Series: Easter

Sermon Date: May 1, 2022

John 21:12-17
“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Isaiah 25:6-9
“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

John 6:51
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Sermon Date: April 24, 2022

John 20:19-29
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Sermon Date: April 17, 2022

Luke 24:1-12
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.”

Sermon Date: May 9, 2021

Gospel without borders; mercy without borders; grace without borders; salvation without borders!
Read Acts 10:34​-44 to see God at work in the lives of all. To this end the Church still goes out into the world sharing hope of Jesus to all.

Sermon Date: May 2, 2021

The Gospel of Saint John 15:1-8 describe life connected to Jesus and placed in His vineyard = the world. In this vineyard we are the people cleaned by pruning and strengthened by the daily sustenance of God’s Word. Those who disconnect from Jesus, who is the vine, will find themselves removed and destroyed.

Sermon Date: April 25, 2021

A basis for today’s Church; the people of God is to take the time to reflect on what we’re doing with Christ’s work that He has called us to share as His under-shepherds.

Matthew 25:31-46 forms the picture of the Church in action by true and false shepherds (sheep and goats) who live in the world.

Sermon Date: April 18, 2021

Based on Luke 24:44-48. The disciples in fear concealed themselves from the world. Jesus, the Living Word found them and brought them out into the open. He continually reassured them of His resurrection power, peace, hope, love and forgiveness. He commissioned them to “open-carry” this word of hope to the world.

So, as Christians today do we open carry (the Word) or conceal it? Why would you if it is the only eternal hope for humanity?

Sermon Date: April 11, 2021

Sermon Reference: John 20:19-31

Christ’s post-resurrection journey takes him to fear filled disciples hiding in a locked room. The Gospel of peace that Jesus offers to them is the same Gospel we take into the world to fearful people hiding in their metaphorical rooms of fear, despair, anxiety, lovelessness, and hopelessness. We offer the gift of love, compassion, peace, hope and forgiveness of sin.

Sermon Date: April 4, 2021

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

The Easter Gospel with comment: Mark 16:1-7

[the sadness] When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.

[the dilemma] They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”

[the surprise] Looking up, they noticed that the stone — which was very large — had been rolled away.

[the fear] When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed.

[the beginning of restoration and mission] “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!