Sermons on Isaiah (Page 3)
As the World Awaits in Hopefulness
Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 11:1-5; Luke 1:26-38
A Mission Shared
A Mission Shared Isaiah 9:1-14 Matthew 4:12-23 We’ve talked before about what it is like to live with a 2-year-old. Can you remember? Two-year-olds are famous for having learned how to say “NO!”—it’s an important step in their early development (even if it IS frustrating to their family). Another thing kids often learn to say, around the age of 2, is “I DO IT!” You’re trying to help them put on a coat or color a page or select a…
The Light is the Lamb
The Light Is the Lamb Epiphany 2 Isaiah 49:1-7 John 1:29-42 There’s a story about a young fellow who had a habit of skipping out on church. He would go across the street and play pinball with the money his folks had given him for the offering. But he was careful to stand near the preacher as people were filing out so that he could pick up on some snippets of conversation about the sermon. He needed to do this…
A Sign for YOU
A Sign for YOU Christmas Eve Isaiah 9:2-7 Luke 2:1-20 Have you ever felt “unwelcome” anywhere? Have you ever said to yourself, “Oh. I don’t belong here”? It’s something we begin to learn at a young age—there are certain places where we are welcome to go, and other places that are off limits. I’m not just thinking about places marked “authorized personnel only” or restrooms that are marked with another gender—I’m really thinking of those times when we get the feeling,…
The Joy of God with Us
The JOY of God-With-Us 4th Advent Isaiah 7:10-16 Ps. 80:1-7, 17-19 Matt. 1:18-25 Those of us who have had toddlers remember a phase our kids went through. I call it the “I do it!” phase, because kids begin to understand that they are capable of things they were never able to do before, and they INSIST on doing them! “I do it!” It’s an important step in the continuous process of becoming independent and creative. However, there are milestones along the…
The One Coming
The One Coming 3rd Advent Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 John 1:6-8, 19-28 Way back in 1967, a movie came out that stirred things up in our country. It was widely received because of the star-power represented: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier. But it was also controversial, because it portrayed interracial marriage in a positive light—and there were still, at that time, 17 states where it was illegal! Those of you who are chronologically advantaged know that I am talking about the movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”…
An Eye for God’s Work
Isaiah 65:17-25 Luke 21:5-19 How many of you can wink? Would you turn to your neighbors on each side and give them a wink? Thanks! A wink is a special thing. I didn’t learn how to do it until I was in college—AFTER a disastrous loss in a ping-pong tournament. I was facing a pretty blonde who winked at me just before she served the ball—and I was unable to return her serves! So, I set myself to learn how to wink,…
God’s Love Song
God’s Love-Song 10th Pentecost Isaiah 5:1-7 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 Those of you who are familiar with J. R. R. Tolkien’s story of The Lord of the Rings—either the books or the movies—will remember a scene where Frodo and Sam are working their way toward Mount Doom. Struggling through difficult situations, they keep plodding along to the one place where they can destroy an evil ring that Frodo carries. They are weary of this quest, and discouraged because things get more dangerous with every step. Then…
And God Keeps on Giving
And God Keeps on Giving 9th Pentecost Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 Luke 12:32-40 You’ve heard those old “Good news, bad news” jokes, right? Like the one where there are a bunch of men rowing a big galley to the beat of a drum, and the slave-driver has them stop long enough to make an announcement. “We’ve got some good news, and some bad news. First, for the good news: the Captain has ordered that every one of you is going to have…
A Light to the Nations
“The Light to the Nations” Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-9 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 3:13-17 We have all been taught that “beauty is only skin deep,” but I say unto you, “real beauty is beyond the reach of the eyes.” But I wonder what it would be like to be able to perceive the REAL BEAUTY in every person I meet? Well, it’s Awards Season in Hollywood, and everyone is concerned with being “red-carpet ready.” The message we usually get from Hollywood is…
A New Light is Shining
January 5, 2020 A New Light Is Shining Epiphany Isaiah 60:1-6 January 5, 2020 Eph. 3:1-12 John 1:1-18 Do you remember the movie Hook? Captain Hook (played by Dustin Hoffman) and Peter Pan (played by Robin Williams) continue their epic struggle when Hook steals Pan’s kids in order to draw him back to Neverland. There’s one scene in which Captain Hook is talking to his sidekick, Smee, and he says that he’s had a “sublime vision”—an “epiphany”—and he shares his insight with…