Celebration Church Int'l Celebration Church

Apologia: Defending the Faith 🔥He emphasized that you have a ministry in the body of Christ and you must find your own calling.Here are points to note from the sermon:- It takes a level of investment to defend the faith. 1pet 3:18.- The word “Apologia” means to give a defense and defend the faith- You must not have a bias against defense.As believers, why Apologetics:- It is necessary.- It is important for evangelism. Rev 1:17-18.- It is important for worship. It is not worship to make Jesus common: 1 Pet 3:15.- It is a matter of life and death.

 

How to know a disciple of Jesus- Who you listen to- Who you shunChrist died for the gospel and you must believe in your life that the message is important. ✨If you love the Lord, there is always something to do. As you step out this week, preach the gospel to someone.😃

Sealed: No confidence in the flesh”. 🔥🔥He emphasized that as believers we have a lot of glory that the world doesn’t recognize. Rom 8:18-20Here are some key points to note from the sermon;• The riches we have in Christ are so grandiose, they can’t be compared.• ⁠The man in Christ is so special that God takes everything that is done to you personally.• ⁠We have been circumcised with the circumcision that was not made with hands.• ⁠Biblical Circumcision is different from the circumcision done to men.

 

Biblical circumcision represents three things:1. Identification. (Gen 17:9-14)2. Promise.3. Protection.The church should walk in the consciousness of this “touch not” mark they have.We are marked and we must recognize that we have a divine difference in us.Circumcision applies to you too. Even if people can’t see it, there is a radical difference about you. If Cain had a ‘touch not’ mark, so do you!Walk in the confidence of your protection in Christ today!🥳🥳

Contending for the faith 🔥🔥

He emphasized that as believers, we must be ready to contend for the faith that was once delivered unto us. Jude 1:3.

We were made to understand that there is an opposition and we (the Church) will be vehemently opposed, hence fighting is okay.

Here are some key points to note from this sermon;

- For the gospel to prevail, you must be willing to fight for it.- ⁠To contend for the faith, you must be open to opposition.- ⁠The devil tries to deceive the believer into thinking that it is a sin to fight for what you believe.- ⁠A Church that does not contend will die.- ⁠As long as you’re getting it right, there will be opponents.

 

Three strategies the devil uses against the church;

1. He gaslights Christians into believing that they shouldn’t have a voice.2. He abuses the Church.3. He deploys means to exterminate the Church of God.

It was further emphasized that contention also involves spiritual discernment.

Every aspect of Christianity will take contention. In evangelism, in discipleship, and spirituality.

Believers must be discerning of the fact that the devil is behind every war against the church, and recognize that there are spirit entities working behind the scenes.

Finally, Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:11-12, that it is something to be happy about when persecuted, and for us to rejoice! And this indeed is our response🥳🥳

We need to have a positive mentality, in spite of any negative event because God will always come through.

As believers, our convictions should be based on the word of God, we know that all things are working together for our good. Romans 8:28

Sometimes, you are angry about the outcome of a situation, not knowing that you dodged a bullet, and God saved your life.

Abraham understood this, and it was his mentality even when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. He knew that if God wants to take Isaac, he has plans to raise him up. Genesis 22:2, Hebrews 11:17-19.

God is not in support of bad, but in spite of the bad, God can bring out good.

We don’t always know it as we should and in the present, it may seem difficult, but we know that all things work together for our good.

It takes confidence to trust in the plan of Jesus.

Two instances in the Bible that point to the redemptive work of Christ:📍The story of Jonah in the belly of the fish.

📍The call for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to God.

The Way: Singularity of the Faith 🔥 Jude 1:3He emphasized that every great encounter with God recorded in the Bible points to Christ. He used the story of Noah as an example.Here are some key points to note:• The destruction of the world in Noah’s day was a prophecy of the destruction of the world at the end of time. 2 Peter 1:2• Noah told the people to get into the ark but they did not understand the prophecy at that time. 2pet 2:5.• The ark was a prophetic metaphor of salvation. The ark saved people from God’s wrath.• There was no function of control on the ark, meaning salvation is by God alone and we have no contribution.• The ark was covered in pitch(bitumen) which prevented rain from getting into it. Gen 6:14 Job 33:24•The ark had just one door, just like Christ is the way. Rev 3:20

 

Today, there are different things done to kick Jesus out of the church:- Suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Rom1:18.- False doctrines: We must take our doctrines seriously as salvation is by believing not by praying.It is important to know that the happenings in the Old Testament was a pattern showing what will happen in the end time. Heb8:1.

Pendulum 🔥There is a kind of devotion we should have for the ministry of souls. 🔥Here are some key points to note from the sermon:- By our efforts, people should be able to tell the value of what we are gunning for.- In our devotion to ministry, we must preach like we are up against something.- Ministry is warfare and not something to be done casually.- There is nothing outside the word of God that is relevant to our salvation.- When we become spiritually mature, we would be harder to deceive.- It takes war for the truth to become popular and to gain ascendancy. 2 Tim 4:7- When it comes to the things of God, it's noteworthy that there is no perfect vessel, everyone is flawed.

 

We must learn to test all things and hold on to what is true. God wants a generation that will not tolerate mediocrity.