Sermons by Darryl G. Klassen

The Question Series In the movie,  A Christmas Story , Ralphie’s dad wins a prize by solving some puzzles in the newspaper. A few weeks before Christmas, a large crate arrives at the house containing this prize. As Ralphie and family open the crate and sift through the enormous amount of straw, they wonder what the prize could be. Finally, dad lifts a plastic leg out of the crate. Ralphie’s mom asks, “What is it?” Dad responds, “Why, it’s a major award.” It’s a burlesque style leg with a lampshade – indeed, it is a lamp. The “old man” was proud of his brilliance which procured him this great award. So, he sets the grotesque lamp in the living room window for all the world to see. Mom is horrified that the neighborhood will see this monstrous thing, but dad is beaming, while Ralphie is stuck in rapturous wonder at this leg, this “major award.”              Everything about this scene is the exact opposite of what we can expect from “heavenly” rewards. Dad’s award was useless, inappropri

DOES JESUS KNOW YOU? The Question Series   Does Jesus know you? What a frightening question. It is, of course, based on Jesus’ response on Judgment Day to those who claim to know him, but apparently have failed in some aspect of their discipleship. The worst thing a human being will ever hear on that day is Jesus saying, “I never knew you.”              As we continue with our series “Questions you have always wanted to ask,” we are responding to this question:  What happens when people die who think they know God but have not professed their faith in Christ?  Matthew 7:21-23 provides us with a platform to begin thinking about this question. A flat answer regarding the God-seeker who does not include Jesus in their faith is overall rejection from the kingdom of heaven. God the Father and Jesus the Son are so intimately connected that you cannot have one without the other. So, the person who does not profess faith in Christ in this life will not enter eternal life. But why?             

Most grandmothers are the kind who dote on and spoil their grandchildren. They always have some candy in their purses and like to sit down and visit with their little grandchildren. A trip to grandmother’s house is exciting when you are young, especially when she has so many treasures from a long time ago.              It would be safe to say that grandmothers are sweet, kindly, caring ladies who typically say, “Have another cookie.” Their greatest pleasure is to feed you.             Most grandmothers are like that. Your experience may be different than what I have just described. Your grandmother may not have been the loving and affectionate type.              I want to tell you a story about a Gramma who did not seem so kindly. She was, in fact, a stern, strict old lady. In her house there were rules for everything. And one did not expect to be fed or served unless certain expectations were met, and met precisely. Going into Gramma’s purse was like taking your life into your own han

THE HOPE OF HEAVEN: A BRIEF SURVEY   “Heaven” is a catch-all term that represents the hope of the Christian. We use the term to express a variety of different hopes. It is a place of peace and rest for those who have died. It is an alternative to the phrase “eternal life,” the next life that we share with Christ. We use “heaven” to express perfection, a place where all things horrible, faulty, weak, damaged, broken, and marred will be restored to their original intention. Heaven represents hope.             Unfortunately, many writers and speakers talk about heaven in ways that cannot be supported. They take a verse and run with it and make wild claims about what heaven will be like. I watched one sermon where the pastor went on and on about the word “new” and what that meant in heaven. He said that after 10,000 years in heaven, we will be called to supper, and someone will ask what’s being served. And the answer, he said, was, we don’t know, it’s new. If he had studied the Greek word