Sermon Series
Back to Basics
"Back to Basics, Building New Believers into Productive Disciplers." The intention is to put into your hands some basic lessons that you can use in the discipleship process.
Keeping the Unity of the Church 08/22/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Today, we live in a world that suffers so much pain and troubles because of all the walls people have built against one another. Sadly, people have allowed some of their inherent differences like race, language, culture, tradition, even gender to divide and separate them from each other. Because of this, our basic institutions and communities are weak and are struggling to survive. The reality is: everyone is suffering because of the lack of unity and cooperation in our society.
Preserving the Harvest 08/15/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. We always consider it as a great privilege whenever the Lord has used us to lead a friend or a loved one to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Often, before the actual conversion experience had happened to that person, you and possibly other believers have invested a lot of time and efforts to pray, sow and nurture the seeds of the Word in his or her heart. It’s truly a blessed day when the harvest has arrived – when after patiently waiting, the appointed day to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord had finally come. The joy we experience in such days is indescribable! However, for those of us who have been there, have you ever stopped and asked, so what’s next? What should I do with the person who just received the Lord Jesus?
Observing the Lord's Supper 08/08/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Every first Sunday of the month, our church family looks forward to the faithful observance of the Lord’s Supper. We do this in obedience to the command that Jesus Himself has given the church. If you revisit the account in Luke 22:14-20, you would find Jesus Christ celebrating the Passover Feast with the disciples prior to his arrest and crucifixion. This is historically known as the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper. On this occasion, Jesus has established the observance of this ordinance for the church when He gave the command to His disciples in verse 19 - "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Fulfilling Your Ministry Calling 07/25/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
After we said that we are God’s priests, all of us should be able to ask ourselves whether or not we are fulfilling the ministry that God has called us to do. Looking at Ephesians 4:11-12, it is quite obvious that there are different ministries in the church where we could serve – like some being evangelists, while others are called to be pastors. Just like in our church, we have many ministries where you can choose to serve. You could be one of the ushers, Sunday-school teachers, worship leaders, choir or praise band singers, and many others. There are literally many opportunities and ministries to choose from. And yet, in most cases, there are many believers who have not yet responded to any ministry responsibility. Here in BCI, we know we have more than 10 percent of our people serving. And because we believe that it is God’s will that we all serve Him, we want to continually encourage as many members as possible to participate in our ministries. In fact, one of the goals we have for this year (2010) is to increase active participation in the ministries to 90%
Priesthood of Believers 07/18/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
In God’s eyes, all believers are esteemed as ministers of Jesus Christ. Although, there may be different ministries, God has called every Christian into an active service – He literally has saved us to serve Him. After Paul had met Jesus on the road going to Damascus, God has sent His servant Ananias to reveal to him God's purpose for his life. Acts 9:15 states it clearly: 'But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel."' Later, Paul would fulfill his calling as Christ’s apostle to the Gentiles. And as he ministered to the churches, he communicated this plain teaching about God’s people being saved to serve God. Listen to Ephesians 2:10: " For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This is a direct statement about believers being prepared in advance to do good works. These good works represent our services to God. Whenever we exert an effort to help others become closer to Jesus Christ, we are literally fulfilling our calling.
Pursuing the Power of the Spirit 06/27/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
One of the most basic truths we must acknowledge as Christians is the fact that we are dependent creatures. We are absolutely dependent on Jesus Christ to lead us through this life with all our struggles with sin until we arrive victoriously in the very presence of our gracious Father in heaven. When we try to live independently from Him, our lives will tend to be more painful and complicated. The good news is: God is very much aware of this. He knows exactly how much we need Him and so He has always made Himself available for us through Jesus Christ. We, who know Jesus Christ as our personal savior, should never be ignorant of the fact that we don’t have to go through life by ourselves. God is always there ready to assist us every time we need Him.
The Calling of Fatherhood 06/20/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
It is truly tragic that in America today, fatherlessness has become one of the greatest social evils. The most recent statistic shows that nearly 40 percent of all American children do not live with their fathers. Before they reach age 18, more than half of all U.S. children will spend at least a significant part of their childhood living apart from their fathers. Many sociologists believe that it is the principal cause for many social problems like poverty, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, etc… We need to be alarmed with all of these and pray that God will intervene bringing revival in the hearts of our fathers.
Performing Through Your Spiritual Gifts 06/06/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Since the beginning of man, God has already conveyed His desire for man to work and partner with Him. Genesis 1:26 reveals this intention: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Thus, after Adam and Eve were created they were given the privilege to oversee and develop everything on earth. Evidently, they were never created to be idle; they were given the opportunity to perform according to their skills in cooperation with God, and for the honor of God. However, this partnership was broken when man chose to sin against God. Instead of being conscious of working with and for God, Man became obsessed and consumed by advancing himself. Literally, all his energies, talents, and resources were used no longer used to honor God, but to pursue personal gains and glory. The truth of the matter is: the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross was not only to bring man to a close communion with God; it is also design to restore him to a productive partnership with God.
Seeking Consistent Obedience 05/30/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Is there a basis in the Bible that if you want to be happy in this life or blessed in life, you need faith and obedience? Absolutely! We said that if we believe in God, we will obey Him regardless of consequences. We have to believe that He knows what is best for us, and He has our best interest in His heart, so we can obey Him in whatever He commands for us to do. Take for example, in our natural faith; we go to our doctor because we are sick. And so, he prescribes us a medicine; if you don't drink the medicine because of your lack of faith towards Him, do you think you will get better? Certainly not! Same is true in our relationship with God. If we truly believe that He wants the best for us, then we have to obey Him.
Living in Faith 05/16/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Have you ever wondered why other people would experience God's supernatural activities more than others? The right answer is found in Matthew 9:27-31, particularly v. 29. The reality is: God is able to engage us according to our faith in Him. As much as God wants to connect with us or manifest His power to us, if we don't believe in Him, we won't acknowledge it as from Him. For many people, it would only be perceived as luck or another coincidental event.
Christ, The Faithful Friend 05/02/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Since God has created us as social beings, it is quite natural for us to pursue friendships. I’m sure, today, there are people in your life that you consider as casual friends, and they are usually your acquaintances. Then, you also have close friends; these are the people you get to see on a regular basis. Lastly, there are those whom you trust the most, you refer to them as our best friends or our committed friends. There is no question that great friends are gifts of God to us because they can definitely boost our happiness in life.
Overcoming Our Daily Temptations 04/25/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
When the Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray, he impressed upon them the need to seek God’s help regarding life’s temptations. He included these words – “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). But, if we examine our prayers today, how many of us would seriously go to God everyday being conscious of our need to be victorious against our temptations. You know, my fear is we have been so used to falling into sin to the point that we anticipate asking God for forgiveness, rather than asking Him to give us the ability to say no to sin. And because of this, we are the ones missing out in experiencing a far more blessed life in Christ Jesus.
Growing Through Trials 04/18/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
One of the most difficult questions to answer is the problem of pain and suffering on the part of the righteous. Somehow, people in general assume that life’s troubles are always caused by evil thoughts and actions. However, when we go to the Bible, we would find some God-loving, righteous-living individuals who have gone through severe troubles. Remember Daniel in the Old Testament. He did his best to live out his faith righteously without compromise, but because of some corrupt government officials who were envious of him, he ended up being arrested and thrown into the den of lions (Daniel 6). How about John the Baptist in the New Testament? He faithfully preached about the coming of Jesus Christ only to be persecuted and beheaded by King Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:1-12). In fact, it is safe to say that all great men in the Bible have had their share of troubles. Do you have the right perspective whenever the Lord allows you to go through trials? They should not make us bitter, but better. Remember, God is using them to help us grow.
Boldly Sharing Jesus 04/11/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
The late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, had challenged millions of Christians around the world to boldly share the Lord Jesus Christ by asking two simple, but powerful questions: 1. What is the most important experience of your life? The obvious answer would always be – “Knowing Christ as my Savior is absolutely the most important experience in my life.” 2. What is the most important thing that you can do to help another person? Again, the answer is always the same – “Help him or her to know Christ.”
Taking Up The Cross 04/04/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was undoubtedly very difficult and painful. But God has to allow it in order for Him to be able to bestow forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who would believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. In other words, the cross was God’s appointed way to a life of victory and blessings. That is why there is a celebration of resurrection. Christ did not end on the cross; He resurrected to declare a message of victory and blessings.
Investing for Eternity 03/14/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
One sermon that really makes many Christians feel uncomfortable is a sermon on giving. But, this is one of the most basic teachings in the Bible that we cannot avoid and ignore. Both the Old and New Testaments have discussed money quite extensively. In fact, if you study the Bible, there are more than two thousand references for money, which is five times more compared to prayers. And then, in Gospels of the Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), two out of every three stories Jesus told had to do money. But, let me impressed to you where the greatest satisfaction really comes. It is when you give to the Lord’s work and because of your giving people will be saved and transformed in Christ.
Celebrating in Worship 03/07/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Time and again, we as Christians should take the time to examine our motives whenever we come to church. Is it possible that we no longer enjoy coming to church because we see this discipline as an obligation more than a privilege? Or maybe it is because as Christians, this is what we’re supposed to do on Sunday, but not really understand why we need to do it. I know many times it is so easy to find ourselves in this predicament.
Your New Family 02/28/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Today, it is not unusual to meet Christians who no longer believe in the importance of joining a church. Many have formulated some excuses why they are having difficulty in joining. The most common excuses you would hear are: • Services are long and boring • Sermons are irrelevant for their lives • Christians are judgmental and hypocrites • Churches ask for money all the time • Churches have too many conflicts within • Bad experiences in the past Only one of these excuses is enough to keep someone from church. Now, beside these excuses, there are also those who do not join the church because of personal inconvenience like Sunday being the only day off they have and they need to do other things or others has to work all the time. With all of these excuses that people are coming up with, I feel that we as God’s people should be able to really understand what God is saying about the church and why we should seek to be a part of it
United in Baptism 02/21/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
When a person commits his or her life to Jesus Christ, God has given a symbol to show that he or she belongs to Jesus Christ. This Christian symbol is called Baptism. Unfortunately, there are so many professing Christians today who no longer value baptism in the same way the first century Christians did. Perhaps, all the confusions about how it should be done, or who should have it have contributed so much to the devaluing of it.
The Privilege of Access 02/14/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
The idea of having access or a means of approaching is a familiar concept among the Jews. Since the Old Testament, they needed the priests in order to be their access. In the Temple where they can find the presence of God, they are only allowed up to the outer courtyard. The high priest was the only person who can draw himself to God once a year. And even he must properly prepare himself to stand before God because any unconfessed sin can cause him his own life. The effective work of Jesus Christ on the cross has satisfied the demands of the law so that today every believer has the privilege to approach God. This is the emphasis in the passage we have read in Hebrews – Jesus Christ is now our Great High Priest in heaven and we are able to confidently approach through our prayers the throne room of the Almighty God of the universe.
A Healthy Spiritual Diet 02/07/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Almost everyone would agree with the old adage, “You are what you eat.” In other words, if an individual wants to be healthy physically, he or she must be committed to healthy eating. How many times do you usually feed your physical bodies in a day? On a minimum, we all eat three times a day. What if I tell you, try eating only once a week? Do you think you would survive? Absolutely, impossible! But, the truth is: the majority of Christians today get satisfied with a once a week meal. Many wait for the church feeding program offered on Sundays. No wonder many Christians are barely surviving, churches are stagnant; and worse, the kingdom of God is not advancing.
A Dwelling Place for God 01/31/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
Another significant benefit of our salvation in Christ is the fact that we become a permanent dwelling place of Jesus Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. For many people, salvation is just forgiveness of sins and going to heaven, but examining this doctrine, we all need to learn that there are more. God has also thought of our day to day struggle as believers while we are here on earth. This is the blessing of Christ’s indwelling.
Secured for Eternity 01/24/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
The salvation that God has accomplished through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ is truly a great salvation. Once a sinner embraces it, it guarantees absolute deliverance from the time he or she takes hold of it until it is completed in heaven. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Christians who are constantly struggling to believe that it is possible for them to be consciously assured of their salvation while they are still waiting to go to heaven.
The New Birth in Christ 01/10/10
Rev. Jerry Lepasana
We begin with the most basic doctrine of the Bible - New Birth. If you examine the Bible, it is quite evident that both the Old and New Testaments focus on God's provision to man's greatest need, which is salvation.