Greetings in the name of the Holy Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! If you would like to hear the full sermon preached at Trinity Lutheran Church in Layton, Utah for Holy Trinity Sunday, go to: http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=1332
The audio begins with the Epistle lesson, and includes the singing of the Hymn of the Day, "Holy, Holy, Holy." The sermon begins at the 8:14 mark. Have a blessed week in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Rev. Kurt Hering, Pastor Trinity Lutheran Church Layton, Utah Here is the preaching outline/manuscript. TEXT: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:1-3 "Show me the money!" Jerry Maguire, a sports agent gets a star athlete the big bucks based upon the stars performance. Show me the money. Relentless pursuit. Born with talent. But pursuit of perfection and competitive drive puts them over the top. Eye of the Tiger. Behavioral researchers tell us that it takes 100,000 hours of "deliberate practice" to become an expert. That works out to 5.5 hours/day seven days a week for 50 years. So you can see for someone like Tiger or Kobie that means their lives have been consumed with doing one thing. So what are you an expert at? At the rate you are going, what can you expect to be expert at doing? What are you consumed with doing every day, every minute of your life? That's right, sin. So what would it take to overcome that expertise? 100,001 hours of righteousness? Every minute of your life plus one? Jesus answered [that], "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16 God calls and sends His agents, i.e. pastors, to show you the kingdom of heaven. And more than that, to baptize you into it in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit-the Holy Trinity, One God in three persons. Every time you hear the name of the Holy Trinity, heaven is opened up to you and you are standing before the mercy seat of God. Not only are you an expert at sin, you are surrounded by a whole world of experts and their prince. So God calls you to Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it Holy, and invites you to call upon His name in every trouble, pray, praise and give thanks. The Lord keeps the sabbath day holy as by gathering us in The Divine Service on Sunday is full of the Holy Trinity. Look at our order of worship. From the Invocation on p. 184 to the Benediction on p. 202 it is chocked full of the name of the Holy Trinity. There's a reason for that. You are a sinner. And sinners miss things. Sinners get distracted. Sinners bring little sinners with them that sin and need to be disciplined. Sinners think of what they are going to do when the service is over. Sinners wonder if the pastor is ever going to end his sermon. Sinners worry about getting home to start dinner or get the roast out of the oven. Sinners don't want to miss kick-off, or tip-off, or tee-off. Sinners don't want to miss anything, really. So the Divine Service gives you the name of the Holy Trinity over and over and over again. A little different format each time, but still the Holy Tirnity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord gives you prayers with which you can call upon His name in every situation. Daily Devotions: LSB p. 327 To top it all off, dear born again children of God, you are also surrounded by Christians, urged on by charismatic, smooth talking leaders trying to become experts, trying to get in their 100,000 hours to become a saint and be welcomed into the kingdom of God one day-maybe. And I am not just talking about one particular religion either. The vast majority of what falls into the demographic category of "Christian" is no different. "Living a life of excellence." "Being a Purpose Driven." "Growing the Church." "Committing your life to Jesus." To the Pharisees: But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Matthew 9:12-14 To the Pharisee Nicodemus: Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." You dear baptized are born again. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." That is what God Himself is present here telling you again today. He saves You by forgiving what you were first born into and have become so expert at--sin. He has born you into a heavenly life and keeps you there with Him now and forever-in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. ____________________________________________________________ Come clean with a brand new shower. Click now! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/BLSrjpYTkzYigBmZMH78Bx1LfobchrJOeZ8ykNtO06zz6MkYhocyE1qXUek/
