Graham Emmanuel Baptist Church Sermons

Stephen Angliss | When you expect an inheritance, it impacts how you live your life. The same is infinitely true for Christians. Even though they're exiles on this Earth, they have an inheritance in the world to come. What is that inheritance? And how should it impact Christians' current life? Join us in 1 Peter 1:4 to find out.

Stephen Angliss | Peter begins the body of his letter with a benediction, or a word of praise to God. Why should God be praised? There are infinite reasons, but here Peter gives two main reasons why God should be praised, both of which involve the life He gives. What should life look like for those who are in Christ? What does a new life in Christ tell us about who God is? Find out by joining us in 1 Peter 1:3.

Stephen Angliss | As Peter ends his greeting to the believers scattered in Asia Minor, he ends with a customary welcoming line full of spiritual wisdom. He wishes that believers will experience the multiplication of grace and peace in their lives. In this short salutation, Peter gives a helpful reflection of how Christians should desire the good of other Christians.

Stephen Angliss | In Peter's introduction to his letter, he gives in one single sentence an explanation of how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work together to bring about salvation. It is God who foreordains salvation, the Holy Spirit who applies salvation, but a saved life is a life that is to, for, and under Jesus Christ. Find out how the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross should guide and fuel every aspect of a believer's life.

Stephen Angliss | As Peter sends his greetings to the Christians in Asia Minor called to be God's elect exiles, in the following verse, he explains how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit each function to make a Christian an elect exile. In this sermon, Pastor Stephen will expound on the phrase “in sanctification of the Spirit” and explain how sanctification relates to salvation and the Holy Spirit's role in all believers' lives, enabling them to live as God's elect representatives as exiles on Earth.

Stephen Angliss | Now that Peter has greeted the Christians in Asia Minor and introduced himself to them, and now that he has established that they are elect exiles of God on Earth, Peter compels himself to explain the basis of God's election before he concludes his greeting. What is so important about God's election that Peter would choose to explain in the introduction of his letter? Join us to found out the basis for God choosing His people, and how that impacts the way His people live for Him.

Stephen Angliss | Peter was a chosen outcast writing to chosen outcasts. Peter was called by God to be an Apostle but also lived the life of an outsider due to his faith. The Christians that he is writing to are in the same situation. God has called them to be His people through faith in Jesus Christ, but the very faith that saves them is also the faith that sours them in the eyes of a secular world.

Stephen Angliss | As the movement of Christianity spreads across the Roman Empire, so too does the suffering Christians face for the name of Christ. By the twilight of Peter's life, thirties years since Christ's Ascension, tension in the Roman Empire against Christians has grown to levels never reached before, and soon after Peter writes his letter, the fire of Rome will break out, and Emperor Nero will begin torturing and executing Christians—including Peter himself. As the world darkens against Christianity, Peter writes to a far-off region in modern day Turkey where Christians face isolation and persecution for the faith. In his letter, he explains why their identity as elect exiles can motivate their life for the Lord amidst hardship. Join us as we begin our expository series in the letter of 1 Peter, and see how the life of Peter shaped him as an elect exile to encourage other elect exiles to follow Christ by faith in dark times.

Stephen Angliss | At the conclusion of Exodus, God dwells with His people in the Tabernacle as a result of His grace in response to their adultery, and in response to the faith which they showed through their obedience. As we end our expositional series on Exodus, we see how Exodus forms the bedrock of the entire story of the Bible, and how it outlines the Gospel narrative of how God saved a sinful people and dwelt with them. Join us to find out how Exodus should shape the way you view God, the Bible, and your walk with the Lord.

Stephen Angliss | The reality of everything that God has said and done hinges on the reality of the Resurrection. While many understand the purpose of Christ's death on the Cross to atone for sin, the specific purpose and function of the Resurrection may seem uncertain to them. When the Risen Lord first appears to Mary Magdalene, He does so in a way that outlines the specific accomplishments of the Resurrection. Join us in our study of Christ's interaction with Mary to better understand what He accomplished by coming back from the dead.

Stephen Angliss | After God showed His back to Moses, revealing His glory, and remaking the covenant which the Israelites had broken through the idolatry of the Golden Calf, Moses returns to the Israelites with a shining face. This moment is so important that the Apostle Paul references it as an analogy for Christians in the New Testament. What is the significance of Moses' shining face, and what does it mean for Christ-followers today? Join us in God's Word to find out.

Stephen Angliss | A covenant is a contract that creates a relationship. After rescuing Israel from Egypt, God established a relationship with them through a covenant He gave at Mount Sinai. After that covenant was broken, God mercifully gave it to Israel again. What does it look like to be God's people? What does God expect from those whom He saves and forgives? Join us in our expositional study of Exodus to discover what it looks like in daily life to be the people of God. 

Stephen Angliss | A covenant is a contract that creates a relationship. After rescuing Israel from Egypt, God established a relationship with them through a covenant He gave at Mount Sinai. After that covenant was broken, God mercifully gave it to Israel again. What does it look like to be God's people? What does God expect from those whom He saves and forgives? Join us in our expositional study of Exodus to discover what it looks like in daily life to be the people of God.

Stephen Angliss | What does it mean to be right with God? After the Israelites committed adultery against the Lord through the idolatry of the Golden Calf, they remained God's people, yet their relationship to Him was distant. After beholding God in all His mercy and justice, Moses asks God to renew His loving relationship with the Israelites. What that looks like will illustrate what a right relationship with God looks like through the Gospel, as well as with each other.

Stephen Angliss | Who is God? It's been said that everyone is a theologian because, right or wrong, everyone has a belief about God. In Exodus 34:1-9, God is going to reveal Himself to the world in an intimate way He had never done before, and to unveil the kind of God He is and how He must be acknowledged and worshipped as such. Join us in our pursuit of knowing God.

 Stephen Angliss | Who is God? It's been said that everyone is a theologian because, right or wrong, everyone has a belief about God. In Exodus 34:1-9, God is going to reveal Himself to the world in an intimate way He had never done before, and to unveil the kind of God He is and how He must be acknowledged and worshipped as such. Join us in our pursuit of knowing God. 

Stephen Angliss | Who is God? It's been said that everyone is a theologian because, right or wrong, everyone has a belief about God. In Exodus 34:1-9, God is going to reveal Himself to the world in an intimate way He had never done before, and to unveil the kind of God He is and how He must be acknowledged and worshipped as such. Join us in our pursuit of knowing God.

Stephen Angliss | What is the difference between a good relationship with God and a bad relationship with God? In Exodus 33, God outlines three kinds of relationships that all of humanity has had with Him: either a broken relationship, a right relationship, or a restored relationship. Which one are you? Join us in our expository study of Exodus 33:1-23 to find the details God gives of a right relationship with Him.

Stephen Angliss | Even though God relents from abandoning His people, He still brings them consequences for their sin of idolatry. How does one balance the difference between compassion and consequence, and what do consequences for sin teach us about God and the Gospel. Join us in our study of Exodus to find out.

Stephen Angliss | How should Christians respond when other Christians fail? In an American Christian culture where church-hopping is common, pastoral tenures are short, divorce is normalized, cutting off family members is encouraged, and protecting oneself from “toxic” people is encouraged, how should the people of God relate to other people of God when they sin? Join us as we study Moses' response to Israel's idolatry and how God triumphs when His people trust Him in trials.

Stephen Angliss | Are you committing adultery against God? The Israelites did so by worshiping a Golden Calf instead of the Lord. Today, many self-professed Christians do the same by giving their love and devotion to created things instead of the Creator. A life that honors God, glorifies Him, and enjoys Him is a life that by faith rejects the love affair of idols. What does that look like? Join us in our study of Scripture to find out.

Stephen Angliss | Churches are always developing new plans for what they think their church should be and do. The end of the year especially is a time when both churches and Christians reflect on their goals and plans for the future. But what is God's plan? In His Word, Christ lays out the means, purpose, and goal with which He builds His Church, including our local church. Join us to discover God's plan for Graham Emmanuel Baptist Church, and all churches.

Stephen Angliss | For the fourth time in Exodus, God teaches His people about the Sabbath. Not only was it the first of the Ten Commandments to be given (Ex. 16:33), but it is also the most repeated of the Ten Commandments in Exodus. Why? Because like circumcision, the Sabbath is one of the key signs of God's covenant with His people, and it beautifully illustrates the Gospel. Join us to find out why the Sabbath is a sign of salvation.

Stephen Angliss | As God completes His instructions on the Tabernacle, He does not leave it to His people to try to figure out how to build it on their own, but gives His Spirit on specific individuals whom He appointed to create the tabernacle with skill and in accordance to God's will so that He might dwell with His people. Join us to discover how this striking example of the giving of the Holy Spirit outlines the role of the Spirit in Christian's lives today. 

Stephen Angliss | As God completes His instructions on the Tabernacle, He does not leave it to His people to try to figure out how to build it on their own, but gives His Spirit on specific individuals whom He appointed to create the tabernacle with skill and in accordance to God's will so that He might dwell with His people. Join us to discover how this striking example of the giving of the Holy Spirit outlines the role of the Spirit in Christian's lives today.

Josh Cross | In a world marred by sin and suffering, becoming a follower of Christ is not to be considered a path of least resistance, but rather, a call to endurance. As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul understood the cost of the call and in this heartfelt epistle, looks to center and encourage Timothy in his efforts. As fellow believers, we should take the words of Paul to heart and be spurred on by them as we run the race toward the finish line.

Stephen Angliss | God is holy, meaning that to be with God, you must also be holy. What is necessary to make someone holy before God? The act of setting someone apart as holy—consecration—and the process of purifying someone as holy—sanctification—occur in two ways, illustrated in the bronze basin and the anointing oils. Join us to discover how God purifies and sets apart His people.

Stephen Angliss | It's been said that nothing is certain in life but death in taxes. Yet in Exodus 30, God will show how the paying of a tax will save His people from death, and in doing so, illustrate the work of Christ and the Gospel in paying the debt all people owe to God. Join us to understand a census points to salvation.

Stephen Angliss | If the Tabernacle is a blueprint for how to know God, then the golden altar of incense is an illustration of how to interact with the God that is known. If the Gospel provides a relationship with the Lord, then what does that relationship entail? Join us in our study of the Altar of Incense in Exodus 30:1-10 to discover biblical truths about how God can be known through prayer and praise.

Stephen Angliss | Not only does being God's representative require much sacrifice and grace in the life of a believer, it also results of much blessing. Join us for this final sermon in Exodus 29 to see what results from God consecrating sinners to be His saints.

Stephen Angliss | God calls all of His people to serve Him as priests to the world, but that doesn't mean they are qualified in themselves to be God's representatives — God must qualify them. Join us for the second installment of our study of Exodus 29 where God shows how He equips His priests through sacrifice.

Stephen Angliss | In order to be a priest, or a representative of God to the world, there is a long list of qualifications that only God can put on your life. Find out what those are and what it means to be God's priest today by joining us in Exodus 29:1-14.

Stephen Angliss | What enters one into a relationship with God? The Eastern Orthodox tradition holds that baptism brings someone into fellowship with God. The Bible says only faith can do that. Join us as we study Scripture to examine how one becomes a Christian and the proper role of Baptism in a believer's life.

Stephen Angliss | The Bible teaches that a Christian is only saved by grace through faith, not through their works, but only through God's gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. All false religions, particularly Eastern Orthodoxy, deny this Gospel, which is why it's crucial to look always to Scripture to understand how one can be made right with God. Join us as we continue to expose the lies of Eastern Orthodoxy with Scripture alone. 

Stephen Angliss | Paul describes Christ as the “icon” of the invisible God. Because of this, stemming back to the giving of the Ten Commandments, God has always forbidden people from worshipping through any physical images other than the ones He provides and prescribes. Join us in God's Word to discover why only Christ is worthy of worship and why worshipping God in any created thing is idolatry.   

Stephen Angliss | Part 2 of this three-part series examining the lies of Eastern Orthodoxy against Scripture focuses on the supremacy and centrality of Christ. There is no other mediator, intercessor, savior, or icon of worship other than Christ alone. Join us as we study God's Word and what it says about the importance of Christ.  

Stephen Angliss | Christ warned that in the last days many with itching ears would wander off into myths and accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Perhaps no myth exemplifies this more in our current age than Eastern Orthodoxy.  What should be made of Eastern Orthodoxy? Is it the true Church? Simply another form of Christianity? Or something else entirely? Join us Sunday at 9am & 10:30am for a message examining the falsehoods of Eastern Orthodoxy and discovering in Scripture how authentic, sincere, and intentional devotion to Christ can only be done according to His Word alone.

Stephen Angliss | In God's Instructions on the garments of the priests, He provides details that illustrate the kind of High Priest God is for His people, and also the kind of priests Christians should be as they represent Christ.  

As God nears the end of His instructions on the Tabernacle, He instructs Moses on who should be selected as priests, what they should wear, and what they should do. Because Jesus is now the Great High Priest, and because Christ has called His followers to be a kingdom of priests, what God says about the priests in Exodus illustrates what Christ has done for His people and what His people should do for Him.

Surrounding the Tent of Meeting, in which was found the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies, was a linen fence forming an outer courtyard around the tent. This outer part of the Tabernacle was where God's people gathered to worship Him. Join us in God's Word to discover how the courtyard of the Tabernacle provides a blueprint for what God expects of His people.

The Tabernacle complex was divided into two parts, the outer courtyard and the inner tent of meeting. How did one gain access from the outside to go inside? The answer: the bronze altar. Study God's Word with us to discover how the bronze altar illustrates how people outside of God in their sin can gain access to Him through surrender to the sacrifice.

The three most precious artifacts in the Tabernacle were the Ark of the Covenant, the Table for Bread, and the Lampstand, sometimes called the Menorah. All were made of gold, and all were near God's presence in the Holy of Holies. This is because each piece of furniture symbolizes a means by which God is present with His people. The Lampstand—a literal means of giving light—also symbolizes the many ways in which God reveals Himself to those who, by faith, follow Him. Join us to discover why God can only be known because He makes Himself knowable.

This Psalm of David teaches us how to pray when we feel distant from God as if we were at “the end of the earth”. When we feel distant from God, our hearts are “overwhelmed” with trouble, and our greatest need is God's presence. Our prayer for God's presence will be answered, and the basis of our expectation is the Gospel. We will pray expectantly for God's presence during troubled times because “the king” is the source of our “inheritance”.

The three most precious artifacts in the Tabernacle were the Ark of the Covenant, the Table for Bread, and the Lampstand, sometimes called the Menorah. All were made of gold, and all were near God's presence in the Holy of Holies. This is because each piece of furniture symbolizes a means by which God is present with His people. The Lampstand—a literal means of giving light—also symbolizes the many ways in which God reveals Himself to those who, by faith, follow Him. Join us to discover why God can only be known because He makes Himself knowable.

After the Ark of the Covenant, Scripture mentions the Table of Bread as the second most holy item in the Tabernacle. God doesn't need food, so how could something as simple as a table and bread be so important that it is placed closer to the Ark of the Covenant than any other thing in the Tabernacle? Find out why the Table of Bread is a shadow of greater spiritual truths the Bible reveals about how God provides for His people.

The Ark of the Covenant is more than a prop in a Hollywood movie. It was truly commanded by God and constructed by the Israelites as their most treasured earthly possession. With it, God brought down the walls of Jericho, divided the Jordan, and defeated the Philistines. But what makes the Ark of the Covenant so important? Find out why the Ark of the Covenant symbolizes the most important truths about God, and why it points us to worshipping God through Jesus Christ.

Now that the covenant between God and Israel has been confirmed, the time has come for it to be consummated. God is beginning the process of moving into the midst of His people, and by His grace, He chooses to allow Israel to be involved in this process. Instead of creating a dwelling place for Himself, God calls for His people to generously offer back what He has given them, in doing so, He creates a bond far greater than proximity to a tent could ever offer.

Life is full of contracts. Marriages, mortgages—even terms and conditions on a web page, all function as a contract. In the Bible, contracts were formed through covenant. A covenant was more than just an agreement; it was a mutual agreement that bonded two parties together in solemn relationship. Throughout Scripture, God has connected with His people in different dispensations through covenants, including with Christians today. In Exodus 24:1-18, as Moses comes off Mount Sinai with the Book of the Covenant, God confirms the covenant with His people and in doing so gives an outline of His covenant with Christians today.

What makes something worthy of obedience? Is it their authority? Their character? Their ability to cause harm? What about God? What makes Him worthy of obedience. At the conclusion of the Book of the Covenant where God expands on the Ten Commandments with laws about how His people can conduct themselves in a way that represents Him, God concludes with the promise to go before His people and bring them to the Promised Land. In all this, God shows why He and only He is worthy of worship.

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit and what kind of impact does this have in the life of the believer, especially amidst an unbelieving culture? The church of Ephesus during the time of the Apostles found itself in the midst of a culture that celebrated sin and self-indulgence. With many believers being new gentile converts, the challenges of living a new unified life in Christ were immense. In the same way, we find ourselves living in the midst of a culture that celebrates self and elevates the sinful desires of the flesh. Being filled with the Spirit spurs on the Christian towards desires that reflect a new life in Christ and help in the fight against the flesh.

What's the point of holidays? For Americans, holidays are chances to remember, reflect, and rejoice in what God has done for their country and the world. The same should be true for Christians. God's people should honor Him by remembering, reflecting on, and rejoicing in what God has done for them. In Exodus 23:10- 19, God called His people to celebrate Him by celebrating special days and feasts. Even though those feasts are no longer required under the New Covenant, join us to learn how believers should honor God by celebrating Him in their lives.