Epiphany Lutheran Church | Dorr, Michigan
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Beliefs
    • Our History
    • Our Pastor
    • 25th Anniversary
    • Photo Gallery
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • The Singing Church
  • Resources
    • Food Pantry
    • Related Sites
  • Give Online
  • Calendar

Judica, the First Sunday of Passiontide (Lent V) 2020

3/29/2020

0 Comments

 
Today’s Gospel is one of many times that we see a heated confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.  Especially as we read John’s Gospel, we see the tensions escalate the closer things get to Good Friday.  After all, today’s Gospel is just the first time the Jews attempt to stone Jesus. 

Read More
0 Comments

The Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord 2020

3/25/2020

0 Comments

 
According to church tradition, March 25 is a very important date.  Tradition holds that three very important things happened today.  First, it is the day Satan tempted Eve and through the sin of Adam and Eve, the world was plunged into death.  Second, that same tradition holds that this is the date the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to tell her she had been chosen by God to bear the world’s Redeemer, the promised Messiah.  Finally, the twenty-fifth of March is the traditional date for Jesus’ crucifixion.  So, on this day, the world was hurled into sin and death, the Savior from that same sin and death came into the world, and He accomplished the salvation He came to bring.

Read More
0 Comments

Laetare, the Fourth Sunday in Lent 2020

3/22/2020

0 Comments

 
As we hear about Jesus feeding the five thousand, our thoughts turn to daily bread.  It’s only natural.  The crowd following Jesus, eager to hear His preaching, had no food.  They were several days into the wilderness.  No food could be purchased, even if the disciples had enough money to do so.  Sermon applications for this Gospel Reading quite naturally turn to the things needed for daily life: food, money, and shelter.  God will provide you food.  Don’t be anxious about it.  Trust Him.

Read More
0 Comments

Deliverance from Pestilence

3/18/2020

0 Comments

 
In 1524, Martin Luther set about adapting, improving, and expanding a well-known medieval hymn.  What resulted is the hymn, “In the Very Midst of Life.”  The hymn opens with a question that seems entirely fitting for the situation we find ourselves now in 2020: “In the very midst of life snares of death surround us; who shall help us in the strife lest the foe confound us?”  Our world is asking this same question right now.  What do we do?  Is death imminent?  Is the world ending?  How do we manage in the short term?  How do things recover in the long term?  These are uncertain times that God has spared us for some time.  But now, in His wisdom, He has allowed this pandemic.  God’s wisdom and ways are beyond our understanding.  We know that He has promised to bring good from ill.  We know that He can take what is meant for evil and use it for good.  So in this time of pandemic and fear and uncertainty, we ask that question of Dr. Luther’s hymn: Who shall help us in the strife lest the foe confound us?  Thou only, Lord, Thou only.  The Christian response to our current situation is repentance and faith.

Read More
0 Comments

Oculi (Lent III) 2020

3/18/2020

0 Comments

 
Good is regarded as evil.  It happened to the Prophets and it happened to the One whom the Prophets foretold.  Our Lord casts out a demon and instead of thanks, instead of acknowledgement that God Himself is in their midst, the people respond with unbelief.  Their hearts are hardened.  Some say that Jesus is in league with the devil, sent by Beelzebub to do showy things.  Others treat Jesus like an entertainer and demand more signs and wonders under the thin veneer of trying to make a decision.  They are like the people standing at the free sample carts in the grocery store, eating as much as they can, claiming “I’m not quite sure if I want to buy this.  Give me another bite and maybe I’ll know.”  Jesus rebukes both parties in no uncertain terms.  To the first group, claiming Jesus was from the devil, He says that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.  Satan isn’t going to let himself be defeated for any reason.  And besides, if Jesus is using demonic power to cast out demons, what kind of demonic power are their dear children using to do the same thing?  To the second group He makes the declaration that there is no place for religious fence-sitters.  You are either for Jesus or against Him.  There is no contemplation, trying to make up your mind, seeing what each god has to offer.  You are either for Jesus, gathering with Him, or you are working against Him, scattering what He has sown. 

Read More
0 Comments

Reminiscere Wednesday 2020

3/11/2020

0 Comments

 
This section of Psalm 119 assigned to this week in Lent interacts perfectly with Sunday’s Gospel of the Canaanite woman whose faith was tested by Jesus.  Here the Psalmist teaches us that this kind of testing comes to all of God’s children.  This is part of how our faith grows and is strengthened.  But by this Psalm we are given the words to pray when the testing comes, a prayer that God would give us His grace to endure the testing and the grace to be an example to others of trusting in God, even when it’s hard to do.

Read More
0 Comments

Reminiscere (Lent II) 2020

3/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Today’s gospel reading is all about distilling things down to their most essential parts.  As He interacts with this Canaanite woman, Jesus distills her prayer to its most basic form, her knowledge of herself to its most basic form, and her trust in God to its strongest.

Read More
0 Comments

Invocavit Wednesday 2020

3/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Of all the Psalms, the ninety-first Psalm is the most comforting.  It promises divine protection and deliverance no matter what befalls us.  No matter how or when Satan tries to attack and destroy, God is our Refuge and our Fortress who keeps us safe.  We can trust in Him completely because He is always watchful and always guarding us from sin and the devil.

Read More
0 Comments

Invocavit (Lent I) 2020

3/1/2020

0 Comments

 
In his Large Catechism, when discussing the Lord’s Supper, Martin Luther made this keen observation: “If you could see how many daggers, spears, and arrows are aimed at you every moment, you would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as you can.  The only reason we go about so securely and heedlessly is that we neither imagine nor believe that we are in the flesh, in the wicked world, or under the kingdom of the devil” (LC V 82). 

Read More
0 Comments

    About

    Why does the Pastor preach?  Scripture explains that the role of preaching the Word of God is how saving faith is created: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:14-17).  The Augsburg Confession, seeing this connection between the Preaching Office and saving faith, summarizes Scripture on the Office of the Holy Ministry in this way: “To obtain [saving, justifying] faith, God instituted the Office of Preaching, giving the Gospel and the Sacraments.  Through these, as through means, He gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when He wills, in those who hear the Gospel.  It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe” (AC V 1-3).  The whole reason the Pastor preaches is so saving faith can be created, so we know that “we have a gracious God” who loves us and has saved us from our sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
     
    Preaching at Epiphany is centered in this Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Every sermon approaches the Scripture Readings for the day by explaining what they mean by way of confessional Lutheran hermeneutics and applying them to our lives as Christians in the Church and in the world. 
     
    The Sunday Readings used at Epiphany are from the Church’s historic lectionary, or calendar of readings, that has been in place for nearly 1,000 years.  We use this lectionary because we are an historic Church and we acknowledge the value of what has been handed down to us.  We use this as a way of obeying the Fourth Commandment, honoring our fathers in the faith and trusting their wisdom that assembled this annual cycle of readings.  It also helps with the training of adults and children alike as we come back to the same Readings year after year and learn from them.  We strive for a deep knowledge of key passages of Scripture rather than a limited knowledge of a breadth of Readings.  Though a system like this is neither commanded nor forbidden in Holy Scripture, we voluntarily use it to shape our time together, to ensure that we learn from the whole counsel of God, not just the Pastor’s favorite verses. 
     
    May these sermons be beneficial to you for growth in knowledge of the Word of God and a stronger faith in Jesus Christ, your Savior!  They provided for devotional use and for those who might like to reference them.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    June 2021
    April 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinrghians 1:4-9
    1 Corinthians 11:23 32
    1 Corinthians 11:23-32
    1 John 3:1-3
    1 Kings 19:3-8
    1 Peter 1:3-9
    1 Timothy 5:3-10
    2 Corinthians 2:3-11
    2 Samuel 22
    Acts 1:1-11
    Ad Te Levavi
    Advent 1
    Advent 2
    Advent 3
    Advent 4
    Advent Midweek
    All Saints
    Annunciation
    Ascension
    Ash Wednesday
    Baptism Of Our Lord
    Cantate
    Christian Questions With Their Answers
    Christmas Day
    Christmas Eve
    Christmas Octave
    Commemoration
    Confirmation
    Daniel 7:9-18
    Deliverance From Pestilence
    Deuteronomy 10:12-22
    Easter
    Easter Sunrise
    Easter Vigil
    Ember Wednesday Lent
    Ephesians 4:1-6
    Ephesians 5:20-33
    Epiphany
    Epiphany 2
    Epiphany 3
    Epiphany 4
    Epiphany Octave
    Esther 13:9-18
    Exaudi
    Exodus 20:12-24
    Ezekiel 36:23-28
    Feast Day
    Funeral
    Gaudete
    Good Friday
    Good Samaritan
    Holy Monday
    Holy Tuesday
    Holy Wednesday
    Holy Week
    Invocabit
    Isaiah 62:11 63:7
    Isaiah 62:11 - 63:7
    Jeremiah 11:18-20
    Joel 2:12 19
    Joel 2:12-19
    John 10:11 16
    John 10:11-16
    John 10:22-38
    John 1:1 14
    John 1:1-14
    John 1:19 28
    John 1:19-28
    John 12:1-11
    John 12:1-36
    John 1:29 34
    John 1:29-34
    John 13:1-15
    John 1:35-42
    John 14:23 31
    John 14:23-31
    John 15:1-11
    John 15:26-16:4
    John 16:16 22
    John 16:16-22
    John 16:23 33
    John 16:5 15
    John 16:5-15
    John 19:28
    John 20:1 18
    John 20:1-18
    John 2:1 11
    John 2:1-11
    John 3:1 17
    John 3:1-17
    John 4:46 54
    John 4:46-54
    John 5:24-29
    John 6:1 15
    John 6:1-15
    John 6:60-69
    John 8:42 59
    John 8:42-59
    John 8:46-59
    John 9
    Jubilate
    Judica
    Katharina Von Bora Luther
    Laetare
    Last Sunday
    Lent
    Lent Midweek
    Leviticus 19:1-19
    Luke 10:23 37
    Luke 10:23-37
    Luke 11:14 28
    Luke 11:14-28
    Luke 12:13 21
    Luke 12:13-21
    Luke 1:26-38
    Luke 1:39-56
    Luke 14:1 11
    Luke 14:1-11
    Luke 14:15 24
    Luke 14:15-24
    Luke 15
    Luke 15:1-10
    Luke 15:11-32
    Luke 1:57-80
    Luke 16:1 13
    Luke 16:1-13
    Luke 16:19 31
    Luke 16:19-31
    Luke 17:11 19
    Luke 17:11-19
    Luke 18:31 43
    Luke 18:31-43
    Luke 18:9 14
    Luke 18:9-14
    Luke 19:41 48
    Luke 19:41-48
    Luke 2:1 20
    Luke 2:1-20
    Luke 21:25-33
    Luke 21:25 36
    Luke 21:25-36
    Luke 2:21
    Luke 2:22-32
    Luke 2:22 40
    Luke 2:22-40
    Luke 2:41 52
    Luke 2:41-52
    Luke 5:1 11
    Luke 5:1-11
    Luke 6:36 42
    Luke 6:36-42
    Luke 7:11-17
    Luke 7:36-50
    Luke 8:4 15
    Luke 8:4-15
    Mark 10:17-22
    Mark 14:1-15:46
    Mark 16:1 8
    Mark 16:1-8
    Mark 7:31 37
    Mark 7:31-37
    Mark 8:1 9
    Mark 8:1-9
    Matthew 10:26-33
    Matthew 11:12 15
    Matthew 11:12-15
    Matthew 11:16-24
    Matthew 11:2 10
    Matthew 11:2-10
    Matthew 12:11-15
    Matthew 12:38-50
    Matthew 15:1-20
    Matthew 15:21 28
    Matthew 15:21-28
    Matthew 17:1 9
    Matthew 17:1-9
    Matthew 18:21 35
    Matthew 18:21-35
    Matthew 20:1 16
    Matthew 20:1-16
    Matthew 20:17-28
    Matthew 2:1 12
    Matthew 2:1-12
    Matthew 21:1 9
    Matthew 21:1-9
    Matthew 22:1 14
    Matthew 22:1-14
    Matthew 22:34-46
    Matthew 24:15 28
    Matthew 24:15-28
    Matthew 25:1 13
    Matthew 25:1-13
    Matthew 25:31 46
    Matthew 25:31-46
    Matthew 28:1 10
    Matthew 28:1-10
    Matthew 4:1 11
    Matthew 4:1-11
    Matthew 5:1-12
    Matthew 5:17 26
    Matthew 5:17-26
    Matthew 6:16-21
    Matthew 6:24 34
    Matthew 6:24-34
    Matthew 7:15 23
    Matthew 7:15-23
    Matthew 8:1-13
    Matthew 8:23-27
    Matthew 9:1 8
    Matthew 9:1-8
    Maundy Thursday
    Michaelmas 1
    Michaelmas 2
    Michaelmas 3
    Michaelmas 4
    Michaelmas 7
    Michaelmas 8
    Michaelmas 9
    Misericordia Domini
    Most Holy Name Of Jesus
    Nativity Of John The Baptist
    Oculi
    Palmarum
    Palm Sunday
    Passiontide
    Pentecost
    Pentecost 21B
    Pharisee And Tax Collector
    Philippians 2:5-11
    Populus Zion
    Presentation Of The Augsburg Confession
    Proverbs 25:6-14
    Psalm 118
    Psalm 119:73-80
    Psalm 50
    Psalm 91
    Purification BVM
    Quinquagesima
    Reformation
    Reminiscere
    Revelation 12:7-12
    Revelation 7:9 17
    Revelation 7:9-17
    Rev. Jeffrey Miskus
    Rogate
    Romans 3:21-28
    Romans 5:6-11
    Rorate Coeli
    Second Last Sunday
    Second-Last Sunday
    Septuagesima
    Seven Last Words
    Sexagesima
    St. Andrew
    St James
    St. John Passion
    St. Mary Magdalene
    St. Matthew Passion
    St Michael And All Angels
    St Titus
    Tenebrae
    Thanksgiving
    Third Last Sunday
    Third-Last Sunday
    Titus 1:1-9
    Transfiguration
    Tre Ore
    Triduum
    Trinity
    Trinity 1
    Trinity 10
    Trinity 11
    Trinity 12
    Trinity 13
    Trinity 14
    Trinity 15
    Trinity 16
    Trinity 17
    Trinity 18
    Trinity 19
    Trinity 2
    Trinity 20
    Trinity 21
    Trinity 22
    Trinity 25
    Trinity 26
    Trinity 27
    Trinity 3
    Trinity 4
    Trinity 5
    Trinity 6
    Trinity 7
    Trinity 8
    Trinity 9
    Trintiy 7
    Vicar Burgdorf
    Visitation Of The BVM
    Wedding

    RSS Feed

Location

Saved by God's Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

Contact Us

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Beliefs
    • Our History
    • Our Pastor
    • 25th Anniversary
    • Photo Gallery
    • Contact Us
  • Worship
    • Sermons
    • Bulletins
    • The Singing Church
  • Resources
    • Food Pantry
    • Related Sites
  • Give Online
  • Calendar