The Conquering Christ

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The Conquering Christ

Ephesians 1:15-23

June 12, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Ephesians 1:15–23

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Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 1:15-23

God created man and woman to have dominion and rule over this Earth. Once we understand this, we can claim what was lost by Adam and restored by Jesus, the conquering Christ, the Second Adam.

According to Genesis 1:26, God gave dominion on Earth to Adam. But Satan, a fallen angel who became the father of the night, lost the battle in Heaven and hopes to win the battle on Earth.

He came to the Garden of Eden as a serpent and tempted Adam and Eve to sin; therefore, they turned dominion over to him and became his slaves. God was dethroned in their hearts, and Satan began to reign.

But this dominion, legally lost by Adam, was righteously regained by Jesus Christ.

Dominion was lost by a man, and it was legally restored by a man: “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

Satan tried to tempt Jesus to sin as he had tempted Adam (see Luke 4), but Jesus defeated Him by the Word of God.

Adrian Rogers says, “The first Adam lost it all in a garden; the last Adam won it all back in the wilderness.”

The second battle began at Calvary. When Jesus died and was buried, the devil believed he had won. But three days later, Jesus walked out of the grave and brought back dominion that had been lost.

Finally, this dominion has been gloriously given to those who believe in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

When God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He raised us up as well.

The devil wants to keep us in the dark, so that we never see the incredible power we’ve been given. But when we finally recognize it, all of heaven will break loose.

Apply it to your life

Adrian Rogers says, “The same weapons that belonged to Adam in the Garden of Eden were the weapons that Jesus Christ used in the wilderness.”

Spend some time in Scripture, dwell on the Word of God, exercising your dominion, rightfully restored by Jesus Christ.

The Mystery of the Mustard Seed and the Devil's Dirty Birds

June 19, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 13 In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches us secrets of the kingdom of God through seven parables. In these prophetic stories, the Lord Jesus is beginning something new. Yet the enemy has many ways to sabotage His good work. In the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32), Jesus is the one planting seeds of faith for a godly crop. The Godly Crop The mustard seed is small, emphasizing the faithful few of the kingdom of God. It is simple, bypassing grandiosity and fanfare, and boils down to Jesus’ love for us. Yet it is also strong; faith like a grain of mustard seed can move mountains (see Matthew 17:20). The secret of a seed is that it has the germ of life within it; it can reproduce itself over and over again. The seed begins to grow and becomes a shrub, which represents the growth of the Gospel in the lives of believers. It is not huge like a mighty oak, yet it bears whatever flowers, fruit, or seeds are within it. It doesn’t speak of prominence; rather, lowliness. Another Crop But we also see in this parable a strange shade—defying nature, the shrub develops into a tree. The spiritual meaning of this abnormality is rooted in Daniel 4. In a prophecy, Daniel typifies false religion as a monstrous tree—the final form of apostasy in the final days. The rise of false cults that deny the Bible are likened to this tree. The same devilish birds that come and steal the seed in the Parable of the Sower, come and lodge in the branches of apostasy. Adrian Rogers says, “Satan is not against religion; he uses religion to accomplish his purpose.” The birds in the branches of apostasy are not easily spotted, because the devil is a master of deception and camouflage. We can identify these birds by their messages, using five tests. As you evaluate the messages you hear, use these five tests: 1. Source Test: Is the Bible the basis of his teaching? 2. Savior Test: Does he believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? 3. Subject Test: Is the primary focus of his teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 4. Salvation Test: Does he teach salvation by grace alone? 5. Sanctification Test: Does he teach and endeavor to live a holy life? Apply it to your life Are you on the lookout to identify the dirty birds who rest on the branches of false religion? Remember these five tests, and be careful regarding who you listen to.

The Strange Mystery of the Counterfeit Christian

June 17, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13:24–30, Matthew 13:37–40

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 13:24-30, 37-40 Not everybody who claims to be a Christian is a genuine Christian. Hypocrisy is a confusing and bewildering thing. Through the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus shows us how He deals with counterfeits. Matthew 13:24-30 is a word of comfort, warning, and instruction for those caught in the strange mystery of the counterfeit Christian. “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared’” (Matthew 13:24-26). First, we see the sowing of the tares. The tares in the parable came from the chief counterfeiter himself, Satan. The devil wants worship and false believers. He has convinced hypocrites to follow a false Jesus and false spirit. (See 2 Corinthians 11:4.) He has false ministers to produce false brothers and proclaim a false gospel. (See 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) We shouldn’t let hypocrites keep us from seeking true fellowship with God and with each other; counterfeits copy what is worthwhile. Adrian Rogers says, “Every false Christian that you see is a testimony to the good, the worth, and the reality of the real.” God is well aware of counterfeits; they may pass through the world with ease, but God cannot be fooled. Second, we see the growing of the tares. No matter how tempting it may be, we cannot uproot false religion; it’ll do more harm than good. God is the judge, not us. Every church must exercise discipline—not meant to root out and remove but rather to reclaim and restore. Finally, we see the knowing of the tares. The wheat and the tares will be discerned at the harvest. God tolerates the tares for the sake of the wheat; He waits until they are all ripe before He sends the reapers. He does not judge now, because it is too early. Our influence, whether for good or for evil, goes on and on after we die. God collects the evidence of our influence. Apply it to your life Adrian Rogers urges us to: 1. Make certain of your salvation. 2. If you are not saved, don’t let a counterfeit Christian keep you out of heaven. 3. If you are a counterfeit Christian, repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven

June 13, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Matthew 13:1

Sermon Overview Scripture Passage: Matthew 13:1 The Bible is a love story in many ways, but it is also a great mystery. There are hidden truths in the Bible that cannot be known by human wisdom. Jesus was the master teacher. He taught in parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings—which are meant to both reveal and conceal. The meek, the teachable and guidable, could understand, while the scholars could not. Matthew 13:3-9 explains the parable of the sower. There are three basic components of this story: the seed, the sower, and the soil. The seed is the quick and powerful Word of God, pulsating with life and energy. The sower is Jesus—the Son of Man who sows the Word in people’s hearts. The main emphasis of the parable is on the soil, which represents the hearts of men and women. Some receive the seed, while others don’t. Yet, the Gospel does not fail; there is nothing wrong with the seed—the problem is always the soil. First, there is the soil with no reception. “And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them” (Matthew 13:4). The “wayside” is often described as stone, meaning this heart is too hardened to receive the seed, and therefore, will not understand it. There’s also the soil that receives the seed, but it does not take root. Matthew 13:5-6 describes a seed that sprouts too early in the shallow dirt and withers in the sun. This represents those who live in the realm of emotion—who are moved by spiritual things but are not truly changed. They are likely to abandon their faith the moment they face a trial. Adrian Rogers says, “Salvation is the deepest work of God; God doesn’t do the deepest work in the shallowest part.” There’s also the seed scattered among thorns that has no room to sprout. (See Matthew 3:7.) This represents those who want to add Jesus Christ onto their lives but aren’t willing to have their lives changed. They leave their rival crop undisturbed, giving Jesus no room. But thank God there is a fourth kind of soil: the one with no refusal—a heart wide open for the Word to take root. Apply it to your life Has God’s Word taken root in you? Are you scattering His Word among the soil? Don’t stop to test the soil—just scatter the seed.