Joy N. Elias: Recent Episodes
Joy Elias
The Gospel rests on the good news that Jesus Christ has accomplished everything necessary for salvation. This is reassuring to all believers; however. it is not meant to be a license to be spiritually inactive. We must participate in the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we grow spiritually and expand His Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Spiritual laziness displeases God and there will be consequences. Isaiah 5:1-7
If you want the best results in any undertaking, you will have to give your best. Moreover, half-hearted efforts yield mediocre results; so it is better to either give your best or not give at all. This principle is true even for your walk with Jesus Christ. The Lord wants your best or nothing at all. Jesus Christ wants to be the number one priority in your life, or be nothing to you. So if we are going to be followers of Christ, then we must be willing to put everything below Him in priority. It's Christ or nothing.
How are we supposed to live in a relationship with God? For the psalmist, the answer is simple: delight in His word and reject wickedness. Delighting in God's word and living by it means that He will sustain you in all things. The Psalmist gives us three reasons why we are blessed if we delight in the Lord:
- Everlasting life and productivity
2. No condemnation or rejection away from God's people
3. God will uphold you
Psalm 1
The world we live in has adopted a pluralistic view of life where there are many answers to the fundamental questions of life, and all are considered equally right. Viewing truth as relative has become the mainstay of the modern global culture. However, the message of the Bible asserts truth as objective and grounded in the one true God. It can be very easy to fall for any new teaching thus subjecting oneself to the deceptions of this age. Followers of Jesus Christ must persevere in the faith by sticking to the core tenets of the Christian teaching and living lives of godliness which are marked by good works.
Now what better basis for perseverance in the faith is there than the very Gospel message we received? The Gospel tells us that it is God who chose us for salvation and sanctified us to holiness when we believed. If God started this good work, then it is work that is of utmost importance in all that we do, that is why we must persevere in the faith. The Gospel is the means that God initiates our faith, maintains our faith, and provides us with a future hope for our faith.
Problems, challenges, and trials make up some of the most painful and dark periods in our lives. Living through them is agonizing and remembering them may be something we quickly eschew. But I want to encourage you to see problems, challenges, and trials as good and necessary experiences in your life. The Psalmist went as far as praising God for putting him through suffering. God uses affliction in the process of sanctification to refine us more into the image of Jesus Christ.
a. Change your attitude toward trials
b. Praise God for trials. God is good in the trials
c. Trials drive you closer to God through His Word
d. Faithfulness to God is based on obedience to His Word
e. Trials should not be a temptation to sin but an opportunity to be faithful to God
Ps 119:65-72
Living in a materialistic culture, we often judge someone's value to our society based on their material success. A person is afforded more respect and recognition as he or she climbs up the social ladder and attains more worldly feats. Business success, big houses, luxurious cars, prestigious jobs, fame, and many material possessions are often the indicators for success and/or having value in this world. Though the culture has taught us to think this way, Jesus Christ contends that what brings value to one's life is God's honor. When one serves God, that person is building up for themselves riches in heaven. Hence, God's approval is more valuable than any approval or material thing the world can give to us. Moreover, the things of this world are passing away whilst heavenly riches will last forever. Consequently, we must have an eternal perspective in all matters pertaining to life.
Often when we face troubles, we pray to God for help. Whilst crying to the Lord for deliverance is a good thing, we, however, have to understand that He provides relief in order to get us back on track on the things that He wants us to be busy with. God is not a means to an end, but the ends itself. Therefore, when God delivers us, He does so for the purposes of His greater agenda.
When troubles in life seem overwhelming, it is possible to be driven by anxiety into things that are not God's will for us. Troubles, temptations, and trials can get the better of us at times. Instead of increasing our faith, they reduce it. Abram had such an encounter early in his faith journey. In fact, he failed this test of faith. However, we see that despite Abram's failure, God had a sure plan for His life, and that was not about to change. Here we see God's love and determination to fulfill His plan of redemption on full display as He removes Abram from the place of disobedience to the place of obedience. Genesis 12:10-13:4
There is a global frenzy for insights on leadership. It seems to be that leadership is very marketable for book sales and other media avenues. However, while many are hooked on the leadership craze, the Bible has much to say to followers. Hebrews 13:17 is one such passage that puts things into perspective. Christianity recognizes that, for the success of the Body of Christ, following is just as important as leading.
This was the very first sermon I preached. I delivered it in my senior year at Bible College.