Sermons by John Hanneman (Page 3)

Sermons by John Hanneman (Page 3)

The Benedictus: Advent Blessings

Luke 1:57-79 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.” When John is born and Zechariah suddenly regains his speech, these are the first words out of his mouth. Why does Zechariah bless God? Why should we bless God? Advent is a “speed bump” during the year that allows us the opportunity to remember the blessing of the incarnation and to bless and praise God in return. During these weeks of Advent, we are focusing on the songs of Mary, Zechariah, Simeon, and the angels which we find in the opening chapters of Luke’s gospel. This week we turn to the Benedictus, named for the first word of the song in Latin, “blessed.” Many people do not feel blessed during the Christmas holidays, but Luke’s gospel comes to the rescue. As we gather this Sunday we will look to Zechariah’s song to set our hearts on God and remember the blessings of the Christmas season.

Wisdom for Relationships

As we saw last week Samson was a man ruled by his passions and desires and this manifested itself primarily in relationships – wife, parents, in-laws, and not so good friends. Samson’s problems with women continued after his wedding. In Judges chapter 16, Samson sees a woman in Gaza and then he loves a woman in the Valley of Sorek named Delilah, who ended up costing him his eyes and eventually his life. Relationships can be a real “killer!” In light of Samson’s weakness we realize that we need incredible wisdom and life-changing truth from God and his word. And so this will be our topic for this Sunday, seeking wisdom for interacting with the many different people in our lives.

Timber! I’m Falling in Love

Judg 14:1-20 After an amazing birth narrative in Judges 13 one would have expected an equally amazing life. But that is not what we see when we turn to chapter 14. Despite a special calling on his life, Samson sees a Philistine woman and immediately wants her for a wife. We see in Samson a man who is physically strong and Spirit-empowered but one who is ruled by his passions, especially lust and anger. Like Samson all of us can be tempted by our desires to act outside of God’s will. But as recipients of God’s grace through Christ we are called to have control over these desires, to “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:22 ESV)

A Mighty but Unwise Warrior

Judg 11:1 – 12:15 As the spiritual condition of Israel declines in the book of Judges so goes the character of its judges. This week we will look at the story of Jephthah. Jephthah was an outcast who was disinherited from his family. Even though he is listed in Hebrews 11 as a man of faith his story is one of contention and ambition. His foolish vow costs him his daughter and is one of the saddest stories in all of Scripture. And yet Jephath can teach us valuable lessons about spiritual wisdom and leadership. Since there is way too much material to cover on Sunday morning, I urge you to read Judges 10:6-12:7 to have the story fresh in your minds.