Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 8:28-31

Salvation, from start to finish, is of the Lord. It is only by the grace of God that we can be sure of our salvation.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

There are five foundational facts on which our faith rests.

The first fact is God’s foreknowledge of our salvation. God knew we were going to be saved before we did. When God foreknows something, it is not an educational guess; He sees the beginning, middle, and end of everything, all at once.

Second, we can be sure of our predestination to be like Jesus. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn’t predestine some people to go to Hell, and God doesn’t predestine some people to go to Heaven. God predestines every child of God, everyone who is born again, to be like Jesus.” God wants everyone to be saved, but in order for love to be love, it cannot be forced. So God gave us free will; whether we want to be saved or not is up to us.

Third, we are sure that God foreknew we would be saved: “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called…” (Romans 8:30). Whenever the Gospel is preached, God is calling people to salvation. Through His Word and His Spirit, God can make the spiritually blind see things they’ve never seen before.

Fourth and fifth, we can be sure of our settled justification, and finally, our eternal glorification.
“...whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:30).

The basis of our justification is the blood of Jesus Christ; it becomes effective when we trust in Him. As a result, God no longer deals with us as sinners, but as servants. As servants, God already sees us in Heaven, in His heart and mind, settled and glorified. And what has been settled in Heaven cannot be annulled or undone in time.

Apply it to your life
Are you sure of your salvation?
Adrian Rogers says, “If you’ll put your faith where God has put your sins, on the Lord Jesus Christ, you can be absolutely sure.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 8:26-28

As Christians, prayer is our greatest privilege and service, yet it can be our greatest failure. Too often, we don’t have the desire to pray, nor do we know what to pray for. Other times, the enemy interferes to keep us from praying.

Adrian Rogers says, “The devil laughs at our organization and mocks our schemes. He ridicules our good intentions, but he fears our prayers.”

Knowing this, God has given us an ally, an asset, and Great Helper: the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” These are some of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us pray:

-The Spirit activates our will to pray. Our flesh resists prayer, but the Holy Spirit in us recognizes God for who He is and reignites our will to pray.
-The Spirit animates our bodies to pray. When our minds wander and grow weary, we must yield to the Holy Spirit and receive His energy and power.
-The Spirit adapts our requests. Sometimes we’re not sure how to pray but, glory to God, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate transformer. Simply pray with a clean heart, and He will adapt our prayers.
-The Spirit administrates our access to God. God has given us the royal invitation to pray, and the Holy Spirit is our guide into the throne room.
-The Spirit articulates our words. The Holy Spirit understands our groans and wordless heartache. Even when we don’t have the vocabulary to express our thoughts, God knows our hearts. And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. (See Romans 8:28.) His plans are for our holiness, not our happiness.
-The Spirit amplifies our victory. When we pray in the flesh, we are no match for Satan; but when we pray in the Spirit, we remember: if God is for us, who can stand against? (See Romans 8:31.)


Apply it to your life
Prayer is warfare; as you go to the Lord in prayer today, remember that you have a Helper, who intercedes for you.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 6:1-2

The grace of God enables us to live godly lives in Christ Jesus and empowers us to live in victory. Romans 6 reveals how to live in victory.

First, we must know our identification with Jesus, who gave Himself for us.

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:5-6).

Jesus has acted on our behalf; when He died for us, we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. And now, we have that same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, in us.

Adrian Rogers explains, “When Jesus came out of the grave, we came out with Him and we’ve been raised to walk in a new life.”

Second, we must reckon our appropriation of Jesus: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). Reckoning is acting by faith, on what we know to be true, which is that we are dead to our sins and alive in Christ.

Third, we must yield our emancipation to Christ. The victorious life is God’s work in us; we cannot do it without Him, and He will not do it without us. Yielding begins when we dethrone sin. We must choose against our old master. No longer will our eyes be a tool for sin, nor our ears be sin’s instruments, nor will our hands do its bidding.

We must also enthrone the Savior: “...but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). We must make Jesus Lord of our lives, enslaving ourselves to Him, as Romans 6:18 explains: “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

When we become slaves of Christ, we receive new freedom, faithfulness, and fruitfulness. God will begin to live His life in us, claiming victory every step of the way.

Apply it to your life
Do you know that you identify with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection? Have you reckoned your life to what you believe? Have you yielded to Him?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 5:6-9

This modern world is trying to obliterate the word “sin” from our language. Everything is excused by psychology, evolution, human studies, and behavioral science, yet the real root of the problem is sin.

If we don’t understand the bad news of sin, we’re not ready for the Good News of the Gospel—

that there is so much more that we’ve gained through Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:6 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Presently, there are two kingdoms: one is of death and destruction and the other is of love and life. Adam is the head of that old kingdom, and Jesus is the head of that new kingdom.

Adam is the head of the old kingdom. Being the first man created by God, Adam was given dominion over the Earth. But when Adam sinned, he forfeited his dominion to sin. And because we are his offspring, we are identified with Adam in this slavery to sin.

Romans 5:8-9 explains, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

When we join the kingdom of light, we gain so much more through Jesus than we ever lost through Adam. Through Adam, we received weakness rather than power, and we gained ungodliness rather than godliness. We also received wrath rather than approval, war instead of peace.

We inherited our ability to sin from Adam: not only when we do as we shouldn’t, but also in failing to do as we should.

Yet in Jesus Christ, we receive much more in His redeeming blood. Because of His sacrifice, we are justified and reconciled with the Father. We have the fellowship with God that was severed when Adam sinned.

In Christ, we are also renewed and made righteous to reign with Him in the kingdom of life.

Finally, we receive His restoring grace, as Romans 5:20 says, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more…”

Apply it to your life
Each one of us is either with Adam in the kingdom of death, or we are with Christ reigning in the kingdom of life. Choose Jesus today; there is so much more!

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Daniel 3:1-30

As these days grow gloriously dim, we must stand on the principles of God’s Word—for things that are true and righteous, which last throughout time and eternity.

Daniel 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. This story reminds us that we will face immense pressure to bow down, yet we must stand alone, even when our faith is in the fire.

First, see the fury they faced: there was emotional enticement and a social obligation to bow to the idol. Everyone was doing it; the government was even enforcing it. The devil is behind all of this defiling spirituality, seeking out converts.

But Daniel 3 also reminds us of the faith that followed. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego exhibited a settled, strong faith, having already made up their minds beforehand to remain devoted to God. They knew God could deliver them, and even if He didn’t, they would never bow to anyone else (See Daniel 3:16-18.)

Adrian Rogers says, “It is one thing to have faith to escape. It's another thing to have faith to endure.”

So, the three were thrown into the furnace as they were warned. And we see the fellowship they found in the fire: “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).

“...they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them” (Daniel 3:27).

Rather than being consumed by the fire, God used it to cleanse them. Rather than sparing them from the furnace, He joined them in it.

As a result of this miracle, Nebuchadnezzar had to admit: there is no God like our God.

Adrian Rogers says, “Do you know when this world is going to start having respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible? When you and I, by the grace of God, stand alone.”

Apply it to your life
Understanding the fury to conform to this world, do you have the faith to stand alone? Take courage today—know that whatever fire you face today, the Lord is with you.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Luke 15:11-32

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son reconciling with his loving father. However, as the passage continues, we meet his ungrateful brother. Through this epilogue, Jesus reveals that the love of God that melts one sinner’s heart can harden another sinner’s heart.

Our love, service, and joy can help us determine our relationship with the Father: are we more like the prodigal son or the ungrateful brother?

We measure our love for the Father by our relationship with our brother.

1 John 4:20 says, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

Some want to assume the place of a child of God without assuming the responsibility of a brother in Christ. We are called to love our siblings in Christ without any personal hindrance.

We measure our service to the Father by our fellowship with Him.

When we meet the older brother in Luke 15, he is working in the field for his father. Upon finding out about his brother’s return, he angrily reminds his father of his own faithfulness as the elder son. Some people serve their churches as model workers, yet they do not know the Father’s heart. When we serve the Lord, we must do so out of a love for God and not for a reward.

We measure our joy with the Father by sharing the Father’s burden.

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:31-32).

The older brother was so full of self-righteousness and self-pity, he missed the blessing of his brother’s homecoming. If we are so concerned about our possessions, positions, or privileges that we feel threatened by a brother’s reconciliation, we don’t share our Father’s burden.

Adrian Rogers says, “Other’s blessings are not our demise.”
The Lord rejoices when a sinner comes home. If we share in His burden, we will share in His celebration.

Apply it to your life
Do you identify more with the prodigal son or the ungrateful brother? Your love, service, and joy toward your brother measure how much you love the Father.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18

When we live for Jesus Christ, believing in the Gospel, we will be looked upon as fools by this world. What God calls wisdom, the world calls foolishness. And what the world calls wisdom, God calls foolishness.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel is so radically different: it starts at a different source, follows a different course, and ends at a different conclusion. We don’t need to make it compatible with this world.”

The cross of Jesus Christ is the measurement of a man’s foolishness or wisdom. It is how we can know if we are wise or otherwise.

God speaks, demonstrates His power, saves us, and sanctifies us through the cross.

God speaks through the cross. God reveals Himself in many ways, but we will never know His heart and mind until we understand the cross. Fools look for signs and wonders and often overlook Jesus as the Messiah because He died upon the cross.

God demonstrates His power and wisdom through the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

God also saves us through the cross; it is how He provided salvation for our souls. While others may take offense to it, we believe that the cross is God’s only way of salvation.

Finally, God sanctifies us by the cross; not only have we been saved, but we are also being saved. God is in the process of making us more like Jesus. Salvation is in three tenses:

We have been saved from the penalty of sin.
Presently, we are being saved daily from the power of sin -- it is an ongoing process.
We will be saved from the presence of sin when the rapture occurs.
The Christian life isn’t hard…it is impossible. It commences with a miracle, which is the new birth, and concludes with a miracle, which is the resurrection. But it also continues with a miracle.

If we wish to be wise, we must learn to live the principle of the cross; to die to ourselves every day so that the Holy Spirit can live through us.

Apply it to your life
Are you actively seeking God’s wisdom? God speaks, demonstrates His wisdom, saves us, and sanctifies us by the cross. Are you living by the principle of the cross—dying daily so that Christ can live through you?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 119:18, 27
Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is a wonderful book. I’m not finding hidden flaws; I’m finding hidden beauties.”

The more we read the Word of God, the more it will reveal itself to be true. Psalm 119 reveals the seven wonders of the Word of God.

First, the Bible is a supernatural book, divinely inspired by God; it is often called the very breath of God. Within the Scriptures, we see the prayers, praises, fears, and frustrations of the men who wrote them. The Bible is marked by their personalities, yet God, in and through these men, was the one who was speaking.

Second, the Bible is a spiritual book; it was written by the Holy Spirit. We cannot casually rip the truth out of these pages: God will reveal its meaning to us or we won’t have it. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” We may have access to the Word of God, but until the Holy Spirit convicts or illumines us, it’ll not be real in our hearts.

Third, it is the Savior’s book; Jesus is the hero of the Bible. Adrian Rogers says, “If you read the Bible and don’t find Jesus Christ somewhere, somehow standing in the shadows or presented in plain view, go back and read it again.”

Fourth, the Bible is a sovereign book; it is the supreme authority in spiritual matters, not human reason. A man and his word may diverge in this dishonest world, but God and His Word are the same.

Fifth, it is a surviving book. In a world that is ever-changing, God’s Word stays the same.

The Bible is also a sustaining book. It not only survives but also enables us to survive. As we are physically sustained by physical nutrition, we are spiritually sustained by the Word of God. We always find help, comfort, and wisdom in the Bible.

Finally, the Bible is a supercharged book; it has incredible power. It’s able to penetrate and scrutinize the innermost part of our personalities. We can stand in awe as we experience its power in our lives, changing us from the inside out.

Apply it to your life
Have you experienced the seven wonders of the Word of God? Study it today, revering its power, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what He would have you know.

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: Psalm 126:5-6

No matter how generous we are, how active we are in church, or how eloquently we preach, there is no substitute for sharing our faith with other people. Psalm 126 reveals how to share Jesus: “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).

The soul is of great worth; Jesus died upon the cross, paying the price with blood and agony to show how much He desired our souls.

Our souls are also valuable because of their durability. When God made the human soul, He made it in His own image, therefore, each soul is endless, timeless, dateless, and measureless.

Every soul has the potential to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

We must be committed to sharing our faith because it is the command of our Savior.

We are designed to go forth (Psalm 126:6); nothing takes the place of going. It’s not enough to “live good lives,” because our lives are not what save souls… salvation through Jesus’s death and resurrection saves souls.

Second, we must be concerned when we share our faith. If we feel we’ve lost our broken hearts for the unsaved, we must beg God to break them again. We must ask God to give us the eyes of Jesus who, when He saw the multitudes, was moved with compassion (See Luke 19).

Third, we must be consistent as we share our faith, for we bear seed for sowing. In this passage, the seed is the Word of God, and in that seed, there is life. Because there is power of life in the seed, there is power in the soul winner who scatters the seed.

Finally, we must be confident in sharing our faith: if we keep sowing, we will see a harvest. We should not concern ourselves with the soil. We just sow the seed, asking God to give us open doors and increase.

Apply it to your life
Are you endeavoring to share Jesus with others? Are you committed, concerned, consistent and confident in sharing your faith?

Adrian Rogers says, there’s no greater joy than bringing a soul to Jesus Christ. It’s easy to go to church, to study our Bibles, have our devotions, and it’s all good. But would you not say: ‘Lord Jesus, help me to share’?”