Eric Ludy Sermon Podcast: Church at Ellerslie

You thought genealogies were boring? Well, not after this message, you won’t! Throughout world history, the Hebrews have stood unmatched in their maintenance of genealogies, lineage, and descent. God promised them that from their bloodline would come One who would rescue the world from sin. This "Deliverer" would be of the seed of the woman, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, and would be from of everlasting. Well, this "Deliverer" has come. And just as promised, He was born of a virgin girl in Bethlehem, and He was no mere man. He was God born in the body of a man. Buckle your seat belt for this one!

As it says in Scripture, it was by one man's disobedience (Adam) that sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and that thusly death passed upon us all. But that is not the end of the story. For it was by one man—the last Adam, Jesus—that the gift of grace has abounded to many, and many shall be made righteous... and live! To behold the love, beauty, power, and majesty of this “last Adam” is to witness the heart of God for each one of us.

This message is a study in the sway of public persuasion. It is uncanny how the opinions of others can weigh so heavily upon our decisions in this life. Most of us would consider it Heaven to be free for just one day from the pressures of what others think. But the Gospel promises to do better than that. If we receive the liberating power of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection into our lives, it will free us from the tyranny of public approval... forever.

This is a study in the inextinguishable, unstoppable power of life. If you put death against life, life wins. Satan may have had the power of death, but Jesus arrived 2,000 years ago toting the power of an endless life. The showdown at Calvary proved to all the watching world that the agenda of everlasting life will not be stopped. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory?

If you are familiar with the Ellerslie Short Film entitled “The Gospel,” then you will be duly prepped for this message, which is the full-blown sermon edition (thunder and all). At Ellerslie we are not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation! Praise God for such a message of resounding victory, redemption, and grace!

This is a powerful enunciation of one of the most abused and twisted doctrines of our day: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a force, a mere influence, a convicting vibe—He is a Person. To be even more specific, He is God. He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful, Tri-Holy God come to dwell within us and live His almightiness through us.

As Christians, may we not deal in the cheapened love of mere emotion and relational fancy. May we not diminish the heavenly love of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit by intermingling the world's self-entreating love with Heaven's self-expending love. May we shun the cheap imitation and only handle the sacred river of pure love which flows clear as crystal from beneath the throne of grace unto the saints of God and through the saints of God out onto this love-parched world. This message gives a fresh vision of the Cross and the love that sent our precious Jesus there and held Him there with cords of compassion until all was accomplished.

Unfortunately, the concept of confession has become a negative concept for many in the modern church. But Spirit-orchestrated confession is an essential instrument in the toolbox of a mighty Christian. Without it the soul grows tepid and weak and strays from the sure footing of the Scriptures. But the soul that is grounded in a healthy and powerful understanding of confession is certain to thrive.

Many Christians today struggle with the idea of knowing for certain that they indeed are saved by Jesus Christ. And yet, assurance is a gift of grace that each and every believer can know and enjoy. This message tackles this challenging issue head-on and is certain to leave you strong in your personal confidence of the great saving work of the Cross.

It's not just the giver, but the "cheerful" giver that God loves. However, most Christians are anything but cheerful when it comes to parting with their time, energy, and hard-earned resources. The Biblical pattern for joyful, eager, ready giving is desperately overdue to make a comeback in the Church.