Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Genesis 37:1

There are many people who are existing but are not living. The secret to an abundant life is practicing the presence of God.

Perhaps the most Christ-like character in the Old Testament was Joseph. No matter what happened to him, Joseph practiced the presence of God. The Bible says, “...the Lord was with him.” (Genesis 39)

There are four principles in Genesis 37 that reveal how to prosper like Joseph.

Joseph expressed his God-given difference.

Joseph was different, distinct by his nobility. His brothers hated him because he would not conform. When God saved us, God made us different; we are somebody in his sight. Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world.” The world wants to squeeze us into its mold. When we refuse to conform, it resents our nobility in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joseph explored his God-given dreams.

When Joseph was just a teenager, God put a dream into his heart. God has not promised to fulfill our fantasies; rather, He has plans for us and wants us to dream God-given dreams. How can we know what we are supposed to hope for?

We must present ourselves to Him and ask Him for the mind of Christ. Adrian Rogers says, “You don’t find the will of God; God’s will finds you.”

Joseph endured his God-given difficulties.

Joseph did not have an easy life. He was sold as a slave by his brothers. He’s falsely accused and thrown in prison. However, in Genesis 50:20, when confronted by his brothers, Joseph said: “As for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good...” God allows us to have difficulties in life; He does not cause these things, but wherever man rules, God overrules.

Joseph enlisted his God-given dynamic.

When the Bible says that, “God was with him,” it means that God was for him, working on his behalf. God was with him in times of persecution, responsibility, temptation, of slander, and suffering. God was with him.

How humbling it is to know God is with us, too!

Apply it to your life

Would you like to prosper as Joseph prospered? Prosperity is the progressive realization of the will of God for your life. Express your God-given difference, explore your God-given dreams, endure your God-given difficulties, and enlist your God-given dynamic.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Genesis 3:1

Satan is a liar and a murderer; he wants to bring death to our happiness, joy, and purity, and he accomplishes this through lies. He wants to destroy us, and he begins by deceiving us.

Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field…”

Satan cleverly crafts subtle lies about the biggest truths. In the Garden of Eden, he tells Eve three lies concerning the nature and character of God. Recognizing his tactics helps us overcome satanic deception.

Severity

Satan’s first tactic was to convince Eve to think severely about God, so that she had negative feelings about him.

The devil wants us to think God is strait-laced and cruel, and that our relationship with Him would be filled with “don’t!” But Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” God is good and loving. He does not take away joy; He gives it.

Skepticism

The devil also wants us to think skeptically about God so that we will not trust Him or His Word.

When Satan removes the truth of God’s Word, then he slips in other ideas to replace them. Other religions, spiritual practices, and New Age thoughts are simply substitutes from the enemy to divert us from the fixed standard of truth. The devil is trying to make us think lightly of God; but God is holy, and He will punish sin.

Suspicion

Finally, Satan will try to convince us to think suspiciously of God. Many people think serving God cramps their style and robs them of reaching their fullest potential. Yet, the devil, who promises total freedom, keeps his victims in bondage.

Adrian Rogers says, “There’s nothing in the world more deceiving than sin itself; those who know the least about sin are those who are the deepest in it.”

All the problems in the world today are rooted in these three ancient lies, but we do not have to fall victim to the devil’s deception. Only when we commit ourselves to the written word of God, can we overcome the devil’s lies.

Apply it to your life

Do not let the devil deceive you. yourself in the truth of God’s Word today. God is a God of love and grace. His law stands, and a relationship with Him means abundant life.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 4:27

Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

It is unthinkable that a child of God could give a place in his life to the devil and grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

However, there are many of us caught in Satan’s strongholds, and we cannot get out. There are three steps to break Satan’s strongholds in our lives.

Repentance

“...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…” (Ephesians 4:22)

Repentance means to be done with sin and deal with our old self; there is no other way around it.

Resistance

“Be angry, and do not sin… nor give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Unconfessed sin is legal ground for the devil to take over; we resist by confessing and resisting the urge to sin.

Renewal

“...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4: 23-24)

Renewing our minds means pursuing righteousness and holiness.

There is no way we can cease to grieve the Holy Spirit until we repent, resist, and renew our minds; this is why we must know exactly what sin is.

Ephesians 4:25-29 reveals that lying, thievery, gossip and filthy speech all make room for the devil.

But perhaps the most egregious stronghold we could fall into is bitterness.

Bitterness will take away our joy and our victory and sabotage our prayer life; it ruins relationships and churches. The slow burn of bitterness quickly ramps up to clamoring, hostility, and evil speech. This breaks the heart of God, grieves the Holy Spirit, and gives place to the devil.

Adrian Rogers says, “Repentance is not just being broken over your sin; it is being broken from your sin.”

The devil does not leave willingly; with the authority of the name of Jesus, we must chase him out. We do this by repenting of our sins, resisting the urge to sin again, and renewing our minds with the Spirit of God.

Adrian Rogers says, “When we are filled with the Spirit, there is no more room for Satan.”

Apply it to your life

How do we break Satan’s strongholds? Repent of all known sin, resist the temptation to sin again the moment you become aware of the temptation, and renew your mind with the Spirit of God.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 1:2-14

As children of God, we have the privilege of knowing not only that we are saved but also that we can never lose our salvation. God has saved us by His grace, and He keeps us bound to Himself with a three-fold cord that cannot be broken.

Ephesians 1:2-14 describes the three-fold cord of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

First, this passage reveals that our salvation was planned by God the Father.

“...to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

We have been chosen to be saved. Adrian Rogers says, “You've been chosen in the past, predestined to the future, and accepted in the present.”

This does not mean that God chose one sinner above another sinner; it means that God had us in His heart and in His mind before He laid the foundation of the world. God gives everyone an invitation to come to Christ; we can only choose Him because He first chose us.

Our salvation was also purchased by God the Son.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…” (Ephesians 1:7).

In the Garden of Eden, Adam sinned and forfeited our inheritance to Satan; but at Calvary, Jesus redeemed us with His blood. We are freed by His blood and forgiven by His grace; we are filled with His wisdom and fixed with His wealth. We have fellowship and a full inheritance as we become like Jesus Christ.

Adrian Rogers says, “The greatest miracle in the world is not walking on water or changing water into wine; it is taking a Hell-bound sinner and transforming him, making him holy and blameless.”

Finally, our salvation is preserved by God the Holy Spirit.

“...you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Because of the Holy Spirit, our salvation is a finished transaction; our ownership has been transferred to God and we are secure in it.

Apply it to your life

If you are a Christian, your salvation is found in a three-fold cord that cannot be broken.

Do you recognize that you are chosen by God the Father, in fellowship with Jesus Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 5:5-13

Adrian Rogers says, “We do not live by explanations; we live by promises.” One of God’s promises is the assurance of our salvation.

1 John 5 reveals the basis for our belief, and how to be absolutely sure of our salvation in Jesus Christ.

First, our certainty comes from the Atoning Work of Christ.

1 John 5:6 says, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ...”

The wages of sin is death. (See Romans 3:23.) and without the shedding of blood, there’s no remission of sin. Jesus took our sin to the cross, and with His blood, He paid sin’s penalty.

But there’s also the water, which speaks of that which continues to cleanse. This assures us, not only of our salvation but also of our sanctification. He saves us from wrath and makes us pure.

Adrian Rogers says, “I wouldn’t give half a hallelujah for the hope of Heaven apart from the water and the blood, apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon that cross.”

Secondly, our certainty comes from the Abiding Witness of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit takes the atoning work and He testifies of it. He gives witness to us and in us.

"It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6).

Before we’re even saved, the Holy Spirit is telling us about Jesus. And when we receive Christ, He comes into us, and witnesses from within. "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself" (1 John 5:10).

The Spirit also witnesses through us. When we are sure of our salvation, we can witness to others, because we know that our witness is not dependent on eloquence or logic, but upon the Spirit.

The third cord of our rock-ribbed assurance is certainty of the Word of the Father. God gave us His Word.

Adrian Rogers says, “The message of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is one message: Jesus saves.”

The source of this life is Jesus. The substance of life is Jesus. And the surety of life is Jesus; for the Bible tells me so.

Apply it to your life

Are you absolutely sure of your salvation? Consider the three cords of your unbroken assurance today: the work Jesus did on the cross, the witness of the Spirit, and the Word of God.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 3:11-24

The key to assurance and fellowship with God is love. Children of God ought to be filled with love. It is our greatest virtue and commandment. It is also our greatest testimony; we will be known by our love, above all other things. And it is our greatest motivation; if we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments—showing His love with others.

1 John 3 explains the legacy of love, which is first a good conscience.

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (1 John 3:18-20).

God gave man a conscience as a gift; its purpose is to concentrate our actions and make moral judgments. It is our assurance that we have full transparency toward everyone. If we have love in our hearts, our consciences are clear.

The legacy of love is also a great confidence.

“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:21-22).

When our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence that our prayers will be answered.

Adrian Rogers says, “Answered prayer is not for rebels; it is not for those whose hearts are filled with hate.”

Third, the legacy of love gives a gracious communion.

“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:23-24).

If we do not have love in our hearts, instead harboring bitterness, wrath, and malice, the Holy Spirit cannot commune with us. But when we have a good conscience and great confidence, the Holy Spirit gently confirms that we belong to Jesus.

Apply it to your life

Do you have the legacy of love in your heart? Do you have a good conscience, a great confidence, and a gracious communion?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 3:1-9

These days, we have many churches full of empty people who have never really been saved. Adrian Rogers says, “They have culture, but they don't have Calvary, they have ritual, but they don't have reality. They have form, but they don't have force, and they have religion, but they don't have righteousness.”

What we need is real salvation, which is outlined in 1 John 3.

First, we see the rebellion that proves our sinfulness.

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

To maintain its order, the universe works according to the fixed physical and moral laws of its Creator. Sin is the transgression of the law. Because we are sinners by nature, we are naturally inclined to rebel against God’s laws; and when we break God's laws, we break His heart.

This passage also reveals the righteousness that proclaims our sonship.

“Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:6-7). We are saved when we bow the knee to Jesus Christ and make Him Lord of our lives. When we are saved, we become sons and daughters of God. Though we are new creations, we are still bound to sin, to slip and fall, to make mistakes. But if we are Christians, we will not make sin a lifestyle; instead, we will live by God’s commandments.

Finally, we recognize the redemption that provides our salvation.

“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin” (1 John 3:5). Because of Jesus Christ, we have been delivered from the penalty of sin, the power of Satan and the principle of self. As new creations in Christ, we have a new dynamic -- we’re born again.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Word of God and the Spirit of God together, in the womb of grace, have made me a new person.” We also have a new desire to remain holy and righteous, for we are now under the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we sin.

Apply it to your life

Have you experienced real salvation through Jesus Christ? Is there evidence in your life that you have been redeemed—a new dynamic, a new desire to remain holy, and a new deterrent from sin?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 3:1-3

Adrian Rogers says, “A rich man is poor without Jesus, a strong man is weak without Jesus, and an educated man is ignorant until he comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Without Jesus, Man is ignorant of his past and afraid of his future; he lives somewhere in between mystery and misery. But when we know the Lord Jesus Christ, we experience the sweetest fellowship on Earth and can anticipate joy beyond comprehension when we all get to Heaven.

1 John 3:1 says: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

First, this passage identifies what we are; it describes our Christian dignity.

We are children of God; He loves us as He loves Jesus, and nothing we do can make Him love us any less. Because of this love, we have our Father’s care; we can rest assured that we are provided for. We have His correction as well; He will lovingly chastise us that we may be sanctified and holy in His sight. We have our Father’s compassion; His heart is broken when ours is broken. We have his companionship, and we will never be alone ever again.

This passage also reveals what we will be, it outlines our Christian destiny.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Christ is going to appear; He is coming back to this Earth, and we will see Him as He is, in all of His glory. And this verse confirms that we are going to be like Him.

Finally, this passage confirms what we should be; it challenges us to our Christian duty.

“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). The biblical definition of “hope” is absolute certainty mingled with anticipation. We should live with the hope of His return, looking and longing for His coming. And we should be living for His coming, striving for purity and holiness as we wait with expectancy.

Apply it to your life

Are you living in anticipation of the fellowship we’ll have when we all get to Heaven? Remember your dignity, your destiny, and your duty today.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 2:18-29

The days are growing gloriously dark; the time is ripe for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:18-29 heeds three warnings to us as we near the rapture and Great Tribulation prophesied in the Book of Revelation.

First, we are living in the last days, and we need to be awake.

“Little children, it is the last time....” (v. 18)

Ever since the ascension of Jesus Christ, we have been on the brink of His return. And because the signs of the revelation are here, we know the rapture must be very close.

When He raptures His church, He will come secretly, like a thief in the night; we must be spiritually awake.

Second, the antichrist is coming, and we need to be aware.

“...and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (v. 18)

There is a wicked, malevolent, ungodly person waiting to be revealed after the rapture of the church; he is called the antichrist. We must be aware that he is devilish, divisive, deceptive, and destructive.

Third, our Lord is on His way, and we need to be abiding.

“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye shall also continue in the Son, and in the Father.” (v. 24)

While living in the last days, we need to make ourselves at home in the word of God.

Now more than ever, we need to appreciate, appropriate, and assimilate Scripture.

We must make ourselves at home with the Spirit of God.

Adrian Rogers says, “Anything I can talk you into, somebody else can talk you out of; the one who teaches you is the Holy Spirit of God.”

Finally, we need to make ourselves at home with the very Son of God.

When Jesus comes for us, we shouldn’t have to be formally introduced. Rather, when we see Him face-to-face, it should feel like uniting with someone we’ve known heart-to-heart.

Apply it to your life

The signs of the upcoming revelation are all around us in these last days. Are you ready for Jesus to come? Are you awake and aware — are you abiding in Christ?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 2:15-17

When we become Christians, the Lord fills our hearts with love; however, there are some things the Bible says we cannot afford to love.

1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

This passage is not referring to the planet or the people who inhabit it. The “world” in this context means, “a system or an order of things.” There is an ungodly system set against our Lord; although it may cozy up to us, the world is a friendly enemy. We must see its true character; this world has a prince, the devil, who is the mastermind behind this world system.

This world shares his philosophy, which consists of skillfully woven ideals and values that seem beautiful but are dangerous.

The purpose of the world system is to draw us away from God. Jesus is the ultimate exposure of sin and evil, so the world and its people will try to sway us out of our fellowship with Him.

But rather than conforming to the world, we must recognize its corruption.

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). The lust of the flesh deals with our passions; it is Satan’s appeal to our old nature. The lust of the eyes deals with our possessions. This temptation is a desire to want more than we need and to be dissatisfied with what we have.

The pride of life deals with position; the world tricks us into seeking recognition and making a name for ourselves.

The above temptations lose their appeal when we see the condemnation of the world. “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). Those who live for Jesus in this world know what life is truly about.

Adrian Rogers says, “I’d be a Christian if there were no Heaven or Hell, just to know the Lord Jesus Christ in this life.”

Apply it to your life

Are you friends with this world, or are you loyal to Jesus Christ? See your friendly enemy for what it is; recognize its corruption and remember its condemnation.