Opening Prayer - Heavenly Father, we thank you for the oppertunity to worship your Son this morning. We know that if He hadn't died on the cross for our sins and arose from the dead, we would have no way to have a future home in Heaven or the privilage of worshiping Him this morning. Please bless us indeed and give us the strength and wisdom to live the way the Bible says we should live. We pray that everyone who reads this sermon who are not saved will become saved before it is too late. For this second sermon in this Sunday morning series, we pray that You will help us to not be misled by popular but incorrect theology. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Worship music - Please click the links and sing along if you know the words (You can also click skip ad to go straight to the songs) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aeECPiZpWY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIEEz9yaukA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu2E2FUcIiE
Popular But Very Wrong
This is a continuation of last Sunday morning's service
Mega churches seems like a great idea, but from my experience, a Big change needs to happen in them.
If you read last Sunday morning's sermon, you will know that a particular church and perhaps many churches have an extreme view of grace. They also say things such as, "People think that after they believe in the finished work of Jesus' death on the cross, they have to keep a big list of do this and don't do this because they think that this will cause God to love and accept them more, but they don't realize that none of that matters because Jesus' work on the cross allows God to accept us."
It is true that the blood Jesus shed on the cross is the only thing that can erase our sins and allow us to enter Heaven when we leave this world. Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
However, it is very possible for someone to trust Jesus' death on the cross and His shed blood to erase their sins and let them into Heaven, but if they never begin to bear good fruit after that by doing things such as (spending more of their money on things like evangelistic associations, charities, and things for God’s purposes instead of entertainment and material type things (Matthew 6:19-21), if they have money left over from providing them self with food, clothing, and shelter, they’re willing to give to those who have needs and/or ask the church that they attend and support financially to help meet their needs (Luke 12:16-21); teaching people the Bible (Matthew 28:19), counseling with people who are having problems (Galatians 6:2), encouraging others (Hebrews 10:25), correcting other believers when they sin (Galatians 6:1), telling people how to become Christians (2 Timothy 4:5); feeding, clothing, and providing shelter and financial help for the less fortunate, visiting people in hospitals and jails (Mark 12:30-31); doing acts of kindness for people (Matthew 5:16); becoming more holy (They set their old plans of each day aside and spend more of their time doing what God wants them to do and think about.) in the way they live (Romans 6:22); sharing their material possessions with other people (Romans 15:28); having Jesus' character traits (Galatians 5:22–23), praising the Lord (Hebrews 13:15), answered prayer (1 John 5:14–15), and doing good works (Colossians 1:10). They also do these things because they’re thankful for Jesus dying on the cross to erase their sins, and they love Him more than anything or anyone (Psalm 139:23,24)), they aren't really a Christian.
Jesus said in John 15:4–6, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." You can see that if you don't abide in Jesus (continue to live like Jesus lived throughout your life), you will be useless and won’t bear good fruit (for a list of fruits that describe a Christian, please see the previous paragraph). This is how you know that you are a Christian. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).
Many people read John 3:16 and say, "Well that's all I need; I'll just close the Book." But after that, John 3:17-21 says "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (So the condemnation, or punishment, for someone who refuses to believe in Jesus is directly related to someone who refuses to quit sinning.) For every one that doeth evil (which means continually sins on purpose and doesn’t want to stop) hateth the light, neither cometh to the light (will not receive Jesus and become a Christian), lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
So people can believe in Jesus, but if they want to continue to sin the way they have their whole life, they aren't ready to become a Christian.
After reading last Sunday and this Sunday morning's sermon, we can't become a Christian by bearing good fruit (doing good works) or by trying to be good and not sin, but we need to be consciously or unconsciously willing from this moment on and for the rest of our life to follow (bear good fruit) Jesus and be consciously or unconsciously willing from this moment on and for the rest of our life to repent (turn from) our sins if we want to become a Christian by believing in the finished work of Jesus' death on the cross.
Many pastors are very opposed to being willing to repent and follow Jesus, and they also think that being saved by grace means that someone can believe in the finished work of Jesus' death on the cross and choose if they want to live the Christian life or not. The Bible doesn't teach that -
Titus 2:11-14 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness (Not displaying temperance (You should be able to control yourself. You shouldn’t let anger, lust, too much entertainment, or over eating be a part of your life. Instead of things like these taking over your time, thoughts, and energy, you should spend your time, thoughts, and energy living the way Jesus lived.), not displaying patience (You should have the ability to not give up following Jesus when things in life and people are difficult. You also shouldn’t get back at people who did you wrong. Patience is also seen in every day examples like not getting mad or flustered when waiting on someone because you are ready to leave to go somewhere.), not trying to do what God wants you to do as you care for the needs of others, and not doing the right things - even if it leads to physical, mental, and financial suffering and trials)
and worldly lusts (spending more of your time, other than work or school, thinking what you want to think about instead of what God wants you to think about (such as thinking about what you’ve read in the Bible (Psalm 119:15), thinking about things such as a miracle that you witnessed or heard of, someone who got saved, some act of kindness you saw or heard of, imaging what Heaven will be like when you get there etc. (Philippians 4:8); and praying how Jesus taught in Matthew 6:9-13 by (admiring God, confessing your sins, thanking God for all things, and asking God to supply your and other people’s needs)); spend more of your time, other than work or school, doing what you want to do instead of what God wants you to do (reading the Bible and do what it says to do and don’t do what it says not to do (James 1:22); talking about the Bible with people who will listen (Deuteronomy 6:7); attending church services that you are able to attend in order to worship, fellowship, and learn (Hebrews 10:25); doing whatever the Holy Spirit gives you thoughts to do each day no matter how challenging they may be or who or what tries to stop you (Ephesians 4:30); giving money (spending more of your money on things like evangelistic associations, charities, and things for God’s purposes instead of entertainment and material type things (Matthew 6:19-21), if you have money left over from providing yourself with food, clothing, and shelter, be willing to give to those who have needs (Luke 12:16-21); feeding, clothing, and providing shelter for the less fortunate, visiting people in hospitals and jails (Mark 12:30,31); doing acts of kindness for people that will make God look good in front of others such as cooking, cleaning, doing people’s yard work, helping people shop, washing people’s cars, and fixing people’s appliances etc. (Matthew 5:16); teaching people the Bible (Matthew 28:19), counseling with people who are having problems (Galatians 6:2), encouraging others (Hebrews 10:25), correcting other believers when they sin (Galatians 6:1), telling people how to become Christians (2 Timothy 4:5) by mouth, through email, by handing out or dropping off Christian tracts in places like stores or restaurants where people can pick them up, or by giving to associations that tell people how to become Christians), we should live soberly (You should be able to control yourself. You shouldn’t let anger, lust, too much entertainment, or over eating be a part of your life. Instead of things like these taking over your time, thoughts, and energy, you should spend your time, thoughts, and energy living the way Jesus lived.), righteously (saying, thinking, and doing what the Bible says a Christian should say, think, and do in their daily life), and godly (see note for ungodliness), in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Christians should focus on living the Christian life the best that they can while they expect and look forward to Jesus returning any moment.); Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Jesus died for your sins so that He could rescue you from your sins, so you would be free and able to do good things for people that would make God look good and draw many people into the Kingdom of Heaven. If Jesus came into your heart, He will give you "new" desires like His.)."
Clearly, being saved by grace will definitely result in changes in a Christian's life, especially those who live a long time after they have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian and are in good health conditions. Grace is not an excuse to do nothing for God! Pastors who say otherwise and refuse to change their views should have their churches closed.
Look for a continuation of this sermon next Sunday morning.
If you have never prayed or made a decision to trust Jesus' death on the cross and His shed blood to erase your sins and let you into Heaven, you must be willing to follow Jesus from this moment on and for the rest of your life. This website will tell you how - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven
If you have prayed or made a decision to trust Jesus' death on the cross and His shed blood to erase your sins and let you into Heaven, but you haven't been bearing good fruit and/or you still sin on purpose (For a list of many sins, see these websites - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/chap18 and http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtodefeatsatan), please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/makingsure
If you have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, but you are not sure that you are really a Christian (Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 21:18-22, 1 John 5:14, and Hebrews 11:1), you need to be sure - please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven