Thankful for...

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Our Lord an Savior

This sermon's text begins with several conditional statements which describe the blessings we have received as Christians which help us to live out the Christian faith in God pleasing ways.  Paul also reminds us of the sinful attitudes we should avoid. In verses 6-11, Paul reminds us of Jesus’ states of Humiliation and Exaltation as described in the Second Article of the Apostles Creed.  What a wonderful way to confess what we believe, teach, and confess.

 

Our Partnerships

What makes for a good partnership today?  What made for a good partnership in Biblical times?  Who had a perfect partnership?  How does God help us to have partnerships we can be thankful for?  He tells us in His Word that He created the perfect partnership with Adam and Eve and then He promised them a Savior would come to save them after they sinned.  As we live out our partnership in the Gospel with other sinners we are blessed to share His Word, love, and forgiveness with each other and with those who are yet to hear and believe in Him as their Lord and Savior.

Our Citizenship

In light of the recent election, this sermon will focus our attention on the different types of citizenships that exist.  There is an earthly citizenship which we are blessed to have because it provides us with many things, including the opportunity to vote for the candidates we would like to see elected. There is a heavenly citizenship, too, which we are blessed to receive through faith in the waters of baptism.  

One is temporary and one is eternal.  The earthly one can provide access and security and help us in our daily walk. The heavenly one provides us with the promise of an everlasting peace, but not yet fully in this life, because Jesus has promised believers in Him a new and glorious, resurrected body.   Until Christ returns He challenges us to be faithful citizens in both realms.  Although we will have joys and sorrows in this life, we can rejoice that Jesus will always be with us.

The Beatitudes

Jesus did not share the Beatitudes with His disciples simply to tell them and us how we are to live. They were written to tell us who we are - saints, "holy people," children of God because God declared us to be holy in His sight. This happened when we heard the Word of God and were baptized! Jesus also shared these words because He wanted us to know something more about him. If you will, He lived out the beatitudes. He is the poor in spirit.  He is the One who mourns the sinful condition of this world. He is the lowly, humble Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son in the flesh. He is the One who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, for only as He fulfills all righteousness as our Substitute can we be blessed. He is the merciful One, for only by God’s mercy, can our sin be forgiven and conquered. He is the pure in heart who is holy, perfect, without blemish. He is the Peacemaker who brings peace with God through His death and resurrection.

Reformation Sunday, Oct. 27

This Sunday, we remember the beginning of The Reformation of 1517, when Martin Luther brought 95 statements to discuss with the Roman Catholic church. There were many issues he wanted to reform, but this Sunday we will talk about one of the core problems affecting the people and how Scripture unfolded the solution for Martin Luther. How does it impact us 500+ years later? We’ll see you Sunday!