Sermons by Michael Andrus (Page 39)
Luke 17:20-37, 21:5-36
Remember Lot’s Wife Introduction: Surely one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible is the story of Lot and his wife, as recorded in Genesis 13-19. Lot was a nephew of Abraham, living about 21 centuries before Christ. He and Abraham grew very wealthy in livestock, and their herdsmen began to quarrel over grazing rights in the Negev. Abraham wisely suggested they split up before the conflict escalated, and he even gave Lot first choice of where to live. Lot rather selfishly chose…
Luke 18:1-14
Profound Parables on Prayer Introduction: I love the parables of Jesus. He was an incredible storyteller and the characters really come alive. But I don’t like His parables on prayer—they are so very convicting. Please follow with me as we read two back-to-back parables from Luke 18:1-14: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there…
Luke 18:15-34
What Must I Do to Receive Eternal Life? Introduction: Anyone who takes seriously the responsibility of sharing his faith with unbelievers knows that one of the most important aspects of evangelism is finding an opening to bring the Gospel into a conversation. Last Tuesday I was returning from a short trip to Minneapolis and happened to be seated next to a man on his way to Fort Lauderdale for business. We struck up a conversation, first about the weather (that’s always a good…
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus: Can You Change Your Reputation at Work? Introduction: The question posed in my sermon title today is one that may not seem relevant to everyone here, because some of you don’t have a problem with your reputation at work. But some of you may. And all of you know people who do. It is my hope that this message will give you hope that people can change. Of course, it works both ways. We need to be aware also that one bad decision, one careless act…
Luke 19:11-27
What Is Your Investment Strategy? The Parable of the Ten Minas Introduction: We are enjoying a very strong economy right now. Incomes are rising, jobs are generally plentiful, and the stock market is strong. No one knows where it all might go in the coming months, but I can promise you one thing–it won’t last forever. The wise person will be investing his resources now, with a view to an uncertain future. What is your investment strategy? In a powerful and convicting parable–His last before…
Luke 19:28-44
The Original Veiled Prophet Parade Introduction: One of my very earliest memories is of the Veiled Prophet Parade, which has been a fixture here in St. Louis for over 100 years. From the time I was two years old until I was seven, my family lived in a six-flat tenement on Washington between Vandeventer and Sarah, just two doors west of the convent for the Sisters of the Helpers of the Holy Souls. The first building on the other side of the convent…
Luke 19:45 – 20:40
What Do You Do When the Questions Are All Answered? Introduction: Last Sunday our text from Luke 19 concerned the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem, which took place on Sunday of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. Today we are going to examine the events of Monday and Tuesday of that week, days on which a number of major conflicts erupted between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel. Four of these controversies are grouped together by Luke…
Luke 20:45-21:4
The True Motive for Giving Introduction: Last summer at our Free Church National Conference I had lunch with Steve, a long-time friend who pastors a fast-growing church of about 1000 in Omaha, Nebraska. He told me a fascinating story about how he had felt led to speak to a man in his church about giving to his church’s building fund. He had never solicited a gift from an individual before, but he knew through the news that this man had recently been entrusted…
Luke 22:31-62
The Steps to Peter’s Defection Introduction: Today we continue our examination of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life, as recorded for us in the Book of Luke. We have noted his triumphal entry on Sunday of passion week; on Monday he cleansed the temple of the corrupt money changers; on Tuesday he went back to the temple to teach, only to find the religious leaders trying to trip him up with a series of difficult questions, each of which he answered…
Luke 22:63-23:25
“I Find No Fault in Him.” Introduction: We are literally hours from the crucifixion as we open Luke 23 this morning. Last Sunday we followed Peter from the Last Supper to the court of the home of the high priest as the first part of the trial of Jesus was conducted. Though there are many key figures involved in this travesty of justice—Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, Barabbas—the one I have chosen to focus upon this morning is Pilate. Not only was he more involved in…
Luke 23:50-24:12
Gone! Introduction: It’s great to be back with you on this glorious Easter morning. Some sharp, creative realtor came up with the idea and scores followed suit. I refer to the practice after the sale of a house of placing one word, four simple letters, over the “for sale” sign. The old word which was used to indicate that a buyer had been found was the word “SOLD.” The emerging new, more picturesque word in vogue in some areas today is “GONE.” It is direct,…
Luke 24:13-35
Heart Burn: The Answer to Spiritual Depression Please turn with me to Luke chapter 24, verses13-35: Now that same day (Easter Sunday) two of them (i.e., Jesus’ disciples) were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together…