The Christian Life: Is It Easy or Hard? - Nathan Rages

This sermon explores one basic question: Is the Christian life easy or is it hard?  The Bible teaches *both* concepts.  So how do we bring the two ideas together, reconcile them in our minds and apply them in our life? 

1. Scriptures for “Easy” 

   Matt. 11:28-30, 1John 5:3, Psalm 119:47,127

2. Scriptures for “Hard”

   Costly discipleship (Luke 9:23-24,57-58,18:22-23).

   Trials (1Peter 4:12, Acts 14:22).

   Fighting sin (Matt. 5:48, Gal. 5:17, 1Cor. 9:27).

   Persecution (2Tim. 3:12, John 15:19, 1Cor 4:10-13).

3. Scriptures about God’s grace making hard situations gloriously easy 

   Psalm 23:4,34:19,46:1, Isaiah 43:2, John 16:33, Rom. 8:35-37, 2Cor. 1:3-5,12:9-10

4. Our responsibilities:  

   Make sure that Christ is your Master. 

   Pursue close fellowship with God. 

   Embrace Bible promises.

   Cast anxieties upon the Lord.

   Rejoice always.

   Remember your justification. 

Receiving or Rejecting the Truth of God - Nathan Rages

In Luke 11:27-36 the Lord Jesus teaches about how people respond to the truth of God, either receiving it with faith or rejecting it in unbelief.  His teaching can be broken down into these four headings:

1. The blessing of ordinary Bible-centered Christianity (v27-28).

2. The wickedness of unbelievers demanding more evidence (v16,29-30).

3. The judgment coming upon those unbelievers (v31-32).

4. The gateway for receiving truth into ourselves (v33-36).

Running the Race With Endurance - Richard Hamilton

Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-13 pictures the Christian life as a long distance race, providing many practical applications for us. 

1. The Cloud of Witnesses Who Encourage Us (v1).

2. The Weights and Sins That Hinder Us (v1).

3. The Savior Who Strengthens Us (v2).

4. The Call to Renew and Strengthen Ourselves and Others (v12-13).

Satan is Strong but Christ is Stronger! - Nathan Rages

In Luke 11:14-26 the Lord Jesus casts out a demon and then gives teaching regarding the demonic realm.  The passage can be summarized in these five principles:

1. Jesus was horribly slandered (v15).

2. Disunity destroys (v17-18).

3. Satan is strong, but Christ is stronger (v20-22).

4. There’s no neutrality regarding Christ (v23).

5. Reformation without regeneration is disaster (v24-26).

Keys to Powerful Praying - Nathan Rages

Luke chapter 11 begins with Jesus' teaching about prayer.  First He addresses the *content* of our prayers in the first four verses (covered in sermons the last two Sundays), then in v5-13 Jesus gives a series of strong encouragements for us to JUST DO IT -- to pray frequently, boldly, and with great confidence in the efficacy of our prayers: 

1. Ask with bold persistence (v5-8).

2. Believe God’s great promises (v9-10).

3. Rest in the Father’s generosity (v11-13). 

Jesus, How Should I Pray? (Part 2) - James Voon

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives His disciples a simple model for the content of our prayers.  The first part of the model prayer is directed toward God's concerns while the second part is about our own concerns.  

This "Part 2" of the exposition focuses on asking God to do three things for us: 

1. Provide: Give us this day our daily bread.

2. Pardon: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

3. Protect: Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Jesus, How Should I Pray? - James Voon

In Luke 11:1-4 and Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives His disciples a simple model for the content of our prayers.  This message examines, line-by-line, how to apply the first part of this prayer to our own praying:

1. Our Father who is in heaven, 

2. Hallowed be Your name. 

3. Your kingdom come. 

4. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Choosing The One Thing Necessary - Nathan Rages

Luke 10:38-42 gives a brief account of sisters Martha and Mary and their interactions with Jesus in their home.  The story has these four elements:

1. Differences between believers (v38-41).

2. Doubting Jesus’ care (v40).

3. Distraction by lesser things (v40,41).

4. Devotion to Christ and His words (v39,42).

The Good Samaritan - Nathan Rages

Luke 10:25-37 contains the familiar parable known as the Good Samaritan, which can be applied to ourselves in these five lessons:  

1. Be ready to answer the “eternal life” question (v25).

2. Point people to the Scriptures (v26).

3. Realize God’s righteous standard is impossibly high (v27-29).

4. Accept that your “neighbor” includes all kinds of people (v33).

5. Expect this neighbor-loving lifestyle to be costly (v34-37).

Why Jesus Rejoiced - Nathan Rages

Luke 10:21-24 is the only place in the Gospels where Jesus is described as rejoicing, so this message includes some discussion of Jesus' joy and then explores the reasons why He was rejoicing:

1. Reasons Jesus rejoiced:

     Because God is sovereign over who gets saved (v21-22).

     Because salvation is for unintelligent people (v21).

2. Reasons we should rejoice:

     Because Christ has all the resources we need (v22).

     Because truth is now much clearer (v23-24).   

The Seventy Evangelists - Nathan Rages

Luke chapter 10 begins with the account of Jesus sending out the Seventy Evangelists.  Because His instructions to them are so similar to those given to the 12 Apostles in chapter 9, this sermon focuses on the four items that are *different* in Luke 10:

1. The solution for an evangelist shortage (v2).  

2. The judgment upon Gospel rejecters (v12-16).

3. The authority we have over demons (v17-19).

4. The reason for our rejoicing (v20).

Are You a True Disciple of Jesus? - Nathan Rages

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus has brief conversations with three men desiring to become His followers.  In each case, Jesus' pointed words test the man's commitment to Him.  The sermon discusses six lessons that we can learn from the passage:

1. The Christian life has real difficulties.

2. Christ must be our supreme priority.  

3. Our commitment must continue to the end.

4. We dare not make uninformed “converts”.

5. The number of true disciples is small.

6. Whatever the cost, Christ still deserves our all.

Learning from the Apostles' Failings - Nathan Rages

Luke 9:46-56 has three brief stories describing the sinful failures of the apostles and Jesus' words of correction.  Sadly, all three of these problems have continued among Christians to the present day and are likely to be an issue at times for each believer.  Here's the outline:

1. Problem:    Competitive Pride (v46).

    Correction:  Imitate the example of children (v47-48).

2. Problem:   Narrow Exclusivity (v49).

   Correction:  Appreciate our true allies (v50).

3. Problem:   Harsh Vengeance (v51-54).

   Correction: Mercifully desire others’ salvation (v55-56).

Robert Hamilton Ordination Sermons

At the ordination of Robert Hamilton as a new pastor at Redeeming Grace Church, there were sermons delivered by Nathan Rages (from 2Timothy 2:3-10) and by Robert (from Exodus 18). 

Handling Our Conscience Differences - Nathan Rages

In this follow-up to last week's message about "Keeping a Clear Conscience", we consider five principles for navigating the challenges of interaction with Christians whose consciences differ from ours in certain areas: 

1. Distinguish differences of conscience from bigger issues. (Matt. 23:24, 1Cor. 15:3-4, Gal. 1:8)

2. Think and act graciously toward differing brethren. (Rom. 14:1-6)

3. Never cause a brother to violate his conscience. (Rom. 14:13-15,20-21, 1Cor. 8:9-13)

4. Give up your rights when love requires it. (Rom. 15:1-3, 1Cor. 9:19-23)

5. Celebrate our unity in the biggest things. (Rom. 14:17,15:5-7)

Keep a Clear Conscience - Nathan Rages

Our conscience is the internal moral monitor hard-wired into every human by the Creator.  This sermon explores eight questions about our conscience:

1. What is it? (Rom. 2:14-15)

2. How does it change at conversion? (Heb. 9:14,10:22, Rom. 9:1)

3. Is it always accurate? (Acts 23:1, Rom. 14)

4. Should you always obey it? (Rom. 14:22-23, 1Tim. 1:19)

5. Can it be damaged? (Matt. 23:24, Col. 2:16-18, 1Tim. 4:2)

6. Can it be re-calibrated? (Acts 10:12-15, 2Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 5:14)

7. Is it possible to keep it clear? (2Tim. 1:3, Heb. 13:18, 1Pet. 3:16, 1Tim. 1:5,3:8-9, Rom. 14:22)

8. How can that “clearness” be maintained? (Acts 24:16, 1John 1:5-9, Rom. 13:5, Matt. 5:23-24)