Eric Ludy Sermon Podcast: Church at Ellerslie

Is it possible for our tongue to actually be tamed? Is it plausible for our tongue to be harnessed by God in such a way that it no longer speaks forth self-glory, complaint, criticism, contention, strife, gossip, lies, and deceit? Is it really possible that the Christian tongue can be one marked by words of life always and only? To many of us, such a thought is almost fairy-tale- esque and hardly conceivable. But the Bible doesn't stutter on this subject. It does declare that we can't personally tame our renegade tongues, but our great God is in the business of taming tongues and utilizing them for His glory.

If you are disturbed by the current "Truth-made-mushy" trends in Christianity but are having a difficult time putting your finger on what exactly is wrong, this message might prove a great help. In this message, Eric Ludy tackles one of the most elusive and subtle enemy agendas in our midst today—the manipulative use of art in the conveyance of Truth. With an entire section specifically devoted to quoting the key voices behind this crafty maneuver, this message will leave you both insulted on behalf of Christ and inspired for the Truth of Jesus Christ afresh.

The Christian is intended by God to be the strongest of all humans on Earth. The Christian is built to snarl in the face of difficulty, laugh in the face of crisis, and cherish trials as the great channel through which God brings His grace into this world. A Christian will stand when all others fall, will keep going when all others run out of self-fuel, and will remain loving even when suffering incredible persecution. A Christian, as God intended a Christian to be, is something to behold. An individual Christian can alter the course of history, so just imagine what a band of such heroes could do? What would happen if the Church of Jesus Christ once again started functioning as the Church of Jesus Christ?

Is it true that even Christianity can be utilized as a creative cover for our self-centeredness? Americanized, post-modern, pop-culture Christianity seems to be one gigantic excuse for allowing self to remain enthroned in the souls of men. However, if self is not dethroned by the incoming rule of Jesus Christ, then where exactly is Jesus Christ being placed? After all, what's a king without his throne? This message is a strong call to give Jesus Christ that which is rightfully His, and as a result, this message scores rather high on the ol’ convict-o-meter.

Fear controls the modern American Christian. And for most in the post-modern Church, this is nonchalantly accepted without a fight. But, the Biblical declaration of the healthy Christian soul does not allow for even a scrap of self-preserving fear, fretting, anxiety, and foreboding. It's simply not intended to be a part of the Christian life. So, how do we deal with this great discrepancy? And how do we start living the lives of fearless faith that God intended us to be living?

There are tests of faith that prove the true substance of our spiritual man. First instance, when God appears to be silent, how do we respond? When God appears to have forgotten, do we actually believe He has? Or when the natural realm boasts that such a thing is impossible, will we believe the boast? Or how about when it would appear our God has lost, will we, for even one moment, tremble under the anxiety of such a farce? Ax heads sink in water. It's a natural fact. But God is in the business of making iron float. And the church of Jesus Christ today must once again believe that even though it may appear that the ax head has officially sunk, it is in such moments that our God smiles and says, "Now watch what I will do!"

Few of us were ever trained how to handle our thoughts. In fact, most of us have considered ourselves victims to the random, strange, perverted, and otherwise demonic thoughts that float through our minds. But that should halt today. The thought-life of a Christian is not the playground for the enemy, but the stage upon which the Truth of Jesus Christ can shine. Jesus has given the saints of God everything they need in order to take command over their thought-lives. The Christian is privileged to think on nothing but that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and of good report.

In a time when God's voice has been emptied of it's lion-like roar and neutered of its thunderous majesty, this message is deeply significant, making a case for both the kingly-authority of Scripture as well as for the return of old-fashioned preaching in our day and age. This message is also an interesting peek into the fascinating journey Eric Ludy has gone on in gaining the forceful voice he now wields. At the close of this message there is a unique video bonus that demonstrates the "boisterous evolution" of Eric's speaking voice over the past 17 years of ministry.

This is an inspiring illustration of how to both approach Scripture and unpack the beautiful mysteries of Scripture. At Ellerslie we are always declaring that everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus. Eric Ludy takes a singular story in the Old Testament regarding the person of Moses and the newly budding Israelite nation and demonstrates how this one seemingly innocuous story powerfully demonstrates how our life in Jesus Christ ought to work. Everything in the Bible really does shine forth the power and majesty of the Gospel of Christ.