How Much Better Is Heaven than Earth?

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE on November 2, 2025 for All Saints' Day. More info at mtolivelincoln.org

AI Summary takeaways:

• All Saints' Day reminds us of the saints--all believers in Jesus--who have gone before us.
• Heaven is described as a place of joy and celebration.
• The blood of the Lamb cleanses us from sin.
• Communion connects us to our loved ones in heaven.
• Heaven is ten times better than earth.
• God's promises provide hope and comfort in tribulation.

• Every tear will be wiped away in heaven.

Text: Revelation 7:9-17

9After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10They called out with a loud voice and said:

Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.

11All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12saying:

Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.

13One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”

And I answered him, “Sir, you know.”

14And he said to me:

These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation.

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15Because of this they are in front of the throne of God,

and they serve him day and night in his temple.

He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again.

The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat,

17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd.

He will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Re 7:9–17.

The New Covenant Changes the Heart

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE on October 26, 2025 for Reformation. More info at mtolivelincoln.org

AI Summary takeaways:

• The New Covenant signifies a shift in God's relationship with His people.
• Justification comes through faith, not works.
• God's love is unconditional and transformative.
• Forgiveness is central to the Christian faith.

• Communion is a means of receiving God's grace.
• God's grace changes our hears and makes us want to carry out his will.
• God sees us as beautiful and faithful through Christ.

Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

31Yes, the days are coming, declares the LORD,

when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel

and with the house of Judah.

32It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers,

when I took them by the hand

and led them out of the land of Egypt.

They broke that covenant of mine,

although I was a husband to them, declares the LORD.

33But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days,

declares the LORD.

I will put my law in their minds,

and I will write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

34No longer will each one teach his neighbor,

or each one teach his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,”

because they will all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD,

for I will forgive their guilt,

and I will remember their sins no more.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Je 31:31–34.

Give Thanks for 175 Years of Grace

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE on October 19, 2025 for Trinity 18 and the 175th Anniversary of the WELS. More info at mtolivelincoln.org

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

4 I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus. 5 You were enriched in him in every way, in all your speaking and all your knowledge, 6 because the testimony about Christ was established in you. 7 As a result you do not lack any gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also keep you strong until the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.