Preached on October 11, 2020 - Morning Service
By Pastor Godwyn Aguinaldo Main Text: Ephesians 5:1-10 KJV [1] Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; [2] And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. [3] But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; [4] Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. [5] For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [6] Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. [7] Be not ye therefore partakers with them. [8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: [9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) [10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. As Christians, we are expected to live a certain kind of life that is different from the world. Sadly, because of the corruption that there is in the world, the word "Christian" has already been polluted by the testimonies of those who claim to be one. Other people are always looking at the way we live our lives, either to find faults in us or to follow us, that is why we must always be careful with the manner of living that is seen in us to keep our testimonies pure and acceptable to God. Just like how Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers to teach them how to live their lives, here are different kinds of walk that we must observe as believers of God. 1. A walk that works First, we are reminded that there is no amount of good works that can produce salvation. Before we walk with God, we must first be saved (by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ). Once we are saved, we are expected to produce unlimited amount of good works. Each one of us has a special work that God had appointed, therefore, we must deliver and produce what is expected of us by doing our best. Ephesians 2:10 KJV [10] Fore we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 2. A walk that is worthy Having been saved because God considered us in His kingdom, we must prove ourselves worthy to the Lord. We are to show that there is a change in our lives (2 Cor. 5:17), first spiritually, and eventually, in all the other aspects. Although we are all imperfect, we are expected to walk the talk. If we claim to be a believer and a follower of Christ, it must be manifested in us. Still, we have to remember that change is not an overnight thing, it may take time, and most definitely needs an effort from us to obey as the Holy Spirit works in us. Ephesians 4:1 KJV [1] I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. 3. A walk that is wholehearted As children of God, we are expected to walk and follow Him wholeheartedly. We cannot say that we believe in God and live a life that does not reflect Him. When we say that we follow God, we must also surrender our hearts to Him completely. Fully trusting the Lord that He will shape us and change the way we talk, act, and think. If we want to show that Christ rules our hearts, there must be a difference between us and the non-believers (2 Cor. 6:14). Ephesians 4:17 KJV [17] This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 4. A walk that is wonderful The way we live our lives must please the Lord. Pleasing the Lord requires our faith and service. Like what we are always told, serving the Lord is a privilege. Living a life that is serving and sacrificial to God brings us joy and peace that nothing in this world can amount to. In order to have a walk that is wonderful, me must also learn how to obey. Obedience to God allows us to be favorable and acceptable unto Him. Ephesians 5:2 KJV [2] And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 5. A walk that is wise Since we are believers who live in this world, we must walk wisely everyday. We must be conscious and aware because the enemy is just around (1 Peter 5:8). The closer we are to God, the more that the devil tempts us to turn our back from the Lord. But we need not to worry because all we have to do is to have faith and hold onto it. Ephesians 5:15 KJV [15] See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 6. A walk that witnesses Finally, as followers of Christ, we must walk a walk that witnesses. As the world is filled with darkness of sin, we must let our light shine, having God as the source of our light (Matt. 5:16). Soulwinning in one of the most important works that God has set for us to do. Therefore, we also have a great responsibility to turn away from darkness and overpower it. By simply doing good works, by sharing our testimony, and by helping our brethren, we become a blessing to other people as we walk as the children of light. Ephesians 5:8 KJV [8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: /written and published by: Em Gacad
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Preached on January 30, 2022 - Morning Service
By Pastor Godwyn Aguinaldo Main Text: Mark 4:35-41 KJV [35] And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. [36] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. [37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. [38] And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? [39] And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [40] And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? [41] And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Key Texts: Psalm 103:14, Job 14:1, Ecclessiastes 2:23, Galatians 6:7, Hebrews 4:15-16 A common illustration used by pastors in describing problems and discouragement is a storm. This is a natural phenomenon that we do not have control of, much like the problems we face. And like our problems, we can only anticipate and prepare for a storm depending on how strong we are before it hits us. This featured preaching aims to prepare us to be strong and clinging on the right anchor as we anticipate an approaching storm. The main text in Mark begins during the time when Jesus taught the people by the sea side. When evening came, He instructed the disciples to have them pass over to the other side of the sea of Galilee. And while they were passing the sea along with other small ships, a storm hit them, almost capsizing the boat. Fearing for their lives, the disciples called on to the Lord Jesus who was sleeping on the other end of the boat. The Lord calmed the storm and the sea immediately and asked the disciples about their lack of faith. We, Christians, can certainly understand the fear that the disciples felt during an actual storm. We definitely fear a lot of things especially when we are in the midst of the storm of problems and disappointments. There are a lot of uncertainties. Like the disciples, we feel hopeless and immediately thought of just being swayed by our own storms. This featured preaching gives us 3 points to consider regarding the storm which can be applicable to us whether or not we are experiencing one today. A. Power of the storm (v. 37) The storm will always be sudden and unannounced. We can never predict when or even anticipate the power of the storms we are going to experience. By this time, we all know this from past experiences. A storm never announces itself and we should always expect one. The Bible tells us in Job 14:1 and Ecclessiastes 2:23 that men are full of trouble. While we journey in this world, we will surely experience a storm of problems and disappointments. However, there are also times where we should know and expect one. Especially when we did something wrong in God’s presence. We know that a chastisement of the Lord comes in the form of problems. We should also examine ourselves to determine if we can be the source of the storm. Remember that we cannot escape God’s chastisement. We ought to reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). B. The Problem of the storm (v. 38) The power and suddenness of the storm created a problem within the disciples. They believed that they were hopeless and incapable of going through. They were stuck in the middle of the sea thinking they had nothing to turn to. They forgot Who was with them. The problem always lies in the hearts of the disciples. They were not ready and attentive of the situation. The disciples who were physically with the Lord Jesus Christ panicked because of a storm. How do we think we would fare with the same odds? The problem of the storm started when the disciples doubted God which we are usually guilty of. The question they asked in verse 38 should remind us of how we sometimes think and tell God the same thing: Master, carest thou not that we perish?. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us to never doubt the all powerful God who we are serving because He is always full of grace and mercy. He is able, He can and He will. C. The Purpose of the storm (vv. 39-41) While the thought of going through a storm sounds terrifying, we should ultimately avoid the mistakes of the disciples in our main text. We have a personal relationship with the Lord. I remember this specific part of the preaching where our Pastor emphasized the privilege we have. The disciples were sailing with small ships. They are no different than them except for the most important thing: the disciples are with the Lord. Shouldn’t we be celebrating knowing that even if we are in the midst of a storm, we have the great Anchor to hold onto? All those little ships around them might have the best reasons to be terrified. But the disciples and us Christians shouldn’t. Inside our personal ship is the Lord Jesus Christ who can calm the storms and take us further than what we are capable of. The disciples forgot that they had all they needed in that boat. May we also be reminded of the very same thing. Let us make sure that the Lord is on our ship before, during and after our storms. /written by: Kevin Sanchez /published by: Em Gacad Preached on June 12, 2022
By Pastor Godwyn Aguinaldo Main text: Psalms 1 KJV [1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. [3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. [4] The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. [5] Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. [6] For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Godliness might be one of the topics that do not regularly cross our minds. After all, we might be busy on other things that are more of our priority. We can safely say that this is a character we thought would be trivial, something that should be default as Christians. This message challenges us to reexamine ourselves to see how truly Godly we have been. Can we confidently say that we are Godly by the Biblical standard? Or perhaps there is a greater argument against us that we may have been complacent of this character? The first chapter of Psalms paints two different pictures of a Godly and an ungodly person. The psalmist immediately provides the characters that define the Godly man. A Godly man does not walk with the ungodly, a clear distinction that was reiterated in 2 Corinthians 6:14. As children of God, we are expected to be different from the children of this world. We should not be enjoying the same things the sinners would enjoy. This was more emphasized in the description that the Godly man does not stand or participate in the ways of this world that is full of sin. We had already left those things behind when we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As God’s children, our delight should clearly be in the law of the Lord as the psalmist continues. Everything we do should be aimed for the Lord’s glory and His glory alone. This gives us the avenue to evaluate our intentions and motivations in almost everything we are doing at this point. Are we giving God the glory He deserves in our activities or even in our dreams? We are now given the chance to realign ourselves to God’s will and glory. But how can we know God’s will? It is only by meditating on His Words day and night, listening to His voice. In this way, we can be aligned to God’s will and make sure that we are serving Him properly in all aspects of our life. On the other side, we are given a clear description of how the ungodly very much differs. The psalmist puts it concisely in the phrase like a chaff easily driven away. This represents the flow of the sinful world. If we find ourselves being driven easily by the wiles of the world, then we should know that we are living an ungodly life. The prize of being ungodly is not worth it as the psalmist ends the chapter with a warning that the way of the ungodly shall surely perish. There is no reward nor satisfaction in living the ungodly life. However, the Lord promises prosperity to the Godly which was likened to the trees planted by the rivers of water. The Godly shall surely be fruitful and prosperous because they follow the simple instructions laid out by the psalmist in this chapter. Being Godly should not be difficult for us Christians as it only requires being aligned to God’s will and not ours. Let us be reminded by this message to be more sensitive to His will in order for us to live a Godly life, a life well pleasing to the Lord. /written by: Kevin Sanchez /published by: Em Gacad Preached on July 13, 2022
By Pastor Godwyn Aguinaldo Main Text: Luke 4:27 KJV [27] And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Key Text: 2 Kings 5:1-14 KJV [1] Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. [2] And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. [3] And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. [4] And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. [5] And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. [6] And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. [7] And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. [8] And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. [9] So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. [10] And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. [11] But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. [12] Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. [13] And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? [14] Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Whether we admit it or not, we always had a big recurring problem with obedience. The problem has always been rooted with our desire to do what we wanted to do regardless if it pleases the Lord or not. The life of Naaman was used here to illustrate how we should approach obedience and find the blessing in obeying God. Let us examine the life of this Aramean-Syrian general who found God’s favor because of his act of obedience. Our main text can be found in Luke where the author is emphasizing the magnitude of the miracle that happened to Naaman in the Old Testament. Many lepers were mentioned in the Bible dating back to the times of Moses. They were even given specific instructions back then to separate themselves from the crowd because of their uncleanliness (Leviticus 13). During this time, there is no cure yet to heal leprosy. This was the exact predicament that Naaman found himself in 2 Kings 5. Naaman was described as honorable and a mighty man of valor (2 Kings 5:1). But he found no console nor cure for his leprosy. The Lord used his Israelite maiden to lead him to the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 5:3-4). After some events that somehow derailed his path to Elisha, finally Naaman reached the prophet’s location. But instead of healing him face to face as Naaman expected, Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman to wash himself 7 times in the Jordan river (2 Kings 5:10). Instead of being relieved to receive an answer in the form of an instruction, Naaman became angry and murmured of the apparent uncleanliness of the river he was being sent to (2 Kings 5:11). This might sound familiar to all of us. We received an instruction from the Lord, whether in the form of our personal devotion, preaching or even a testimony. And instead of being happy to receive the Word, we murmur and complain because either we do not want to follow or the instruction does not make sense. Naaman has a point to make. He wants to be cleansed but he was sent to a dirty river. This is often our response to any instruction from the Lord. We complain that it is too difficult nor does it make sense. We react the same way Naaman did. But in this message, we can also learn from Naaman. The turning point of his predicament is when his servants calmed him down and told him, “what is the harm in obeying the prophet of God?” (2 Kings 5:13). A seed of faith was planted in Naaman and he started to obey and dipped himself in the river seven times. After obeying the same instruction he just complained about, he was described to have the skin of a newborn (2 Kings 5:14). The blessing that Naaman received due to obedience started with a little seed of faith. It does not take much from us to follow God if we are just willing. The same author of our main text perfectly encapsulates this message in Luke 17:6. A seed of faith the size of a mustard seed is exactly what we need to pluck a tree or even move mountains (Matthew 21:21). If we can start planting our mustard seeds of faith now, what more can we achieve? Imagine the blessings that we should be reaping now. It is also significant that the Bible used a Syrian general to portray the blessing of obedience. If the Lord can bless a person who is not even His child, how much more can He bless us, His children? We are servants of the living God. If we can just imprint this fact in our hearts and minds, we will never disobey God. There are certainly blessings in obedience and the Bible has a lot of evidence to prove that. Are you ready to obey and claim them? /written by: Kevin Sanchez /published by: Raphael Pacheco |