Sermons

What is commonly understood and fought for as liberty today is in fact libertinism. A “libertine” is “a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, or sexual restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially someone who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society.” Saint Paul gives us a different definition of liberty. In his letter to Galatians, he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Every sinful instinct we have tells us we can do it all on our own. We are beholden to our pride. We are so held captive by our pride, that we have a whole month to celebrate it! The bread of man is this: you can define who you are; you can define your identity; you can do whatever you want and expect the world to affirm you; you can define your own meaning of life; you get to define your meaning of love, your meaning of truth, your meaning of justice. All the answers, and ultimately your salvation, are found deep inside yourself. The Holy Eucharist is a repudiation of all of this, everything our culture stands for.

To paraphrase the late Dr. RC Sproul, we do not truly know who we are until we know who God truly is. Sproul’s greatest theological work as a minister of the Universal Church came in his clear explanation of the holiness of God, summarizing the fundamental difference between God and man with these words: “God is holy, and I am not.” We do not know ourselves because we do not know who God truly is. And if we do not know who God is, then how can we properly worship Him? Listen as the Rector examines our response to the God who is holy, holy, holy.

The Day of Pentecost is one of the most widely misconstrued events in Church history. Contrary to popular belief, the Day of Pentecost is about far more than the gift of speaking in tongues – it is about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, empowering Christians as God’s chosen people to go forth and renew the face of the earth.

When we live like the rest of the world around us, it is because our idea of ministry is too small, our heaven is too small, and our Christ is too small. Indeed, without the Ascension there is no reason to rejoice at all. But thanks be to God, that is not the case. Let us go forth with great joy, just as the disciples did, for our savior Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven, and he will return in the same way as he departed.

We who enjoy the luxuries of 21st century America are the unmatched champions of vain things! Our lives are so dedicated to vain things, trivial things, pointless things, that we go out of our way to celebrate vanity itself! The Gospel calls us away from vain things just as it did the pagans at Lystra. But are we willing to turn away from vain things?

What does it mean to be Pro-Life? The answer, for Christians especially, goes much deeper than one might think. Listen as the Rev. Stomberg discusses what it means to be Pro-Life, and how the battle against abortion in America got to be where it is today.

Jesus told his disciples, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). The Rev. Galloway challenges us to examine how far we fall short of this commandment and reminds us that love does not mean saying things people want to hear – it means telling the truth.

Decades of spiritual apathy have given over Western Civilization to the evils of abortion, lured in by the false promises offered by politicians and celebrities – and the modern Church bears much of the blame. The Rev. Galloway exhorts Christians to defend the dignity of life regardless of the fate of Roe v. Wade.