Sermons About Sanctification
Categorically of the Spirit (Romans 8:5-9)
Paul draws a stark contrast between the person who is of the flesh and the person who is of the Spirit. The person who is of the flesh lives a life of death, and ends in death. The person who is of the Spirit lives a life of grace and mercy and peace, and ends in eternal life. By his own power, a person of the flesh cannot become a person of the Spirit. The flesh can be overcome only by death -- either our own death or the death of another. Praise God that this life of the Spirit has been purchased by the death of our Savior! Through Him we are now able to obey, to please God, and to enjoy the blessings of this abundant life in him.
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Treasure Your Salvation
Justin explores Peter's message of the great treasure of our salvation in 1 Peter 1:3-12.
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The Great Things of God
Since arriving in Garner to plant Sovereign King Church, I have had what I will call a holy despair. Let me explain that because "holy" and "despair" seem to be contradictory. You see, I don't want when it is all said and done, for Sovereign King to launch and have everything we need (buildings, youth ministries, great music, etc), and God not do something great among us. It is quite possible for us to have a great building, an incredible ministry to all ages and stages of life and have rocking, professional level music, and we never come close to sniffing great things for God. When I look into the coming year, I see a bunch of those things becoming reality. This will be the year Sovereign King will become financially self-sufficient, and we will begin looking towards greater platforms for ministry. More than likely, we will not finish 2009 in the same building that we are in now. I imagine we will build on the efforts of Children's Church and the events we did this past summer, and our children's/youth activities will flourish and become much more consistent. And the temptation of our hearts when all of those things happen is to think that we have arrived, that the goal has been accomplished, God has blessed us, and the central struggle is over. Do not, and I repeat, do not give in that type of thinking. If we have those things, and I pray we do, that does not mean that God is doing great things with us. And I pray and plead to God and to you for great things. We are in dangerous territory because at least in our culture, those very good things (financially stability, good facilities, great music) can actually be enemies of great things because we see them, we grow complacent, and lose our desire for the great things of God. This week, as we return to the book of I John, I want us to ask, "What do the great things of God look like?"
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Maturity Is Possible
2 Peter 1:1-4 In terms of submitting to the authority and will of the Lord, Peter began his apostleship somewhat 'rough around the edges', or lacking the maturity that he would be given later in his ministry. In spite of this, Peter was used eloquently by God to demonstrate how maturity comes to a believer when they trust and grow in Christ. At the outset of this chapter, Peter exhibits humility by declaring himself a 'bondservant' and apostle of Jesus Christ. As a servant, he was on an equal basis with other Christians, an obedient slave of Christ and having the same faith in Him as other disciples. This is in spite of the fact that his authority and commission as an apostle was established by his eyewitness to Jesus's earthly ministry and resurrection. In the first four verses of 2 Peter, we are given four reasons why maturity as a Christian is possible in this life. First, maturity is possible because we have been given a model. The basis of Peter's maturity was on knowing the truth of God and he demonstrated this maturity through his desire that the faith and peace of others be multiplied on the basis of knowing the one true God. The attributes and wisdom of God were on display for the apostles through Jesus Christ's perfect obedience to the Father. Second, maturity is made possible because we have a mighty Master. We must have divine power in order to live our lives for Christ and we know that we have been given everything we need to enable us to live godly lives. Third, verse 3 tells us that "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." True knowledge of Christ means to understand His glory and excellence. Finally, Maturity is possible because we have our Lord's precious and magnificent promises, which gives us great motivation. God promises to complete the work that He began in us at the moment of salvation, meaning that He promises to bring each one of His children to fullness of spiritual maturity (Gal. 2:20). By this promise, God's children are privileged to share in His nature by the possession of His eternal life. As such, Christians do not become "little gods", but become new creations with the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. If you are a child of God, are you looking toward Christ's divine power for spiritual maturity in your life? Let us never forget the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, which guaranteed the power upon which we can (and must) rely. Let us also remember that God did not make maturity possible without giving us responsibility to mature. Our responsibility should be spurred by reminders like Peter's that we are called by Christ to mature, and maturity is made possible by the will of God the Father. Let us go forth in the new year not on our own power, but on the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ!
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Personal Holiness: Rebuking and being Rebuked
Kevin relates his personal testimony to 2 Coritntians 7:1-12 and gives insight into how we should properly give and receive rebuke when faced with sin
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God's Initiative in Justifying the Sinner (Romans 8:3-4)
God has made all those who are in Christ to be righteous. The law proclaims God's righteous standards and convicts us of our sin. However, as much as it demands righteousness, it cannot produce righteousness in us. But what the law could not do, God did! He put his son to death so that we could be declared righteous through his death, and made holy by giving us the Holy Spirit. Christians are those who walk according to the spirit.
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Christmas 2008 Special - Who is the Son of the woman?
Kevin preaches on the significance of the incarnation to our lives
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