This archive is a collection of sermons delivered by Rev. Carl J. Johansson during the 1970 decade at the south Minneapolis Lutheran congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church of Minnehaha Falls. Pastor Johansson served at this congregation for ten years. During his tenure, he faithfully delivered expository, Christ-centered sermons based on pericope texts for each Sunday as determined by the three year Lutheran lectionary. For Pastor Johansson the preaching of the word was the essential role of what it meant to be a pastor of a congregation. Simply put, he expected of himself and the congregants to live in obedience to Jesus as revealed through the text. The fruits of obedience to the spoken Word were the various lay ministries that emerged from the preaching. And there were many. These ministries served not only the local community but throughout the world. The congregation became a “sending” fellowship commissioning individuals and families to serve and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

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After ten years even Pastor Johansson answered the call and moved to Nepal to serve. The sanctuary each Sunday morning was full at both services. The congregation was alive and full of energy. Rev Johansson was faithful to let the Word speak to the hearts and minds of the congregants. In this way he was unique as a messenger of the gospel. The sermons in this archive exemplify effective expository Biblical preaching always revealing the person and lordship of Jesus with relevant applications for the daily walk of faith. The scriptures for Pastor Johansson were a primary place where the person of Jesus Christ is revealed. As such it was a sacred calling to have the privilege and responsibility to let the Bible speak. Pastor Johansson often expressed two sayings. “God has no grandchildren” and “Christians are, at times, like stained glass windows. They can look very good but let very little light through.” These two sayings revealed two deeply held values he carried as a messenger of the Good News. On one hand he was called to clearly bring the redeeming message of Jesus that each person would come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. On the other hand, he was committed to “getting out of the way” so it is Jesus who is remembered not the pastor. 

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Pastor Johansson often expressed two sayings. "God has no grandchildren" and "Christians are, at times, like stained glass windows. They can look very good but let very little light through."

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His preferred image of himself is a “broken window” where the light of Jesus shines through unobstructed. He believed in the living, convicting, and revealing power of the Word. It was his call to speak from the Biblical text in a disciplined way trusting that the message was ultimately greater than what he humanly could say. He had the utmost confidence in the sensus plenior message of the Biblical text. No doubt, he knew of the time transcendent relevancy of the scriptures. Four decades later his sermons still reach the heart, soul and mind bringing the fresh light of the Gospel so that Jesus is made known. This was his sole purpose for living, to make Jesus known. 

Mark N. Johansson, PhD
Saint Paul, Minnesota