Our Sermons
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10
Luke 21:8 “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.”
Are you being deceived? This is a valid question you should ask yourself. With so many voices, ideas, and opinions competing for our attention, it can be demanding for anyone to sort truth from fiction. In the last days, the Bible tells us many will be deceived (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:3-4). Are you one of them? Throughout the Scriptures, we are warned against the dangers of deception, not only in the end times but also in our day-to-day living. The most potent tool of the enemy is deception. The very definition of deception means that those who are deceived do not know or believe they are deceived. So, it is very important that we, as believers, are on guard against this trap from the enemy and diligently seek after the truth found only in God’s Word. Truth makes us free from deception. One thing you need to know right off is this: anyone can be subject to deception (Matthew 24:24) No one is immune. In fact, thinking you cannot be deceived means you are already deceived. Knowing how easy it is to be swept away into deception, Paul strongly warned us to “take heed” in 1 Timothy 4:16. Do not wait until something comes up before you try to figure out if it is truth or deception. Be ready for it. Spend quality time in the Word of God. Scrutinize every idea, thought, opinion, and doctrine, with the standard of God’s Word. When you compare everything to the Word of God, you will guard against deception. Finally, to guard against deception, you have got to live by faith. That is what will keep you out of deception. There will always be challenges in this world. Even we, as believers in Christ, will face the challenges. But one thing is different for us. We know the truth, and the truth we know shall make us free (John 8:32).
Philippians 3:14 KJV “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
We grow by our questions. So, let us ask ourselves some critical questions about our lives and purpose as Christians. Is what you are currently keeping your eyes on and passionate about important and lasting? Have you ever asked yourself this question: What will really matter at the end of your life on earth? Will what you are giving attention to now still be important then? Or, will you be filled with regret for what you did or did not do? It might be a good idea to stop and evaluate how you are investing your resources like time and money. 1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV states “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Run to win. Win what? The true prize is to know God intimately and walk with Him to do His will. We should run for the sake of giving our best to the One who gave His best for us. The Christian life is not only a race that we must run well; it is also a race that we must finish well. So, fix your eyes on things that of eternal value (2 Corinthians 4:18). One day, no matter how long, you will stand before God. Why not order your life now based on that “final day?” A wise person would not invest everything in something temporary. A wise person invests in something that will last. Invest your life wisely!
Colossians 3:13 NIV “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Every human has been deeply and profoundly hurt at some point in relating with others and has struggled with forgiveness. I believe the majority of the world’s population, Christians and Non-Christians are struggling with forgiveness. When someone hurts us, our natural response is to strike back. Rather than forgive, we want to pay back the pain, shame, and suffering. Rather than let go, we cling to resentment, rage, and retaliation. Sincerely, there are people who have been truly wronged and mistreated by others from their own family, church family, best friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and relatives. Though they know God has instructed us to forgive, but they are asking themselves some tough questions: What if it hurts too much to forgive? What if the other person is not sorry? How can I let someone off the hook for doing something so wrong? But a quick reminder: forgiveness is a decision, an act of your will that results in true freedom. And I want to pint you to the ONE who was offended the most and forgave the most, the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows your pain, He knows your need, and He know how best to empower you to forgive, even when you feel it is impossible (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 5:7). Hand over your situation to Him (Jesus Christ). You hurt yourself when you live with deep-rooted bitterness. The best gift you can give yourself is to forgive others. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose!
Philippians 4:4 NKJ “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!”
As a child of God you have joy in your spirit. But you must choose to let it flow out into your mind, body, and circumstances. Joy is part of the provision God has given you so you can walk in strength and victory (Nehemiah 8:10b). Not allowing joy to flow out of your innermost being allows a weakness that can provide an opening for the devil to bring sadness. Joy is part of the “fruit” produced by the Holy Spirit through your spirit (Galatians 5:22). But you must choose to let the joy out. You must confess words of joy, thanking and praising God. You must choose to let the joy flow! But do not expect this to always be easy. It is when things seem the worst that you need to act on this the most. Although Apostle Paul was writing from prison, joy is the dominant theme of his epistle to the Philippians church. How strange that a man in prison could instruct a church to rejoice. Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: our outwards circumstances do not need to dictate our inner attitude. As children of God, we have joy and peace in our spirits. But our minds may be blocking the flow by keeping our focus on circumstances and it is easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances. Sometimes it is good for us to just let loose and force ourselves to really rejoice and praise God. Circumstances in your life may not be perfect, but you can always rejoice in the Lord, because He is always perfect. Christians should be joyful in every circumstance, because true joy is found in our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Matthew 28:6 KJV “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, the angel uttered these words to Mary Magdalene and the “other” Mary who was with her: He is not here, for he has risen. No, of course the Lord Jesus Christ is not on the cross. He is also not in the grave. He was raised from the dead and he is now in heaven, sitting on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). He is set on the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Hebrews 8:1, Ephesians 1:20-21). This is a hope-filled statement. Our hope is not in the crumbling world system, but rather in the One who defeated death for us and will return to take us home for eternity! Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18). But is He alive in you? Is Christ’s light shining through you and visible around you so much that darkness cannot stand your presence? Is Christ’s life being lived through you so that men can see and experience His good works through you? Can He manifest His power through you in tangible ways? Is Christ’s love being expressed through you so you can love the unlovable; that you can look into people and have compassion on them instead of looking down on people and despising them? Jesus Christ is alive. But can you show with proof that He is alive in you? That is the critical question you and I need to answer as we celebrate His resurrection.