Concord United Sermons

A New Way | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night.  Their conversation focuses being born again.  Jesus explains that this is a birth of the spirit not of the flesh.  In John Wesley’s sermon, The New Birth, he speaks of justifying and sanctifying grace.  Wesley used the analogy of a house to describe grace.  The driveway/porch is prevenient grace, God’s love drawing us to him.  Justifying grace is the door entering the house.  We walk through.  We move from unbelief to belief.  This is not our own doing, but God’s work in us. Sanctifying grace is God’s grace in our lives as we seek to live a life following him.  The inside of the house completes Wesley’s analogy of grace, signifying our lives are a process of God’s love at work in and through us.  Coming to faith is not an event, it is a process for a lifetime. 

Scripture - John 3:1-17

There’s Got to be More Than This | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Armed with his knowledge and experiences of the methodical ways of a small group, Wesley headed to the colony of Georgia to convert those living in the colony.  His experience was unsuccessful in multiple ways.  He returned to his home in England in a crisis of faith.  He had head knowledge, yet something was missing.  A significant event for Wesley was witnessing a group of Moravians respond to a life and death situation at sea.  He wondered why he feared death and they had peace.  Wesley would soon have what he described as “his heart strangely warmed” at Aldersgate while listening to Luther’s Preface to Romans.  Wesley’s Aldersgate’s experience transformed him and ignited in him an experience that transcended his head knowledge.  The words of Romans 5 rest at the heart of Wesley’s experience and ours too. 

Scripture - Romans 5:1-11

There’s Got to be More Than This | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Armed with his knowledge and experiences of the methodical ways of a small group, Wesley headed to the colony of Georgia to convert those living in the colony.  His experience was unsuccessful in multiple ways.  He returned to his home in England in a crisis of faith.  He had head knowledge, yet something was missing.  A significant event for Wesley was witnessing a group of Moravians respond to a life and death situation at sea.  He wondered why he feared death and they had peace.  Wesley would soon have what he described as “his heart strangely warmed” at Aldersgate while listening to Luther’s Preface to Romans.  Wesley’s Aldersgate’s experience transformed him and ignited in him an experience that transcended his head knowledge.  The words of Romans 5 rest at the heart of Wesley’s experience and ours too. 

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

God Goes First | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Scripture:  Ephesians 2:8-10

Wesley Sermon:  The Scripture Way of Salvation

At the heart of Wesleyan belief is prevenient grace.  Prevenient grace is that God loves us first, that God pursues us.  God’s loving us first is evidenced in the words of Ephesians 2:8, “it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”.  John Wesley was raised in a religious home with parents who influenced his understanding of God.  Wesley’s early life experiences, education, in addition to his family experiences informed his understanding of who God is.  God’s preventing grace was at work within Wesley throughout his early life, just as with each of us.  God pursues us.   We point to Wesley because Wesley points to Jesus. 

God Goes First | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Scripture:  Ephesians 2:8-10

Wesley Sermon:  The Scripture Way of Salvation

At the heart of Wesleyan belief is prevenient grace.  Prevenient grace is that God loves us first, that God pursues us.  God’s loving us first is evidenced in the words of Ephesians 2:8, “it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”.  John Wesley was raised in a religious home with parents who influenced his understanding of God.  Wesley’s early life experiences, education, in addition to his family experiences informed his understanding of who God is.  God’s preventing grace was at work within Wesley throughout his early life, just as with each of us.  God pursues us.   We point to Wesley because Wesley points to Jesus. 

Where to Find Jesus | Rev. Wil Cantrell

When the women came to the tomb to anoint Jesus body, the angel asked them a pointed question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” They were looking for Jesus in the wrong place. Where should we look to find the Risen Christ? According to Luke’s Gospel, we should look to find his presence with the least, the last, and the lost. And we should look to find Jesus in our own hearts if they are humble enough to receive him. Sometimes we have a pride that says, Jesus couldn’t really be present in our hearts and couldn’t really be alive and at work in our world b/c we can’t understand intellectually how he could rise from the dead, or because we can’t feel him near all the time or because life’s harder than we wish it was. But if we learn to be humble and to love the people Jesus loved, we will see his resurrected presence all around us.

Scripture - Luke 24:1-11

Where to Find Jesus | Rev. Brooke Hartman

When the women came to the tomb to anoint Jesus body, the angel asked them a pointed question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” They were looking for Jesus in the wrong place. Where should we look to find the Risen Christ? According to Luke’s Gospel, we should look to find his presence with the least, the last, and the lost. And we should look to find Jesus in our own hearts if they are humble enough to receive him. Sometimes we have a pride that says, Jesus couldn’t really be present in our hearts and couldn’t really be alive and at work in our world b/c we can’t understand intellectually how he could rise from the dead, or because we can’t feel him near all the time or because life’s harder than we wish it was. But if we learn to be humble and to love the people Jesus loved, we will see his resurrected presence all around us.

Scripture - Luke 24:1-11

Crucified with Criminals | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Jesus doesn’t seek torture and death, but neither does he shy away from it when he realizes it is the only way to stay true to his message and his mission. On the cross he encounters two criminals and gives them the opportunity to repent. To the criminal who chooses to repent, Jesus says, “You will be with me today in paradise.” In his greatest moment of pain, Jesus was still concerned for someone society had given up caring about a long time ago. We might find Jesus’ offer of salvation to a criminal to be offensive, but if there isn’t room for that thief on the cross beside Jesus in heaven there isn’t room for any of us. None of us make it on our own merits. The only reason any of us make it is Jesus’ sacrifice.

Scripture - Luke 23:32-43

Crucified with Criminals | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Jesus doesn’t seek torture and death, but neither does he shy away from it when he realizes it is the only way to stay true to his message and his mission. On the cross he encounters two criminals and gives them the opportunity to repent. To the criminal who chooses to repent, Jesus says, “You will be with me today in paradise.” In his greatest moment of pain, Jesus was still concerned for someone society had given up caring about a long time ago. We might find Jesus’ offer of salvation to a criminal to be offensive, but if there isn’t room for that thief on the cross beside Jesus in heaven there isn’t room for any of us. None of us make it on our own merits. The only reason any of us make it is Jesus’ sacrifice.

Scripture - Luke 23:32-43

 

The Last Supper You’d Expect | Rev. Brooke Hartman

At Zacchaeus’ house, Jesus finds himself at the last supper you’d expect (at least if you expectations were like those of the pharisees). Jesus is eating with a tax collector and, in fact, forgiving and praises the tax collector for his repentance. In Luke 22, Jesus is eating with his disciples at the last supper as his disciple debate who is the greatest. In each instance, Jesus redefines greatness. In the case of Zacchaeus, to be great is to be merciful. In the case of the disciples to be great is to be a servant. Do you practice extending mercy in your relationships? Would others describe you as servant if they knew your heart?

Scripture - Luke 19:7-10 & Luke 22:24-27