Actions Speak Louder Than Words

September 27th 2026

Scripture: Phil. 2:1-13 & Matthew 21:23-32

Today’s sermon was difficult to write, but not because I couldn’t grasp the gospel message, but rather because it seemed so simple and straight forward that I struggled to write more than one sentence. Actions speak louder than words. That’s the message! It’s really, honestly, that simple! Actions speak louder than words. Or in the words of St. Francis, “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

In the gospel reading this morning, the chief priests and elders are challenging Jesus’ authority because he is not properly trained nor credentialed for ministry! Jesus was a carpenter, he was not from a priestly line, yet he is publicly calling out those who were born into or trained for ministry, telling them they have failed to lead God’s people because while they spoke the right words, their actions did not follow. As we come up on the anniversary of the Reformation in October, we are reminded that this is a theme.. too often those who are supposed to lead the masses go astray when power and wealth are involved. Rather than asking, “by who’s authority do you do these things?” the more relevant question today might be, “who is going to hold you accountable?”  

Jesus held the Jewish leaders of his day accountable to their actions. The Reformers held the Pope and the priests accountable 500 years ago. Today either congregations or bishops hold us religious leaders accountable as we promise not to lead you astray and to match our actions with our words. But we get all wrong if we start to believe it is just religious leadership who has the authority to minister. One of the great things about the Reformation was that it restored the early Church’s practice of the priesthood of ALL believers.

No one needs to give you permission to do God’s will. Under whose authority do you participate in bringing the kin-dom of God on Earth as it is in heaven? God’s authority. God has made you in the divine image and enabled you to act, so GO! Act on God’s behalf! Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.

But wait… that’s a lot of pressure! ‘Is this really a responsibility we want to have? How can we even know God’s will let alone act on it?’ I’m sure every pastor you encounter will have a different answer to that (that’s why we have so many different denominations), but my personal opinion is that we can rest assured we are doing God’s will if our actions are done FOR love, with love. Therefore it is, once again, as simple as asking ourselves, “is this loving?”

For far too long we have been asking ourselves the wrong questions. We have been asking, “is this right or wrong? Is this good or bad?” These questions send us into a whirlwind and get us into trouble, because everything is relative!

..I started writing examples for you of what I mean by this and then got really angry because the reality of every example I could give is that if we want to get to the root cause of the things which are not loving in society right now, that would mean we need to work for whole systems change. If we really wish to act on the gospel message.. we too must flip some tables. I think the gravest sin our past religious leaders have committed with their words, is to tell the masses the good news of a world where no one is hungry, everyone is clothed, sheltered, and at peace, but then make them believe this is only possible after death. Jesus himself tells us to pray, “thy kingdom come, they will be done, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.” 

Everything Jesus did, everything Jesus modeled for us to follow, was an effort to bring that good news into present day reality. If we dream of such a world after death, why do we scoff at the idea before death, calling such things utopia, socialism, communism, or worse, impossible? Are we proclaiming faithful things with our words and neglecting them in our actions? Of course we are! Because to change the whole system is too much pressure and too many of us benefit from the way things are..

And yet.. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians, if we want to think as Christ, to live as Christ, to LOVE as Christ, that means we must be united, be humble, and value the common good over individualism. And thinking of Jesus’ parable in Matthew today, we can be like the second son, proclaiming that God is Lord and that we live to serve God’s will, but then do nothing of the sort. Or we can be like the second son, grumble about it, refuse to participate, but in the end do the work.

It is really hard, nearly impossible, to proclaim we are Christian and then act on our Christian faith in the context in which we live. Perhaps this is why Paul reminds us that it is God who enables us to live out God’s good purposes. God has given us everything we need in order to participate in the work God is doing in the world. God sustains us in this work that so often feels impossible. God keeps the flames of hope and love alive within our hearts. God has never lost faith in us.. despite the death-wielding systems humanity has created again and again.. God still believes that we are capable of working out the kin-dom on Earth as it is in heaven.

Actions speak louder than words. I’ve never actually heard God speak a single word.. yet God shows me every day what love looks like. God shows us what love, loyalty, justice, compassion, and mercy look like every day.. if only we have eyes to see. If only we believe in God the way God believes in us. If only we trusted that God can make the impossible possible. If only we heard the good news of the gospel - that it doesn’t have to be this way and that we are invited and enabled to change it – and didn’t run away from the pressure, but turned into it willingly.. as Christ did before us.. Then our actions might begin to speak louder than our words and the world might begin to reflect the kin-dom of God a little bit more each and every day. May it be so. Amen.