Sermons - Igehirdetesek

Perth Amboy, Febr 28, 2010 Reading: James 1:1-17
Text: James 1:14

The Evidence of Temptation

The late English writer, Oscar Wilde, once said, "I can resist anything except temptation!" Wilde is also credited with the insight: "The best way to deal with temptation is to yield to it!"

Temptation comes to us all, whether we are in the pew or the pulpit! It can be pride in our Christian service in whatever form it takes, even, or perhaps especially, in preaching! A well-known evangelist descended a pulpit and responded to the admiring comment ‘Great sermon’, by saying, ‘Yes, I know, Satan has already told me!’

There are three fundamental reasons why a careful study of the Biblical evidence of temptation is vital to a Christian’s very existence.

I. Temptation is common to everyone; saved and unsaved.
Scripture tells us that God cannot be tempted. However, it does not stop man and Satan from trying (Matt. 4:6-7) – “’…If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you; and, in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, you shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Temptation shows no partiality; it attacks the rich and the poor; the learned as well as the illiterate.

We have prevalent today a doctrine that tells us that, once a person starts out living for the Lord, that all shall be “rosy;” or, we shall live free from demonic harassment; that if we are living the true life of faith, we shall have no problems: no aches or pains, no relationship problems, no financial struggles.

To accept this spiritual position is a mistake! Every inch of ground between the moment we set out to become a true Christian and our triumphant entrance into eternal glory will be contested by the enemy of our souls! The devil shall use every possible resource at his disposal to ruin, sidetrack and ultimately destroy the Christian and his/her influence in the world.

II. Temptation is frequent in every life of every true believer. Especially in the lives of those who are really doing something for the Lord. Eph. 6:13-16 says – “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

You should not be surprised if the evil brings up the same temptation over and over again. It has been testified for years by some of the greatest soldiers of our Lord that they had to contend with the same temptation throughout their whole life. Please remember, that Satan does have great power and influence in this world. He carries with him centuries of experience of wrecking true Christian lives.

You will often be attacked by the evil’s temptation when you least expect it; when you are at your most vulnerable. Quoting James 1:12-14 we can hear – “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God;’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But, each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” In us all it is a Biblical and spiritual fact that there are weaker places than others.

III. Temptation is the battleground from which every true believer must emerge from.
Reading the Heb. 4:15 there is an eye-opening teaching – “…we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

We will either come forth from this battlefield victorious, or we will be carried off the field of spiritual battle defeated. If/when we come from temptation’s battleground victorious; we emerge from the battle(s) even stronger in our faith and love for God.

One thing I believe, we must mention at this point that not everyone who is defeated through temptation go into the battle intentionally or willfully. Many find themselves in the battle for their spiritual lives all the while they are deceived; and thus, they become defeated.


Please remember this: Being deceived does not excuse one from their spiritual responsibility. 2 Cor. 11:3 – “…I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

There are people in our world today that started out spiritually well. Then as they allowed themselves to be deceived, temptation came in a horrible way and overtook them. You can talk with them today and they will say that they miss those days of peace and victory. Yet when asked if they would repent and return unto God, they just cannot bring themselves to start down that path. They are more fearful of failure than they are of God.

There is a doctrine that teaches “once saved, always saved” flies in the very face of Scripture. Yet, let’s look at this in a more practical way. Why does the Bible warn us of the pitfalls of temptation if it is impossible to walk away from our relationship with Christ and be lost once again?
Temptation is a battlefield from which we all shall emerge. We will either come from the smoke of battle victoriously, or we shall be a part of the death and slaughter that is left on the field; defeated by the devil; a slave to sin!

Chasing temptation for too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory has caused the downfall of many good people. Sin takes us:
- further than we ever wanted to go,
- costs more than we were ever willing to pay, and
- hurts more than we ever dreamed it would.

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Perth Amboy, March 21, 2010 Reading: John 1:29-42
Text: John 1:29

The Lamb of God

The gospel of John differs from the Synoptics in several ways. It was written later, about AD 85, and is more of an interpretation of Christ and his great spiritual truths. John’s gospel is not merely historical but also interpretive. There are no pictures of sowing, reaping, and so on. There is no development in the recognition of Jesus. He is the divine Messiah from the first verse.

In John there is no mention of Jesus’ birth, baptism, temptations, transfiguration, or last supper. The agony of Gethsemane is not described. There is no parable in the gospel, unless the miracles, as some say, are acted parables. Each miracle is given for a definite purpose. They are key signs, and each gives a great spiritual truth that reveals the wonderful attributes of Jesus. These spiritual truths that stand behind the miracles take place on the plane of history.

While John omits some things contained in the Synoptics, he introduces us to some things not contained in the Synoptics. The miracles at Cana, Nicodemus, the woman of Samaria, the paralytic at Bethesda, the raising of Lazarus, and the washing of the disciples’ feet are all found in John only.
The discourses in John are long. It seems that John knew what the Synoptics contained and did not care to repeat. He says that he selected his materials and wrote “that people may keep on believing that Jesus is the Christ and that they might have eternal life.”


The humanity of Jesus is emphasized as well as his divinity. In John, Jesus becomes “hungry,” and at one time he even “weeps” at the tomb of a friend. The writer was an eyewitness of the events recorded in the book.
John plunges immediately into the purpose of the gospel — to tell about Christ so that people might have everlasting life. He says that the “Word,” which is Christ, was the very beginning. He was the source of life and of all things. He was the Light of humankind whom no darkness could overcome.
John the Baptist came as a witness to this Light. John testified that Jesus gives us all the grace we need. The ministry of John the Baptist is given prominence in the first chapter. People flocked to hear John, and many were puzzled as to who this flaming preacher was. He told them that he was merely the voice that was sent to announce the coming of the Messiah. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” This picture of the Lamb comes from Isaiah and is also found in Revelation.
I. The Lamb of God.
One is reminded of the words of Abraham when he was about to sacrifice Isaac: “God will provide himself a lamb” (Gen. 22:8).
One characteristic associated with the lamb in the Old Testament sacrifices was its innocence. We speak of the innocence of children not in the sense that they are free from sin but in that they do not understand sin. As children emerge into adulthood, this innocence passes. Christ, however, never lost his innocence. He walked among the sins and temptations of life but remained pure and unsoiled.

The second thing we can mention about a lamb is its gentleness. It is the perfect type of meek, uncomplaining suffering. People are sometimes gentle because they must be. They say, “Well, we cannot help ourselves.” Not so with Christ — he need only speak and legions of angels would be at his side.
But the idea that our author would impress upon our minds is not so much the character of the lamb or its innocence and gentleness, but its death. He connected Christ with the sacrifices of the old dispensation. Christ is the fulfillment of all the sacrifices. The remarkable thing about the Lamb of God was that he went to his death voluntarily.
II. This Lamb takes away the sin of the world.
Some say that Jesus came to earth to heal, and they emphasize his healing ministry. He healed the blind, the crippled, the diseased, and even the dead. But Jesus’ main purpose was to save people from their sins, which is greater than any bodily healing.

Sin, the choice of evil instead of good, the perversion of the desires, the slavery of the will, the darkening of the mind, the deadly sickness of the heart — this is the fountain of all trouble, the cause of all disorder and wretchedness. This is the curse that destroys life’s harmony and beauty. This is the obstacle that separates the soul in darkness and sorrow from God. Thus John evidently declares that Jesus “takes away the sin of the world.”

The simplest meaning of the words “takes away” is “to lift.” People unable to free themselves from the burden of sin feel it lifted from heart and conscience by the redeeming hand of God. The beginning of a person’s salvation is to feel the need to cast one’s infirmity and sin on the strength of God.
People must realize that they cannot within themselves overcome sin and lift that burden but that they can safely leave it all with the boundless love and mercy of God.
The second phase of the meaning of the word is “to bear.” The divine Savior who lifts the sin from our aching hearts bears it of his own.
The last phrase of the meaning of the word is “to bear away.” The Savior lifts the sin of the world, he bears the sin of the world, he bears away the sin of the world. It can never return to condemn us. He has removed it across the measureless abysses of death and Hades and has hid it in the glory of his resurrection. This is the salvation of our God. It is completed in him. Won’t you accept his death as a sacrifice for your sins? The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.
III. The invitation of the Lamb.
When Jesus turned around and saw two of John’s disciples following him, he asked them what they were looking for. Supposes Jesus were to ask you that today. What would be your answer? What are you looking for in life? They answered, “Master, where do you live?” Jesus’ answer is most significant: “Come and see.” In our scientific age, it is customary in some circles to hear the statement that one cannot be scientific and spiritual at the same time. Such, of course, have overlooked the first invitation, “Come and see,” explore, investigate, and draw your own conclusions. Jesus issues an invitation to follow him.
The two disciples promptly accepted the invitation and spent two hours with Jesus. They became his followers. You can do the same today.



Perth Amboy May 16, 2010 Reading: Matthew 22:34-46
Text: Matthew 22:39

I and My Neighbor

An old song says: “You’re nobody till somebody loves you.” And if that is true then everybody is somebody because God loves everybody!

Jesus opened our eyes to the true nature of love in Matthew ch. 22: “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus plainly taught that God, in His love, created human beings. Life does not precede love, love precedes life!
In this passage the Lord Jesus tells us about three directions for love...they are: love toward God; love toward others and love toward ourselves.
Our love for God is an upward love that must take priority over everything else.

God deserves all of our love not only part of our love.
We should love nobody more than we love God.
As the Bible says: “God is love.” The love of God is what gave us life in creation. The love of God is what sought us out and offers us salvation through faith in Christ.
Jesus taught that if love is to be fully manifested we must love God first; others second, and ourselves Last.

How so many of us have got this completely backwards!
But God has it right! If we love God, then our love for others will grow even greater because this upward love supernaturally produces a love for others and then for ourselves.

In fact, if we love God the most, we will love others the best. C.S. Lewis once said, “When I have learned to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my
earthly dearest better than I do now.”

Jesus calls us to love our neighbor. And, our love for God obviously motivates us to love others. But, of course it’s hard to love everybody.
Somebody once wrote: “To love the whole world for me is no chore. My only real problem is my neighbor next door.”

There is a story about neighbors across the street.
One is always greeted his neighbor cheerfully saying: “Hi!” every time when he was in his yard.
One day the son asked his parents, “Why do you all bother to say “hi” to that guy? He never even looks your way.
He never says “hi” back!”
The parents answered, without explanations or complaints but with a indication of surprise at his question: “Because we are Christians.”

We are loved, God loves us and Jesus overcame hate, evil and death through His sacrificial act of Ultimate love on the cross!!! And just think of how much more acceptable this life would be if all of us practiced love!

Most businesses would benefit greatly if the boss truly loved his or her employees and they knew it!
Most marriages would be happier if spouses heard and saw constant reminders that they were loved.
Most families would be happier if the parents constantly and lovingly affirmed their children.

Think about two very simple but extremely powerful principles that can transform any relationship almost overnight.

Here’s the first: When it comes to love, say it.
We need to say it -we need to hear ourselves, say it;
others need to hear us, say it; and we need to hear it from others.

The second relationship-transforming principle is: When it comes to love, show it!
Love must not only be articulated but demonstrated.
In the great “love chapter” of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul constantly says, “Love is, love does,
Love is not, Love does not.”

A simple touch can convey an incredible sense of love, affirmation, and acceptance.
A study several years ago found that to maintain physical and emotional health, men and women need eight to ten meaningful touches each day.
But the point is, there is a place and a real need for real expressions of love.

Good coaches high-five their players, good husbands hug their wives, good bosses give employees encouraging pats on the back and good Christians hug each other, smile at each other, and laugh with each other.

Love sets off a divine chain reaction:
- Love is the spark that kindles the fire of compassion;
- compassion is the fire that lights the candle of service;
- service is the candle that ignites the torch of hope;
- hope is the torch that lights the beacon of faith;
- Faith is the beacon that reflects the power of God;
- and God is the One Who creates the miracle of love!

Many of us forget that Jesus said that we should love our neighbors as ourselves.
On the surface, some might see this as a mandate for self-love. But when we consider His words in context--we can see that the principle that Jesus gave us is both
radically new and refreshing!

Essentially, Jesus has declared that when we love God the way we ought to love God:
- we will love others the way we ought to love others;
- and when we love God and others the way we should;
- we will love ourselves in a proper and healthy way.

God’s love gives us a healthy mental picture of ourselves,
it enhances our self-esteem without getting into self-worship and self-idolization.
God is love and God loves us more than we can imagine. Therefore we ought to love others and love ourselves.

God’s love is unconditional and self-less....
Evangeline Booth, the daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, sat in a nasty slum one day, cleaning the sores of a drunken woman. “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars,” said a friend. “Neither would I,” replied Ms. Booth.

As Christians, we should all continue to allow God to enable us to become better at loving. Let’s tell every member of our families that we love them and give them several loving touches, pats, hugs and kisses every day.
If we have been at odds with someone, let’s go to that person and affirm our love for him or her--regardless of
our differences!