Sermons by “Rev. John R. Larson”
Big Talker
His talk was big. His actions were bigger. We do not have a nameless, faceless, generic God. We have one who came in the flesh, was tortured for our sins and has risen in splendor. In our prayer from Ephesians 3 Paul says, “And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:17b-18) Some of the earliest Christian leaders felt that this was the picture of Jesus on the cross. Its saving work reaches to everyone in every situation. The cross reaches out east, west, north and south.
View SermonSomewhere to Go; Something to Do
God loves you deeply, right? He sought you and found you. He put you on His shoulder. He received all your sins. He won all your battles. He loves you. Love, truly love others. Love your parents and grandparents. Love your brothers and sisters. Love your best friend and the person who last week was your best friend and now you’re not speaking to. Do you see? You have so many wonderful things to do. Speak of your Jesus. Love Him. Love others. David concludes the psalm, “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’ As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and deliverer; do not delay, O my God.” (Psalm 40:16-17, ESV)
I give Psalm 40 to you as your psalm. In my Bible I have dedicated that psalm to the 2021 Confirmation Class. Your seven names are in ink next to this psalm. Make it yours. This psalm tells you, “There is somewhere to go; there is something to do.”
View SermonA Pod of P’s
Jesus says of us, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) That word “much” fruit can also be translated “great” fruit. Do you ever find that you have had the best day when you did something that benefitted another person? You called them. You listened to them. You prayed for them. You cared for them. Paul, in Ephesians, writes, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
View SermonAll In
Love that person who is a pain in your rear-end. Love the person who gets under your skin. Love the person who nobody can stand. Martin Luther said of this, “He who is learned should serve him who is not learned; he who is rich should serve him who is poor; he who is sensible should serve him who is foolish, and so on. ” (AE 30:279)
View SermonThe God Who Makes Us Strong
Fight. With everything you have – fight. Don’t let the devil destroy your life and leave you beaten and defeated. But don’t fight alone. Our battle is not against flesh and blood and victory will only come with the Lord God fighting this battle for us and with us. When the people of Israel were being pursued by the Egyptians and they had the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh and his well-equipped armies closing in on them, Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
View SermonThe God Who Lives in Homes and at Work
A few weeks ago when I was saying good-bye to my dad on the phone he said, “John, we’re proud of you.” Wow. When is the last time you told your kid, or anyone that you know, “I’m proud of you”? Do it. If the only word that your kid hears is “No”, “You’re doing that wrong”, or if you use cruel or vulgar words to them, or about them, you have to stop and ask for their forgiveness. “Do not embitter your children.” “Do not exasperate your children.” Don’t tear them down. Build them up. Love them.
View SermonGo!
Go to Him. Go to His word. Trust Him. Become a Christian. Be a Christian. And the truth of Jesus and His resurrection is also for others. In our reading the angel spoke to the women with a directive, “But go, tell His disciples and Peter.” (Mark 16:7a) They must have gone. The disciples heard and believed. Peter heard and believed. Later they would all come face to face with the resurrected Jesus. And they told us. They told us, in written word what they so wonderfully experienced. Everyone that was stuck in grief and depression and hopelessness were visited by a living Christ and they were made bold and alive.
View SermonSet!!
This is a sad day. Worship on Good Friday is quite dark. The hymns are somber. In this service we move toward a more reflective, emotional, even grief-stricken day. This isn’t Easter with the sweet smell of lilies, the joyous hymns of triumph, the choir and trumpets. Some people avoid this day and avoid this service because it is too sad and depressing. But it is the day that He owns and this day owns us. This is the day that allows us to “stand firm” and “let nothing move you.”
View SermonReady!
Ready? If you have a broken heart you are ready. If you have a contrite spirit you are ready. If you can see that this meal is a feast of Christ’s body and blood given for your eternal salvation, you are ready. If you know that this gift is not just for emergencies but it is the ongoing feeding of God for His children, for you, you are ready.
View SermonThe Grand Procession
Grand processions, for us, often mean death and sorrow and loss. In these next days a number of those 10 will have a grand procession from a church or mortuary to a cemetery. Others will join them to honor them and to share their sorrow. As believers in Jesus we are told to weep with those who weep, we are told to bear one another’s sorrows, we are commanded to love each other as we have been loved. Go with them, all of them, in their grief.
I pray that this procession that we make on this Sunday and then throughout the week is a journey with Christ. We experience joy, we learn of humility and suffering. We receive grace and forgiveness and we see His great triumph. This Grand Procession is His and it is yours.
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