Five Church Problems

Christian ID "One True Faith" (Eph. 4:4-6) Open: The question of denominations and doctrinal distinctions has and will inevitably come up when you talk about one's Christian ID- the title of this series from the book of Ephesians, and when you talk about Christian ID, doctrinal unity or the lack there of will come up. It can be intense and we can have fun with it and be a little lighthearted with it, like the old joke, 'How many ______ does it take to change a light bulb?' We can adapt that to denominations and religions that claim Christ. For instance: How many professing Christians does it take to change a light bulb? Charismatic: Only 1 -- Hands are already in the air. Pentecostal:10 -- One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness. Presbyterians: None -- Lights will go on and off at predestined times. Roman Catholics : None -- Candles only. Taking a shot at our denomination- Baptists : At least 15. -- One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken. As a long-time Baptist church member and pastor, I can say that's a good one. Fair stereotype. Mormons: 5 -- One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it. Amish: What's a light bulb? Not bad. The part that is not so funny is the amount of real disunity and division that takes place among Christian churches and denominations on what we believe and why? Doctrine, theology. After all, your theology dictates your methodology. In other words, what you believe about God, the Bible, man, sin and salvation will dictate how you will run you

What does it mean to have the Comforter living and working in the life of a believer? In this message, Bro. Ben Burks preaches from Acts 2:1-4 (KJB), examining the comforting, strengthening, and empowering work of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit is more than a theological subject; He is the Comforter promised by Jesus Christ, the source of power for Christian service, and the One who enables God's people to accomplish His work. Beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, this message connects the Spirit's power to the qualifications of those called to serve in the early church (Acts 6:3), His work in the life of Saul (Acts 9), and the comfort experienced by the growing churches in Acts 9:31. The Christian life and Christian service were never intended to depend upon human strength alone. God has provided the Comforter to encourage, strengthen, and empower His people. Take comfort in the Comforter. The same Holy Ghost who empowered the early church is essential to the believer's life and service today.

December 8, Ordinary Time—The Sundays of Pentecost

The Bible on your kitchen table cost William Tyndale his life. Five hundred years ago, he gave English-speaking families the New Testament in their own language, and he was burned at the stake for it. Kevin and Josh tell Tyndale's story, including how his jailer's whole family came to Christ while he was in prison. Then they open the Scriptures to show why God wants His Word in every language. Jesus spoke Aramaic, the apostles quoted a Greek translation, and at Pentecost, everyone heard the gospel in their own tongue. It's a great one to listen to with your kids, and a good reminder never to take the Bible in your hands for granted. More from Generations: https://generations.org #WilliamTyndale #ChurchHistory #BibleTranslation #KevinSwanson #Generations #GenerationsRadio

This sermon examines the nature and responsibilities of the local church, asserting that it was established at Pentecost and must remain autonomous under Christ's direct oversight. The central focus is an analysis of five specific spiritual problems identified in the seven churches of Revelation, including the loss of first love, the tolerance of false doctrine, unqualified leadership, hypocrisy, and spiritual lukewarmness. The speaker emphasizes the necessity of doctrinal purity and qualified leadership, warning that false teaching leads to immorality and that believers must be genuine in their faith rather than pretending to be alive when they are dead. The message concludes by outlining the biblical process for church membership, defining it as a community of believers who have received the word, been baptized, and committed to steadfast fellowship.

Why do we worship on Sunday if the Sabbath is on Saturday? Throughout the world, the vast majority of Christian denominations hold worship services on Sunday. However, if you ask professing Christians what caused Sabbath worship to move from the last day of the week to the first, most would either say the Sabbath is unrelated to Sunday worship or point to tradition. But there are important biblical reasons why the Sabbath changed from Saturday to Sunday. It's important first of all because Christ said that if you teach someone to disobey one of the least commandments, you will be least in the kingdom of heaven and the Sabbath is one of the ten commandments. But it's important because the Sabbath is about the rest we have in Christ. It is the day our risen Lord provides for his people so that they can be set apart from the world and all its cares, and go forth to do the work that Christ's atonement made possible. Some of the confusion surrounding the Sabbath is related to a misunderstanding of Israel's place in scripture. Israel's whole calendar was built around Passover and Pentecost and their observance and the Sabbaths around them were set every year based on the day of the week , but because Israel and their observances were a type pointing forward to Christ and his fulfillment, all of their Passovers and Pentecosts and their calendar that changed yearly were nothing more than shadows. There has only been one Passover that caused sins to be forgiven. There has been only one Pentecost where the Spirit of God inhabited his people. And their fulfillment caused the Sabbath to be set from that day forth. Please join us as we consider this important topic.

This sermon examines Peter's address in Acts 2, identifying the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy regarding the last days. The message highlights the unprecedented breadth of the Spirit's work, which now extends to all genders, ages, and social classes, contrasting this with the limited distribution of the Spirit under the Old Covenant. It argues that this divine empowerment is intended for the entire church to demonstrate power in obedience, service, and witness, rather than being restricted to a select few. The sermon concludes with an urgent appeal to both believers and non-believers, emphasizing that the age of grace has an expiration date and that salvation is guaranteed to everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord.