Sunday Sermon

Weekly Inspiration for Preachers from Pastor Phil Brandt

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The Baptism of Our Lord – Series C 

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This sermon will proclaim that Jesus has the Spirit and authority to save. We of course know this, but the Baptism of our Lord almost demands that we proclaim it as the Spirit descends and the voice proclaims Him to be God’s Son. The preacher may want to contrast this with those who come with worldly zeal and authority. That often does not end well. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The zealous reformers and the zealous patriots, given authority, often make for much misery.

We know from this same Gospel according to Luke that Jesus does not come with same zeal and authority as these worldly types. Jesus comes with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Living God. That means he does not use his power and authority in the same way as the world. He uses it to bless and save.

This then leads us to two places this sermon really wants to go. What roles does this Jesus, anointed with he Spirit and declared to have authority as God’s Son play today in our lives? First he is the authoritative Son of God. To Him we do not really have a choice about listening, not if we would be numbered among His disciples. When He tells us to love our enemies, that is not optional. We love them and do not heap hatred upon them. When he tells us to proclaim the kingdom of Jesus to this world, we cannot be silent. He has the authority to shape our lives, determine our course, send us on missions, and hold us back. He is the Son of God.

But Jesus also has the Spirit of God. This too is important and too often neglected by us. Jesus is not stingy with his Spirit. He has freely and fully poured out that Spirit on Pentecost upon us all. We encountered that Spirit in Baptism and continuously through Word, Sacrament, Fellowship, Word, and more. That Spirit now makes all our lives different.

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I value Sunday Sermon notes for their ease of use, the contribution of many others to the discussion and for the sermon starters, especially when you have writer's block!
Pastor Glen Emery
Pastor Glen EmeryGrace Lutheran Church | Fairbury, NE
My sermon preparations are much easier made and more enriched. There is always good stuff in the introductions and background information. What a blessing!
Rev. Dr. Nicholas Salifu
Rev. Dr. Nicholas SalifuGhana, West Africa
Sunday Sermon notes are extremely helpful for many, not just proclaimers. I've shared them weekly with Elders of the small church I'm privileged to serve and suggest they be used as devotional thoughts during the week. They are appreciative.
Rev. Lloyd Willweber
Rev. Lloyd WillweberKailua, HI
Not only is Dr. Brandt’s sermon studies a great help in preparing sermons, they also are great for use in bible studies and personal devotions. Thank you, Dr. Brandt for all your good work! 
Pastor Toby Joeckel
Pastor Toby JoeckelIntentional Interim Pastor Pilgrim Lutheran | Spokane, WA
I often use Phil’s Sunday Sermon notes to get ideas. His insights are thought-provoking and I appreciate that he often poses questions rather than supplying (or attempting to supply) answers. I’ve used them for a number of years and have been blessed because of them. Thanks brother Phil!
Pastor Skip Nizinski
Pastor Skip NizinskiGood Shepherd | York, PA
Sunday Sermon has been an incredible resource for me in my first four years of pastoral ministry. Pastor Brandt’s work with all of the weekly lectionary texts offer wonderful Law/Gospel insights which have been integral to my weekly sermon prep, reducing the amount of overwhelm I felt as I learned to develop a rhythm of preaching each Sunday. Pastor Brandt’s reflections were helpful not only in sermon prep but also in my own devotional life as well.
Nick Shults, Chaplain
Nick Shults, ChaplainCrowley County Correctional Facility | Pueblo, CO
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