Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 51

King David, though a man after God’s own heart, was a great sinner. He committed adultery and, in covering it up, he committed murder. But David was also a great repenter, and Psalm 51 shows us how to come back when we’re down.

Getting saved does not mean we lose our capacity to sin or minimize its gravity. The eternal security of salvation is not a license to sin without suffering. In fact, we will suffer all the more, because the Holy Spirit convicts believers of their sins until they confess them. Guilt is a dirty wound; it festers, and it will never heal until it is cleansed.

This passage reveals the weighty consequences of sin. Sin soils the soul, saturates the mind, and stings the conscience. It saddens the heart and sickens the body, sours the spirit, and seals the lips.

Adrian Rogers says, “The most miserable man on earth is not a lost man; It is a saved man out of fellowship with God.”

When we find ourselves down in our sins, how do we come back?

First, we must be confident that God still loves us.
Psalm 51:1 says, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” Even when he sinned, David had confidence in God’s lovingkindness. In spite of the enemy’s attempt to discredit God’s faithfulness, we must remember there is nothing we can do that will make God stop loving us.

Second, we must confess our sins without any excuses or alibis.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Finally, God cleanses and forgives.
He removes the penalty, blots it out, and buries it in the sea of His forgetfulness. He removes the pollution of sin, cleaning us whiter than snow. He removes the power of sin: God purges us so that we are clean on the inside.

We don’t have to carry around our own condemnation anymore; we can be clean.

Apply it to your life
Do you have any unconfessed sin weighing on you today? Ask God to search your heart and reveal your sin to you. Confess it and be cleansed by God’s forgiveness.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 10:27

It is good for our spiritual health and productivity as Christians to know we are eternally secure. This is why we must have a Scriptural defense for our eternal security. Following are four passages to reflect on regarding eternal security.

1. 2 Peter 2:21: "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”
Adrian Rogers says, “Reformation without transformation leads to greater degradation and final condemnation.” Reformation doesn't give us a new nature. Our sinful desires only hibernate and wake up stronger. Salvation, on the other hand, gives us a new nature and a desire to follow Jesus.

2. Matthew 24:11-13: "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Endurance is the mark of reality in the life of a human soul. We must endure in times of trial, so that our faith will not fail.

3. John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Those who abide in Him bear the fruit. Those who do not bear fruit, are not abiding in Him.

4. Hebrews 6:4-6: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
This passage refers to those who know the truth and turn from it, eyes wide open, having never repented to begin with. But we, who have accepted salvation and repented of our sins, are eternally secure.

Adrian Rogers says, “Eternal security is like a strong rubber band that God puts around you when you get saved. You may stray away, but He keeps drawing you back.”



Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “Those who live by truth get more and more freedom. Those who live by lies experience more and more bondage.” Consider this Scriptural Defense for your eternal security.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 10:27

When we, as Christians, are sure of our future, we can concentrate on the present. This is why John 10 is fundamental to the eternal security of the believer.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand” (John 10:27-29).
This passage reveals eight reasons we can be sure we are eternally secure.

1. Promise
God has promised us eternal security through His Word. Romans 8 claims that nothing can separate us from His love. (See Romans 8:38-39.)
2. Perseverance
God, who first began a good work in us, will complete what He has begun. The Holy Spirit of God is the Convictor, the Convertor, and the Completor. Adrian Rogers says, “The Holy Spirit has never started anything He’s not able to finish.”

3. Predestination
God has predetermined our destiny. Adrian Rogers says, “Your salvation did not begin with you. Your salvation began before this world was swung into space.” If you are called to a new birth in Christ, it is absolutely settled.

4. Perfection
Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Being a Christian isn’t making monthly deposits to pay God back for His salvation. Jesus paid it all, therefore, we are made perfect forever in God’s sight. It is not a fresh start; it is a new nature.
5. Position
Adrian Rogers says, “Security is not a place; it is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ.” We are positioned with the Lord Jesus Christ, part of His body, sealed with the Holy Spirit.
6. Possession
If we are saved, we already have eternal life. Adrian Rogers says, “Everlasting life is not something you get when you die. Everlasting life is something you get when you believe.”
7. Prayer
Jesus is praying for us, not that we would escape tribulation, but that we will be kept from evil.

8. Power
Finally, we are kept by the power of God. This alone is enough proof that we are eternally secure.
Apply it to your life
Are you sure you are eternally secure? The same God who saved us will keep us if we believe in Him.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 5:11

Every Christian ought to have the privilege of knowing, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he or she is saved. But having doubts doesn’t necessarily mean we are not saved.

Adrian Rogers says, “Doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body; it doesn't mean you're dead, it means something's wrong.”

1 John 5 reveals how to be saved and know it, without hesitation.

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).

When doubts arise, we must remember, first, how we are saved: by grace, through faith (see Ephesians 2:8).

Adrian Rogers says, “Grace is the unmerited favor and love that God shows to us. It's what made God love us when we were unlovely. God doesn't love us because we're valuable… we're valuable because He loves us.”

Faith is not intellectual belief; it is trust and commitment to God. Think of grace as the hand of God reaching down to us, and faith is our hand reaching up to Him.

Understanding this, we can find our assurance through three basic tests:

Lordship Test

Is Jesus Christ the Lord of my life?

If we claim to love God, we will keep His commandments.

Fellowship Test

Do I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I in fellowship with other believers?

Fellowship is the nature of both the Christian and the Church.

Relationship Test

Do I have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?

The assurance of our salvation is ongoing; it is not a past event, stamped by a time and date, and place. It is a present decision to trust in Jesus, right now. We can trust in Him, for He alone is the assurance of our salvation.

Apply it to your life

Do you have doubts about your faith? Consider the lordship, fellowship, and relationship tests. If you don’t know whether your doubt is the Holy Spirit’s conviction or the devil’s tactic, believe in Jesus.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Revelation 22

There is an ongoing war over the Word of God. There are those who despise, dissect, and disregard it. But perhaps the greatest enemy of the Word of God is the one who believes in it but doesn’t know it.

We will never be settled until we are settled about the Word of God. Our salvation and sanctification depend on it.

Revelation 22:18 says, “For I testify unto every man who heareth the words of the prophecy of this book…”

There are several reasons to consider in becoming certain that the Bible is the Word of God.

First, consider the Bible’s scientific accuracy.

There have been many instances in which scientific theories have gone against the Word of God, but those theories have crumbled over time. Science changes direction, improves, and builds upon itself. But the Word of God remains unchanged and unmovable.

Second, consider the Bible’s historical accuracy.

Though it’s not primarily a history book, the Bible records many notable events verified by historians.

We also believe in the Bible because of its wonderful unity.

It is penned by people from all kinds of backgrounds: shepherds, kings, soldiers, princes, priests, and fishermen. Yet, from Genesis to Revelation, it reads as one book because of its divine inspiration.

Another reason we believe in the Bible is its fulfilled prophecy.

The Old Testament contains more than 300 prophecies that deal with Jesus Christ that He fulfilled in the New Testament.

We believe in the Bible because of its ever-living qualities. The Bible has faced much opposition, yet it has survived, and it still applies today. Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not the book of the month; it is the book of the ages.”

Ultimately, we believe in this book because of its life-changing power.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel of Christ is the dynamite of God that saves.”

It saves the sinners, sanctifies the saints, sustains the suffering, and satisfies the scholar.

The Bible, in all its wonder and majesty, is summed up in this: “Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so!”

Apply it to your life

Are you certain that the Bible is the Word of God? Consider these reasons, and come to a faithful understanding of Scripture… knowing that once you begin studying it, you are never finished with it!

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Acts 15:13-18

In Acts 10, the Gospel was made available to Gentiles for the first time. Up until Acts 15, many in the church believed Christianity was exclusively for the Jews. Concerned, they met in Jerusalem to discuss God’s plan for the Jews.

Acts 15:18 reads, “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” God has a plan for this world, the church, for the Jew and the Gentile. And as we hear rumors of a new world order in these last days, we know the reasons why the world is out of sorts to begin with.

The church is out of her rightful place.

The church, which is the bride of Christ, belongs with the groom. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us, but we are not by His side. Ephesians 1:13-14 explains that the Holy Spirit is “the earnest of our inheritance,” meaning He is a token of God’s love to His Bride while we wait to join His side.

Second, there will never be world order until Israel is restored and there is peace in Jerusalem.

God is not finished with the Jewish nation; they are still the chosen people. God gave the land of Israel to Abraham’s descendants in an everlasting covenant, yet, the Jews have been scattered across the earth. As God prophesied Israel's disobedience, dispersion, and disgrace, He also prophesied their resolve and return.

Third, Satan is out of place, because the criminal belongs in prison.

There will never be order as long as Satan’s spirit is working. The world stumbles in darkness orchestrated by Him. But Satan will not always have the run of this world. There’s coming a time when he will be cast into the prison of his own making: hell.

Finally, there will be no world order until the King is on the throne.

Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords; soon, His Will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Adrian Rogers says, “I cannot wait for the time our Lord comes and we have a new world order; when the church and Israel and Satan and Jesus are in their rightful place. It has a good ending, and we’re on the winning side.”

Apply it to your life

As the days grow gloriously dark, pray for the nation of Israel, and for those who may not know the Lord.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Genesis 1:26

What’s wrong with animal rights? In simplest terms, the belief behind the Animal Rights Movement is that there is no difference between man and animal. But Scripture says otherwise.

According to the Book of Genesis, both man and animal were created by God separately; 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 man in His image, He gave them 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, while 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." Do you know Him, love Him and serve Him with the spirit He gave you?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Job 8:8

Adrian Rogers tells us, “Truth is to your spirit what food is to your body, what light is to your eyes, and what sound is to your ears.” There is a famine in the world for truth; this is why, as Christians, we can never lose our burning ambition to discover, know and practice truth.

In Job 8:8, Job’s friends respond to his suffering with an urge to appeal to look for answers from the philosophers of yesterday. And America has been shaped, molded, and skewed by a few philosophers of yesterday; their ghosts still haunt us, even now.

The first is Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who rejected moral absolutes and alluded to the dangerous sentiment that the strongest idea wins, and therefore history is evolutionary and there cannot be any absolute.

Ludwig Feuerbach built upon this theory by saying, “If there are no absolutes, then there can be no God,” coining what we now know as humanism.

Karl Marx built upon Feuerbach’s theory by asking, “If there is no absolute and no God, what is the future and purpose of mankind?” As a result, Marx founded communism: a godless system that refutes the worth or dignity of an individual.

Then came Charles Darwin, who asked, “If there is no God, then how do we explain our existence?” He concluded that man is simply a product of evolution.

The final ghost that still haunts us is Sigmund Freud, who says our idea of God comes to us from our childhood fathers. The extreme permissiveness and perversion we see today is also a result of Freudian psychology.

These ideas have been around for a long time but have resurged in recent days. We shouldn’t be discouraged; these theories do not have something readily available to us, as Christians: the truth, and the Holy Spirit. We, who see the Bible as the incorruptible, indestructible, and indispensable Word of God, must stand, anointed with the Holy Spirit and a heart full of love, and preach the absolute truth of the Gospel.

Apply it to your life

Do you know what you believe, and why you believe it? Familiarize yourself with the truth of the Bible. Remember, as Adrian Rogers says, “Facts are like a recipe and truth is like the meal; digest the truth and it will change your life.”