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Letters from a Loving Father

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Click here to listen to this sermon. The text for today is our Gospel lesson, Luke 15:11-32, which has already been read. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The traditional title for this parable, “The Prodigal Son,” is found in 16 th -century English Bibles and goes back to the Latin Vulgate. The ESV translation calls it “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” Yet the central figure in this parable is not the son but the father. It is the father who reaches out with love to both of his wayward sons, just as Christ reaches out to each of us and calls us to repentance and faith. So today, we will hear this story from the father’s viewpoint under the theme “Letters from a Loving Father.” The first letter goes like this: My dear son, I pray that you will return to me soon so that I may share these words with you in person. But if I should pass on before your return, there are a few things I must be sure you know, so I am writing you this letter. I w...
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Food For the Journey

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Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “Take and eat. This is My Body given for you. Drink of it all of you. This cup is the new testament in My Blood for the forgiveness of your sins.” The Sacrament of the Altar then is the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and drink. For you Christians to eat and drink. For the forgiveness of your sins. And where there’s forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. What a gift!   Last week, we rejoiced in the Sacrament as the medicine of immortality, the antidote that we should not die but live forever in Jesus Christ. In other words, the forgiveness given in the Lord’s Supper has benefits that endure to the Last Day, namely, the resurrection of the body. The Lord will not abandon you to the grave. You will live with the Lord in Paradise forever—body and soul. Until then, we ...
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Three Sundays: The Dangers of Spiritual Carelessness

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Click here to listen to this sermon. “L et anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it ” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “You’re only three Sundays away from never going to church again,” I told my children. They thought I was exaggerating. Or I was just saying that because I’m a pastor and it would look bad if they didn’t go to church. But I’m serious. Any of us may be only three Sundays away from never going to church again. The names of formerly active members who no longer attend worship regularly are scattered on the membership rolls of churches worldwide. St. John’s (St. Paul’s) is no exception. Just look around. There are “holes” in the pews, empty places that used to be ...
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The Medicine of Immortality

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Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! What is the benefit of eating and drinking a bit of bread and a sip of wine? To most people it sure doesn’t seem like much. In fact, for most people, it’s a complete waste of time. And so, people stay away. But not you. You hear the Lord’s words. And with His words, He comes right before you and speaks to you. There is His command: “Take this bread. Eat it.” “Take this cup of wine. Drink from it.” And with His words, He tells you what it is: “This is My Body. This cup is the new testament in My Blood.”   And with His words, He gives you a promise. His Body and Blood in the bread and wine is for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Forgiveness won for you by His Good Friday dying. With His words that do and give what they say, Jesus bestows that Good Friday forgiveness. And it’s for you in the Sacrament of the Altar. “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your si...
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O Jerusalem, Jerusalem

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Click here to listen to this sermon. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I bet you can relate. You’ve heard it yourself—that drawn-out repeating of your name. Maybe accompanied by a sad head shaking. Preceded by a little sigh. “Robert, Robert.” You understand instantly that you’ve disappointed someone. Or maybe you’ve heard this variation. A little more drawn out, higher pitched, increasing in volume. “Robert! Robert!” Your mind wanders or you are otherwise distracted, and someone needs to catch your attention. We don’t see this happen very often in Scriptures, but when we do, it catches our attention, as it highlights a sense of urgency, true concern, or deep-felt emotion. Especially when it is used by God Himsel...
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The Words

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Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! What is the Sacrament of the Altar? That’s a good place to start. We’ve got to know what it is first before we discuss its blessings and benefits. Ask this question and you’ll get loads of answers from various people: a symbol… a ceremony… a sacrament… a sign… even a sacrifice. But the only answer that holds is what comes from the Lord Himself. He ought to know. After all, He instituted and mandated this Sacrament on the night when He was betrayed. It’s His Supper. It is His last will and testament. He speaks His words. He connects His words to physical elements. His words are the chief thing. What is most important are His words. So let’s listen to the words of our Lord Jesus once again: “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is given for you. This do in remembra...
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