Monday, December 22, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Luke 1:26-38, December 21, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 21, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 1:26-38. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Sermon: Luke 1:26-38, December 21, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Luke, the first chapter:
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
The holy doctor, Luke, when he was writing the Gospel, went to each and every person he could find that was attached to the life of Christ. He went to every house, every town, and recorded every incident they could remember. In today’s Gospel, we should imagine Luke, in the house of John, interviewing the elder Mary, probably around 60 years old. And we should perhaps, imagine Mary, a gleam in her eye, as she recounted the days when she was but a young virgin, remembering all the things she treasured and pondered in her heart.
And so, in this eye-witness account, we see Mary, the young virgin, here, in the middle of the Jewish year, probably doing some unassuming task, washing the clothes, cleaning the dishes, sweeping the house, while her parents are away. There, the angel Gabriel appears in her house. And we should not assume that Gabriel, whose name means “God is my strength,” is as unassuming as her duties. Angels get a bad rap today. We tend to think of the Precious Moments angels, so sweet and cherubic, or just a simple man in a white robe with a halo.
But, the angel tells Mary to not be afraid. So, we should probably imagine Gabriel, decked out in armor forged in God’s fire, sword in hand to beat back the demons, wings spread to cover the entirety of the house. A soldier, hardened in battle against Satan and his minions, the scruff of duty upon his face. I’d be afraid, too, especially if I was a young woman, alone, armed with nothing but a broom.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Bible Study: Job 13:12-16, December 14, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 14, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 13:12-16.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, December 14, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 14, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, December 14, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Prophet Isaiah, the 61st chapter:
My dear friends in Christ,
In today’s Old Testament text, we have a beautiful picture of the Christ who is to come. We have here the Christ who has been anointed in order that He would bring good news to the poor. Now, that doesn’t mean that the poor are going to get rich; in fact, that’s the wrong understanding of the word “poor.”
The word “poor” has the same meaning as it did in the Sermon on the Mount, poor in spirit, those who are downtrodden and understand their place before their Holy Creator, that they are sinners who are in need of forgiveness, life, and salvation. And so the Good News to them is that they have it in Jesus Christ! Christ has bled and died for them so that they would be with their Savior God forever.
We also hear that Christ will come to bind up the brokenhearted. Here, this word means that their hearts are shattered, broken into pieces, jars of clay that have been thrown down to the earth, crushed, and destroyed, never to be made whole again. Yet, the Lord will come with healing in His wings, He will take the crimson-stained linen burial shroud and wrap it around those who are shattered by this world, making them whole again in His blood.
The text this morning is from the Prophet Isaiah, the 61st chapter:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.Thus far the text.
For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
My dear friends in Christ,
In today’s Old Testament text, we have a beautiful picture of the Christ who is to come. We have here the Christ who has been anointed in order that He would bring good news to the poor. Now, that doesn’t mean that the poor are going to get rich; in fact, that’s the wrong understanding of the word “poor.”
The word “poor” has the same meaning as it did in the Sermon on the Mount, poor in spirit, those who are downtrodden and understand their place before their Holy Creator, that they are sinners who are in need of forgiveness, life, and salvation. And so the Good News to them is that they have it in Jesus Christ! Christ has bled and died for them so that they would be with their Savior God forever.
We also hear that Christ will come to bind up the brokenhearted. Here, this word means that their hearts are shattered, broken into pieces, jars of clay that have been thrown down to the earth, crushed, and destroyed, never to be made whole again. Yet, the Lord will come with healing in His wings, He will take the crimson-stained linen burial shroud and wrap it around those who are shattered by this world, making them whole again in His blood.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Mark 1:1-8, December 7, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on December 7, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 1:1-8. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Mark 1:1-8, December 7, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the first chapter:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Advent is more about just waiting for Christmas. We’ve talked about this. Advent isn’t just about pre-Christmas. It’s a time of repentance and absolution that prepares for the second coming of Christ. And while our time in Advent is relatively short, only four weeks, it’s there in this way to remind us that time is short, and that Christ is coming soon.
Really, Advent is modeled after the millennia this earth spent waiting for the first coming of Christ. He was promised after Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, when they plunged the entire future of the human race into the arms of sin, death, and the devil. And for, perhaps, somewhere around 4000 years, humanity awaited the promised Messiah from Genesis 3. You see, God did not leave humanity, He did not leave us in our sin, but promised that One would soon come to rescue us from the devil and all his works and all his ways, and would crush his head into the dust of the ground.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Bible Study: Job 13:1-11, November 30, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 30, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 13:1-11.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Mark 13:24-37, November 30, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 30, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mark 13:24-37. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Mark 13:24-37, November 30, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the 13th chapter:
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Our lesson in Mark appears to pick up where we left off the last month in Matthew, darkness and the great day of the Lord. But, remember, my friends, Jesus Christ is light of the world, the light which no darkness can overcome. Should the sun go out and all the stars of the heavens, the light of Jesus Christ cannot be overcome.
The admonition that we hear Scripture give us, stay awake, everyone here should consider for the Last Day, even our own last day upon this earth. If we do not, we will fall asleep, slumber, rest, without knowing that our day is coming, and there we shall suddenly realize that we have fallen away from Jesus and we are no longer His. So stay awake in Word and Sacrament.
We continue to look to that Last Day, for it reminds us that every man will have to give an accounting to God. Either we shall make our case solely on Christ and His merits, as we do through those Sacraments, or we will make our case on our own merits. There are no other choices.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Thanksgiving, November 26, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 26, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 1 Timothy 2:1-4. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Thanksgiving, November 26, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this evening is from Paul’s First Letter to Timothy, the second chapter:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
I try to think of myself in a place like St. Louis this week and I cannot imagine that I would feel that there was much to be thankful for. With rapt attention, we’ve been watching the television and reading news reports. I’ve been watching as businesses have burned down. I’ve seen protestors and reporters tear gassed. I’ve watched people crying over the devastation of their neighborhood. And we’ve all seen the heart-wrenching pain of a family losing a son, and the fear behind the man’s eyes who took that son’s life while he was doing his job. There’s not a lot to be thankful for, it seems, in Ferguson, Missouri tonight.
I know, perhaps you came tonight thinking that the pastor is going to give some wonderful little sermon about how to be thankful to God. How to pray. How to sing. How God has blessed us all in Christ. All that’s true. But, thanksgiving also requires that we first put ourselves in the proper place, the place of sinners. We are Ferguson.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Bible Study: Job 12, November 23, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 23, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 12.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 25:31-46, November 23, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 23, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 25:31-46 The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 25:31-46, November 23, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel of Matthew, the 25th chapter:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Have you ever heard of a triptych? A triptych is a piece of work that is divided into three panels. They were very popular during the Reformation, as the painting itself could help educate people on Biblical narratives, like Abraham and Isaac, Adam and Eve, and, of course, the life of Christ. A triptych could depict something like the crucifixion of Jesus in the center panel, with John praying at the foot of the cross on the left panel, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, weeping on the right panel. Basically, the whole thing is showing one major scene, one major depiction, using three perspectives.
What’s going on in Matthew 25 is a triptych of sorts. The parable of the 10 virgins, the parable of the unfaithful steward and the talents, and now the telling of the Last Judgment. These are three pictures that are telling the same story, the same story from three perspectives, the story of faith.
With the virgins, we had the perspective that you cannot buy your way into your eternal reward, but that you should be ready and watchful for the end. With the unfaithful steward, we had a man who rejected the gift of God given to Him and squandered it unfruitfully. And now, we have this story, not so much a parable, but a glimpse of what will happen when our Risen and Victorious Lord descends from heaven and brings the Last Judgment with Him.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Bible Study: Matthew 25:31-46, November 19, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Matthew 25:31-46 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 19, 2014. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 25:14-30, November 16, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 16, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 5:14-30. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 25:14-30, November 16, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25th chapter:
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away… But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ …He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Fast on the heels of the parable of the 10 virgins, where our Lord spoke of two groups of women, one who waited for the bridegroom, and one who forsook their duty in welcoming the bridegroom and tried to earn it all themselves, Jesus flips the table, so to speak. Now, instead of unwise, foolish, and moronic virgins trying to buy their way into the kingdom of heaven, we have an unwise, foolish, moronic servant wasting the gift of the master and getting himself thrown out.
As it was in last week’s parable, the small object that seems to serve as the biggest plot device stands for something. Last week, it was oil and faith, especially the faith given to us in our Baptisms, strengthened in the Supper, and persevering in the Word. So, certainly, our Lord has got to be switching it up today, right? I mean, He wouldn’t tell the same kind of story twice in a row, would He?
Sunday, November 9, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 25:1-13, November 9, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 9, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 25:1-13. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 25:1-13, November 9, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 25th chapter:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
These last three weeks of the Church year begin to take a dark turn. We have just celebrated in our church the reclamation of the Gospel in the Feast of Reformation Day. We are saved by grace through faith alone by Christ. We have His assurance that we are His. And we celebrated the feast of All Saints, looking at the care our Lord has given to our loved ones who have passed on from this mortal coil, this vale of tears into the beginnings of eternal life with their Savior, Jesus Christ, and with the whole entire Church for eternity.
But, now we turn our eyes to the sky and we begin to see the darkness. We not only see our sun setting earlier and earlier, but our world begins to grow colder and colder. We wonder if this is the end of days. This world and all that is in it is beginning to die off, trees shedding the leaves that were so healthy this summer, grass becoming brown and stained, dirt becoming hard and unforgiving. Is this the end?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Bible Study: Matthew 25:1-13, November 5, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on Matthew 25:1-13 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on November 5, 2014. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Bible Study: Job 11:7-20, November 2, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 2, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 11:7-20.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 5:1-12, November 2, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on November 2, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 5:1-12. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 5:1-12, November 2, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the fifth chapter:
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
These beatitudes are so good for us, but they often go so wrong. People tend to make them about the idea that these are attitudes you must be, be-attitudes. You must be meek, you must be poor in spirit, you must be a peacemaker. And if you don’t become these things, then, at best, you’re not blessed, and in the middle, you’re an awful Christian, and at worst, you’re not a Christian at all.
But that’s not what’s going on here. Jesus our Lord is speaking to all the people who were coming to Him for healing from all manner of sickness and disease. And the thing to remember is that these people, many of them, were dragged to Jesus because they had no power of their own. They were powerless. In their society, they were the welfare state. They were the ones to whom everything had to be given. They were those who were not allowed to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship their God because according to God and man they were ceremonially unclean and could not approach their Lord.
They were set apart from God. They were never allowed to enter the Temple. They never saw a sacrifice of atonement that was made for them. They never offered their sacrifice on the altar. They felt they were still in their sins. There was nowhere to run, there was nowhere to hide; in their minds, God was coming to get them, take them down, and shove them into the pit of hell. They had no assurance, no means of grace. They had no object for their faith.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Bible Study: John 8:31-36, October 29, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 29, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on October 29, 2014. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Bible Study: Job 10:18-11:6, October 26, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 26, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 10:18-11:6.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: John 8:31-36, October 26, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 26, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on John 8:31-36. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: John 8:31-36, October 26, 2014
Passage: John 8:31-36
Liturgical week: Reformation Day
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to John, the eighth chapter:
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
And the Truth shall set you free! This Truth is the Truth of God’s Word, and we are free indeed! Today we celebrate a movement begun by a simple monk who was tired of the beating of God’s sheep with an unrighteous law of man. Today, we celebrate the reclamation of the Gospel. Today we are free indeed for today we shall have Christ’s body put upon on our tongues and His blood poured into our mouths. Today we are free for we ARE baptized. Today, we are free from sin, death, and the devil, not by own works, but by the very work of Christ for us upon the cross.
And the Truth shall set you free! Jesus says to those who were believing in Him to abide in His Word, abide His Scripture, abide in His commands, His sacraments, His teachings, and there we find that we are truly His disciples. But, how do we abide in His Word? How do we choose to abide in His Word? Truly, by our own power, we cannot. But because Christ has baptized us, because He feeds us, because He speaks to us from His Holy Word, we abide. We live, we dwell, we meditate in His Word by His Holy Spirit. And when we feel we cannot, He still yet will come to us and strengthen us in the same faith unto everlasting life.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Bible Study: John 8:31-36, October 22, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 22, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on John 8:31-36. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Isaiah 45:1-7, October 19, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 19, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Isaiah 45:1-7. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Isaiah 45:1-7, October 19, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the 45th chapter:
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Cyrus was the big bad wolf. Almost literally, anyway. The king of the Persian empire, he could huff, and he could puff, and he would blow your whole kingdom down, although sometimes it didn’t even take that much. Sometimes, it was just his wholesale slaughter of a neighboring area to make kings and governors defect to his side, selling out and betraying their own land. That’s how Cyrus conquered Babylon after all.
So, Cyrus was a big baddie. And Cyrus also had a god that he worshipped called Marduk. Marduk was a powerful god, the bull-calf of the son god. In the pantheon of the Asian gods, there weren’t many stronger, and so Cyrus often looked to the helpful, destructive nature of Marduk to let him win battles. He had statues formed of Marduk, and they would process with these statues before the battle, much as we process in with the cross into the sanctuary.
Cyrus was not a good guy. He was dangerous. He was vengeful. He was murderous. And he was the Lord’s messiah. No joke. That’s what the word ‘anointed’ here means, meshiach, messiah, the Lord’s anointed. It does not mean that Cyrus is the one in whom we find eternal life. That’s Jesus. But, as the only non-Jew in the entire Scriptures to be referred to as the Lord’s anointed, despite his dangerousness, we actually, this morning, must see Cyrus also is a type of Christ for us.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Bible Study: Isaiah 45:1-7, October 15, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 15, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Isaiah 45:1-7. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Bible Study: Job 10:10-17, October 12, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 12, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 10:10-17.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Ephesians 5:1-9, October 12, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 12, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Ephesians 5:1-9. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Semon: Ephesians 5:1-9, October 12, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the fifth chapter:
Dear friends in Christ,
In Paul’s letter this morning, we see an encouragement to be imitators of God, walking in love, as Christ has loved us. This is a good and faithful word from God, as it continues to show us in God’s Word how we all, by faith in Jesus Christ, are actually given the smell of fragrant sacrifices and offerings in Christ by being washed in His blood.
Paul writes this letter from his prison in Rome, which even more enhances the admonition. Paul, in chains, is still arguing for his people, his readers, to be righteous, even despite the hardships that are in their lives, usually ones of great trial and tribulation. Think about the time in which Paul met his hearers: the first-century world, devoid of modern amenities, no showers, no a/c, no wonderful body soap or body wash.
Now, if you’ve never smelled a bunch of people who haven’t showered for days, or do not take care of themselves, you may not understand this. But think of 30 sweaty boys after a Boy Scout camping trip coming home to a wonderfully clean home in the fall, which smells of pumpkin spice. Their fragrance is one which will assault you.
The text this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the fifth chapter:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)…Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
In Paul’s letter this morning, we see an encouragement to be imitators of God, walking in love, as Christ has loved us. This is a good and faithful word from God, as it continues to show us in God’s Word how we all, by faith in Jesus Christ, are actually given the smell of fragrant sacrifices and offerings in Christ by being washed in His blood.
Paul writes this letter from his prison in Rome, which even more enhances the admonition. Paul, in chains, is still arguing for his people, his readers, to be righteous, even despite the hardships that are in their lives, usually ones of great trial and tribulation. Think about the time in which Paul met his hearers: the first-century world, devoid of modern amenities, no showers, no a/c, no wonderful body soap or body wash.
Now, if you’ve never smelled a bunch of people who haven’t showered for days, or do not take care of themselves, you may not understand this. But think of 30 sweaty boys after a Boy Scout camping trip coming home to a wonderfully clean home in the fall, which smells of pumpkin spice. Their fragrance is one which will assault you.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 21:33-46, October 5, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 5, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 21:33-46. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 21:33-46, October 5, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 21st chapter:
Dear friends in Christ,
Our Father, who art in Heaven, is apparently insane. Jesus is telling a parable, which is an earthly story with heavenly meaning, and the Father is clearly the master in the parable. And after having sent two teams of servants, and consequently hearing that they’ve been killed by His tenants, He sends a single, solitary man, His Son, to set everything straight. This is crazy. The master, who is clearly a rich man in the parable, should have hired an army, slaughtered the entire farm, and taken it over. He should have done this after the first servants died, much less after He sends His Son!
This is the act of a crazy man, sending a son to take care of business against a horde of murderous, vicious tenants. You see, in this parable, as in our reading of Isaiah 5 today, we hear about the care of the vineyard. The Master, the Lord, our Father, planted a vineyard. That’s the Church, the Assembly, the Israel whose promises are now fulfilled in Christ. This vineyard was precious to the Father, and so He protected it. He put a fence or a hedge around it, to protect it, He gave it promises to guard against all the animals and men who would trample the vineyard. Those promises would disarm all who would come to do it harm because nothing can prevail against the promises of God.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 21st chapter:
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Our Father, who art in Heaven, is apparently insane. Jesus is telling a parable, which is an earthly story with heavenly meaning, and the Father is clearly the master in the parable. And after having sent two teams of servants, and consequently hearing that they’ve been killed by His tenants, He sends a single, solitary man, His Son, to set everything straight. This is crazy. The master, who is clearly a rich man in the parable, should have hired an army, slaughtered the entire farm, and taken it over. He should have done this after the first servants died, much less after He sends His Son!
This is the act of a crazy man, sending a son to take care of business against a horde of murderous, vicious tenants. You see, in this parable, as in our reading of Isaiah 5 today, we hear about the care of the vineyard. The Master, the Lord, our Father, planted a vineyard. That’s the Church, the Assembly, the Israel whose promises are now fulfilled in Christ. This vineyard was precious to the Father, and so He protected it. He put a fence or a hedge around it, to protect it, He gave it promises to guard against all the animals and men who would trample the vineyard. Those promises would disarm all who would come to do it harm because nothing can prevail against the promises of God.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Bible Study: Matthew 21:33-46, October 1, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on October 1, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 21:33-46. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Bible Study: Job 10:1-9, September 28, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 28, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 10:1-9.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Philippians 2:1-18, September 28, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 28, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Philippians 2:1-18. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Philippians 2:1-18, September 28, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the second chapter:
Dear friends in Christ,
In last week’s sermon, Paul’s words commended us to live lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel because soon suffering would come and being strengthened in these lives by Word and Sacrament is of vital importance. In fact, it’s probably the most and only important thing that we do in the Church. We preach the Word, we administer the Sacraments. This is what we do. This prepares you. It prepares you for the life outside these walls, where the world will come at you at a thousand miles per hour. It prepares you for suffering, where it can come from any angle. It prepares you for death, because having taken the Lord Jesus Christ into your mouth, there is no better time to die than right after Communion.
What was true last week is still true this week. But, Paul continues on with his thought. He needs, and we need, to know, that in Christ, there is comfort in our suffering, there is love, fellowship, affection, sympathy, even joy. And how does this come? Being united in mind, united in love, united in harmony.
See, this is how a church is supposed to work. A church works together, for the same reason, all with their different backgrounds and ideas. That’s really what Paul talks about when he says “one accord,’ he’s using the word harmonious there. We sing together, even if we’re not all on the melody, we sing the song of Christ.
The text this morning is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the second chapter:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved... Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life...Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
In last week’s sermon, Paul’s words commended us to live lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel because soon suffering would come and being strengthened in these lives by Word and Sacrament is of vital importance. In fact, it’s probably the most and only important thing that we do in the Church. We preach the Word, we administer the Sacraments. This is what we do. This prepares you. It prepares you for the life outside these walls, where the world will come at you at a thousand miles per hour. It prepares you for suffering, where it can come from any angle. It prepares you for death, because having taken the Lord Jesus Christ into your mouth, there is no better time to die than right after Communion.
What was true last week is still true this week. But, Paul continues on with his thought. He needs, and we need, to know, that in Christ, there is comfort in our suffering, there is love, fellowship, affection, sympathy, even joy. And how does this come? Being united in mind, united in love, united in harmony.
See, this is how a church is supposed to work. A church works together, for the same reason, all with their different backgrounds and ideas. That’s really what Paul talks about when he says “one accord,’ he’s using the word harmonious there. We sing together, even if we’re not all on the melody, we sing the song of Christ.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Bible Study: Philippians 2:1-18, September 24, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 24, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Philippians 2:1-18. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Bible Study: Job 9:25-35, September 21, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 21, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 9:25-35. Apologies for last week not being posted. Last's week's study on Job 8:8-9:24 was lost.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30, September 21, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 21, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Philippians 1:12-14, 19-31. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30, September 21, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the first chapter:
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel... For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Paul is faced with a hard choice in today’s reading. There, he is faced with potential life outside of prison, or certain death coming out of it. Paul really didn’t do anything wrong, at least not according to the letter of Roman law. It’s just that trouble followed him, and, in Paul’s case, that trouble was literally demonic. Seriously. Demons followed him and drove him crazy, some afflicted him from the inside, some persecuted him from the outside. And no matter how you look at it, those demons caused trouble.
Enough trouble, in fact, to draw the attention of the authorities to Paul, a Pharisee by training and a Christian by conversion. And, long story short, they didn’t like it so they arrested him. But, as a Roman citizen by birth, a very high and lofty thing, and very desirable and scary, if you read Acts 22, Paul had the authority to ask to appeal to Caesar face-to-face. No one could deny him, and so they had to send him to Rome, and there he waited for something like 4 or 5 years.
In that waiting, Paul continued to preach and to teach, even some of the Imperial Guard of the Empire, and he continued to work and do what Christ had literally called him to do. And while he was there, he wrote many letters, many of which have made their way into the Scriptures today because of their value to the entire Church on earth. Paul was busy.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Sermon for the Funeral of +Donald Julius Schmeckpepper+, September 20, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel of Matthew, the 16th chapter:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Thus far the text.
Dear Jeff, Julie, Jim, and my dear friends in Christ,
I know this is not an easy day for you. Losing your father is never easy, but to have his funeral here is a blessing. Don was instrumental in this church. He got the building campaign running, he got the congregation well-oiled, and he certainly has been helping it in his prayers, in his support, and in his presence. But, Don has died. I pray this isn’t a shock to most of us. Don had not been in the best health over the last couple years, and certainly not in the last few months. But, Don, one of the chief architects of this building has gone. Yet the Church remains.
You see, Don was good. Don did much to help here and be a positive presence, yet, Don also knew, as do you, that he is not the builder of the big-C Church. That builder is Christ. And Christ, the one who builds His Church upon the confession of Peter, that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Son of the Living God, Christ has built this congregation, as He has built every congregation of the Church, out of the work and service of men, but, more importantly, upon the work of His cross.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Sermon for the Wedding of Meghan Yanish and Casey Stone, September 19, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this evening is from the Gospel of Matthew, the 19th chapter:
Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Thus far the text.
Meghan, Casey, and my dear friends in Christ,
Our Lord Jesus Christ delights in this day, for here, you two have come to the Church of Christ to have your marriage solemnized and blessed. Here, in this Church, we stand witness to you today and your pledges of love and faithfulness, charity and patience, endurance and support. Yet, as you both know, marriage is not an easy thing, blessed by the Church or not.
Marriage is filled with heartache and pain, just as it is filled with love. Marriage is difficult, just as it is easy. Marriage is filled with sin, just as it is filled with holiness. But this is unsurprising.
You both know and have confessed your sins. You both have been forgiven of all your sins. Yet, this does not mean that you will stop sinning. And if you do not stop sinning, it is no big surprise then that your sin will creep into you marriage. You will both do things that will cause you to stumble. You will both do things that cause you pain. You will both do things that will cause you heartache. And this will have an effect on your marriage.
Without Christ, without being put together by the Father, just as He has intended to do since the very beginning, this effect will not be positive. But with Christ, with the strengthening of faith, with hearing in Christ’s Church that you are forgiven, with receiving the Lord’s body and blood, with remembering your baptisms, the effect of your sin in your marriage is strength.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Bible Study: Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30, September 17, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 17, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 18:21-35, September 14, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 14, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 18:21-35. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 18:21-35, September 14, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from:
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
There’s a little bit of discussion as to whether Jesus says 77 times, or 70 times seven times. It doesn’t change much, except mathematically. It’s the difference between 77 and 490, but either way, Jesus is using hyperbole, He’s exaggerating, He’s making a point, and He’s blowing Peter’s self-righteousness out of the water.
Yes, Peter, the disciple whom I think I, personally, am most like, is completely and totally self-righteous in this passage. He asks Jesus if he should forgive his brother the grand number of seven times. Now, this was a big deal. Many of the rabbis at this time were teaching you only needed to forgive three times. So, Peter, thinking himself better than most, decides, let’s double that number. And you know what, I’ll add another forgiveness on top of it. Three times two is six, plus one is seven. Jesus, should I forgive Andrew, my little, stinking, rotten, annoying brother seven times, I mean, after all, that’s a lot. And he’s really annoying. You know, you’ve been with him a couple years now. Imagine me, I’ve known him all his life!
I can imagine Jesus almost rolling His eyes at Peter and thinking about how He’s going to have to beat this one back. Not seven times, but seventy-seven times. And that’s quite a bit. But, Jesus might as well have said, in comparison to the other rabbis, you should forgive your brother eleventy-bajillion times. It’s ridiculous, it’s ludicrous, and it’s the point.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Bible Study: Matthew 18:21-35, September 10, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 10, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 18:21-35. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Bible Study: Job 8 and the Prosperity Gospel, September 7, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 7, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 8 and the Prosperity Gospel.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Romans 13:1-10, September 7, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 7, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Romans 13:1-10. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Romans 13:1-10, September 7, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the thirteenth chapter:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. …Love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Anyone know the name of the Church season we’re in? Anyone? It’s not back-to-school time, though for many that’s the cause of much rejoicing. It’s not pre-deer-opener. It’s not pre-winter. Pentecost. Pentecost. And what’s so special about Pentecost? After all, it’s some 23 weeks, this year, about half the year that we’re basically stuck with this green color. Not that that green… or gold… are bad colors. Better than purple and white together, maybe.
Anyway, what’s special about Pentecost is that it’s often referred to as the season of the Church. Think about this for a moment. Through much of the year, our lessons focus solely on Christ’s work for us. In the season of Advent, we look to the fulfillment of the promise of the coming Messiah and wait for His second coming. In the season of Christmas, we celebrate Christ’s taking on of our flesh. In the season of Epiphany, we celebrate Christ’s revealing Himself to all nations. In the season of Lent, we prepare ourselves as we follow Christ’s progression towards the cross. In the short season of Holy Week, we watch as our Lord is crucified in our place, for our sins, taking the punishment we deserve. In the season of Easter, we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, promising us eternal life as well.
But, in the season of Pentecost, a day that we see in Acts where the Church grew because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we now see the work of Christ among us in His gifts. We see Christ all the time, but He has ascended to heaven to sit at the right of His Father, and He has sent His Spirit to come to us, to bring us the gifts of God’s Word, Christ’s Baptism, and Christ’s Supper. But the Spirit also guides us in knowing what to do and how now we should live, how now we should live because we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice for us, we are saved by grace through faith.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Bible Study: Romans 13:1-10, September 3, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on September 3, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Romans 13:1-10 This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Bible Study: Job 7:11-8:7, August 31, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 31, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 7:11-8:7.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Jeremiah 15:15-21, August 31, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 31, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Jeremiah 15:15-21. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Jeremiah 15:15-21, August 31, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the prophet Jeremiah, the 15th chapter:
O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors… Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name… Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? …Thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord.”
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
I feel sorry for Jeremiah. Really, I do. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! Those are the words of Jesus, some 600 years after Jeremiah lived. Yet, I’m pretty sure that Jeremiah knew the track record for prophets prophesying against Jerusalem, and Israel. It didn’t go well. There were only a handful of prophets who seemed to have died naturally, that is, without the quote-unquote assistance of another. Jeremiah knew that all too well.
And so, he complains. YHWH is sending Jeremiah to prophesy against Jerusalem for the sacrifice of their children to the foreign God, Molech. He is to call all of Judah to repentance, he announces the ever-so-popular Babylonian exile, and he’ll prophesy over the new covenant that would come in Jesus Christ. But, do you think people like to hear that? Do you like it when someone tells you you’ve done something wrong?
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Bible Study: Job 6:23-7:10, August 24, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 24, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 6:23-7:10.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 16:13-20, August 24, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 24, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 16:13-20. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 16:13-20, August 24, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel of Matthew, the 16th chapter:
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Who do people say that the Son of Man is? For Jesus and His followers that day in Caesarea Philippi, that was like asking who is going to be the next Bachelor. Yes, I mean the TV show. Everyone is checking the internet, reading the blogs, getting the magazines, all to find out some hint of who the next Bachelor is going to be. It’s rabid. People get obsessed over this. They can’t wait to find out the information, and they’re trying to be the first of their friends to know.
So, when Jesus asks who people say the Son of Man is, it’s a celebrity thing for this culture. Everyone is trying to figure who the Son of Man is. Is it John the Baptist? I heard it’s Elijah! No, it’s Jeremiah! They all want to know, but no one has been looking at Jesus. No one was thinking it was this meek rabbi-carpenter from Nazareth. After all, can anything good come from Nazareth?
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Bible Study: Matthew 16:13-20, August 20, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 20, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 16:13-20. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Sermon for the Funeral of +Kenneth Earl Steinmetz+, August 18, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel of John, the 10th chapter:
“…He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers… Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep… I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Thus far the text.
Dear Kathy, Ami, Ashley, Scott, and my friends in Christ,
None of us expected to be sitting here this morning. None of us. None of us expected that we would be mourning the loss of our brother in Christ, Ken. None of us. And so the news that Ken had died, that he had gone to be with his Lord last Sunday, that news was shocking. I’ve yet to hear from one person who expected this, I’ve yet to see one person whose face wasn’t surprised. This is not a death that was expected; Ken wasn’t sick, very old, in poor health.
But, as trite as this perhaps sounds, our Lord Jesus Christ was not surprised. He had known this day was coming for Ken. And despite our efforts, nothing would be done about it. And so, our brother Ken is now at home with the Lord.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Bible Study: Job 6:10-23, August 17, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 17, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 6:10-23.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 15:21-28, August 17, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 17, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 15:21-28. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 15:21-28, August 17, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the 15th chapter:
…Behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
It’s not often that our Lord commends someone for their faith. In fact, it happens so infrequently compared to how often Jesus laments over weak faith, that it tends to pass us by. Think about it, in fact. Where was the other place that Jesus commended the faith of someone? Well, it was the faith of the centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant. Yet, think about how many times Jesus mentions weak faith. The storm upon the water, Peter walking on the water, the disciples failing to cast out demons.
Now, we talked about this last week. In all these stories of Jesus, the little faith isn’t there to encourage us to have greater faith, to make our own faith, to somehow grow whatever we can. Jesus reminds the disciples, and perhaps even us, that weak faith still looks to Christ, even when it is all going wrong. By that same token then, even strong faith looks to Christ. Weak or strong, it is still faith, and that faith is dependent upon Christ. It can’t do anything by itself. It needs Jesus first and only.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 14:22-33, August 10, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 10, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Mathew 14:22-23. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 14:22-33, August 10, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Matthew, the14th chapter:
When evening came, [Jesus] was [on the mountain] alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
So many times I’ve heard sermons on this text. And so many times, this text gets twisted so that our eyes are on Peter, the doubter, the one of little faith. But that’s not where Matthew is trying to take us. That’s not it at all. Instead, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, even the author and perfecter of Peter’s little faith.
See, the point of this text is not to say, if you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat. That’s just dumb. If I get out of any boat, I’m gonna sink. It’s the way it is. And if the point of it is to say that I need to take chances to achieve and live my dream, then that’s dumb, too, because sometimes dreams fail. In fact, most of the time, dreams fail. Most new businesses fail in the first few years. Children leave the house. Families fall apart. People shipwreck their faith. Everyone dies. And I still don’t have the supernatural ability to fly. Dreams often fail.
So, that’s not the point of the story. If the point of the story is to have more faith, well, then we’re all in trouble. We all fall short. We all come up wanting. Again, I still can’t walk on water, so my faith must not be big enough. That kind of reading to this story makes it seem like it’s my work to grow my faith, my work to make sure I believe enough, my work to do whatever it takes to do whatever it takes. And that just doesn’t sound Christian at all.
If the point of the story is to learn how to worship Jesus when the wind and the waves are against you, well, at least that’s closer to something sort of Biblical, but what that does is gives us just an analogy. That makes this story nothing more than just a Biblical moral tale.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Bible Study: Job 6:1-9, August 3, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 3, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 6:1-9.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Isaiah 55:1-5, August 3, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on August 3, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Isaiah 55:1-5. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Isaiah 55:1-5, August 3, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Isaiah, the fifty-fifth chapter:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
In our text today, we hear the call, “Come, come, come!” Come to the waters and drink! Come buy grain and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money! Come buy them all without any labor on your part!” This is like walking into a downtown market, or most big malls today with those annoying little kiosks in the center aisle between the stores, where every vendor is yelling at you and accosting you to come and try and buy their product.
Only, Isaiah today is telling us that the products that are being sold in this marketplace are free to you. Take as much as you need. Take and take and take, because there is no running out of the things that are being sold. They are being given to you for free. And what are these things? Grain. Wine. Milk. Water. Take them. They are your yours.
Isaiah wrote these words today to Israelites who were about to have their land and people ravaged by the Babylonians, Israelites who would be taken into exile for years, Israelites who were facing fierce judgment from God for their disobedience, and Israelites who were promised the Messiah to come to save them from their sins and take their punishment forever. These words were for them, yet I think there is something in them for us today, too, so that we may hear that which Isaiah is saying.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Bible Study: Isaiah 55:1-5, July 30, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 30, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Isaiah 55:1-5. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Bible Study: Job 5:1-27, July 20, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 20, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 5:1-27.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Romans 8:18-27, July 20, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 20, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Romans 8:18-27. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Romans 8:18-27, July 20, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ,
We’re gonna change things up and I’m going to end this sermon before it begins and just tell the punch line: the resurrection is awesome, that’s the hoped for thing that is unseen, and because we have that, we’re all good with God. Go in peace.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Bible Study: Romans 8:18-27, July 16, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 16, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Romans 8:18-27. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Bible Study: Job 4:1-21, July 13, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 13, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 4:1-21.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, July 13, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 13, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, July 13, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from the Gospel of the Matthew, the thirteenth chapter:
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Today’s text tends to lend itself towards one question that is in everybody’s mind: what kind of soil am I? Am I good soil? Well, certainly, we’d never think that much of ourselves. Am I the soil on the path? Do I get eaten by birds? Do I get scorched by the sun? Do I get choked out? What kind of soil am I? What’s going to happen to me?
See, these are all the wrong questions. The question shouldn’t be, should never be, what kind of soil am I. That question has the wrong focus. Rather, the question should be, why is the sower in this passage so lazy, so stupid, so wasteful?
Now, before I answer that, I gotta say, I don’t know much about gardening. In fact, nothing really at all. I know enough that you put the plants in the ground, water them, maybe put some fertilizer on them, maybe keep the bugs away. That’s about it. I know even less about farming management. I’m always impressed when I drive down the road and I see those huge watering systems farmers have that pivot on their stand. I’m always amazed by those huge machines that just tower over everything.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Bible Study: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, July 9, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 9, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Bible Study: Introduction to Job 4, July 6, 2014
A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 6, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on an Introduction into Job 4 and beyond.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
The Bible study recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: Romans 7:14-25a, July 6, 2014
A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on July 6, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Romans 7:14-25a. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link here. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Sermon: Romans 7:14-25a, July 6, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this morning is from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the 7th chapter:
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good… Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
When I was younger, I used to call this the do-do passage, because Paul just keeps throwing out the dos. I don’t do what I want, I do do what I don’t want to do. There are so many dos in this passage, it’s hard to keep them all straight. But Paul, all he’s really talking about is the New Adam versus the Old Adam. He’s talking about our sinful flesh and our sinless life.
Now, maybe that’s hard to pick out. Maybe that’s even hard to make sense of. I had a professor once tell me that it was nearly impossible to read anything of Paul unless you actually bring out the whiteboard and start diagramming each sentence, each paragraph, each thought. But, instead of doing that with you this morning, I’m going to work to try to get you through this whole thing as easily as I can.
First, let us understand the Old Adam. Our old Adam is what we call our sinful flesh, that part inside of us that is rotten with sin and cannot be gotten rid of because he just keeps coming back. Paul calls this the flesh. Now, this doesn’t mean that all physical things, like our bodies are evil. Rather, Paul is making clear that our flesh is corrupted by sin.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Sermon for the Wedding of Bailee Beiswenger and Mike Matzek, July 5, 2014
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this afternoon is from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the fourth chapter, verses 9-12:
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Thus far the text.
Bailee and Mike and my dear friends in Christ,
This day has finally arrived. This day is finally here. I know that you both have been looking forward to it for quite a while. You have worked so hard to prepare everything for this day, to get it all right. It’s never perfect, though. Something always goes wrong. Yet, there is still something about this day that makes even those imperfections, those snafus, just disappear.
Perhaps that is because this day is a day in which love is front and center. After all, everyone’s eyes here are focused right on you guys. We are standing in the center of everyone and everyone is looking at you, and they are waiting to hear you profess your love for each other in your wedding vows.
But, I have to tell you, these are JUST your wedding vows. They are vows that you will make to one another, to love and cherish one another at all times, but these are only WORDS that you will speak. They are not the action promised in the words. That’s a lot harder to do.
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