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Approaching God Through Christ (Part Seven)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus Christ declares in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This profound truth reveals that He is the sole means to approach God, embodying the path, the reality, and the source of eternal life. As the Truth, He reflects the entirety of God's revelation, every word He spoke being true and essential for growing into God's character and entering His Kingdom. His truths are timeless, the only reality worth pursuing, guiding us toward what is eternal. His Word and example stand as perfect representations of God's will and knowledge, emphasizing spiritual understanding and wisdom. Through Him, we receive the revelation necessary to walk the path to fellowship with the Father.
The Household of God and Truth
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod's Word is the embodiment of truth, serving as the cornerstone of the household of God. This truth, revealed through His Word, is the foundation and pillar of the church, ensuring certainty and firmness in all that is real and enduring. Jesus Christ, as the Word of God, stands as the chief cornerstone over God's household, uniting all members through His truth. The church, as God's home on earth, supports this truth, while truth itself forms the foundation of the church, emphasizing its unyielding reliability. To be sanctified by God's truth, we must live it, abiding in His Word by applying it in our lives. Christ has promised that those who continue in His Word will know the truth as far as is needful and profitable, freeing them from prejudices, mistakes, and false notions. This truth, which Christ teaches, liberates from the guilt of sin and the bondage of corruption, enabling true freedom in the service of God. The knowing, entertaining, and believing of this truth enhances the power of the mind, guiding believers into obedience to Christ. God's truth is a gift, providing constancy, confidence, and security in the correctness of His teachings. It is freely given by Jesus Christ through His church, the household of God, which is willed by God the Father to stand against the forces of evil. Both physical and spiritual households must gird themselves with truth as the first piece of armor in the armor of God, ensuring stability and security for all members. As leaders of physical households work to establish their families in truth, so must the leaders of God's church guard and establish truth within the household of God.
Knowledge and the Truth
Sermonette by James C. StoertzThere is a crucial distinction between the Greek word aletheia (translated as truth) and the Greek word gnosis (translated as knowledge). While current usage regards them as synonyms, scripture regards truth as divine or spiritual while knowledge refers to physical or experiential understanding. The distinctions help us to understand the seriousness and gravity of Hebrews 10:26, warning against sinning willfully after receiving both the knowledge and spiritual implications of Christ's message. Jesus's physical brother James warned against mere intellectualism (gnosis) without genuine transformation (James 3:13-17) while the apostle John calls for humility, spiritual insight, and genuine sanctification. God's chosen saints must strive for both understanding and wisdom from His Holy Spirit. We must not only know the truth, but live it with obedience, faith, and humility.
Sincerity and Truth (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's Word is a lamp of substance, worth, and value in a blinding fog of deception and fraud that permeates this world. It serves as a lifeline for us to cling to in a world that hates us, illuminating our path and keeping us from stumbling. As a life preserver, it sustains us amidst hostility and opposition. Through His Word, God has opened our eyes to see through the lies and deceit that ensnare others, setting us apart as different and strange to the world. His truth is the tool and vehicle by which we are sanctified, transformed into something otherworldly, reflecting the image of Jesus Christ. The Word of God changes us inwardly, making us altogether different because we know and follow His truth. It is the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth that we must ingest often, vital for our growth and transformation. God provided manna to the Israelites as a test to see if they would follow His instructions, revealing their hearts and their outlook toward Him. Similarly, our dependence on God's Word is constant, nourishing and sustaining us in the ongoing fight against this world and its deceptions. Jesus Christ embodies this Word, the bread of life, given for those who believe in Him, offering a life that does not end in eternal death but leads to eternal life through knowing the Father and the Son. His words, spiritual in nature, work within us to produce actions reflective of God's ways, transforming us more and more into His image. This daily diet of God's righteousness, holiness, goodness, love, and truth, if consistently followed, will result in eternal life in His Kingdom.
The Way, The Truth, and the Life
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaThe Feast of Unleavened Bread is a remembrance of the release from bondage. We eat unleavened bread as a sign that the Lord's law may be in our mouths.
Truth (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWith the Spirit of God—the light of God—we see the true shape and form of things, and reality appears as something we can see clearly. We find truth.
Sincerity and Truth (Part Three)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe should continually live and think on the same wavelength as God does, maintaining a close relationship with Him as we continue in the sanctification process.
A Rewired Society (Part Two): A Post-Truth World
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe new morality is lawlessness and rejection of all restraints, which ironically makes them abject slaves of sin and candidates for the Lake of Fire.
What's Wrong With Christmas?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe Catholic Church mixed truth and falsehood to have the 'official' birthdate of the Son of God coincide with the rebirth of the sun, the winter solstice.
God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part Seven)
Sermon by David F. MaasGod has generously given us a set of tools that we must use for overcoming and building character, as well as edifying our spiritual siblings.
Holiness of God (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAs bearers of God's name, we must aspire to holiness. Perfecting holiness is the process by which we are transformed from the glory of man to the glory of God.
Blogging For Truth
Sermonette by Joshua MontgomeryOur only antidote to the barrage of lies is to stay close to God's Word, trusting in His providence and His promises to protect us as we obey Him.
The Bible's Claims About Itself
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughWe must challenge the Bible to verify its claims, and conversely, we must take up the challenge to put its instructions to the test in our lives.
Man's Greatest Challenge (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughMany have difficulty accepting internal biblical evidence attesting to the Bible's authority. When properly studied, there are no contradictions in Scripture.
The Ninth Commandment
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We must embody truth as did Jesus Christ, absolutely refusing to bear false witness in our words, our behavior, and our cumulative reputation.
Trusting the Bible
Sermonette by Craig SablichWhen asked about our beliefs and the foundations of them, we should be prepared to answer these questions systematically and thoughtfully.
Freedom, Liberty, and Bondage
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Grace places limits on our freedom, training us for the Kingdom of God. Our behavior must be clearly distinguishable from the non-believers in society.
Freedom and Unleavened Bread
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughChristian freedom has nothing to do with location or circumstance but how we think. By imbibing on God's Word, we will incrementally displace our carnality.
Paul's Letter to Titus (Part 1)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPaul encourages Titus to seek out teachers who have an ardent love of the truth, and warns him about false teachers who deceive the congregation.
General Revelation
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's truth is shockingly simple to understand, yet deceptively profound, causing the 'wise' to stumble but guiding true Christians toward eternal life.
The Commandments (Part Eighteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughA community can only be established upon a foundation of stability and truth. Our relationships must be based upon God's truth, producing faithfulness.