Redeemer Marquette Sermons

There's a lot of build-up and excitement around the celebration of Easter. And the question that we're going to answer this year at Easter is, "Why?" Why so much focus? Why so much attention? The event we celebrate at Easter is the most important event in history and we're going to discover why.

On Good Friday comes the ultimate sacrifice, that of Jesus. His body is broken and his blood is shed so that we might have life, so that we would not have to live in our sin any more!

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus gives us a new command, to love one another and he demonstrates how to do that by washing feet and sharing the Lord’s Supper. Together we’ll learn how to live in that command and the wonder of Holy Communion within that.

The gaps in your union will stunt your fruit production. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing.

We rest in the assurance that God’s judgment toward us died with Christ Jesus so that we might live solely in the grace we receive in his resurrection.

Jesus is the answer to the ache within. There are many ways to miss heaven, but only one way to get there. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Together, we marvel at the news that God allowed all our turmoil to die on the cross so that we might live in the everlasting peace of Christ.

Jesus became human so you and I could have a shield. There are a lot of shepherds in this world, but Jesus is the only Good Shepherd—laying down His life for the sheep.

We recognize that God has made it possible for all our doubt to die with Christ the Crucified so that we might live by faith alone in him.

Jesus is God’s “open sesame” to everlasting life and abundance. On the other side of the door is more freedom, not less.

This week, we embrace the truth that our greed for the things of the earth died with Christ on the cross so that we might live to seek the treasures of God in heaven instead.

God sent Jesus to turn off the dark. Light is not only what He is, it’s who He is—the light of the world, and those who follow Him no longer walk in the darkness.

We recall that our arrogant pride has been buried with Christ so that we might selflessly live for others.

A full stomach is temporary, but a full soul is forever. This is what Jesus, the bread of life, is willing to give us if we ask.

On Ash Wednesday, we remember that Christ enables us to daily die to our sins to live a new life in him.

Why are “you” on the list of broken heroes? Because God certainly can and does use you to do incredible things, but you are broken by sin. You know what you’ve done, and you probably often feel inadequate or messed up as a result. But where you see broken, God sees perfect, just like the many other broken heroes in the Bible.

This one might be unexpected on the list of broken heroes. Yet, John definitely was one. Once, he wanted to reign down fire on people and he was often prone to outbursts of anger. On the other hand, John was Jesus’ beloved disciple. This was all because of Jesus’ gracious love and how he used all his disciples despite their flaws.

You would think based on Samson’s strength, that he would have been one of the Bible’s mightiest heroes, yet he trusted the wrong people and violated God’s laws on numerous occasions. From his story we learn not to trust in our own abilities, but to simply use them to advance God’s kingdom.

Jonah is probably the picture of a broken hero. He had the opportunity to go and share some news that would have caused an entire city to turn from their evil ways. But he ran away instead and, in the process, endangered the lives of some innocent sailors. Jonah’s story is one with great instruction for us especially when we feel like running from God.

Job. What a guy and what a story. To most of us, Job is just a hero, not a broken one. Yet, Job’s faith did eventually fracture, he began to argue with God, and he failed to completely surrender to God. But, in the end, Job repented, his faith was renewed, and he teaches us how to trust God completely in all circumstances.

Many of us have likely heard the story of Martha and we might like to echo the words of Jesus, “Martha, Martha.” She was impatient, expected others to agree with her priorities, and then threw a pity party when her efforts seemed unnoticed. Yet as a broken hero, she is faithful and helps us learn how to be with Jesus.

The story of Rahab is an incredible one. Her rap sheet includes her being a prostitute, certainly broken, yet she became a faithful follower of God. She becomes a hero in the story because she acts in faith according to the position God had placed her in.

We don’t hear a lot about Joseph in the Bible, but as Jesus’ earthly father, he’s an important character. His rap sheet? He lost young Jesus. But through Joseph’s blunder, we learn how to always do what is right according to God’s plan, even when the future seems murky.

Worship our newborn king at Redeemer on Christmas Eve!

Jesus’ very presence on this earth as true God and true man is a reminder of how He will never leave us or forsake us. In fact, His promise throughout Scripture is that he is “with us always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)