Sharper Iron From Kfuo Radio

Rev. Andrew Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:32-43. Having related Saul’s conversion to Christianity, St. Luke now turns our attention once again to the Lord’s work through Peter, particularly as He prepares His apostle for what is about to happen in the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter goes about the apostolic ministry by visiting established congregations in Lydda and Joppa. The work of strengthening the saints is important for the life of the Church. In Lydda, Peter meets a paralyzed man named Aeneas, whom Jesus heals. The repetition of the sign that Jesus did in the Gospels and that Peter did in Acts 3 connects to the eternal healing that comes through the forgiveness of sins. Meanwhile, in Joppa, Dorcas, a beloved saint who was full of good works in the love of the Lord, died. The mourning of the church there moved them to send for Peter and the comfort of the Gospel that he would surely bring. Peter prays to the Lord,

Rev. Dr. Jeff Dukeman, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Gulfport, MS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:20-31. Saul’s conversion has immediate effect. The one who had come to Damascus breathing threats against Jesus’ disciples now begins to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. Those who hear him are understandably confused, yet Saul continues to increase in wisdom as he proves from the Scripture that Jesus is the Christ. Saul’s proclamation of Jesus quickly earns him the same persecution he once sought to deliver, so he must escape Damascus by night. He eventually goes to Jerusalem, where the disciples are also still afraid. Barnabas lives up to his name, “son of encouragement,” when he vouches for Saul to the apostles. Yet still in Jerusalem, Saul’s faith earns him death threats, and so he is sent to Tarsus for a time. Meanwhile, God continues to build His Church in peace, in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. “To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series

Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:1-19. Saul’s hatred for Christians had only grown since Stephen’s death. He was on his way to Damascus with official authority to imprison more Christians when the Lord Jesus Himself stopped Saul in his tracks. Jesus revealed Himself in blinding light to Saul as the One whom Saul had been persecuting. By this, Jesus preached the condemning Law to Saul, who had to be led into Damascus due to his blindness. The Gospel would be proclaimed by a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord gives great honor to the ministry He established by making use of His preachers. Jesus assured Ananias that Saul would bring His name before all nations. Ananias heard the Lord’s command in faith and went to Saul as a brother. He pronounced absolution upon Saul and laid his hands on the blind man so that his sight was restored. Saul was promptly baptized as his welcome into the family of God. “To the End of

Rev. Stephen Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 8:26-40. The Lord continues to direct the growth of His Word as He sends His angel to instruct Philip to go to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. There Philip sees an Ethiopian eunuch; he was a Gentile who had been brought to faith in the God of Israel through Judean refugees. As a rich official of the queen, he is reading from the scroll of Isaiah when the Spirit sends Philip to him. The Ethiopian eunuch asks Philip to guide him in the proper interpretation of the text from Isaiah 53, and Philip begins from that text to proclaim the good news about Jesus. Philip’s teaching includes the centrality of Baptism, leading the Ethiopian eunuch to request the gift upon the sight of water. Philip quickly agrees, and the Ethiopian eunuch is incorporated into the family of God. After the Spirit whisks Philip away to continue the proclamation of the Gospel elsewhere, the Ethiopian eunuch continues on his way

Rev. Dr. Christopher Jackson, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Algoma, WI and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Forestville, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 8:4-25. The Lord uses the persecution of His Church in order to cause His Word to spread farther from Jerusalem. St. Luke follows the growth of the Word as it is proclaimed by Philip the deacon. He goes to Samaria; despite the tensions between Jews and Samaritans, the Word is received with faith and joy there. Previously, Simon had captivated the people by his signs and wonders, but the Word of God is more powerful than any demonic forces. Even Simon believes the Word preached by Philip. When Peter and John come to Samaria, they lay hands on the believers there so that the Holy Spirit falls on them as a public confirmation of the gift that has already been given. Simon’s wicked desire to buy this gift is quickly rebuked by Peter. God’s gifts are not for sale; rather, He gives them freely by His grace as His gospel continues to be pr

Rev. Chris Hull, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 7:44-8:3. Stephen concludes his sermon before the Sanhedrin by reminding them of God’s history of dwelling among His people. Long before the temple, the LORD dwelled in the tabernacle. God’s promise to dwell among His people is what counted; apart from the LORD’s promise, the people fell into idolatry toward a building. When Stephen accuses the Sanhedrin of following in the idolatry of their fathers, they gnash their teeth at him. When Stephen proclaims that he sees Jesus at God’s right hand, they pick up stones to throw at him. Yet Stephen follows in the footsteps of Jesus, commending himself into the Lord’s hands and praying for those who kill him. Saul stands by and approves of Stephen’s execution, yet even his persecution of the Church cannot stop the Lord’s Word from going forth. “To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second vol

Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, Director of Admissions and the Christ Academy program at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 7:17-43. Stephen continues his proclamation before the Sanhedrin by focusing on God’s grace shown through Moses. Though Pharaoh intended evil against the LORD and His people, the LORD worked it for good and used Pharaoh’s own daughter to raise Moses. When Moses acted violently as a deliverer before his commissioning, the people rejected him and he was forced to flee to Midian. Forty years later, the LORD called Moses in the burning bush to return to Egypt and bring His people out. Over and over, Stephen emphasizes that Moses is the one God called and the one through whom God worked, yet the people of Israel continually rejected Moses and turned toward idolatry. Stephen preaches this so that the Sanhedrin would recognize that they are following that same deadly path by rejecting Jesus and repent before it’s too late. “To the End of th

Rev. Sam Beltz, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Oskaloosa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 7:1-16. Stephen has been accused by the Sanhedrin of blaspheming God and Moses, so he begins his proclamation with Abraham in order to set Moses in the proper place. God’s promises to Abraham are primary over the Law given to Moses. Stephen recounts the grace of God shown to Abraham in bringing him into the land of Canaan and giving him the promised child. Stephen traces the line through Isaac and Jacob before focusing again on the account of Joseph. Though his brothers initially hated Joseph, God brought Joseph out of slavery and into authority in Egypt in order to rescue His people. Though the patriarchs initially rejected Joseph, they were later brought to repentance. Stephen’s desire in preaching to the Sanhedrin is that they do the same. Though they have rejected Jesus, Stephen preaches to them in the hopes that they will be brought to repentance. “To the End of the Earth” is a mini-se

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 6:1-15. As the Word of God continued to increase, the task of distributing to widows in the Church caused a complaint to arise: the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected. The apostles quickly recognize the validity of this complaint, but also the necessity that they continue devoted to prayer and preaching the Word of God. They suggest that the Church set aside seven men with good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom for the necessary vocation. The Church does so, and the apostles set the seven aside for the task. St. Luke turns our attention to one of these seven, Stephen. The great wonders and signs done by Stephen draw the ire of many Jews in Jerusalem, who begin to dispute with him and bring him up on false charges. The Lord keeps His promise by filling Stephen with the Holy Spirit so that none of his opponents can withstand him. The angelic appearance of S

Rev. Tim Storck, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Chesterfield Township, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 5:21b-42. The Lord frustrates the plans of His enemies and laughs at their attempts to stop the proclamation of His Word. The Sanhedrin and their officers are dumbfounded to find the prison locked but the apostles gone. While the Sanhedrin and their officers fear men and act accordingly, the apostles fear God and so are unafraid to make testimony before the Sanhedrin. Peter does so with boldness yet again, but the hardness of heart and anger of the Sanhedrin only grows. Gamaliel, a Pharisee and well-respected member of the council, advises the Sanhedrin that they ought to leave the apostles alone. If their authority is from men, they will die and become nothing; if their authority is from God, there is nothing the Sanhedrin can do. The Sanhedrin takes Gamaliel’s sound advice, though they beat the apostles before repeating their previous reprimand. Nonetheless, the apostles are

Rev. Sam Wirgau, pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ossian, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 5:1-21a. The attacks against the Christian Church come from without and within. Ananias and Sapphira conspire with each other and Satan to lie to the Holy Spirit in the matter of their gift. Such a sin against God is no small matter, and the punishment He brings against this husband and wife is swift, serving as a warning to all. Signs and wonders continued as the Lord gave testimony to the truth of His Word proclaimed by the apostles. The Sanhedrin witnessed this with jealousy and placed the apostles in the public prison. Yet the Lord sent His angel to release these apostles so that they could go right back to the temple and proclaim Jesus as the Life. “To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the pr

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 4:23-37. In response to their persecution, Peter and John gather with the Church to pray. They address God as the Creator of all things who has revealed Himself in the Scriptures and in His Son, Jesus. They pray from Psalm 2, recognizing that God has fulfilled His promise to reign by the resurrection of Jesus. They ask God to continue to keep His promise from Psalm 2 and to make them bold by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel. God answers their prayer and continues to build the Church together in the Word of Christ. Just as they share the Word in common, so they use their possessions to help each other. Barnabas serves as a positive example of a Christian who gave his own possessions in service of the Church; he will play a role later in the book of Acts. Christians still love each other according to Christ’s own command, even if the way in which this happens varies from one place to the next

Rev. AJ Espinosa, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 4:1-22. When the Sanhedrin finds out about the preaching of Peter and John in the temple, they have the two apostles arrested. The Sadducees, having great power and influence, are particularly disturbed not only by the preaching of the resurrection, but particularly by the preaching that the resurrection is found only in Jesus. The Holy Spirit takes their questioning as yet another opportunity for Peter to proclaim the Gospel: only Jesus’ name brings salvation to sinners. The Sanhedrin was astonished at the boldness of these two men, along with their lack of formal training or education. However, they knew they could do nothing against these men, for the forty-year-old beggar had been healed in front of everyone. The Sanhedrin ordered Peter and John to stop preaching in Jesus’ name, but the apostles put the charge back to the Sanhedrin and called upon them to judge the matters according to the

Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX, and 3rd Vice President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 3:1-26. The lame man in Acts 3 had a prime spot for begging for alms, yet on the day recorded by St. Luke, Peter and John had a far better gift for the man. In the name of Jesus, they gave this man the gift of healing; the man promptly began walking and leaping and praising God. As the gathering crowd realized who this man was, Peter took the opportunity to proclaim Jesus to them. He spoke to them concerning what the God of their fathers had done in raising Jesus from the dead; it was through the name of this same Jesus that this man had been made well. Though the people had acted in ignorance in crucifying Jesus, God had accomplished what He had foretold. Jesus is the prophet to whom they must listen; Jesus is the offspring of Abraham through whom they would be blessed. Peter proclaimed these things in order that these people mi

Rev. Isaac Schuller, Pastor at First Immanuel Lutheran Church in San Jose, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 2:37-47. The Word of God preached by Peter cuts the hearers to the heart, and they ask the apostle directly: “What then shall we do?” Peter’s answer is all Gospel, that which God does for sinners. Both repentance and baptism are God’s gifts to sinners. Peter’s words clearly reveal that baptism is for all people, even infants. Baptism is the gift of God by which He names us as His own, gives the forgiveness won by Jesus, and delivers to us the Holy Spirit. Through the work of the Holy Spirit that day, about three thousand people were added to the Church. This Church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers. As they shared the Word in common, so they shared their possessions to help each other in their need. They were active in the life of worship, and the Lord continued to add more people to His Church. “To the End of the Earth”

Rev. Bernie Schey, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Old Dime Box, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 2:14-36. Peter is quick to address the confusion of the crowd on Pentecost. The disciples are not drunk; rather, the Holy Spirit has been given in fulfillment of Joel 2. The people must understand that this means the last days have come in Jesus; today is the day to call upon His name for salvation. Though they should have known who Jesus was from the signs and wonders He did, the people crucified and killed Him. Yet the Father raised Jesus from the dead, just as David had foretold in Psalm 16. Whereas David was still buried in his tomb, Jesus had burst forth from His tomb, as God kept His promise recording in Psalm 110. Peter uses this text to bring his sermon to a grand climax: God has made Jesus, the Crucified One, both Lord and Christ. “To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things

Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 2:1-13. The day of Pentecost finds its Old Testament background in the Feast of Weeks, which happens fifty days after the Passover. When that day arrives, Jesus’ disciples are all together in Jerusalem, waiting for Jesus to fulfill His promise by sending the Holy Spirit. Jesus keeps that promise, and the signs that are given cannot be separated from the Word that is proclaimed. The sound of the wind is reminiscent of Jesus’ words concerning the Spirit in John 3 and the vision of dry bones brought to life in Ezekiel 37. The tongues of fire recall John’s preaching concerning the baptism of Spirit and fire. The disciples speak in tongues that are readily understood by the people who are in Jerusalem for the feast. Those people from every nation begin to gather and question what is happening. The objection that the disciples must be drunk is given not only to the raucous noise, but also to the mighty works o

Rev. James Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 1:12-26. After Jesus’ ascension, His disciples return to Jerusalem, according to His command. They gather together as the Church, including the faithful women and Jesus’ mother and brothers, in order to devote themselves to prayer. As they wait for Jesus to send the Spirit, they go about the task of filling Judas’ empty office. Peter recognizes the Scripture as the inspired Word of God and states that what has happened to Judas has fulfilled what God had spoken. The one to replace Judas must meet the qualification that Jesus had given concerning His witnesses. Two such men are identified: Barsabbas and Matthias. The Church leaves the choice up to Jesus, and by their casting of lots, Jesus selects Matthias as the twelfth apostle. Pastors today still have the Divine Call of Jesus to serve in His Church, though their call today comes not immediately, but mediately through the Church. “To the En

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Oschwald, professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 1:1-11. In his Gospel, St. Luke told what Jesus began to do and teach. Now, in Acts, St. Luke tells what Jesus continues to do and teach through His Word proclaimed in the Church. Acts was written to Theophilus in order to show how the Word of the Lord continued to grow and bear fruit through the proclamation of the work of the apostles. Though Peter and Paul tend to be the dominant human actors, the Word of the Lord does all the work in the book of Acts. The account begins where the Gospel ended: the ascension of Jesus. His teaching for forty days after His resurrection was all about the kingdom of God. When the disciples asked if there was still a role for them in that kingdom, Jesus promised that they would be witnesses of all that He had done and would continue to do. They watched as Jesus’ ascended into heaven, hidden by a cloud, until two angels told them tha

“To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the proclamation of the Lord’s Word that began in Jerusalem grows all the way to Rome. By God’s grace, even now, that same Word is proclaimed to us. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.