Jordan Rimmer Sermons

Faith in Practice: What is the Bible

In this sermon, I continue to talk about the need to put faith in practice by talking about the Bible. I argue that it is not an instruction book, but a library of people's relationships with God. I use the story of Jonah to show how arguing about it can often lead us to miss the point.

Faith in Practice: Belong, Believe, Behave

In this series, I am taking a look at how we practice our faith, particularly in Bible study and prayer. In this starting sermon, I take a look at how we make a mistake by defining our faith as a belief system instead of a relationship to which we belong and behaviors to support that belonging. Our theology/beliefs give language to our experiences of God, and trying to talk of our beliefs without an actual experience of God is harmful to our faith.

I am indebted to Diana Butler Bass and her book Christianity After Religion for the concept of the reversale of Belong, Behave, and Believe.

Call Stories: Paul Reclaimed

I end this sermon series which I have enjoyed so much by one of my favorite Bible stories. It is the conversion of Paul. It has so much to teach us about the gospel and about how to listen to and follow God's calling in our lives.

Call Stories: Timothy Trained Up

 

Here I take a look at the call of Timothy, which is not a spectacular story. He was trained in the faith by his mother and grandmother and annointed by the elders of his congregation. Paul writes to Timothy to encourage him as Timothy seems to be fading in his zeal. This is a lot like us--a more normal call and trouble persisting.

Call Stories: Esther

This sermon looks at the story of Esther, particularly the political intrigue that provides the context of the story and Mordecai’s calling of Esther to action.

The prayer at the end of my sermon was written by by Richard Einerson, and published in Prayers of the People. I found it at: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/09/pastoral-prayer-esther.html

Call Stories: Isaiah's Lips

Here I take a look at the call of Isaiah from Isaiah 6. How does Isaiah react to God's presence, and how does his response lead to his response to God's call? We must all walk the road from "Woe is me" to "Here I am."

 

Call Stories: Elijah's Whisper

This is a continuation of my series of the great call stories of the Bible, but this story is not typically thought of as a call story. It is really a re-call story as God calls Elijah away from Elijah's plans and back to God's plans.

Two notes: 1. This was an outdoor service and I did not have a sound system. I was projecting my voice a lot and walking around. 2. I am indebted to a great sermon that Timothy Keller did on this passage that you can download at http://www.gospelinlife.com/the-still-small-voice-9091.

Call Stories: Moses and the Burning Bush

Sermon series on the great stories of God's call from the Bible. In this one I take a look at Moses and the Burning Bush. Why is the symbolism of the desert, the bush, and the staff so significan to his call?

Call Stories: Abraham's Great Nation

This is a new series titled "Call Stories." I will take a look at a few of the great call stories of the Bible. I want to help us reflect on how God calls us in our lives and as a church. It is interesting that all these call stories are different. God calls his people to different things in different ways. Further, the responses of his people are equally diverse. So looking at these stories provides us some insights into how we should respond to God’s leading.

In this sermon I take a look at the call story of Abraham and what it means for us today.

 

No If's, And's, or But's

This sermon was given to address some anxiety my church is going through as we get low on our savings and try to discern what that might mean for us having a full-time pastor in the future. The first part of the sermon is a bit of a state of the church address, but I then get into the need to trust God when feel anxious and how we do that.

True Freedom

Special sermon inspired by the Fourth of July looking at what the Bible means by Freedom and how we so often choose to return to slavery.

 

The Bad Habits of Jesus: Jesus Procrastinated

Jesus seemed late sometimes. He was "long expected" at his birth and procrastinated with Jairus' daughter and his friend Lazarus' death. But Jesus is never late, he just doesn't run on our time. 

This sermon is part of a series called "The Bad Habits of Jesus." We are not looking at Jesus as sinful, but rather how Jesus often broke social norms and expectations because he lived in a different kingdom. The series is inspired by a book by my teacher Leonard Sweet of the same name.

The Bad Habits of Jesus: Jesus Loved to Party

Jesus was at parties all the time with the wrong sorts of people. He had a reputation as a glutton and a drunkard, and was criticized for his party guests. We should learn from him.  

This sermon is part of a series called "The Bad Habits of Jesus." We are not looking at Jesus as sinful, but rather how Jesus often broke social norms and expectations because he lived in a different kingdom. The series is inspired by a book by my teacher Leonard Sweet of the same name.

The Bad Habits of Jesus: Jesus Appeared Wasteful

This sermon is part of a series called "The Bad Habits of Jesus." We are not looking at Jesus as sinful, but rather how Jesus often broke social norms and expectations because he lived in a different kingdom. The series is inspired by a book by my teacher Leonard Sweet of the same name. This sermon takes a look at how Jesus, in his actions and his stories, appears wasteful. He makes too much wine, too good of wine, the sowers wastes the seed, the father wastes the fatted calf, and Jesus lets Mary waste money on ointment to wash his feet. Why does Jesus appear so wasteful?

 

The Bad Habits of Jesus: Jesus Spit

Spitting is a bad habit, yet Jesus spit in three of his mracles. In fact, Jesus may have even healed with a wet-Willy.  

This sermon is part of a series called "The Bad Habits of Jesus." We are not looking at Jesus as sinful, but rather how Jesus often broke social norms and expectations because he lived in a different kingdom. The series is inspired by a book by my teacher Leonard Sweet of the same name.

The Bad Habits of Jesus: Jesus Hung out with Children

This sermon is part of a series called "The Bad Habits of Jesus." We are not looking at Jesus as sinful, but rather how Jesus often broke social norms and expectations because he lived in a different kingdom. The series is inspired by a book by my teacher Leonard Sweet of the same name. This Sunday was Children's Sunday, where the kids helped lead the worship. I was intentionally a little more off-the-cuff to fit the service better. I take a look at the relationship that Jesus had with children.

The Bad Habits of Jesus: Jesus Hung out with Women

This sermon starts as series called "The Bad Habits of Jesus." We are not looking at Jesus as sinful, but rather how Jesus often broke social norms and expectations because he lived in a different kingdom. The series is inspired by a book by my teacher Leonard Sweet of the same name.

This Sunday was Mother's Day, so I took a look at the relationships that Jesus had with women. In fact, the Bible is exceptional in its time for the good treatment of women, but Jesus takes it to another level. Paul is a little harder to read, but I argue that he too is actually positvive toward women. This sermon is part an apprecation of women, part a justification for women in ministry, and part a call to treat others with respect--not based on what we think they have to offer, but becasue they are valuable treasures.

A Theology of Friendship

This is one of my favorite sermons that I have ever done. I was inspired by some great friends I graduated with and some great friends that helped me along the way to think through a theology of friendship. Why we need friends, why it is hard to have deep friendships, and how to create and cultivate them.

 

Long Hair and Big Muscles

Today I talk about the story of Samson. But be warned, this is the Samson story you learned in Sunday School. It is the full, PG-13 story. Samson is not a great example for us, but his story has a lot to teach us.

7 Last Words #7: It is Finished EASTER SERMON 2017

Here is my final sermon on the words of Jesus from the cross, yet it is also Easter Sunday, so I move into the Resurrection as well. It is finished, but it is not done. At the end of the sermon, my voice gave out from a cold I had been fighting, so the sermon ended more abruptly than I planned.

7 Last Words #6: Father, Into Your Hands

I am not doing these sermon in the traditional order. Today I look at the phrase, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." I am saving "It is finished" for Easter. I take a look at the time of day, the darkness, the turn curtain, and this phrase. This comes from Psalm 31 and was an evening prayer that Jesus would have learned as a child. I then look at the responses of those present at his death.

7 Last Words #5: I Thirst

This sermon is on Jesus saying "I Thirst" from the cross. I must admit that I worried I would not have enough to say about this text. Instead, I had a lot to say. I will also say that I was very sick this particular Sunday. I wasn't even sure that I would be able to preach.

7 Last Words #4: With Me in Paradise

Sermon series looking at the words of Jesus from the cross. Today we look at the conversation Jesus had with the criminal beside him on the cross.

7 Last Words #3: Why Have You Forsaken Me

Next in this series are the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" In order to understand these words, you have to understand a little about the Trinity and the specific work of the Son. But you also must understand that Jesus is quoting from Psalm 22. When you read that Psalm, as Mark obviously had, you get an amazing picture of what Jesus is going through, and whether he was actually forsaken. What does that mean for us when we feel forsaken by God?

7 Last Words #2: Behold Your Son

I am doing a series on the seven last words of Jesus from the cross. I am not following the typical Good Friday order, so #2 is about the interaction with Mary and John.

7 Last Words #1: Father, Forgive Them

I begin a sermon series on the seven last sayings of Jesus. These are the phrases that Jesus speaks from the cross. Here I introduce the series that will take us through Easter, and deal with the first phrase, where Jesus asks the Father to forgive those who are crucifying him.

Seasons and Rythms

I take a look at the seasons and times of life. Do we really trust God with the season that we are in, or are we always longing for a different season?

The Meaning of Baptism

In this short sermonette, I give an introduction to baptism right before I did a baptism.

Understanding Worship Space

In this sermon I take a look at how Jewish and Christian worship spaces developed. I then walked around my sancutary and pointed the symbols and lessons of the space. I am not sure that this sermon will translate as well online, but I hope it will be helpful.

 

Nehemiah's Walls: The Fear of God

In this final sermon from the book of Nehemiah I take a look at what motivates Nehemiah and sets his expectations of Israel's behavior--the fear of God. I wrestle with what that means, and how we should think about the fear of the Lord today.