Sermons from the Divine Service

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on July 27, 2025.

Our Only Hope Is in Christ’s Righteousness. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). God demands nothing less than perfection from you regarding His commandments (Exodus 20:1–17). Your only hope, then, is not in your own goodness but in the goodnes...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on July 20, 2025.

Jesus Makes Fishers of Men. The Lord called fishermen to be fishers of men (Luke 5:1–11). The net they would use is the message of the cross, which is foolishness and a stumbling block to the world. The power of God to save is not in spectacular signs like wind and fire and earthquakes (1 Kings 19:11–21), nor is it to be found in human...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on July 13, 2025.

Christ’s Mercy Is Ours to Show to Others. “Be merciful, even as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36–42). The old Adam in us wants to condemn and seek vengeance. But to condemn, to avenge yourself, is to put yourself in the place of God. It is to fail to trust that He is just. Ultimately, it is to disbelieve that Jesus suffered the...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on July 6, 2025.

Jesus Receives Sinners. “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). The Pharisees’ statement of judgment against Jesus is in fact a proclamation of Gospel truth. For our God is one who delights in mercy, who casts all our sins into the depths of the sea through the cross (Micah 7:18–20). Those who refuse to be counted as...

This sermon was delivered by Elder Batson at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on June 29, 2025. 

St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles. Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” So confessed St. Peter. And Christ promised to build His Church on it by the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 16:16–19). He does this so we don’t try to build the Church ourselves, on this or that person, or by any human means. The same Lord “who worked th...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on June 22, 2025.

Faith Trusts in Christ for Life Eternal. When the beggar Lazarus died, he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. For he was truly a man of faith. The name Lazarus means “God is my help.” The unnamed rich man, on the other hand, did not love and trust in God. For he evidently cared little for the beggar at his gate, forgetting th...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on June 15, 2025.

The Holy Trinity Reveals Himself to Sinners. When Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he cried out “Woe is me!” For the sinner cannot stand in the presence of a holy God and live (Isaiah 6:1–7). But God the Father lifted up His Son Jesus for us on the cross, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. This et...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on June 8, 2025.

The Holy Spirit Gives Peace. Following the flood, Noah’s descendants failed to spread out and fill the earth as God had spoken. Rather, they exalted themselves; with “one language and the same words” (Genesis 11:1) they spoke proudly and arrogantly. The Lord humbled them by confusing “the language of all the earth,” dividing and dispers...

This sermon was delivered by Elder Callahan at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on June 1, 2025.

The Spirit of Truth Bears Witness to Jesus. The Spirit of Truth bears witness to Jesus, who is the truth. But the world does not receive the truth. It loves its own and hates those who are of the truth. Just as Jesus was scorned, so is His Church. “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (Jo...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on May 25, 2025.

The Father Answers Our Prayers Because of Jesus. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23). To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray as one who has been baptized. For it is in the water that He put His name upon you, claiming you as His own, making you a son of God with access ...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on May 18, 2025. 

Jesus Promises to Send His Holy Spirit, the Helper. Though Jesus has departed from us visibly to the right hand of the Father who sent Him, yet this is to our advantage. For Jesus—who is Lord over all creation, who intercedes for us before the Father, who is preparing a place for us in heaven—has sent the Helper, the Spirit of Truth (J...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on May 4, 2025.

The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep. Our Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11–16). He is not like the hireling, who cares nothing for the sheep and only for himself, who flees when he sees the wolf coming. Rather, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who seeks out His scattered sheep to deliver them (Ezekiel 34:11–16). He gathers them and...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on April 27, 2025.

The Wounds of Christ Give Us Life. “For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood” (1 John 5:7). These three point to Christ and flow from Christ. Jesus shows His disciples His hands side, from which blood and water flowed, saying “Peace be with you.” He presents the wounds which turn our fear to gladness an...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on April 20, 2025.

Christ’s Resurrection Means That We Will One Day Be Raised. “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). By the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, eternal death has passed over us. Now we pass with Christ through death into life everlasting. For Christ the crucified One is risen! The stone has been rolled ...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on April 19, 2025.

The Vigil of Easter is celebrated at the end of Holy Saturday as the conclusion of the Triduum Sacrum (three days of prayer). It ushers in the celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter Sunday. The Vigil of Easter connects the days of Holy Week, especially Holy Thursday and Good Friday, with the culminating celebration of t...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on April 18, 2025.

Christ is our Passover Lamb. Just prior to the Exodus from Egypt, the Lord instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless Passover Lamb: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” (Exodus 12:5). So it is that our spotless, sinless Lamb was led to be sacrificed for us: “Jesus, bearing His cross, went out to a pla...

This sermon was delivered by Pastor Akers at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on April 18, 2025.

Christ is our Passover Lamb. Just prior to the Exodus from Egypt, the Lord instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless Passover Lamb: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” (Exodus 12:5). So it is that our spotless, sinless Lamb was led to be sacrificed for us: “Jesus, bearing His cross, went out to a pla...