κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

[Introduction] Dear brothers in Christ, what I’m about to say is nothing new, but it needs to be said.  It is unanimously confessed in our churches, in accordance with the Word of God, that we poor sinners are justified before God and saved only by him through faith in Christ. We cannot by our own reason or strength save ourselves. We cannot by our own reason or strength create faith. There is nothing that we can do … there is nothing we can say … to cause or merit our justification before God.  Jesus alone saves. He alone is our righteousness. He alone lived in perfect obedience to the Father, fulfilling all righteousness in baptism. He alone suffered and died on a cross for sins. He alone has made atonement for all sin … your sin and mine … yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrow’s … on account of the blood he shed. And he was raised from the dead on the third day for your justification. Death has no more dominion over him. He forgives. He justifies. And He saves … YOU. 3. I am...

[Introduction] The Word before us this morning comes from one of the most famous and familiar passages in all Scripture: John 10. We have only the first half of the Good Shepherd discourse today, but it doesn’t make it only half as good to preach on. Jesus opens eyes and ears to the truth of who he is. If you search Fort Wayne’s media server, you will find dozens and dozens of titles referencing John 10. Our service book has at least 62 hymns with roots in John 10 ... eighteen to this passage alone. I know at least one of our congregations ... is it not Holy Cross? ... features a painting of our Good Shepherd above the altar. The Good Shepherd is also a prominent image for stained glass windows, including here at Trinity. Parents and grandparents use this image with their children ... singing ... “I Am Jesus Little Lamb, ever glad at heart I am” (LSB 740:1). ... We teach our children to sing ... “Shepherd of Tender Youth, guiding in love and truth” (LSB 864:1) ... Therefore, “Have No F...

Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Adoni YHWH, Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, My people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you will know that I am YHWH, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, My people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I am YHWH. I have spoken, and I will do it, declares YHWH (vv 11-14). [Introduction] Our world thinks it’s demeaning to need a helper. That’s why little children don’t like their parents doting on them. They don’t want help picking out their own clothes and tying their own shoes ... or pouring milk on their cereal, even if a gallon weighs one-fifth of their body weight.  Our world thinks it’s demeaning to need a helper. That’s why it’s so difficult to sit in a nursing home and allow someone to serve you, wait on you, care for you. It goes against your entire life of being a parent,...

Then the Word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, the city, the great one, and call out the proclamation that I speak to you (v 2). Jonah tried to go it alone. He tried to go his own way. He tried to silence God’s calling. He tried to pursue life apart from God. He tried to give up. He tried to die. He seemingly tried everything to avoid doing what he was called to do. As unwilling as he was ... as unwilling as any of us can be to proclaim the Word of Yahweh that we are called to proclaim ... God Almighty wins the day ... with just five Words ... eight if you want them in English.  Proclaim the word I give to you, Yahweh is saying. Don’t be anxious. Proclaim the Word. Have Faith. Proclaim the Word ... in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort. Proclaim the word! It will achieve my purpose.  NOW WON’T YOU JUST PROCLAIM THE WORD, TOO? I. Jonah, the son of Amittai, had been commissioned by God to Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, ...