All Jesus is asking for is 1st Commandment loyalty: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” God must always be first. Jesus is God. Jesus has told us that following Him has costs. He’s also told us that following Him has indescribably wonderful rewards. He’s asking all of us to be COMMITTED TO HIM THROUGH THICK AND THROUGH THIN.
Sermons on Courage
The Christian Is Dressed for Success
- Rev. Phillip K. Lepak
- Abilities, Church Attendance, Condemnation, Congregation, Conscience, Courage, Creator, Devil, Disobedience, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God's Creation, Grace, Gratitude, Hearing God's Word, Joy, Obedience, Resurrection, Satan, Sin, Strength, Tribulation
- Ephesians
- 1 Comment
Through the Church, God Makes Known His Wisdom.
- Rev. Phillip K. Lepak
- Courage, Death, Depression, Devil, Doctrine, Foreknowledge, Forgiveness, God the Father, God the Son, God's Creation, God's Word, Gospel, Hearing God's Word, Holy Christian Church, Jesus, Judgment, Love, Means of Grace, Original Sin, Purpose, Satan, Sin, Spiritual Blindness, Wisdom
- Ephesians
- 0 Comments
The Lord is at that bittersweet moment in His earthly ministry. Judas has just left to betray Him, and Jesus knows that he will despair and ultimately drop into the eternal condemnation of hell. Yet, at that very moment, Jesus is on the final leg of His journey to the cross, and as He goes to receive the punishment for sin, He goes in the sure knowledge that His work will make manifest the infinite, forgiving love of God for humanity. This bittersweet moment reveals the motivation of God’s plan to declare us righteous for the sake of Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death and to begin the work of making us righteous and fit for the heavenly place by the work of the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament. All this is God’s doing, and this fact gives us courage in the bittersweet moment of this life.