Eric Ludy Sermon Podcast: Church at Ellerslie

A trial of faith proves if a man's faith is genuine or not. For faith is not faith unless it is thoroughly tested. However, most of us would like a test of faith like we would like punch in the nose. We shrink from such tests and wish to avoid them at all costs. But such tests are what build mighty men and women of God who change the course of history. So, the mature Christian learns to shout, "Bring on the trials!"

Most of us know that flattery is not healthy, but many of us do not realize how truly dangerous it can be. Flattery has the power to undermine a nation. It's the technique of history's most infamous conspirators and saboteurs, starting with the devil himself. The story of Absalom is far more than a Bible story. If we examine its message closely, it can help us preserve the integrity and health of the Church of Jesus Christ as well as the integrity and health of our individual souls.

This message serves as a surprisingly refreshing picture of the bold beauty of God's law. Law cannot save us, but it can acquaint us with our need to be saved. The Bible declares that the law is a schoolmaster that leads us to Christ. When the law is preached properly, the Cross is magnified and the work of Jesus is cherished.

There are two incontrovertible facts that make up the basis of "expectancy”—one being that God cannot lie, and secondly, God has promised. If it's true that God cannot lie, then when He promises we can be fully assured that He will perform that which He promises. This is the make-up of faith. And this is the make-up of expectancy. For when God says He's coming, the "expectant" soul sits at the window and awaits His coming, doubting not for a moment, knowing that God said it and will therefore surely do it.

This is the good old fashioned Gospel message presented with all the lion-hearted thunder that it truly deserves. If you have seen the Gospel video by Eric Ludy and are looking for more, this sermon goes deeper into the story of the Cross "the place of decision and place of justice" by exploring the Tale of Two Trees: "the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life."

It may sound cliche, but grace is truly amazing. In modern times, the term grace has been distorted into a creative covering for fleshly behavior and ongoing sin. But a Biblical examination of the word yields an understanding of grace as something much different—something of majestic power and strength that is able to separate a man from his fleshly behavior, eradicate the power of sin over his life, and rescue him for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Prior to a dedication service of 40 children, Eric Ludy gave this short stirring message. It presses the point that the Christian home is God's territory—one-hundred-percent, without reserve, God's sacred property. Most of us have not acknowledged Christ's supremacy over our homes, and that is precisely why seventeen families at Ellerslie made a clear declaration of this fact at the conclusion of this message.

The tension between law and grace has stumbled quite a few Christians over the years. This message untangles the two yarns and makes beautiful sense of the seeming conflict between them. And in doing so, this sermon causes the Cross to be seen with greater clarity and is sure to move you with awestruck wonder.

When the winds and rains beat against your house, are you movable? Do you grow weak in the knees when bad news strikes? Are you susceptible to the bait of anxiety, foreboding, fretting, and fear? This message holds the secret to an immovable soul. We'll give you a hint: it's a person.

The Christian life is supposed to be a life without fear, anxiety, fretting, and foreboding. The Christian doesn't bite his nails in crisis, but rather, leaps for joy. For the Christian has something that the world around him doesn't— grace.