Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 Peter 1:22-25; 2:1-2

We don’t have to be ordained ministers to be in the ministry; in fact, every man and woman who names the name of Jesus partakes in the ministry of the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:22 says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart…”

First, we must receive the Word of God personally into our lives.

When we become Christians, we are literally conceived by the Word of God, as 1 Peter 1:23 says, “...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever…” God’s Word is a seed that produces new life within us. 1 Peter 2:1-2 says, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby…”

We’re also cleansed and completed by Scripture: first made new, and then made strong by the Word of God.

After we receive Scripture personally, we must respect the Word. There’s no debate about it: God is a God of truth. Therefore, His Word cannot have errors in it.

Adrian Rogers says, “The God of truth cannot inspire error.”

God’s Word is the product of the Spirit of God, therefore it is totally infallible because God is infallible.

We must not only respect its inerrancy, but we must also respect its authority and vitality. There is living power in the Word of God that changes lives and lasts for eternity.

1 Peter 1:24-25 says, “...All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Finally, we need to release the Bible; preach it everywhere. When we receive the Word of God and respect it, we won’t grow tired of it. We must preach it faithfully, fully, and freely.

Adrian Rogers says, “Newborn babes desire it, men of God share it, preach it and proclaim it.”

Apply it to your life

Are you a minister of the Word of God? Have you received God’s Word? Do you respect it and release it? Consider its life-changing power today and share it with someone you love.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 2 Timothy 3:16

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 over the Word of God. Our salvation and sanctification depend on it.

Revelation 22:18 says, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book…”

There are five 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 occasions on which scientific theories have gone against the Word of God but 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.

And 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, which 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; it still applies today.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not the book of the month; it is the book of the ages.”

But 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: Psalm 19

Luke 10:21 says, “...You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”

We are neither too intelligent nor unintelligent to believe in God and know Him personally! Psalm 19 gives us three ways in which God speaks to us, and in return, we can know God personally, intimately, and assuredly.

First, God has confirmed His words in the heavens.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork…” (v. 1). The heavens also declare God’s greatness. The vastness of the universe, along with its small intricacies, demonstrate God’s power.

Adrian Rogers says, “There are no laws of nature; they are God’s laws that nature obeys. Science only discovers what God had already put there.” The heavens declare the goodness of God: “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge” (v. 2). It is God who daily maintains the fixed order in the universe, and provides everything it needs to give us life. His mercies are new every morning. (See Lamentations 3:23).

God also speaks to us by placing His converting Word in our hands.

We have access to Scripture, which is His very word. We ought to marvel at the Bible and celebrate its many virtues. It is inerrant, infallible, foundational, and full of God’s promises.

Adrian Rogers says, “Every sentence, every jot, every tittle, every syllable is put in Scripture by the mind and purpose of God.” The Scriptures are of precious value, for “more to be desired are they than gold” (v. 10). They are protective, for “by them, Your servant is warned” (v. 11). They are profitable, for “in keeping them there is great reward” (v. 11).

Finally, we can know God through His convicting Word in our hearts.

By the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the Scriptures we read can become real. Psalm 19:12 says, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” The Holy Spirit cleanses our wicked and deceitful hearts. When we hand our control over to the Spirit, He brings us into communion with the Father. This is the only way we can know Him personally, intimately, and assuredly.

Apply it to your life

Do you feel far and distant from God? Remember, by the Word of God in the heavens, in our hands, and in our hearts, we can know God personally.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: John 4:46-54

In the Kingdom of Heaven, faith is the medium of exchange. Whatever we receive from God is according to our faith.

Adrian Rogers says, “The greater your faith, the greater glory God gets; by faith man gives God pleasure and by faith God gives man treasure.”

John 4 tells the story of a man whose superficial, superstitious faith was transformed into a strong, saving faith.

“So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe’” (John 4:46-48).

First, we must see the problem of superficial faith.

In this passage, the nobleman had heard about Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine, and was blown away. But Jesus knew that signs and wonders do not truly help in developing a strong faith.

We must also consider the problem of superstitious faith.

God performed miracles through Jesus to authenticate His ministry. It is dishonoring to demand a sign from God in order to believe in Him. It is also self-deceiving; signs and wonders can easily deceive; it is how our enemy leads others astray.

This passage also shows the progression of strong faith.

There are steps in developing this sort of saving faith, the first being hearing the Word of God, and then believing it. What we believe is not contrary to reason; it goes beyond reason. We must obey the Word of God, and then rest in it.

Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not seeing signs and wonders, rather, it is a response to the character of God.”

Finally, this passage shows the provision of saving faith.

After the nobleman’s son was healed, he not only believed in a miracle worker but in a Messiah.

All of Jesus’ miracles point to the greater miracle, which is the new life in Him.

Apply it to your life

If you want to strengthen your faith, get a good grip on the Word of God. Don’t look to the miracles, but to the Messiah; do not follow the signs, but the Savior.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20

Whether we realize it or not, we are part of a war between light and darkness, good and evil, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ and Satan. We cannot afford to be ignorant, and we cannot possibly be neutral.

Adrian Rogers says, “When you were born again, you were born from above. And you, being Heaven-born are Heaven-bound. You were born for the battle, and you were born to win.”

We’re not wrestling against flesh and blood. We’re wrestling against principalities and powers of darkness.

Ephesians 6:10-20 shows us how to prepare ourselves for this Christian Warfare.

In preparing for the battle, we must first remember our adversary. Satan is a decided fact; never underestimate him or count him out. He is a destructive force; systematic, spiritual, strong, and sinister. Yet, he is our defeated foe.

Adrian Rogers says, “Satan had his back crushed and broken at Calvary; soon his head is going to be crushed when Jesus comes again.”

We must remember our armor, which is specifically outlined in Ephesians 6:

The Belt of Truth

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, knowing nothing stands between our souls and the Savior

The Shield of Faith

The Helmet of Salvation

God wants us to enter the battlefield armed with integrity, purity, tranquility, certainty, and sanity. Don’t leave off any piece of the armor of God in this battle. Christian warriors must understand their point of attack. We have the victory. God has equipped us with three things:

The first is our stance.

We are called to be strong, to stand against these dark forces of evil with the blessed assurance of victory in Jesus.

Second, we recognize the power of our sword,

which is the sword of the Spirit and the Word of God. We must also remember the power of our prayers when prayed in the Spirit.

Finally, the Christian warrior must remember his allies.

“...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” (Ephesians 6:18).

We don’t fight alone; we need to pray for each other.

Apply it to your life

As you prepare for this spiritual battle, remember your adversary, your armor, your attack, and your allies.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Matthew 19:1-6

Adrian Rogers says, “A home is the sweetest place on earth, the nearest place to Heaven. It’s the only part of the Garden of Eden that we have left.”

Matthew 19 discusses the importance of family faithfulness; first, by recognizing that marriage is made by Heaven.

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?" (v. 4-5).

Marriage is the supreme commitment, overruling every other commitment we could ever make. The priority of marriage is to build a home, and we cannot build a home without God’s guidance. We raise children with the intention of them leaving home to build homes of their own.

Marriage is also permanent, and its purpose is to be one flesh, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Adrian Rogers says, “Marriage is a romance in which both the hero and the heroine die in the first chapter, and a new person comes into being: one flesh.”

But marriage can be marred by Hell; there is nothing wrong with romantic love, but we are deceived if we believe that is enough to sustain a marriage. We are commanded in Scripture to love our spouses unconditionally, as God has loved His church.

There is no fear in perfect love, only peace, security, and joy. We must be careful not to allow guilt to fester in our marriages; guilt turns to anger, and anger into bitterness.

When we experience trials, reconciliation and forgiveness are called for in order to put the family back together. If we seek restoration, we’ll find that the relationship can potentially be even stronger than before it was broken.

Finally, marriage is always marked by hope. No matter our circumstances, there is always hope because the grace of God covers all of our sins. God does not hold grudges; His forgiveness is always available for those who seek to honor Him in their relationships.

Apply it to your life

A godly home is the greatest testimony we have in this world. If you are married, make certain that Christ is the head of your home and continue to feed your love day by day.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 5:29

The family was the first institution formed by God, created to meet the deepest physical, social, and spiritual needs of mankind. It is in the home that a child should learn who he is, what he can do, and what is expected of him.

In the midst of this moral free fall, it is time we ask ourselves: what is the future of the family? Adrian Rogers says, “If there is no future for our families, there is no future for this nation.”

Deuteronomy 5:29 says, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”

Our homes are the universities of life.

In these homes, we must train our children to abide by God’s law so that we can preserve the family’s future. God gave the Ten Commandments to the family. God’s priority plan for us is to pass our faith from parent to child.

Parents are the professors of their homes.

Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “You shall teach them diligently to your children...” Though we can’t control our children, we can guide and teach them in the way they should go. Our primary goal as parents should be that we love God with sincere, selfless, and strong love so that we can set an example for our children to love Him, too.

The Ten Commandments are the curriculum.

These commandments are the liberating laws of life and the tracks upon which our families run. We are to set boundaries for our kids around the parameter of God’s law.

Our children are our students.

It is not the church’s responsibility to raise our children in faith, it is ours. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:8-9).

Finally, life is the laboratory.

Life is where these things are taught. We must teach our children convictionally, consistently, creatively, conversationally, and conspicuously.

Apply it to your life

Our homes are where our children learn everything they need to know about life. Have you established your home as a university, yourself as a professor, and God’s law as the curriculum? Are your children your students, viewing life as the laboratory?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: James 1:21-25

We cannot grow as Christians if we are not actively studying the Word of God. It’s not enough to know facts about and within Scripture. When we go to the Bible to extract truth, we fail; rather, we must receive the truth and welcome it in.

The Book of James shows us how to understand the Bible, and reveals four ways to welcome the Word of God.

We first welcome the Word with a repentant spirit.

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). There is a moral qualification to hear from God; hangover sins and unrepentant hearts can keep us from understanding Scripture.

When we study the Bible, it is crucial that we first make a full confession of sin and ask God to search our hearts for any trace of wickedness.

We also welcome the Word with a receptive spirit, with meekness, which is a teachable spirit.

James 3:3 says, "Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body." Likewise, God wants to break us and take us under His control, making us sensitive to His commands.

Third, we welcome the Word with a responsive spirit.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Once we understand the Scripture we read, we must obey it; if we don’t, we are self-deceived.

Adrian Rogers says, “A study of the Bible gives you knowledge about God. Obedience gives you knowledge of God.”

Finally, we welcome the Word with a reflective spirit.

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25). When we read the Bible with a reflective spirit, the Bible reads us in return. It gives us a new perspective of our lives and shows our truest selves. Rather than quickly glancing at Scripture, we must learn to gaze into it.

Apply it to your life

Are you actively receiving the Word of God with a repentant heart and a receptive, responsive spirit? Remember, as Adrian Rogers says, “The best way to understand the part of the Bible you don’t understand, is to obey the part you do understand.”

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Acts 9:1-6

Acts 9 tells the story of Saul’s conversion to becoming Paul. While on his way to persecute Christians, Saul came face-to-face with Jesus. And Saul’s first question to Jesus was:

“Lord, what wilt thou have me to do” (Acts 9:6)?

We are clever creatures who have lost our way and must relearn how we can know the will of God.

First, remember that God has promised to guide.

Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."

God has a moral plan for each of our lives. God’s will is sovereign; it is always done. There is no changing the fixed standard of right and wrong He has established.

Though God’s will is particular for each of us, there are six universal truths about His plan:

It is not a roadmap; it is a relationship.

It is not the end of our joy, but the beginning.

God does not speak only to certain people; He has a plan for everyone.

Learning God’s will is not always a dramatic experience; oftentimes, it is spoken softly.

God is not finished with us, whether we’re 9 or 99.

God does not hide His will from us. He wants us to know it even more than we do.

God’s guidance hinges on our willingness, meekness, and openness.

He is willing to guide when we yield to His control. Sometimes, God will give visions, miracles, or dreams to reveal His plans, but many times, He speaks practically. He guides through Scripture, His people, and the Holy Spirit within us. We must be sensitive enough to hear and know His voice.

God also leads with sheer wisdom, through the renewing of our minds.

God opens and closes doors, and guides the meek through it all. Many times, we don’t even know it was the providence of God until afterward.

We don’t have to be afraid of the will of God. Adrian Rogers says, “The will of God will not take you where the power of God cannot keep you.”

Apply it to your life

Are you trying to find the will of God for your life? How much time are you spending alone with God? If we want to understand God’s particular will for our lives, we must begin to obey the Scriptures we understand.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 5:18

The Christian life is a blessing, but if we don’t understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it can feel more like a burden. The secret to a blessed Christian life is being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is important to know how to have a spirit-filled life.

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...”

Having a Spirit-filled life is a command from God to obey, as well as a blessing to enjoy. It is also our obligation as Christians, because on our own, we don’t have the strength to do what the Bible commands us to do.

The only way to truly worship God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Our marriages and work relationships hinge on this as well. We serve our families and colleagues as we should when we first submit to the Holy Spirit.

It is also how we win in this spiritual warfare we face every day. It is our only hope in ever witnessing to others. We are up against the organized, demonic forces of Hell.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Adrian Rogers says, “There has never been a greater day, a greater age, a greater opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus than right now.”

What are the requirements of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

There must first be a complete commitment to Christ. We must continually yield control to Him, consciously claiming our dependence on Him every moment. When we do this, we receive a spirit of adoration for God—a passionate, blazing love for Jesus Christ that doesn’t burn out.

We also receive a spirit of appreciation for our circumstances. Ephesians 5:20 claims Christians are to be, “Giving thanks always for all things…”

Finally, we receive a spirit of accommodation toward others. Every day, every place, we are learning to submit to and serve others.

Apply it to your life

Adrian Rogers says, “We need a generation of Spirit-filled people. As the night grows darker, the saints grow brighter, and the hunger intensifies. And there are people who are looking, waiting, wondering: Is there an answer? The answer is in Christ.”