Sermons from St. John the Divine

Luke alone in the gospels tells the story of the sending of this large group of 72 disciples. This is part of a larger strategic missionary movement that disciples of Jesus will follow after his death, resurrection, and ascension as they go further and further away from Israel into Gentile territory. Like Jesus, do you have an urgency for sharing his message? Do you have a heart of flesh full of t...

Jesus calls his followers to be completely devoted and dedicated to him. He has done everything for us to set us free from the bondage sin and death. Walk in the freedom he has graciously given you by being “all in” with the Holy Spirit and the free gift of God’s salvation.

Once upon a time, there was a busy little mouse...

Our fears reveal what we love most. Jesus brings freedom from fear by giving us the thing most worth loving.

Both of our passages—Luke and Galatians—speak of freedom in Christ. In Galatians, when Paul says that Christ is our clothing, it means that in God’s sight we are loved because of Jesus’ work and salvation. When God looks at us, he sees us as his children because he sees his Son. That is how Jesus saw the demon-possessed man in Luke. A Christian never needs some additional commitment to the law in...

Deep down, we wish to be animated by nothing more than to live in the center of all reality: the inner life of God that goes forth to invite us in, such that the love the Father has for the Son and the Son for the Father is ours as well.

We can experience God the Father in the wonders of creation. We can know Jesus as the Son who brings us salvation. And we can be filled with the vital presence of the Holy Spirit. God is Trinity, and we can experience him that way.

There is a great gulf between the outward appearance of a successful life and the inward assurance of Christ’s love. And it is a difference of power!

The story of the world is to make a name for oneself – the ego drama. In Christ and through the Holy Spirit, God is uniting the world in his Name. The promise of Pentecost: everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

The challenge of the book of Revelation is that there’s more to life than what we see or experience. Without connection to the author of life and surrender to the grand story, life becomes merely a trivial pursuit. Jesus informs everything. He alone gives significance meaning and abundant life to those who will surrender their hearts and lives to him. The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End...

The end of the Bible is a vision when finally and fully we will be united with God the Father through the fruit of the sacrifice of Jesus. That ought to shape a people whose responses to the events of the day are shaped by a particular way of thinking and praying about the events of the day.

The New Jerusalem is a vision of the Church. During these last days, we are the place where God comes down and dwells with people on earth. The need for the healing of the nations here and now is enormous. The good medicine of God’s love, forgiveness, presence, reconciliation, and peace is needed now. We are the ones to bring the healing leaves from the tree of life to the world, continuing the wo...

Jesus shows us that we do not make our way up to heaven. Heaven comes down to us. That is good news because I would never make it to heaven in a million years on my own no matter how good I tried to be.

In the 21st chapter of Revelation, we hear God’s final plan for his people after death has been defeated and cast into the lake of fire.

As we go through great tribulation in our day, an eternal perspective provides great hope. One day all the pain and suffering and sorrow will be no more. The lamb upon the throne will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

This morning, although we read the appointed text from the book of Revelation, the appointed reading skipped the intro. We went straight to a glorious song: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" It was still good — what with myriads upon myriads of angels surrounding the throne singing "Worthy is the Lamb" — obviousl...

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he personally addressed 28 individuals in chapter 16 before he ended his letter. Today I am addressing 28 of our graduating seniors. I want you to remember the foundation of your faith: Jesus. Jesus is not some great philosopher, prophet, or professor. He is God. He is Savior. He is Lord. He is here with us. He is alive because he has risen from t...

The statistics are sobering, the disembodied virtual world of social media has led to an epidemic of loneliness and sadness. The glorious revelation of Jesus Christ alone gives the eternal perspective needed to bring life and hope to those lost in the malaise of social disconnect.

Where is Easter resurrection hope in places of fear, brokenness, and defeat? John's vision gives a framework of how to live in between Jesus’ resurrection and his coming in the clouds. God loves us, God has freed us, and God is coming back for us.

The day of Jesus’ crucifixion was the day of humanity’s greatest shame. Our Maker appeared among us, and we killed him. All our other human sins are dim echoes of that great crime. Today, however, is the day of our greatest gift. Our great sin did not cut us off eternally from God. Instead, the resurrection proves Jesus’ powerful words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, they do not know what t...

The world often confuses authority and worldly power. Nowhere is this dynamic more clearly seen than in the passion narrative of our Lord Jesus Christ. True authority is exercised in the power of the Spirit bearing witness to the truth.

Jesus tells us that he is our example. Jesus humbles himself and passes on the love he has received, to us, through self-sacrificing service. And he tells us to do the same. To love like he loves, to love like we have been loved by him, so that people can know what love feels like. So, people can know the love of God. This is our new commandment.

The crucified life is one lived in fellowship with the sufferings of Christ. The Lord calls us to empty ourselves.

God created us out of his joy. He is in the business of joy and has destined us to enjoy him and one another forever. Therefore, joy is central to our lives grounded in the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.