Faith Lutheran Oregon, Wisconsin

We’re all familiar with the visit of the Wise Men, depicted popularly at Christmas with three regal men with their gifts following the Star to the young child Jesus.  But this morning I want to address something that is in the air with Epiphany, and the Wise Men, and the Star.  And it’s the idea that the Christian faith is somehow opposed to science or reason.   (They aren’t: what I want to develop today is that the Wise Men actually show that true science and Christianity actually fit together.)

Sermon for the third Sunday in Advent, Gaudete, on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Sermon for the second Sunday in Advent, Populus Zion, on Romans 15:4-13.

Sermon on Romans 13:11-14 for the first Sunday in Advent by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Sermon on Philippians 1:1-11 for Thanksgiving 2024 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” The Pharisees craftily asked Jesus. They knew their government wasn’t being lawful or good itself.  So they think they are tricking Jesus.  But Jesus’ amazingly simple and profound response, after he has them hold up a coin bearing the image of Caesar, is to say,  “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Today I want to explore and apply this to our cultural context today living in 2024 under our particular rules and system of government.  What are those things that we owe to Caesar today?

A sermon on John 4:46–54, about a man who comes to Jesus worried about petty things, and leaves trusting the most important thing. Jesus words are true and they are good.

Just like the words Jesus spoke to the paralyzed man were surprising to him and his friends, the original fairytale of Cinderella is surprising. She forgives her wicked sisters and invites them to live with her in the palace. To be forgiven is to have a happy ever after, THE happy every after: the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Sermon on Matthew 9:1-8 for Trinity 19 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix.

Angels are messengers. They tell stories. It is important that we recognize what messages and stories we are hearing and believing. Sermon on Rev. 12 for St. Michael and All Angels by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Fellowship is a pillar of the Christian faith and life in the Christian Church: What it means to understand God and His relationship to us as Christians.  Fellowship is a uniquely Christian word: People who are linked together, united, by their common faith in Jesus, and enabled to have a kingdom relationship as a result of that, which is different from what passes for friendship in our world.  A good way to illustrate what Christian fellowship is, is to use J.R.R. Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Rings. Sermon on Luke 14:1-11 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Sermon on Matthew 6:24–34 for Trinity 15 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Sermon on faith based in objective reality, not subjective feelings. From Luke 17:11-19 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Sermon on the Gospel from Luke 10:23-37 for Trinity 13 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix. The title of this sermon was going to be a “Master Class in Law and Gospel,” because today’s lessons do seem to be a Master Class in Biblical Interpretation – that is, how to understand the Bible.  But I realized (after the service folders were already printed) that Master Class is exactly the wrong message: that’s all the Lawyer who came to Jesus in our Gospel thought God’s Word was – mere information, instruction, a how-to-manual on how to get into heaven.   And that’s also the way many people wrongly understand the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus tells, I think it’s why it's the world’s favorite parable: for many it’s just about morality, being a good person.  But notice that Jesus said at the start to His disciples, “many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it” because they have missed the point of the Word of God.   Like the oft-quoted

Sermon from Mark 7:31-37 on Jesus' healing the the deaf man, allowing his lips to show forth His praise.

Sermon on Luke 18:9-14, Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Two men go to the temple to pray. Who is who? How do we know we can go home justified?

Sermon on 1 Peter 3:8-15 for Trinity 5 on being a disciple of Jesus, by Rev. Jeff Hendrix

Sermon on Acts 1:1-11 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix for the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord.

Sermon on John 16:16-23 + 1 Peter 2:11-20 for the 4th Sunday of Easter, Jubilate Sunday, by Rev. Jeff Hendrix. Joy is not just thinking happy thoughts.  Joy is deeper than happiness (which is simply psychological), and greater than pleasure (which is merely physical).  Joy is something that encompasses body and mind and soul.  Joy is something that needs to be cultivated, or worked.  Like the ground during spring planting, it must be worked and tilled, if you want to eat the fruit.  It takes “a little while.” 

Sermon for Easter 3, Miseriacordias Domini, Good Shepherd Sunday, on John 10:11-18 by Rev. Jeff Hendrix.

"The disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews...Jesus breathed on them." Jesus forgives their sin, giving them the holy spirit, the breath (spirit) of God as healing for their psychological (spiritual) fears. Sermon on John 20:19-31 for Easter 2, Quasimodogeniti Sunday, by Rev. Jeff Hendrix