RLCF Sermons

Jesus identified Himself as “the Son of Man” to set an example for us. The New Covenant is based on Jesus' blood of forgiveness, which is better than the blood of Abel, Moses, Elisha, etc., which cries for vengeance.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is knowing something as the work of God, and still speaking against it. This is usually done for personal gain, legalism, etc. – e.g., Judas Iscariot, the Pharisees, etc. The proof of such blasphemy is that there is no desire for repentance.

There are 3 aspects of justification: justification by faith (Romans 5:1); justification by our works of faith (James 2:24); and justification by our words of faith (Matthew 12:36-37).

The solution to not speaking careless words is not that we live in constant fear of what we will say, but ensuring that our TREASURE is good. Foul words indicate foul treasure, empty words indicate empty treasure. If our treasure is set on things above, then our deeds and words WILL be good (Colossians 3:1-9).

Matthew 9:10-13. Recognizing How Sick I Am: The real test of your spirituality is in how you react when someone does something you think is wrong. Matthew 9:12; John 8:9; Jesus is close to whoever recognizes how “sick” he is; Like wearing clothes pressed and dry-cleaned, but never taking a shower. Being Merciful to Others: Matthew 9:13: prep for final exam: “go and do your homework!” Matthew 23:23: preach condemning standards, but unfaithful in secret; Even the worst external sin is only a speck compared to the sin of unmerciful judgmentalism. Ultimate Loyalty to God: Hosea 6:6: loyalty; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7: compassion; Ultimate loyalty to God is demonstrated in how compassionate we are toward others. Luke 6:36; “I’m after love that lasts not more religion. I want you to know God not go to more prayer meetings.” (MSG)

Who is My Brother's Keeper? Proverbs 24:11-12; Isaiah 56:1-6; Genesis 4:6-9 – you have only one enemy; “rescue the perishing… tell them of Jesus the mighty to save”. The Oppressed: Matthew 8:28-34; the disciple goes boldly into Satan’s territory to rescue the oppressed, not away from it! Satan and his hosts are already doomed and have a limited time to torment people (Revelation 12:12); demons recognize Christ, even if He is in flesh, and beg Him for mercy. The Discouraged: Matthew 9:1-8; the disciple is willing to be inconvenienced and persistent in seeking help for others in their care; your faith can make the difference! God primarily wants to set people free from sin this angers the Devil and the religious hypocrites.

Matthew 8:28 - 9:8. Loving Through Prayer: Jude 1: v12: “caring for themselves”; v20-21: build yourself up in the faith, praying, keep yourself in God’s love and mercy; v22-23: not just for yourself, but also for others! I Peter 4:8: keep fervent in love which covers; James 5:13-20: by prayer. Who is my Brother's Keeper: the ministry of accusation (curiosity); the ministry of intercession (covering).

Discipleship with Jesus (II Corinthians 11:2-3). Fellowship in the Body (I John 1:7). Power to be His Witnesses (Acts 1:8).

PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS: Genesis 1:27 – Your Heavenly Father made you in His image. Romans 3:23 – You managed to distort that image. Romans 3:24-26 – That didn’t change His love for you at all. He was willing to make a public spectacle of His own Son, Jesus. This was to demonstrate His perfect righteousness – as Just and Justifier! ROMANS 3:23, MSG: “Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners, and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where He always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.” THE INTERCESSOR: Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25: Your elder Brother Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. And He spends His time 24/7 making intercession for you. THE SHEPHERD: Isaiah 40:10-11; When you see Your Heavenly Father flexing His muscles, it’s to tend and carry you as His sheep. THE EXULTOR: Zephaniah 3:17: If you hear a loud roar of excitement coming down from heaven, that’s Your Heavenly Father exulting over you! SONG OF GRATEFUL PRAISE: Mark 7:37; Now in a song of grateful praise, to Thee, O Lord, my voice I’ll raise; With all Thy saints I’ll join to tell: My Savior has done all things well. How sov’reign, wonderful and free has been Thy love to sinful me! Thou sav’dst me from the jaws of hell; My Savior has done all things well. Since e’er my soul has known His love, what mercies He has made me prove Mercies which do all praise excel, my Savior has done all things well. And when on that bright day I rise, and join the anthems of the skies, Above the rest this note shall swell, my Savior has done all things well. And above the rest this note shall swell, … My Savior has done all things well.Samuel Medley (1780)

Luke 16:10. Purpose: Psalm 139:13; Before you were born, God chose you, and chose your children. What are you building? Result of seeing the purpose: Faithfulness; Contentment; Rest amid weariness. Presence: Psalm 46:1: “Very present”; Matthew 18:10: Learn from the angels; Luke 10:38-42: One thing is needful. Power: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – unity: Lifting up; Warmth; Strength; Psalm 127:4 – warrior mentality: Make prayer and the Scriptures a way of life at home; Apologize and forgive quickly; Stop to laugh sometime.

The Gospel: good news = proclaim to Zion: “our God reigns”; Psalm 136:1; Isaiah 52:7; I John 4:16: 1. God is always good 2. God is always in control 3. God is your Father. In The Beginning: Ephesians 1:4-7: Your Heavenly Father’s plan for you began even before the foundations of the world. In His plan, He picked you to be His son / daughter. Your Physical Beginning: Jeremiah 1:5: Your Heavenly Father knew you before even your Mama knew you! And while you were in her womb, He had already set you apart for Himself. Your Formation: Psalm 139:13-15: Your Heavenly Father took great pains in stitching together your entire being. So He loves you just the way you are! Your Personal Calendar: Psalm 139:16: While you were growing in your mother’s womb, your Heavenly Father was writing the calendar of your life – every single day. And, He finished it before you were even born! Thinking Of You: Psalm 139:1-3,17-18: Your Heavenly Father knows everything about you – even when you sit down and stand up. Stop by the beach and count the sand on the seashore; your Heavenly Father thinks about you more often than that! Attention To Detail: Matthew 10:29-31: When you got up this morning, you probably didn’t even notice that some of your hairs had fallen out onto your pillow. But, Your Heavenly Father did! Keep Hope Alive: Jeremiah 29:11-13: You don’t know the plans Your Heavenly Father has for you... but He sure does! And those plans haven’t changed one bit, despite the poor choices you’ve made in the past. It’s not too late! If you will seek Him with all of your heart you WILL find Him. That’s His promise. On Your Side: Romans 8:31-32: Your Heavenly Father is on your side against the Devil. And He delivered up His own Son to prove it!

(Matthew 8:23-34) Christ Manifest in the Flesh: Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did. (I John 2:6 TLB) As Jesus is, so are we in the world! (I John 4:17b). II Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 2:14-15; I Peter 3:6.

(Matthew 8:23-34) Christ Manifest in the Flesh: Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did. (I John 2:6 TLB) As Jesus is, so are we in the world! (I John 4:17b). Jesus exercised authority on this earth not by His power as God, but by His power as a Man full of the Holy Spirit. Whether at home or or absent… (II Corinth. 5:6-17) When you make the decision to truly be a disciple of Jesus, things will get really bad outwardly! Living as Jesus lived will take you boldly into the storm, not away from it! The test of your spirituality is not that you make it through the storm, but that you are at rest in themidst of it. True spirituality is to know the Father (John17:3) I John 4:8-19 (esp. v9)