Eagle's Landing Sermons Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church

“I have said these things to you, that you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
— John 16:33

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”
— Romans 4:19-21

How Do I Trust in God?

1. Find rest in the character of God.

“O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?”
— Psalm 89:8

God’s promises always carry greater weight than human logic.

The character of God is always reliable.

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
— Numbers 23:19


2. Remember God’s faithfulness is for His glory and your good.

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God…”
— Romans 4:20

Our trust and God’s glory go together.

Anxiety is rooted in trying to avoid suffering.


3. Replace your fears with faith.

Faith and fear cannot coexist.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
— Isaiah 26:3


4. Take one step at a time.

In the Christian life, understanding does not proceed obedience, obedience proceeds understanding.


5. Focus on God’s work in you, not the result.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
— James 4:8

Your current circumstance is not intended to push you out, but to draw you closer to the King.

Abraham was confident that if God had called him to it, God would bring him through it.

“Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
— Genesis 22:12

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.’ But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.”
— Hebrews 8:1–7


1. We can trust in Jesus, our great high priest.

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.”
— Hebrews 8:1–3


2. We have unlimited access to God through Jesus.

“Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ‘See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.’ But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.”
— Hebrews 8:4–6


3. We enjoy the reunion of God and man in the new covenant.

“For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says:‘Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.’In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
— Hebrews 8:7–13


The New Covenant is for you

The New Covenant is for us

The New Covenant is for the nations

To stand strong through spiritual warfare, we must have the right strategy.


“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
— Ephesians 6:10–20


How can we stand strong through spiritual warfare?

1. Plan for the Right Battle (vs. 10–12)


“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
— Ephesians 6:10–12


2. Put on the Right Armor (vs. 13–17)

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”
— Ephesians 6:13–17


3. Persevere in the Right Posture (vs. 18–20)

“…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…”
— Ephesians 6:18–19

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
— Romans 12:10

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
— 1 John 4:19-21

1. Love is a Battle of Motivation.

“We love because he first loved us.”
— 1 John 4:19

The love of God for us awakens our love for one another.

“God…because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
— Ephesians 2:4-5

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
— Romans 8:1-2


2. Love is a Battle of Hypocrisy.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
— 1 John 4:20

To love God and not love your brother is to live a lie.

“The reason we do not love others in the way that we should is because we do not love God in the way that we claim.”
— Paul Tripp


3. Love is a Battle of Deception.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
— 1 John 4:20

The truest measure of the quality of your love for God is seen in the way you love others.


4. Love is a Battle of Submission.

“And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
— 1 John 4:21

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
— Romans 12:10

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
— 1 John 4:10-12


1. Love Defined.

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
— 1 John 4:10

“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23

“For God so loved the world that He sent His One and Only Son…”
— John 3:16

“…the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23

Love is defined by the cross of Christ.

2. Love’s Design.

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
— 1 John 4:11

What does the love of Jesus look like?
(*Adopted from a list by Paul Tripp.)
1. The love of Jesus is a committed love.
2. The love of Jesus comes from a willing heart.
3. The love of Jesus is deeply forgiving.

“We don’t love the way Jesus called us to love because we aren’t willing to forgive the way Jesus has forgiven. And so, we carry thoughts of condemnation; we rehearse people’s failures in our heads; we keep record of wrongs. In moments of gossip, we share the sin and failure of someone with somebody else. Listen! It’s very hard to move lovingly towards someone you are, at that moment, condemning.”
– Paul Tripp

4. The love of Jesus is unrelenting.
5. The love of Jesus is incarnational.

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
— 1 John 4:12

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
— Romans 12:10

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”
— 1 John 4:7–9

1. The Call to Love

“Beloved, let us love one another….”
— 1 John 4:7a

The call to love is central to the life of a child of God.

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers…”
— 1 John 3:14

2. The Source of Love

“…for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
— 1 John 4:7b-8

Follow what John is saying:
- God is love.
- Those who know God are His children.
- God’s children take on His nature.
- Therefore, God’s children will love like God loves.

“…for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
— 1 John 4:7b


“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
— Galatians 2:20

“Love is from God the way heat is from fire, or the way light is from the sun. Love belongs to God’s nature. It’s woven into what he is. It’s part of what it means to be God. The sun gives light because it is light. And fire gives heat because it is heat. So John’s point is that in the new birth, this aspect of the divine nature becomes part of who you are. The new birth is the imparting to you of divine life, and an indispensable part of that life is love. God’s nature is love, and in the new birth that nature becomes part of who you are.…”
— John Piper, “The New Birth Produces Love”

3. The Manifestation of Love

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”
— 1 John 4:9

“God demonstrated His love in this, while we were sinners Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8

This text is about being so deeply transformed by the love of God within that we live the supernatural love of God without.

“By this all men will know you are my disciples because of your love for one another.”
— John 13:35