Sermon Topics

In the reading for this Sunday, the words of Jesus are strong and sharp. There are "large crowds" who "were traveling with him" as he makes his way toJerusalem. There are undoubtedly many who look at Jesus and wonder, "Is this guy for real? What does he really want from me?" Perhaps you have asked the same questions of Jesus. In this passage, Jesus delivers a "back to basics" course on discipleship. What does he mean when he says that if you do not hate your family, you cannot be my follower? Further, what does Jesus mean when he says that whoever does not carry my cross cannot be my disciple? It is clear that Jesus is being very specific about the demands of discipleship. He is sorting the serious from the curious bystander! Two analogies in the passage make it clear that before you make a decision to follow Christ, count the cost!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Sermon Title: "Have You Ever Been Lost?"

Have you ever been lost? One may think of this question in a literal sense, such as wandering off the path on a hike and getting disoriented. In another sense, however, we can become lost spiritually, wandering from what we often refer to as a "sense of God's direction" for our lives. Jesus talked a great deal about being lost. No matter who we are, or how strong, wealthy, or independent we think we are we can end up lost, sometimes by the hand of circumstances and sometimes by our own undoing. That is the bad news! The good news is this: No matter how we have become lost, God is always seeking and searching to "find us!" Luke 15 has been called the "Lost and Found" chapter in the Bible, and for good reason. The parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal also point to another truth. God seeks all who are lost, not just the people we like or those we judge to be worthy!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Scripture Lesson: Luke 16:1-13

Sermon Title: "How Is Our Accounting?"

The parable of the unjust manager has always baffled biblical scholars. The problem begins with Jesus' puzzling commendation of the dishonest employee. The manager has squandered a portion of his master's wealth and thus finds himself in a desperate situation. He knows that he is going to be canned for his irresponsibility, so he shrewdly devises a plan to lower the amount of money owed to the master by the debtors. This will ensure that he will be treated favorably by these clients after he loses his job. Why Jesus praises the behavior of the manager seems incongruous with what we normally expect of Jesus. The issue is made more difficult when Jesus says, "Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth?" (v. 9) That is all too common in the culture of our times! This is a challenging text but reveals some profound insights about character, wealth, and priorities.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Scripture Lesson: September 26, 2010

Sermon Title: "How Is My Vision?"

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is filled with rich imagery and many theological nuances. Right at the start of the narrative we encounter the rich man's opulence and what seems to be an endless bounty of life's resources. Lazarus is portrayed in ways that we find offensive, poor, unclean, diseased, and outcast. Then they both die, and the situation is reversed. So what is the problem? The rich man never persecuted Lazarus or deliberately mistreated him, and he was not evil because he was wealthy. So why is he now in torment in Hades? Lazarus is now in paradise. What did he do to deserve that? We are not told that his accomplishments, character or deep faith earned him the bosom of Abraham! In the end, we see that the message in this parable is about possessions, and their power to prevent us from "seeing" the needs of others. For Luke, wealth has the power to "blind."