Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: Christ
Charles Stanley (January-04-2023) Daily Devotional: The Body of Christ
The body of Christ—also known as the church—is made up of all who believe in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:11-16 - And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
As we saw yesterday, the body of Christ is made up of all people who worship Him, no matter where they are. The head of this body of believers is Jesus Christ, whom Paul described as “the beginning, the first-born from the dead” (Col. 1:18 - He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything).
At salvation, you become a part of the body—regardless of what the membership rules may be at your local church. Therefore, if you’re a believer, you are a breathing and active part of Christ, who is at work on earth through His followers. The church acts as Jesus’ feet to carry the gospel message, His hands to care for those in need of love, and His arms to uphold the weak.
But being Jesus to the world isn’t easy—it means making sacrifices, accepting ridicule, and loving our enemies (Heb. 13:16 - And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased; Matt. 5:44 - `But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you). God may have called us to spread the gospel, but that doesn’t mean people will necessarily like what we have to say. Regardless, we’re to carry out the work of God, even when doing so is uncomfortable.
The gospel is spread through the strength and wisdom of Jesus Christ. And for this task, He has also chosen to use the body of believers united by His Spirit’s indwelling presence. What an honor to be used to reach the world for our Savior.
Joyce Meyer (January-01-2022) Daily Devotional: Let Christ Live Through You
Some people need to unlearn some things before they can start learning what God wants for them. For example, some people try to manipulate others with their self-pity or anger. They believe these emotional tools will get what they want from others. Some people who have been hurt or abused feel that they have to take care of themselves because nobody else will.
Both attitudes display the common fear, "What about me? What about me?" But Paul offers us a life-changing principle to follow—I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20 NIV). When Christ lives through you, you will enjoy every day of your life.
Prayer Starter: Lord, I don’t want to live my life thinking about myself and thinking everything is all about me. Help me to lean on you and let You live through me, amen.
Jack Hibbs - Watch Sermon: Christ Died For You. Hope. Assurance. Salvation. You may have heard or even used these words before, but do you know what they mean? In today’s program, Pastor Jack investigates these terms and the significance of the cross – and the impact it can have on your life.
Joyce Meyer (December-30-20221) Daily Devotional: Everyone Is Equal in Christ
The world places labels and assigns varying values to almost everything, but in God’s eyes, we are all equal. He loves and values each of us equally. We are all one in Christ!
Don’t spend your time thinking over and over about your faults. And don’t compare yourself with other people, thinking that you should strive to be like them. Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
I strongly suggest that you make peace with yourself, if you haven’t already done so, and learn to think about yourself the way God does. Remember, God loves you just as much as He does everyone else. We are all equal in His sight.
Prayer Starter: Father, anytime I start to compare myself with someone else, remind me that in Your eyes, we are all the same and You love me, amen.
John MacArthur (December-27-2022) Daily Devotional: The Humiliation of Christ
"We . . . see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone" (Heb. 2:9).
In serving as our substitute, Christ humbled Himself supremely.
Jesus' death on the cross was not easy or costless—it was a horrific death. It was not calm and peaceful; it was accompanied by outward torture and inward agony. The death He tasted was the curse of sin. In a few hours on that cross, He suffered the total agony of every soul for all eternity. He was guilty of no sin, yet He chose to suffer the weight of all sins committed for all time.
God sent His Son, and His Son willingly came to die to redeem mankind. Paul writes, "When the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law" (Gal. 4:4-5).
Only by tasting death as a man could He free mankind from death. Historically, kings have had someone taste their food and drink before they consumed it. Christ drained to the dregs the cup of poison rightfully meant for us before it could ever touch our lips. He substituted His death for ours, releasing us from the deadness of sin to life with God.
What moved Jesus to suffer for us? Grace. What we did not deserve (salvation) we received, and what we did deserve (death) we did not receive. Unbounded love prompted Christ's gracious work on our behalf: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
After He accomplished the work of His substitutionary death, He was "crowned with glory and honor" and exalted to the right hand of the Father, where He will reign forever and ever. He is our great Substitute, whom we can thank and praise throughout all eternity.
Suggestion for Prayer - Ask God to give you opportunities to communicate the gospel to new people, even if you might suffer in the process.
Joyce Meyer (December-20-2022) Daily Devotional: Enjoy the Righteousness of Christ
It is an awe-inspiring thing to realize you are in right standing with God simply because you believe in Him. Because Jesus who knew no sin became sin, you are the righteousness of God. What a thrilling and humbling thought.
But the devil doesn't want you to walk in the wonderful thrill of that reality. He wants to bring up all your faults and distract you from the joy of righteousness Jesus died to give you.
Don't let the devil steal the thrill of your righteousness through Christ. As you prepare for a night of rest, spend a few quiet moments thinking about that matchless gift, and worship and praise the One who made it all possible.
Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I thank You for going to the cross so that I can be in right standing with You. Help me fight against the enemy’s lies. In Your precious Name I pray, amen!
Tony Evans - Watch Sermon: Don't Miss Christ this Christmas. On the night that Christ was born, there are a number of people who missed the greatest birth of all time because they were either too busy or refused to acknowledge it. Well, in order to help prevent you from making the same mistake, Tony Evans takes a look at each of those people on that fateful night as he reminds you not to overlook the reason for the season.
Tony Evans - Watch Message: Jesus The Christ. Jesus wants to bring hope and healing to the deepest parts of your life.
John MacArthur - Watch Sermon: Preaching the Unfathomable Riches of Christ
John MacArthur (December-11-2022) Daily Devotional: Christ Is Superior to Angels
"Having become . . . much better than the angels" (Heb. 1:4).
Through a deft use of the Old Testament, the writer proves that Christ is the mediator of a greater covenant.
Man is a wonderful and amazing creation—higher than plants, animals, and any other material creation in this world. But there are created beings even higher than man—angels.
Hebrews 2:9 shows this to be the case because when Jesus became a man, He was "made for a little while lower than the angels." After the fall of the rebellious angels under Lucifer, the angels in heaven were no longer subject to sin. These angels are holy, powerful, and wise. They are special beings created by God before He created man.
The Jewish people understood the exalted position of angels because they knew that the Old Covenant was brought to men and maintained by angelic mediation. Galatians 3:19 says, "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made."
Because of this high regard for angels by his readers, the writer of Hebrews was faced with a problem. If he was to show that Christ was the mediator of a better covenant, he would have to prove that Christ is better than angels. To do so, he used seven Old Testament passages to verify his claim.
If he had tried to prove from Christian writings that Christ is a better mediator, his unbelieving Jewish readers would have said, "We don't accept these writings as being from God." So in effect he wisely replies, "Open up your own Scriptures and I'll prove my claim from them." It results in a powerful and irresistible argument.
For the next several days, we'll see in what ways Christ is superior to angels and how He could mediate a better covenant for us.
Suggestion for Prayer - Because much of our understanding of the New Testament is based on the writings of the Old Testament, thank God for how He has brought His complete Word to us intact throughout the centuries.
