Lamb of God Lutheran Church: Recent Episodes
Steve Sleeper
Pastor Houser's sermon: You are what you eat. In the first reading, God gives Israel food to consume to survive in the desert, but they grumble and suffer God's wrath. Israel asks for forgiveness, and God in His mercy relents. God does not will death for us, so He sent His Son to bear our sins on the cross. Christ consumed sin.
Pastor Houser's sermon: "Who do people say I am?" By the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter answered, "You are the Christ." We are justified before God by our faith because Christ bore our sins on the cross. We suffer in this world, but it does not destroy us.
Pastor Houser's sermon: "Chief of sinners though I be", indeed. The book of Joel states, "Return to me with all your heart, declares the Lord." But we can't because we sin, so we need the gospel. Our sins break God's heart, but we are righteous before Him because of Christ and God's grace, mercy, and love
Pastor Houser's sermon: Moses looked positively radiant. His face radiated with God's glory after speaking with Him on Mount Sinai. Moses brought the law, which reflects God's desires. But, we have no hope of keeping the law. In Mark 9, Christ is transfigured; God's glory in our midst. Our hope comes from Christ alone. "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him".
Pastor Houser's sermon. Has it not been told to you from the beginning? The law and the fall. Adam and Eve disobeyed God; therefore, we die. But God told them He would send a savior. We still live in a fallen world, but eternal life is ours because of Christ. We do not get what we deserve because of God's grace and mercy.
Pastor Houser's sermon. Prophet, Priest, and King: Jesus Christ, our redeemer. Moses gave us the law, but he was a sinner like us. God raised up someone like Moses, but far greater. The incarnate Son of God. The prophets all point to Christ, and our hope is in Him alone. We have forgiveness of sins and eternal life because Jesus went to the cross.
Pastor Houser's sermon. Because we are earthly and temporal, we apply worldly things to the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we tend to view law and gospel as opposites. We can't keep God's law, but the gospel can't be applied without the law. Christ has paid the debt for us. Come to Him.
Pastor Houser's sermon: Sands through the hourglass. Everything before Christ is the top of the glass. The middle is Jesus incarnate. We are in the bottom of the glass. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Christ is with us through the Sacraments and the Word.
Pastor Houser's Sermon: Big Shoes to Fill. 1 Kings 3. Solomon, Son of David, becomes king as a child and prays for wisdom. True wisdom is synonymous with Jesus Christ and is the wisdom of God in the flesh. It turns the wisdom of the world on its head.
Pastor Houser's sermon: Christmas is work release day on account of Christ. Instead of the work of the law, we celebrate God's mercy. Jesus Christ did the work, and we get the release. Merry Christmas indeed.
Pastor Houser's Sermon: In 2 Samuel, David wants to build a temple for God. God responds that He will build a temple for us: Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Mark's gospel begins by saying, "The gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God"' and then quotes Isaiah foretelling the coming of Christ. Mark goes on to quote John the Baptist, "Behold the one who takes away the sin of the world," and then tells us Jesus will "baptize...with the Holy Spirit." Our sins are forgiven.
Pastor Houser's sermon. First Sunday of Advent. Isaiah wants God to come down and make Himself known. We are sinners and can't face God. Mercifully, God sent His Son to save us. He revealed Himself through elemental means.
Pastor Houser's Sermon: All we have is from God and is God's. We produce fruit through the means of God's grace and faith.
Pastor Houser's Sermon: Ready, Set, Go. The Christian life is God's grace and mercy. Our baptism and Christ's death and resurrection. We walk in faith in Christ and are judged righteous.
Pastor Houser's sermon - Eternal truth - Roman 3:19-28. Law and gospel. From the law comes knowledge of sin. We are righteous before God only because of our faith in Christ, apart from works of the law. Only Christ can save us. Christ alone paid the price.
Pastor Houser's Sermon. Works can't justify us before God. Only by Christ are we justified before God. Christ has done the work on the cross. Because of Christ, we are made righteous, and the Holy Spirit guides us.
Pastor Houser's sermon: Quite a party. Isaiah 25:6-9. The feast of rich food. We have been promised that we will dwell with our make and redeemer. We have already taken our place next to Christ and are clothed in his righteousness.
Pastor Houser's sermon: the master leases the vineyard, and the workers kill his servants and son, who came to collect the master's share. The stone rejected became the cornerstone. The kingdom of God belongs to those who produce fruit. Christ works righteousness in us, and our faith produces fruit because of God's mercy.
Pastor Houser's sermon: There are many justice debates in public discourse. God's ways are just, but we can't work out our salvation as we are unjust sinners. However, God's highest characteristic is mercy. He sent His Son to atone for our sins.
Pastor Houser's Sermon - How often do I forgive a brother who has sinned against me? Never ask that question. We sin endlessly, and we are forgiven endlessly because of Christ.
Pastor Houser's Sermon - The old cliche: you are what you eat. Avoid empty calories. This is true for the soul. The enemies of this world tempt us. However, Gog works through means: Word and Sacraments. It is the will of the Father that we be saved.
Seminarian Zachariah Burgdorf was our guest preacher. Who do you say Jesus is? He is the Christ, the Son of the living god from where our salvation comes.
Pastor Houser's sermon. Comand - Warning - Promise. Isaiah 56. "Keep justice and do righteousness. Soon My salvation will come, and deliverance will be revealed." God promises a Savior, and our righteousness and salvation come from Christ through God's mercy.
Pastor Houser's Sermon - Because I Said So! We've all said that in frustration to our kids trying to get them to obey. But it's empty and limited. Christ says all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on Earth. In today's gospel, Chris walks on water, and the wind and waves obey Him. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid."
Pastor Houser's Sermon: The disciples hit the nail on the head when they said, "this is a desolate place, and the day is over". This is our condition because of sin. The disciples wanted to send the 5000 away to fend for themselves, but Jesus told the disciples to bring the crowd to Him, and He fed them with five loaves and two fish. Christ also meets us in Word and Sacrament, and therefore, we are children of God.
Pastor Houser's sermon: It's like a man tilling the ground, and he finds a treasure. The treasure is like the kingdom of heaven, but it's not about the man finding it. God's word is the truth, and He planned for us to be saved. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit bring us to salvation.
Pastor Houser's sermon: Thus says the Lord. Pay attention when you hear that phrase. Christ tells us He's the narrow gate. Don't rely on false gods.
Pastor Houser's sermon: We celebrate our nation's founding, a republic of laws. Civil law is a gift from God, but we can't follow it absolutely. God's law is greater, and the penalty for violating it, even once, is death. We despair apart from the Gospel. Christ delivers life and salvation and access to the Father. "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Pastor Houser's sermon: "Peace in our Time", said Neville Chamberlain. It didn't last. We live in a fallen world, and the price of this world runs amok. In Matthew 10, Jesus says He didn't come to bring peace to the world. He won't until He comes again. However, because of Christ, we are members of the kingdom of life.
In Exodus, the people of God see His hand and promise to obey. They didn't, and we can't either because of original sin. But, the words of the gospel promise God's grace and mercy. Christ went to the cross, so we have life and salvation.