Concordia Sermons

While Paul was in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

James warns, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). How we speak about others and God counts. Our words can hurt more than many of us realize or understand. How do you use your tongue? To curse men or to praise God (cf. James 3:9)?

We were created to be in relationship with one another. Friendships, therefore, are important. Friendships, however, involve more than just good times and goofing off. They also involve honesty and transparency. Do you have friends with whom you can be honest and who are honest with you, even when the truth hurts?

The simple message of Proverbs concerning riches is this: riches are not to be trusted. Money is good for many things. It can be saved (21:20) and it can be shared (11:24). Either way, it does not provide the security we desire. Only God can provide that.

Studies show that the average person wastes approximately two hours per day at work socializing, surfing the internet, and running personal errands. During the summer months, we are keenly aware that rest is good! Laziness, however, is not. Do we work hard, knowing that our efforts form our character and serve the needs of others?

Wisdom does not begin with what a person knows, but with who a person knows. To fear the Lord and to trust his Word is to have wisdom. Notice that Solomon says that it is the “beginning of knowledge” (verse 7). Hence, wisdom is a journey. We have only begun to become wise. There is always room for growth. This series is devoted to helping us grow in wisdom.

An old cliché, finding its origin in the fifteenth century in the sermons of a clergyman named John Mirk, says, “Children should be seen and not heard.” Mirk originally applied this only to female children. Jesus, however, has a much different take on all children: He delights to welcome them, listen to them, and bless them! In this message, we’ll discuss the value of children, modern attitudes toward children, and offer comfort to those who desire children, but cannot have any.

Adam was not meant to be alone. He needed a “helper” (verse 18). The title “helper” is not meant to be derogatory toward Eve, relegating her to Adam’s slave, as this same moniker is used of God Himself: “The LORD is with me; He is my helper” (Psalm 118:7). This title is instead meant to describe the special gifting a wife has as her husband’s helpmate, helping him as God helps His people. In this message, we discuss the woman’s role as a helpmate and talk about the temptation that women face to nag their husbands bitterly rather than to support them joyfully.

Esther was a strong woman. As the favorite female of the king, she could have lived out her days in ease and luxury. Instead, she chose to work fiercely and fearlessly to save her people, the Jews. And God, though He is never explicitly named in this book, is there the whole time, giving Ester the strength she needs for the daunting tasks in front of her. On Mother’s Day, we give thanks for the moms who work fiercely and fearlessly, knowing that they, like Esther, need God’s strength.

What a strange way to begin a series on how God views the family! Jesus here talks about dividing the family and causing feuds, not uniting the family and fostering love. And yet, here we find a fundamental truth concerning the family: unless our families are rooted and founded in following Christ, they will ultimately fail. Christ comes first. He is the one who blesses and keeps our families. Our families must rally around Him and be united by Him.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Hallelujah!

Although the idiom "Hold your horses" is most commonly meant to encourage someone to slow down, it used to take on a more literal sense. In the days of horse drawn carriages, people would use this expression if a horse became unruly. It was an admonition to keep a horse in check. When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he enters on a colt "which no one has ever ridden" (verse 2). Unbroken colts were known to be difficult and unruly to ride because they were not used to carrying burdens. Unbroken animals were also known to be set aside for holy purposes (e.g., Numbers 19:2). Jesus, then, as the Holy One of Israel rides in on an animal set aside for God's holy purpose. The donkey has been held just for Him. Do you trust in Jesus as your Holy One?

As we approach Holy Week, we look at a parable Jesus told concerning His impending death. The religious leaders are plotting to kill Jesus even though He is the very Son of God. Yet, Jesus’ death does not mean His end. He is rejected by men, but chosen by God as the unshakable cornerstone on which we can base our lives.

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” This axiom reminds us that sometimes, we must push, prod, and cajole to get what we want or need. In Jesus’ Parable of the Unjust Judge, the woman must do just this simply to get justice. Jesus’ point, however, is that our Father is a just judge who will bring us justice according to His righteousness. No cajoling is needed.

When a company is going out of business, they will often have an “Everything Must Go” sale where they seek to liquidate their merchandise. Jesus calls upon us to liquidate the merchandise of this world in order to obtain the true treasure of God’s Kingdom.

Scripture tells us that there is a chasm between us and God, created by sin. God Himself bridges this gap by sending His Son, Jesus, to die in our place for our sin. The punishment of hell is reserved for those who do not want God to stand in the gap between them and Him. This is why Abraham reminds Lazarus, in hell, “A great chasm has been fixed” (verse 26). The call in this life is to trust in Christ who bridges the gap between us and the Father so that gap does not become fixed eternally. In this message, we will address the doctrine of hell, as well as some of the issues raised by Rob Bell’s new book, “Love Wins.”

giving it time to bear fruit. So it is with us: Our Lord bears with us in our sin, giving us time to repent and bear the fruit of His Spirit. We are to reflect God’s willingness to bear with us as we “bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another” (Colossians 3:13).

It’s not just Elizabeth Bennet who suffers from pride and prejudice in the Jane Austen novel, it’s a tax collector who suffers pride and prejudice in the Bible. The Pharisee is both prideful of himself and prejudiced against the tax collector. And yet, God is not prejudiced against this taxman because of his sin. Instead, God sees his humble faith and gladly forgives him.

When GM and Chrysler were teetering on the precipice of collapse, many touted these companies as “too big to fail,” noting the effects that these business’ bankruptcies would have on the national economy. As big as these companies might be, they are nothing compared to the Kingdom of God. Though it appears small, God’s Kingdom is massive. And it is so big that not only can it cannot fail, it will not fail!

The lawyer of Luke 10 asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor” (verse 29)? According to the Parable of the Good Samaritan, your neighbor is not merely one who is closest to you, be that in physical proximity or relational affinity; rather your neighbor is a person who you may despise or who may despise you. Nevertheless, you are called to help them in Jesus’ name.