Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Proverbs 29:1

In front of every unsaved person, there is a deadline. When crossed, you will be broken beyond repair.

Proverbs 29:1 reads: “He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” There are four thoughts to draw from this passage, so that we may never know the hopelessness of being broken beyond repair.

God deals with sinners over and over again, convicting us in loving patience. He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and through sickness, through sorrow and heartache. God also speaks through His believers and through Scripture. But sometimes, when God convicts, we still rebel. (“He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck…”) A stiffened neck represents the refusal of God’s conviction.

Sometimes people harden their necks to the Gospel by procrastination. Postponing salvation is detrimental for three reasons: If you wait until tomorrow, you’ll lose tonight; something worse may come tomorrow, or tomorrow may not come.

Another way people harden their necks is by pride; many are afraid of what other people will think if they confess their sins.

But, as Adrian Rogers says, “The church is nothing but a society of sinners who've finally realized it and banded themselves together to do something about it.”

People also harden their necks because of worldly pleasures. They are afraid to give their hearts to Jesus because they are afraid of what they will have to give up. They forget that the only things God asks us to give up are things that hurt us.

When man rebels against God’s convictions and reaches that deadline, he will face sudden destruction.

His mind will be destroyed through strong delusion; because he has refused the truth, he will believe lies.

His spirit will be destroyed through spiritual desertion; the Holy Spirit will withdraw Himself from a rebellious man.

His body will be destroyed through sudden death.

Then he will face a settled condition (“...and that without remedy.”). Once he has crossed the deadline, judgment begins; there is no turning back. Once he is in hell, he is broken beyond repair.

What a powerful reminder to come to Jesus while we can.

Apply it to your life

This is the day to be saved. It is the day to listen to God’s conviction, give up your stubborn rebellion and change the settled condition, before it’s too late.

A growing Christian is a maturing Christian, because spiritual maturity is becoming more like Jesus. Some Christians are saved, but aren’t growing. We will never know true victory and joy unless we learn how to be a growing Christian.

In 1 John 2, the Apostle John compares spiritual maturity to three stages in our physical lives.

“I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” (v. 14)

New Christians experience the thrilling wonders of spiritual childhood. They are “all tomorrows; no yesterdays.” However, children live in the realm of their feelings. They can be selfish and self-centered; uncooperative. We are only young once; and if we aren’t careful, we can be spiritually immature for a long time.

If we grow, we’ll experience the triumphant warfare of manhood. Abiding in the Word of God strengthens us for warfare. Obeying God and serving others transforms us into workers and warriors, equipped to combat the enemy.

Next comes the tested wisdom of fatherhood. Adrian Rogers says, “When we spend time with someone, we become like that someone.” Because we view God as our Father, the goal of spiritual maturity is to become spiritual fathers (and mothers). Mature Christians reproduce through soul winning and discipleship.

What are the means of maturity?

There must be the miracle of life; we must be saved.
It takes time. There is no instant maturity; we experience growth through time spent with Jesus Christ.
Growth requires nourishment; we have to feed on the Word of God.
Growth demands discipline and exercise, by serving God and others.
Remember: we don’t substitute fatherhood for young manhood, nor young manhood for childhood. In a father, there ought to be the vision and zeal of a young man. In a young man, there ought to be the wonder of childhood. All three stages are legitimate; a mature Christian is a composite of them all.

Apply it to your life
It takes life, time, nourishment and exercise to grow. Adrian Rogers offers this advice: “Don’t worry about what you can’t do. Find out what you can do and begin to do it, and you will grow.”

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: John 3:1-7

In John 3:1-7, Jesus explains to Nicodemus the concept of being “born again.” And if you are a Christian, you are born again. Adrian Rogers says, “By your first birth you have existence. By your second birth you have supernatural life.” Understanding the new birth is crucial to our faith.

First, we must understand the three reasons why a person must be born again. By nature, we are plagued with undeniable sinfulness, unsatisfied longings, and our soul’s unending existence. For these reasons, there is an urgency to be born again.

Spiritual rebirth, in many ways, parallels physical birth. In a birth, conception takes place. A mother and father join together to conceive a child; in the same way, the Word of God and the Spirit of God unite to conceive a new birth. John 3:5 says, “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (Water symbolizes the Word of God in Scripture.) Much like parents transmit life into their children, God breathes new life into us.

In our new birth, we receive the character of God. Some traits of someone twice-born are a love for Jesus Christ, a desire for holiness, the inner witness of the Spirit, and a desire to share Jesus with others.

Birth is a once-for-all experience. In the natural realm, you are born one time. In the spiritual realm, rebirth is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After birth, true growth begins. Birth simply is the starting place; when we are born again, glory to God, we have a brand new start. Adrian Rogers says, “When you get saved, all of your past, all your yesterdays, are buried in the grave of God’s forgetfulness.”

New birth is a daily certainty. There is proof, but it is not a thing of the past. Trusting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior is a present practice. It is a daily occurrence.

Adrian Rogers says, “If you’re born twice, that which is born from above will go endless, dateless, timeless, measureless with the Lord.”

Apply it to your life

Have you been born again? Have you understood the reason for new birth? Experienced a change in character? Have you seen faith take its full effect in you?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: John 16:8

There are some things that no pastor or Bible teacher can teach you; they can only be imparted by the Holy Spirit. By our own nature, we can be stunningly ignorant. There are three things you cannot learn in school, that only the Holy Spirit can teach you.

First, is the conception of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We are sinners by nature. The problem comes from within, not primarily because of what we do, but because of what we are.

Our nature is a poisoned well. Our sins are the poisoned water that comes out of that well. And perhaps our worst sin is not believing in Jesus Christ. Unbelief is the parent sin, out of which all other sins grow. Adrian Rogers says, “A courtroom may convict you of crimes; conscience will convict you of wrongdoing, but only the Holy Spirit of God will truly convict you of sin.”

The second truth only the Holy Spirit can teach is the completion of salvation. Man is ignorant concerning both sin and righteousness. The Holy Spirit of God teaches us that our only hope is Jesus Christ. And when you receive Jesus Christ and His righteousness, He deals with what we are.

Christians are not just reformed, nicer people; they have received a new nature as a result of a “new birth.” He changes what we are and then He forgives what we’ve done. He also gives us what we need, which is righteousness. Adrian Rogers says, “He took our sin that we might take His righteousness. You’re as righteous as Jesus Christ because you have His righteousness.”

Lastly, the Holy Spirit teaches us the truth concerning judgment. Only the Holy Spirit can teach us that Satan’s cause is a lost cause. There’s no contest out there: truth is mightier than error, love is stronger than hate, and holiness is higher than sin. And our Lord has won the victory.

Apply it to your life

Have you learned these three things you cannot learn in school? Let the Holy Spirit minister to you and impart these things in your heart.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 6:19

Where does God live? As we study the Bible, it seems God doesn’t seem to stay put…until recently.

God’s first house was Adam. Adam was to be a royal residence: designed with a body, soul, and spirit. When Adam sinned against God, he desecrated his spirit; therefore, our very Holy God was forced to move out.

God’s second house was the temple. God built a temple for His people in the Old Testament, to teach colossal lessons of holiness, sacrifice, and fellowship. We recognize that this house was desecrated in Matthew 21:13 when Jesus said: “And He said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you’ve made it a den of thieves.” God will not live in a dirty house; Matthew 23:38, says, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” And in Matthew 24, Jesus correctly prophesies the destruction of the temple.

God’s third house was Jesus Christ, Himself. Jesus was a house designed; the second Adam: body, soul, and spirit, yet totally perfect. He became a house desecrated when He willingly took all the sins of this world upon Himself. Matthew 27:46 says, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying… My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” He was a house, desolated. As a result, Jesus became a house destroyed.

But because of His great love, our hearts have become God’s home. God lives in us, and God is never moving out. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which you have of God, and ye are not your own? For you’re bought with a price, therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Adrian Rogers preaches, “Being saved is getting God back in your heart, helping you to understand that you are now a temple of the Holy Ghost.”

God dwells in our hearts by faith, through salvation, security, and sanctification. Because of Calvary’s sacrifice, no sin can jeopardize God’s residence in our hearts.

Apply it to your life

We are temples of God. Every day is a holy day. Every place is a sacred place.

Considering your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost of God, how are you living differently? Are there sins you need to repent of?

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 (Rom. 3:23) and without the shedding of blood, there’s no remission. 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 of our sanctification. He saves us from wrath and makes us pure. Adrian Rogers says, “I wouldn’t give half a hallelujah of your 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 that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth.” (v. 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 that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” (v. 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: Matthew 16:13

In Matthew 16:13-20, Simon Peter declares Jesus is the Messiah they’ve long waited for. As a result of his bold faith, Jesus changed his name to Peter (which means “rock”). Jesus then declared He would build His church upon Himself. This radical exchange reveals several things about the church triumphant.

First, we learn that it relies on personal conviction from Jesus, Himself. Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” (Matt. 13:15) We must personally believe in Jesus Christ; not by our mind or intellect, but by divine revelation.

After conviction from God comes confession: Simon Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (v. 16)

A powerful conversion follows: “That thou art Peter...” (v. 18)

And as a result, the church is sovereignly constructed. Jesus said, “...upon this rock I will build my church...” (v. 18) Jesus is the architect, the builder, and the very foundation of the church. He is the one that builds it out of us, living stones (1 Peter 2:5), a group of people redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Notice the singular commission of the church. In verse 19, Jesus said, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Understand what this actually means: Jesus is saying that Heaven’s will will be done on earth when you use the keys of the kingdom, which is the truth of the Gospel.

Our unchanging responsibility as the church triumphant is to win souls to Jesus Christ.

“...and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (v. 18) Remember: Hell is not on the offense and the church on the defense. What Jesus is saying is the very gates of hell, the very domain of the dead, cannot stop the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Adrian Rogers says, “If you say that you’re saved, you will love the church and attend the church. If you say you love Jesus Christ, you will defend, commend, and extend the church.”

Apply it to your life

The profound insight from Matthew 16 can be simplified into two practical instructions for us today: be saved, and be an active member of your church.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Luke 1:13

The Bible instructs us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But so many times, we pray and seek God, ask according to His will; and yet our prayer seems unanswered.

At the beginning of the Book of Luke, we meet Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, both righteous before God, blameless, yet barren. They were well in their old age, and without any children, they had prayed for their whole lives. Verse 13 says, “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son…” We can learn three things from Zacharias and Elizabeth when prayer seems unanswered.

First, unanswered prayer could mean it has simply been denied.

God will not grant prayers that aren’t according to His will. Sometimes, we pray with sin in our heart, outside of the will of God. Remember, God wants to meet every one of our personal needs, but He will not enable our lust, pride, or selfishness.

An unanswered prayer could also mean it’s strategically delayed.

Adrian Rogers says, “With God, timing is far more important than time.” Answered prayers could be delayed to display His glory. As we see in Zacharias and Elizabeth’s story, God could wait until the situation is so difficult, there's no way we, ourselves, get the glory from it.

Or, our prayers could be delayed to dispense God’s grace.

As interested as He is in His glory, God’s also interested in our joy. In Luke 1, God was about to bring Jesus into the world. God planned the arrival of Zacharias and Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist, so he could prepare the way for this long-awaited Messiah. God knew what He was doing; He had a strategic plan to display his glory and to dispense his grace, in the fullness of time.

Finally, the answer to your prayer may be strangely different.

For Zacharias and Elizabeth, God gave them something better than they asked for; it was different. He was the forerunner of the Messiah. Their son filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb.

Adrian Rogers tells us, “God gives the best to those who leave the choice with him.”

Apply it to your life

What do you do when your prayer seems unanswered? Check to make sure you are seeking the glory of God. Then pray without ceasing.

Victorious Prayer (1696)

Matthew 6:13 says, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Oftentimes, we don’t expect God to answer our prayers. But in this passage, Jesus taught us to pray for deliverance from the evil one. He would never teach us to pray that if He did not intend to deliver us. In these dangerous days, we’re up against the organized, demonized forces of hell. The best thing we can do is learn how to pray this victorious prayer.

First, we must see the sinister person of evil. Many of us walk in darkness, because we don’t understand who our enemy is. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, we can expose him for what he is: a person of evil, who hides behind a veil of lies. We are instructed to be sober and vigilant, to view him as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

We also need to realize the seductive power of evil. His motive is to be worshipped, so he deceives us through various, seemingly harmless methods. It is ignorant to underestimate the devil’s power. Adrian Rogers says, “If you’ve never met the devil, it’s because you and the devil are going in the same direction.” We’re instructed to ask God for deliverance at the start of the day, not the end. If we’re asking God to forgive the same sins, we haven’t learned to pray, Lord lead us, lest we fall into temptation. Deliver us from evil.

Finally, we must rely on the sovereign protection from evil… “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.” We don’t have to fear; we can stand upon this victorious prayer. And what is the ground of our victory? God Himself, who has absolute authority. His kingdom cannot fail; He rules on earth and heaven.

John 14:13 says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Apply it to your life
Do you want an answered prayer? Adrian Rogers says, “When your reason for asking and God’s reason for answering are the same, your prayer will be the same. Your prayer will be answered. When you want Him glorified and He wants to be glorified, your prayer will be answered.”

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Matthew 6:9-15

Matthew 6:14 says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

The two great enemies against the human soul are guilt and bitterness. And the freedom of forgiveness is the only thing that can combat them. We are freed from guilt when we are forgiven by God. We are freed from bitterness when we forgive others.

There are four compelling reasons to forgive.

The Grace Factor: We forgive because we have been forgiven.

The Guilt Factor: If we do not forgive, we can no longer be forgiven.

The Grief Factor: An unforgiving spirit keeps us in the prison of our own making.

The Gain Factor: When we forgive, we release a prisoner and gain a brother.

Remember the costly requirements of forgiveness. Forgiveness is much more than merely accepting an apology. It cancels a debt; when you forgive your debtor, then you pay up.

Forgive freely as Jesus did, not after your transgressor has paid his price.

Also forgive and finally; bury it in the grave. When God forgives us, He forgets, not intellectually; rather, He remembers our sins against us no more. There’s no grudge. Adrian Rogers says, “The biggest test as to whether or not you truly did forgive is if you keep bringing it up again.” This may seem difficult to do; but if we will let Him, God will give us the desire and the dynamic to do so.

What are the results of forgiveness?

There will be release: you will set a prisoner free and find out that prisoner is you. You will no longer bear this burden of bitterness that is destroying your soul.

If your transgressor will receive that forgiveness, there will be reconciliation. You will gain a brother. And together, you will have a revival.

Apply it to your life

Do you have guilt and bitterness in your life? Have you repented and accepted the forgiveness of God? Have you forgiven others?