Sermons from St. John the Divine

The Bible teaches there are four ways to seek the power of the Holy Spirit: First, immerse yourself in God’s Word. Second, believe in the promises of God’s Word. Third, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Fourth, obey the Spirit working in your life.

To people who may feel far off or strangers to deep immersion in Christian community, what is most inviting is the living testimony of people in that community who can share what it was like to live AT ONE TIME a certain way BUT NOW in Christ.

Is the cross of Christ, that broke down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, powerful enough to break down the walls among those of us who have been brought near to God? Is there still power in the body and blood of Jesus for us today?

The Father has lavished with a feast of blessings. He has chosen us, loved us, redeemed us, enlightened us, and endowed us in Jesus Christ. As we begin this series on the book of Ephesians, let us marvel in our inclusion in the master plan of God’s restoration project for the cosmos.

First: It’s Not About You. It’s About Jesus Second: God Elected (Chose) You. Third: Election is an incentive for us to live holy lives filled with the Spirit. Fourth: God adopted you; you are God’s possession. And Fifth: You, Your Life, and History are not meaningless.

What a time for the church to be her very best! I think the most patriotic thing you and I could do for our country right now is to be Christian first and foremost; to be ambassadors of Jesus’ love, grace, truth, justice, and peace.

In our gospel today, we heard that Jesus could not do miracles in Nazareth with the same magnitude and manifestation as in other places. A few were healed there versus the many who were healed in other cities in Galilee. So what limited the manifestation of God’s power in his hometown? Are there things that we can do to see his power more manifest in our lives?

In assessing the status of your faith, would you consider anew that it is precisely when you realize you cannot be freed, healed, or truly alive through your own efforts, that you may be very close to Jesus?

We all have stories to tell. Most of us have suffered in some way especially in this past year. How we frame our stories of pain and who we entrust them to matters. When we share our stories with one another we allow Christ’s body to touch us, and redemptive healing is made possible.

We continue to have a hard time believing that when we find ourselves across the battlefield from any of today’s Goliath figures, we will never win wearing his clothing as our own.

In so many realms of life, the world around us applauds our work and striving and achievements. Not so with the work of the gospel. And our biggest spiritual challenge is to allow God to do that work.

The kingdom of God is something unseen working out God’s purposes while human heroes are seen and often let us down. But God acts in our lives in amazing, miraculous ways, especially when we know Jesus as king.

Jesus looks around his home and sees the group gathered there, hungry for the freedom of his kingdom. In them he sees a family, and it feels like home. We don’t have to fear losing what makes this place a home by making it accessible to others.

What if the most powerful evangelical asset is our commitment to Christ lived out in total dedication to one another here as our most important set of relationships?

Examining our personal story in light of The Good News

Jesus perceives the heart of the human dilemma. Nowhere does his insight become more apparent in Scripture than his discussion with Nicodemus. The Pharisee that comes to Jesus by night will learn of his problem and hear God’s solution not only for him, but for the whole world.

As we open ourselves up to be conduits of Holy Spirit love, we will no longer be overwhelmed by how big the problems in our world are. We will have courage to let the Holy Spirit burn in our hearts for the same things that burn in Jesus’ heart.

God works his ways through simple things. Think about it. Jesus did a series of relatively simple things. He showed up for a little while (about 3 years), did a few healing miracles, walked on water, went into the catering business on a Galilean hillside, said some amazing words, died on a cross, returned resurrected, and then left. On Pentecost, God used a simple thing, language, to reach all kin...

The most foundational aspect of being a disciple is the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Hallowed be thy name’. This phrase is not a statement of fact. In this context, this is an expression of desire in the person who is praying. We are asking God to help us honor and keep his name holy. When we say this from the heart, it can remind us that all of our daily activities, however mundane, are potent...

You come from love. It is the truest story of who you are. And it gets even better! You are a gift of love that the Father gives the Son. This truth sets us apart from the ways of the world, and frees us to be one with one another.

Jesus calls us to bear fruit that abides for eternity. Too often, we put much confidence and hope in the temporal things of this world that will pass away, but there is that which will abide forever—that is our loving relationships with God and with one another. How can we prioritize the fruit that will last?

The overall thrust of what we hear this morning in John’s gospel is simply this: Jesus wants us to receive and live inside the love that he and God the Father share with one another. What Jesus has with his Father, Jesus wants for us as well. And he lays down his life for us so we can have it.

We live in a day where the fruit of love is often lacking in our society and common life. Much of our problem comes from role confusion in our relationship to Jesus the vine and the Father who dresses the vine. Jesus teaches the importance of being a branch knowing and abiding in him as the source of life and love.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We know his voice because it speaks the truth. We know his voice because his words are life. We know his voice because the Holy Spirit helps us discern the Good Shepherd’s voice from that of strangers. We know his voice because he calls us by name.