Obedience on SermonAudio

This sermon is NOT about political parties, but rather about obedience and application, to God's only Standard;The WORD of God! The religion of man shall not stand before the Justice of God; but only obedience to His WORD. America was Founded as a Christian nation; but we in Christianity have willfully and radically departed from God, in 29 open and blatant ways, especially in this generation of counterfeit christendom.

Are you resting in Christ—so that your security and hope are anchored to His work for you? "And coming to Him as to a living stone... choice and precious in the sight of God," 1 Peter 2:4 (LSB). Are you growing together with His people, your life increasingly shaped by obedience to His word and conformity to His likeness? "... You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood..." 1 Peter 2:5. Christ is the church's precious cornerstone, the sure foundation and defining reference point for His people. He is the measure of what His people are and are becoming collectively—the holy temple of the living God. The world does not find God by coming to a temple built with hands, but by coming to Christ. Unlike a material temple, God's temple today is alive and global—each stone a sinner saved by grace and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. All who trust in Christ will not be put to shame. By God's design, believers are individual stones, but not independent stones. We mature, together, as we're being renovated to reflect His holiness and serve Him. This Lord's Day, we'll continue our study of 1 Peter 2 and its description of Christian community. Join us as we consider, "Homeward Bound: Under Construction." Prepare for Sunday: Read 1 Peter 2:1-8, meditating on verses 4-8. What does Peter say about Christ's identity and His reception? What does it mean for a believer to be one who is "coming to Him"? How should the image of "being built up as a spiritual house" shape your relationship with other believers? How does being a "living stone" in change how you think of your role in the church?

Paul's companions and other believers who loved him did not want Paul to go forward and go to Jerusalem. It meant danger, trouble, even death. But Paul felt the Lord's direction to go forward, and face the conflict as an opportunity to further the work of the gospel.

After 13 long years of apparent silence, God appears to Abraham, demonstrating that his covenant promises remain certain despite Abraham's failures and the long years of waiting. God summons Abraham to walk before him blamelessly, reminding us that a covenant relationship with God demands wholehearted surrender, obedience, and dependence upon divine grace. Yet, God's promises far exceed Abraham's expectations, as he pledges to make him the father of many nations, give him an everlasting inheritance, and, greatest of all, be his God forever. Ultimately, these promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, through whom God grants his people forgiveness, a new identity, and an eternal inheritance, calling us to trust his faithfulness even when his purposes remain unseen.

1 John 5:1-5 presents three interconnected tests that reveal the reality of the new birth: the doctrinal test of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the social test of genuine love for God's people, and the moral test of joyful obedience to God's commands. Using the principle of cause and effect, John emphasizes that these qualities do not produce salvation but are the evidence of God's regenerating work in the believer. The person who has been born of God will believe in Christ, love fellow believers, and desire to obey God. These three marks function like the legs of a stool and are overcomers.

Pastor Mark Hogan teaches on baptism as a central ordinance for worship and discipleship, citing Matthew 28, Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 to show it accompanies repentance, faith, and incorporation into the church while confirming rather than independently accomplishing regeneration. He emphasizes its dual significance: both for personal soteriology and for church membership, and argues from Acts 8, 10, and 18 and Romans 6 that only those who credibly profess repentance, faith, and obedience should be baptized. He further contends that immersion is the proper mode, supported by Colossians 2:11–12, the lexical meaning of baptizo, New Testament examples such as Jesus' baptism and the Ethiopian eunuch, and historical witnesses including Calvin, Luther, Bavinck, and early baptistries. Baptism portrays participation in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection and should be performed with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear as an act of worship. He applies this by urging professing Christians to be immersed as an outward sign of inward reality, to pray for conversions, celebrate baptisms, and remember their own baptism as a call to walk in newness of life.

"How Long Will You Wait? When They Ask, What Will We Say?" Primary Scriptures: Joshua 18:3; Deuteronomy 6:16–25; Deuteronomy 9:1–3 This message emphasizes the importance of taking God at His Word, walking in the life He has graciously provided, and leaving behind a testimony that points the next generation to Jesus Christ. Through the experiences of Israel in Deuteronomy and Joshua, we discover that God's faithfulness is never the problem; the challenge is often our willingness to trust Him enough to act upon what He has revealed. In Joshua 18:3, Joshua confronts the Israelites with a searching question: "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?" The land had already been promised, but the people were hesitant to take possession of their inheritance. Likewise, believers today have received every spiritual blessing in Christ, yet we can neglect to walk in the fullness of the life He has provided. Faith is more than acknowledging God's promises; it is agreeing with Him and responding through obedience. We do not manufacture His promises or accomplish His will through our own strength. We depend upon His grace and act upon His revealed truth. Deuteronomy 9 reinforces this principle as Moses calls Israel to understand today what God has promised concerning their future. Though they had not yet crossed the Jordan, they were to trust the One who would go before them. Faith embraces today what God has faithfully promised for tomorrow. Our confidence must rest in God's character rather than our circumstances, abilities, or understanding. The message then turns to Deuteronomy 6, where Moses reminds Israel that God'

In All Things… …HEAR HIM IN ALL THINGS The Prophet, the Playbook, and the Blessing of Following Jesus Primary Scriptures: Deuteronomy 11–13; Deuteronomy 18:15–22; Joshua 11:15; Acts 3:22–26 Central Truth: God sent Jesus not merely to improve our circumstances, but to rescue us from our sins, turn us from ourselves, and bring us into the blessing of hearing, trusting, and following Him in all things. This message emphasizes the importance of remaining faithful to God's revealed Word rather than allowing personal desires, extraordinary experiences, cultural influences, or even close relationships to lead us away from Him. In Deuteronomy 11, Moses places before Israel the blessing and the curse, represented by Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. These mountains illustrate the distinction between walking in obedience to God and turning away from His instruction. The issue was not merely hearing God's Word, but hearkening to it with the intention of obeying. God's people were being taught that His blessings were inseparably connected to their relationship with Him and their willingness to trust His ways. Joshua 11:15 reveals the importance of faithfully following God's playbook. What the Lord commanded Moses, Moses communicated to Joshua, and Joshua faithfully carried out. He did not need to invent another way or improve upon God's revelation. Likewise, we have been entrusted with the Word of God, not to change it, but to believe it, live by it, and pass it along to others. Deuteronomy 18 introduces the promise of a greater Prophet, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Moses was a faithful servant and mediator under the old covenant, but Jesus is the Son of God and the Mediator of the