Learning from the Lord: The Gospels: Volume 1

Learning from the Lord is a collection of sermons Dr. Sauser has preached during his twenty-plus years in pastoral service to the Union Springs Presbyterian Church (USA) in Union Springs, Alabama. Like many small-town and rural churches across the United States, the Union Springs Presbyterian Church comprises a small but lively congregation with a good understanding of the beliefs and traditions of the Christian church but a hunger to learn more about the truths revealed in God's written Word; the context in which they were inspired by the Holy Spirit and written down by faithful evangelists; their meaning to the early Christians who were first exposed to them; their meaning to modern-day Christians as our rule of faith and life; and how we can apply these biblical truths in our worship and life today.

What does God expect of us as we seek to assist in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth? What would Jesus do? How do we live by the law of love as Jesus commands? How do we spread the gospel to the ends of the earth, starting from our own homes, churches, and communities? How does our loving God reconcile us to himself, forgive our sins, and grant us eternal life in paradise? How can we glorify and enjoy God forever? Learning from the Lord is not a scholarly commentary, but the sermons contained herein are informed by biblical scholars from the earliest days of the church through today.

This volume focuses on the four gospels. Each evangelist tells his story a little differently, so the sermons included in this volume emphasize different themes from the four gospels. The Marcan sermons focus on the power of God to overcome sin, evil, and death as manifested by the miracles and signs performed by Jesus. The sermons drawn from Matthew track the five great blocks of Jesus's teachings found within that gospel. Sermons from Luke's gospel illustrate Jesus's love for all as he interacts with people from all walks of life. The Johannine sermons show the Son of God engaging a variety of persons in one-on-one conversation as he reveals--in mystical words and phrases--what it means to be reborn as a believer.