Brooklyn Tabernacle - Audio Sermons Feed

Instant gratification. We’ve all given into it—temptation, harsh words, cheating. But it costs us. We lose out with God. Esau learned this when he gave up a beautiful spiritual blessing for a single meal. “Don’t be godless like Esau,” the writer of Hebrews tells us. Let’s value spiritual realities over immediate satisfaction.

Are you fearful? Anxious? Unsettled? Jesus offers us a peace that no one can take away. We think, “It’s just a little unsettledness. It’s no big deal.” But God says “Be anxious for nothing.” We don’t have to fight for God’s peace. We just need to take command of our hearts and turn from our troubles to God’s faithfulness. It will restore peace and joy to our souls.

Have you ever met a bitter person? Angry. Accusing. Playing the blame game. Every one of us could be bitter about something—but we don’t have to be. We have Jesus. Let’s make sure “that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15). God’s grace can keep us sweet.

“Make every effort,” the writer of Hebrews says, “to be holy.” But wait a minute. We can’t be holy in our own effort. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the only One who can make us like Christ. But we aren’t to sit back and say, “It’s a done deal.” Like the apostle Paul, we should “press on” to be more like Jesus every day.

Many Christians are anxious about the future. Our culture has drastically changed, rejecting God’s authority and glorifying sex, money, and power. But God tells us what He told the Jews who were exiled in Babylon: “I have plans to give you a future and a hope.” It may look like Babylon is winning, but we can be faithful, fruitful, and full of hope in the victory of God that's sure to come.

Hebrews tells us, “Make every effort to live at peace with everyone.” There is no such thing as a healthy fighting Christian. We should do whatever we can to live at peace with people, even those who disagree with us or we think are in the wrong. May God help us to avoid contention like the plague so that we can be more like Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Sometimes we run the race of faith with a limp. That’s why the writer of Hebrews tells us to take stock of our lives: where are we lame or weak? We should pinpoint the spot, then strengthen ourselves in God! We’ve got a race to run. Let’s throw off self-pity and be healed so that we can run with endurance.

When our parents disciplined us, it wasn’t pleasant, especially if we got a spanking. But it taught us right from wrong. It’s the same with God’s discipline. When we submit to the Lord in the disappointments and hardships of life, God will train us by them—and produce in us a harvest of righteousness and peace.

Nothing will change our cities and bring a harvest of souls except an outpouring of the Spirit of God. But it has to start with a spirit of supplication, or prayer, on God’s people. When God visits His people, we will want to pray, have to pray, like people did in past revivals in America, Ireland, Scotland. May the Spirit rest on us so that we may encounter the living God and be set on fire by Him.

The Christian church in America today has lost the message of holiness. People make light of the things of God. But God wants us to be partakers of His holiness. The culture says, “I’ve got to be me,” but Christianity says, “I’ve got to be like Christ.” Let’s embrace God’s discipline so that we, by His grace, can be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

We don’t like hardship. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us that God uses hard times in our lives to discipline us. An intelligent son realizes, “Dad’s disciplining me because he loves me.” Everything God does is for our good, even the spankings and corrections. Let’s receive God’s discipline so that we can really live.

When we love someone, we want them to love us back. It’s no different for Jesus. One family in the Bible especially loved the Lord—Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. That’s why going to their home was so special for Him. Do we love Jesus? Let’s see how Martha’s service for Jesus, Lazarus’s communion with Jesus, and Mary’s worship of Jesus can encourage us to love Him even more.

In Hebrews 12:5 we find a strange “word of encouragement”: “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline.” In our narcissistic society, that doesn’t sound like encouragement. But it is. Discipline is proof that God loves us. A wise person takes the rebuke of the Lord; a fool fights against it. Let’s receive hardship as God’s correction—and proof of His love.

The more like Jesus we become, the harder things will be. The spirit of antichrist in this world picks up the scent of Christ that we carry and says, “I hate that.” But when Satan comes at us with a one-two punch, let’s consider what Jesus went through so that we won’t grow weary and lose heart. Christ died for us; He loves us. He’s going to help us.

Jesus suffered. So will we. But Jesus knew how to handle the pain He endured: He looked ahead to the joy before Him. He knew that His suffering would end—and that the reward would be worth it. No matter what we suffer in Christ—hardship, disappointment, temptation, onslaughts of Satan—let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. He rejoiced. So can we. It will be worth it all.

Do you need more of God’s power to live a life that glorifies Jesus and draws people to Him? We don’t get it by being tough. We get it by dying to self. In our weakness, God’s grace is enough—and His power is made perfect in us. As we get to the end of ourselves, we’ll begin to live—and the power of God in us will draw others to Jesus Christ.

What are you going through today? Problems, anxiety, heartache? Fix your eyes on Jesus. Not only is He the originator of faith, but He also helps us in our own races of faith. He knows that we can’t do anything on our own, and He helps us as we’re running our long marathons. Whatever your need, you can trust God to help you today.

We’re not the first people ever to believe. Think of it: we’re successors in the school of faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Samuel. That’s why Hebrews tells us, “The great men and women of faith went this way first. Remember what you’re part of! Throw off everything that hinders you, and run with perseverance.” Let’s keep running the race today.

We’re in a race. And Hebrews 12:1 tells us to run our race “with perseverance.” Not only that, but we also have to stay on the course “marked out for us.” Are you running on the track God wants you on? Or are you fighting cultural, political, racial, financial wars? We need to run with perseverance, and we need to stay on track—in the race of faith.

A lot of people don’t like the word “sin.” It’s negative. But Christians have to deal with this issue, because Hebrews tells us to throw off “the sin that so easily entangles.” Jesus didn’t save us so we would put up with sin but so we would overcome! Let’s pray and root for each other to avoid sin at all costs—by the grace of God.

Do you have a listening heart? We need ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to us. We don’t add to Bible revelation; the canon of Scripture is closed. But the Spirit is still speaking today—guiding us, encouraging us, making His Word real to us. The Lord has a timely word for us in our times of need, but we have to be listening.

Ever tried to run with a ten-pound weight on your back? It slows you down. That’s why the writer of Hebrews told us to throw off “everything that hinders.” Whatever slows us down—staring at our phones, binge-watching a show, getting likes on social media—let’s throw it off. We need endurance. Let’s get in shape spiritually.

Too many Christians today have lost sight of heaven. They’re earthly minded. But the real reward of faith is not here on earth. How could it be when some of the heroes of faith were sawn in two, or beaten half to death, or lived in holes in the ground? No, our reward is in heaven. God’s got something better for us than anything on this earth.

God doesn’t live in a building. He lives in His people, both collectively and individually. But Satan attacks, seducing people through false teaching and inciting division in the church. That’s why God has given us gatekeepers to protect His temple. Let’s discern God’s Word and keep out of the church all that would contaminate the people of God.

There’s a dichotomy in faith. Sometimes it delivers, and sometimes it says, “You’re going to go through a rough patch, but hold on. Keep your testimony. Keep believing. Your reward will be greater on the other side.” Yes, things are hard, but it’s not the end of the world. Let’s not fear when difficult times come. Our citizenship is in heaven, and it’s a lot better there than anything we have here.

Too many of us quake when we’re challenged about being a Christian. “Well, I go to church, but I’m really not into it that much.” But the heroes of Hebrews 11 faced “jeers and flogging, chains and imprisonment,” and they stood—by faith. Let’s stand for the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. He’s watching, and we will get our reward.

Have you ever heard a preacher say, “Just have faith, and you’ll never have trouble”? The Bible says the opposite. Faith is a mystery. Sometimes we’re delivered from trials—and sometimes we’re strengthened in our trials. Let’s not be knocked down by persecution. Let’s be strong in faith, like the Old Testament saints were. Our real hope is in heaven.

Before He left the earth, Jesus told His disciples, “Tell people about Me. That’s your mission.” Where were they to start? At home. It’s hard to talk about missions around the world if we don’t start right where we live. But they couldn’t do this without power—and neither can we. Let’s ask God to fill us with His Spirit so that we can be His witnesses, starting at home and then to the ends of the earth.

Do you believe in miracles? Jesus said, “Only believe. All things are possible,” and no scripture says that He’s changed that. In Hebrews 11, “women received back their dead.” It’s rare, and God is sovereign over healing, yet He calls us to believe. Or maybe you have a son or daughter who is dead in sin. God can save them. Let’s draw a line in the sand and believe the Lord to raise our children to life.

We never know what God can do until we step out by faith into battle. The Old Testament heroes of the faith became powerful, where? “In battle.” They trusted God for victory and said, “Let’s go face this.” What battles does the Lord want you to fight in ministry, in your family, in His calling on your life? Let’s find out how powerful God will be when we face them in faith.

Jesus is coming back, and when He does, He will ask each of us one question: “What did you do with the gift that I gave you?” We all have different gifts. But t’s not how much we have; it’s what we do with what we have. Let’s not be lazy for Jesus, like the servant who buried his gift in the ground. Let’s use what we have for the Lord and hear Him say, “Good job, faithful servant!”

God loves to take weak people and make them strong. How? By faith. We’re all weak. But when Satan berates us and says, “How can you live for God? That habit is too strong. You don’t know enough verses. How will you stand for Christ in that job when people mock you?” we can go to God and say, “God, You love to turn weakness into strength. By faith, I trust in You.” God will make us strong.

What mountain are you facing today? The Old Testament men and women of faith conquered kingdoms—not by weapons but by faith. For those kingdoms that have to come down in front of us today, let’s not feel sorry for ourselves, complain, give way to anxiety. Let’s face the challenges and trust God. Faith is the victory. It overcomes the world, conquers kingdoms, and gets what’s promised.

Nobody’s perfect. Not even the Old Testament people God commended in Hebrews 11—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah. But God so honors faith that He mentioned these people by name. What an encouragement to us. So we’ve failed. So we haven’t had faith. We can overcome our failures and obstacles—not by trying harder but by faith. With God nothing is impossible. Let’s try Him, and we’ll see.

We don’t like the “s” word: suffering. But James makes it clear that suffering comes to all of us. Here’s the good news: every problem has a purpose behind it. God uses our difficulties to develop our maturity. Like Joseph, in our suffering we can say to the enemy, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”

What honors God? Not perfection. Rahab, a prostitute, was honored by God. Why? She risked her life to side with the Israelites—by faith. If God was honored by perfect holiness, who would He honor? We’re all sinners. Rahab had some things to straighten out, but she dared to stand by faith. Let’s be courageous and stand for Jesus today. Faith always has its reward.

Sometimes walking by faith means doing things that don’t make sense. God told Joshua, “March around Jericho silently for seven days. Then blow the trumpets and shout!” The people must have wondered how in the world that would give them victory. But they did it by faith. Has God asked you to do something that you don’t understand? Walk by faith and not by sight.

Are you discouraged, thinking that God doesn’t care about your need? Too often we lose our grip on faith, but Jesus empathizes with weaknesses! The enemy wants to steal God’s blessing on our lives, but we need to fight back by approaching God’s throne of grace. What’s your need today? Don’t lose your grip. God has enough power to move the mountains in your life.

Maybe today you are facing a Red Sea. It’s scary, yet you hear God saying, “Move on. Go! Trust Me.” But those walls of water on either side! Will they crash down? We want a guarantee that God will take us safely through, but He says, “March! Go forward by faith.” Don’t panic; keep your eyes on Jesus. The just shall live by faith.

Do you believe that Jesus’ blood is enough to cleanse you from your sin? When God told Moses to put the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts to be saved from the death angel, he had to believe God. And by faith he obeyed. If you too believe God and apply Jesus’ blood to your heart and conscience, no judgment will come upon you, because Christ bore your judgment. Let’s do it today.

Moses saw the invisible. How? By faith. Too often we look at our deteriorating situations, and we get anxious and nervous and despairing. But when our hearts perceive God as His Word becomes alive in us, we see Jesus, and we know that we know that He is with us. Don’t look just at what you see physically. Look at God today, and see what He can do.

Maybe you struggle with some sin. You pray to change, but you still fail. What can you do? Fight! The enemy pounds us with lies, but God’s Word gives us the truth to combat those lies. Let’s get out of the try-fail-repent cycle and start fighting spiritually, unearthing the devil’s lies and acknowledging the truth of God’s Word that demolishes strongholds. Jesus will enable us to walk in victory.

The church today has lost its awareness of our glorious hope: Christ’s return and our going to heaven to be with Him. But Moses understood it, for Hebrews 11:26 says that “he was looking ahead to his reward.” He thought, “God has something better for me down the road, and I’m going to walk by faith, even if I suffer.” No hardship is worthy to be compared with the glory that God is preparing for us.

Identifying with Christ can mean difficulty. Are we willing for that? Moses was. By faith, he said, “No, I’m not Egyptian; I’m Hebrew,” even though it meant leaving the palace and joining the mistreated Israelites. But hardship is only for a season. Jesus is coming back to take us home! Let’s leave the pleasures of sin and identify with Jesus today.

Moses had it all. He was Pharaoh’s daughter’s son, after all. Then he realized, “Wait a minute. I’m a Hebrew.” So by faith he said, “I’m not identifying with what’s easy. I’m identifying with who I really am in God.” We Christians can be so tepid. Who are you—Democrat, Republican, white, black, southern, American? Or by faith will you boldly say, “No, I’m a Christian.” Let’s be courageous. Let’s walk by faith.

What did Jacob, Joseph, and Moses have in common? They were so sure of God’s promises that they acted in faith—even when the answers didn’t come until after they had died! When the invisible promises of God are made real to our hearts, and we know with absolute surety what God has said, we act on those promises. Let’s believe God with all our hearts and then do what He tells us to do.

Some of us don’t believe that God can reveal anything—and our church services reflect it. But just as God revealed blessings to Isaac, and Isaac spoke them over his sons by faith, so the Lord will speak to us too by His Spirit. We don’t want fake emotionalism, but we do want the faith that the Holy Spirit wants to create in us. Let’s expect God to bring the supernatural to bear in our daily living.

We go to church; we read our Bibles; we pray. But in Psalm 50, we find out that even when we’re doing all the right things, God still calls us to account sometimes. Why? Because we forget to thank Him. God judges His people and says, “Don’t just give Me your regular routine. Sacrifice thank offerings to Me!” Let’s thank God every day, every hour, for every single thing He does for us.