How has God uniquely gifted you to serve others, and are you actively using those gifts to strengthen Christ's body—or are you content to simply attend church without engaging in His mission?

In this message, Dr. Robert Lewis walks through 1 Corinthians 12, explaining that the church is not merely an organization that runs programs but a living, supernatural body empowered by the Holy Spirit. Every believer receives spiritual gifts—not natural talents—to serve others, strengthen the church, and advance God's kingdom. These gifts are sovereignly distributed by the Holy Spirit and are meant to be exercised for the benefit of the whole body, not for personal recognition or spiritual status.

Lewis highlights five foundational truths about spiritual gifts: they are given by the Holy Spirit, they vary among believers, they are distributed according to God's will, they provide believers with a unique place of ministry, and they ultimately call Christians to die to self in order to serve others. Discovering and faithfully using one's spiritual gift gives purpose, identity, and balance to the Christian life.

The sermon then addresses the often-debated sign gifts—particularly miracles and healing. While acknowledging common arguments that some miraculous gifts ceased after the apostolic age, Lewis concludes that Scripture does not require that position. Instead, he believes God remains free to grant these gifts if He chooses, though any genuine manifestation must align with the biblical pattern and never contradict Scripture.

Examining the New Testament, Lewis distinguishes miracles from healings and argues that biblical miracles primarily authenticated God's revelation, while biblical healings were instantaneous, complete, undeniable, and publicly verifiable. He expresses skepticism toward many modern healing ministries because they often lack these biblical characteristics, while affirming that God still answers prayer and sovereignly heals according to His will.

Lewis concludes by returning to Paul's central message: the church flourishes only when every believer discovers and faithfully exercises the spiritual gifts God has given them. A Spirit-filled church is marked not by impressive programs or religious ritual, but by ordinary believers serving one another through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

Are you merely believing the truths of the Christian faith, or are you living daily under the empowering control of the Holy Spirit?

Many Christians know about the Holy Spirit, yet live with little evidence of His power in their daily lives. Using 1 Corinthians 12:13 as the foundation, this message distinguishes between the baptism of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit's work of bringing every believer into the body of Christ at conversion—and the filling of the Holy Spirit, God's ongoing work of empowering believers to live the Christian life.

Dr. Lewis explains that while every Christian has been baptized by the Spirit into Christ's body, not every Christian lives under the Spirit's control. The Spirit-filled life is marked by surrender rather than self-effort, producing genuine spiritual transformation, victory over sin, fruitful service, joyful worship, and a growing awareness of God's leading.

Rather than settling for outward religious performance or a "lukewarm" Christianity, believers are called to seek God's control through prayer, dependence, and daily surrender. When Christians yield themselves to the Holy Spirit, they experience the abundant life Jesus promised and become part of a church marked by authenticity, love, holiness, and joyful worship.

Recorded 7/11/82

How are you using the gifts God has given you to serve others—and are you helping fulfill the church's mission of demonstrating Christ's compassion to a hurting world?

This message explores the purpose and importance of spiritual gifts through the lens of 1 Corinthians 12:14–27, framed by Jesus' example in Matthew 9:35–38. Just as Jesus moved among the people with compassion—teaching, healing, and serving—the church is called to do the same.

Paul compares the church to a human body, emphasizing that every believer has a unique role to play. While some gifts receive more attention, no spiritual gift is insignificant. In fact, the often-overlooked serving gifts—such as mercy, helps, administration, and encouragement—are indispensable to the health and effectiveness of the church. When these gifts are neglected, the entire body suffers.

The message challenges churches to move beyond simply teaching the gospel to actively demonstrating it through tangible acts of compassion. By honoring every gift and creating opportunities for each believer to serve, the church reflects Christ more completely and becomes a more effective witness to the world. The sermon concludes by casting a vision for ministry that equips believers to meet real needs in their communities, demonstrating both the truth and the love of the gospel.

Recorded 6/6/1986

Guided Question

How would you evaluate your spiritual progress today — are you cultivating a deeper desire for God's presence, drawing strength from Him in difficult seasons, and growing in a life marked by trust and obedience?

Summary

This episode explores Psalm 84 and what Dr. Robert Lewis calls the "Signs of a Pilgrim's Progress." He reminds us that life's highest calling is to know God, yet the distractions and demands of everyday life often cause us to lose sight of that purpose.

Using Psalm 84, Dr. Lewis identifies three marks of genuine spiritual growth. First is a yearning heart—a deep desire for God's presence that produces contentment and praise. Second is increasing strength, which comes through continual communion with God and enables believers to pass through life's "Valleys of Baca" without becoming trapped in spiritual dryness. Third is a good life, marked by trust, obedience, and a growing preference for God's presence over the world's rewards.

The psalm concludes with a call to spiritual renewal: confess spiritual disorientation, recommit to pursuing God, bring your burdens and dry places to Him, and trust His promise that He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly.

The movement is clear:

A heart that longs for God.

A life strengthened by God.

A life satisfied in God.

Key Takeaways

The Yearning Heart (Psalm 84:1–4)

A growing believer desires God's presence above all else.

Religious activity cannot replace genuine devotion.

Contentment and praise flow naturally from enjoying God.

Increasing Strength (Psalm 84:5–7)

Strength comes through continual communion with God.

"Highways to Zion" are built through prayer, Scripture, repentance, and obedience.

God can transform life's dry valleys into places of blessing.

Believers go "from strength to strength" as they draw near to Him.

The Good Life (Psalm 84:10–12)

God's presence is better than worldly success or comfort.

Trust and obedience lead to lasting satisfaction.

No good thing is withheld from those who walk uprightly.

Applications

Confess spiritual disorientation.

Recommit to pursuing God's presence.

Bring your "Valley of Baca" to Him.

Rest in God's promises and faithfulness.

Verse Summary

2 – A heart that longs for God

5–7 – Strength through God's presence

10 – God's presence is better

12 – Blessed is the one who trusts Him

Scripture References

Psalm 84 — The signs of spiritual progress and delighting in God's presence

Revelation 2:1–5 — Returning to your first love

Psalm 51:16–17 — God desires a broken and contrite heart

Mark 7:6–7 — Worship that is merely external

Jeremiah 9:23–24 — Boasting in knowing God

Matthew 10:29–31 — God's care for those who belong to Him

Recorded 5.9.82

Where are you in your spiritual journey — still dead in sin, encountering God’s mercy, or living fully as His child — and what does that reveal about your life today?

This episode walks through Ephesians 2:1–10, showing the gospel in ten verses. Paul starts with humanity’s spiritual death — driven by appetite, pride, and worldly influence, living under the consequences of sin.

Then comes the turning point: “But God.” Rich in mercy, God intervenes, making us alive in Christ, raising us up with power, and seating us with Him — giving access, purpose, and eternal significance. Salvation is entirely by grace through faith.

Finally, we are God’s workmanship — His poem — created in Christ for good works prepared beforehand. The movement is clear:

You were dead.

Spiritual Death (2:1–3)

Driven by lust and pride; “children of wrath”

Emptiness, hollow optimism, increasing corruption

God’s Intervention: “But God” (2:4–5)

God initiates salvation; rich in mercy and love

Grace given before we sought Him

Salvation Accomplishes (2:5–6)

Made alive: Spirit regenerated

Raised up: Power to overcome sin

Seated with Him: Access, worship, purpose

Saved by Grace (2:8–9)

Not earned or deserved

Fully by God’s initiative

We Are His Workmanship (2:10)

God’s “poem,” ongoing expression

Created for good works and eternal purpose

Verse Summary: 1 – You were dead | 4 – But God | 10 – We are His

Ephesians 2:1–10 — Death to life, grace, and purpose

Romans 6:4–6 — Raised with Christ to walk in newness of life

1 John 2:16 — Lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life

Recorded 3.28.82

Are you growing older in your faith—or truly growing up through intentional application of God’s Word?

In this sermon from Fellowship Bible Church, Dr. Robert Lewis challenges believers to examine whether they are spiritually maturing or merely aging in the faith. Drawing from Epistle to the Hebrews 5, he addresses Christians who had followed Christ for decades yet remained spiritually immature.

He describes three evidences of spiritual stagnation: dull hearing, an ailing appetite for truth, and failing discernment. Spiritual truth is never neutral—if not applied, it hardens the heart. Using the parable of the talents from Gospel of Matthew 25, he emphasizes that unused truth is eventually lost.

The heart of the message centers on intent and application. Maturity is not measured by biblical knowledge but by practiced obedience. Christianity becomes boring when it is merely acknowledged—but becomes an adventure when lived.

Through a powerful real-life story of a woman who chose obedience during a painful divorce, the sermon concludes with a compelling reminder: abundant life cannot be defined without application.

Age does not equal maturity.

Christians can expend energy yet remain spiritually stagnant.

The “spiritual treadmill” problem.

Written to believers mature in years but immature in growth.

The writer pauses discussion of Melchizedek to address stagnation.

Spiritual calluses form when truth is not applied.

Two root causes:

Utility — Failing to see Scripture as useful.

Intent — Never intending to fully live it out.

If truth is not used, it is lost (Matthew 25 principle).

Stuck on elementary principles.

Immaturity is lack of experience, not lack of knowledge.

Maturity = practiced obedience, not accumulated information.

Without practice, life becomes guesswork.

Repeated conflict and instability often stem from lack of biblical discernment.

Meditation integrates Scripture with daily living.

The difference between reading about something and experiencing it.

Christianity is not a job—it’s an adventure.

Radical obedience breeds:

Joy

Freedom

Anticipation

Abundant life

A woman applies 1 Corinthians 6 instead of retaliating.

Intentional obedience brings freedom and restoration.

Application leads to true spiritual adventure.

Abundant life cannot be defined without application.

Choose adventure over boredom.

Apply one specific truth this week.

Growing older in Christ does not guarantee spiritual maturity.

Spiritual truth is never neutral—it either softens or hardens.

If you don’t use what you’ve been given, you lose it.

Maturity is measured by practiced obedience, not Bible knowledge.

Discernment comes through application.

Christianity without application is boring.

Christianity with radical intent is an adventure.

Abundant life begins where obedience begins.

Hebrews 5:11–14 — Spiritual immaturity revealed through dull hearing, spiritual infancy, and lack of discernment.

Matthew 25:14–29 — What is not used is lost; faithful application leads to growth and joy.

Proverbs 14:12 — What seems right without wisdom leads to destruction.

Psalms 1:1–3 — Meditating on God’s Word produces stability and fruitfulness.

1 Corinthians 6:7 — Better to suffer wrong than abandon obedience among believers.

3 John 1:4 — True joy comes from walking in the truth.

Recorded 3.14.82

How should believers respond when Scripture challenges modern cultural assumptions about gender roles, authority, and visible expressions of faith?

In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:2–16, Dr. Robert Lewis addresses one of the New Testament’s most debated and culturally sensitive passages: head coverings in worship. Framing the chapter as a theological “Rubik’s Cube,” he carefully examines Paul’s teaching on Christian tradition, authority, and God’s design for order.

Dr. Lewis explains that 1 Corinthians 11 discusses two traditions—head coverings and the Lord’s Supper—and focuses here on the doctrine behind head coverings: the principle of headship. Drawing from the relationship between God the Father and Christ, he highlights the biblical pattern of equality in essence with distinction in function. Applying this to men and women, he argues that Paul’s instruction was rooted not in temporary culture, but in creation order.

Rather than promoting legalism, the message calls believers to wrestle honestly with Scripture, to understand the meaning behind tradition, and to consider how visible practices can reflect spiritual realities. The ultimate aim is harmony, humility, and faithfulness to God’s design within the church.

Two traditions addressed: head coverings and the Lord’s Supper

The importance of understanding the meaning behind church practices

God → Christ → Man → Woman

Equality in essence, distinction in function

Order as part of God’s design

Worn during public prayer and prophecy

A visible symbol of authority and distinction

Creation order as the foundation

Mutual dependence “in the Lord”

Hair length as a natural distinction

Head covering as a spiritual symbol

Affirmed as apostolic practice among the churches

Christian traditions are meant to communicate theological truth.

Biblical headship reflects order, not inequality.

Equality of worth does not eliminate functional distinction.

Visible practices can teach and reinforce spiritual realities.

Scripture must be wrestled with, not ignored.

Cultural shifts do not automatically nullify biblical principles.

Faithfulness to God’s design requires humility and courage.

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 — Head coverings reflect divine order in worship.

1 Corinthians 11:3 — The order of headship is established.

John 5:30 — Jesus submits to the Father’s will.

John 6:38 — Christ fulfills the Father’s purpose.

Philippians 2:6–11 — Equal with God, Christ humbles Himself.

Colossians 2:9 — Christ possesses full deity.

1 Peter 2:23 — Jesus models trusting submission.

Genesis 2 — Creation establishes male–female order.

1 Corinthians 11:7–9 — Creation order shapes distinct roles.

1 Corinthians 11:11–12 — Men and women are mutually dependent.

1 Peter 3:7 — Husband and wife are fellow heirs.

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 — Worship must reflect reverence and order.

1 Corinthians 14 — Corporate worship requires structure and clarity.

Recorded 2.21.82

How does returning to God’s original design for men and women—through submission to Scripture and dependence on the Holy Spirit—challenge the way you currently understand leadership, responsibility, and relationship in your own life?

In this message, Dr. Robert Lewis continues his Genesis series by examining roles as part of God’s original design for humanity. Building on the prior discussion of equality and difference between men and women, he explores how biblical roles are revealed in Genesis 1–3 and how New Testament writers interpret these passages.

Dr. Lewis argues that while men and women are created equal in value and dignity as image-bearers of God, they are given distinct, complementary roles. He highlights several features from Genesis 2 that suggest male headship: Adam’s creation first, his assignment to cultivate and guard the garden, his receiving God’s command directly, and his role in naming both the animals and the woman. These elements, Lewis explains, are foundational to how the New Testament understands leadership in the home and the church.

The sermon then turns to Genesis 3 and the Fall, showing how sin disrupts God’s intended order. Satan approaches Eve first, roles are reversed, and Adam fails to lead—resulting in devastating consequences. God’s curse affects men and women differently, distorting both leadership and submission into struggle, domination, and resistance. Dr. Lewis explains that this “battle of the sexes” flows directly from the Fall, not from God’s original design.

Finally, the message offers hope through redemption in Christ. While the curse still affects believers, it can be progressively reversed through radical submission to God’s Word and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Drawing from Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3, Dr. Lewis emphasizes that Spirit-filled living restores God’s design—calling husbands to loving, sacrificial leadership and wives to respectful submission—so that God’s original intent for harmony, purpose, and witness can again be displayed to the world.

Introduction: From Differentness to Roles

Review of Genesis 1: equality and distinction

Cultural resistance to biblical roles

Trusting God’s conclusions rather than human reasoning

Genesis 2: Roles Revealed

Adam as primary focus of the chapter

God as Father providing occupation and wife

Man’s role as leader; woman as helper

Symbiotic design for subduing and multiplying

Theological Indicators of Headship

Man created first

Adam receiving God’s command directly

Adam’s responsibility to instruct Eve

Naming as an act of authority

New Testament Affirmation

Paul’s grounding of church roles in Genesis

Key passages: 1 Timothy 2; 1 Corinthians 11 & 14

Roles rooted in creation, not culture

Genesis 3: The Fall and Role Reversal

Satan’s strategy and temptation

Doubting God’s Word and motives

Eve leads; Adam follows

Adam held responsible for the Fall

The Curse and Distorted Roles

Pain in childbirth and toil in work

“Desire” and “rule” explained through Genesis 4:7

Struggle, domination, and oppression introduced

Roles Restored Through Christ

The curse still affects believers

Radical commitment required

The Word and the Spirit working together

Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 as the pathway forward

Conclusion

God’s design as a witness to the world

Faithfulness to Scripture despite cultural opposition

Men and women are equal in worth but distinct in role, according to God’s design.

Biblical roles are rooted in creation, not culture or convenience.

The Fall distorted both male leadership and female submission into struggle and oppression.

Adam bears responsibility for the Fall because headship includes accountability.

Every temptation involves doubting God’s Word and His character.

The conflict between men and women is a result of sin, not God’s original plan.

Restoration of roles requires radical submission to Scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Spirit-filled, Word-centered lives enable loving leadership and willing submission.

God’s redeemed design in marriage and church serves as a testimony to the world.

Genesis 1:26–28 — Men and women are equally created in God’s image and given shared purpose.

Genesis 2:15–25 — Distinct, complementary roles are established in creation.

Genesis 3:1–19 — Sin reverses God’s design and introduces conflict and hardship.

Genesis 4:6–7 — “Desire” describes a struggle for control.

Luke 3:38 — Adam’s representative responsibility is affirmed.

1 Corinthians 11:8–9 — Creation order informs male and female roles.

1 Timothy 2:12–13 — Church roles are grounded in creation, not culture.

Ephesians 5:18–33 — Spirit-filled living restores God’s design in marriage.

Colossians 3:16–19 — God’s Word directs healthy marital relationships.

Recorded on 1.31.82

In a culture that increasingly defines gender roles by social preference and personal experience, how should Christians discern what it truly means to be male and female—and what are the consequences for individuals, families, and the church when God’s original design is either embraced or ignored?

In this sermon, Dr. Robert Lewis addresses one of the most controversial and pressing issues facing both the church and modern society: the roles and differences of men and women. Against a cultural backdrop that increasingly views gender distinctions as purely social or cultural constructs, Dr. Lewis argues that the Christian understanding of male and female roles must begin not with sociology or psychology, but with theology.

Drawing from key New Testament passages—particularly 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2—Dr. Lewis highlights how biblical instructions regarding men and women consistently appeal back to the creation account in Genesis. These appeals, he explains, are meant to transcend culture and root Christian convictions in God’s original design.

By examining Genesis 1, Dr. Lewis affirms the spiritual equality of men and women as co-bearers of the image of God, while also emphasizing their functional differences as male and female. He challenges the idea that gender differences are limited to biology alone, presenting both biblical teaching and supporting secular research that point to real psychological, social, and relational distinctions.

The sermon concludes with a sobering reflection on the societal consequences of abandoning God’s design—including weakened families, confused identities, and emotional instability—and a call for believers to resist cultural conformity by renewing their minds through Scripture. Ultimately, Dr. Lewis urges the church to rediscover God’s original intent for men and women, trusting that what God declared “very good” remains good today.

Cultural pressure to redefine male and female

The danger of reacting instead of thinking biblically

The foundational question: Is this what God intended?

Why Christians must begin with Scripture

The limits of sociological and psychological explanations

1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2

The shared appeal to the book of Genesis

New Testament teaching rooted in creation, not culture

God’s original intent as the interpretive key

Equal image-bearing and spiritual equality

“Male and female” as intentional, meaningful distinction

The claim that gender differences are merely cultural

Scripture’s vision of functional and relational differences

Leadership in the church and the home

Jesus’ example and the foundation of the church

Complementary responsibilities in family life

Psychological and neurological differences

Universal social patterns across cultures

Devaluation of women’s roles

Sexual, psychological, and relational instability

Weakening of the family and impact on children

Resisting conformity to cultural pressures

Renewing the mind through Scripture

Trusting God’s declaration that His design is “very good”

Christian understanding of gender must begin with God’s original design.

Men and women are equal in spiritual worth as image-bearers of God.

“Male and female” implies intentional functional differences, not just biology.

New Testament teaching on gender consistently appeals to Genesis, making it trans-cultural.

Equality does not require sameness.

Both Scripture and secular research affirm meaningful differences between men and women.

Confusion about roles contributes to weakened families and personal instability.

God’s design for men and women is purposeful, wise, and ultimately good.

1 Corinthians 11:2–10 – Headship and appeal to creation

1 Timothy 2:9–14 – Roles in teaching and authority grounded in Genesis

Genesis 1:24–27 – Creation of humanity in God’s image, male and female

Genesis 1:31 – God declares His creation “very good”

Genesis 5:1–2 – Humanity named together as “man,” male and female

Galatians 3:28 – Spiritual equality in Christ

Romans 12:2 – Renewal of the mind versus cultural conformity

Recorded 1.24.82

What can we learn from Israel’s failures in the wilderness so that we do not end up in the “loser’s locker room” of the Christian life?

In this message, Pastor Robert Lewis contrasts the “winner’s locker room” of faithful living with the sobering reality of the “loser’s locker room,” where Israel’s failures serve as a warning for us today. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 10, he highlights how privilege and a good beginning are not enough to guarantee a faithful finish. Israel’s story reveals four “tombstones” that brought them low—idolatry, immorality, testing God, and rebellion—each of which still threatens believers today.

Lewis also distills three broader lessons: loving God requires rejecting the world, God takes obedience seriously, and a good start doesn’t assure a strong finish. The sermon ends with a challenge: will we follow Israel’s path of defeat, or will we make the spiritual resolutions necessary to walk in victory and enter God’s promised rest?

I. The Warning of Israel’s Example (1 Cor. 10:1–6)

Israel had great spiritual privileges (deliverance, leadership, provision).

Despite this, most were “laid low in the wilderness.”

Their failures serve as an indelible warning for us.

II. Four Tombstones in the Wilderness (1 Cor. 10:7–10)

Idolatry (v. 7; Ex. 32)

Replacing God with false priorities.

Our modern idols often involve time, attention, and misplaced devotion.

Immorality (v. 8; Num. 25)

Sexual sin destroys lives and relationships.

God takes purity seriously; immorality disqualifies many from usefulness.

Testing God (v. 9; Num. 21)

Living on the edge of rebellion, daring God’s patience.

Gal. 6 reminds us we reap what we sow.

Rebellion (v. 10; Num. 16)

Grumbling against God-given leadership.

Refusal to submit leads to spiritual poverty.

III. General Lessons from Israel’s Wilderness (vv. 11–12)

Loving God means rejecting the world (1 Jn. 2:15).

God takes obedience seriously—His Word leaves us without excuse.

A good beginning does not guarantee a good ending—take heed lest you fall.

IV. The Final Call (Heb. 4:1)

Are you in God’s promised land, or still wandering in the wilderness?

Today is the time to make spiritual resolutions that ensure victory.

Privilege without obedience leads to downfall.

Idolatry, immorality, testing God, and rebellion remain real dangers for Christians.

Loving God requires letting go of “Egypt”—the world and its cravings.

Obedience is not optional; it is essential to finishing well.

A faithful start does not guarantee a faithful finish—humility and vigilance are required.

1 Corinthians 10:1–12 – Israel’s failures as warnings.

Exodus 32 – The golden calf (idolatry).

Numbers 25:1–9 – Israel’s immorality and judgment.

Numbers 21:4–9 – Testing God with complaints.

Numbers 16 – Korah’s rebellion.

Hebrews 13:4 – God’s standard for sexual purity.

Proverbs 6:32 – The destruction of adultery.

Galatians 6:7–8 – Reaping what is sown.

Hebrews 13:17 – Following godly leadership.

1 John 2:15 – Loving God vs. loving the world.

Hebrews 4:1 – Warning against falling short of God’s rest.

Recorded 1/3/82