κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

Jesus said, don’t worry (v 25). Then he followed that up by twice saying, stop worrying (vv 31, 34).  [Introduction] Worry is a first commandment sin. What is the First Commandment? You all know this one well. In Exodus 20[:3]: and Deuteronomy 5[:7], the Lord your God declared that you will have no other gods before [him] . In other words, God says you’ll have no need to worry. And what does this mean? It means, as Luther teaches us in the catechism ... we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things . Why? Because we trust he has us covered.  When we worry that we are NOT like everyone else and believe like everyone else, we become idolaters just like Aaron and the Israelites, who worshiped and danced around the golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai. ... When men worry about their political and familial stability, they become idolaters like King Solomon, who used that as an excuse to marry 700 women from the kingdoms of the world. That ultimately led him into the w...

Then having seen the crowds, [Jesus] walked up into the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And when he opened his mouth, he began to teach them, saying (vv 1-2) ...  CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE THE BLESSED. This is our theme. Please now turn to page 325 in your (Lutheran Service Book) and join me in confessing our faithful doctrine on the Third Article of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  How can water do such great things? Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three: He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so...

Preached to the saints of Mount Olive Lutheran Church and Grace English Lutheran Church, Bovey and Marble, MN; September 12, 2021 Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:34). Our Lord Jesus Christ, who took on our flesh, willingly stepped into our reality of life. He took on all of your troubles, all of your burdens, all of your anxieties and, most importantly, all of your sins. H e carried it all to to the cross and in His dying breath, he brought it all to completion for you . Today, he speaks as the God of All creation and offers you, His disciples, great comfort: Do not be anxious about tomorrow . Easier said than done, to be sure. You almost want to interrupt Christ our Lord and say, “are you serious? Do you not see what is going on down here? Do you not know how difficult daily living is? Inflation is rising; illness continues to creep in and disrupt our comfortable lives; eve...

  I came ... to fulfill. It’s no wonder that anyone who’s ever wanted to follow Jesus, to get close to Jesus, to be like Jesus, to know Jesus, to understand Jesus, to come to Jesus ... that they have looked to words like those in our Gospel reading today.  Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew Chapter Five comes from the midst of the Sermon on the Mount. There are no words of Jesus that are as revered as these words. Even the world that doesn’t believe in Jesus thinks these words are golden. These words ... all 2,380 or so ... comprise the first and longest discourse of Jesus. More books and articles have been written about these words than any other in the Bible. More sermons have been written on these words than I could imagine. But I promise to give you just one today. Jesus has already done all the heavy lifting.  Jesus has fulfilled them.  In the verses preceding our reading, you can find the beloved Beatitudes. In the words following you can find our beloved Lord...