Posts

God's Servant from the Womb

-
Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! It is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, the season of the year in which we focus on Jesus revealing Himself as God Incarnate, the Savior of all mankind. It is also Sanctity of Life Sunday. So, it is fitting that our Old Testament lesson, Isaiah 49, is serving double duty today. Let’s focus especially on verses 5 and 6: And now the Lord says, He who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him; and that Israel might be gathered to Him—for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and My God has become My strength—He says: “It is too light a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make You as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Do you see the connection? This Servant will “bring the preserved of Israel” and will be “a light for the n...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Voice of the Lord Is Over the Waters

-
Click here to listen to this sermon. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:3-4). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A common theme of our Psalm, Old Testament reading, and Gospel for today, the Baptism of Our Lord, is the mention of the voice of the Lord over the waters. The creation event begins with the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters. In addition to creation, the Psalm speaks of the Flood, where the powerful voice of the Lord was over the many waters He used to cleanse and recreate His world. In the Baptism of Jesus, we see the waters of the Jordan and the presence of the Spirit in the form of a dove as the voice of the Lord speaks well of His beloved Son. Together, our readings provide a beautiful picture of what God has done in restoring His creation through His Son. Christ has come to make al...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Lord Looks on the Heart: Sermon for the Funeral of Ivan Jorgenson

-
Click here to listen to this sermon. Today, you gather with heavy hearts, remembering someone you loved: Ivan, your Pa, your Grandpa, your friend, neighbor, fellow member of Zion Lutheran. In moments like this, we naturally reflect on the life a person lived—the things they did, the roles they filled, the memories we shared. Many of those things are recorded in Ivan’s obituary. He was married to Margaret for nearly 72 years. They were blessed with eight children. Ivan served his country in the United States Army. He farmed for many years. Taught his children the value of hard work. He enjoyed gardening and cooking, traveling, and spending time with his family. He was quick-witted. Loved to play Rummikub. These are the outward things—good and meaningful things—that people could see. But God reminds us today that His gaze goes deeper. “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). While we see the surface, God sees...
Post a Comment
Read more

Even the G.O.A.T. Has Questions 2.O

-
Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me’” (Matthew 11:2-6). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! There is a line of thought among some Christians that having questions about God’s dealings with the world is somehow being unfaithful or disobedient. To justify God’s action that seems arbitrary or unjust to us, we are tempted to suppress doubts and stop short of being honest with God and ourselves. This motivation, a desire to trust God no matter what, is well-intended, but the result is often a reluctance to take...
Post a Comment
Read more