Sermon and Worship Resources

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John 6:25-59

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

After the Lord's miraculous multiplying of the two fish and the loaves of bread, the crowd had seen the disciples shove off for the farther shore. They knew there had been only one boat by the shore. They knew Jesus had not entered it with the disciples. Do you suppose some in the crowd said to one another, "Jesus missed the boat"? Those who wanted to make Jesus king might have said that and meant...

2. Cheers For The Healed

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

Let's Hear It For The Deaf Man -- that's the title of a detective novel. That could mean, "Do his listening for him." But, for today, let it mean, "Three cheers for the deaf man." The deaf man deserves our first cheers, but before we give him his desserts, let's hear the voice of this Sunday telling us to cheer for some others as well. "Let's hear it for those who have heard and for those who now ...

3. Children, Just Forever

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

You are now, each one of you, and you have always been since you were baptized, one of these "little ones" who believe. Since the name of Christ was laid on you, and you were marked with his cross, he has claimed you as one of his "little ones" of which the text speaks, "these little ones who believe in me." At the time Jesus said these words there were only "little ones" for Jesus had not been ar...

4. Choose To Be Chosen

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

What a relief to be chosen! Remember? When the captains began to choose up sides for a softball game? That terrible feeling that you might be the last one chosen or not be chosen at all? "The rest of you can just go out in the outfield somewhere"...or "The rest of you can sit on the sidelines and we'll substitute you later on".... But when you were chosen, perhaps even sixth or seventh, then it wa...

5. Flesh For Our Life

John 6:25-59

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

Once again our Lord tells us, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." "Bread of life" -- that metaphor sums up all that Jesus said and did. "Whoever eats of this bread will live forever," Jesus says. That "eating" metaphor about the "bread" metaphor describes our grasp of faith by which we appropriate for ourselves all that God-in-Christ has said and done for us. Now Jesus tells us mor...

6. Himself The Real Presence

John 6:25-59

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

Accustomed as we are to hearing the words, "This is my body" in the consecration of the sacrament and "The body of Christ" as we receive holy communion bread, do we still draw back in surprise at hearing our Lord say "flesh"? Accustomed as we are to hearing the words "The blood of Christ" when we take the chalice, do we still find a murmur rising in our minds as we hear this text: "Unless you eat ...

7. Last But Yet First

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

In order to be last, you must give others a place in front of you. This is important to realize if you are interested in reaching first place. For Jesus here says, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Realize also that, given the kind of world we are part of, the people whom you must permit to go before you will be a mixed bag, indeed. You can't pick and choose, beca...

8. Look How You Listen

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

The whole of today's gospel seems to be about John the Baptist. His death sentence was issued by Herod. His head was taken by a soldier of the guard. It was presented to Herodias on a platter and finally reached her mother who gloated over her revenge on the Baptizer. Not to take anything else from John, still, the lesson today might be said to be not so much about John as it is about us. It is a...

9. Remade In His Image

Illustration

George W. Hoyer

G. K. Chesterton in his autobiography wrote about the effect of forgiveness, of the absolution. He was referring to the words of absolution spoken by the presiding minister after a confession of sin: "I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Somewhat freely paraphrased, this is what Chesterton said: Forgiven Christians "do truly, by definition, ...

10. The Final Questions

John 6:60-71

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

We are all being taught by God. Jesus cited that in one of the lessons from John's gospel we have heard on the last four Sundays. We have been taught. We have learned. Today we have the final exam. The gospel poses a number of questions. They seem to be rhetorical, asked simply for effect. No answer seems to be expected. But how successful would a student be who, seeing his final examination, look...

11. The Sign For Home

John 6:1-15

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

The crowd gathered because they saw the signs Jesus was doing for the sick. Another sign was the meal for the thousands. But among the thousands there were different interpretations of that sign. Some said it showed that Jesus was the long-awaited prophet God had promised Israel. Others said it showed that in any election Jesus would be a shoe-in for king. Outdated political bumper stickers are, ...

12. The Taught Can

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

You have heard that it has been said in old times, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." But I say unto you this morning, "Those who are taught, can do." As one who has been taught, I say this unto you as to those who have been taught by God, "Having been taught, we can." All this is pertinent to us all because as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes wrote, "For everything there is a season, and a...

13. What He Said!

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

In today's gospel we are not told if our Lord actually said it, or whether he simply thought it: "They are like sheep without a shepherd." Modern medicine has an amazing diagnostic tool called Magnetic Resonance Imaging -- MRI. The machine provides the magnetic magic and computers translate it all into pictures sharper than X-ray. Whether Jesus thought it or said it, what we have here is the Messi...

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