Zion Lutheran Church

This Word’s From God
Galatians 1:11-12

[Click the arrow to began playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is Galatians 1:11-12: “I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

I heard the story once of a congregation that purchased each of its newly confirmed teenagers a brand new Bible. The Bibles were beautiful—faux leather cover, gold gilded pages, words of Jesus in red. These were real keepsakes, Bibles the young men and women could treasure for many years to come. (more…)

A Pastor’s Prayer
Ephesians 1:16, 18-19

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

The apostle Paul prayed for his people, and he told them about it. He wrote to the Christians living in Ephesus, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which [God] has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might” (Ephesians 1:16, 18-19 ESV). This is a beautiful prayer for people who lived in a city where being Christian was difficult and dangerous. It was, I am sure, a blessing to the people to know that their founding father, the apostle Paul was praying for them. I pray for you as well, as a congregation and individually, but I don’t know that I have ever told you that I pray for you. This morning I want to share with you the prayer of the Apostle Paul for his people and my prayers for you, the people whom God has entrusted to my care.

(more…)

They Have No One
John 5:7

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

(The audio version of the sermon differs substantially from the print version.)

I tell you what, this wheelchair sure brings back memories. I wish we’d had these in my day. (more…)

Love One Another
John 13:34

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is John 13:34: Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

“Love one another.” Doesn’t that phrase make you feel warm and peaceful? Christ calls us to live in love with one another, just as he loves us. Here in the church, in our families (hopefully), and to a lesser degree here in a small town we (often) experience that feeling of love. We give it to others, and they give it to us, with warm smiles, encouraging handshakes, and—in our families—the safe embraces of hugs. It’s a great feeling to love and to be loved. The question is, why did Jesus tell his disciples—why does Jesus tell us—to love one another as he has loved us? To find that answer, you don’t have to look very far. Ask yourself this: Where are you at your ugliest and meanest—with strangers or with those closest to you? It’s funny, isn’t it? We show our ugly side to the people closest to us, to those whom we love, but we don’t show it as much to strangers. And that is why Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us. Because you give offense, you treat your loved ones poorly, you think more highly of yourself than of people sitting around you in the pews. In short, you’ve got a lot of sins, and if the people around you did not bear with your sins and overlook them and forgive them, your ugliness would tear your family and your church apart. As Christ loved you by bearing your sins on the cross, so those around you are to love you by dealing with you patiently despite your sins, and you are to deal with them patiently despite their sins, because this is love.

(more…)

He’s Got You and Me in His Hands
John 10:28

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is John 10:28: Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

The movie “Fireproof” has a rather suspenseful scene in which the main character, Caleb, leads his fire battalion to the scene of a house fire. As the men stretch out the hoses and put on their gear, Caleb talks to the homeowners, who assure him that everyone is out of the house. Just then, a young lady comes up screaming that she just got off the phone with the daughter, and the daughter is actually still in there. Caleb tells his men, crawls into the smoke and flames, and makes his way to the bedroom, where he finds the young woman passed out on the floor. (more…)

From Persecutor to Preacher
Acts 9:15

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is Acts 9:15: “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel’” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Every profession has its tools, and you expect a professional to use tools worthy of his skill and calling. If you called a pastor, and he showed up, and his library consisted of Martin Luther for Dummies and Idiot’s Guide to the Bible, you would have good reason to call the district president and suggest that the man is not qualified. If you call a plumber and he shows up with a wrench in one pocket and a one of those zip tools you see on television in his hand, you might well send him out and call the next guy on the list. If you walk into the doctor’s office and the doctor has one of those kids’ stethoscopes around his neck, you would probably turn around and walk out. Well, God uses tools too, but there are two things you need to know about those tools. First, there is no tool worthy of God and the task he wants to accomplish, but he uses unworthy tools anyway. Second, my dear brothers and sisters, you are those unworthy tools.

(more…)

Through Open Doors
Acts 5:19-20

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is Acts 5:19-20: “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life’” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Do you know what fear looks like? (more…)

Living Like He’s Alive
Luke 24:6-7

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is Luke 24:6-7: “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Really? Do you really believe it? I hope so. If so, that means you’re different from the people in this morning’s Gospel lesson—you know, the women who went to Jesus’ tomb and the apostles huddled in the some house and Peter who rushed out to see what had really happened. They were having trouble believing. They were living like Jesus was still in the tomb.

(more…)

Faith and Love
Hebrews 10:22, 24

[Click the arrow to begin playing the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this evening’s sermon is Hebrews 10:22, 24: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Do you know what the difference is between friendship and love? (more…)

The Guilty Freed
Luke 23:25

[Click the arrow to begin play the audio file of the sermon.]

The text for this morning’s sermon is Luke 23:25: Pilate “released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will” (ESV). Grace, mercy, and peace to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Ah, Pilate. His own words condemn him. (more…)