Sermons

We like to think we are free. Some of us believe we are masters of our own destiny, while others feel trapped by circumstances beyond their control. Yet Jesus confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34).

Perhaps the most troubling consequence of our bondage to sin is that we cannot even recognize the depth of our own captivity. We need God to reveal the truth about ourselves. And we need Him to reveal what He has done to rescue us.

On Reformation Sunday, we celebrate the eternal Gospel - not a new message, not a human invention, but the unchanging promise of forgiveness, life, and salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Reformation reminds us that our salvation does not depend upon our decisions, our accomplishments, or even our ability to recognize our need. It depends entirely upon Christ.

We do not rescue the Gospel. The Gospel rescues us.

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

Most people consider themselves basically good. We work hard, care for our families, help our neighbors, and try to do what’s right. We may not be perfect, but surely we’re not enemies of God. Are we?

Yet Scripture describes our natural condition quite differently. Saint Paul tells us that the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God (Romans 8:7). Even indifference toward God is not spiritual neutrality. God’s First Commandment requires us to fear, love, and trust in Him above all things.

In Luke 10, Jesus sends seventy-two messengers ahead of Him with a remarkable announcement: “Peace be to this house!”

But why do we need peace? And what if we don’t even recognize that we’re at odds with God?

This Sunday’s sermon explores the uncomfortable truth about our sinful nature and the extraordinary comfort of the Gospel: God does not wait for His enemies to make peace with Him. He comes to us in Jesus Christ to reconcile us to Himself.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Genesis 28:10–17

We spend much of our lives climbing ladders - striving for success, seeking approval, and sometimes even trying to work our way into God’s favor. We imagine that if we become a little better, a little more faithful, or a little more righteous, we might finally get closer to heaven.

But when Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, something remarkable happened: God never told him to climb it.

Jacob was a deceiver, a fugitive, and a sinner. Yet God came to him with a promise of grace.

Scripture tells us that we are dead in our trespasses, enslaved to sin, and incapable of saving ourselves. Our problem isn’t that we need a taller ladder. It’s that we cannot climb our way to God at all.

The Good News is that we don’t have to.

In this Trinity 19 sermon, “There Is a Ladder, But It Isn’t for You,” we discover how Jacob’s vision finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ - the Son of God who came down from heaven to accomplish what we could never do for ourselves.

We don’t climb our way to God. In Jesus Christ, God has come to us.

We often comfort ourselves by saying, “God knows my heart.” Scripture answers: Yes, He does - and that is precisely why we need Christ.

This week’s readings confront us with the full demand of God’s Law: love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. But the problem runs deeper than our actions. The heart itself is divided, deceptive, and in need of renewal.

The good news is that Jesus does not leave us looking inward. He asks the better question: “What do you think about the Christ?” Our hope is not in the purity of our hearts, but in Christ, who has fulfilled the Law, borne our sin, and gives us His righteousness.

Deuteronomy 10:12–21; 1 Corinthians 1:1–9; Matthew 22:34–46