Sermons

Contrary to what many believe and even teach–converted Christians who once repented and had their sins blotted out, must continue to confess and forsake–that is, to repent of–their sins, when they do sin. We must be very careful to not become hardened to sin so that we justify ourselves and turn away from God. This is true of individual Christians, it is true of the Church of God and it is true of all nations!

We know that God is angry at this world. In a few years from now, God will send His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring peace, hope and happiness to this present evil society. This world is under God’s curse, awaiting the pouring out of God’s wrath.

God does not change. As He was angry at the world in Old Testament times, so He is angry at the world today, for the very same reasons. We read that God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

God is righteous. He is merciful and kind. He is love. But godly love does not justify evil. God is angry at the evil of this world, because it hurts man. When man does wrong, man suffers the consequences. God has also told us what He requires of man. We are called upon to make a difference!Play Video

To cause offense with another is a very serious matter. Yet, from time to time we all do cause offense. Offenses can be caused intentionally or unintentionally. We must be careful to make every effort not to offend. And, of course, we should, also, make every effort not to take offense except for serious cause.

But what should we do when offenses come? Offenses need to be resolved quickly, or Satan will use the offense for harm! Christ illustrates to us in Like 17 how offenses should be dealt with.

The momentous happenings surrounding the Day of Pentecost picture and fulfill many events in the master plan of God.

Along with the promise of God giving His Holy Spirit to those called to be in the first resurrection as firstfruits, we understand that this is just the beginning, and God’s plan–the good news of salvation–will eventually include the reconciling of the entire world!

God’s people need God’s help, today, in these very troubling times. And that help is available to those who diligently seek it. Jesus told the apostles just prior to His return to the Father to assume His position there at the right hand of the Almighty, having completed His purpose at that time here on the earth, that they would “receive power” when the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

The help of that Power is available to the people of God today, who diligently seek it!

When Satan rebelled against God, he did not believe that he had to be obedient to God. He thought he did not need God and could live without him. He influenced Adam and Eve to think the same way. The human societies which were built were all founded on the concept that we don’t need God to tell us how to live. Man created selfish societies, and became products of the same. Christ came to offer man solutions to their problems, but man did not accept Him. People were motivated by their own selfish pursuits and did not want to give them up. When God called us out of this present evil world, He showed us how to get rid of selfishness. We are to overcome selfishness, if we want to be in God’s Kingdom.

According to the warning from Jesus Christ, the end of this age finds parallels in the age just before the Flood. We need to understand what the Bible relates about the Flood and find the application to our own lives and to our own time and to the future our generation will surely face.

The trials through which we suffer benefit us in many ways. Scripture tells us we learn from trials, patience and endurance, humility and obedience, thankfulness, and that these trials help us to draw closer to God as we strive to the perfection God desires to see within us. God tells us these trials will do us good in the end!

How should we approach the trials we daily encounter? God gives to us understanding in His Word as to what our approach should be!

Seven points are outlined in this sermon for dealing with trials as they come our way!

When reviewing the subject of alcohol in the way it is treated in the Bible, we should be able to see some important lessons from the Biblical teaching. We will note that alcohol is not bad, per se, and that it is actually a blessing for the society and the individual, if consumed properly and in moderation. However, alcohol abuse will lead to terrible curses. Alcohol is a gift from God, to be used in moderation and with respect. It is not to control our lives, and we are not to become addicted to it. Alcohol abuse can also be compared with spiritual abuse, as in both cases, the abuser loses clear vision.Play Video

When there is a change in government–when a new leader takes the place of the former leader–there is usually a period of time between election and inauguration during which administrators are chosen to help govern. In a similar way, Jesus Christ has qualified to replace the ruler of this world along with its current administrators–Satan and his demonic forces.

Those whom God calls to be in the first resurrection are offered roles in the Kingdom of God as rulers under Jesus Christ. We must learn to subject ourselves, now, to God’s will as Jesus Christ continually administers the Church of God in preparation for the fulfillment of God’s vast master plan for His enduring Kingdom.

Having come through the Days of Unleavened Bread for another year, do we fully understand how we are to come out of sin? Is it something you even need to worry about since you are a baptized member of the Church and have God’s Holy Spirit within you? If you need to be concerned, how do you approach the problem?

Belief is a powerful motivator, but it is not complete by itself even when someone believes what is true. Unbelief, that is, not believing whether true or not, epitomizes someone who is right in his own eyes. One of the lessons we should apply from observing the Days of Unleavened Bread concerns whether or not we believe God. Israel of old, in spite of God’s miraculous intervention on their behalf, did not believe God, and those adults who were delivered out of bondage failed to enter the promised land because of their unbelief.

Moses had died. God had not used Moses to bring the people into the Promised Land. Rather, a new leader — Joshua — was sanctified by God to do so. The fall of Jericho has great prophetic and symbolic meaning for us today. Jericho fell on the last day of unleavened bread, after the Israelites had been “baptized” in the river Jordan, had been circumcised, had eaten the Passover, and had circled the city of Jericho for seven days — beginning with the first day of unleavened bread. The fall of Jericho and the conquest of the Promised Land do not just stand for coming out of sin, but they also include entering into God’s righteousness. The events surrounding Jericho’s fall also show God’s warning to this world for 6,000 years, and they symbolize the destruction of this present civilization — modern “Babylon” — and the beginning of the Millennium.

God has called us for obedience to His Way. Through the blood of Christ our sins which are past have been covered. However, we must not continue in the ways of this world. We are to be walking with God away from this world’s ways. This will require God’s Spirit and the Faith of Jesus Christ working within us. If we are successful in our calling, we will walk with God throughout eternity.

This sermon goes into the effects of sin on the human mind and how important it is to replace sin with righteousness especially during the days of unleavened bread.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes joy (Galatians 5:22). Therefore, if we are true Christians, we will show, overall, godly joy in our lives. There will be, of course, set-backs, but if we are always down, always depressed, always unhappy and miserable, we are lacking this important character trait of God’s mind and nature. Especially during this time, we are reminded that we are to come out of sin (symbolized by leaven), and that we are to replace sin with righteousness (symbolized by unleavened bread). This means, too, that we are to replace sadness with joy. Paul tells us that we are to rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

We are instructed in the Holy Scriptures to examine ourselves just prior to the Passover to determine if we are going or have gone astray from the calling we have received and to get our lives square with God.

We must remove ourselves from the old way of life, which we have followed prior to baptism, and put on the new way – the way our Lord Jesus Christ lived as a physical human being.

How committed are we to God? How much trust do we really place in Him? Is there anything that could cause us to lose sight of God and fall into error? What would it take for you to begin to waiver? You may think, this could never happen, but we are warned that those who think they stand must be careful lest they fall.

Is our trust in God based on conditions? On circumstances perhaps, or on the trust that other people have? The true faithful heroes of the Bible had unconditional faith — regardless of what others might have done — and we must grow into that kind of trust as well.

There is something that happens far too often in the Church of God, and that is that people reject God’s calling! God’s Word records examples of those who have disobeyed as a warning to us. The early Church of God also experienced false teachers who brought in deceptive doctrines and overthrew the faith of some. The unfortunate consequences of such rebellion to God are maters of life and death–and that for all of eternity!

Do we look upon ourselves as wise? God inspires Paul to reveal that “…the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19). Having had our eyes opened to God and to His Wisdom, how can we ever look at our lives and come to the determination that we are wise?

In fact, Christ said of Himself (in the flesh) He was able do nothing! And without the sacrifice of Christ, the grace of God, and the revealed knowledge which we receive as the Called of God, we would never attain to the wisdom, which God desires that we achieve.