Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Learning to Respect Spiritual Authority (1628)
Proverbs 16:32 says: “he that ruleth his spirit (is better) than he that taketh a city.”

We see this exemplified through King David, a man after God’s own heart. David was a man that lived by principle, not by appearance. He was a warrior who knew many victories. But, perhaps, his greatest victory was the one over his own spirit when he became subject to spiritual authority.

In 1 Samuel 24, David is hiding in a cave after King Saul has put a bounty on his head. King Saul comes into the cave, unaware that David and his men are hiding just out of sight. David has the opportunity to kill Saul, the man actively trying to kill him. But he does not.

He refuses to take vengeance and acts as according to Scripture: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

We should learn by David’s example in recognizing authority.

David knew that he had no right to take Saul’s life because Saul was David’s king. A bad king, sure, but he was God’s chosen and anointed king. There is no king, no power, no ruler that has not been ordained of God. Therefore, to rebel against authority is an act of rebellion against God. Submit to leadership.

You should respect authority. But what if the authority in question commands us to do something that is contrary to the Word of God? Don’t do it! The Bible says we should obey God rather than men. But make certain that even when you disobey your appointed leader that you have a warrant from Scripture, and that you still respect authority.

Finally, we should rest in authority. God took care of Saul. And God will take care of your enemies as you learn to rest in the Lord.

Apply it to your life
Is there anybody or anything that you have a rebellious spirit about? Let me ask you this question: Have you submitted to the King of kings? That’s where it all begins—by giving your heart to Jesus Christ. And when you get under the authority of Jesus Christ, under the authority of the Word of God, under the authority of those that God has put over you, you’re going to find yourself living, praying, speaking, and acting with incredible authority.

To Be Like Jesus (2139)

Everything is created for God’s glory. Therefore, we were created for God’s glory. If glory is too abstract of a word to comprehend, think instead of the nature of Jesus. God’s purpose for you is to be like Jesus.

When we become like Jesus, life-change occurs. But some of us go about change in ways in which we ultimately fall short. We set ourselves up for failure, and it leaves us feeling discouraged.

One way we do this is by process of elimination. We think if we remove things from our lives, we will become like Jesus. However, in our humanity, the list of things we must eliminate is far too long. If we focus on elimination, we won’t be like Jesus at all; we’ll be like bitter Pharisees.

Then we think we’ll be like Jesus through imitation. We act like Jesus, but we don’t have His character. So, we become cheap, phony imitations of Him.

Then, in frustration, we try to be like Jesus through determination. We grit our teeth and say, ‘I’m going to be more like the Lord Jesus with willpower and sincerity.” Yet, despite our best efforts, we will still fall short every time.

So, what else is there to do?

Consider this: Rather than going about life change through elimination, imitation, or determination, think of yourself as a mirror. A mirror does not create the image; it simply reflects what it is exposed to.

We are changed by being exposed to Jesus. We must make sure sin and unrepentance does not distort or dull the image we bear. We cannot let things of this world get in the way. We must read Scripture and continue to expose ourselves to the character of Jesus, ever-focused and ever-engaged.

Adrian Rogers explains, “What is the inner nature of a Christian? Jesus. And by beholding Jesus, you’re changed. That which is on the inside comes to the surface. You are changed.”

As reflections of Jesus, we have a responsibility to retain the image in which we are exposed to.

When we stay focused on Him, that’s when the change takes place.

Apply it to your life
Are you reflecting the image of Jesus? Expose yourself to Jesus, today. Dig into Scripture, and pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see Him in every page.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 Timothy 6:20

Christians believe in special creation, the fact that God created man in His own image, as evident in the Book of Genesis.

However, there is another school of thought that contradicts this belief: the theory of Evolution. It is the theory that we are simply creatures of accident; that men have evolved from a speck of protoplasm and green algae, first as a worm, then as a fish, an amphibian, a reptile, a bird, a mammal, and then finally we evolved into man.

The equation of evolution goes as follows: Nothing + Time + Chance = Everything. It’s a fairytale for adults, a philosophy that poses as a scientific fact.

There are three reasons to reject evolution:

Logic. Evolutionists have no explanation for the origin of life or fixity of species. They cannot explain how certain properties exist that have nothing to do with the survival of the fittest. Where does music come from? Love? The evolutionist has no answer.

Morality. If there is no God, if man is an accident, there can be no Ten Commandments, therefore no fixed standard of right and wrong. Adrian Rogers explains the danger of discrediting morality for the sake of evolution: “When we teach our children that they’ve come from animals, they will begin to live and act like animals.”

Theology. If evolution is true, there was no Garden of Eden, there was no original sin, no depravity. And then man, as Adrian Rogers says, “doesn’t need a birth from above; he just needs a boost from below.”

There’s something wicked behind this whole idea of evolution. Aldous Huxley, acclaimed evolutionist, states his own bias against creationism: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning…” This translates to: “I chose evolution to shut the mouths of those who believe in special creation.”

But you are not an accident. You are a special creation, made in the image of God. And you are precious to Him. May we become the people we were created to be.

Apply it to your life

Evolution is not a fact. It is a manmade philosophy to justify rebellion against the Creator of the Universe. Reject this ideology today, and chose instead to thank God that you have been beautifully and wonderfully made in His image.

The High Cost of Low Living (1978)

Can a child of God sin? Yes. Can a child of God sin and not suffer? Absolutely not.

Consider King David, a man above every other man—none more noble, gifted, or humble than David. And yet David fell into a deep, dark sin. David committed the sin of adultery. As a result, the woman conceived. So, David then committed the sin of murder.

In order to better understand the high cost of low living, we need only look to at the causes of King David’s sin.

It was a sin of idleness. David was not doing wrong in the time leading up to his affair, except that he was failing to do right. He should have been with his compatriots in war. God wants us to stay occupied. We are called to the harvest field or the battlefield.
It was a sin of carelessness. David began to take his many victories for granted. He presumed God was going to keep blessing him. And an unguarded strength is a double weakness.
It was a sin of impulsiveness. David wasn’t planning to sin that day. Adrian Rogers explains, “Sin is a combination of undetected weakness, an unexpected opportunity, and an unprotected life.”
It was a sin of callousness. When his scheme to cover up his sin was compromised, David ordered for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle. He planned it, connived it, and orchestrated cold-blooded murder. And his heart turned calloused.
It was a sin of stubbornness. Despite the conviction he felt, David went one whole year without repenting. But God did not forget David’s sin, and He wouldn’t let David forget, either.
Just underneath David’s facade, his sin weighted, wounded and weakened him. There were words of rebuke, arrows of conviction, and hands of pressure from God.

David was finally confronted by the prophet, Nathan, and was convicted and chastised. He had to pay the consequences for his sin. But God was faithful to forgive him.

God is faithful to forgive us, too.


Apply it to your life
Perhaps it’s time for you to be confronted, too. Somehow you think you’re just going to muddle through and gloss over your sin. And you stubbornly go on day after day thinking, “Maybe God has forgotten.” He has not. Repent of your sins and ask God for forgiveness.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Isaiah 5:20

Under the clever guise of “choice,” abortion is not only legal, but also societally acceptable in America.

Adrian Rogers reminds us of three sure things in regards to choice: “You are free to choose. You are not free not to choose and you are not free to choose the consequences of your choice.”

Ultimately, to say you are “pro-choice” means you are “pro-abortion.”

Pastor Rogers gives three reasons why he chooses to be pro-life, and why you should, too.

“I am pro-life because it is a matter of life.” The Bible does not distinguish between prenatal and postnatal life; it speaks of babies in the womb as persons. It is not a part of the mother’s body. It is a new life, with its own blood type and DNA. When a mother is pregnant, God Himself is forming a child within her. It is an object of God’s love and concern.

“I am pro-life because it is a matter of love.” Abortion transgresses the Golden Rule: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). However you want people to treat you, treat them that way. The gruesome nature of abortion is something we would want to avoid happening to us. So, why would we allow it to be performed on a baby?

“I am pro-life because it is a matter of logic.” Many of the pro-choice arguments surrounding conception and the “beginning of life” disregard nature and negate drastic strides in today’s medicine. In regard to the arguments about rape, incest, or deformity, we must remember that we cannot play God in these cases.

Where do we draw the line? Does God not have a plan for every life He creates in a womb?

In conclusion, the fact that there are debates in favor of killing unborn lives should cause us to mourn and to respond in anguish. There is much to be done to protect unborn lives. It starts with knowing without doubt that every life matters in the eyes of God.

Apply it to your life

Be informed. Vote for life. Have compassion on the unwed mother and teach forgiveness to people who have had an abortion. Speak out clearly. Refuse to be swayed by the high-sounding arguments, pray for this nation to repent, and above all, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Acts 19:21-32

If you take a stand for the truth, you are not always going to be popular. We see an example of this in Acts 19, when Paul visits Ephesus and sees that they are engaging in wicked ways of making money. The most vital nerve in the human body is the one that runs from the heart to the wealth, and what Paul does in Ephesus is put his finger directly on it.

There are four principles laid out in Scripture that confirm why it is wrong for Christians to gamble, and unwise for societies to endorse it.

Gambling transgresses the principle of Honesty. It is robbery by mutual consent. It is the transfer of wealth (not earned or given) without giving anything back in exchange. Somebody has said, “He who gambles and loses is a fool. He who gambles and wins is a thief.”

Gambling transgresses the principle of Love. Gambling is pleasure and profit at the cost of someone else's pain and loss. You cannot win unless someone else loses. If you win at gambling, you victimize your neighbor.

Gambling transgresses the principle of Work. The Bible does not teach getting wealth by gambling. The Bible teaches getting wealth through work. Gambling produces no real wealth. It merely redistributes it from the hands of the many into the hands of the few.

Gambling transgresses the principle of Providence. A gambler is depending upon chance. The Bible says that we're to rest upon providence. Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Adrian Rogers tells us: “There's less laughter and gaiety in a casino than any other public resort. The Christian doesn't need to get his thrill from covetousness and dishonesty.”

No matter how alluring it may look, gambling contributes nothing to the common good. It undermines values. It mocks work. It finances crime. It robs children. It enslaves people. And it poisons whatever it touches.

The wealth you obtain for yourself will pass away. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Apply it to your life

Do you find yourself entangled by the allure of gambling? Flee from it! Pray for the strength to resist it. Christians don’t need to get their thrill from covetousness and dishonesty. What is good and true and honorable…cling to these things.

The Coming Kingdom of Christ (1883)

There is coming a kingdom of Christ, as well as a kingdom of Satan. These two kingdoms have been at war since the Book of Genesis, and we are in the middle of it. If we want to recognize Satan’s kingdom to come and know how it will ultimately face its demise, we only need to look at one which was already defeated.

In Genesis 10-11, we are introduced to a Babylonian man named Nimrod. He wanted to be king and to be worshiped like God. A few chapters prior, God gave the commandment to His people to be scattered and replenish the earth after the Great Flood.

Rather than obey God, the Babylonians centralized their government under Nimrod’s authority and began building a tower to reach the heavens, all to make a name for themselves and to be equal with God. They directly disobeyed God and followed Nimrod in rebellion.

How did this tower of blunders end in Genesis?

The Babylonians spoke one language at this time. But God confounded their speech, and they suddenly couldn’t understand each other. The construction of the Tower of Babel ended with Almighty God coming down to earth and sending confusion into the camps of His enemies.

Today, we are not too far off from the blunder of Babylon.

Have we not substituted our own wit for God’s wisdom? Through new minds, machinery and money, are we not trying to make a name for ourselves? Do New Age religions not bank their ideology on finding power within ourselves, generating an independence from Almighty God?

Adrian Rogers says: “What is the difference between manmade religion and the true salvation that comes from God? Man tries to build from earth to Heaven. True salvation reaches down from Heaven to man.”

The only hope for this world is the coming of Jesus Christ. And when He comes, He will destroy the kingdom of Satan, and any other kingdom that dares to make an enemy of God.

These are the days to get right with God. Let us not wait another second.

Apply it to your life
If you’re practicing any kind of new age religion or dabbling with astrology or witchcraft, get out of it. Repent. The time is coming soon when our Lord is going to step down from glory to judge Babylon. Let us rejoice and give honor to Him today.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Genesis 1:26

In simplest terms, the belief behind the Animal Rights Movement is that there is no essential, intrinsic, or basic difference between man and animal. But God’s Word says otherwise.

According to the Book of Genesis, both man and animal were created by God separately, and neither evolved from the other. Though there are similarities, there is a stark contrast between man and animal as well.

For one, man has a longing in his heart to know God. Man is created in God’s likeness—not in His physical image, but in His moral and spiritual image. When God created animals, in His mercy, He gave them instincts. But when God made mankind in His image, He gave us spirits.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Holy Spirit is to man what instinct is to the animals. Now, if you were to take the instinct out of the beehive, what would happen? It'd be very much like our world today—men without the Holy Spirit.”

Man has a capability for dominion, but he also has a capacity for depravity…one that animals don't have. Animals can't sin because animals don't have any choice. The reason they don't have any choice is they don't have any moral basis.

But man does!

Man also has a concern for his destiny that animals do not have. Man is the only creature who knows he's going to die. Animals never think about death. But the Bible says that God has put eternity in the hearts of men.

Animals have a body and a soul (a soul being made up of a mind, emotions, and a will). But only man has a spirit. And the Holy Spirit molds us into what we're meant to be.

Adrian Rogers also adds, “With your body, you know the world beneath you. With your soul, you know the world around you. But with your spirit, you know the world above you! And God made man with a spiritual capacity to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him.”

Apply it to your life

What did God make you to do? God created you to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. The Bible says, "It is in Him that we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Do you know Him, love Him, and serve Him with the spirit He gave you?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Daniel 9:24-27

It is sometimes difficult to wrap our minds around the blueprints of God’s plan for the world. That is because we approach them from our individual “worlds.” However, God’s Word tells us that Israel is the ultimate epicenter of God’s covenant with His people.

Israel is the spiritual center of the world. We often refer to it as the “Holy Land,” because it is the city where the stories of the Scriptures took place. It is where Jesus was born, where He lived, and began His earthly ministry. It is where He died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven.

Israel is also the prophetic center of the world. It is the only nation whose history is minutely foretold in Scripture. When we add up the number of years recorded in the Bible concerning the nation of Israel’s commencement, construction, and the coming of Christ, we calculate 483 years of the 490 years prophesied in the Book of Daniel.

But when Jesus came, that clock stopped, and it has yet to resume. There are 7 more years of biblical prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

Israel is the storm center of the world. It will be the warzone of the battle of Armageddon. But just before this last great battle, according to the prophecies found in Revelation, the world will see its darkest days, and the nation of Israel will seem to be at its most vulnerable.

The Antichrist will come onto the scene as a charming leader, and he is going to make a treaty with Israel, offering false promises of peace and protection under his reign, yet he will bring more destruction to the nation than ever before, all within the strict confines of the 7-year timeframe known as the Great Tribulation. 7 years.

The 490 years prophesied will then see completion. In the end, Jesus will return. He will win the battle with a word, just a word. The tongue that spoke everything into existence will speak His enemies into oblivion!

And His church will be complete.

Adrian Rogers reminds us, “Jesus came on time, He died on time, He was buried on time, He rose on time, and He is coming on time. You can bank on it.”

Apply it to your life

As Believers, we cannot deny the significance of the nation of Israel. Today, make a commitment to pray for the Holy Land as the clock ticks on toward the End Times.

Jesus Christ is a historical fact, but is He who He says He is? In this powerful message, Adrian Rogers analyzes the testimonies of the saints, the Scriptures, and the Spirit to prove the legitimacy of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.