Sermon: Acts 2:14a, 22–36, May 31, 2015

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 Acts of the Apostles, the second chapter:

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them:
 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. …This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,
     This Holy Trinity Sunday, the Church throughout the world contemplates who our God is and what He has revealed about Himself.  Our language doesn’t really even do our God justice, for there is no word in the English language that can apply to God, describing both His plurality of persons, three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and His unity, being one God.  Even the pronouns get confused.  His plurality, speaking of the three but referring to one, His unity, speaking of the one but referring to the multiple.  There is no word that can do this, except one: the word, “Trinity.”

      This word is a combination of two words, in essence, tri, referring to the three, and unity, referring to the one.  Three persons, yet one God.  Not three Gods.  Not one person with different modes.  Not an old God and two new Gods.  One God.  Three persons.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15, May 24, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on May 24, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15, May 24, 2015

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 15^th and 16^th chapters:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     Today’s texts tell us that the day of Pentecost, the 50^th Day after Easter, the time of the Harvest Festival for the Jews has arrived.  And this is good news for us, for as Jesus promises in today’s Gospel reading, the Holy Spirit has come, and here He is to harvest the souls of all those whom God loves, the entire world.  He has come to convict the world of its sin.  He has come to convict the world of Christ’s righteousness.  He has come to convict the world of judgment.  He has come to guide us into all truth.  He has come to comfort us.  He has come to give us all good things in Christ Jesus.

     And He has come for you.  You should know this, for as the Apostles were given the strange ability to offer up their sermons in the languages of all the assembled people, you may be certain, that were you there in Jerusalem, offering up your thankful praises to God on that Festival Day, you would have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ in your native language, whether that would be English, Spanish, or Ojibway.  Christ cares for you so much that He would have sent the Spirit to teach you about Jesus.

     Oh wait.  He has!  He does care for you!  For even today, though we do all speak English here today, He has sent His Spirit to teach you according to your language, to let your hear, in a tongue you can understand, the Good News of Jesus Christ, that He was born, lived, died, and was resurrected, all for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.  And this Jesus who has ascended to the right hand of God the Father will come again to judge the living and the dead.  His Kingdom then shall have no end.

Sermon: Luke 24:44-53, May 17, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on May 17, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Luke 24:44-53. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: Luke 24:44-53, May 17, 2015

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 24^th chapter:

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  And today this is perhaps the cry that the disciples continued to encourage themselves with.  Their great friend, their greater Lord, is now gone from their visible presence.  Can you imagine this?  They have been witnesses to His life, His teachings, and His death.  When they had lost all hope, their Lord appeared to them again, having been resurrected from the dead, breathing, eating, talking, laughing.  He stayed with them 40 days, teaching them all that the Church continues to teach, and now He is gone from their sight.

     But, look at the text.  The disciples were not forlorn.  They were not downcast.  Jesus ascends up into the clouds and they fall down and worship, they go back to the Temple, and they bless God with great joy!  The Ascension of Jesus is not a sad day, it is a day for much rejoicing, for indeed, He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!

     Why would this be?  Why would the disciples be glad that their Jesus is gone from their sight?  Because of everything He taught them.  You hear the cry today in the Church, we need a reformation of deeds not creeds!  Or you hear, doctrine doesn’t matter, doctrine divides!  We don’t want doctrine, we just want Jesus!  No creed but the Bible!

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: 1 John 5:1-8, May 10, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on May 10, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 1 John 5:1-8. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: 1 John 5:1-8, May 10, 2015

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 First Epistle of John, the fifth chapter:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  And it is for that reason that we may have the greatest confidence that our Lord is real and the testimony of His life, death, and resurrection are true.  You see, it is good that you believe Jesus existed.  It is good that you believe in God.  But remember, even the demons believe such things and tremble.  To believe that Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected, is fine, but that’s no deeper faith than that which the demons have.

     Instead, to believe that Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected all for you, for the forgiveness of your sins, for the promise of your life lived eternally, that is the faith that is saving.  If that is what you believe, you have no worries.  That is the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.  That is a faith that no demon has.

Bible Study: 1 John 5:1-8, May 6, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on 1 John 5:1-8 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on May 6, 2015. This Bible Study will help to lay a foundation for the sermon that is preached the following Sunday. Play the audio by clicking here.

Bible Study: Job 20:20-21:16, May 3, 2015

A Bible Study taught by Pastor Lewis Polzin on May 3, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on Job 20:20-21:16. Play the audio by clicking here.

A Pastoral Approach: Sermon: 1 John 4:1-21, May 3, 2015

A sermon preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on May 3, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, on 1 John 4:1-21. The text of this sermon may be found by clicking this link and you may play the audio of the sermon here.

Sermon: 1 John 4:1-21, May 3, 2015

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 First Epistle of John, the fourth chapter:

…Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 

Thus far the text.

My dear friends in Christ,

     He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Alleluia!  And it’s because of that fact that we truly can understand what John is talking about in his epistle.  You see, in this world, we constantly hear the words, “God is love,” thrown out there with no real understanding.  You think someone’s lifestyle is sinful, you believe homosexuality is a sin, you believe that Christ is the only true way to be saved, you believe that you believe only men should be pastors, you believe that a home should be a man and a woman together for life?  Well, how dare you judge them!  Aren’t you a Christian?  You’re supposed to be like your God and God is love!  

     God is love is constantly thrown at Christians who are perceived as unloving.  But, what the culture really means is that Christians are intolerant; they don’t approve of sinful lives, thinking that they should be confessed and absolved.  That’s true.  Christians cannot approve of sinful lives.  We cannot.  We must speak out.  But that’s not unloving.  Calling someone to repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus is the most loving thing there is to do.

     We love the person who is homosexual.  But we call them to repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  We love the Mormon, the Muslim, the Jew.  But we call them to repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  We love the women who think God has called them to be pastors.  But we call them to repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  We love those who want to upset the home and marriage, turning them on their heads.  But we call them to repentance and the forgiveness of sins.