God raised from the dead our Lord Jesus
Our great Shepherd is with us each day
God’s Law is written deep within us
May God equip us to walk His way
Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son
This exhortation may we receive
Look to Jesus as we run our race
Jesus is better – may we believe
And let us walk in His saving grace
(Repeat Chorus)
© 2023 Brian J. Mikul
(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)
Do not follow strange, diverse doctrines
That subtract from or add to Jesus
He died to cleanse us from all our sins
He’s all we need – just stick with Jesus
Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son
Behold the sacrifice of Jesus
For Him will we gladly do the same?
He has prepared a city for us
So to all do good and praise His name
(Repeat Chorus)
© 2023 Brian J. Mikul
(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)
I finished preaching a series in March called “The Truths We Hold Dear.” We were looking at core Biblical doctrines that the church believes. Here is the sermon on the Holy Spirit which fits well with Pentecost Sunday this week:
Spring is here! Temperatures are rising. The sun is shining. Trees are budding. Flowers are blooming. New life is popping out everywhere after a long, cold, lonely, weary winter.
And Jesus came to offer us our own personal Spring, to give us new life in Him.
After a weary winter of personal sin and guilt, Jesus offers us a new life with all of our sins and guilt washed away.
After a lonely winter separated from God, Jesus offers us a new life with a loving relationship with Himself.
After a cold winter of cold hearts towards Him and others, Jesus offers us a new life with warm and loving hearts towards Him and others.
After a long winter of suffering and trials, Jesus will one day offer us a new life with no more suffering, no more death, no more tears. He will make all things new! Spring will be eternal!
As Spring appears all around us, may we remember and rejoice in the Spring Jesus came to give us.
We must run with endurance this race
With faith in God and His promises
Trusting God daily, we’ll keep the pace
Resting each hour in His faithfulness
Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son
We must run this race with endurance
Looking ahead to the finish line
Laying aside ev’ry hinderance
Entangling sin that would slow, confine
(Repeat Chorus)
We must this race with endurance run
Gaze on the cross and His suffering
He looked to the future joy and won
We follow Him, our Savior and King
(Repeat Chorus)
© 2023 Brian J. Mikul
(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)
By faith, we are saved from all our sins
There is no longer judgment to fear
Through His death Jesus our pardon wins
Fully forgiven, we now draw near
Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son
By faith, we follow our Lord always
Trusting Him through the good and the bad
He is with us to help us each day
One day we’ll rise, be forever glad
(Repeat Chorus)
© 2023 Brian J. Mikul
(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)
I just finished preaching a series called “The Truths We Hold Dear.” We were looking at core Biblical doctrines that the church believes. Here is the sermon on the salvation of Jesus (what His death and resurrection accomplished for us).
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:1-2 ESV)
In chapters 1-11 of Romans, Paul has labored to describe our great salvation, including God’s preserving love (ch8). Now therefore, in view of God’s amazing mercy, he tells us to live for God. With your body (v1) and mind (v2), follow Christ. You have been saved by Christ, now serve Him. You don’t serve Him to earn your salvation, but because of it. You are preserved by God (ch8), so now persevere in your faith and walk with Christ.
It is so important that we get the order right. If we think that we must persevere to be preserved, that we must serve to stay saved, then we will slave away on a treadmill of good works trying to earn our continued salvation. But it works other way around. We are saved to serve. We are preserved to persevere. We follow Christ out of love for the one who loves us so much that He will never let us go.
Look long upon Christ. Rest in God your Savior. Keep your gaze set upon Him. Believe in Jesus. And then go forth each day as His servant following Him.
Motivated by God’s salvation for you, press on in your faith and walk with Christ.
In Christ, we become new creations, called and able to reject false desires.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(II Corinthians 5:17)
In Christ, God has made you new. Your old sinful way of life is gone. You have a new life in Christ, so you don’t have to follow false and deceptive desires. His Holy Spirit enables you to reject fleshly desires (Galatians 5:16). His grace trains you to reject worldly passions and live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life (Titus 2:11-12). In Christ, you can overcome.
Indeed, He calls and enables all of us to reject deceptive desires like lust, coveting, greed, gluttony, and selfishness. He calls and enables all of us to reject false feelings of hopelessness, despair, and worry. He calls and enables all of us to reject wrong self-perceptions of superiority, self-righteousness, and worthlessness.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2)
Instead of conforming to the false desires of our world, we are to renew our minds with God’s truth that we might discern what is good and follow that.
Rejecting false desires isn’t easy. God never said it would be. Indeed He tells us that it is a war:
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
(I Peter 2:11)
These false desires are at war with you to destroy you. We must fight. But God not only calls us, but also enables us, to reject false desires. May we live in His strength!
God’s judgment for our sins is coming
Believe God’s warning, your sins confess
Look to the cross now for your saving
Become a true heir of righteousness
Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son
Believe God’s promise of a city
Live by that faith and His Word obey
Go where He leads though you cannot see
Look to your hope as you live each day
(Repeat Chorus)
© 2023 Brian J. Mikul
(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)
Brian J. Mikul 