Pastor Sullivan's Blog

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. St. Paul tells the Athenians in Acts 17:31 that God “ has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained . He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. ” The man by whom God the Father will judge the world is His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified, died, and was buried, yet rose from dead on the third day. As His resurrection is true, so is His second coming to judge the living and the dead. But as it goes for the resurrection, so it goes for His return. Mockers and scoffers who don’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead have no reason to believe that He’ll return in judgment. The unbelieving world stops up its ears. People go on with their lives imagining that such a day will never come. And if there are some who think that that day might actually come, they calm their consciences by imagining that God will judge th...

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. What makes a person a sheep? It’s tempting to look at Christ’s parable with a quick glance and answer, “Works!” And this is how many see it when Christ commends the good works of the sheep. “ I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. ” “Do this and inherit the kingdom.” But their works aren’t what makes these people into lambs of the Lord Jesus. They are sheep because during their earthly lives they heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and believed His word. In Joh n 10:26-28 Jesus tells the Jews, “ But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. ” The P...

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1)         Christ will return to judge the living and dead. The Lord promises this numerous times throughout the four Gospels. Today’s appointed Gospel lesson is one of those promises. Ever since Jesus ascended into heaven, Christians have lived in eager expectation of His return in glory. The New Testament even ends with the teaching of Christ’s return. The final words of Christ to St. John in Revelation 22:20 are, “ Surely I am coming quickly. ” When Christ returns He will take those who believe the Gospel to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. On that day, everything you have now by faith you will have by sight. St. John writes in 1 John 3:2, “ B eloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. ” A...

Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 15 Hymn # 91 Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord Hymn # 611 The Day Is Surely Drawing Near Hymn # 53 Abide, O Dearest Jesus   Introit - 83   Readings Isaiah 40:9-11 2 Peter 3:3-14 Matthew 25:31-46   Collect for Trinity XXVI O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by Thy Holy Spirit that, being ever mindful of the end of all things and the day of Thy just judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with Thee forever hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.   Sermon on the Holy Gospel Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1)         When Christ returns on the Last Day, then we will experience what we confess each week in the Creed, that, “He shall come again with glory to judge both t...