Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

How You Can Be Sure (1253)
Acts 10 tells the story of a Roman army officer named Cornelius. Cornelius was also a Gentile. Up until this time, the Gentiles had not been added to the Christian church (the early believers were Jewish). Yet, Cornelius was hungry to know God and he was hungry for faith in Jesus Christ. Supernaturally, God brought Cornelius and the apostle Peter together. As he is presenting the Gospel to Cornelius, Peter claims three indisputable witnesses who testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. By believing them, we, like Cornelius, can be sure of our salvation as well.

The first was a personal witness of the saints. The apostles standing before Cornelius had literally walked with Jesus during his ministry. The disciples were a diverse group of young men who lived with Him, ate and fellowshipped with Him. They personally witnessed His life, death and resurrection. And though a wide mixture of characters, the disciples’ recollection of Jesus is unanimous: He is the resurrected Son of God.

The second was the prophetic witness of the Scriptures. Every page of Scripture is about Jesus, if not explicitly, then prophetically. Even in the Old Testament, before Jesus walked the earth, prophecies the salvation He would bring to mankind. The Bible has one hero, which is Jesus; and it has one message: Jesus saves. Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible was not written primarily to give us the history of Israel. It's not written primarily to tell us about ceremonies and rituals; the Bible was written to tell us that Jesus saves.”

Lastly, the Holy Spirit acted as the third witness. After he was saved, Cornelius immediately received the Holy Ghost and began to speak in tongues. This was the outward evidence of the internal work of God in the hearts of these new believers. God was expanding the church to include the Gentiles right before their eyes. Jew and Gentile became one body, by witness of the saints, the Scripture and the Spirit.

Apply it to your life
Are you sure of your salvation and do you believe the three indisputable witnesses at hand?

All Things New (1251)
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Adrian Rogers says it this way, “A Christian is not just somebody who has become nice; he’s become new.”

Acts 9 tells the story of the conversion of the Apostle Paul. His early name was Saul and he was a persecutor of Christians. Yet, in this passage, he becomes Paul, the greatest missionary and evangelist the world has ever known. He was changed by the grace of God, so much so, he even changed his name! There are five markings of this man made new, found in Acts 9:17-22.

First, Saul had a new Lord. The first question Saul asked when confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus was, “Lord, what would you have me do?” Jesus had become his Lord; immediately, he was under new management. The Bible calls Jesus, Lord 433 times. And Adrian Rogers says, “You cannot have what He gives, salvation, unless you receive what He is, and that is Lord.”

Second, Paul had a new life. When you receive Jesus as Lord, you receive a new life, and a new spiritual sight. You’re able to see things you’ve never seen before.

Third, Paul had a new liberty. God put His power within Paul. The Christian life is what God does in us and through us. He’s the one who gives us that liberty.

Fourth, Paul had a new love. A few days before his conversion, this man was threatening the church. His heart was filled with bitterness and malevolence toward those who were called Christians. And those he once loathed he now loves. If you love Jesus, you will love what He loves.

Finally, Paul had a new labor. Saul’s mission was to destroy the church. Paul’s mission was to build the church. The markings of a new life in Christ is that he shares it with others.

And what God did for Saul, God wants to do for us, all.

Apply it to your life
Have you been made new in Christ? Does your life show that you have a new Lord, life, liberty, love and labor?

The Experience of Obedience (1241)
Being a Christian is a joyous thing. The reason we are not filled with joy in this Christian life could be a matter of disobedience. Adrian Rogers says, “Obedience is the missing ingredient in so many Christians’ lives.”

What does it mean to truly obey Christ? What is the expedience of obedience?

In Acts 5, Peter and the other apostles have caused quite a stir by preaching about Jesus Christ. The religious authorities are trying to stop a revival they began. They command the apostles to stop preaching. Verses 29-32 says: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

In this text, we are first given the reason for obedience. When God tells us to do something, we don’t have any other reasonable choice because He is a sovereign God. He has every right to instruct His children, no refusal or rebuttal about it. He is also a saving God, who suffered and died for us. Why do we obey Him? We owe it to Him.What are the requirements for obedience?

Understand first, we can’t obey unless we know what it is that God wants us to do. Once we know God’s will, we must be intentional about obeying it, and do so immediately. We will be held accountable for what we know. When He speaks, we must answer Him, regardless of circumstances. Only then can we see the supernatural rewards of our obedience:

Power in our lives
Joy in our hearts
Victory in the church.
When we obey God rather than men, we will see great multitudes of people come to Jesus Christ.

Apply it to your life
Would you like to obey, to be happy in Jesus? Would you like to have victory in your life? Know the will of God for your life and do it immediately, inflexibly and passionately.

The Conquest (1780)
Acts 4 tells of the great conquest of Jesus Christ, the one who died and arose from the grave.

He is still alive and well; the Christ that walked the shores of Galilee is alive through His new body, the Church, even today.

Because He lives, His persecution continues. Adrian Rogers says, “When you persecute the church, you persecute Jesus.”

At the beginning of Acts 4, a miracle was performed by the disciple, Peter. He claimed it was the power of Christ in Him who healed. As a result, the people were beginning to follow Jesus. The religious leaders didn’t like it, and began persecuting the Church. But because the apostles were acting as the hands and the feet of the Lord, it was Jesus who was persecuted, too.

Because He lives, His preaching convinces. How did these uneducated fishermen preach and five thousand come to Christ? They were not dependent upon their power of persuasion or winsomeness to bring these people to Christ. It was the people’s encounter with Christ through the disciples that convinced them to believe.

Because He lives, His power confronts. There are things happening in this world today that are undeniably done by the hand of Jesus. He is still performing miracles.

Because He lives, His presence compels. After spending time with the resurrected Christ, Peter was compelled to tell others about Him. If we spend time with Jesus, we will be as bold as His disciples. His presence will compel us with a holy boldness; a knowledge that Jesus is alive and He lives through us.

Finally, because He lives, His people confess. Acts 4:20 says, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Anybody who has known that Christ is alive cannot keep quiet; we cannot hold it in.

Because He is alive, we can wear persecution like a badge of honor. We can let Jesus convince, confront and compel others through us.

Let us not be ashamed to confess what He has done in our lives.

Apply it to your life
Do you know that Jesus is alive? Does your life reflect this? Stay in the presence of Jesus.

Like an iron in the fire, let there be a holy boldness about you. Tell someone about Jesus today.

The Cross (1779)
The cross of Jesus Christ is the cure for sin. 1 Peter 3:18 points out three truths about how God forgives and deals with sin through the cross.

The very first truth is the vicarious suffering of the cross. The word vicarious means “in the place of another”. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust....” Jesus, who is the just, sinless Son of God, died for the unjust, us. He became our substitute. He faced emotional and bodily suffering unlike anything we could possibly imagine.

In the Old Testament, God instituted the ritual of the Passover Lamb. There was judgment upon the land because of sin, but God told His people to kill a perfect, spotless lamb. They were to take the blood of that lamb and put it upon the doorpost of their houses. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot...” Jesus' crucifixion bears symbolism of that of a Passover Lamb. Even then, God was using the Passover Lamb as a prophecy and a picture of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Notice also the vital satisfaction of the cross. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sin....” Once; once for all. The debt has been paid in full. To say that there needs to be another sacrifice for sin is blasphemy. It is finished.

We see also the victorious salvation of the cross. “He hath suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” Sin separates us from a Holy God. The cross reconciles us a Holy God. Adrian Rogers says, “On that cross, Jesus took Holy God with one hand, sinful man with the other hand and by the blood of His cross, He hath reconciled God and man.”

God has a way of bringing us back.

“Oh, the love that thought it; oh the grace that brought it.”

Apply it to your life
Do you believe in the cross of Jesus Christ? The vicarious suffering, the vital satisfaction, the victorious salvation? Thank God for the sacrifice He made through Jesus Christ to bring us back to Him.

How to Love as Jesus Loved (1686)

The greatest need of mankind is to love and to be loved. Yet, it’s getting harder to do so than ever before. As Christians, we have been instructed to love as Jesus loved.

John 13:34 says, "A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another." This commandment is easy to consider for those who are easy to love… but what about the ones who have hurt us, misused us or wronged us?

Not only was Jesus the great teacher, He was the great example.

As Jesus gave this commandment, He washed His disciples’ feet: a timely custom performed by slaves. He washed Judas’s feet, who would later betray Him. He washed Peter’s feet, the disciple who would later deny Him. And He washed Thomas’s feet, who would later doubt Him.

Here is the Lord of glory doing slave labor… unto the very people who would let Him down.

By doing this, He exemplified selfless love. He exemplified humility. Adrian Rogers says, “Real humility is not thinking lowly of yourself; it is not thinking of yourself.” God the Father had put everything into Jesus’ hands, yet he laid aside his garments, took a towel and washed fishermen’s feet.

Jesus also exemplified steadfast love; He loves unto the end. If you want to love as Jesus loves, you’ll never stop. We love sometimes, but we only do so when everything is just right. Under pressure, we excuse ourselves from it. But even the unsaved can love that way! Adrian Rogers says, “Your character that cannot stand up under pressure and under testing is not real.”

Jesus exemplified serving love. He met injury with service. Love does not give people what they deserve; it gives people what they need. Love is willing to serve at the lowest of tasks.

Jesus exemplified sanctifying love.

Those of us who are saved walk in a dirty world. Sometimes, we need to let Jesus wash our feet, to remind us of His love. Then, we may go and wash the feet of others.

Apply it to your life
Are you willing to love others with a selfless, steadfast, serving and sanctifying love? As Adrian Rogers says, “Find somebody that needs that love and give it to them.”

The Lamb Has Overcome (2373)

Last words are very important; the last words of the Bible are vitally important. At the end of the Book of Revelation, the words are very concise. This book that deals with doom and destiny can be summed up with this beautiful assurance: the Lamb has overcome.

Revelation 22 tells of Bible’s last prophecy: the Savior’s sudden return. Jesus says in verses 12-13: “Behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end, the first and the last.”

Jesus is coming back suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye. He is the first ray of hope in the Book of Genesis. He is the last warning in the Book of Revelation. One of these days there will be no more days. Yet, Jesus will remain. How foolish to not to be ready!

See also the Bible’s last proposal: the sinner’s satisfying choice. Revelation 22:17 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Do you want to be saved? Revelation 22 declares that whosoever will may come: Come and drink.

Revelation 22 also declares the Bible’s last prohibition: the Scriptures’ sinful revision. The Bible prohibits anybody from revising the Holy Scripture, which is the very Word of God. Don’t try to revise the Bible or make it politically correct. Anybody who puts a question mark after the Word of God is doing the work of the devil; never forget it.

The final words found in Revelation 22 are Bible’s last prayer: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” There are some who have no hope, false hope, or uncertain hope.

But this is our hope: Jesus has come and He is coming again.

Apply it to your life
Are you ready for Jesus’s return? Have you made the choice to come to Him? Do you believe the infallible Word of God? Do you have that hope? Consider these things.

A Guided Tour Through Heaven (2371)

Revelation 21:9-10 gives us a guided tour through Heaven: “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, ‘Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the spirit into a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God.”

Scripture often describes the greater glories of Heaven symbolically, because the human mind could never comprehend it. But we can know without a shadow of doubt, Heaven is not symbolic. It is a very real place, indescribably beautiful and inexplicably glorious. God will rule in majesty there; He will dwell with His people. There will be no more sorrow, and no more sin.

Heaven shines with the glory of God, no need for the moon or sun. Heavenly choirs will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb; we will worship God with a wonderful song of redemption. And there is room for anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord.

Though the sights and sounds of Heaven are wonderful and exciting, it’s Jesus that makes Heaven, Heaven. He is the sanctuary of Heaven!

It is a made-new place. Those who have been made new through salvation in Jesus Christ will be there, becoming even more like Him.

It is a meaningful place. Adrian Rogers says, “What are we going to see when we go down the main street of Heaven? We’re going to see some glad people. They’re people of deep satisfaction because they’re drinking from the crystal river. And what does this river symbolize? That our deepest needs are going to be met.” Every thirst that you have that is God-given will be satisfied in Heaven. The glow of health will be upon everyone as we serve God like never before.

Finally, Revelation 22:4 says, “And they shall see His face.” Heaven’s greatest reward is this: We will see Jesus, face-to-face. That, alone, is worth everything.

Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.”

Have you ever come to the cross? Have you ever repented of your sin? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus?

The Final Judgment of the Unsaved Dead (2367)

The Book of Revelation prophecies that at the end of the Great Tribulation, Jesus comes with His saints in power and great glory to rule and reign here on earth for a thousand blessed years.

Revelation 20 reveals the final judgment of the unsaved dead, where God settles the score and judges the sins of those who are not in Christ Jesus.

Whether you believe in Him or not, you are going to meet Jesus Christ. He is unavoidable; He cannot be deceived, disputed or discredited. There is no escaping Him. Adrian Rogers says, “If you don’t meet Him as Savior, you will meet Him as Judge. He is the one who will be sitting upon this great white throne.”

Notice those who are called to the judgment:

The out and out sinner who mocks God
The self-righteous who thinks he is too good for judgment
The procrastinator who intended to be saved but never confirmed his salvation
The unsaved church member who has religion, but not the Lord
The one who has never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Not one sin has escaped God’s knowledge; every sin will be accounted for—secrets that have been repressed will be revealed. The evidence, the defense and then the verdict of the court will be handed down. And what waits at the end of a Christ-less life is eternity in hell.

But there is good news.

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Adrian Rogers says, “I’m not going to stand before the great white throne and I’ll tell you why. I settled out of court. Jesus became my Savior when He died on that cross in agony and blood and with His blood He paid my sin debt.”

Through the blood of Jesus, your sin can be buried in the grave of God’s forgetfulness, never to be brought up against you again.

Apply it to your life
Have you settled out of court? Choose to follow Him today, lest you stand before the throne of God in judgment.

The Golden Age (2369)

Revelation 20 speaks of the coming Golden Age—a day when the Garden of Eden will be restored. There will be no more poverty or war. Israel will be restored to her land. Jerusalem will be the world’s capital. The resurrected saints will rule and reign with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We call this the millennium.

Theologians have divided their thoughts about the millennium into three basic categories: amillennialism, postmillennialism and premillennialism.

Amillennialists believe that the millennium is an allegory for Jesus ruling through the modern church.

Postmillennialists believe there must be one thousand years of peace on earth before Jesus Christ can come back. There aren’t many postmillennialists around today, because the world is falling deeper and deeper into sin, as the Bible teaches. Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel is not something to save civilization from wreckage. The Gospel is God’s plan to save men from the wreckage of civilization.”

Therefore, the final category, premillennialism, believes that Jesus must come before we can have a thousand years of peace here on this earth. Jesus will rule and reign on earth from Jerusalem. If we believe this interpretation, we have much to look forward to about the Golden Age.

First, there will be a forceful restraint of Satan. Today, Satan roams the earth like a lion. In the millennium, this roaring lion will be chained.

Second, there will be the future reign of the Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ will reign on earth, and the saints will reign and rule with Him. All kingdoms on earth will be changed.

Third, there will be a final rebellion of the sinners. God, who is always sovereign, will allow Satan to have one final fling; why? It is God’s final testimony to the wickedness of the human heart.

Finally, we can anticipate the fixed resolution of sin. Jesus will do away with sin, cast Satan into the lake of fire and deliver the kingdom to Almighty God.

We should be encouraged by this. We should anticipate Jesus’s Second Coming. We should evangelize to others so they may know the truth of the Gospel. And we should examine our hearts to make sure we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

####Apply it to your life
What does this mean for us now? Our major responsibility in this day and age is to prepare men for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ by the preaching of the Gospel.