Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

A Dress Rehearsal for Calvary

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:17-19; Genesis 22:1-14Hebrews 11 recalls the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22 when God called a father to offer up his son as a sacrifice. This story was a dress rehearsal for Calvary, in which God the Father would send His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (Hebrews 11:17-19).In the passages from Genesis and Hebrews, Isaac serves as an Old Testament illustration of Jesus Christ. His birth was prophesied and preset, and he was conceived miraculously. His mother Sarah had him after she “passed the age of childbearing” (Genesis 18:11).Isaac’s name was divinely given; he was very loved by his father. He was offered up as a sacrifice and raised from the dead, as Hebrews 11:19 says, in a figurative sense. In the same way, Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin, and was specifically named by the Father, who loved Him. God sent Him as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and He was raised from the dead.Genesis 22:2 says, “...Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”There was a purpose for this specific place: it speaks of the cross of Jesus Christ. As Isaac was led up a mountain to be sacrificed, Jesus also ascended a hill called Calvary, where He died.Just before Abraham was to sacrifice his son, God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place. Likewise, God kept His promise to us and provided a Lamb, His only Son Jesus Christ, whom He loved, to take our place and to die for our sins.Adrian Rogers says, “His name is Jehovah-Jireh (the God who provides), and the God who gave the first great gift is the God who will see us through.”Apply it to your lifeDo you believe in Jehovah-Jireh—the God who provides? Keep your faith in Him, who willfully gave Jesus, and will not hold His love back.

Six Principles to Fortify Faith

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Hebrews 11:8-13 Hebrews 11:8 reminds us of the legacy of Abraham, who was called by God in his old age and became a champion of the faith. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance...” Abraham's example gives us six principles to fortify our faith. 1. The Voice Principle: Abraham heard from the Lord. The Lord appeared to Abraham through a supernatural experience. We have a greater advantage, having the written Word of God, the mind of Jesus Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 2. The Venture Principle: we must obey what we know. Abraham heard and obeyed. If we are having a faith problem, it could actually be rooted in an obedience problem. Adrian Rogers says, "Our responsibility is not to totally understand, but to readily obey." 3. The Value Principle: We must establish priorities. Abraham was a sojourner; he knew the land was not his home. (See Hebrews 11:9-10.) If we live for this world, we will eventually conform to it and become an enemy of God. Instead, we must have the mind of Christ and prioritize knowing God’s will. 4. The Vision Principle: we must stay focused and remain disciplined. We must keep our eyes set on things above, and not on things of this Earth. When we see the promises of God, which are otherwise unseen by those without faith, we have a responsibility to live by them. 5. The Vigilance Principle: our faith will be tested, through heartache and tears. We must remember that where God leads us, He will sustain us. 6. The Victory Principle: we get to enjoy the blessings. Hebrews 11:12 says, “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” Abraham and Sarah conceived a child in their old age, and from that child, Abraham’s descendants were innumerable as the sand. Their victory came by a fortified faith. Apply it to your life Do you want a faith like Abraham, a faith that leaves a legacy? Listen to the voice of God, obey what you know to be true; remain disciplined, even when tested, keeping your eyes on things above.

Captain Noah and His Unsinkable Faith

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Hebrews 11:7 The Bible emphasizes the importance of household salvation. One of the greatest examples of this is Noah, whose unsinkable faith in God saved his family from the Great Flood. Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” This passage first describes the warning Noah’s faith believed. In the days of Noah, there was a tremendous lack of fear of our Holy God. Adrian Rogers says, “The mark of a society on its last legs is when there is no fear of God.” But Noah feared God and demonstrated it through his godly living, godly knowledge, and wisdom. If we fear God, it will also show through our godly contentment, worship, salvation, confidence, insight and deliverance. This passage also reveals the work that Noah’s faith achieved. Being a man of faith, Noah obeyed God’s instruction and began building the ark long before he saw the flood; as a result, Noah saved his family. Adrian Rogers says, “If you work without faith, it is presumption; if you have faith without work, it is pretense.” This passage also addresses the wickedness that Noah’s faith perceived. In Genesis 6, God was brokenhearted over the sins of the generation. They were days of scientific progress, social plagues, and sexual perversion. The same sins from Noah's day are being committed today; as God warned Noah’s generation, He has warned ours, as well. Finally, we see the wealth that Noah’s faith received. Noah left a legacy of righteousness; though he acted in obedience, Noah was not ultimately saved by his works, but by God’s grace. By following the demonstration of Noah’s faith in God in the midst of our rebellious generation, we can usher our families into the ark of safety, which is a picture of Jesus Christ. God sealed Noah into the ark, just as we are sealed by Jesus Christ in our salvation. Apply it to your life Are you leading your household with an unsinkable faith like Noah? Does it move you to obey God and to fear him? Establish God as the Lord of your household and pray for your family today.

Learning to Walk with God

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Hebrews 11:5-6 Hebrews 11 tells of the prophet Enoch, who so pleased God and walked so intimately with him, he never died. Enoch is an example for us as we learn to walk with God. Hebrews 11:5 says, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Enoch is a champion of our faith who shows us that walking with God is a life of faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not guessing at the will of God; faith is hearing from God and believing God.” Second, walking with God is also a life of fellowship. We can know all about God without actually knowing Him intimately. But God created us in His image so He could have fellowship with us. Walking with God is also living a life of faithfulness. In the days of wickedness and violence, Enoch walked with God consistently, in the good times and bad. When we are faithful to God, He supplies us with power through the Holy Spirit to walk the Christian life, day by day. Walking with God is also a life of fruitfulness. Enoch was blessed with a family and named his son Methuselah, which means, “when he is dead, it will be sent.” Methuselah had a son named Lamech, who had a son named Noah. It was only after Methuselah, son of Enoch, died, that God sent the flood to destroy the Earth, sparing only Noah’s family. Just as he is an example of walking with God, Enoch is also a picture of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God will rapture the Bride to escape the coming judgment. We must walk with God, to live a life of faith and fellowship, that we may know Him intimately in these Last Days. Apply it to your life Do you want to walk with God as closely as Enoch did? Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Study Scripture today and ask the…

The Blood Makes a Difference

Join us in this enlightening episode as we delve into the Book of Hebrews, with a particular focus on the lesson of faith demonstrated by Abel. Explore how Adrian Rogers explains the symbolism within the Old Testament and its profound connection to the New Testament teachings about Jesus Christ. Through a spirited narrative that includes vivid stories about figures like 'Uncle Charlie,' this episode vividly portrays the continuous theme of worship and sacrifice across the scriptures.