Chita Baptist Church

The sermon centers on the profound truth that God's nature is love, and His redemptive work in Christ calls for a reciprocal love from His people. Drawing from Ephesians, 1 John, and the Song of Solomon, it emphasizes that the church is the beloved bride of Christ, called out of the world to a life of devotion, purity, and unity. The love of God, demonstrated in Christ's sacrifice, is the foundation of all Christian relationships—within marriage, the church, and with one another—and demands a response of selfless service, humility, and spiritual renewal. The message calls believers to leave behind worldly distractions, cultivate inner stillness, and live in continual communion with God, knowing that true life is found in loving Him because He first loved us. Ultimately, the church is being sanctified and prepared as a glorious, spotless bride, destined for eternal union with Christ, a reality that shapes both present devotion and future hope.

The sermon centers on the peril of unbelief and the necessity of trusting God amid trials, drawing from Israel's failure to enter the Promised Land due to fear. It emphasizes that complaining and doubting God's provision are forms of limiting Him, contrary to the faith exemplified by Joshua and Caleb, who trusted God's promises despite overwhelming odds. Through Scripture—from Psalm 78, Jeremiah 17, and Proverbs 16—the message calls believers to abandon reliance on the 'arm of the flesh' and instead commit their lives to God, trusting that His mercy endures forever and His power is sufficient. The preacher urges a life of intentional faith, marked by prayer, surrender, and the peace that comes from dwelling in God's love, where fear is cast out and confidence in God's sovereignty replaces anxiety. Ultimately, the call is to live in the 'large place' of divine security, knowing that with God, nothing is impossible, and to be a people whose lives reflect the unshakable hope of His presence and provision.

This sermon, drawn from Psalm 78, delivers a powerful call to faithfulness and generational discipleship, warning against the recurring pattern of Israel's rebellion—forgetting God's mighty works, murmuring in the wilderness, and ultimately limiting the Holy One of Israel. Through vivid retellings of Israel's history, the preacher underscores how God's mercy endured despite repeated unfaithfulness, yet the consequences of hardened hearts and spiritual complacency were severe, culminating in divine judgment and exile. The central message is that true faith is not rooted in miraculous provision or temporary experiences, but in a transformed heart that trusts God's character and purposes, even when they defy human understanding. The sermon draws a compelling parallel to the life of John Newton, illustrating how early spiritual instruction, though seemingly lost in youth, can be resurrected by God's Spirit in moments of crisis, ultimately leading to profound conversion and service. The call is clear: believers must diligently teach the next generation the works of God, live in continual dependence on Him.

The psalmist's journey through deep despair, marked by sleepless nights, soul-wrenching questions, and a sense of divine abandonment, ultimately reveals a profound truth: even in the darkest moments, faith is not extinguished but engaged in a fierce, honest struggle. Though overwhelmed by doubt—questioning whether God has cast off His people, forgotten His mercy, or abandoned His promises—the psalmist finds his way back through deliberate remembrance of God's past faithfulness, particularly the mighty deliverances of Israel at the Red Sea and in the wilderness. This act of meditation and reflection, rooted in Scripture and the unchanging character of God, becomes the anchor of hope, transforming lament into praise. The sermon underscores that God's providence is best understood in retrospect, and that true comfort comes not from circumstances but from the eternal, unchanging nature of God, who remains faithful even when His ways are hidden. Ultimately, the believer is called to rest in God, to meditate on His works, and to trust that His mercy is everlasting, His strength sufficient, and His presence a table prepared even in the midst of enemies.

The sermon centers on the sovereignty of God as revealed in Romans 11:36—'For from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things'—emphasizing that God's control extends not only to the ultimate ends but also to the means by which those ends are achieved. It explores how God, as the divine Potter, shapes both vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath through specific, divinely ordered means, using even evil and human choices as instruments of His providential purposes without being the author of sin. Drawing from passages like 1 Kings 22, where God allows a deceiving spirit to influence prophets to fulfill His judgment on Ahab, the sermon affirms that God controls evil without causing it, using the natural inclinations and hardened hearts of individuals to bring about His righteous ends. It challenges the illusion of free will, arguing that human decisions are shaped by nature and circumstance, yet individuals remain fully responsible for their choices, as seen in the accountability of Pharaoh, Judas, and Ahab. Ultimately, the message calls believers to embrace God's sovereign hand in their lives, recognizing that trials and suffering are not random but part of a redemptive process that produces faith and endurance in the saved, while hardening the unrepentant, and calls for humble gratitude and personal responsibility in response to God's grace.

The sermon centers on the biblical doctrine of assurance, emphasizing that true believers are marked by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who bears witness with their spirit that they are children of God. Drawing from Romans 8, it affirms that salvation is a work of the entire Trinity—Father's predestination, Son's redemption, and Spirit's regeneration—while distinguishing between genuine faith and false assurance. The preacher outlines five types of people in the room, highlighting that even true Christians may struggle with assurance, yet the Spirit's internal testimony provides a sure foundation. Through personal stories and Scripture, the message calls the struggling soul to earnestly seek God through persistent prayer, faith, and repentance, trusting that a loving Father will grant the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Ultimately, assurance is not based on feelings or performance, but on the objective work of God in the heart, leading to a confident hope in eternal life with Christ.

The sermon centers on the sovereignty of God as the foundational truth governing creation, human destiny, and salvation, drawing primarily from Romans 9–11 to argue that divine election is not based on human merit, lineage, or works, but on God's sovereign choice and promise. It emphasizes that God's authority, ability, and purpose are absolute—illustrated through biblical examples like Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau—demonstrating that salvation is not earned but bestowed by grace through divine initiative. The preacher confronts the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility by affirming that God's justice is not compromised, even when His choices appear unjust from a human perspective, and that the ultimate purpose of both mercy and wrath is to display God's glory. Through the metaphor of the potter and clay, the sermon affirms that God has the right to shape humanity according to His will, using even the lives of those destined for destruction as instruments to reveal His power and mercy. Ultimately, the message is one of profound comfort and gratitude: believers are not saved by their own efforts but by God's eternal, purposeful design, and they are called to trust in His wisdom, sovereignty, and faithfulness to bring them to final glory.

The sermon presents a sober and urgent call for believers to recognize, resist, and remember their spiritual warfare against the devil, portrayed as a real, active, and deceptive adversary who prowls like a roaring lion. Drawing from 1 Peter 5:8–11, it emphasizes that the Christian's battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil, requiring vigilance, spiritual sobriety, and steadfast faith. The message underscores the necessity of diligent study of Christ, Scripture, one's own heart, and the enemy's strategies to avoid deception and spiritual defeat. It affirms that while the devil is real and relentless, he is ultimately defeated through Christ's victory, and believers are assured of God's grace to perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle them through suffering. The sermon concludes with a call to stand firm in faith, knowing that all believers are united in the same struggle and that God's power triumphs over evil, bringing glory to His eternal dominion.

The sermon delivers a sobering warning against spiritual apostasy, using Isaiah's prophecy of a diminished harvest and scattered gleanings to illustrate God's judgment on those who abandon Him for false securities. Central to the message is the recurring theme of 'strange slips'—human efforts, self-reliance, and worldly pursuits mistaken for faith—contrasted with the true, divinely ordained planting of the gospel, which bears fruit only through grace, not human effort. Drawing from Scripture, including Jeremiah's lament over Israel's idolatry and the tragic fate of Aaron's sons who offered strange fire, the preacher emphasizes that God demands exclusive devotion and warns against adding to or altering His revealed Word. The ultimate hope lies not in national Israel or earthly achievements, but in the church—the true Israel—where the mystery of God's eternal purpose in Christ is revealed and sustained by the Spirit, not human wisdom. The final call is to abandon all false refuges, trust in Christ as the sure foundation, and rest in His Word, which alone endures the coming flood of judgment.

The sermon centers on Psalm 73, illustrating how the psalmist's initial envy of the wicked's prosperity gives way to a profound spiritual awakening through divine guidance and the renewing of his mind. In the sanctuary and by the Word of God, he comes to see that true wealth is not found in earthly blessings but in God alone, who is the strength of his heart and his eternal portion. The preacher emphasizes that trials and suffering are not signs of divine abandonment but means by which God draws believers closer, proves their faith, and transforms their perspective. Drawing from Scripture, the message affirms the perseverance of the saints—God's faithfulness to keep His people, even when they stumble, because He is the unchanging source of life, glory, and ultimate joy. The call is to reject worldly values, be transformed by the renewing of the mind, and fix one's hope on Christ, the only true and lasting treasure, where all things are fulfilled in His eternal presence.

The sermon centers on the psalmist's struggle with the apparent prosperity of the wicked and the resulting crisis of faith, illustrating how doubt and despair can lead even believers to question God's fairness. Through the lens of Psalm 73, it emphasizes that true stability comes not from circumstances but from abiding in God's presence, where perspective is restored and faith is rekindled. The preacher underscores the necessity of standing firm on God's unchanging character—His goodness, faithfulness, and sovereign control—even amid suffering, using biblical examples like Job, Paul, and Peter to show that trials are not signs of abandonment but instruments of spiritual refinement. The message calls believers to resist the natural tendency to despair, to guard against spiritual complacency, and to rely on the shield of faith and the whole armor of God, especially in times of temptation and confusion. Ultimately, the sermon affirms that God remains faithful, holding believers by the hand, and that perseverance through trials leads to deeper trust, humility, and a transformed heart that finds peace in His sovereign will.

The sermon centers on Psalm 73, tracing the psalmist's journey from envy and despair over the apparent prosperity of the wicked to a profound reaffirmation of God's goodness and faithfulness. It explores the tension between outward circumstances and inward faith, emphasizing that true contentment comes not from material abundance but from resting in God's sovereignty and presence. The preacher underscores the danger of covetousness and the deceptive nature of worldly success, contrasting it with the enduring value of a clean heart and a life rooted in Christ. Drawing on Scripture, including Job, Paul, and Jesus' teachings, the message calls believers to trust God's timing, reject worldly comparisons, and find their identity and hope in Christ alone, even amid trials. Ultimately, the sermon affirms that God's goodness is not contingent on circumstances but is grounded in His unchanging character and redemptive purposes, leading to a life of peace, faith, and worship.