Sermons by “Michael Zehnder”
More Than We Can Ask or Imagine
What an impressive description of Paul’s prayer-posture! Our text depicts Paul on his knees praying for his people. He says, “For this reason I KNEEL before the Father.” Paul isn’t standing, sitting or walking. He GETS DOWN ON HIS KNEES. Kneeling paints a picture of Paul PLEADING with God to bless his people. It’s no mere request for a blessing. He begs, he pleads, he earnestly kneels at the door of heaven, and implores God to grant what He is asking. The posture of kneeling expresses the intensity of his desire. He begs God that they would KNOW the profound depth of God’s love for them, a love that goes beyond understanding. It’s like he praying, “If I can only ask one thing, here it is: that they would know your love.”
View SermonNo One Can Say ‘Jesus is Lord’…EXCEPT
God’s power on the cross is an invitation to believe what He has done for you and trust in His Name. “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28) The power of the cross is spoken in the last sentence of our reading from Acts, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” It doesn’t say everyone who teaches Sunday School or sings in the choir or attends worship regularly and gives generously will be saved, although these are all good things and they are all faith building and are fruits of faith. But it says, “Call on Jesus.” Believe on Jesus who stands at the door of your heart and knocks and you will be saved.
View SermonSurvey Says vs. Spirit Says
Now it’s no longer a game of “Survey Says.” There are no points available for being a popular answer on the board that some people agree with. The game has changed from “Survey Says” to “Truth Is.” Jesus wants to know, “Do you know the Truth? Do you know the one and only, RIGHT answer? And praise God, they got it right! I mean the disciples rarely get things right in the Gospels, getting rebukes like, “O ye of little faith!” or “Get behind me, Satan” so we need to lift them up when they get it right. Peter is the first to speak up: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And ding, ding, ding, Jesus says, Yes, that’s the correct answer. “Blessed are you Simon, Son of Jonah. Flesh and blood, like random surveys, has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”
View SermonA Sermon Dialog with John
R You face the crossroad of obedience every time you confront a choice that asks will you follow your own way, the way of the world, the way that others push you to, the way you think will be easiest or most pleasant for you. Or will you follow the way Jesus would lead you – the way of obedience.
View SermonA Sermon Dialog with Peter
I guess the best part of my story is that I did not finish my discipleship in tears of failure. Jesus came and found me that day on the beach, after he had risen. He loved me enough to call me back after I had turned my back on him. “Do you love me?” he asked me three times. And he sent me to feed his lambs and sheep. And here is the best part, he calls you back, too. He does not leave us in our failure. He does not turn away. He is there each day with the forgiveness we need to go on one more day, to face one more test, to stand at one more crossroad. And by his power, the power of his Holy Spirit, to be what he wants us to be, what we want to be.
View SermonA Sermon Dialog with Malcus
P As St. Paul said in his letter to the Colossians: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
R That’s it. That’s the life is found in Jesus’ touch. That’s the life I pray for you.
View SermonA Sermon Dialog with Pontius Pilate
P You have said it better than any of us could. We are forgiven and free. We are made new by God’s grace each day. We know that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). And we can rejoice.
R And I envy you that.
P Thank you for being with us today and for reminding us of the gift of hope.
View SermonA Sermon Dialog with Judas
The answers aren’t easy. A crossroad can bring daunting spiritual pain. And it can bring us to our knees. It can even bring us to destruction.
View SermonA Sermon Dialog with King David
This is Ash Wednesday. We receive a mark of ashes on our heads on this day. That is not only a reminder that we are mortal, going from ashes to ashes. It is also a reminder that we are marked by sin. We come to confront our own frailty, our spiritual need. And we are assured that God is here. He is coming after us to forgive us.
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