The Vast Ascension Day Conspiracy

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt Olive Lutheran Church on May 17, 2026 for Ascension.

Sermon text: Ephesians 1:16-23

You're Not Dreaming - God Answers Prayer!

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow for the Sixth Sunday of Easter on May 10, 2026 at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE.

mtolivelincoln.org

Sermon text: Acts 12:1-16

At about that time, King Herod laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the days of Unleavened Bread.

4After arresting Peter, Herod put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. Herod intended to bring him before the people for trial after the Passover. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church earnestly offered up prayer to God for him.

6The very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound with two chains, while sentries were in front of the door, guarding the prison.

7Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood near him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke Peter up by striking him on the side, saying, “Quick, get up!” The chains fell from his wrists.

8Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” So he did so. Then the angel told him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” 9Peter went out, following the angel, but he did not realize that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed through the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. It opened all by itself for them. They went outside, walked down one street, and immediately the angel left him.

11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”

12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is also called Mark. Many had gathered there and were praying. 13When Peter knocked at the entrance gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14She recognized Peter’s voice and was so overjoyed, she did not open the gate. Instead she ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

15They told her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept on insisting it was so, and they started saying, “It’s his angel.”

16Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Ac 12:1–16.

How did the early church grow?

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 3, 2026.

Sermon text: Acts 16:11-34

11After we put out to sea from Troas, we sailed straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. 12From there we went to Philippi, which is a leading city in that part of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for a number of days.

13On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate alongside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and began to talk to the women who had gathered there. 14A woman named Lydia, who worshipped God, was listening. She was a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. The Lord opened her heart to pay close attention to what Paul was saying. 15When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Put in Prison

16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us. She had a spirit that foretold the future, and she made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17As she followed Paul and us, she kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way to be saved.” 18When she kept doing this for many days, Paul became so annoyed that he turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

19When her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20They had brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are throwing our city into a state of confusion. They are Jews, 21and they are teaching customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans.”

22When the crowd also joined in the attack against them, the magistrates tore off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. 24Because he received such a command, the jailer threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Earthquake and the Jailer’s Conversion

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Instantly all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27When the jailer woke up and saw that the prison doors were opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted with a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we are all here!”

29The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his home. 33At the same hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Without delay, he and all his family were baptized. 34Then he brought Paul and Silas into his house and set food before them. He rejoiced, because he and his whole household had come to believe in God.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Ac 16:11–34.

The Power of the Resurrection in Life and Death

Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow on April 26, 2026 at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE for Easter 4. mtolivelincoln.org

Sermon text, Acts 9:36-42:

36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity. 37At that time she became sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. 38Since Lydda is near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, who urged him, “Come to us without delay!”

39Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothing that Dorcas made while she was still with them.

40After Peter sent them all outside, he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. After he called the saints and the widows, he presented her to them alive.

42This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Ac 9:36–42.

If This Were Our Last Class, I'd Say...

Sermon preached for Youth Confirmation on April 19, 2026 at Mt Olive by Pastor Julius Buelow.

Sermon text: Acts 20:28-32

28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Is This the Life You Want?

Sermon preached on April 12,2026 for Easter 2 at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE by Pastor Julius Buelow.

mtolivelincoln.org

Acts 26 selected verses:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. 2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am going to make my defense before you today concerning all the things about which I am being accused by the Jews, 3especially because you are an expert in all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

...

18You are to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

...

22“But I have had help from God right up to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great. I am saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would happen, 23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24While Paul was saying these things in his defense, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25But Paul replied, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but I am clearly speaking words that are true and sensible. 26Certainly the king to whom I am freely speaking knows about these things. Indeed, I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice, because this has not been done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “In such a short time are you going to persuade me to become a Christian?”

29Paul replied, “I pray God, that whether in a short time or a long time, not only you, but also all those who are listening to me today would become what I am, except for these chains.”

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Ac 26:1–29.

How Should We Celebrate Easter?

Sermon preached for the festival of the Resurrection on April 5, 2026 by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE.

Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8:

Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7Purge out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, just as you are unleavened. For our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, namely, Christ! 8So let us keep celebrating the festival, not with old yeast, not with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), 1 Co 5:6–8.

In a Single Day

Sermon preached on Good Friday, April 3, 2026 by Pastor Julius Buelow at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE.

Sermon text: Zechariah 3:1-10

Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan was standing at his right hand to accuse him.

2The Lord said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick plucked from a fire?”

3Now Joshua was clothed in filthy clothing and was standing in front of the Angel. 4Then the Angel of the LORD spoke to those who were standing in front of him: “Remove his filthy clothing.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken your guilt away from you, so that I may clothe you in a special robe.”

5I said, “Let them place a clean turban on his head.” So they placed a clean turban on his head and got him dressed, while the Angel of the LORD was standing by.

6Then the Angel of the LORD spoke solemnly to Joshua:

7This is what the LORD of Armies says. If you will walk in my ways and carry out my ministry, then you will also govern my house and watch over my courts, and I will give you access among those who are standing here.

8Now listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates who sit in front of you—because these men are a sign. Look! I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9Look carefully at the stone that I placed in front of Joshua! On one stone with seven facets I will engrave an inscription, declares the LORD of Armies, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day.

10On that day, declares the LORD of Armies, each one of you will invite his neighbor to join him under his vine and under his fig tree.

Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), Zec 3:1–10.