. Nelson Mandela (social rights activist, politician, and philanthropist)
is quoted as saying:
1. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin,
or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they
can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
2. This sounds all nice and hopeful, doesn’t it?
3. But is it really as easy as saying “stop hating” and “start loving”?
4. The Bible says the opposite is true.
5. The Ten Commandments teach people to stop hating and start loving, but
God says the Law can only reveal the disease and cannot cure it.
6. Our fallen human nature is incapable of loving God or loving one another
as we should.
7. By nature, we love ourselves:
a. and our charity for others extends only until it gets in the way of
loving ourselves, even if loving ourselves just means giving ourselves a
good feeling for being so generous.

C. People who try to become right with God by following the Law are
fighting a losing battle against the symptoms without seeking the cure for
the disease.
1. Where does it leave people who try and try to stop doing the things that
make them feel guilty:
a. only to discover that the harder they try, the more they’re drawn to do
those very things?
b. If you had a fruit tree that kept producing sour, rotten fruit,
eventually you’d decide there’s something wrong with the tree.

D. The problem is not just that we’ve done bad things;
1. it’s far worse than that.
2. God is light, and we are darkness.
3. God is fire, and we are ice.
4. In our fallen human nature, we are incompatible with God, and there’s
nothing we can do about it.
5. That’s why, as soon as Peter realized who was on his fishing boat, he
fell on his knees and begged Jesus to go away:

Luke 5:8 (NASB95)
8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go
away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

E. Most people believe the problem of sin is as easy to solve as teaching
people to “stop hating” and “start loving.”
1. They are sadly mistaken.
2. Unlike most people, Peter understood the problem was far worse.
3. We sin because we are sinners.

C. But when Jesus caught a sinner in His net, it lifted the burden of guilt.

A. Peter was afraid because he realized behind the human flesh of the rabbi
Jesus burned the terrifying glory of God.
1. What he didn’t realize was that God took on human flesh to cure the
debilitating disease of sin.
2. In Jesus, God Calls Terrified Sinners into His Wonderful Net.

B. Peter was a fisherman who’d had a terrible night of fishing.
1. Over and over, he’d cast his nets into the deep, dark water, only to
pull them up empty.
2. The next morning, he was on the shore cleaning his nets when Jesus asked
to use his boat for a pulpit.
3. Peter had a front-row seat at church that morning, listening to the word
of God from the mouth of the famous rabbi.
4. When the sermon was over, the preacher told the fisherman:

Luke 5:4 (NASB95)
4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep
water and let down your nets for a catch.”

E. Peter’s response?:

Luke 5:5 (NASB95)
5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught
nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

F. It is as if Peter said to Jesus:
1. “I’ll do it.
2. But I think you should leave the fishing to me.
3. I guarantee you there are no fish out there.”

C. That’s when it happened.
1. No sooner had those nets hit the water that they were filled to the
breaking point with fish:
a. so many fish they had to call their partners in the other boat for help;
b. so many fish that both of those boats were sinking from the weight of
them.
c. You would think Peter would beg Jesus to go fishing with him every day.
d. But Peter didn’t see dollar signs when he looked at all those fish.
e. He saw danger.
f. It was far worse for him than seeing your darkest secret exposed on
YouTube.
g. Holy God was with him in the boat!
h. Peter fell down on the deck with those flopping fish and begged:

Luke 5:8 (NASB95)
8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go
away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

D. Like those fish out of water, Peter was waiting to die, and in a way,
the old sinful Peter did die.
1. But then God breathed new life into him with a word:

Luke 5:10 (NASB95)
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with
Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be
catching men.”

B. By that powerful word, God lifted the burdens of guilt and sin from
Peter’s shoulders.
C. Peter was no longer afraid of God’s presence.
D. He longed to be as near to God as he could.
E. He left everything behind to follow Jesus.

E. Jesus went fishing for men that day.
1. He cast the net of His powerful word into the deep water of this world
and pulled a terrified sinner up onto the boat.
2. What a wonderful thing to be caught up in Jesus’ net!

F. Peter was afraid when he realized who was on the boat with him.
1. What he didn’t realize was why Jesus stepped onto his boat.
2. God had come to cure him of the disease of guilt and sin.
3. His fear melted away when he heard the word of Jesus.

D. Then Jesus called Peter to catch you too!

A. Jesus said to him, “From now on you will be catching men.”
1. Like the prophet Isaiah in our Old Testament Reading, God sanctified the
lips of Peter and the other apostles to preach His powerful, holy Word.
2. From the boat that is the church, Peter cast the net of the Gospel into
the deep water, and God pulled billions of human beings onto the deck.

B. The Good News Peter preached is that God sent his glorious Son to take
on human flesh so that he could take human sins onto Himself:
1. your sins,
2. and Peter’s sins,
3. and the sins of the whole world
4. take them with Him and die on a cross,
5. and on the third day rise again.
6. Jesus absorbed every bit of God’s anger the moment He died.
7. Not only that, but when God baptized you into Jesus’ death, the old
sinful you also died, and a new person arose.
8. The only cure for the disease of sin is death and resurrection:
a. and that is exactly what Jesus gave to you in Baptism.
b. Cured of the disease, you can confidently call on God in every situation.
c. It doesn’t mean you won’t struggle with your old sinful nature;
d. it means the new you will seek God’s help when you do struggle.
e. The deck of the boat that is the church is where you find that help.

C. Oh, what a wonderful thing to have been caught in Jesus’ net!
1. God has taken the heavy burden of guilt and fear from your shoulders and
given you new life.
2. Instead of running away from God, you now long to be as close to Him as
you can.

D. Jesus said to Peter, “From now on you will be catching men.”
1. This text has “pictures”, snapshots of what the Church is all about:
a. Boat: the “cargo” are the members of the church.
b. Lake: the world, where the “fish” (those needing to be saved are
located).
c. The deep: where those who are so far away from the fisherman they think
they can’t be caught.
d. The net: The Word of God (the Gospel) by which we are all saved:
1. The good fish: those who receive the Word, believe it and are saved.
2. The bad fish; those who receive that same Word, reject it, and are
thrown away (condemned to die).
e. The fish: All people, regardless of race, language, tribe, or
nation–all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

E. And now we also have a net to cast for desperate sinners.

A. And now Jesus has put the net into our hands.
1. Peter said it this way:

1 Peter 2:9 (NASB95)
9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE
FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
A. Like Isaiah,
B. like the apostles,
C. God has sanctified your lips to speak His powerful, holy Word to
suffering sinners.

Conclusion

A. One has to wonder how many people are out there living with the terrible
disease of a guilty conscience.
1. How many are living in fear of being discovered, waiting for karma to
catch up?
2. How many don’t know that God loves them and wants to help them?
3. We will never know unless we cast the net.

B. We have the cure in our hands.
1. God sanctified our lips to speak His powerful, holy Word to suffering
sinners.
2. There is still room on the boat.
3. In order to speak that Word, we have to know it and study it.
4. If we say we are “of” the Word, then we better be “in” it, whether that
be pastor or laity.

C. Perhaps, as you look around church and community, you may think:
1. Pastor, the water around here has been all fished out.
2. We’ve thrown out our nets and drawn up nothing for a long time now.
3. You know what Jesus would say, don’t you?
a. Keep fishing! Amen.

D. Let us pray:

LSB 902:3-4 Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now
3 Then shall we join the hosts that cry,
“O holy, holy Lord Most High!”
And in the light of that blest place
We then shall see You face to face.

D 4 All glory to the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise throughout eternity!
Text: Public domain

E. Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

F. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.

G. In the Name of the Father…Amen.