The Sermon Archive

09/03/2024

A Vital Church Grows

Ten days after Jesus promised the Holy Spirit and ascended to heaven, the apostles and other disciples gathered in one place in the Day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit came from heaven with a sound of a rushing wind.

The Holy Spirit sat and filled all of them who received Jesus’ promise.

Then they were able to speak with other tongues that were understood by the many Jews who came from the different parts of the world particularly from other regions of Asia, Africa and Europe.

Having caught all their attention, Peter became bold and preached to them this occurrence drawing from the prophet Joel and eventually preaching Jesus whom they have crucified.

From the Peter who denied Jesus thrice to a Peter filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching Christ we see the transformation brought about by the Holy Spirit.

The crowd that had heard Peter’s preaching the gospel was cut to their heart and repented of their deeds of crucifying Jesus Christ.

They believed in Peter’s preaching and were baptized of water and of the Holy Spirit.

About three thousand souls were added that were saved from that day on.

This was the first church that was established and they continued in the apostles’ doctrine or teachings.

As a modern-day follower of Christ living in these present times where there are different movements and new doctrines presented, preached and taught, this is a blessing because it taught me that doctrine are not originally from a person or persons other than Christ’s apostles.

Christian doctrine or teachings does not come from unique and personal interpretation and revelation of these so-called modern-day prophets and messengers but from the apostles of Jesus who were directly taught by Jesus and passing them on to their disciples and their disciples’ disciples and so on.

Biblical interpretation and doctrine must be traced from the apostles and church fathers.

Also the doctrine of the apostles cannot be monopolized or owned by a specific religion or church.

A church who had forsaken hundreds of years of historical and biblical Christian doctrine is an apostate church.

New revelation and doctrine that cannot be traced into the apostles and church fathers must be treated with extreme caution and discernment for Satan disguises himself as an angel of light bringing false and unbiblical doctrines to divide the Body of Christ and to deceive and destroy.

Application:
I will discern and study these modern church movements based from personal interpretation and revelation of these so-called modern day prophets without considering church history and basic and foundational Christian doctrine.

I will look at church history most especially creeds and confessions against heresy.

08/03/2024

26/01/2024

Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ❤️

15/01/2024

Psalm 27:4, ESV

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.🥰

20/12/2023

Luke 1:76-78:

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

16/12/2023

Blessed Sunday to all!!!

04/12/2023

How Should Christians Respond to an Ever-Changing World?
Is there any place for the biblical, Christian worldview in this changing world? Do Christians have anything to say in response to the myriad challenges they face today to their faith and values?

Learn from these answers about Christian life. Discover questions and answers relating to modern Christian life looking to biblical wisdom and tenets.

17/11/2023

Does the Bible Say Christians Have to Attend Church?

Read Full Article by clicking the link below.

The church is not beneficial because it is the church, it is beneficial because we become immersed in a community of support, encouragement, and ministry. Jesus may not demand that you attend church, but that does not mean he does not ask you to participate.

13/11/2023

Five Essential Reasons For Christians To Gather In Public Worship

Does church attendance really matter? Here are five important reasons why it is essential that every Christian gather with other Christians in the same local church weekly to hear the preaching of God’s Word.

Scripture: Romans 10:17, Hebrews 10:25, Hebrews 13:17

Modern technology provides many benefits. Information can be exchanged at an unprecedented rate. The level of productivity can be astounding. Face-to-face conversations can be had with people halfway around the world. But there are also dark sides to this technology. We as Christians are very aware of the many common snares of this modern technology, not least of which is the ease of access to po*******hy. For Christians who are trying to walk in purity and holiness, the challenge begins with the confrontation of lurid images and tempting captions on seemingly innocuous websites such as Facebook and news outlets.

There is, however, a more subtle snare lurking in this world of immediate access to information that affects Christians in a unique way: the temptation of allowing online sermons to displace one’s commitment to hearing God’s Word preached in person alongside fellow covenant members at the place and time where their local church gathers. Don’t misunderstand: listening to sermons online is generally a good thing. But when it takes the place of gathering with God’s people to hear God’s Word in person from the appointed shepherd of your soul, much of what God intended for our growth as followers of Jesus gets lost.

Here are five important reasons why it is essential that every Christian gather with other Christians in the same local church weekly to hear the preaching of God’s Word from the undershepherds of that congregation.

First, a Christian’s faith is fueled by hearing God’s Word.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome and plainly said, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). This has implications for not just the unbeliever, but for the believer also. We will be most inclined to listen and engage with preaching by being present where it is preached alongside others who have also come for the express purpose of hearing and submitting to God’s Word proclaimed. This is clearly one of the reasons the author of Hebrews commands that Christians not neglect regularly gathering together (Heb. 10:25).

Second, hearing God’s Word from your own shepherd is unique to every other encounter with God’s proclaimed Word.
It is one thing to hear your favorite preacher expound God’s Word to his church or to a random conference crowd. It is an entirely different experience to sit in person and hear God’s Word expounded and applied directly to you from your pastor, the man who knows your struggles, difficulties, and doubts, and who will give an account for your soul (Heb. 13:17).

Third, never underestimate the power of personal connection.
I like talking to my wife on the phone, but a phone conversation can never match the powerful impact of sitting across from her, face-to-face, and talking with her as I look into her eyes. Likewise, there is a powerful connection made between a shepherd and his flock when he preaches God’s Word to those he has been thinking about and praying for as he prepared. The Holy Spirit uniquely uses eye contact, facial expressions, and body language in both the preacher and his hearers to create a powerful connection between them during a sermon. A pastor feeds off the visible reaction of his hearers. A congregation is moved by the pastor’s burden over their souls conveyed in the sermon.

Fourth, spiritual fruit comes from hearing with others.
When the church gathers, the Holy Spirit works in unique and powerful ways that are missing in private gatherings (1 Cor. 14). When a congregation collectively sits under the preached Word, a level of accountability is established and nourished among the hearers to urge each other to go and apply that sermon. A greater obligation to “do something” with the Word preached and to rely on one another for help and strength to obey it exists in this kind of community life that is not present when we listen in isolation or hop churches depending upon who is preaching that week.

Last, public sermons lead to corporate discipleship.
Some form of one-on-one discipleship in a local church is essential for our personal growth as Christians. But while personal discipleship is a wonderful complement to the proclamation of God’s Word to the communal gathering of saints, it can never replace it, for it is one of the necessary marks of the church (Calvin, Institutes, 4.1.9). When the whole church hears God’s Word proclaimed, that Word then becomes the basis for further conversation and growth in the one-on-one discipleship conversations that follow. The sermon gets everyone on the same page; personal discipleship expands on the details of that page.

There is much about modern technology that can be redeemed for God’s purposes and glory, but what technology cannot do is replace God’s design for us to grow spiritually and to receive care for our souls. God has powerful and unique purposes for every Christian in the local church. So many of those purposes are fueled when a group of God’s redeemed people covenant together to gather in person with one another weekly to hear from God through His preached Word.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.