Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Titus
Grace is God’s unmerited favor; it is the kindness of God shown to one who doesn’t deserve it and who can never earn it.
In his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul claims him as his own son in the faith. He calls Titus a trophy of grace—his life being the evidence of a true believer.
This special title, a trophy of grace, reminds us that not only should we be witnesses of God’s grace, but our lives should also be evidence of that grace.
First, we must recognize the delight of grace, which is liberty.
God’s grace is sovereign; He has chosen us, sought us out, and brought us back to Himself. He is the one who took the initiative; our salvation began with Him.
It is a saving grace. The Gospel is good news because it says that salvation is a free gift. We couldn’t work for it, so we can’t lose it.
Grace is also long-suffering; it was the plan all along. Titus 1:2 says, “…in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began…”
Adrian Rogers says, “God planned your salvation before this planet was swung into space. Your salvation is not an ambulance brought to a wreck; it was in the heart and mind of God before anything ever happened.”
The securing and satisfying grace of God is what leads to peace. But we must also remember that denying grace leads to legalism.
We are not saved by keeping laws, performing rituals, or anything other than the grace of God. Rules do not make us more like Jesus—grace does.
Finally, we must recognize the enemy’s distortion of grace.
Grace is not a license to sin, and if we think it is, we need to reconsider our salvation. Though our works do not save us, we should want to keep God’s law, because we love Him.
We don’t work for our faith, we work because of our faith. As trophies of grace, we are God’s ambassadors, the evidence that His grace is the only thing that can save, cure, and satisfy us.
Apply it to your life
Does your life bear the evidence of God’s amazing grace? Do you delight in the liberty faith brings? Have you fallen into the trap of legalism, or used grace as a license to sin? Repent of your sins and receive God’s forgiveness.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 3:1
Satan is a liar and a murderer; he wants to bring death to our happiness, joy, and purity, and he accomplishes this through lies. He wants to destroy us, and he begins by deceiving us.
Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field…”
Satan cleverly crafts subtle lies about the biggest truths. In the Garden of Eden, he tells Eve three lies concerning the nature and character of God. Recognizing his tactics helps us overcome satanic deception.
Severity
Satan’s first tactic was to convince Eve to think severely about God, so that she had negative feelings about him.
The devil wants us to think God is strait-laced and cruel, and that our relationship with Him would be filled with “don’t!” But Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” God is good and loving. He does not take away joy; He gives it.
Skepticism
The devil also wants us to think skeptically about God so that we will not trust Him or His Word.
When Satan removes the truth of God’s Word, then he slips in other ideas to replace them. Other religions, spiritual practices, and New Age thoughts are simply substitutes from the enemy to divert us from the fixed standard of truth. The devil is trying to make us think lightly of God; but God is holy, and He will punish sin.
Suspicion
Finally, Satan will try to convince us to think suspiciously of God. Many people think serving God cramps their style and robs them of reaching their fullest potential. Yet, the devil, who promises total freedom, keeps his victims in bondage.
Adrian Rogers says, “There’s nothing in the world more deceiving than sin itself; those who know the least about sin are those who are the deepest in it.”
All the problems in the world today are rooted in these three ancient lies, but we do not have to fall victim to the devil’s deception. Only when we commit ourselves to the written word of God, can we overcome the devil’s lies.
Apply it to your life
Do not let the devil deceive you. yourself in the truth of God’s Word today. God is a God of love and grace. His law stands, and a relationship with Him means abundant life.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Ephesians 4:27
Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
It is unthinkable that a child of God could give a place in his life to the devil and grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
However, there are many of us caught in Satan’s strongholds, and we cannot get out. There are three steps to break Satan’s strongholds in our lives.
Repentance
“...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…” (Ephesians 4:22)
Repentance means to be done with sin and deal with our old self; there is no other way around it.
Resistance
“Be angry, and do not sin… nor give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)
Unconfessed sin is legal ground for the devil to take over; we resist by confessing and resisting the urge to sin.
Renewal
“...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4: 23-24)
Renewing our minds means pursuing righteousness and holiness.
There is no way we can cease to grieve the Holy Spirit until we repent, resist, and renew our minds; this is why we must know exactly what sin is.
Ephesians 4:25-29 reveals that lying, thievery, gossip and filthy speech all make room for the devil.
But perhaps the most egregious stronghold we could fall into is bitterness.
Bitterness will take away our joy and our victory and sabotage our prayer life; it ruins relationships and churches. The slow burn of bitterness quickly ramps up to clamoring, hostility, and evil speech. This breaks the heart of God, grieves the Holy Spirit, and gives place to the devil.
Adrian Rogers says, “Repentance is not just being broken over your sin; it is being broken from your sin.”
The devil does not leave willingly; with the authority of the name of Jesus, we must chase him out. We do this by repenting of our sins, resisting the urge to sin again, and renewing our minds with the Spirit of God.
Adrian Rogers says, “When we are filled with the Spirit, there is no more room for Satan.”
Apply it to your life
How do we break Satan’s strongholds? Repent of all known sin, resist the temptation to sin again the moment you become aware of the temptation, and renew your mind with the Spirit of God.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Mark 1:21-28
Whether we realize it or not, there is a demonic world we cannot avoid. It is real, and we cannot be uninformed or uninterested. We do not fight against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. We must be aware of the warfare in order to win the battle.
The Enemy comes against us in three basic ways:
Oppression. The devil knows how to harass you, and demon spirits will oppress you.
Obsession. The devil stirs an insatiable longing within people that drive them and mold them until they are caught up and swept along.
Possession. It is possible for the devil, through one of his demons, to possess a person. He takes control of his mind, his emotions and his will.
There's a battle. And Satan never gives up anybody or anything without a fight.
But there's no waiting to see who will win. Satan has been defeated. Jesus has authority over the enemy and all of the powers of darkness. The demons recognize Jesus’s authority. They must always yield to it.
No child of God should ever fear the demons. Never. We must be aware of them. Be vigilant, be sober. But do not be afraid. They are afraid of you when you recognize who you are in Jesus, and the authority He has given you.
Adrian Rogers tells us, “Unless you are living with God, filled with the Holy Spirit, claiming the power of Jesus Christ in your life, you don't understand the power of our enemy. But you do need to understand the greater power of Jesus Christ and the authority of Jesus rightly applied over the power of the enemy.”
Children of God are going to know conflict with the enemy. But God has given us authority over him. Satan has no threat, temptation has no allurement, sin has no hold that the child of God cannot break in the power of Jesus Christ.
Apply it to your life
If you are recognizing the reality of the spiritual warfare around you, it’s time to get fitted for battle. Get alone or get with some prayer warriors and take authority over the enemy in the name of Jesus. And in repentance, clean up your life. The Bible says, “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Isaiah 5:20
Under the clever guise of “choice,” abortion is not only legal, but also societally acceptable in America.
Adrian Rogers reminds us of three sure things in regards to choice: “You are free to choose. You are not free not to choose and you are not free to choose the consequences of your choice.”
Ultimately, to say you are “pro-choice” means you are “pro-abortion.”
Pastor Rogers gives three reasons why he chooses to be pro-life, and why you should, too.
“I am pro-life because it is a matter of life.” The Bible does not distinguish between prenatal and postnatal life; it speaks of babies in the womb as persons. It is not a part of the mother’s body. It is a new life, with its own blood type and DNA. When a mother is pregnant, God Himself is forming a child within her. It is an object of God’s love and concern.
“I am pro-life because it is a matter of love.” Abortion transgresses the Golden Rule: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). However you want people to treat you, treat them that way. The gruesome nature of abortion is something we would want to avoid happening to us. So, why would we allow it to be performed on a baby?
“I am pro-life because it is a matter of logic.” Many of the pro-choice arguments surrounding conception and the “beginning of life” disregard nature and negate drastic strides in today’s medicine. In regard to the arguments about rape, incest, or deformity, we must remember that we cannot play God in these cases.
Where do we draw the line? Does God not have a plan for every life He creates in a womb?
In conclusion, the fact that there are debates in favor of killing unborn lives should cause us to mourn and to respond in anguish. There is much to be done to protect unborn lives. It starts with knowing without doubt that every life matters in the eyes of God.
Apply it to your life
Be informed. Vote for life. Have compassion on the unwed mother and teach forgiveness to people who have had an abortion. Speak out clearly. Refuse to be swayed by the high-sounding arguments, pray for this nation to repent, and above all, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Timothy 6:20
Christians believe in special creation, the fact that God created man in His own image, as evident in the Book of Genesis.
However, there is another school of thought that contradicts this belief: the theory of Evolution. It is the theory that we are simply creatures of accident; that men have evolved from a speck of protoplasm and green algae, first as a worm, then as a fish, an amphibian, a reptile, a bird, a mammal, and then finally we evolved into man.
The equation of evolution goes as follows: Nothing + Time + Chance = Everything. It’s a fairytale for adults, a philosophy that poses as a scientific fact.
There are three reasons to reject evolution:
Logic. Evolutionists have no explanation for the origin of life or fixity of species. They cannot explain how certain properties exist that have nothing to do with the survival of the fittest. Where does music come from? Love? The evolutionist has no answer.
Morality. If there is no God, if man is an accident, there can be no Ten Commandments, therefore no fixed standard of right and wrong. Adrian Rogers explains the danger of discrediting morality for the sake of evolution: “When we teach our children that they’ve come from animals, they will begin to live and act like animals.”
Theology. If evolution is true, there was no Garden of Eden, there was no original sin, no depravity. And then man, as Adrian Rogers says, “doesn’t need a birth from above; he just needs a boost from below.”
There’s something wicked behind this whole idea of evolution. Aldous Huxley, acclaimed evolutionist, states his own bias against creationism: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning…” This translates to: “I chose evolution to shut the mouths of those who believe in special creation.”
But you are not an accident. You are a special creation, made in the image of God. And you are precious to Him. May we become the people we were created to be.
Apply it to your life
Evolution is not a fact. It is a manmade philosophy to justify rebellion against the Creator of the Universe. Reject this ideology today, and chose instead to thank God that you have been beautifully and wonderfully made in His image.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 2 Samuel 11
Children of God are just as capable of sinning as they were before they were saved. However, there is a much greater cost to their sin than before.
King David was a man above every other man—none more noble, gifted, or humble than David; yet he fell into a deep, dark sin. David committed the sin of adultery with a married woman, and she conceived his child. So, David then committed the sin of murder.
We need to know the tragic cause of David’s sin, so that we may know how to avoid the high cost of low living.
First, David committed the sin of idleness. 2 Samuel 11 reveals that David was home when he should have been with his compatriots in war. This is why we are called to the harvest field or the battlefield, to stay occupied, lest we commit a sin of omission.
Second, it was a sin of carelessness. David began to take his many victories for granted. He presumed God would keep blessing him. This teaches us that an unguarded strength is a double weakness.
It was a sin of impulsiveness: David wasn’t planning to sin that day.
Adrian Rogers explains, “Sin is a combination of undetected weakness, an unexpected opportunity, and an unprotected life.”
It was a sin of callousness. When his scheme to cover up his sin was compromised, David ordered for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle. He planned, connived, and orchestrated calloused, cold-blooded murder.
It was a sin of stubbornness. Despite the conviction he felt, David went a whole year without repenting. But God did not forget David’s sin, and He wouldn’t let David forget either. David’s sin weighted, wounded, and weakened him. David received words of rebuke, arrows of conviction, and hands of pressure from God.
David was finally confronted by the prophet, Nathan, and was convicted and chastised. He had to pay the consequences for his sin. But God was faithful to forgive him; He is faithful to forgive us, too.
Apply it to your life
Perhaps it’s time for you to be lovingly confronted, too. If you have muddled through or glossed over your sin, thinking God has forgotten, He has not. Repent of your sins and ask God for forgiveness.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Acts 19:21-32
If you take a stand for the truth, you are not always going to be popular. We see an example of this in Acts 19, when Paul visits Ephesus and sees that they are engaging in wicked ways of making money. The most vital nerve in the human body is the one that runs from the heart to the wealth, and what Paul does in Ephesus is put his finger directly on it.
There are four principles laid out in Scripture that confirm why it is wrong for Christians to gamble, and unwise for societies to endorse it.
Gambling transgresses the principle of Honesty. It is robbery by mutual consent. It is the transfer of wealth (not earned or given) without giving anything back in exchange. Somebody has said, “He who gambles and loses is a fool. He who gambles and wins is a thief.”
Gambling transgresses the principle of Love. Gambling is pleasure and profit at the cost of someone else's pain and loss. You cannot win unless someone else loses. If you win at gambling, you victimize your neighbor.
Gambling transgresses the principle of Work. The Bible does not teach getting wealth by gambling. The Bible teaches getting wealth through work. Gambling produces no real wealth. It merely redistributes it from the hands of the many into the hands of the few.
Gambling transgresses the principle of Providence. A gambler is depending upon chance. The Bible says that we're to rest upon providence. Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Adrian Rogers tells us: “There's less laughter and gaiety in a casino than any other public resort. The Christian doesn't need to get his thrill from covetousness and dishonesty.”
No matter how alluring it may look, gambling contributes nothing to the common good. It undermines values. It mocks work. It finances crime. It robs children. It enslaves people. And it poisons whatever it touches.
The wealth you obtain for yourself will pass away. Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Apply it to your life
Do you find yourself entangled by the allure of gambling? Flee from it! Pray for the strength to resist it. Christians don’t need to get their thrill from covetousness and dishonesty. What is good and true and honorable…cling to these things.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 10-11
There is coming a kingdom of Christ, as well as a kingdom of Satan. These two kingdoms have been at war since the Book of Genesis, and we are in the middle of it. If we want to recognize Satan’s kingdom to come and know how it will ultimately face its gruesome demise, we must look at one which was already strategically defeated.
In Genesis 10-11, we are introduced to a Babylonian man named Nimrod. He wanted to be king and to be worshiped like God. A few chapters prior, God gave the commandment to His people to be scattered and replenish the earth after the Great Flood. Rather than obey God, the Babylonians centralized their government under Nimrod’s authority and began building a tower to reach the heavens, all to make a name for themselves and to be equal with God. They directly disobeyed God and followed Nimrod in rebellion.
How did this tower of blunders end in Genesis? The Babylonians spoke one language at this time. But God confounded their speech, and they suddenly couldn’t understand each other. The construction of the Tower of Babel ended with Almighty God coming down to earth and sending confusion into the camps of His enemies.
We are not too far off from the blunder of Babylon.
Have we not substituted our own wit for God’s wisdom? Through new minds, machinery, and money, are we not trying to make a name for ourselves? Do New Age religions not bank their ideology on finding the power within ourselves, generating independence from Almighty God?
Dr. Adrian Rogers says: “What is the difference between manmade religion and the true salvation that comes from God? Man tries to build from earth to Heaven. True salvation reaches down from Heaven to man.”
The only hope for this world is the coming of Jesus Christ. And when He comes, He will destroy the kingdom of Satan, and any other kingdom that dares to make an enemy of God.
These are the days to get right with God. Let us not wait another second.
Apply it to your life
If you’re practicing any kind of new-age religion or dabbling with astrology or witchcraft, get out of it. Repent. The time is coming soon when our Lord is going to step down from glory to judge Babylon. Let us rejoice and give honor to Him today.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 1:26
In simplest terms, the belief behind the Animal Rights Movement is that there is no essential, intrinsic, or basic difference between man and animal. But God’s Word says otherwise.
According to the Book of Genesis, both man and animal were created by God separately, and neither evolved from the other. Though there are similarities, there is a stark contrast between man and animal as well.
For one, man has a longing in his heart to know God. Man is created in God’s likeness—not in His physical image, but in His moral and spiritual image. When God created animals, in His mercy, He gave them instincts. But when God made mankind in His image, He gave us spirits.
Adrian Rogers says, “The Holy Spirit is to man what instinct is to the animals. Now, if you were to take the instinct out of the beehive, what would happen? It'd be very much like our world today—men without the Holy Spirit.”
Man has a capability for dominion, but he also has a capacity for depravity…one that animals don't have. Animals can't sin because animals don't have any choice. The reason they don't have any choice is they don't have any moral basis.
But man does!
Man also has a concern for his destiny that animals do not have. Man is the only creature who knows he's going to die. Animals never think about death. But the Bible says that God has put eternity in the hearts of men.
Animals have a body and a soul (a soul being made up of a mind, emotions, and a will). But only man has a spirit. And the Holy Spirit molds us into what we're meant to be.
Adrian Rogers also adds, “With your body, you know the world beneath you. With your soul, you know the world around you. But with your spirit, you know the world above you! And God made man with a spiritual capacity to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him.”
Apply it to your life
What did God make you to do? God created you to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. The Bible says, "It is in Him that we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Do you know Him, love Him, and serve Him with the spirit He gave you?
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Daniel 9:24-27
It is sometimes difficult to wrap our minds around the blueprints of God’s plan for the world. That is because we approach them from our individual “worlds.” However, God’s Word tells us that Israel is the ultimate epicenter of God’s covenant with His people.
Israel is the spiritual center of the world. We often refer to it as the “Holy Land,” because it is the city where the stories of the Scriptures took place. It is where Jesus was born, where He lived, and began His earthly ministry. It is where He died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven.
Israel is also the prophetic center of the world. It is the only nation whose history is minutely foretold in Scripture. When we add up the number of years recorded in the Bible concerning the nation of Israel’s commencement, construction, and the coming of Christ, we calculate 483 years of the 490 years prophesied in the Book of Daniel.
But when Jesus came, that clock stopped, and it has yet to resume. There are 7 more years of biblical prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
Israel is the storm center of the world. It will be the warzone of the battle of Armageddon. But just before this last great battle, according to the prophecies found in Revelation, the world will see its darkest days, and the nation of Israel will seem to be at its most vulnerable.
The Antichrist will come onto the scene as a charming leader, and he is going to make a treaty with Israel, offering false promises of peace and protection under his reign, yet he will bring more destruction to the nation than ever before, all within the strict confines of the 7-year timeframe known as the Great Tribulation. 7 years.
The 490 years prophesied will then see completion. In the end, Jesus will return. He will win the battle with a word, just a word. The tongue that spoke everything into existence will speak His enemies into oblivion!
And His church will be complete.
Adrian Rogers reminds us, “Jesus came on time, He died on time, He was buried on time, He rose on time, and He is coming on time. You can bank on it.”
Apply it to your life
As Believers, we cannot deny the significance of the nation of Israel. Today, make a commitment to pray for the Holy Land as the clock ticks on toward the End Times.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Acts 10:34-48
Jesus Christ is a historical fact. When combing through history, secular historians have proven His existence over and over again.
There is no disproving that there walked upon this earth a man known as Jesus Christ. But if He is only a man, then by account of what He said throughout His ministry on earth—that He is the Son of God—He is a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord…Deceiver, deceived, or Deity.
How are we to know that He is who He says He is? There are at least three ways.
There is the personal witness of the saints. Peter says in Acts 10:39, “And we are witnesses of all these things which He did.” The apostles each bore their own testimonies about Jesus’s virtuous life, vicarious death, and victorious resurrection.
There is a prophetic witness of the Scriptures. The Old Testament was written by a number of different authors over a period of about 1,500 years. Yet each page echoes the life of Christ before He ever roamed the earth, and serves as a symbol of His character and redemptive love before we ever knew His name.
There is a powerful witness of the Spirit. In the example seen in Scripture, when Peter preaches in Acts 10:44, God steps in to speak for Himself: “And while Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Spirit fell on them, on all them who heard the word. And they of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”
The Spirit proves the legitimacy of Christ’s lordship and affirms the testimonies of the Scriptures and the Saints. Adrian Rogers says: “The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and the word of the redeemed, and He says, ‘Amen. It’s truth.’”
Apply it to your life
Who do you say Jesus is? Liar, lunatic, or Lord? Do you know Him to be what He says He is? Do you live your life like you know He is Lord? Worship Him today. If you feel you are dwindling from this truth, saturate yourself in the testimonies of the saints and the Scriptures, and pray for the Spirit to affirm them in your life.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 3:1-6
“When a man ceases to believe in God, he doesn’t believe in nothing; he believes in anything,” observed writer G. K. Chesterton.
New Age-ism is a melting pot of Eastern philosophy. It’s a cosmic sponge that absorbs all religions, cultures, and governments together. It’s not a new thought at all; it’s simply an age-old heresy repurposed for the modern world. But it is dangerously deceptive and must be viewed as such. There is no basis of morality for the New Ager, which results in the destruction of our values and our faith.
Adrian Rogers says it this way, “New Age-ism is a repackaging of the mustiest lies around that go all the way back to the Garden of Eden.”
Our Enemy, Satan, enforces belief in New Ageism first by applying satanic deception. He packages it as the potential for self-development, self-discernment, self-deification (the idea that we are all God, and God is in all), and self-determination.
The Enemy also appeals to our selfish desires. We see this in the Garden of Eden, when Eve saw that the fruit was good food and desired the wisdom that the serpent told her it would give her. So she ate the fruit.
Then, the Enemy appropriates a subtle disguise. Deception works best when dealt with in the details. The devil today appears as an angel of light. He reshapes evil until it looks good, useful, and harmless.
Lastly, the Enemy achieves the scattering of New Age-ism through strategic dissemination. He mass-markets it, incorporates it into everyday life. Children adopt these seemingly innocent principles in primary school. These thoughts are folded into exercise routines and big-brand mission statements. It is widely popularized and made to seem inescapable.
But we can escape it. And we must. Everything is not what it seems. We must treat every myth as a missile meant to attack our faith, and we must be ready for it.
Apply it to your life
It is important to identify Satan’s deception around you, through the media, the marketplace, and modern thinkers. Are there thoughts or ideas you need to dispel today? Read Scripture, the truth that never changes, and pray through these things carefully, and ask the Lord to give you discernment
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 13:10-19:29
Pastor, author, and teacher Adrian Rogers said, “We hear a lot about the separation of church and state; we need to hear more about the separation of church and world.”
Separation from the world is the first duty of any believer in Jesus. If you are a child of God, you’re going to find yourself in conflict with this world.
When we say “world,” we’re not talking about the actual planet or the people who inhabit it. The planet is God’s creation, and the people are what He loves the most. We are talking about an ungodly system, philosophy, or order.
The world has its charming persuasions. The world will offer many things to gain our affiliation, but charm is deceitful.
The world has its controlling power. It will squeeze you into a mold very subtly, in your sense of direction, and then your decisions. It further controls you through its deception until finally you are destroyed.
The world has its corrupting pollution. Those who play with fire—or even play in close proximity to the fire—will be burned. We talk about the world with its empty philosophies, but we must never forget this is a dirty, dirty world.
Also, the world has a costly price to pay. We look in Scripture at the example of Sodom: a city of the world, an abomination in the eyes of God.
Lot, despite his love for God, loved Sodom as well. God delivered Lot from the city before raining fire upon it. But Lot did not leave unscathed. Lot’s decision to love Sodom cost him his faith. He eliminated his fellowship with God. It cost him his family. He lost his doubtful wife, his twisted daughters, and his scornful sons-in-law, and it cost him his fortune. It all went up in smoke with the city he gave half his heart to.
What we learn from Lot is to be pure and undivided at heart, eyes completely fixed on Jesus and His instruction given to us in Scripture.
Apply it to your life
The Serpent doesn’t wait for us to come out to the garden anymore. He strikes us at the playgrounds. Stay alert. Keep your focus in the Bible and put on the armor of God. We have to be ready to crush the Serpent’s head, even if it bruises our heels.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 2 Timothy 3:1
These are dark days in which we live. 2 Timothy 3:1 calls them “perilous times.” But as we wait for Jesus’s return to this world, we need to learn how to prepare ourselves not only to survive, but to thrive and be victorious.
And to be prepared, we first need to recognize what’s happening around us. 2 Timothy 3:2 tells us, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves...” Adrian Rogers says it this way: “What are people living for today? They’re living for what they can grab, not for what they can give.” Living for ourselves is the root of the darkness we see around us today.
Psalm 16:11 tells us we can find genuine pleasure in the presence of God. But instead, problems exist because our society today loves pleasures more than it loves God.
As a result, we are left with deep emptiness. In 2 Timothy 3:7-8, we can see a glimpse of humanity’s hunt to fill its insatiable desires in the last days: “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth...” Though knowledge increases, the truth does not.
Does all of this sound familiar? These are dangerous times. But thanks to God, we don’t have to face these days without hope. We are called to be the Church, the Light in the darkness, and we are called to be it together.
The closer we get to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the more we need the people of God. We need to hold each other accountable to the Truth of the Gospel. We need to be saturated with the Word of God, motivated by the Spirit of God, and activated in the work of God.
Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “Don’t doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.” Know where you stand and what you stand for, because the days are growing darker and the Enemy works in the shadows. Remember what you have learned in the light.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Revelation 1:3
Eternity is only a heartbeat away; at any moment Jesus may return, as Revelation 1:3 warns, “...the time is near.”
When Jesus came to this earth the first time, He came with His glory veiled; when He returns, His glory will be unveiled, and we will truly see Him. The Book of Revelation gives insight regarding the soon coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
He is the resurrected Christ with undiminished humanity.
Jesus is fully God and fully man; He has not laid His humanity aside.
He is the reigning Christ with unrivaled majesty.
In Revelation 1, Jesus appeared to the Apostle John wearing the robes of royalty.
Adrian Rogers says, “When He came the first time, He came to redeem; when He comes again, He will come to reign.”
He is the righteous Christ with undiminished purity.
Revelation 1:14 describes His purity and holiness: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow…”
He is the revealing Christ with unhindered scrutiny.
Jesus sees us and sees through us; He cannot be deceived, for: “His eyes like a flame of fire…” (v. 14)
He is the relentless Christ with untarnished integrity.
“His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…” (v. 15) Brass is an emblem of judgment, and the feet speak of His going forth; when Jesus returns, He is not coming to redeem, but to judge.
He is the regal Christ with unchallenged authority.
Revelation 1:15 continues to speak of the power of His voice: “...and His voice as the sound of many waters…”
He is the regulating Christ with unequaled mastery.
Jesus continues to be the One who holds everything in His right hand.
He is the revenging Christ with unspoiled victory.
At Armageddon, Jesus’ words will be like a two-edged sword.
Adrian Rogers says, “The Lord Jesus who spoke them into existence will speak them into oblivion.”
He is the resplendent Christ with undimmed glory.
The radiance of our Lord will light all of Heaven for all eternity.
He is the reassuring Christ with undeniable deity.
Jesus, who became the death of Death, is the One we worship. The Jesus we see in Revelation requires our full submission, our reverence and our great assurance.
Apply it to your life
As you study Revelation 1 today, give Jesus your full submission and reverence, and receive His great assurance.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 4:23-24
Adrian Rogers says, “Christianity is not a religion; it is a vital relationship with God through Christ. It’ll be a great day in America when people stop enduring religion and start enjoying salvation.”
We were created to worship God; it is life’s greatest privilege and highest duty to praise Him. In order to fully enjoy our salvation, we must first confirm what true worship is.
Worship is an expression of belief; it is a response to all that God is in gratitude and praise.
John 4:23 says, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
Human beings are incurably religious; whatever we love, fear, serve or honor more than God is an idol. This is why it’s important to know exactly who we are worshiping because if we do not worship Almighty God, we will be susceptible to worship anything else.
We must also remember why we worship: because we become like the things we adore. The more we worship God, the more like Him we will become.
But not only does God seek worshipers for what it does for us, but also what it does for Him. Our praise gives Him pleasure; as our Father, He yearns for our devotion and our honor.
Finally, we ought to consider the way of true worship: both in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” When Jesus says to worship God in spirit, He is referring to our spirit, which is our innermost being. If our spirit is dead or warped, we can’t truly worship. But we must also remember to worship in truth; our emotions cannot dictate our praise—there must be intelligent worship.
Adrian Rogers says, “Your worship will never rise higher than your knowledge of God.”
Spirit and truth go together; we honor God by actively praising with our spirit and seeking truth within His Word.
Apply it to your life
Have you discovered life’s greatest privilege of worshiping God? Remember these words from Adrian Rogers: “If you worship only in spirit, you’ll blow up. If you worship only in truth, you’ll dry up. If you worship in spirit and truth, you’ll grow up.”
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Exodus 33:1-4
In Exodus 33, God shined His glory upon the prophet Moses’ face; yet, Moses lost the glow over time.
As Christians, we are temples of God; the Lord lives and dwells in us. But many of us are not aware of the presence of God in our lives and lose our glow. This passage reveals how to restore the glow, by practicing the presence of God.
First, there must be a determination to know God intimately.
God promised Moses protection and provision, but because of the people’s sins, He would not go with them. In Exodus 33:15, Moses requests, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”
Second, we should prepare our hearts.
We cannot casually, haphazardly seek the presence of God. We must embrace isolation: “And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain…” (Exodus 34:3).
God instructed Moses to get away from the backslidden people he was leading in order to pay attention to what God was doing. There are times we need to get alone with God, away from the demands of others, in order to learn from Him.
When we open the Bible, we must do so with an expectant heart and a pen and paper, ready to write down what the Lord reveals. After we humbly receive a word from God, we must respond with adoration: “So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped” (Exodus 34:8).
Then may we give our intercession, and pray for others. If we are not sure who to pray for, we can trust God to lay it upon our hearts. After observing what God has revealed, we must be sure to obey. Adrian Rogers says, “We cannot claim the promises of God without obeying the commandments of God.”
Finally, there is a transformation.
Moses spent so much time with the Lord, face-to-face, that the skin on Moses’s face shone of the glory of God. Likewise, when we spend enough time in the presence of God, the presence of God gets into us, and we reflect His glory to others.
Apply it to your life
When you practice the presence of God, remember this formula from Adrian Rogers: open the Bible and read it through, think it out, pray it in, live it out and finally, pass it on.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Malachi 1:6-14
Our highest privilege as Christians is to know and enjoy God’s presence in a personal and exciting way. But what happens when we find ourselves in a spiritual drought?
Malachi 1:6-14 reveals three key ways to keep the wonder in our worship and a fire in our faith.
First, we must recognize the nature of God, as Father and as Master: “'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence?' Says the Lord of hosts…” (v. 6).
Our spiritual drought could be a result of taking God’s role as Father and Master too lightly. God deserves our deepest honor and greatest reverence. Adrian Rogers says, “The fear of God is love on its knees; it is the one fear that removes all other fears.”
Secondly, we restore the wonder when we revere the name of God.
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts” (v. 11).
God deserves the best of what we have, and yet, we despise the name of God by offering half-hearted worship and withholding our perfect offerings. God’s name is defiled if our giving to Him makes no difference in our lifestyle. Adrian Rogers says, “God’s name is not to be defiled; it is to be declared.”
Finally, we will restore the wonder in our worship when we respect the nobility of God.
“But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished— for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations” (v. 14).
When we remember the depths of God’s nobility and respect that He is the King of kings, we will be excited to be in His presence.
Apply it to your life
Have you lost the wonder in your worship? Recognize God’s nature as a Father and a Master, who deserves our love, labor, and loyalty. Do not profane His name or defile it with half-hearted worship; rather, respect His nobility as the King of kings.
Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Exodus 33:1-3
Our purpose is to know God intimately and to enjoy Him personally; we need nothing more and should settle for nothing else. We must learn how to enjoy the presence of God, and even more importantly, how to stay in it.
In Exodus 33, Moses has interceded for the nation of Israel. In response, God promises His protection and provision, but not His presence; He will not be with them.
Adrian Rogers says, “It is frightening to have success, possessions, and protection but not the presence of the Lord.”
There are several reasons God withdrew His presence from His people.
Direct Disobedience
The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance of our salvation. When we knowingly and willingly disobey God, we grieve the Holy Spirit and quench Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:19.) If we are experiencing estrangement from the presence of God, we must first be assured that there is no unconfessed sin in our lives.
Divided Devotion
The people of Israel rejected a direct command of God, and as a result, their devotion was divided. Some of the nation committed the sin of idolatry.
We must remember: anything we love, fear, serve or trust more than God is an idol. God demands preeminence and He will take nothing less. And in examining our hearts, we should see if anyone or anything has taken precedence over God.
Displaced Dependence
Moses also detected the people’s displaced dependence; they had placed complete trust and dependence on the work of their hands. This betrayed the One who had brought them through the Red Sea, provided for, and protected them.
When we begin to depend upon our own ingenuity, wit, and wisdom, we fail to give God the glory and, ultimately, fail ourselves.
Determined Defiance
Finally, Israel maintained its determined defiance.
“Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 33:3).
Being stiff-necked is the opposite of being meek and pliable; God was inferring that Israel was no longer leadable or teachable. We must remember that when God gives us a specific revelation, we must obey Him.
Apply it to your life
Is God real to you? Examine your heart today: is there any direct disobedience, divided devotion, displaced dependence, or determined defiance?