Past Sermons/Services
4th Sunday in Lent Divine Service
March 19, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • John 9:34–41, Isaiah 42:14–21, Ephesians 5:8–14, John 9:1–7, John 9:13–17
We know that unbelief will have consequences in the future—eternal separation from God. But unbelief also has consequences now. It makes you blind, in a sense. The unbeliever is unable to see the world as it is. That which is harmful, the unbeliever considers reasonable; that which is good, he considers meaningless. The unbeliever cannot see the danger that lurks behind temptation. He cannot see the blessing contained in God’s Word. The unbeliever cannot see the tragic fate in his future and certainly cannot see the Savior. The Old Testament said that restoration of sight to the blind was one of the works of the Messiah. In his ministry, Jesus healed those who were physically blind. But even if our eyes work just fine, we still need Jesus to give us spiritual vision. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” Christ shines his light into our darkened eyes so we might see him and live. Jesus meets our greatest needs. He provides sight for the spiritually blind.
19 Feb 2023 -- Transfiguration Sunday
February 19, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Matthew 17:1–9, Exodus 24:9–18, 2 Peter 1:16–21
Throughout his ministry, Jesus said remarkable things and did extraordinary things. Yet, he looked like an ordinary man. The prophet said, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). This would all change one day atop a high mountain. There, Jesus gave his disciples—gave his Church—a glimpse of the glory he set aside to be our Savior. And the voice of the Father thundered from the heavens, just as it did at Jesus’ baptism, announcing Jesus’ true identity to the world—the glorious Son of God. And so the Transfiguration of our Lord serves as a one-week bridge between the season of Epiphany, where Jesus is revealed as the true Son of God, and the season of Lent, where we witness what the Son of God came to do. On the Mount of Glory, St. Peter declared, “It is good for us to be here.” Indeed! For here we see the God of Majestic Glory, who became a man to suffer and die for us, just as Moses and the Prophets had foretold. Oh, how much this glorious God loves us!
12 Feb 2023 -- Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 12, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • 2 Samuel 11:1–17, 2 Samuel 11:26–27, 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12, Matthew 5:21–37
Part three of three on the Sermon on the Mount After examining our lives, we can only despair over our lack of holiness. So, the Gospel Acclamation reminds us to flee to Christ, who loves us despite our failures and who sacrificed himself for unholy people. Secure in his grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit, each day, we strive to live the holy lives to which we have been called.
5 Feb 2023 -- Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 5, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Matthew 5:13–20, Exodus 19:1–8, 1 Peter 2:9–12
Imagine a beautiful guitar crafted from the finest mahogany and steel strings. Now imagine that a fine instrument is never played. It is placed atop a bookshelf and never touched. It just collects dust. Tragic, right? What a thing finds fulfillment when it does what it was made to do. Of what use is a guitar that makes no music? What would be the point of turning on a lamp and throwing a heavy blanket over it? It might still be a lamp, but it provides no light. (It only serves as a fire hazard!) Form and function are intimately connected. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that the same is true of discipleship. He wants us to see that being a disciple and acting as a disciple are intimately connected. When God called us to faith, he declared that we were something new: light, salt, and his children. Jesus now encourages us to be what God says we are so that God might bless the world through us. As Jesus speaks to us, he means to mold our will to his own.
29 Jan 2023 -- Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
January 29, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with a series of blessings. “Blessed are...” Jesus says again and again. In the Latin Vulgate, these all begin with the word “beati” which translates as “blessed” or “happy.” Thus, this sermon portion is often called “The Beatitudes.” It had to give Jesus’ listeners pause. For what Jesus calls blessed, the world never would. The world praises the strong and the self-sufficient. Jesus calls blessed what others would see as weak or stupid. But, like any good preacher, Jesus is trying to drive home one crucial point. The weaker you are, the more ready you are to rely on God’s strength. The more difficult your present circumstances, the likelier you are to yearn for future reward. All the readings for today teach this truth. We have no real strength or wisdom of our own. But we don’t need it because God’s strength is enough to give the kingdom of heaven to the humble and poor in spirit.
22 Jan 2023 -- Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 22, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Isaiah 8:19—9:4, 1 John 2:3–11, Matthew 4:12–23
The prophet Isaiah vividly described humanity as “people walking in darkness.” We are completely enveloped by sin and suffering and death. Worse, when we honestly assess the content of our minds and hearts, we find darkness there too. However, the prophet also foretold that within this deep darkness, a light would shine. The light would be so brilliant that it would be impossible to miss. As Jesus began his teaching and preaching ministry, that prophecy was fulfilled. Today Jesus continues to shine his light by preaching repentance and the good news of the nearing kingdom. He invites us to live a life that he illuminates. He calls us to walk in the light of love for God and the brothers and sisters around us. Our Savior is the Light of the world, and so we shine his reflected light onto everyone around us.
15 Jan 2023 -- Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 15, 2023 • Pastor Greg Stenzel • Isaiah 49:1–6, Colossians 2:6–15, John 1:29–41
For centuries the priests of Israel offered sacrifices to God for sin. Over and over, blood flowed, testifying that the penalty of sin was death. But over and over, a substitute stood in the sinner's place. Countless animals died under the priestly knife as generations of the faithful brought lamb after lamb to the temple. This week we see the Lamb God was brought to the temple. This was the Lamb that God himself would sacrifice. In the great act that would remove our condemnation, the Messiah took our sins, stood in our place, and died as the substitute for sinful mankind. This was the fulfillment of the entire sacrificial system. Every lamb, goat, and bird pointed to God’s Lamb, who took away our sins. The heart that sees his Savior willingly becoming the Lamb cannot help but take this news of salvation to the ends of the earth.