All the Sermons

Scripture: Rev. 3:14 – 22 The listen link: www.lcepc.org then look for the “sermons” tab You remember how churches used to be? You know, the legalistic rules many of us grew up with like “Don’t drink, smoke or chew and don’t hang out with people who do.” The church has come a long way from two Sunday services, mandatory weekly Bible study, and prohibitions on things like card playing, movies and dancing. I think that’s a good thing. We are surely not that legalistic anymore. But is that really a good thing? Has the Church changed those things in response to God’s call and command, or is it more that we have we caved in to social and cultural pressure? I think a lot of people would answer that we have caved. A lot of people feel that the Church has lost its power and influence because we have spoiled our kids with a more permissive stance that doesn’t do a good enough job of training them up in righteousness. I have a slightly different take on that. I would agree that we hav...

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org Then look for “Sermons” tab Imagine if you will, what it would be like to be shunned by your family, or by your church family. What if we decided that you had made a bad choice and we felt the right thing to do would be to take you by the sleeves and lead you to the door, push you out and shut the door in your face as you turned around to plead with us for mercy? Where would you go next? Ahh, but what if you had already made some new friends and they had told you about a wonderful person who was really good to know. What if the person you were turning to was the reason your old family and friends were shunning you? What if you also believed that this new person had the truth about eternal life, and you longed to share that great news with the people who just kicked you out of their lives? You are beginning to feel like a former Jew in Philadelphia who has come to new life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior...

Scripture:       Revelation 3:1-6 It’s easy to criticize. It’s harder to encourage. Criticism tends to tear down morale. Encouragement builds up morale and is more motivational. But sometimes, the hard truth must be acknowledged. Sometimes, the truth hurts. When the hearer doesn’t appreciate the criticism and refuses to believe that the speaker got it right, things can get ugly. So, when John wrote the book of Revelation, that started out with Jesus evaluating the spiritual health of seven churches in the area known as Turkey today, and included some harsh criticisms, he had to be very careful to make sure the readers and hearers in those churches knew that Jesus was the source. “These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” John wasn’t holding the seven spirits and he never once touched a star. Jesus is talking. John just wrote it down. “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Ouc...