Jordan Rimmer Sermons

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.

Nehemiah's Walls: Dealing with Resistance

This sermon looks briefly at Chapter 3 and then walks through Chapter 4 looking at how Nehemiah deals with his enemies and also the fear in Jerusalem. He both prays and plans. Most improtantly, Nehemiah understands that he is not just building a wall. He is building the people.

Nehemiah: Inspecting the Wall

Preaching through the book of Nehemiah. Here, Nehemiah speaks to the king and goes to Jerusalem. He inspects the walls and prepares to fix them.

Nehemiah's Walls: Introduction

This is the start of a series on the book of Nehemiah. In this sermon, I introduce the book and look at a number of insights from Chapter 1.

 

Epiphanies about Epiphany

In this sermon I take a look at the Christmas story, and more specifically about the Epiphany story. We get so much of the story wrong.

New Years Sermon 2017

This is a sermon given on New Years Day 2017. I was really laid back and talked about how to walk in God's plan for the New Year. During the sermon, I give some quiet times for reflections both on last year and this year. I have left them in the recording. I also did not end the sermon, but instead went right into communion. I have left that move in the recording as well. 

God bless you in the 2017.

Christmas Hallelujah Song

This is a version of Hallelujah with verses about the Christmas story. Mandy is singing, I am playing the guitar and singing, and Rick Craig is playing the keyboard. The original song was done by Leonard Cohen, and the Christmas version was put together by Cloverton. Enjoy.

Names of the Messiah: Prince of Peace

This Advent, I am looking at the descriptins from Isaiah 9 of Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. I am taking one each week in Advent. The sermon is inspired by the book Names of the Messiah by Walter Brueggemann.

On the fourth Sunday in Advent, I look at the idea of Jesus as "Prince of Peace." This one is the easiest one to see Jesus in, but also the hardest for us to beleive in our broken world.

Names of the Messiah: Everlasting Father

This Advent, I am looking at the descriptins from Isaiah 9 of Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. I am taking one each week in Advent. The sermon is inspired by the book Names of the Messiah by Walter Brueggemann.

On the third Sunday in Advent, I look at the idea of Jesus as "Everlasting Father." This title is a little hard for us to see Jesus in. First, we tend to think of Jesus as the Son and not the Father. Second, we don't often think of Jesus as everlasting, at least not in the past. 

Names of the Messiah: Mighty God

This Advent, I am looking at the descriptins from Isaiah 9 of Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. I am taking one each week in Advent. The sermon is inspired by the book Names of the Messiah by Walter Brueggemann.

On the second Sunday in Advent, I look at the idea of Jesus as "Mighty God." I talk about how Jesus was truly God and yet truly human. I had two chairs set up, one on each side of me. One was labeled human and the other God. I used them when talking about whether Jesus was more one or the other, and then at put the papers together in a cumpled ball to show both humanity and divinity occupying the same space in Christ.

Names of the Messiah: Wonderful Counselor

This Advent, I am looking at the descriptins from Isaiah 9 of Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. I am taking one each week in Advent. The sermon is inspired by the book Names of the Messiah by Walter Brueggemann.

On the first Sunday in Advent, I introduce the Isaiah passage and explore what it means that Jesus is Wonderful Counselor.

 

Thankful to Christ the King

This sermn was given on Christ the King Sunday. It was also the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I talk about what it means that Jesus is called Christ and what kind of king Jesus is. This should drive us to gratitude. 

Post-Election Sermon: Relationships in Disagreement

This sermon was given the Sunday after the most divisive election that I have ever seen. I reflect on the words of Paul ot the church at Corinth, and his plan to help them with unity. I talk about the three words that my teacher Len Sweet calls the hardest words to get right in the world today--"I" "Love" "You"  The world needs the church to get these words right, but the world does not want the church, and I am worried the church is not ready to be needed.

The Future of Our Church

In this sermon I talk about where I am personally this Fall and where we are as a church. I talk honestly about what we need to do and where the challenges are.

 

The Book on the Shelf

This is a sermon for Reformation Sunday and look at the history of the Bible. I talk about how the Bible was written, how it was preserved over time, and how it came to be written in English. I hope that you listen and gain an appreciation for how important the privilege of reading the Bible in your own language was to people that gave their lives to give you that privilege. Pick up the book sometime.

Old Wrestling Injuries

This is a sermon about Jacob wrestling with God. I talk about how we wrestle with God and how sometimes God's blessings come with limps.

Render Unto Caesar: Seek the Welfare of the City

This sermon is the final of a 4-week series I am doing on faith and politics. My goal is not to tell people what to think or who to vote for, but rather to address some of the underlying spiritual issues at play in our national and global politics. I want to help Christians learn how to think about politics.

This sermon explores how Christianity is based on core convictions that we have to prayerfully translate into voting and policy decisions. I drew the diagram that is pictured here.

You can read the sermon at: http://www.jordanrimmer.com/seekthewelfareofthecity/

Render Unto Caesar: The Politics of Jesus

This sermon is the third of a 4-week series I am doing on faith and politics. My goal is not to tell people what to think or who to vote for, but rather to address some of the underlying spiritual issues at play in our national and global politics. I want to help Christians learn how to think about politics.

This sermon explores the politics of the Bible and how the Bible should inform our politics and how Jesus should be our political example.

You can read the sermon at http://www.jordanrimmer.com/thepoliticsofjesus/.

Render Unto Caesar: Some Trust in Chariots

This sermon is the second of a 4 week series I am doing on faith and politics. My goal is not to tell people what to think or who to vote for, but rather to address some of the underlying spiritual issues at play in our national and global politics. I want to help Christians learn how to think about politics.

This sermon was given on September 11, 2016. It was the 15 year anniversary of 9/11 attacks on the United States. I reflect on the feeling of fear that we have had since that day and the growing violence from guns in our country in the years since. How should Christians think about war and violence?

You can read the sermon at http://www.jordanrimmer.com/sometrustinchariots/.

Render Unto Caesar: Two Kingdoms

This sermon begins a 4 week sermon series I am doing on faith and politics. My goal is not to tell people what to think or who to vote for, but rather to address some of the underlying spiritual issues at play in our national and global politics. I want to help Christians learn how to think about politics.

In this sermon, I look at the idea that, in the Bible, we are part of two kingdoms--the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God (sometimes also called the kingdom of heaven). What does it mean that we live in these two kingdoms? How does the idea of two kingdoms jive with America's idea of the separation of church and state?

To read a text of this sermon, got to my blog at  http://www.jordanrimmer.com/renderuntocaesartwokingdoms/