Pastor Ed Smith sermons

Romans Sermon 6 - Justification By Faith Alone

Can you work your way to Heaven?  Is it possible to do enough good to repay all the bad you did?  Can you repay your sin with righteous acts of labor?  Or maybe, can you sacrifice everything you have and live by weeds and water and earn your way to eternal life?

The answer is crystal clear in Romans.  The Great Apostle Paul says absolutely not, you cannot work your way into Heaven.  No matter how good, how righteous or that your Daddy is a preacher....none of that matters when it comes to our guilt of sin.

But, the Good News is the HOPE of the Gospel.  Because Christ died for us, we have the FREE GIFT of salvation here and now and the promise of eternal life when this lifetime has ended.

Pastor Ed digs into Romans chapter 4 in today's podcast.

 

The Jews, The Law, God and Us - Romans series #5

Strong words from the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 2.  "

"You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Is it your fault that the Name of Christ is being blasphemed among the people?  Do you obey the laws that you say you understand?  Are you guilty of being a hypocrite?  A Christian in name only?

That is the subject the Great Apostle Paul addresses in today's portion of the Book of Romans.  Pastor Ed takes a deep look at sincere Christian living versus hypocrisy.

The Wrath of God, part 2 - Romans Series, sermon #4

Many people actually believe that God is so “loving” that He will overlook our “little faults,” “lapses” and “indiscretions.” Little white lies, cheating on the tax return, stealing that pen by “forgetting” to return it to its rightful owner, even after we realize we did it, or secretly viewing pornography—these are little sins, as we call them; and we think they are not worthy of death, right?

The problem is that sin is sin, big or small – it doesn’t matter.  God considers all sin to be sin.  And, even though God loves us, His holiness is such that He cannot live with evil. The prophet Habakkuk describes God this way: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong” (Habakkuk 1:13). God does not ignore our sin. On the contrary, “you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).  

Even those “secret sins” we hide in the recesses of our hearts will one day be brought to light: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

Today, Pastor Ed moves into part 2 of the sermon "The Wrath of God."  Paul made it abundantly clear that sin has consequences.  Join us in today's podcast and learn what God really thinks of your "little sins."

Romans Series - Sermon #3 - The Wrath of God (part 1 of 2)

The wrath of God.  We don't hear much about that these days.  Many preachers and Christians prefer the stories and sermons about the love of God and the Grace of God and the Mercy of God, etc.  But, God's wrath against those who live in bondage to sin is real!  The great Apostle Paul described God's wrath in Romans chapter 1, and Pastor Ed will dive head-on into God's Wrath; and how to escape it.

Part one of two parts on the Wrath of God.  Here on today's podcast!

Romans series, sermon 2 - There is dynamate power in the Hope of the Gospel

Dynamite.  Composed of Nitroglycerin soaked in a soft, absorbent material such as sawdust and sealed in a cardboard tube with a small blasting cap and a fuse at one end, dynamite is a great tool, but it can blast things that should never be blasted if used incorrectly.  Using it properly, you can eliminate stumps after trees are cut or make a hole in a rock wall where one is needed. 

Did you ever think of the act of your own conversion to Christ as "dynamite?"  The Greek word for "power" in verse 16 is "dunamis," the word from which we get the English word "dynamite."  The next time you sing "There's Power in the Blood," now you have a new perspective!  God's salvation can save and recreate a life that is so deep in sin they can't see the light of day.  God can reach down into the pits of hell on earth and pull a lost soul out and save him from eternal punishment!  There really is POWER in the Blood of Christ!

Catch this episode as Pastor Ed continues with sermon 2 in our series in Romans.

A Study of the Book of Romans, Part 1, Introduction

The apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is the longest of his letters and is brimming with his exhilarating captivation with the Hope of the Gospel of Yeshua, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Romans can be seen as an epic in one sense, not just because of its length but because of its breadth and sweep.

Who better to share the details of the plan of salvation than the former Saul of Tarsus?  The man who once persecuted and put to death anyone who was a follower of Yeshua.  His dramatic conversion to Christ on the road to Damascus opened his eyes wide to see the truth that was missing in the world as the Holy Spirit gave him utterance to write this Letter to the Christians in Rome….first to the Messianic Jews and then to the Gentiles in Rome.

One thing is for certain.  No person who reads and allows God to speak to him through these Divine writings can come away without knowledge of the following things:

• God loves you. He loved you enough to die for you and provide the Plan of Salvation through His Son, Yeshua; the Lord Jesus Christ
• God has a plan for your life. You were not saved to sit on the sidelines and watch the world go by.  God has a purpose for you that He established from the foundation of the world.  He never changed His mind; although we change ours way too often.
• Understanding Christian Doctrine is vital to the life of a Christian for if we are uneducated as to what God did, we will miss His best blessings.
• We can understand that God didn’t abolish the Old Testament Law and that His Word still stands. The New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament.
• And, perhaps the most important of all; we can understand what God’s Grace is all about by studying the Book of Romans.

Without a doubt, Romans will prove to be an exciting Bible Study!  Join us today and for the next several weeks as we explore the Apostle Paul's writings to the Messianic Jews and the Gentiles living in Rome!

God will make our trials a blessing; always.

It's a wonderful song written by our good friend, Terry Tidwell and performed by the McKamey's.  The song stirs our soul as we hear those lyrics that say, "God will make this trial a blessing."

Trials and tribulations are a part of life, especially in the lives of those who follow Yeshua, Jesus Christ the Lord! God never promised a life without trials; in fact, He spoke of the tribulations we would face.

But, He also said that "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  Knowing that, in the face of death God is with us and He comforts us and guides us. 

When God does turn that trial into a blessing, it is the most wonderful thing a human being can experience because we see the depths of despair and watch as God lifts us out of the pit and puts us back on the mountaintop again!

Listen as Pastor Ed elaborates on this wonderful message today.

A Ragtime Band and a Fiery Furnace

Who is in charge of your life?  You?  God?  satan?  Someone else?

Often in our Christian lives, we are forced to do things we don't like, but that doesn't mean that we have to like it or that we have to go along with it.

On today's message, Pastor Ed delves into the subject of Kicking the devil out of your life.  Three companions of Daniel had refused to bow to the large statue of a pagan god that Nebuchadnezzar had built on the plains of Dura.  This enraged the king, who had them thrown into a hot, burning furnace.

Just before throwing them in, however, the King gave them one more chance to bow, and they again refused.  This made the King so mad that he had the furnace fired seven times hotter than before and threw them into the flames.

Hear the rest of the story, and a wonderful clip from "War Room," the movie featuring Priscilla Shirer who plays a lady with marriage problems.  Listen in as this wonderful woman kicks satan out of her home and her life on today's podcast.

We should follow her example!!

Credits:

Title of the message and podcast inspired by Chuck Swindoll from his study on Daniel.

War Room rights owned by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment;

 

Esther Finale, part 11 - Celebrating the Joy of Your Salvation

What do you think of when you hear the word "holiday" or "celebration?"

What do you celebrate?

Do you celebrate your "Spiritual Birthday," that is to say, the anniversary of your accepting Christ as Lord and Savior?

No?

Perhaps you should.

Today, Pastor Ed finishes the series on the Book of Esther as we find the Jews rejoicing over their victory over those in the Kingdom of Persia who would have killed them, except that God intervened.

Before their salvation from annihilation, the Jews were sorrowful and without hope, scared and cowered in ;the corners of their homes in fear for their lives.

Then, they fasted and prayed.

And, God heard their prayers.  They won the battle because of God's amazing presence and the power of His Word!

Now, every kid, young and old in the land wants to have a party!  Celebrate your own personal holiday today and learn how the Jews still celebrate this victory all these years later on today's podcast.

Esther Part 10 - Dealing with Destruction and Devastation in the Bible

Two decrees had been put into effect in the Persian Empire under King Xerxes.  One was instituted by wicked Haman declaring all Jews in the land were to be exterminated on a single day about a year from the day the decree was issued.

But, Haman got what was coming to him because of the faithfulness of Esther and Mordecai who had been fasting and praying, along with every Jew in Persia asking God to grant favor to Queen Esther when she came unannounced into the King's throne room.  She had risked her life knowing that the King had to raise his scepter, granting her favor as she came in unannounced.

God answered and Esther was given honor.  After two meals and a thorough buttering up, Xerxes had Haman impaled on a pole he'd set up to trick the King into killing Mordecai.

Now, Mordecai, being second in command in the Kingdom and taking Haman's place was allowed to make a new decree.  He was not permitted to cancel Haman's decree, but he instituted one of his own allowing the Jews to amass weapons and to fight back on the same day they were to be assassinated.

The Jews won the war, but thousands lost their lives in the process.

Why would God permit such an atrocity? 

Learn the answers to this and other probing questions on today's podcast!

Esther Part 9: Dealing with Injustice in the Bible

The most unfair, unjust and pathetically wrong thing that has ever happened to mankind happened on the Cross of Yeshua, Jesus Christ our Savior.

The One who did no wrong had his life unjustly taken from Him.

The One who never sinned was killed for sinners to pay THEIR penalty for sin.

The One who was totally innocent was put to death after a guilty verdict in a framed courtroom.

It's Unfair, you say.  Yes, many things in our lives are unfair.  But, what do we do when injustice comes our way? 

Christ was silent on the Cross except to say the now famous things He said just before He died.  In His silence, God was honored and man was forgiven.

All of mankind are under the edict of the punishment for sin and owe a sin debt we can't pay.  Only Christ could have paid our debt.

Unfair?  Yes, it is unfair; but aren't you glad He died for you and me? 

Today in part 9 of our Esther series, we'll take a closer look at dealing with injustice in the Bible.

You don't want to miss this great message!

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Sermon excerpt:

I asked for strength and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity and God gave me brawn and brain to work. 

I asked for courage and God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love and God gave me troubled people to help…

I asked God for good health and He gave me 25 years of heart disease and second stage bladder cancer, then He brought me through it all and blessed me for it.

My prayers were answered.:

Today's message from Esther in part 8 of our series is "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Christmas Day Message -- Wise Men Still Seek the Messiah

It's Christmas Day!  Today we celebrate God becoming a man and walking among us.  On that wonderful day, Mary gave birth to a new baby boy and placed Him in a manger wrapped in nothing but rags.

Today, over 2000 years since this event took place, the Messiah has come into hearts and changed lives....and He has changed our eternal destination, most importantly.

Because He came then, we can go to Him now.  Wise men today still seek the Messiah.  Find Him as your Lord and Savior today.

Catch Pastor Ed's powerful message entitled "Wise Men Still Seek the Messiah."

Emmanual, God with us

Today, we take a Christmas break from our series on Esther.  We'll pick up with sermon #8, the Lord willing, on the January 1 podcast.

Meantime, today, Pastor Ed brings the first of two special Christmas messages. Today, we delve into the idea that God Himself became a man.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God was made incarnate in the flesh.  That means, He came to us.  Aren't you glad He still comes?

Catch today's podcast on "Emmanual, God With Us."

The Esther Series, part 7 - ”Humility or Humiliation, a look at what pride costs”

Have you Ever have a week you aren’t particularly proud of?  You know, one of thse weeks when you failed at a great many things….you didn’t pray – you didn’t read your Bible.
You were unkind to your family.
You lost your patience with someone you have been trying to help and they got irritated at you and walked out.
Perhaps you had to apologize because you said something something stupid and hurt somebody?
You blew your diet and failed to exercise, and this morning you stepped up on the scales only to realize you’d put on 4 pounds this week rather than lose weight.
Ever had one of those weeks, and then wake up and realize that you’re preaching on humility?
Today's passage in Esther makes some of my weeks make more sense – as this message on "Humility or Humiliation" will tell us.  Pride goes before a fall, and one of the characters in our story of Esther fell hard because of his stubborn pride.

Catch the balance of the story in today's podcast!

Esther Series, Sermon #6, “Living for God in a Godless Culture”

Quite often, so-called “celebrity pastors” work hard to get people to look at them, notice them, celebrate them, quite often to the ignoring of celebrating our salvation and the God we love and serve.   As Christian leaders, our job is to promote Christ, but too many pastors in this modern-day American Christian culture, they get caught up in the promotion of self.

As Christians, each of us should be committed to making disciples, to the training and preparation of Christians to go out into the world and reach the lost for Christ.

Today, we’ll see this scenario play out as we come to part #6 in our series in Esther.

That's the discussion on today's podcast as Pastor Ed continues with the Esther series.  It's Esther sermon series #6, "Living for God in a Godless Culture! 

 

The Esther Series, part 5 ”The view from Rock Bottom”

Recently, I heard a man talking about his path to sobriety.  He talked about hitting rock bottom (his lowest point along that journey).  He told about one time when he passed out on the couch and his 7 year old daughter came to wake him up…he was drunk and he fell and broke some of his ribs.

Laying on the ground looking up into his daughter’s eyes, broken, humiliated…right then and there, he knew something had to change.

We’re going to see something happening  of a similar nature with Mordecai…

After hiding his Jewish heritage and insisting Esther do likewise, he had taken a stand that had cost him a threat from Haman to kill all Jews on a given day almost a year in the future.  Now, Mordecai had to deal with his sin...and the threat to exterminate the Jews.

Find out what happens on Part 5 of our Esther sermon series today!

The Esther Series, part 4 ”A Wicked Plot to Kill God’s People”

When Goldie was 13, in March 1943, she and her older sister were grabbed off the street by the Nazis to be sent to a forced labor camp. Her father was able to bribe the authorities to release his daughters, but when they got to the gate to be freed, a senior Nazi SS officer said to her father, “Two sisters? Only one may go, you must choose!” With her father unable to choose, Goldie volunteered to stay and for her sister to go home.

 

Persecution is alive and well on planet earth.  The national day of prayer for the persecuted Church was earlier this month.  This sermon was the topic of the day; and it goes right along with Esther as the "plot to kill God's people" was unveiled by wicked Haman and King Xerxes.  

Catch today's podcast for the message today!

 

The Esther Series, part 3 - ”Take A Stand”

When someone is being treated wrongly, we should take a stand for them because it is the right thing to do – even if the person we stand for is a wicked and evil person.  Just imagine where you and I would be if Jesus only helped those who “deserve” it, but He didn’t take you up into his arms because you were living in sin when you needed Him so badly.

 History offers examples of Godly people who took a stand for those who may seem like they didn’t deserve it:

-In Genesis, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt where he worked as a slave.  Joseph was eventually sent to prison.

Many years later, during a famine, his brothers come to Egypt in dire need of food.

How did Joseph respond?...

He could have retaliated and sought to repay the evil they’d heaped upon him, instead, he showed grace, compassion, and forgiveness.   He even wept for joy and provided his family everything they needed.

He did it because it was the right thing to do.  In today’s message, Mordecai finally does the right thing and stops an assignation plot against the evil king.

Catch today’s exciting message, part 3 in our series on Esther, For Such a Time as This.

Esther Part 2; Surprise Endings

Esther Part 2

Esther was a woman who lived in the world, experienced the life as a slave and then a queen.  But, down in her heart she never forgot that she was God's child.  Her heart for the Lord and the fact that Mordechai told her that she was put there as queen "for such a time as this."  

God has raised up YOU "for such a time as this."   The question is, will your heart for God or your desire for the world drive you in making the choice as to which one to follow?  Your choice will lead you to victory or to ruin.

Pastor Ed dives into the second sermon in the Esther Series "For Such a Time as This"