Sermon for Memorial Day Sunday, May 28, 2017

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon texts:  1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11, and John 14:27

Sermon Theme:  “Memorial Day, War, and a Prayer for Peace”

(Sources:  Emphasis Online Illustrations; “Every Day Is Memorial Day,” Online Sermon Notebook; Online Memorial Day Bible Verses; original ideas; Online “No Greater Love” by Scott Harris; Online “Persecutions of Christians in the Middle East”; Online Open Doors USA; Online “Christians Killed for Their Faith,” Christian Solidarity International; Life Application Study Bible; online news)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

           The world was shocked this past week when 22 young people were killed and 59 wounded during a terrorist attack in Manchester, England.  The suicide- bomber’s bloody massacre was claimed as a victory by ISIS.  We recall that 2,996 people were killed, and more than 6,000 wounded in the 9-11 attack on the Twin Towers in New York.  415 First Responders died in that attack.  Our government has declared WAR on terrorism, as have other governments in other countries.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  The observance of Memorial Day was started in our country in remembrance of those who died in the American Civil War.  Years later, men and women who had sacrificed their lives in the service of our nation in ANY WAR were added to the list.  Since 9/11, many grateful Americans have further added those who died in the line of duty protecting us, such as Fire, Police, Rescue and Medical personnel, especially those responding to, and dying in, terrorists’ attacks.  We immediately think of those brave First Responders who died in rescue missions when the Twin Towers fell.

The War against Terrorism is a new kind of war that the United States and the United Kingdom have never had to fight before.  Our enemies are Muslim Jihadists who kill us because we are Christians.

In the American Revolutionary War, 25,324 soldiers were killed.  In the American Civil War, 498,332 service men were killed.  In World War I, 116,710 military personnel were killed, in World War II, 407,316.  In the Korean War and the Vietnam War, more than 50,000 each.  In the Iraq War, 819 died.  On 9/11, 415 Firefighters, policemen, and other First Responders died.

So let’s look at this other kind of war.  Open Doors USA reports that, worldwide,  322 Christians are killed for their faith each month, 214 churches and properties are destroyed each month, and 772 forms of violence committed against Christians each month.  President Trump and Pope Francis addressed this horrendous problem during Mr. Trump’s recent visit to the Vatican. Continue reading →

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 21, 2017, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Texts:  John 14:15-21; Ephesians 1:3-7; John 3:16-18

Sermon Theme:  “Election and the Gospel”

(Sources: What Luther Says; Christian Doctrine by Edward Koehler; “Of the Election of Grace,” LCMS document, adopted 1932; original ideas; Concordia Pulpit Resources, Volume 27, Part 2, March 5-June 4, 2017, Series A; Anderson’s Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A; “What Is Faith,” Online Living Theology; Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation)

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Usually when we talk about “election,” we are talking about a vacant position or office that two or more candidates are running for, and we get to vote for one of them.  Recently, our Adult Bible Class teacher told me his class has been talking about another kind of “election,” and their discussion has raised more questions than answers.  He asked me for edification.

I applaud him and the members of the class for talking about such a difficult topic, and I can assure them that most people have similar difficulties when they discuss “election” or “predestination.”  Election per se is almost never the theme of a pastor’s sermon, because it needs to be discussed in context of the whole Gospel, so I want to talk about it today in context of what Jesus says in our sermon text from John.  I don’t think for a minute that I know all the answers to this topic, nor do the leaders of our Synod, nor do the leaders of other denominations.

According to Ewald Plass, the doctrine of Election caused Martin Luther, the founder of Lutheranism, many hours of deep spiritual disturbance.  I mention that fact to hearten any of you who might be struggling with the topic.

Let me begin by placing the Gospel of Jesus-Christ-in-a-nutshell side by side with the doctrine of Election or Predestination. Continue reading →

Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

May 14, 2017, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wallis, Texas

Sermon Text:  John 14:1-14

Sermon Theme:  “So What’s the Question?”

(Anderson’s Cycle A Preaching Workbook; Emphasis Online Commentary; Emphasis Online Illustrations; Online Christian Jokes; Concordia Pulpit Resources, Vol. 27, Part 2, Series A; original ideas; Greek/Hebrew Key Bible; American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary; Life Application Study Bible footnotes)

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Quite a few years ago, our sermon hymn, “Jesus Is the Answer,” was widely sung by evangelical Christians all over America; it was the most widely sung Christian song in churches, at tent revivals, and on the airwaves.  The cynics and skeptics who made fun of fundamental Christians in those days would show up at Christian rallies where “Jesus Is the Answer” was being sung with great fervor and emotion, and would hold up signs which said, “What’s the Question?”  Or they would shout sarcastically at the worshippers, “What’s the question?”

Even in today’s world, to say that “Jesus is the answer for the world today” seems absurd to some people, — but it’s absolutely true.  Jesus IS the answer.  Maybe not all the questions are quite clear as of yet, but whatever they are, today’s preaching must get to this great declaration of faith!  Jesus IS the answer.

There are a number of reasons why Jesus is the answer, and today’s sermon text from John’s gospel begins with the ultimate, bottom line answer, ‘There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I’m going there to prepare a place for you.’  The King James Version of the Bible translates this as “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” Continue reading →