KFUO's greatest sermon? Pieper's address in 1926

      On this day, January 24, 93 years ago in 1926, Dr. Franz Pieper delivered a radio address on KFUO at 11 PM in the evening.  The sermon was subsequently printed in the February 2 issue of Der Lutheraner.  KFUO had begun broadcasting a little over a year earlier in December 1924.  As far as I am aware, this may be the only radio address sermon printed in Der Lutheraner, at least up to 1934. From DL, vol. 82 (1926), p. 33-34 [EN]. English translation by DeepL, modified. Underlining follows Dr. Pieper's emphasis:

Radio address,

delivered during International Radio Week, January 24 [1926], 11 p.m., by radio station KFUO at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.

To all listeners near and far, grace and peace in Christ, the Savior of the world!

What does every man need in the world? What does every man need in the world above all the other things that exist in the world and that he may desire? If I wanted to answer this question according to my human opinion, it would have no value at all. Other people would express other opinions. A general agreement would be impossible. 

Dear listeners near and far! Among the many millions of books that exist in the world, there is one book of a unique nature. That is the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God. From God's Word I will answer the question of what every man needs above all other things. Briefly summarized, the answer is: Every man, because he is a sinner before God, his Creator and Judge, needs the forgiveness of his sins. Before God's judgment seat, all men without exception stand as sinners. Before the secular court there are two classes of men, civilly respectable and civilly criminal. This is also taught in the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scripture says Rom. 13 of the secular authorities that they are God's Servant, not to fear good works, but evil. Civil justice has its great value. On it rests the welfare of every civic community or state, and more than on a strong army and fleet. That is why we support all measures that serve civic morality. 

But before God, before God's judgment seat, there are not two but one class of people: sinners. God says very plainly in His Word, "For there is no difference here: they are all sinners, and lack the glory which they ought to have before God." [Rom. 3:23 LED] And again, "There is none righteous, no, not one." [Rom. 3:10] But if it stands thus, all men are sinners before God, then all men also need forgiveness of their sins.

But how do we obtain this forgiveness? The answer that all men give to this question, according to their human point of view, is: by moral improvement of life, or at any rate by works of our own, by works that are suitable to induce God to forgive sins. But this is a great error. God's judgment is otherwise. God judges in His Word, "By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified in his sight." [Rom. 3:20 LED] But how, in what way then is the forgiveness of sins obtained? This is what the Scriptures tell us in the same place where they declare all men without distinction to be sinners before God. For it does not merely say, "There is no distinction here, they are sinners, and lacking the glory which they ought to have in the sight of God," but adds, "And are justified without merit by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. [Rom. 3:24 LED] 

Yes indeed! "through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus". Jesus Christ, the eternal, incarnate Son of God, is a very different Savior than, for example, Confucius, Buddha, and all the invented saviors of men. These all teach men what works they must do to make the Deity gracious to themselves. Because no man is justified before God by the works of the Law, Jesus Christ attacked the matter in a completely different way. He has taken upon His own shoulders the burden that is upon men. He has put Himself in the place of men, has become their substitute before God. He has perfectly fulfilled the divine Law in the place of men, and He has paid on behalf of men all the debt of sin which men had incurred by transgressing the divine Law. The Scriptures testify, "Behold, this is the Lamb of God, which bare the sin of the world." [John 1:29 LED] And we sinners become partakers of the forgiveness of sins purchased by Christ when we humble ourselves before God, recognize ourselves as sinners worthy of condemnation, and at the same time believe in Christ, that is, place our trust before God in the forgiveness of sins which Christ has purchased for us and for all men.

Two things, then, are true. First, it is true that no man can enter heaven without Christ. Christ himself testifies, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me:" [John 14:6 LED] and Christ's apostle John, "He that hath not the Son hath not the Father." [1 John 2:23 LED] Secondly, it is true that this one way to salvation is prepared for all men without exception. I do not personally know all the people who hear me near and far tonight. But I know from God's Word that all to whom I speak are sinners before God. But I also know from God's Word that perfect forgiveness of sins is available to all without exception through the redemption that took place through Christ 1900 years ago. Heaven is wide open to all without exception. Christ invites all without exception through His word to come to Him with trust. He says Matth. 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" and Joh. 6:37: "Him that cometh unto me I will not cast out" and Joh. 3:16-17: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved." Praise be to Jesus Christ, the faithful Savior of the world! Out of gratitude, let us also serve him faithfully, faithfully serving our neighbor who is in need of our service. For the Saviour saith, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." [Matthew 25:40] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all hearers near and far! Amen.       F. Pieper. [Franz Pieper]

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This sermon demonstrates again how simple Pieper keeps his messages, always focused on God's grace for a sinful world. No long drawn out narrative, no scholarly rhetoric, just Sin and Grace… in Christ. — This sermon may now be added to the meager number of Pieper's sermons that found their way into print.