American Pastor

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace: Ephesians 2:6-10

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace: Ephesians 1:20-2:5

Ephesians 1:20 "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,"

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace: Ephesians 1:15-20

Ephesians 1:15 "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,"

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace: Ephesians 1:11-14

Ephesians 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace: Ephesians 1:7-10

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace: Ephesians 1:3-6

Born of God: 1 John 5:13-21

1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled Born of God. This sermon, the ninth in the series, 1 John 5:13-21, closes out the epistle of 1 John with a final warning against idolatry: "If Christ is possessed, then a man will know that there is something dwelling within him, apart from his physical and material makeup, which has its origin in God. This is also, the reason why the gospel should be preached today, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, be declared to the world. Because only through Him, can men be both given, and come to practically know that God’s eternal life is theirs. To therefore preach Christ and make Him known, is to preach that precious gift of spiritual regeneration. It is to reveal the wonderful revelation that God’s eternal life can be found in the One sent to declare Him to the world.
"It is not enough to merely believe upon Jesus Christ for a moment, or a brief period of time; to do this offers no sure hope of gaining the life offered through Him. True faith is an enduring faith, which shall always manifestitself as genuine by remaining faithful to God once it has begun. In reality, there is no such thing as a temporal or momentary faith that will save men. As both belief in the Son of God and subjection to His lordship, must continue until this earthly life is over, or we are received into heaven by Him.
"A practical point which encourages faith in God is focusing not on the specific petition, but on the Lord Himself. It is therefore by trusting in the Lord, and not simply our specific petition, that provides the best way to keep our hearts at peace, until such time that our needs are met. Understandably, no faith can really be developed in God, by over-focusing on every request made to Him. It also goes without saying, that it is not confidence in self that gives hope of answered prayer, but only trust and confidence in the One we are praying to.
"Intercessory prayers are an important responsibility in the believer’s life, where prayers are not simply offered to God for our own needs, but to also help brothers and sisters, deceived and snared by sin. Just as intercessory prayer can save the sick, so can it assist in bringing those who have sinned against God, to regaining fellowship with Him. Ultimately, prayer for other members in the body of Christ, is as essential as praying for our own needs to be met.
"Where then sin has abounded and grown to epic proportions, the grace of God, and the gift of Jesus Christ, surpasses even the abundance of sin committed. Thankfully, the vast amount of sin in the world, is not unpardonable, and can and will be for given through repentance, and Christ sacrificing Himself for sin.
"It is a spiritual reality, and an established truth, that those born of God, neither can, wish, nor desire, to continue in sin. The very nature of God, imparted to those born of Him, prohibits this. What this verse plainly and uniquely teaches, is that true Christians cannot remain living in sin, and if some claim they can, they never were truly born of God.
"Once saved by the Son, a person has crossed over, that great chasm which separates death and life, and as such, it is impossible that his new  standing in heaven, can be taken away. Never again can true saints fall under God’s condemnation and be separated from Him.
"Though these last words of the Apostle seem to take a digression, the truth revealed is that for even those born of God, there remains a danger of unintended idolatry. Idolatry, where personal pursuits, worldly pleasures, and cares of this world, wrongly assume a place in the believer’s heart, reserved only for God and God’s Son. For this reason, care should be taken, and the heart regularly inspected to ensure that nothing assumes the rightful place of God in His children’s heart or life.
"If God and Christ are not fully loved, and highly esteemed over all things, then it should not be thought, that Either are really loved at all. There is no middle ground for the Christian to balance love for God and love for the world—to love not what the flesh desires, but that which the Spirit wills. Thus, if men desire to be saved, then love for God, and the Son of God, must rise above every other carnal and worldly desire in their heart. It is only by doing this that Christ’s first commandment is obeyed, and any form of idolatry abandoned. Simply because, any continuance in sin, is a form of unrighteousness, will prevent entrance into Christ’s coming kingdom.
"It is possible for men to be deceived that they can continue in sin, yet still enter Christ’s kingdom. This is undoubtedly not true, as the simplicity and clearness of this verse cannot be denied. For this reason, continued care and effort should be taken to remove anything in the heart, that rivals God and the new spiritual life gained through belief in God’s Son."
Broadcast live on 04/23/2023

Born of God: 1 John 4:13-5:12

1 John 4:13 "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores the Apostle John's first epistle in a series titled I Born of God. This sermon, the eighth in the series, 1 John 4:13-5:12, highlights the importance of love: "The recognition of Christ’s deity, is not something that can occur merely in the head, but must be a genuine and sincere belief that originates in the heart, and then is made public to the world. It is an act of submission and subjection to the Son of God, that leads to God’s salvation.
"If any then desire to know whether or not they are saved, and have true fellowship and union with the heavenly Father, then they need only to ask themselves if both God’s Spirit and God’s love dwells in them.
"By following Christ’s example of love, His people are assured that they shall have nothing to fear in the day of His judgment. Because Christ’s love lives within the hearts of those saved by Him, and they live as He lived in the world, then nothing more is needed for them to have met God’s will for their life. Having obeyed Christ’s two commandments to love both God and his neighbor, allows the believer to approach the tribunal of Christ, with the spiritual confidence that the life lived was in obedience to his Lord.
"There is no fear in love, since perfect love casts out all fear of God, and any sheepishness to be judged by Him. Yet, if fear of divine judgment remains, this is strong evidence, that love still remains an unfinished work in the believer. Just as love is a fruit of the Spirit, fear is a characteristic of the flesh. Because of this, not until love has grown and accomplished its full purpose, revealing obedience to divine will, will all fear of heavenly judgement be removed.
"Ultimately, there is no such thing as a disobedient Christian, or a Christian lacking love, or a Christian who has not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, simply because these three divine signs both confirm and establish where true salvation exists, and where it does not.
"It is sin that weighs men down, and is a heavy weight to bear, and surely not obedience to God’s will. This is because the Lord puts nothing on a man, that is not profitable for his life and good for his soul.
"It is easy to obey God when the heart is right;
"A true child of God therefore cannot be, nor ever will be overcome by this world, as so many who are not the children of God, confirmably are. Hence, Christians are not, and should never be considered victims of this world, simply because through Jesus Christ and His triumphant ministry, they have defeated it.
"Many a sinner has had this world beat them down, drain them of all strength, and ultimately ruin their life. Yet, there is no true Christian that it can be said was overcome in this manner. Because of faith in the Son of God, Christ has made all those born of the Spirit to overcome all the oppressiveness, sin, death, and evil forces in this world.
"There is no true Christian who does not possess a spiritual witness in his own heart, that Jesus is the Son of God. This witness is the Spirit of God, given through Christ, which abides in him. Understandably, no man can ever fully believe upon Jesus Christ, without having a personal witness of experiencing the Lord himself. This is accomplished by the Holy Spirit being given to all who believe upon Him as the Son of God and yield their lives to His lordship.
"There is hardly a verse which is so simple, solid and succinct regarding who has been given eternal life: it is those who possess the Son of God. So that if a man hath the Son, he hath the life of God, but if he hath not the Son, then neither does he possess that spiritual life, that comes only through Him. Ultimately, it is a man’s faith in, obedience to, and relationship with the Son of God, that allows for the gift of eternal life being given to him.
"Because God’s life resides in the Son, and cannot be found in any other place, the apostle’s great aim in writing this epistle is purposed, to lead people to belief in the Son of God, to gain the eternal life of God offered through Him. If Christ is possessed, then a man will know that there is something dwelling in him, apart from his physical and material makeup, which has its origin in God. This is also, the reason why the gospel should be preached today, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, should be declared to the world. Because only through Him, can men be both given, and come to practically know that God’s eternal life is theirs. To therefore preach Christ and make Him known, is to preach that precious gift of spiritual regeneration and the divine life offered through belief in the Son of God. To preach Christ, is to preach the wonderful revelation that God’s eternal life can be found in Him."
Broadcast live on 04/02/2023