Will You Go On Sinning?

Scripture: Romans 6: 1-2, 23

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (1-2) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (23)

Scripture Commentary:

The question put to you in Romans 6 is are you a sinner who will stop sinning or will you go on sinning? We are born into Adam’s physical family and as such, we reaped the results of Adam’s sin. We have inherited his guilt, a sinful nature, and God’s punishment.

Baptism symbolizes our rebirth in Jesus Christ.

We can trade this punishment for forgiveness by being born again in Jesus Christ. Through baptism you bury your old self. When you come out of the water, you are new. If we think of our old sinful life as dead and buried, we have a powerful motive to resist sin.

We can enjoy our new life in Christ because we are united with Him in His death and resurrection. Our evil desires, our bondage to sin, and our love of sin died with Him. Now, united by faith with Him in His resurrection life, we have unbroken fellowship with God and freedom from sin’s hold on us.

The power and penalty of sin died with Christ on the cross.

Jesus saved you because of his mercy. Accept His gift with thanksgiving.

Read the Entire Chapter:

Romans Chapter 6

Levi Immediately Witnessed for Christ

Scripture: Mark 2: 15-17

Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?^]”

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Scripture Commentary:

The day Levi met Jesus, he held a meeting at his house to introduce others to Jesus. Levi didn’t waste any time starting to witness!

Some people feel that new believers should wait for training or maturity before they begin to tell others about Jesus. But like Levi, new believers can share their faith right away with whatever knowledge, skill, or experience they already have.

Jesus spent time with everyone who wanted to hear the Word.

The self-righteous Pharisees were indignant that Jesus would eat a meal with such sinners. Jesus spent time with whoever (poor, rich, bad or good) needed or wanted to hear His message.

Are there people you have been neglecting because of their reputation? They may be the ones who most need to see and hear the message of Jesus Christ’s love in and from you.

Read the Entire Chapter:

Mark Chapter 2

Would You Curse God When the Devil Is Your Enemy?

Would You Curse God When It’s the Devil Who is Your Enemy?

Part Three: 1 Peter 5: 8

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan greatly misunderstands the breadth and depth of God’s mercy and forgiveness toward those who believe in Him. Satan believed that Job was willing to accept the loss of family and property as long as his own skin was safe.

We can be like that in a way. It’s like that when we see someone who is hurt or suffering, or who is losing everything and we say to ourselves that we’re glad it isn’t us.

Satan comes at you in many ways just as he did with Job.

First, he attacked Job’s family by removing his sons and daughters. Second, he went after Job’s property, and last, Satan attacked Job’s health.

In Job, chapter 6, verse 2, we see that Satan needed God’s permission to hurt Job but God didn’t allow for Job to be killed.

Job 2:9

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Job remained faithful to God.

With all that Job went through, he never lost his love for God, and he never cursed God. Would you be able to say the same if you were in Job’s shoes?

People curse God everyday when they use language that is ungodly. Some people profane God’s name with no thought to what they’re saying. But when you live a godly life, you put away the things that are not of God.

For anyone who doesn’t know how the story ends, Job was given back more than he lost.

Job 42: 12-17

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

In God’s house you do not need money, cars, and boats. You need only God; He will provide your needs.

Would the message of Job change if God hadn’t restored Job to his former blessings? No, God is still sovereign.

Don’t let anything come between you and God. If there’s anything in your life that you value more than God, get it out of your life! And don’t dwell on what you give up. God gave his Son for your sins.

You can never out give God!

Read the Entire Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:

Read the other parts of the sermon, Would You Curse God?

Part One: Would You Curse God?

Part Two: Would You Curse God When the Pressure Is On?

Would You Curse God When the Pressure Is On?

Sermon: Would You Curse God When the Pressure Is On?

Part Two: Job 1: 11

But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Satan challenges God by saying Job is only faithful because God had placed a hedge of protection around him. Satan is telling God that if He took away that protection, Job would give up under Satan’s pressure.

What about you? Would you give God up?

Consider what you would be giving up. Eternity with God over something temporal and fleeting.

Revelation 12: 9

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Things will always happen – some good, some bad – and sometimes it is not for you to know why. You must put your faith and trust in God. Experience life as Job did, one day at a time. Thank God for giving you another day to praise Him.

God’s love doesn’t exempt you from life’s challenges.

God loves you but that does not exempt you from life’s calamities. Setbacks, tragedies, and sorrows strike both Christians and non-Christians alike. The difference is in how we deal with them.

Psalms 34: 7

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Satan says that we are fair weather people, only honoring God as long as we get what we want. God gives Satan permission to test Job. However, Satan has no authority other than what God gives him.

God is compassionate toward you.

While God may allow you to suffer for reasons beyond your understanding, He is never caught by surprise by your troubles. There are limits on what Satan is allowed to do; God is compassionate. So do not worry about Satan. Stay faithful to the One and Only God who loves you.

Read the Entire Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:

Job Chapter 1

Revelation Chapter 12

Psalms Chapter 34

Read Part One and Part Three of the Sermon, Would You Curse God?

Part One: Would You Curse God?

Part Three: Would You Curse God When the Devil Is Your Enemy?

Don’t Suffer the Delusion to Believe A Lie

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2: 9-12

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Scripture Commentary: Don’t believe a lie.

Satan would have you believe a lie that what is wrong is right. Are you doing right in God’s eye, or in just your own eye? Are you doing something that can be done in the daylight or only in darkness?

Satan has a way to make you feel that it’s alright to do wrong. But the Holy Spirit in you will not lie to you.

You need God.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to tell them the dangers of losing hope of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We, today, are starting to live with no hope. This is Satan deceiving you; however, God gives you the freedom to turn your back on Satan.

Your main defense here is prayer that God will protect you from evil and strengthen you so that you can spread God’s Word.

God’s love for you is your only hope, but you must love God too.

Read the Entire Chapter:

2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

Believers Spread the Aroma of the Knowledge of God

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2: 14-17

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Scripture Commentary

In a Roman triumphal procession, the Roman general would display his treasures and captives amidst a cloud of incense burned to the gods. To the victors, the aroma was sweet, but to the captives, it was the smell of slavery and death.

When Christians preach the gospel, it is good news to some and repulsive news to others. Believers recognize the life-giving fragrance of the message. However, to non-believers it smells foul, like death.

Serving God requires that you focus on what He can do through you.

God has commissioned and sent us with the Holy Spirit, enabling us to speak with Christ’s power. He keeps His eye on us, protecting us as we work for Him. So, if we realize that God makes us competent and useful, we can overcome our feelings of inadequacy. Serving Christ, therefore, requires that we focus on what He can do through us, not on what we can’t do by ourselves.

Some preachers peddle God’s word without understanding God’s message or caring about their listeners. They aren’t concerned about furthering God’s kingdom; they just want money.

God’s word will set you free; the lie will send you to hell.

Read the Entire Chapter:
2 Corinthians Chapter 2

Who are You to Pass Judgment on Others?

Scripture: Romans 2: 1-4

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Scripture Commentary: We are not to pass judgment on others.

How can you tell another that s/he isn’t living as God intended when you aren’t either? In order to pass judgment (for you do not have that right), you must look at yourself. And when you do this, what do you see? Do you see your true self or do you see the person you think you are?

We have all sinned; we are all sinning.

Don’t pass judgment on others. But do start with yourself. Take a look; find your faults and work to correct them.

We belong to a stubborn race. We know what’s right but we insist on doing what’s wrong. But we must start to do what is right. Even people who have never read The Bible – and who do not know Jesus Christ – know right from wrong. If you travel the world, you find that all cultures prohibit murder, adultery, and stealing. Yet these laws are always being broken.

If we would violate our own laws, what are we doing to God’s law?

There are always people within society who violate the law. If we do not follow the laws we’ve made, what then are we doing to God’s law? If you follow God’s laws and live the life He intended, then as His children your life would become a reflection of Him.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 2

God Is Not a God of Confusion but of Truth

Scripture: Galatians 1: 6-10

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Scripture Commentary: Avoid the confusion of a lie by knowing The Bible.

Twisting the truth is more difficult to spot than an outright lie. How can we eliminate the confusion and tell when someone is lying?

Before you accept the teaching of any group, find out what that group teaches about Jesus Christ. And if their teaching does not match the truth of God’s Word, found in The Bible, then it is a perversion.

Paul warned that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Paul said that even if an angel from heaven comes preaching another message, that angel should be “eternally condemned.” Paul extended that curse to include himself if he should pervert the gospel.

God’s truth is eternal and never changes.

God’s message must never change, for the truth of the gospel never changes! God does not accept man-made religion as a substitute for faith in Jesus Christ. He has provided just one way to him, and that way is Jesus Christ.

Are you a servant of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Galatians Chapter 1

Have your iniquities separated you from God?

Sermon: Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns? (Have your iniquities separated you from God?)

Part Two: Isaiah 59: 2

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Matthew 25:10-12

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

How will you R.S.V.P? I will attend or I will not attend.

Read the Complete Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:
Isaiah Chapter 59
Matthew Chapter 25

Read Part One of the Sermon, Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns?

Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns?

Sermon: Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns?

Part One: Matthew 25: 1-4

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

This is a story for today, with an emphasis on the question, “Are you prepared if Christ was to come here, now?” God tells us throughout the Bible to prepare ourselves for His coming.

I can pray for you but I cannot live for you.

The parable of the 10 virgins illustrates that each of us is responsible for his or her spiritual condition. I can pray for you but I cannot live for you. I can take you to church, and read you the Scriptures. However, if you don’t accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are the one who is lost.

This parable is about you and it’s about me. Some of us are prepared and are waiting. But some of us are waiting for the procession to start before we think about getting prepared.

Everyone is responsible for his own actions.

Now here comes the bridegroom, Jesus, with the bride. They have made many stops along the way. They have seen family, friends, and well wishers along the route. Those of us who have our oil are prepared to join the procession, and we only have enough for the procession. We have none to spare for those who didn’t do what was required. Each person is responsible for him/herself.

Did you prepare yourself?

Are you ready for the good food, music, wine, and the other fine single people who will be in attendance? Or do you need to run off to buy your oil after the procession has begun?

When Jesus comes, you can’t ask Him to wait because you didn’t take the time to get ready. Spiritual preparation can’t be bought or borrowed at the last minute. Our relationship with God must be our own.

God rewards faithfulness.

The parable describes the consequences of two attitudes toward Christ’s return. There are those who diligently prepare for it by investing their time and talent serving God.

Then there are those who take no time and have no heart to work for God. Those who bear no fruit for God cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful.

John 14: 3

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Jesus told His followers, and He is telling us what we must do to enter the kingdom. First, we are to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then we are to love one another, and help each other spread God’s Word wherever we can.

Read the Full Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:
Matthew Chapter 25
John Chapter 14

Return Friday, November 23, for the next installment in the sermon, Will You Be Prepared When Christ Returns?