A Lasting Work - Mark 13:2
This is the final sermon I delivered at Lamb of God before moving to Our Redeemer in Newark, DE. The video is a change of pace. In stead of pictures that relate to the sermon, the pictures are ones taken on this day. The appointed lessons for the day were Daniel 12:1-3, Hebrews 10:11-25, and Mark 13:1-13. The readings accent the End Times.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Man Proposes but God Disposes - Psalm 146:5
This sermon was delivered Pentecost 24, 2015 (November 8). In the old lectionary this Sunday was called the Third Last Sunday of the Church Year. Each of the last three Sunday's of the Church Year have an "eschatological" accent, that is to say, an accent on end things. It can be the Second Coming of Christ, our death, life in heaven, and the like. November 8 is also the Commemoration of Johannes von Staupitz, Luther’s Father
Confessor.
The appointed lessons for the day were Psalm 146 9a1 Kings 17:8-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark
12:38-44. The sermon was titled "Man Proposes but God Disposes." The text was drawn from the Psalm, but the entire Psalm was the inspiration for the message.
The hymns were“Who Trusts in God a Strong Abode” LSB 714, “I Leave All Things to God’s Direction” LSB
719, and “Children of the Heavenly Father” LSB 725.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Living in Heaven - Revelation 7:2-17
This sermon was delivered All Saints' Day, 2015. It is an expository sermon.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
"Freedom" - John 8:21-22
This sermon was delivered on Reformation Sunday (October 25), 2015. The sermon hymn was "A Mighty Fortress."
Blessings in Christ
Pastor Rickert
Work Zone Ahead - Luke 10:2
This sermon was delivered on the Festival of St. Luke, Evangelist (Sunday, October 18, 2015). The appointed lessons were Psalm 147:1-11 (12); Isaiah 35:5-8; 2 Timothy 4:5-18; and Luke 10:1-9. The sermon hymn was “By All Your Saints in Warfare” (LSB 518:1, 26, 3).
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
What is Good? - Mark 10:19
This sermon was delivered Sunday, October 11, 2015 (Pentecost 20). The appointed lessons were
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Hebrews 3:12-19; and Mark 10:17-22. The sermon hymn was “The Gifts Christ Freely Gives” (LSB 602).
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Tough Times - James 5:13
This sermon was delivered Sunday, September 27, 2015 (Pentecost 18). The appointed lessons were Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29, James 5:1-20 and Mark 9:38-50. The reading from James is actually the entire chapter and the sermon covers the whole reading. The sermon hymn was "Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense" (LSB 741).
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
God's Favor - James 4:6
This sermon was delivered Sunday, September 20, 2015 (Pentecost 17). The assigned readings were Jeremiah 11:18-20; James 3:13-4:10; Mark 9:30-37 and Psalm 54. During the sermon I run through a series of questions inspired by Luther's treatment of the Ten Commandments found in his Small Catechism. As there wasn't really time during the sermon to reflect on the questions, I have posted then in the main page of the blog. Follow this link to find the post: SELF-EXAMINATION QUESTONS
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Curses and Blessings - James 3:10
This sermon was delivered Sunday, September 13, 2015 (Pentecost 16). It also happened to be Grandparent’s Day in the USA. The assigned readings for the day were Isaiah 50:4-10; James 3:1-12; and Mark 9:14-29. The sermon hymn was “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (LSB 528). In the message Pastor Rickert says we can use our language to be both a curse and a blessing. As Christians, we are empowered by the Gospel to truly bless with our mouth.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Faith and Works - James 2:18
This sermon was delivered Sunday, September 6, 2015 (Pentecost 15). It happened to be Labor Day weekend, which we remembered in our prayers. The appointed lessons for the day were Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-10, 14-18; Mark 7:24-37 and Psalm 146 (antiphon v. 2). The sermon hymn was “Salvation unto Us Has Come” (LSB 555). In the sermon Pastor explores the difference between the Law and the Gospel and how it works in a Christian's life. This works out in reference to Good Works and Faith. The focus is especially in reference to forgiveness and salvation.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Stand Together - Ephesians 6:11
This message was delivered Sunday, Pentecost 11, 2015 (August 30). The focus is on the unity of the Church as we are engaged in spiritual warfare. The assigned lessons were Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9; Ephesians 6:10-20; Mark 7:14-23; and Psalm 119:129-136 (antiphon v. 132). The sermon hymn was "Onward Christian Soldiers."
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Marriage - Ephesians 5:33
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
A Wakeup Call - Ephesians 5:13-14
This sermon was delivered August 16. 2015 (Pentecost 12). The Lections were Joshua 24:1-2a. 14-18, Psalm 34:11-22, Ephesians 5:6-21 and John 6:51-69. The sermon covers the whole lesson from Ephesians.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Walking in Love - Ephesians 5:2
This sermon was delivered August 9, 2015 (Pentecost 11). The Lections were 1 Kings 19:1-8, Ephesians 4:17-5:2, and John 6:35-51. The text was Ephesians 5:2.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
For
Thine is the Kingdom - Psalm 145
This is an expository sermon based
on Psalm 145. It was delivered on the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, 2015
(August 2). The appointed lessons for the day were Psalm 145:10-21, Exodus
16:2-25, Ephesians 4:1-16 and John 6:22-35. Instead of restricting the message
to the assigned text from Psalms, I used the entire Psalm. The first draft was
already too long for a Sunday sermon, so I began to cut. Somewhere between a
quarter and a third of the sermon was omitted. I therefore had a
"long" sermon and a "short" sermon. I preached the
"short" one. Omitted from the "short" sermon were scripture
quotes, other quotes, and additional information. In the "short"
version, which was preached, there is some information that was not in the
original "long" version. You will find the text of the
"long" sermon following the video. I thought some might like to see
the difference.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your
dominion endures throughout all generations.
Psalm 145:13
Today’s sermon is expository in style. That is why there is
an insert with Psalm 145 in your bulletin. Notice the space between the lines.
That is provided for notes you may want to take.
Psalm 145
A Song of Praise. Of
David.
This Psalm was written by King David, which means it was
written around the year 1000 bc,
give or take a decade or two. I know you are familiar with his story. He was
the youngest son in a large family and took care of the family sheep. Even then
he had a strong faith in the true God. Not only did he demonstrate this in
protecting his father’s sheep, but also when he faced Goliath. In time he rose
to become king of Israel
and a mighty warrior. Sure he stumbled in his faith, but with repentant heart
he was always called back.
One of the hallmarks of David was his musical talent. Over
half of the Psalms are specifically attributed to him. This one obviously a
praise Psalm, and it has been rightly said that Psalm 145 is a commentary on
the closing of the Lord’s Prayer: “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever and ever.” It is also
an Alphabet Acrostic. Each verse begins with a different letter from the Hebrew
alphabet, beginning with aleph and ending with taw. The only oddity is that
David skips the fourteenth letter, nun. No one seems to know why.
Psalm 145 was clearly written for use in the worship life of
Israel,
as we used it earlier today. However it has had a long history in the personal
devotional life of believers, both ancient and modern. So we find in the poem
both the personal pronoun “I” and the pronoun “They” in referring to all.
Finally, before we get to verse one, we should remember that
the Psalm is not simply a poem written by David. It is the Word of God. In
fact, it is more the Word of God than it is a poem from David.
145:1 I
will extol you, my God and King,
and
bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every
day I will bless you
and
praise your name forever and ever.
Ever since the rise of the higher-critical method of interpreting
the Bible in the 1800s, so-called Old Testament scholars have asserted that Old
Testament believers did not believe in eternal life. They assert that it is
never mentioned in the Old Testament. To hold to such a view they have to twist
passages like Psalm 145. Notice how long David expects to bless and praise
God’s name, “forever and ever.” That is eternal life. You may not have these
verses memorized, but most Christians do have Psalm 23 memorized. There David
says he will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” another clear reference
to eternal life.
In these two verses we see the use of the word “name.” This
is not understood as the four Hebrew letters that comprise the proper name of
God, but in a much broader way. It means all that God has revealed about
himself in his word. It means, God himself. It is like when we pray in the name
of Jesus (John 14:14). It is not some magical formula, but a profession of
faith, of trust, and a willingness to be transformed into his likeness. Paul
understood this when he wrote in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This
praising and blessing of God’s name is summed up in the Lord’s Prayer when we
pray, “Hallowed be Thy name.” Luther correctly explained this by writing,
“God’s name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and
purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it.” Verse
three expands on this.
3 Great
is the Lord, and greatly to be
praised,
and
his greatness is unsearchable.
God’s “name” is his unsearchable greatness. This means that
we will never completely comprehend God or his plan for creation. Much has not
been revealed. But what he has revealed about this unsearchable greatness we
can trust as true. So, when Paul speaks of the Triune nature of God in our
Epistle lesson, we can trust this peek into God’s unsearchable greatness. Paul
wrote, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one
hope that belongs to your call—5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” David goes
on.
4 One
generation shall commend your works to another,
and
shall declare your mighty acts.
The call of the Church, the people of God, is to pass on the
Christian Faith. This is the Great Commission. This cuts against the modern
idea of not teaching your children about the true God and hoping they can make
a salutary “choice” when they get older. We baptize and raise our children in
the Christian Faith. This is done in the very setting where this Psalm was
used, in the worship services of God’s people.
The “mighty acts” include everything from Creation, through
such stories as the Exodus, and on down through the ages, past David, and into
the New Testament. We teach about the virgin birth of Jesus, his suffering,
death, resurrection and ascension. Of course we also make clear that the “mighty
acts” of God are not finished. They continue as the Spirit continues to call,
gather, enlighten and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, that is
to say, as his kingdom comes to us. Such acts will not even be finished when
Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. We will live in God’s eternal
kingdom witnessing His mighty acts and praising him for them.
5 On
the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and
on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
Notice what David meditates on, the mighty acts of God. Now
he calls them his “wondrous works.” We find these wondrous works recorded for
us in the pages of the Bible. Certainly the Bible isn’t a full listing of his
wondrous works, but the pages of Sacred Script opens our eyes to his continuing
wondrous works. So, for example, my baptism isn’t recorded in the Bible. But I
read in Peter (1 Peter 3:21), “baptism now saves you.” Now I recognize God’s
wondrous works continued in my baptism. Through baptism he placed me in his
kingdom. So when we meditate, we do not empty our minds, as some suggest, but
we fill our minds with God’s wondrous works. We therefore fill our minds with
the Word of God, where we find his chief wondrous works recorded. So we read in
Psalm 119 (:148), “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I
may meditate on your promise.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflected this when he
wrote, “The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the
poverty of our heart.” (Psalms: The
Prayer Book o the Bible, 15)
6 They
shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and
I will declare your greatness.
7 They
shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and
shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
As David moves from the pronoun “I” to the pronoun “they,”
he clearly has moved to a corporate view. The “they” are Christians throughout
the ages. Gathered in worship, these individuals join together in praising God.
This is the natural result of a true faith, corporate worship. Those who reject
gathering together to hear the word of God preached and to sing God’s praises,
reject the clear instruction of God. So Luther explained the Third Commandment
as meaning: “We should fear and love
God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and
gladly hear and learn it.”
8 The
Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow
to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
This is by no means the first time in Scripture that we find
this affirmation of God’s grace and mercy, nor is it the last. Consider God’s
words to Moses in Exodus 34 (:6-7): “The Lord
passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord,
the Lord, a God merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and
sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, …” Some dislike the fact that
the unrepentant will not be cleared, but even David knows this. Look ahead at
verse 20.
We should be grateful that God is slow to anger. We do so
much to anger God in our nation. If his judgment against us came quickly, we
would be a smoldering heap of ashes, like Sodom
and Gomorrah.
Of course, so would the rest to the world.
This delay will not last forever. God is giving us a chance
to repent, but that time of repentance will not last forever. As Paul said in
Romans (2:4-5), “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and
forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you
to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up
wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be
revealed.”
9 The
Lord is good to all,
and
his mercy is over all that he has made.
With this verse God makes sure that we understand that his
goodness and mercy is for all, not just a select few. All God’s works praise
God and give him thanks. This mercy is seen in the gifts of nature. So Jesus
once said, “For [the Father] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). This refers to
what has been called God’s kingdom of power. It is, though, just the tip of the
mercy ice burg. The main event is the life-work of Jesus, where he atoned for
the sins of humanity, both those who receive his work and those who reject it.
Those who receive this great work become part of God’s kingdom of grace.
10 All
your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and
all your saints shall bless you!
11 They
shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and
tell of your power,
12 to
make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and
the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Again we return to the theme that the kingdom of God
is not first and foremost about ourselves. We share the good news of God’s
grace and mercy in the person of Jesus with others. We can do this by pointing
to God works in nature. So David wrote “all your works” give you thanks. I
don’t have time to read Psalm 19:1-6, but there David expands on this idea. The
heavens indeed declare God’s glory. We also find the worship aspect of God’s
kingdom as all God’s saints bless him.
That blessing of God doesn’t mean we are giving him
something he lacks, as when he blesses us. It means we lift him up for all the
wondrous gifts he has given us. So David said in Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his
benefits” (Psalm 103:2). In the Kingdom
of God we bless God for
all his benefits. We speak of his gifts in nature, in vocation and, chiefly,
his spiritual gifts of Word and Sacrament by which he gives us life and
salvation.
Verse 12 again returns to the Great Commission. The kingdom of God is always about sharing God’s gifts
with others. The phrase “children of man” refers to all people. There are no
restrictions based on age, nationality, intellectual ability, and so forth.
13 Your
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and
your dominion endures throughout all generations.
Again we see the return of eternal life. Those who are
received into God kingdom of grace dwell in God everlasting kingdom of glory. “Kingdom of Glory” refers to the final consummation
of God’s kingdom of grace, that is, to the final destination of all believers
in Christ.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and
kind in all his works.
14 The
Lord upholds all who are falling
and
raises up all who are bowed down.
In God’s kingdom we discover that the Lord is not only
gracious and merciful, but he is also faithful. He does what he says he will
do. If God makes a promise, you can take it to the bank. And what a promise
David refers to, “The Lord upholds
all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” Jesus spoke of the
same idea in his Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew
5:3-5), and so on. The greatest manifestation of this promise in history was
the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. This work
will be made manifest at the Second Coming for all to see. God will raise up
all who have been brought down to the dust. Some are raised to eternal life and
some to eternal death. The difference in destination is determined by whether
or not the person has faith in Jesus, the king in the kingdom of God.
15 The
eyes of all look to you,
and
you give them their food in due season.
16 You
open your hand;
you
satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Those of us who used Luther’s table grace out of the Small
Catechism will recognize these verses immediately. They are the opening words.
The also remind us that, while God brings us our needs through people
exercising their God-given vocations, ultimately we recognize that all this
comes from God. So we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “give us this day our daily
bread.” This is true for the believer and the none believer alike, so it is a
reference to the kingdom of power.
17 The
Lord is righteous in all his ways
and
kind in all his works.
There is no unrighteousness in God. Those who accuse God of
this are actually blaspheming and showing their distance from God. God’s ways
are the ways of righteousness. If we don’t understand how this, that, or the
other thing, is reflective of God’s righteousness, the fault is in our
understanding, not in God. Those who reject his righteous ways and substitute unrighteous
ways, even if they call their ways of sin righteousness, are sadly mistaken. So
Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness
for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for
bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
What is truly odd about the rejection of God’s righteous
ways is that many who do so, do so because they feel they are cruel, hard,
unmerciful, closed minded, and so forth. But, in actually, they are the very
definition of kindness, for they lead us in the paths or righteousness all the
way to eternity. The ways of unrighteousness lead to death.
18 The
Lord is near to all who call on
him,
to
all who call on him in truth.
19 He
fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he
also hears their cry and saves them.
Hear, again, we find the expansiveness of God’s mercy and
love. Those who call on him, those who believe in him, those who trust in him,
those who have faith in him, those who are in awe of him, find him ready to
respond. He “saves them.” This saving, again, is found foremost in the
incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Here we have
God’s promise that no one need to wonder if God loves them or wants them to go
to heaven (Ezekiel 18:23; 1 Timothy 2:4; John 6:39-40). As we sing in the hymn,
“God loves me dearly, grants me salvation, God loves me dearly, loves even me”
(LSB 392). God wants you, not simply
in his kingdom of power, which everyone is in whether they know it or not, but
in his kingdom of grace, and ultimate in his kingdom of glory.
20 The
Lord preserves all who love him,
but
all the wicked he will destroy.
We see two things here. First is that it is the Lord who
preserves all who love him. Our salvation is in his hands. Second we find the
only explicit reference to the fate of the wicked in the Psalm. David includes
this so that we do not get confused and buy into the false teaching so
prevalent today that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are
sincere. Another false teaching David rejects is that everyone goes to heaven.
Those who love the Triune God are heaven bound.
21 My
mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and
let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
When you read the Book of Revelation, or see glimpses of
heaven in the Old Testament, we should be impressed with the worship of heaven.
They always seem to be singing the praises of God and blessing his holy name.
That is what happens in the kingdom of glory. But we do not wait until we die
to begin this praise. We join with angels and archangels, and all the heavenly
hosts in praising God right now, as we dwell in his kingdom of grace. It is
that kingdom for which we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. It is that kingdom which
we share with others. Amen.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
In the Same Boat - Mark 6:51
In this sermon Pastor Rickert unpacks some of the meaning of the incarnation of Jesus. It was delivered Pentecost 9. 2015 (July 26). The lections for the day were Genesis 9:8-17, Ephesians 3:14-21 and Mark 6:45-56. The sermon is titled "In the Same Boat" and the text is Mark 6:51.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
World Environment Solutions - Jeremiah 23:1
This is a "narrative" sermon, that is, it is basically a story told to make a point; somewhat like how Jesus told parables. It was delivered on the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, 2015 (July 19). The lections for the day were Psalm 23, Jeremiah 23:1-6, Ephesians 2:11-22 and Mark 6:30-44. The text for the sermon was Jeremiah 23:1.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Don't Tell Me That! - Amos 7:12
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, 2015 (July 12). The lections for the day were Amos 7:7-15, Ephesians 1:3-14 and Mark 6:14-29. Amos had the unpleasant task of proclaiming to Israel that, even though the nation was outwardly prosperous, they were spiritually corrupt and needed to repent. Pastor feels America is in the same boat. The hope for Old Testament Israel and modern America, though is also the same.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor
Heaven is Real! - 2 Corinthians 12:2-3
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, 2015 (July 5). In it we consider our future home, heaven. Questions like: "What does Jesus mean by 'many rooms',"What is meant by 'Paradise'," "will there be animals" and more, are considered. The Lections were: Ezekiel 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Mark 6:1-13and Psalm 123 (antiphon v. 1).
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor
Waiting, Waiting, Waiting ... - Lamentations 3:26
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, 2015 (July 28). In it we consider the roll of waiting in the believers lives. The Lections were Lamentations 3:22-33, 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15 and Mark 5:21-43.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Life's Weather - Psalm 124:8
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, 2015 (July 21). In it we consider the use of weather in the Bible and how it points us to Jesus. The Lections were Psalm 124, Job 38:1-11, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 and Mark 4:35-41.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Horticulture in Prophesy - Ezekiel 17:22
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on the Third Sunday after Pentecost, 2015 (June 14). In it we look at the thought expressed in the nature images found in the Bible to communicate God's Word. The lections for the day were Ezekiel 17:22–24, 2 Corinthians 5:1–17 and Mark 4:26–34.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Remember, Repent, Rejoice - Matthew 11:25-30
The video below is of the dedication service of the International Lutheran Center (or something like that) in Wittenburg, Germany. The sermon is delivered by Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, president of the LC-MS and begins around the 23 minute mark. The sermon is titled, and the theme of the festivities in general, was "Remember, Repent, Rejoice."
The link below will take you to the bulletin, which is in both German and English, enabling us to follow.
http://thelc.ms/dedication-service-wittenberg
If you wish to see all the official videos associated with this wonderful event, go to: http://livestream.com/thelcms/wittenberg
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
The Spider and the Fly - Mark 3:27
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on Pentecost 2, 2015 (June 7). It examines the nature of temptation and the tool Christians have been given to resist. Later in the afternoon I thought I should have said something like "trapping us in his web of deceit and lies." After listening, I expect you will know why and where I would have used it.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Contact - John 3:16
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered on the Festival of the Holy Trinity, Sunday, May 31, 2015. It reflects on humanities desire to make contact with extraterrestrial life, and God's success in making contact with us.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Holy Spirit's Memorial Day - John 15:26
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered Pentecost Sunday, 2015 (May24). which also happened to be Memorial Day weekend. It gave me a chance to compare the two holidays.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Onward Christian Soldiers - John 17:18
The Lord be with you
This sermon was delivered Easter 7, 2015 (May 17). It examines Christ's commission to believers to go with the Gospel, how we have done in the recent past at Lamb of God, and practical ways we can continue to "go" as the people of God with the love of Christ Jesus.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
False Prophets - 1 John 4:2
He is Risen!
This sermon was delivered Easter 5 (May 3, 2015). The lections are: Psalm 150, Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:1-21 and John 15:1-8. The text was 1 John 4:2.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Being Like Jesus - 1 John 3:2
He is Risen!
This sermon was delivered Easter 3 (April 19, 2015). The lections are: Acts 3:11-12; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; and Luke 24:36-49. The readings are very rich and offer a pastor many options. This one focuses on what it means to be like Jesus.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Continuing Story of Easter - John 20:26
He is Risen!
This is the sermon given Easter 2 (April 12, 2015). The Lectons are: Acts 4:32–35; 1 John 1:1—2:2; John 20:19–31.The sermon examines how Easter is carried forward by the Word of God.
He is risen, indeed!
Pastor John Rickert
The Day that Changed History - Mark 16:6
The Lord be with you
He is Risen!
This is the Easter sermon, delivered April 5, 2015. The lections are
Isaiah 25:6–9; 1 Corinthians 15:1–11; Mark 16:1–8. The text is Mark 16:6. The sermon examines the unseen spiritual happenings at the first Easter.
He is Risen, Indeed!
Pastor John Rickert
The Death that Changed History - John 19:30
The Lord be with you
Below is the message given Good Friday, April 3, 2015.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Meal that Changed History - Mark 14:22-24
In this Maundy Thursday message we consider the link between the Passover meal, the Lord's Supper and the Heavenly banquet.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Week that Changed History - John 12:12
This message was delivered Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion), 2015. Because the appointed readings for the day are so lengthy (and we used the shorter options) the message is shorter than a regular Sunday sermon. It doubles, also, as an introduction to our Holy Week messages.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
This homily was delivered the Wednesday after Lent V, March 25, 2015. We used the Paul Gerhardt hymn, "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded," to guide our thoughts.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Glory Road - Mark 10:32
This sermon was delivered Lent 5, 2015 (March 22 this year). Two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, ask to sit on the right and left-hand side of Jesus in glory. Jesus, though, has a different understanding of "glory" than his disciples.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Go to Dark Gethsemane - Luke 22:39
This homily was delivered March 18, 2015, Wednesday after Lent IV. It is a meditation based on the hymn "Go to Dark Gethsemane" by James Montgomery.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Two Roads - John 3:19
This message was delivered the Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 15, 2015. It contrasts man's religion with God's religion.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
In the Cross of Christ I Glory - 1 Corinthians 1:18
This message was delivered Wednesday after Lent 3, 2015 and inspired by the hymn, "I the Cross of Christ I Glory." It examines whey the cross of Christ is such an important part of the lives of Christians.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Where Do You Look? - 1 Corinthians 1:22-23
The Lord be with you
The sermon below was delivered Lent 3, 2015 (March 8). The message considers some false ways people try to establish the presence of God and where God directs us to look to affirm his presence and love for us.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Galatians 6:14
This homily was delivered Wednesday, March 4, 2015. The readings were Psalm 34, Galatians 6:11-16, and Philippians 3:2-11. Using the Isaac Watts hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," it examines the great worth of the sacrificial death of Jesus and how our accomplishments compare.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Martyrs - Mark 8:35
This sermon was delivered March 1, 2015, The Second Sunday in Lent. The lections were Psalm 22:23-31 (22); Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Romans 5:1-11; Mark 8:27-38. It examines the role of Martyrs in the Christian Faith.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Tested - Genesis 22:2
Below is the video of the sermon delivered on the First Sunday in Lent, February 22, 2015. I don't know why YouTube isn't giving me a thumbnail for this video, but it is there nonetheless.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
O Lord, throughout These Forty Days - Joel 2:12-13
Below is the video from Ash Wednesday.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Not A Magic Show - Mark 1:34
This sermon was delivered February 8, 2015 (Epiphany 5). It examines the source of our blessings, answers questions like 'Do atheists receive blessings from God?' and what place faith has in receiving blessings, etc.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Jesus, Lord of the Devils - Mark 1:27
This sermon was delivered February 1, 2015, Epiphany 4. It examines the the physical/spiritual nature of God's creation, how Jesus is Lord of both (especially spiritual) and some of the differences this makes for us as Christians.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
God's Voice - Acts 9:4
This sermon was delivered January 25, 2015,The Festival of the Conversion of St. Paul. It examines how God communicates with us. In the sermon I say Ananias was the "first" to baptize Paul. I miss-spoke. Paul, like us, was baptized only once (Ephesians 4:5).
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Jesus, Revealed by Peter - Acts 4:12
This sermon was delivered on the Festival of the Confession of St. Peter, 2015. It examines how Peter confesses Jesus in the book of Acts.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Jesus Revealed by Baptism - Mark 1:11
The following sermon was delivered on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, 2015. It explores the relationship between our baptism and Jesus' baptism.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Gaining Wisdom - Psalm 119:99
The sermon below was delivered on the Second Sunday after Christmas, 2015. It examines the idea of "spiritual wisdom" as presented in the Bible.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
No Snow Globe Christmas, Matthew 2:16
The sermon below was shared at the Festival of The Holy Innocents, Martyrs, 2014. It examines topics like death, tragedies and atrocities in light of the murder of the children in Bethlehem by Herod in Matthew's Christmas story.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Meditations on Four Christmas Carols
On Christmas Day, instead of a traditional sermon, I do meditations on the Christmas Carols that we sing. This Christmas (2014) the carols were: "The First Noel," "Away in a Manger," O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Aangels We Have Heard on High."
May these shore meditations add to your enjoyment and understanding of these traditional carols.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
THE Christmas Story, Matthew 1:18a
Every Christmas Eve I tell a story. In the past it has been an original story. I got to thinking that I have omitted the most important Christmas Story, the story that started it all. So this year, that is the story I told. No children getting their tongues stuck on polls, no BB guns and no strange lamps. What it is, is the real Christmas story, set in biblical and historical context. It is the story that will still be told long after all the other Christmas stories are long forgotten. So, below, it THE Christmas Story.
Blessings in Christ
Pastor Rickert
You've Got To Be Kidding Me, John 20:25
The sermon below was delivered on the Festival of St. Thomas, Apostle, December 21, 2014. Using Thomas and Gideon, it examines the problem of doubt when we are called by God to believe unbelievable things.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
The Meaning of Christmas is Giving
The homily below was delivered Wednesday, December 17, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Pray Without Ceasing
Below is the sermon delivered Advent III, December 14, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
The Meaning of Christmas is Family
Below is the second homily in our 2014 mid-week Advent series, "The Meaning of Christmas is..." The text is Romans 8:14. The message was delivered December 12, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
What, Me Repent?
The sermon below was delivered the Second Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
The Meaning of Christmas is Love
The homily below is the first one in the 2014 Advent series titled "The Meaning of Christmas is ..." The text was John 3:16.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Advent of Our King
Below is the sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, 2014. The text is Psalm 80:7. The focus is on the themes of Advent, chief of which is that Christ comes to save sinners.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor
Thanks for What?
Below is the Thanksgiving Eve sermon, given November 26,2014. The text is Deuteronomy 8:10. The lections for the evening were Deuteronomy 8:1-10, Philippians 4:6-20, Luke 17:11-19 and Psalm 100.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Christ Our Firstfruit
The Lord be with you
The following sermon was delivered November 23, 2014. The text is 1 Corinthians 15:20
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Day Is Coming
The following sermon was delivered Pentecost 22, November 16, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Don't Get Sidetracked
The following sermon was delivered Pentecost 21, November 9, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Party Like A Saint - All Saints' Sunday Sermon
The Lord be with you
Today was celebrated as All Saints' Sunday at our church. The lections were Revelation 7:2-17,
Blessings in Christ
Pastor
Stand Your Ground - Reformation Sermon
The Lord be with youToday was celebrated as Reformation Sunday. We had a special liturgy that contained many quotes from the Book of Concord (the Lutheran Confessions). This sermon was set in this context and continued that element. The Lections were Revelation 14:6-7, Romans 3:19-28 and Matthew 11:12-19. The sermon text was Revelation 14:6. The sermon was titled "Stand Your Ground." The link below will take you to the message.
LINK
Below is a video of the sermon, sort of. It is the sermon with pictures, but not of me preaching the sermon.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Buck Stops with God - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Today is Pentecost 18. The lections were Psalm 96, Isaiah 45:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and Matthew 22:15-22. The sermon text was Isaiah 45:1. The sermon was titled "The Buck Stops with God." The link below will take you to the message.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
God's Vineyard - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Today is Pentecost 17. It is also Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) Sunday. The LWML is the women's organization of the LC-MS and Lamb of God had a local chapter. Today's lections were Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:7-19, Philippians 3:4b-14 and Matthew 21:33-46. The sermon text was Isaiah 5:1. The sermon was titled "God's Vineyard. You can listen to the message by clicking on the link below.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Lessons from St. Matthew - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Yesterday's message (Festival of St. Matthew, 2014) was titled "Lessons from St. Matthew." The text was Matthew 9:9. The appointed lessons for the day were Ezekiel 2:8-3:11, Psalm 119:33-40, Ephesians 4:7-16 and Matthew 9:9-13. The link below will allow you to listen to the sermon.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Hair of the Dog - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Today's message (Holy Cross Day, 2014) was titled "Hair of the Dog." The text was 1 Corinthians 1:18. The appointed lessons were Numbers 21:4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 and John 12:20-33. The link below will let you download and hear the message.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Lord be with you
Today's message (Pentecost 13, 2014) was titled "The Cowboy Way or the Yellow Brick Road." The text was Matthew 18:4. The appointed lessons for the day were Psalm 32, Ezekiel 33:7-9, Romans 13:1-10 and Matthew 18:1-20. The link below will let you download and hear the message.LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Insufficient - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Yesterday I was blessed to preach the sermon at the installation of Pastor Bergstrazer at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Charleston. The Text was 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. The link below will let you hear the message.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
I Don't Believe It - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Today's message (Pentecost 10, 2014) was titled "I Don't Believe It." The text was Matthew 15:28. The Lections were Psalm 67, Isaiah 56:1, 6-8, Rp,ams 11:1-2a, 13-15, 28-32, and Matthew 15:21-28. Today was also the Commemoration of Johann Gerhard, Theologian, but he wasn't worked into the sermon. To hear the message just click on the link below.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Facing Life's Storms - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below are three links. The first link (LINK) is to the sermon given August 10, 2014 (Commemoration of Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr). The lections were Job 38:4-18; Romans 10:5-17 and Matthew 14:22-33. The text was Matthew 14:27 and the sermon was titled, obviously, "Facing Life's Storms. The second and third links are to items referred to in the sermon.The opening is a little faint as one of our children wandered up to the pulpit and I picked him us and returned him to the congregation. I just kept preaching so I was away from the recorder.
LINK
Fund to Aid Christians Under Persecution
The Lutheran Witness, June/July issue
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
What Is Hesed? - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below is a link to the sermon given August 3, 2014 (Commemoration of Joanna, Mary, and Salome, Myrrhbearers; Pentecost 8). The lections were Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26; Isaiah 55:1-5, Romans 9:1-13 and Matthew 14:13-21. The text was Psalm 136:26. The sermon was titled "What is Hesed?"
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
How Odd - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below is a link to the sermon given July 27,2014 (Pentecost 7). The lections were Deuteronomy 7:6-9, Romans 8:28-36 and Matthew 13:44-52. The text was Romans 8:29. The sermon was titled "How Odd." This "sermon" is under five minutes long. That is because the service was a "dialogue" service. The regular parts of the liturgy was interspersed with commentary, explaining the various parts of the liturgy. Therefore the sermon was quite short as the message of the day was carried, in large part, by the commentary.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
A Study in Contrasts - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below is a link to the sermon given July 20, 2014 (Pentecost 6/Commemoration of Elijah). The lections were Psalm 119:57-64, 89, Isaiah 44:6-8, Romans 8:18-27 and Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. The text was Romans 8:18. The sermon was titled "A Study in Contrasts."
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
You Have God's Word on It - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below is a link to the sermon given July 13, 2013 (Pentecost 5). The lections were Isaiah 55:10-13, Romans 8:12-17 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The test was Isaiah 55:11. The sermon was titled "You Have God's Word on It".
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
What's Wrong With Me? - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below is a link to the sermon given July 6, 2014 (Pentecost 4). The lections were Psalm 145:1-14, 19; Zechariah 9:9-12; Romans 7:14-25a and Matthew 11:25-30. The text was Romans 7:21. The message was titled "What's Wrong With Me?"
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Something Old, Something New - Sermon
June 29, 2014 fell on a Sunday. July 29 is the Festival of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles. When a festival falls on a Sunday, many churches use those appointed lessons, celebrating the festival, instead of the regular Sunday readings (in this case, Pentecost 3). That is what we did at Lamb of God. So, below is the sermon for St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles. It is titled "Something Old, Something New." The text was Galatians 2:9-10. It explores the tension that can develop between those who like to do thing the "old" way and those who like to do things a "new" way. The lections were: Acts 15:1-21, Galatians 2:1-10 and Matthew 16:13-19. The message is about 25 minutes long, so longer than usual. (Gotta love Matins.) LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Is This Divine Providence? - Sermon
The sermon for Pentecost 2 - 2014 was titled "Is This Divine Providence?" The appointed lessons were Jeremiah 20:7-13; Romans 6:12-21; and Matthew 10:5a, 21-33. The text for the sermon was Jeremiah 20:1. The link below will take you to it.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
God In Action - Sermon
This past Sunday was the Feast of the Holy Trinity. The appointed lessons were Genesis 1-24a; Acts 2:14a, 22-36 and Matthew 28:16-20. Because it was the Feast of the Holy Trinity, we used the Athanasian Creed (Lutheran Service Book, page 319) for our confession of faith. This is the longest of the three Ecumenical Creeds, but gives the best "short" explanation of the Trinity I have ever found. Because it was a Feast Day, we also celebrated the Lord's Supper. The text for the sermon was Acts 2:33 and the sermon was titled "God In Action." Because of the length of the assigned lessons (especially the Old Testament lesson), and the using of the longest of the Ecumenical Creeds, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the sermon is noticeably shorter than normal. The link below will take you to it.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Dream of Moses - Sermon
The Lord be with you
Below is a link to the sermon given Pentecost Sunday 2014. The text is Numbers 11:29. The sermon is titled "The Dream of Moses." The assigned lessons for the day were Numbers 11:24-30, Acts 2:1-21 and John 7:37-39.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Cross and Glory
The link below will take you to the sermon delivered Easter 7, 2014. It is titled "Cross and Glory." The text was John 17:1. The lessons for the day were Acts 1:12-26, 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11, and John 17:1-11.
LINK
Blessings in Christ
Pastor John Rickert
The Ascension of Our Lord
The LC-MS congregations here in the Upstate have a joint worship service every Ascension Day. This year I was asked to preach. The link below will take you to the message. It was named "Who Needs Another Holiday." The text was Acts 1:1. The assigned lessons were Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:15-23; and Luke 24:44-53.
LINK
Blessings in Christ
Pastor John Rickert
Are You Ready? - Sermon
Below is a like to the sermon for Easter 6, given May 25, 2014. The text is John 14:16. The sermon is titled "Are You Ready?" The rest of the information about the service can be found on the blog's home page.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Who Will Go To Heaven? - Sermon
Below it the link to the sermon for Easter 4, given May 11, 2014. The text is John 10:9. The sermon is titled "Who Will Go To Heaven?" The rest of the information, like the lections, can be found in the worship notes for this Sunday on the main page. A word of warning - this is a "politically incorrect" message.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
An Easter Faith - Sermon
Below is the link to the sermon for Easter 3, given May 2, 2014. The text is Acts 2:36. The sermon is titled: An Easter Faith. The rest of the information, like the lections, can be found in the worship notes for this Sunday on the main page.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Walking the Walk - Sermon
Below is the link to the sermon for Easter 2, given April 27, 2014. The text is Acts 5:25. You can find the readings, etc., in the worship notes for this Sunday on the main page of this blog.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
My Jesus Lives - Sermon
The link below will let you listen to the Easter sermon for 2014. It is the fourth and final part of my Holy Week message and tells the story of the of the first Easter Sunday. So this message, along with "The Week Begins," "A Thursday to Remember" and "My Jesus Dies" covers these days that forever changed the course of history.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
My Jesus Dies - Sermon
The link below will let you listen to the Good Friday sermon for 2014. It is part 3 of the Holy Week messages and covers the events on the first Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
A Thursday to Remember - Sermon
The link below will let you listen to the Maundy Thursday sermon for 2014. It is part 2 of the Holy Week messages and covers the events on the first Maundy Thursday. This picture is of Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper, which I refer to in the message. LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Week Begins - Sermon
The link below will let you listen to the Palm Sunday sermon for 2014. This message is really part 1 of a four part message. Part 2 will be given on Maundy Thursday, part 3 on Good Friday and Part 4 Easter Sunday. What I'm doing is simply re-telling the story of Holy Week. The Palm Sunday message sets the stage and covers Palm Sunday through Holy Wednesday. This is the week that changed the course of history and is the apex of the life of Jesus. Getting the narrative straight helps us keep the message of Christ straight. If you are a little foggy about what happened during Holy Week, these messages will help clear away at least some of the fog.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Sacrament of the Altar for Life - Sermon
Below is a link to this past Wednesday's (April 9, 2014) sermon, the final message in the series "The Catechism for Life." The text is Luke 22:20 and is taken from the Gospel lesson.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Confession for Life – Sermon
Below is a link to this past Wednesday’s message, titled “Confession
for Life.” The lessons for the service were Psalm 130 and John 20:19-23. The
message was given April 2, 2014.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Blind Man’s Story – Sermon
Below is a line to the sermon given Lent IV (March 30, 2014).
The title is “The Blind Man’s Story” and is based on John 9, the entire
chapter. As the chapter is 41 verses, the sermon is longer than typical, about
35 minutes.
Blessings in Christ
Pastor John Rickert
Is God With Us? – Sermon
This is the sermon for Lent III (March 23, 2014).
Unfortunately I forgot my little recorder. So what I have done is simply read
the sermon while sitting at my desk. It kind of sounds like I’m reading it. Something
happens when you are preaching that doesn’t happen when you are sitting at a
desk. Anyway, the words are substantially the same.
The readings were Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-8, and John
4:5-30, 39-42. The text was Exodus 17:7. The sermon begins with a survey of
events leading up to Exodus 17 so I don’t spend as much time on the specific
text. To get a feel for where I’m going, it might be best to read the Old
Testament lesson.
The link below will let you hear the message.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Sacrament of Holy Baptism for Life – Sermon
The Lord be with you
The link below will let you listen to the sermon given Wednesday
after Lent III, March 26, 2014. The readings for the service were Romans 6:1-11
and Matthew 28:18-20. The text was Romans 6:4. The message was titled “The
Sacrament of Holy Baptism for Life.” As with all of the Wednesday Lenten
services this year, we read the appropriate section from Luther’s Small
Catechism.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor
The Lord's Prayer for Life - Sermon
Friday after Lent II
March 21, 2014
The Lord be with you
Below is the sermon given this past Wednesday at our Lenten
service. The scripture readings were Isaiah 56:6-8 and Luke 11:1-4. The sermon was
titled “The Lord’s Prayer for Life.” The text was Luke 11:2.
The “Prayer of the Church” from Divine Service, setting 5,
is referred in the sermon. Below is that prayer. P means pastor. C means
congregation.
P: Friends in
Christ, I urge you allto lift up your hearts to God and pray with me as Christ
our Lord has taught us and freely promised to hear us.
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, Your need
children on earth, and grant us grace that Your holy name be hallowed by us and
all the world through the pure and true teaching of Your Word and the fervent
love shown forth in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and
evil living whereby Your precious name is blasphemed and profaned. Lord, in
Your mercy.
C: hear our
prayer.
P: May Your
kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors and those who are
blinded and bound in the devil’s kingdom to know Jesus Christ, Your Son, by
faith that the number of Christians may be increased. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our
prayer.
P: Strengthen
us by Your Spirit according to Your will, both in life and in death, in the
midst of both good and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily
and sacrificed to Your good and gracious will. Into Your merciful hands we
commend all who are in need, praying for them at all times; Thy will be done.
Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our
prayer.
P: Grant us our
daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us trust in You
to provide for all our needs. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our
prayer.
P: Forgive us
our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be
at peace and may rejoice in a good conscience before You, and that no sin may
ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in your mercy,
C: hear our
prayer.
P: Lead us not
into temptation, O Lord, but help us by Your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to
turn from the world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his wiles.
Lord, In Your mercy,
C: hear our
prayer.
P: And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from all evil of
both body and soul, now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our
prayer.
P: We trust, O
Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our
Lord.
C: Amen.
Blessed to be a Blessing - Sermon
Below is a link to our Lent II (2014) sermon, "Blessed to be a Blessing." The text was Genesis 12:2. The lessons for the day were Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:1-8, 13-17 and John 3:1-17. You can read the lessons by going to the sermon notes on the home page. Also below is a map I refer to in the message.
LINK
Blessings in Christ
Pastor John Rickert
The Apostles' Creed for Life - Sermon
Below is a link to the homily from this past Wednesday. The Scripture lesson was Ephesians 4:1-6, with the last few verses serving as the text. We made a video of the message as well as an audio copy. You can listen or watch the message, depending on your taste.
LINK
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor
Sunday, Lent 1
Below is a link to today's sermon, titled "Misdirection." The text is Matthew 4:3. The appointed lessons for the day are: Genesis 3:1-21; Romans 5:12-19; and Matthew 4:1-11.
Link
Below are two pictures I refer to in the sermon.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
March 6, 2014
The Lord be with you
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten
season. Like many Christian churches, we had a worship service. (Actually we
had two, one at 12:15 PM and the other at 7:00 PM.) In our Ash Wednesday
services we use the Litany, receive the mark of the cross in ash on our
forehead, and receive the Lord’s Supper. While our Wednesday services are
typically shorter than our Sunday services, our Ash Wednesday service lasts
almost a full hour because of everything involved. So the message I give is shorter
than typical. This one is only about twelve and a half minutes.
Throughout the Lenten season we have Wednesday worship
services (again one at 12:15 and a second at 7:00). As is typical, I am following
a theme for these services. The theme is: The Catechism for Life. The Catechism
has six chief parts and there will be six Wednesday services. The messages are
titled:
March 5 – The Ten Commandments for Life
March 12 – The Creed for Life
March 19 – The Lord’s Prayer for Life
March 26 – The Sacrament of Holy Baptism for Life
April 2 – Confession for Life
April 9 – The Sacrament of the Altar for Life
Our lessons for Ash Wednesday were Psalm 51, Joel 2:12-19. 2
Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. The text for the message was
Matthew 6:1. You may use the link below to listen to the message.
May the Lord bless you Lenten season,
Pastor Rickert
Transfiguration Sunday, 2014
The Lord be with you
Today's sermon was titled, "Was Peter Wrong?" The assigned lessons were Exodus 24:8-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21 and Matthew 17:1-9. The text for the sermon was Matthew 17:4. Below is a link which will let you listen to the sermon.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Lord be with you
The audio file linked here is of the sermon I preached Epiphany 7, February 23, 2014. The message is titled "Pointing to Jesus." The assigned lessons for the day were: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23; and Matthew 5:38-48. If you would like to read the lessons, they are in the Worship Notes for this past Sunday. The text for the sermon was Leviticus 19:2.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ngefck0bjesersu/Sermon%20-%20Pointing%20To%20Jesus%20-%202-23-14%20-%20Lev%2019%202.MP3
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
Below is a link to an audio file of the sermon given Epiphany VI, 2014.
The sermon is titled "The Law, Us and Jesus." It is a catechetical
sermon.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3k50bmp5l0xqvb/The%20Law%2C%20Us%20and%20Jesus%2C%20Epiphany%206%202014.MP3
Transfiguration Sunday, 2014
The Lord be with you
Today's sermon was titled, "Was Peter Wrong?" The assigned lessons were Exodus 24:8-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21 and Matthew 17:1-9. The text for the sermon was Matthew 17:4. Below is a link which will let you listen to the sermon.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
The Lord be with you
The audio file linked here is of the sermon I preached Epiphany 7, February 23, 2014. The message is titled "Pointing to Jesus." The assigned lessons for the day were: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23; and Matthew 5:38-48. If you would like to read the lessons, they are in the Worship Notes for this past Sunday. The text for the sermon was Leviticus 19:2.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ngefck0bjesersu/Sermon%20-%20Pointing%20To%20Jesus%20-%202-23-14%20-%20Lev%2019%202.MP3
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
"The Law, Us and Jesus," Epiphany VI 2014 sermon
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3k50bmp5l0xqvb/The%20Law%2C%20Us%20and%20Jesus%2C%20Epiphany%206%202014.MP3
My "take-away" quote from today's (27 July 2014) <5 minute sermon is this:
ReplyDeleteWe Lutheran Christians are a peculiar (odd) people; we worship in a peculiar (odd) way, because God (who is forming us into the image of His Son Jesus) is the True & Only, yet peculiar (odd) God! We worship Him in Spirit & in Truth, in the established, and often earliest traditions of Christianity in the Western world.
My "take-away"s from today's (18 Jan 2015) sermon:
ReplyDelete1. In healing the lame man in Acts 3:1, Peter fully identifies Jesus as Lord, God's Servant & Promised Savior, by whose power, as such, heals the man.
2. Confessing Christ, one need look no further for ANYTHING!
3. The Law in Peter's message condemns us, too; but Peter does not leave his audience dead in sin - he proclaims forgiveness & 5K are brought to salvation.
4. The Jewish leaders throw Peter & co. into prison overnight & then are brought before the Sanhedrin because Peter accused them of the death of The Anointed One - Christ - Messiah & preached the resurrection of the dead.
5. Again, Peter doesn't leave the rulers dead with The Law, but proclaims that Christ is the ONLY way to salvation.
6. Word & Sacrament are means of grace (saving from sin) & WE are called to take the opportunities given us each day to proclaim Christ, always being ready, with humility & grace.
Way to pay attention.
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