American Pastor

The Dead Shall Rise: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-9

1 Thessalonians 2:1 "For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:"
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians in a series titled The Dead Shall Rise. This sermon, the third in the series, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-9 teaches what true faith in Christ produces: "What causes men to yield their lives to divine service, is their sincere belief in God. This is why tradition or handed-down religious beliefs will do nothing to inspire energetic and inspired service to the Lord. This takes the presence of a living Being, Whom then men can actually believe in, to inspire them to abandon lives of sin, to devote their lives to God. Dead things, whether it be dead religion, or dumb idols, do not inspire people to offer themselves as living sacrifices. Hence, at the core of all true Christian service, lies an understanding, and an enlightenment, that God actually is, and will reward those who diligently seek Him. It is this single belief that God exists and will either reward men for their faith, or punish them for their unbelief, that those who turn to the Lord to serve Him, possess.
"What Christ’s coming will mean to the saved, will be the complete opposite to the unsaved. Where Jesus’ return from Heaven will be salvation to some, it will result in divine judgment for others. It is this coming wrath that shall coincide with Christ’s second appearance that faith in Christ saves men from. Sin must be reckoned with. God’s justice demands it. So that if men will not come to Christ repentant for their sin, then through the Lord Jesus, their disobedience, will be punished. Ultimately then, through the Lord Jesus will either come God’s salvation or God’s punishment for sin; Christ will reveal himself as both this world’s Savior, as well as its Judge.
"Because sinners cannot see, nor perceive the glory of the Lord, they are left with nothing more than pursuing the temporal and fading glory of a condemned world. Yet, when men are enlightened, refreshed and illuminated by God’s Spirit, then the spiritual wisdom given to them by Christ, will prompt them to navigate their lives, in pursuit of that heavenly glory that God alone gives."
"True love for the Lord’s people will extend far beyond religious duty, and will include the willingness to lay down our lives for them. Because the Thessalonians were precious to God, the apostles esteemed them as worthy of being sacrificed for.
"The adversity that men are willing to go through to preach the gospel is a testimony to the sincerity of their faith. When also tribulation and persecution arises for the Word’s sake, they will not, like imposters, abandon faith. Thus, though Paul and his companions had suffered and were shamefully treated at Philippi, this did not prohibit them from continuing to hold fold forth the Word of the Lord boldly. The power of Christ’s nature within the Lord’s people, also is far greater than all the powers of darkness in this world.
"The devil will stoop to any means possible to discourage saints from pursuing God or from holding forth His Word. Satan has no rules nor etiquette that he abides by, and we should never consider that his methods will be anything less than harsh and unfair. Yet, for all the maliciousness in his heart, and all the influence he has over the children of disobedience, Christ’s power—because He lives in His people—is greater. This is why saints will prevail, even if their own fleshly strength is weak and feeble. Ultimately, it is not by any strength of our own that we, who are called by Christ, overcome, but only because of He, Who lives within us. And because Christ is greater than Satan, His people will overcome Satan’s attacks. The greatest spiritual power always prevails, and Jesus Christ is the greatest power in the world today.
"Because Christ is supreme, and has been given divine power over all things by God, the saved are therefore made more than conquerors through Him. When this is properly understood, saints will realize, that all victory lies in the fact, that Christ is supreme, and has Himself, conquered all. And though the Holy Spirit may seem to be at times only a small part in the heart of the Christian, because God and Christ are the Holy Spirit, the Lord’s people shall be made to be more than conquerors.
"It is the Lord who truly knows a man or woman’s heart, and this is why not until people are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, can we know that they have become willing to forsake self-governship, and have instead freely chosen Jesus Christ as Lord of their life. Thus, only those who are subject to the Son of God, will be given as a witness to their obedience, the gift of the Holy Spirit. By God’s Spirit we can know, all who have obeyed the gospel, and all who have not. And like with all things that are spiritually genuine, God will bear testimony, that a man or woman has become a Son of God, when also they are given the Spirit of God."
Broadcast live on 04/10/2022
 

The Dead Shall Rise: 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

1 Thessalonians 1:6 "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians in a series titled The Dead Shall Rise. This sermon, the second in the series, 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 examines the lives of the Thessalonian believers and how they were examples of faith: "In many places the apostles and those sent by Christ were persecuted, but here with the Thessalonians, the godly lives they lived were emulated and imitated. What also separated the Thessalonian believers from the Corinthians, is that they became followers of the faith and love of those who brought them the Word of God, but did not, like the Corinthians, seek to divide God’s messengers, in an attempt to prove their own self-righteousness.
"Ultimately, all men will follow and pattern themselves after something; this will include their own foolish thoughts and ideas, the godless world around them, or, hopefully, a good and benevolent God that is trying to save them.
"Joy is that spiritual quality that forms the essence of God’s Kingdom. Joy also is that internal spiritual delight, that God uses to strengthen His people, which is part of Heaven Itself. When men both love and believe in the Father through the Son, then they are filled with joy unspeakable. What the Father and Son are, they can give, and joy is no doubt, an element of Their own spiritual possession. This is also why whenever men walk in fellowship with God, they will experience joy in their hearts. Since ultimately, it is fellowship with the Father, through His Son, that produces joy in the believer.
"They received the Word brought to them, as the Word of God, and not as the word of men. By being able to perceive Christ’s Spirit in the apostles, this caused them to spiritually realize that an invisible God existed. Ultimately, they received the gospel as the Word of the Lord, simply because they could spiritually detect the Lord’s own divine nature in It.
"When men truly believe the gospel, they will seek to spread the gospel. This is also why from the Thessalonians, sounded out the word of the Lord. Teaching us that, any true church, if it is truly being led by the Spirit of Christ, will be an evangelical Church. Out of the abundance of the heart men speaketh, so that if God’s nature permeates a man’s soul, God’s Word must be spoken. Ultimately, when Jesus Christ is sincerely loved, and men desire to walk worthy of Him, then the Word of God He came to reveal to the world will be spread.
"That which the Thessalonians preached, and sought to bring others into an awareness of, was the Word of the Lord. The Greek word for Lord is kýrios #2962. It is defined as “a person exercising absolute ownership rights” or “an owner (master) exercising full rights.” To the Thessalonians then Jesus was not simply their Healer, Deliverer, or even their Savior, but rather Christ held the grand title in their hearts as Lord.
"The gospel, therefore, that the Thessalonians sought to spread, was that gospel of God, that reveals Jesus Christ as Lord. It is also this divine revelation that is the genesis of all true evangelism. Since those who know Christ to be Lord, will desire nothing more, than to spread this knowledge to others."
This sermon was preached live in the In the Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses Series. Other sections of Scriptures highlighted in this sermon: 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, Daniel 7:13-14.
Broadcast live on 02/13/2022

The Dead Shall Rise: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

1 Thessalonians 1:1 "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth explores Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians in a new series titled The Dead Shall Rise. This sermon, the first in the series, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 introduces the first epistle to the Thessalonians : "Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy came to the Thessalonians with one voice declaring unto them the Word of the Lord. A threefold cord is not quickly broken, and as such, three believing servants of God, were a unified voice confirming the truth that would be revealed. In regards to establishing something as the truth, two or three witnesses are required.
"The reason that both the Father and Jesus Christ are mentioned, is because one cannot truly possess One, without possessing the Other. As God is seen and made visible through the Son, and no man can see the Father, but throughthe One sent to declare Him. Thus, it is impossible by biblical standards to hold one Member of the Trinity and not hold the Others. So that for a man to be truly saved, then all three Members of the Godhead—the Father, the Son andthe Holy Spirit—must be embraced. The great commission demands that men are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Simply because all three are divinely bound, and to truly believe in One, will lead to belief in the other Two.
"It is thus only when men take on the care and well-being of the people of God, that proves, that in their heart, they have true love for Him. So that if a man does not truly love the brethren, whom he can see, we know he does not love God, Whom he cannot. Ultimately, no man can properly be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and have God as his Father, and lack the supernatural element of divine love in his heart. So that if there exists an absence of love, then there is also no true knowledge of God held. Teaching us, that without love, though men may claim they know the Lord, His Word tells us they really do not. Since any who love not, know not God, nor have any true relationship with Him.Just as love reveals that God is in men’s lives, its absence reveals that He is not.
"It is worthy of note, that a man’s faith in God is not the basis of God choosing him, but the result of it. Those then who ultimately believe, are those first selected by the Lord to be His own. What is true of Christians, is equally true of apostles and all other ministries in the Church. So that for any to properly and successfully function in Christian ministry, they need to be first chosen and ordained by Christ for their ministry.
"If a man has not spiritual power in his ministry, then you can know that God has not inspired it. If we learn anything in the study of Thessalonians, then let it be this, that the true gospel of Jesus Christ will always carry with it spiritual power, and not as many suppose, only words. What also separated the ministry of Christ from the pedantic and uninspired religion of the scribes and Pharisees, was that He taught as One having authority. 
"As the Son of Man, Jesus has right over man, and as the Son of God, Jesus has right to that which is God’s. By then these two qualities of being both the Son of Man and the Son of God, Jesus Christ will reign the world. Hence, the Word of the Lord will always carry authority with it, simply because it is the Word of He, Who will one day rule all things, both in this world, and all other heavenly regions beyond it."
This sermon was preached live in the In the Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses Series. Other sections of Scriptures highlighted in this sermon: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5.
Broadcast live on 02/06/2022

Purposed for Himself

Titus 2:14 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth was preached on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022. This sermon, Purposed for Himself, teaches what the purpose of the Lord Jesus is in redeeming His people: "Those whom God sent Jesus to save are purposed by Him to be His own. They were not redeemed so that they might be independent of the Lord Jesus but so that they might be accounted as belonging to Him. This is why all true Christians have relationship with Jesus Christ.
"This is what redemption means. In truth, a man is either completely redeemed by the Son of God or he is not. All means all, and if it did not, then God’s Word would clarify what other sins needed to be dealt with. So great is Christ’s work in giving Himself for sin that His people have been perfected forever.
"Jesus assures believers that He will not cast out those given to Him by the Father. He will not turn away those whom God has purposed His death on the cross should save. It is certain that if God is drawing a man to believe upon His Son, Jesus will receive and save him according to God’s will. It is also the Father’s will that each and every person purposed for Heaven shall gain it. Jesus will not lose even one.
"Jesus is such a caretaker of those purposed for Himself that no one that God has given Him shall be lost. Once a man’s soul is put in the care of the Son of God, He shall keep and preserve his life until the end of time.
"It is easy to recognize those whom Christ has sanctified and made holy for Himself, as they have a great zeal to livefor the One Who died for them. They are not the “frozen chosen,” but rather, enthusiastically desire that the Gospelspread and others be saved by God. For the saved, obeying Christ’s words will not be considered difficult. When imposters are exposed to the strong and emphatic words of the Savior, they will deem them unreasonable. Consequently, those who merely profess Christ’s name will struggle to obey His commandments, while His true people will not.
"Saved people need not rely on just the cross but the entire life of the Son of God. This truth is so much stronger than the idea that only one act of Jesus saves; in fact, it is the entirety of the Lord Jesus’ time on earth that secures the salvation of His people. By both Christ’s life and death are men redeemed from sin and given access to Heaven."
Broadcast live on 04/17/2022

22. Job Prays for His Three Friends and is Greatly Blessed by the Lord

21. Job Repents to God of Uttering Things He Understood Not

20. Job Is Speechless after God Addresses His Pride

19. The Lord Speaks of the Complexities of Nature to Humble Job