Sermons
"So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." (Rom 10:17). While it's preferable to hear the sermon in person, those who could not attend, or would like to review the sermon again, can do so here.
Sunday, November 02, 2025
JESU JUVA THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS (OBSERVED) Text: Matthew 5:1-12; Revelation 7:2-17 IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. We gather this day to worship our GOD, receive His bounteous gifts and promises, and remember our sainted friends and loved ones—those who have shed this vale of tears and have gone on to the Church Triumphant. Today we remember our dead. The fact that they are dead is, for us, a call to repentance. Death, you see, is the consequence of sin. It is something, from which we cannot escape. So, where they, the is our dead, have gone, all of us will one day follow. But, as Christians, that does not fill us with fear. For repentance is not simply sorrow and contrition, but also a firm and confident hope in the Grace of GOD found in CHRIST JESUS. We die to ourselves; we are emptied, and filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, being made alive through the forgiveness of CHRIST. So this call to repentance, this remembrance of “our” dead, fills us with a sober joy. For it is the mystery of the Gospel that in dying we are born, in weakness we are strong, and our closest bond is with those who are no longer here. In remembering our dead, we all have memories of different individuals. We each have dead that none of the others of us at Our Savior even know about: those who were shut-ins, friends, and dear family members. There are empty spaces in our lives for children who never made it out of the womb, for children who never made it to adulthood, for friends and loved ones from way back, and even friends and loved ones whose bodies were left on foreign shores. Nonetheless, they are “our” dead. They are “our” dead because we are brothers and sisters in CHRIST. Because “our” dead are not those who suffer torture in Hell, but “our” dead are the faithful departed, and I am not speaking euphemistically. They departed full of faith, free from death. They have been removed from us for a time. They have fallen asleep in JESUS, and gone to their people, to “our” people. But they are not gone forever. Some of our dead are in our future; some we, as of yet, have not even met. Nonetheless, they are still ours, and we theirs, for we are united in the death and resurrection of the SON of God, reconciled to the FATHER in that bond of the SPIRIT. One faith, one hope, one Baptism in CHRIST our LORD. We suffer pain and mourn because we have been left behind. We had to say good-bye. We have been left to carry on without our loved ones. We do not yet have full and perfect communion with them. We still have sin. We still cave in from time to time to our darker desires. We still suffer the ravages of this fallen world. Sometimes, it seems, the grief was too great even for JESUS, who was without sin. Either that or He caught the dead burying the living. For from time to time He broke into funeral processions and stopped death cold. He delayed the crossing over of the son of the widow from Nain, of Lazarus, and of Jairus’ daughter. Yet, He buried His kinsman, St. John the Baptist, and tradition says also His stepfather, St. Joseph, and who knows who else. Even so, the widow’s son, Lazarus, and Jairus’ daughter eventually died again. In His sorrow, JESUS suffered as we do. Yet, the really significant thing—the thing you most need to understand; those of whom we speak are not just “our” dead, they are His dead, and His dead, though they died, are not dead. They live, for our GOD is not a god of the dead, but of the living. All because He who is Life submitted to death and death could not hold Him. Death did its worst. It struck its blows. It exhausted all the stinging wrath at its disposal. But JESUS did not stay dead, and now death is done. It is gone. It has lost its sting. It is finished. “O Death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” It is spent! It is no more. CHRIST JESUS absorbed it all, making full atonement for our sins, paying the total penalty and cost of our freedom from death and the grave. Then, having paid the price of our salvation with His own life, He took up His life again. He rose. Death lay dead. It is conquered. Life lives. And so do all those who believe in Him—on this side of death or on the other: forever one people, one hope, one Body, in CHRIST JESUS our LORD. This is the beating heart of our Christian faith and hope! Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who died and rose again, who ascended to the right hand of His FATHER and ours, is coming back. He will return for us. He did not abandon us as orphans. That faith, that sure and certain hope, is the only thing that makes saying goodbye to our loved ones, that makes the pain, the chaos, and the grief of this sad little existence endurable. The dying, the poor, the meek, the mourning, the hungry, and the thirsty shall not always be that way. Better days are coming, and in CHRIST, they shall all be blessed. You see, those who have died in CHRIST are not dead. Their bodies lay resting in the grave, there to await the return of JESUS and the resurrection promised on the last great Day when our bodies and souls shall be reunited. Yet, even now, their souls live. They attend GOD, worshiping Him before His throne. There they know the perfect bliss of joy in His presence. Soon it shall be also for us. Soon all of the elect will have been sealed in the life-giving waters of Holy Baptism; waters flowing from the throne of GOD, Most High, and the Lamb. For that which was laid into the earth as mortal, as corruptible, will be raised immortal and incorruptible, in glory. Behold, I tell you a mystery! The bodies of the saints will rise and be made perfect. They will be rejoined with their souls in Heaven. Indeed, all the dead will rise and all will bend their knees. Every tongue will confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD. Because our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who died and rose again, is coming back; He has not, and will not, abandoned us to the grave. Even now, this beating heart of our hope, is seen partially fulfilled in the saints who have gone before us. For they have been transferred from the Church Militant, the Church still fighting, slogging it out, marching on, suffering constant Satanic attacks and the chaos of this world. They have been transferred to the Church Triumphant, the Church at rest, the Church glorified. They already enjoy their reward. While we miss them and mourn our loss, they do not miss us. For their peace, their joy, their rest, is perfect and they see clearly, while “we see [only] through a glass, darkly,” our vision yet dim. Still, as far from us as they are, they are ever near. They are in the great cloud of witnesses which surround us. They join us in Holy Communion as we dine here at the LORD’s altar. For indeed, it is at the LORD’s altar that we join with angels and archangels and the whole company of Heaven, including all those buried from Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church since its establishment here in Crestview, including all our friends and relatives who confessed JESUS as LORD and died with that hope and faith in their hearts. We sing with them “Glory be to GOD on high” and the vault of Heaven rings with sublime praise as our voices join theirs in the “Gloria in Excelsis”. Then again, the Divine throne room of our GOD resonates with joy as we join them in singing “Holy, Holy, Holy,” of the “Sanctus”. You see, it is here, at GOD’s altar, where Heaven and earth are joined together and made one as angels ascend and descend upon Jacob’s Ladder—our LORD JESUS CHRIST. The angels ascend and descend upon JESUS in the Bread of His Supper to attend us. Heaven and earth have been bridged, joined together, and here in our chancel, and many thousands more like it, Heaven comes down and touches the earth. This Ladder, this Divine Bridge, comes in JESUS’ Body and Blood to serve us with His own Life. The same GOD who was present on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the Temple; who led the people through the wilderness; who knocked down the walls in Jericho; who was transfigured before Peter, James, and John so that a glimmer of His glory showed through His humanity; He who raised up a mighty prophet in Wittenberg preaching the everlasting Gospel and calling the Church back to the Truth of His Word; He, the very same GOD, is placed on your tongue and you are joined to Him, and through Him to all of those who have gone in faith before you. That which was shed upon the Cross, that which washes the robes of the martyrs white as new fallen snow, also passes through your lips, coursing through your veins, even as it does the martyrs and saints. This Blood, the Blood of CHRIST, washes your soul as sparkling clean and pure as their robes. This is a Holy Communion. In it you are joined to Heaven, to that divine history, and to GOD’s One Holy Church. By this Communion CHRIST unites you to Himself and to His Body, both in Heaven and on Earth. By it, in it, He makes of us His Body, the Church. By it, in it, we have fellowship with those who have gone before us, who have fallen asleep in the faith and have awakened in Heaven. So drink Life’s Blood. Eat this Gift of Life in the Living Bread from Heaven and live. This Living Bread of Grace satisfies those who are “poor in spirit…those who mourn…the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers…those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…the reviled and persecuted.” This Living Bread from Heaven is the only food which can satisfy “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” In this meal GOD bestows Life to the dying. You died with Him in Baptism to become His so that you too shall live and He shall raise you up. That is why we remember and honor “our” dead this day. Because they are not dead. They live. So too, shall you soon live as do they. JESUS will raise you up—you shall see His face, and His Name shall be on your foreheads. You will no longer live in darkness for there shall be no night there: You will need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the LORD GOD gives you light. And you shall reign forever and ever. You will live and hear from the very lips of GOD, “Be at peace My child, for I forgive you all your sins.” IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN. SOLI DEO GLORIA Rev. Raymond D. Parent II Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church Crestview, Florida 11/2/25 AD
Sunday, October 26, 2025
JESU JUVA THE FESTIVAL OF THE REFORMATION (OBSERVED) Text: St. Matthew 11:12-15 IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. Saint John the Baptist had been imprisoned and lay languishing in the dungeon of Herod Antipas’ prison. John was sent by GOD as the forerunner of JESUS to “... go before the face of the LORD to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our GOD....” He was sent to “prepare the way of the LORD; to make His paths straight.” Sadly, he would pay the ultimate price for his efforts, and be put to death by beheading. JESUS, the One whom John was to proceed, had surprised, one might even say confused, St. John with His ministry. This was the case from the very beginning when JESUS came to John in the Jordan River to be baptized by him. In an attempt to prevent Him, John asked, “I need to be baptized by You and are You coming to me?” John the Baptist preached a Gospel of repentance and a fiery message of condemnation for those who thought themselves worthy of salvation through their own works. He called upon all of Israel to be converted and return to the GOD of salvation, “... for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” John warned that our LORD was coming with a “winnowing fork in His hand” in order to “thoroughly clear His threshing floor” as He gathers “His wheat into the barn...,” but burns “up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” All who repent will receive the gracious mercy of our GOD; all who refuse to repent will face GOD’s wrath. But where was the wrath? St. John knew who he is. He is the one foretold by the prophet Malachi: “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.” Yes, he knew who he is, but was his cousin, this JESUS, whom he thought Him to be? Is He the “coming One”? Is He the long expected MESSIAH? After all, His ministry did not match John’s expectations. Where was the wrath? Evil men and their deeds still reigned. John was no fool. He likely knew exactly what was in store for himself. If JESUS is the “coming One,” then where is the “winnowing fork” and the unquenchable fire”? JESUS answered John: “Go tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” The Old Testament prophesies are coming to fruition; GOD’s promises fulfilled. JESUS is the “coming One.” The Kingdom of GOD and its King are in our midst. JESUS was telling St. John that evil, for a time, will retain its power but GOD’s wrath will not be withheld forever. Now, however, is the time of grace and mercy in the forgiveness of sin. JESUS’ first advent is one of peace and reconciliation. In CHRIST JESUS, GOD has come to heal and restore creation. He has come to those who are sick and in need of a physician, even in an age of opposition and hatred. Many will fall into unbelief because they expect something different from GOD and cannot see in CHRIST God’s hidden Kingdom. But those who see in JESUS GOD’s Kingdom, have the promise of salvation and eternal life through the forgiveness of sin. Thus, John the Baptist’s question was answered. He would be martyred, but he would die knowing the peace found in his cousin JESUS, the “coming One.” Therefore, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” St. John was called by our LORD the greatest among those born of women, the promised Elijah. Yet, he did not consider it robbery to be also among the least. His raiment was camel hair, and his diet was locusts and honey. He wandered in the wilderness of the desert he called home. He lived to serve GOD even if that service led him to a cruel death at the hands of evil men. Here, we learn that the Kingdom of Heaven does not operate according to the principles of this world. The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence. It is the Kingdom of martyrs, a Kingdom of the lowly, and the weak. Our King was not born into glory, but the squalor of an animal stall. He did not grow up in a fine palace with the finest of clothes and food. He grew up in the poverty of an oppressed, conquered, desert people. JESUS did not ride to power on a noble white stallion with military fanfare and parades. He rode on the back of a humble donkey, parading to the only throne He would know in this life—a cruel and bloody cross. Yes, “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Therefore, JESUS is not the GOD imagined by men. After all, what god of man’s imagination would give up the glory of Heaven, for a life of poverty, in an attempt to save a world that will despise him? But as promised, that is exactly what our LORD did, knowing that the world of men would not accept Him as GOD, but instead, would abuse Him and kill Him as a heretic and blasphemer. His love for mankind compelled Him, for a time, to leave His glory behind, to deny Himself, and come in weakness and submission, and even suffer violence by the hands of evil men. Still, even this is not imagined by men, because it is by this violence, by JESUS’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection that, the Kingdom of Heaven is won for all who are weak. Yes, “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” That, too, was Luther’s complaint. The Roman Church of Luther’s day stood corrupt and bereft of the Gospel. Salvation was a matter of money, and the more money one had, the more salvation one could purchase in the form of indulgences. It was as though Heaven was for sale to the highest bidder. So, for example, if one gave enough money to the Church toward the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, one could buy his way out of purgatory (another aberration of the Roman Church) or even hell. But Luther, just as John the Baptist, would not tolerate giving false comfort to secure sinners. Luther wanted to recover the pure, pristine Gospel of the ancient Christian Church, the Church in which the Gospel of salvation was preached for the benefit of all people, the Church in which the Holy Sacraments, with their saving promises, were available to all. Yet, this was not simply a matter of Lutherans against the Church in Rome. It was more than that. It was only a few short years after the nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church, that Luther saw an even more severe danger among the fringe of those who supported his cause but were denying Baptism to infants. They did not hold that Baptism worked regeneration in sinners and gave faith to children. These enemies of the Gospel denied that JESUS CHRIST shared fully in God. Thus, they denied that He was really and actually present in the LORD’s Supper with His Body and Blood. Luther would have less to do with these Protestants than he did with the Roman Catholics, who excommunicated him from the Church. The Catholics at least had the Body and Blood of CHRIST in the Sacrament; the so-called Protestants did not. “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” The Lutheran Church, since the days of Luther, has been in danger of being overcome by violence and taken by the force of false teaching and false teachers; it has been in danger of being swallowed up by the ever-expanding list of false religions. Thus, on Reformation Day, we Lutherans realize that we are a minority. From the days before John the Baptist, even since the time of the Prophets, the Church has been under the same attack. It has always been, and will always be, this way. Even now it seems that the Lutheran Church is losing sight of the doctrines it has so long believed. When we see a growing number of women assuming the role and the office of the holy ministry in many Lutheran congregations, as well as other offices where they hold authority over men, it gives voice to the fact that we no longer believe that the Words of Holy Scripture apply to us. Many Lutheran congregations speak of God using feminist language such as “Mother” and not “Our FATHER,” as JESUS taught us. We may as well tell God we no longer need Him because we have a better, more loving, and more inclusive way. Today, many Lutherans have come under the spell of the powerful American Evangelical movement in our country, even as the so-called protestants that Martin Luther would have nothing to do with, and have adopted a form of Christianity that robs the Sacraments of any significant meaning for salvation, and JESUS, Himself, becomes nothing more than a facilitator for holiness. They boast of their faith and their sanctified lives, when they should boast of CHRIST, His Gospel, and His Sacraments, and His salvation (Dr. David Scaer). Sure, they believe that JESUS is necessary, but only to get you through the holiness door, then the rest is up to you. Some even claim direct revelation from the HOLY SPIRIT. We hear them make claims like, “The HOLY SPIRIT laid it upon my heart,” or “The HOLY SPIRIT came to me and revealed to me such and such.” But dear ones, the only sure communication we have with the HOLY SPIRIT, the only Words we can truly rely on, come through the Words of Holy Scripture, the inerrant, divinely inspired Word of GOD, and those sweet Words are all the revelation we will ever need. Like all false teaching, these aberrant and heretical doctrines rob a Christian of confidence in the sure and certain promise of Scripture that GOD loved the world in such a way “… that He gave His only begotten SON, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Reformation Day is an uncomfortable Sunday that reminds us that we, as Christians, are going to have to make some uncomfortable choices at times, choices about defending our faith in CHRIST, choices about standing for what it is we believe, choices that put us at odds with friends and relatives. You see, Reformation Day is about the truth of GOD’s Word; and GOD’s Word “…is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Reformation Day is uncomfortable because it exposes who we are as Lutherans and the picture is not pretty because, like Esau, many among us have sold our birthright for a pot of beans. So, we must be eternally vigilant because, “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Yet, take heart. For even if we lose a battle, the Church will not and cannot lose the war. Even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. “For us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected” who “holds the field forever.” CHRIST JESUS, through the HOLY SPIRIT, is always calling His Church back to the Gospel. He comes, not with violence and with no more force than the Word of GOD. But this is more than enough. Through His WORD ALONE He brings salvation to us by GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE, SOLA GRATIA, SOLA FIDE, SOLA SCRIPTURA. Beloved of GOD, JESUS has restored you to Himself with His own Body and Blood. Through His death and resurrection, He has paid the price demanded of your sins. He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets perfectly and gave to you the spoils of His victory over sin, death, and Satan. He has accomplished all there was to be accomplished and has declared all things complete. By this you are justified, that is, made right with GOD. Therefore, “You who were once far off have been brought near by the Blood of CHRIST,” all as a free gift, for “by grace you have been saved, through faith...not of works.” Believe it! Come to His altar and receive the free gift of faith and forgiveness in JESUS’ Blood. Come, kneel, and hear your LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST say, “I forgive you all your sins.” IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. SOLI DEO GLORIA Rev. Raymond D. Parent II Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church Crestview, Florida 10/26/25 AD
Sunday, October 19, 2025
JESU JUVA THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER MICHAELMAS / TRINITY 21 Text: St. John 4:46-54 IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. Where, what, or in whom is your faith to be? We all know people who say, “I will believe it when I see it.” Perhaps you, yourself, have even uttered these words. But in matters of faith, believing comes before seeing, such that, believing is seeing. Only when one believes will one understand and gain the ability to perceive through eyes of faith. This morning we have before us a man of little faith. Having heard that our LORD had journeyed from Judea to Galilee, this nobleman rushed to implore JESUS that He should come to his home in Capernaum to heal his dying son. Little did the nobleman realize that his problem was not so much his dying son, but his little faith. Now, it is not that the man had no faith, but his faith was small and sadly misplaced. He came to JESUS believing that JESUS was his only source of help in this time of trouble, but his faith in JESUS was centered not in who JESUS’ is, but his signs and wonders, that is, in JESUS’ miracles. The nobleman believed that JESUS was a man of great power, but little more than a magician, or at best a prophet. Along with the rest of the Jews, he perhaps thought of JESUS as nothing more than a miracle worker. He did not see the truth in the signs JESUS did. The nobleman did not see in the signs that JESUS is the promised MESSIAH, the SON of GOD. At that moment, this man’s faith in JESUS could only be kept alive by witnessing miracles. He did not understand that these miracles reveal JESUS for who He truly is. And what was our LORD’s reply? “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” He rebuked the nobleman because JESUS’ miracles were not to be the source of the man’s faith. No, the nobleman’s faith was to rest solely in JESUS and cling to His Word alone, for it is the Word of CHRIST JESUS that works faith, and CHRIST’s Word alone. This nobleman has faith, but it was as weak and sick as his son who lay dying. With His rebuke, JESUS was inviting this man to hear and believe. Still, the nobleman was not deterred in his purpose. He continued to urge JESUS to come to his home and heal his young son before death closed in. Though his faith was weak, he knew he had nowhere else to turn. He was willing to receive JESUS’ rebuke as long as JESUS would come with him to his home and heal his son before it was too late. JESUS replied, “Go your way, your son lives.” JESUS did not first give this nobleman a sign or wonder; He simply gave the man His Word. And in giving this man His Word, He healed the nobleman’s soul as much and even more than He healed his son’s body. JESUS’ Word worked to create true faith where before there was only weak and misplaced faith. JESUS’ Word worked to strengthen the nobleman’s faith, and in the end, his son’s and his whole household, for as St. John tells us, “he himself believed, and his whole household.” JESUS said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” He gave these words to the nobleman and the Galilean Jews, but He also gives these words to you, for how often have you doubted the Word and love of GOD? Do you really fear, love, and trust in GOD above all things? Does your heart find more comfort in the things of this world; things that you can see and touch? We human beings depend upon what our eyes can see rather than upon what our ears can hear. Yes, you have faith, but you will always have doubts unless you see with your own eyes. But what kind of faith is that? Do you really trust GOD to do what He has promised? Will your faith trust JESUS when you pray for Him to heal you or your dying spouse and He does not? That is, after all, what it means to pray, “Thy will be done.” Will you give up on JESUS when He does not do what you want? Will you accuse Him of letting you down? We are really not much different than the Jews of JESUS’ day. Our evil and adulterous generation seeks after signs just as much as they did. Still, we have even less of an excuse than they had. The Jews had Moses and the Prophets and did not believe. We have the same, and more, for we have the One who rose from the dead. Repent! Hear the Word of JESUS, repent and be healed. For the power to heal is found in the Word of JESUS and it is this Word which teaches the faithful how to truly see. It is only by the saving power of JESUS’ Word that we learn to “walk by faith, not by sight.” The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us, “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This hope is not in the sense of maybe, or might, or perhaps. No, the hope of a Christian is a sure and certain knowledge. It is as sure and certain as the rising and setting of the sun, and even more so, because the hope of a Christian is founded in the love of GOD and the Word of GOD. One day the sun will cease to rise and set, but the love of GOD is eternal, without beginning or end, and His Word will never pass away. The Prophet Jeremiah has written, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD” that we may pray with him, “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved….” Thus, we can sing with the Psalmist, “My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.” It is that Word, the Word of GOD, which heals and relieves your soul so that no matter what condition your body may be in, no matter what health you may or may not enjoy, in CHRIST, you are in an everlasting communion with GOD. This is so, because it is the Word of GOD that brings us the Cross and Resurrection of JESUS. It is that same Word that brings us to the waters of Holy Baptism where we are cleansed and made righteous, having been washed in the Blood of the Lamb which frees us from all sin. It is that same Word of GOD that brings peace through confession and absolution, where JESUS simply announces through your pastor what has been since the day of His crucifixion, “Go your way, your sins are forgiven you.” These Words of our LORD do what JESUS’ Words have always done; they give life and salvation. These Words redirect misguided faith to the true faith and strengthen you against your doubts and fears. Just as our LORD spoke the heavens and the earth and all creation into being with His divine Word, so too, He bespeaks you righteous with that same powerful Word. With these Words, JESUS forgives your sins, rescues you from the power of the grave and the devil, and restores you to life with our FATHER in Heaven. This same Word joins bread and Flesh, wine and Blood, in the LORD’s Supper to revitalize and refresh your soul and keep you firmly anchored in the one true faith. With these wonders and signs, Baptism, bread and wine, Flesh and Blood, and Holy Absolution, JESUS delivers and heals our weary flesh, preserving us, body and soul, until the day of His returning. On that day, you will stand before GOD and hear Him proclaim you innocent, pure, and righteous. On that day, JESUS will say to your FATHER in Heaven, “FATHER, behold, Your child lives.” What a joyous day that will be. Yet, even this very day you have had a foretaste of God’s boundless grace and mercy, for you have heard Him say, “Go your way my child, your sins are forgiven you.” IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. SOLI DEO GLORIA Rev. Raymond D. Parent II Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church Crestview, Florida 10/19/25 AD
Sunday, October 12, 2025
JESU JUVA THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER MICHAELMAS Text: St. Matthew 22:1-14 IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. The GOD of Holy Scripture, the one and only true GOD, is not what you might picture Him to be. He is not a frail old man with long flowing white hair and beard who is more like the Father Christmas of Charles Dickens stories or the Santa Claus of your childhood than the GOD of the Bible. Nor is GOD the spirit of Christmas past. He is not the sandal clad, slightly effeminate, flowerchild, made popular in modern imagination and Hollywood movies. He is not a caricature who runs around with a great toothy grin and a big thumbs up. He is not your buddy; He is not your pal. He is not nice like your grandmother or favorite aunt are nice. No, our God will not be made in our image. He is not a god who conforms to our opinions and sinful lusts and desires. He will not pat you on the head. Neither will He simply wink at your sins. He is not like you—at all. He does not love what you love. He does not desire what you desire. His thoughts are not your thoughts. So, no, GOD, the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, is not like you, and is far from what you imagine Him to be. He is ALMIGHTY GOD, Creator of all that is visible and invisible. He causes the mountains to tremble and fall; He causes the seas to roar and foam. He makes demands and expects them to be fulfilled. He is perfect righteousness. He is perfect love. And in CHRIST, He is not simply your friend; He is your brother, but first and foremost, He is your LORD and SAVIOR. GOD is the King of our text who has prepared a wedding feast for His SON, JESUS. He has called His servants to Him and has sent them out to call all those invited to the feast. Those invited have already received their invitations and should be waiting for the fullness of time when they will be called. The King has invited everyone, overlooking no one. Yet, not all those invited are willing to attend. Those who are absent, are absent by their own choice. They insult the King and kill His servants. They have, so they believe, more important things to which they must attend. They are not worthy. For this, they will face GOD’s wrath, but they are not the only ones who will be cast into outer darkness. Yes, all have been invited. GOD has sent out more servants. They are to gather peoples from every corner of the earth—bad and good. This is good news for us, for it matters not who you are or what sins you may have committed. You are invited. He eats with sinners such as you and me. You are to be seated at the King’s table clothed in garments of far more splendor than even those of King Solomon. You are not to be simply honored guests, but the guests of honor. You are to be the Bride of the King’s SON. This feast is for you! 2 Our FATHER in Heaven has joined the one Holy catholic (universal) Church to CHRIST in the bloody nuptials of JESUS’ Cross and crucifixion. He has joined you to CHRIST JESUS in the bloody waters of Holy Baptism. Therefore, the meaning of our LORD’s parable is self-evident; the proper wedding garment in the Kingdom of Heaven can be none other than CHRIST and His righteousness, for you are Baptized, having put on CHRIST. Therefore, be not like the foolish wedding guest who cast off his robe of righteousness in exchange for the rags of his former self, returning to the ways of the world and his old sinful flesh. If you do so, CHRIST’s message is clear. You will be bound hand and foot and cast into outer darkness where there is only weeping and seething anger. For this reason, we are to examine ourselves, walking “circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” because anyone who eats of the Body and Blood of the LORD “in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the LORD’s Body.” Therefore, do not look for good apart from the Church of GOD, GOD’s Holy Word, your Baptism, the Body and Blood of your SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, in, with, and under the bread and wine of His Holy Supper, and in His blessed Word of Absolution. In these, and these alone, you will find not only GOD’s Church, but GOD Himself. If you look anywhere else you will only find grief and misery. This is the fate, not only of the ill-clad wedding guest of our LORD’s parable, but of all those who reject the King’s gracious invitation. As our LORD JESUS said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Woe upon woe, then, unto those who reject the wedding invitation for they will be crushed by their unbelief. Woe, also, unto those who cast off the righteousness of CHRIST, for they will stand naked and speechless before GOD on the Day of Judgment. They will be judged and condemned and cast out into eternal darkness and despair, for there is no righteousness other than the righteousness of our GOD! How did this come to be mankind’s condition? With Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, we poor sinners were robbed of our magnificent garment of perfect righteousness and holiness. With original sin, to which we continually add our own, we were stripped, beaten, and left for dead at the side of the road, naked and bare. To stand before GOD, we must again be robed in perfect righteousness that our nakedness be covered over. That garment, however, cannot be a righteousness our own, for such righteousness is no righteousness at all. Our righteousness is more akin to a burial shroud than a wedding garment, but CHRIST with His precious merits is the Beautiful Raiment that covers our nakedness shielding us with His righteousness from the heat of GOD’s wrath. 3 So it has been since nearly the beginning of time. GOD lovingly seeks to betroth lost mankind unto Himself, sending forth His servants with His gracious invitation. The Words of Holy Scripture are His invitation to the wedding banquet. Yet, even though GOD has been inviting mankind to the Feast since the fall of Adam and Eve, the majority of mankind has either rejected GOD’s gracious invitation outright or have been wedding crashers who try to get into the wedding banquet on their own terms and dressed in their own sinful rags. So, again, GOD is not like us. He calls fornicators, adulterers, thieves, murderers, liars, perverts, tyrants, bullies, sodomites, and all manner of human vermin, and eats with them. He holds the most lavish feast for them. He bathes them in holy water and adorns them in a garment far more glorious than those of Solomon, and calls them His children. Robed in this garment, GOD does not see you as you are. He does not see you as a lost, pathetic, and sinful creature, deserving of no more than death. Instead, He sees you as He sees His SON, JESUS. He sees you as His pure, undefiled, and spotless bride, and He grants unto you all the rights and privileges of a true heir of His Kingdom. So, come and feast on the Word of GOD. For the Gospel of CHRIST is the cradle in which the Kingdom of Heaven is to be found. Come, the King of Heaven is inviting you. I am His called and ordained servant ordered to relay His gracious invitation to you. Come one and all, bad and good, for our King’s love is blind and He desires your presence at His table no matter how vile you may have been. Therefore, the Holy Word of GOD is not for the purpose of telling you how to live your best life now. Neither is it for the purpose of telling you how good you can be if you will only follow GOD’s commands. It is for the purpose of telling you how truly evil you are and yet, how merciful is your GOD, and to what lengths He has gone to save you. That means God’s wedding invitation is not given based on the qualifications of those He invites, but on the merits, and works of CHRIST. Because we could not fulfill GOD’s demand for perfect righteousness, He sent His SON to take on human flesh and fulfill GOD’s demand for us. He, who is without sin became sin for us that we become the righteousness of GOD in CHRIST. Therefore, no matter how evil you may be, His goodness is greater. No matter how great your sin, His sacrifice is greater. You may not love Him, but He loves you, and with His Blood, He paid the price of your redemption. There is no sin that His Blood does not cover, so come, for now is the Day of your salvation. “Incline your ear, and come to [the King]. Hear, and your soul shall live.” Hear the voice of JESUS, for the King has made all things ready and He will fill His wedding hall. He wants you there. He desires your presence. He sends you His invitation engraved in His Flesh with nail, lash, and thorn, and written in His Blood. Come to His Table, you who were called to this place from the highways; who were once not a people, but are now His “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” Come, you who are called out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of GOD; who had not obtained mercy but now have 4 obtained the mercy of GOD. Come and be gathered here around GOD’s Word and Sacrament. You are brought to the Feast of our LORD’s Body and Blood as His holy, spotless, virgin Bride to whom He has joined Himself in a blessed eternal union through His death on a cross and His resurrection from the grave. Come to the Feast. JESUS has called you to His Table to commune with Him. In JESUS, our GOD, is present to eat and drink with us. Here, at His altar, JESUS Himself feeds you with the Bread of Life which comes down from heaven. With this precious Meal, we receive eternal life. At this Altar, we are given a foretaste of the Feast to come where we will be seated with JESUS and all the saints and angels to feast in glory with Him forever. Come and be clothed in the Garment of CHRIST’s Righteousness, purchased for you with His death on Calvary that it could be placed on you as you rose up out of the waters of Holy Baptism. Come and take the hand of the Worthy One, feel His embrace and know that you are loved with a love beyond all telling, a love beyond all measure, a love far beyond all human understanding. Come now and hear what our LORD has to say to you; hear His invitation, “Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.” The call has gone out. In the Word of the Gospel, you have received your invitation. In Baptism you received your wedding garment. All that is left to do is to be seated at the Feast to eat the Bread of Heaven. Do not miss it. Hear the invitation. Receive His gifts of salvation and forgiveness and live. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. SOLI DEO GLORIA Rev. Raymond D. Parent II Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church Crestview, Florida 10/12/25 AD
Sunday, October 04, 2025
JESU JUVA THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST Text: St. Matthew 9:9-13 IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. In what now seems to me as almost another person’s life and memories from long ago, or memories from another lifetime that, in reality, was not all that long ago, I found myself in the garden spot of the great state of Georgia. I was on temporary duty at Fort Benning, home of the U.S. Army’s Infantry, Airborne, and Ranger Schools. It would be inappropriate in our current context to bore you with my stories of bravado and daring-do, but I share my recollection of Ft. Benning with you because in front of the Infantry School is a bronze statue, the memory of which is imprinted upon my mind. This statue is of a U.S. Army infantryman. Running toward some toward some unseen objective, he carries an M-1 rifle in his left hand. His right hand is in a beckoning posture as the unnamed soldier, shouting over his shoulder, encourages unseen comrades to follow him into some unknown battle. A bronze plaque on the pedestal ends with the motto of the U.S. infantryman—these simple words, “Follow me.” This statue represents the courage and sacrifice of every of American soldier who willingly gave their lives to save the world from a terrible oppression and to preserve our freedom as Americans. Today, in our Gospel text, we see our LORD JESUS as He passes by the Sea of Galilee. He stops before a man sitting in a tax office and speaks a simple command, “Follow Me.” These words of CHRIST are more than they appear, for they are more than a simple command. JESUS’ Words, “Follow Me,” are an invitation to grace and GOD’s pronouncement of merciful absolution. This man, Saint Matthew, the future Apostle and evangelist, the tax collector, this man seated before the SON of GOD, is considered by the Jews to be among the lowest of his people—perhaps the very lowest. As a tax collector, Matthew was hated and reviled because he was thought of as a traitor to his race and his GOD. He was considered the worst of sinners because he served Caesar and Rome, and whether he did or not, the Jews believed he cheated his people so that he could prosper and become rich at their expense. And yet, here before Matthew stands his GOD, and with the simple words, “Follow Me,” JESUS announces unto him, the mercy of GOD and the forgiveness of all his sins with a gracious invitation, for invitation it is. You see, the words we translate into our native tongue as “Follow Me,” carry the weight of a continuous invitation. Jesus is asking Matthew not to simply follow Him but to accompany Him on His Gospel mission. Yet, not so much to follow Him as to walk with Him. In Greek, these words also call for more than a casual stroll. The weight of the words call for a ceaseless commitment on the part of the follower. Thus, it is as though JESUS said to Matthew, “Accompany Me and always accompany Me.” The sense of the invitation is not to follow for just one moment in time. It is not as though JESUS said, “Just follow Me for a short time and then go your own way.” No! The sense of our LORD’s invitation is that Matthew should accompany JESUS now and always. Matthew is to never stop following JESUS but always to walk with Him. JESUS has invited Matthew to be a companion on the Way—the Way, which our LORD will show him. These simple words also prophesy the future for Matthew. Our text tells us Matthew arose and followed Him. And so he did, even beyond the cross and the empty tomb, preaching the Word of GOD until the day he died. So it is, that JESUS calls Matthew as one of the Twelve, even as He calls you today. He calls you through the power of His Holy Word. He calls you who are sick and in need of a physician. He calls you and bids you eat and drink the medicine of immortality which can be found only in His Body and Blood. He called you when He combined the power of His Word with the waters of your Baptism. He speaks the words, “Follow Me,” as an individual invitation to each and every one of you every time you hear His Holy Word proclaimed, and every time you partake of His Supper it provides you with the same absolution, the same merciful grace and salvation which He spoke to St. Matthew that day. And yet, we are too often more like the Pharisees who stood outside the feast given by Matthew that day. They deluded themselves into believing that they are healthy and without the need of a physician. They refused the Gospel, and thus denied GOD’s saving spiritual medicine, meant to save their immortal souls. Worse, they denied this grace to others. They stood idle, while the cancer of sin consumed the souls of those for whom they should have showed compassion but instead judged to be unfit for salvation. They considered sinners unworthy of mercy and absolution. Yet, they were unaware they suffered from the same disease as those they hated and judged. They believed that with their self-righteous piety and their keeping of the Law of GOD, they earned for themselves eternal life. Blind to the Gospel, the Pharisees believed GOD’s Law was something they could do to merit salvation. We too, are Pharisees, or at least we often think and act as they did. We are Pharisees when we wonder if we have done enough to cover our sins; when we wonder if we are holy enough; when we wonder if GOD could really forgive such a wretched sinner as we know we are. We are also Pharisees when we look down our noses at our neighbor and think to ourselves that we are not all that bad. Certainly, we are not as bad as are they. “After all,” we say to ourselves, “I attend worship, I do not murder, I do not cheat on my spouse, I do not lie, I do not worship idols, I do not… I, I, I… me, me, me.” We are guilty of making nothing of the death of our LORD when we fear that His death was not powerful enough to cover our miserable sins or those of our neighbor, or when we fear there is something we must do to earn GOD’s favor—as though the events on Calvary’s Mountain act only as some sort of facilitator for our works of salvation. Friends, either one declares himself righteous by what he does, or he believes that GOD declares him righteous based on what JESUS has done. So what are we to do? “Who will deliver us from this body of death?” Spiritually we can do nothing for ourselves and our salvation, but thanks be to GOD that is not the end of all hope. Just as JESUS came to St. Matthew, so He comes to you. By the power of the spoken Word alone, spoken by the Word Incarnate—the Word made flesh—Matthew repented, left all he owned behind, and walked with JESUS. JESUS’ Words hold the same power today. Consider this: St. Matthew did not call CHRIST. CHRIST called St. Matthew. In the same way CHRIST calls you. Just as Matthew received the forgiveness of sin, so you receive the same forgiveness of sin. Your receive it in the Holy Sacraments. You receive it in confession and absolution. You receive it in the hearing of GOD’s Word. You receive it because JESUS has said, “… man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of GOD.” Therefore, you shall live, not die! JESUS said “Follow Me.” His Word is not hollow, but carries in it the power of GOD unto salvation for all who believe. Just what is it we are to believe and confess? We believe and confess JESUS’ death and resurrection pronounces forgiveness and victory over sin, death and the devil; JESUS’ innocent suffering and death is what saves us. We “believe that JESUS CHRIST, true GOD, begotten of the FATHER from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is our LORD, who has redeemed us, lost and condemned creatures, delivered us and freed us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with silver and gold but with His holy and precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death, in order that we may be His, live under Him in His Kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true,” (Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, the explanation to the second article of the Creed) This is what we are to believe, teach, and confess. When JESUS died on Good Friday, all that had to be done for your salvation was accomplished. If JESUS’ sacrifice had not been enough, GOD would not, indeed, could not, have accepted it. GOD would not have raised JESUS from the dead. But He did accept CHRIST’s sacrifice as full payment for all sin. He did raise JESUS from the grave, and He will raise up on that final day all those who cling to Him in faith. This is what we believe! This is what we confess! So, JESUS comes and dines with sinners; feeding and strengthening them with His Body and Blood, He forgives all their sins. He comes to us as the great Physician healing all those who feel the poison of sin in their lives. But, He is not only the great Physician, He is also the very medicine that saves us. We are blessed to have our LORD to look to as He stands before us, inviting us with His Words, “Follow Me.” Unlike the “Follow me” statue at Fort Benning, we do not look to Him simply as a reminder of some great battle fought and won for us, once in time. Nor do we look to Him simply as inspiration for how we are to live our Christian lives. This battle has been won for all time. It was accomplished by CHRIST through “one sacrifice for sins forever.” JESUS reaches out to us, not with weapons of death, but with nail scarred hands that speak of an unending love for His creation. He does not fight some unseen enemy. He has defeated Satan. “It is finished.” Our LORD CHRIST, does not look to some unseen comrades with the vacant eyes of a bronze statue. He looks at you. He holds His hands out to you, offering His embrace. He speaks to you saying, “Follow Me, for I have forgiven you all your sins” IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. SOLI DEO GLORIA Rev. Raymond D. Parent II Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church Crestview, Florida 9/21/25