The Work of God the Holy Spirit — Sermon for the Festival of Pentecost

The Work of God the Holy Spirit  —  Sermon for the Festival of Pentecost
The Text:  John 15:26-27, 16:4-111
26  “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
27  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
16:4  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
5  But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
6  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
8  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Should you wish to access more of Pastor Kerner’s sermons, you can do so at https://gslcsuffield.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/sermon-archive-2010-2011/

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 585 South St. (Route 75), Suffield CT 06078 USA  http://www.gslcsuffield.com  Should you wish to support this ministry, you can mail a check to the church.

If you liked this post in any way, please think about sharing it on your social media sites.  This is an effective way to evangelize on the internet.  You can also friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/james.kerner

Sermon for Mother’s Day

Sermon for Mother’s Day
The Text:  Luke 8:19-21
19  Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.
20  And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.”
21  But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Should you wish to access more of Pastor Kerner’s sermons, you can do so at https://gslcsuffield.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/sermon-archive-2010-2011/

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 585 South St. (Route 75), Suffield CT 06078 USA  http://www.gslcsuffield.com  Should you wish to support this ministry, you can mail a check to the church.

If you liked this post in any way, please think about sharing it on your social media sites.  This is an effective way to evangelize on the internet.  You can also friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/james.kerner

God Is Among Us! Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

God Is Among Us!

Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Text:  Acts: 14: 8-18
8  Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked.
9  He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,
10  said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
11  And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12  Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13  And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
15  “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
16  In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17  Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
18  Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
(Included because it should have been!  And because I mention it in the message)
19  But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Should you wish to access more of Pastor Kerner’s sermons, you can do so at https://gslcsuffield.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/sermon-archive-2010-2011/

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 585 South St. (Route 75), Suffield CT 06078 USA  http://www.gslcsuffield.com  Should you wish to support this ministry, you can mail a check to the church.

If you liked this post in any way, please think about sharing it on your social media sites.  This is an effective way to evangelize on the internet.  You can also friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/james.kerner

Is It All Boring?

Day’s Readings: Psalm 89:19-29, Romans 11:11-32, 1 Chronicles 4:9-5:26
Meditational Reading: 1 Chronicles 5:18-20 & 23-26
18  The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war.
19  They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
20  And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him.

23  The members of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They were very numerous from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon.
24  These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses.
25  But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
26  So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

It’s Old Testament readings like today’s Old Testament reading that cause people to give up reading the Bible.  We are well through five chapters of 1 Chronicles and all we see are genealogical records!  Names after names after names of people long dead and gone!  We don’t only have to put up with Judah, but today we see some of the other tribes!  What is the world does this have to do with me today?

Today’s reading reminds me of a three-year-old I have in Sunday School.  Every once in a while he will say, “Pastor, boring!” and start laughing.  I kind of go into a trance when reading all of these names.  I read through them rapidly, wanting to get on with the real meat and potatoes of the Bible.  I’m in a hurry and, all of sudden, God hits me in the head and opens my eyes.  He did that as I skimmed the names in today’s Old Testament reading, just wanting to get it over.  Boring!

In the meditational reading, the writer of Chronicles tells of the warrior prowess of the various tribes mentioned.  They were great warriors, they could muster a sizeable army.  But the northern tribes of Israel, after the break up of the kingdom under Rehoboam, suffered a series of military defeats and exiles, finally culminating in the defeat of Samaria (the northern capital) in 622/621 B.C.  That is what makes today’s meditational reading all the more important.  The people trusted in God.  They stopped trusing in God.  They went into exile, an exile from which the did not return.

What does this say to us?  In the midst of all the boring, mind-numbing names, God the Holy Spirit reminds us how important it is to remain faithful to our God!  When the people of Israel turned their backs upon the Lord (it’s called unbelief!), they bore the consequences.  God reaches through the boring names and reminds me of the centrality of faith in my relationship to him.  I could have everything:  fame, fortune, a nicer boat, a bigger car, a mansion, a lot more, but if I don’t have faith then everything is lost as I go into that exile called death.

The good news is that, unlike the northern kingdom’s exile, my exile is not permanent.  Through faith in Jesus my Savior, I am brought through death into eternal life.  Today’s meditational readings, in the midst of boring names, reminds me of that!

A prayer:  Lord, keep me faithful to you forever.  Amen!

If you would like to hear some of Pastor Kerner’s sermons, you can visit the sermon archive at: https://gslcsuffield.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/sermon-archive-2010-2011/  The sermon archive is normally updated every Sunday afternoon.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 585 South St. (Rt. 75), Suffield CT 06078 USA  www.gslcsuffield.com  If you would like to support this ministry, send your offering to the church.

If you found this article particularly helpful, would you share it with your friends and acquaintances on your social networking websites?  This is an easy way to use the internet as an evangelism tool.  You can friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/james.kerner.  Thank you for considering this.