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...

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29 Listen link: https://www.lcepc.org Then look for “Sermons” tab. Truth or consequences. Remember that game show? It was a comical way of putting people in a practical joke type of situation if they couldn’t answer a quiz question truthfully, or correctly. Either tell the truth or pay the consequences. That was fun to watch. Another slant on the concept of truth or consequences is the little factoid that says, “Ideas have consequences.” That is actually the title of a book that was published back in 1948. It argues that all our modern difficulties in society, such as relativism and apathy, and lack of respect for authority, are the result of a philosophical shift away from belief in absolute authority. In other words, rejecting the Bible as the truth of God has led to the current situation. But you didn’t need a philosopher to tell you that did you?   It’s pretty obvious! It’s obvious to us today! What’s interesting is that if this book had been...

Revelation 2:12-17 Have you ever had a job performance review with your boss or supervisor? In my past that always happened in private, just between me and my employer. So, I am assuming that’s the way it usually is. Now, you may really like the idea of sitting in on someone else’s review to see how they are doing and if the boss gets it right and thinks of them in the same way you do. But how would you like it if everybody else you worked with got to hear your performance review and learn what the boss really thinks of you? That’s how it is in Church. Missionaries give regular reports to their supporting churches every time they come home on furlough, and everybody knows what’s going on. It’s quite public. In our own business meetings, the various committees report on their activities. And I submit the pastor’s report. So, what would happen if everybody had to submit a report, and everybody was in on everything that would result from it?  Do you see yourself as a servant of ...

Scripture Rev. 2:8-11 Listen link: https://www.lcepc.org Then look for “Sermons” tab. When things are going well, and there is a feeling of blessing, people often say, “Somebody up there likes me!” Or else when things are going poorly, or we are afflicted by lots of problems and troubles we might think God is punishing us. Well he does discipline us, and the consequences of our sins can be a source of affliction. But that is training, not punishment. Also, and importantly, good behavior doesn’t guarantee a problem free existence, neither does strong and obedient faith. The church at Smyrna was outstanding and commendable in its mission work. Jesus had nothing against them in his job review. Yet they were also poor and afflicted. They were being slandered by some people called the synagogue of satan. And as if that were not bad enough, Jesus had to tell them that there was more trouble ahead, a time of testing that they were about to suffer. Jesus wrote to encourage them to han...