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Sermon Excerpt
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"A Good Shepherd Imitates THE Good Shepherd!"
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Vicar Matthew Vik
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4/13/2008
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that Jesus did because he healed this man on the Sabbath. So after repeatedly interrogating the healed man they kicked him out of their presence because he wasn’t telling them what they wanted to pigeon hole Jesus as a trouble maker. Then they confront Jesus, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 40? Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" ?41? Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. To help explain what he meant by all of this Jesus uses a figure of speech in chapter 10 talking about the shepherd and his sheep.
In the first five verses Jesus opens with t
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"Keep The Fire Burning!"
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Pastor Sauer
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4/6/2008
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for the night. Their mood certainly wasn’t one of joy. We can almost imagine how their conversation went. "They were talking with each other about everything that had happened." I’m sure they discussed Christ’s sham trial, His unjust execution and the news that His body wasn’t in the grave. These men were students of the Bible, but they struggled with putting it all together. The prophecies and the actions of Jesus - how did they all fit together? It seems as if the overriding emotion of these men was one of disappointment. "We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." The fire of their faith seemed on the brink of going out.
What would you do if someone was on the point of giving up? I pray it would be the same as Jesus.
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"He Has Risen!"
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Pastor Sauer
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3/23/2008
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emphasized this part of His life. They had heard it. They believed it. Didn’t they remember?
Oh, that promise was in their memory bank, but it had been shoved way in back by the painful memories of the last two days. The shock of hearing Jesus arrested. The shock of seeing Him whipped and crucified. The almost surreal horror of seeing the one that they loved die right before their eyes in a terribly cruel way. All these shocks and jolts to their hearts pushed the promise of Jesus’ resurrection way back into some corner of their heart. Pity fills our hearts as we recall the emotional rollercoaster that these ladies must have been on.
But...the ladies were about to be reminded once again of a marvelous truth. God does keep His promises. Entering the tomb that mornin
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"33 Years of Perfection"
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Vicar Matthew Vik
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3/21/2008
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And he did this nor for bragging rights, not to show others that he could do it, but he did it for us. You see you and I are sinful in some shape and form. We have all inherited sin from our parents when we were born. In some shape or form we have sinned and have broken God’s law. So really there was no hope for us to go to heaven until Jesus came. Jesus came and fulfilled every law even the ones that we could not keep. So after Jesus lived for thirty-three years he was charged with false accusations, which led him to the cross where he was nailed. As true man and true God in one body after 33 years of perfection, Jesus breathed his last.
Time and time again throughout ones life you will have opportunities to make a choice. Sometimes it is between right and wrong and
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"Open Your Eyes"
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Pastor Sauer
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2/24/2008
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didn’t seem to sink in. Their hearts weren’t into worshiping the Lord. In fact, they were just going through the motions. Their lives were no longer lived out of love for God. No, they were just doing whatever was best for themselves. The worst of it was that they no longer trusted in God. Oh, some of the people did, but the vast majority of the nation had rejected the Lord of heaven and earth.
How did this happen? They had seen and heard of the love and power of the Lord so often. Their history was filled with evidences of God’s power. They had heard about the Lord’s power in delivering His people from slavery in Egypt. They had heard about the splitting of the Red Sea during the Exodus. They had heard about the water miraculously coming from the rock. They had heard
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"A Promise Made, A Promise Kept"
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Vicar Vik
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2/17/2008
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genealogy from Noah and his sons all the way to Abram. Here in our lesson today God reveals to us his great love for his people. We are given an opportunity to see the blessing that the Lord gives Abram that still to this day affects all our lives.
Let’s first take a look at how the promise was made and kept to Abram:
2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3? I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
So, did you catch all 7 promises in those two verses? If you didn’t, count them with me. 1. Great nation. 2. I will bless you. 3. Name Great. 4. You will be a blessing. 5. I will bless others who bless
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"The Bible is Notation by Inspiration"
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Vicar Vik
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2/3/2008
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knew when writing these letters in Greek, to these specific areas, that they would be understood by all. But still who was the book written to specifically? Well by the time Peter wrote these two letters, it was well into the influx of Gentiles joining the Christian Church. So it really is a mix of Jewish and Gentile listeners who Peter is addressing.
I. Book of Truth:
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18 We ourselve
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"Be United!"
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Pastor Sauer
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1/27/2008
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was fracturing. They were dividing into different cliques, different groups within the church. Paul begs them to be "perfectly joined together", which in Greek is a medical term that refers to the setting of a bone that was broken or out of joint. Whenever Christians cannot get along, the body of Christ suffers. These Christians were a broken, out of joint congregation.
What happened? Well, really nothing out of the ordinary sinful way of life on this planet. The Corinthians were falling into a common human weakness. It is human nature to follow strong leaders. There’s something attractive about following a dynamic personality. There’s something attractive about following something new, something exciting, something that others don’t follow. What these believers were doing
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"Look, The Lamb of God!"
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Vicar Matthew Vik
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1/20/2008
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author, John. This account follows the day after people were trying to call John the Messiah. John made it seem that people were really bothering him to proclaim himself as the Savior. But the next day he made his confession clear for all to hear. Look, (pointing to Jesus) the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’
Part One: Learn about him
31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33
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"What's Happening Here?"
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Pastor Sauer
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1/13/2008
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you’re not sure who the worker is, you won’t trust him and allow him to do the job he or she needs to do. So, identifying marks are needed. For instance, a soldier’s uniform tells everyone who he or she is. A doctor’s white smock and diploma on the wall tells patients that he has the training and knowledge to do the job. A utility worker has a badge that identifies him to the homeowner so they can trust him in their homes. If these people did not have these identifiers, it would be a lot harder to win the trust of those they come to serve. Failure and disaster can come from trusting the wrong person. You could be trusting an enemy, or a fly by night operator or a thief, masquerading as a worker from WPS. We want to be sure we have the right person for the job.
In our spir
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"Search For The Christ Child"
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Vicar Matthew Vik
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1/6/2008
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audience are the Jews. So he makes sure to make reference to the Old Testament as much as possible. In the following verses I want you to pick up on the madness or insane way Herod tries to search for the Christ Child.
Part One: Not with Madness
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born... 7Then Herod called the
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"We Are Truly Blessed!"
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Pastor Sauer
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12/31/2007
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This life is terrible." And he meant it, too!
What causes some people to rejoice in their lives, and others to regret theirs? Some might say understanding. Others wisdom. But I believe that what really causes us to be happy is faith in Christ. Faith in Christ understands who is the Ruler of this world and the giver of all good gifts. Faith in Christ causes us to say tonight "WE ARE TRULY BLESSED!" no matter what our circumstances in life. For as we study God’s Word, we know we are not worthy of His blessings, but that we are truly wealthy because of His love.
Part One: We are not worthy
This evening’s text is taken from a prayer of Jacob, son of Isaac and father of all the tribes of Israel. If you remember your Sunday Scho
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"God Sent His Son"
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Vicar Vik
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12/30/2007
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to much into that phrase. It is true that the road system was good at that time, there was a unified language, but nevertheless whatever time God would choose would be the perfect time. When you first read this you may just gloss over it and not really digest it. It is important to see here that Jesus was born of a woman under law to redeem those under the law. The key point is Jesus came to fulfill the law. Let’s think about the importance of this for one second. Jesus being born under the law needed to be done because God is the author of the law. God is law. For example it would be impossible for God to break the law because he is it. He cannot steal because everything in the world is his. Jesus therefore must be born under the law so that He could fulfill it. The reason for his
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"God's Glorious Peace Has Come!"
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Pastor Sauer
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12/25/2007
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your joy horizon by focusing on why the angels praised God.
The angels praised God because His plan of salvation was entering the end game. God’s plan had started the moment Adam and Eve sinned for the very first time. God’s plan was worked out over the thousands of years that led up to this point. God’s plan was now entering the final phase when every last part was in place. Now, with the birth of Jesus Christ, a perfect life would be fashioned for us. Now, with the birth of Christ, a perfect death could take place.
As we look ahead to Christ’s life on earth, we find it so different than what we are experiencing today. Today we welcome Christ with great joy. We ooh and aaah over the babe born in Bethlehem. Babies are so cute, so lovable, so adorable! But as
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"Don't Be Afraid"
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Vicar Matthew Vik
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12/24/2007
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of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.
Do not be afraid. We often become afraid of things in this life. We are afraid of losing our job. We are afraid that our boyfriend or girlfriend will break up with us. We are afraid of not getting what we want for Christmas. Let’s face it we are often times afraid, but for what? Listen to the angels in God’s word this evening. Do not be afraid. The things of this earth matter only for a while. Our Savior who was born, came to conquer. He came to preach. He came for us.
Do not be afraid. We have a ton of reasons now because of the Christ child at Christmas, that we no longer have to fear. First off. We see that the angels appeared to the lowly
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