Brooklyn Tabernacle - Audio Sermons Feed

Jesus is stronger than demons. In the name of Jesus, the strong man, Satan, can be bound so that people can be set free. Throughout church history, darkness has been invaded by light, not by people with a mental knowledge of the Bible who want to argue about doctrine, but by people who come in the power of the name Jesus. Let’s enjoy that victory today, in Jesus’ name.

Disunity will hurt a church. Maybe even destroy it. That’s why Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). Why then is Sunday morning at eleven, like Martin Luther said, the most segregated hour of the week? We can be unifiers, or we can be dividers. Let’s rejoice with everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.

Jesus’ family didn’t understand His mission. When the Lord became so busy doing God’s will that He had no time to eat, His family tried to stop Him. Yes, we need balance and rest. But we also have to follow the will of God—and sometimes that means lots of work. Jesus didn’t get irate. He just kept doing what God had called Him to do. We can’t please everyone. Let’s keep doing what God wants us to...

Life can get hectic. We can all relate to Martha in the New Testament, who was worried and upset preparing dinner while her sister, Mary, sat at Jesus’ feet. But Mary chose what is better. We can too. Let’s stop trying so hard to do everything right and instead take time to quiet our hearts and sit with Jesus. He wants to meet us and help us more than we know.

What did Jesus first call His disciples to do? Not to preach sermons, cast out demons, build a church, or memorize Scripture. Jesus called them, first and foremost, “to be with him” (Mark 3:14). The primary call for us today is the same. Being with Jesus brings a calm, a peace, a weight to our witness. Let’s make deep fellowship with the Lord our goal today, by His grace.

When Jesus called the twelve disciples, He didn’t choose anyone wealthy. No one trained religiously. No one strong or educated. He chose people with no aptitude—except an aptitude to make mistakes at first. Doesn’t that encourage us? God is not looking for ability. He is looking for availability. Let’s follow Jesus today.

A lot of us are so full of anxiety that we can’t sleep at night. But God doesn’t want His children to worry. “Humble yourself,” He says, “and give that burden to Me. I will handle it!” Our Father loves us so much. Let’s make up our minds today, by the grace of God, “I will cast my cares on God! He will handle these cares and pressures.”

Jesus never promoted Himself. But large crowds followed Him anyway. They heard by word of mouth how He was doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil. We do one thing for God, and we want everyone to know about it. Why don’t we just do good and help people and then seek obscurity? The more we give Jesus all the glory, the more the Holy Spirit will strengthen, bless, and help us.

Jesus told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He was asking him to do what he couldn’t do. As the man stretched out the thing that was a limitation in him, he was healed. What’s holding you back today? Laziness, materialism, unforgiveness, a secret sin? Stretch it out in the name of Jesus today. He will set you free.

Some Christians are more interested in rules than in people getting saved. “Do you keep the Sabbath?” “You can’t wear makeup.” “How often do you take communion?” But Jesus got upset with people who were stuck on the letter of the law but had no compassion in their hearts. Let’s not glorify the law. Instead, let’s give glory to Jesus and tell others of His love.

Jesus was constantly butting up against certain Old Testament teachings. “No, it doesn’t matter what you eat,” He told people. Instead, He taught, “I’m going to give you a new heart and mind.” That’s why He said new wine needs new wineskins. We don’t live by the old letter of the law. No. In Jesus Christ, we have new life.

Have you ever fasted? When we need more prayer, more Bible study, more waiting on God, more faith for victory over big mountains, fasting is appropriate as the Lord leads. How often? How regularly? Jesus didn’t say. But when we spend time with God and deny the physical world, the things of eternity will come closer to us.

God made laws for the universe, like gravity. They’re unchanging. But the apostle Paul wrote about a spiritual law that God created: “A man reaps what he sows.” Every day we are sowing seeds, either for good or for bad, and we will reap their fruit. By God’s grace, let’s sow for good. Then we will reap a reward, both in this world and for eternity.

When Jesus called a hated tax collector to follow Him, it caused a problem. “Why is He with riffraff?” the religious leaders said. But Jesus didn’t come for people who have it all together. He came for people who are messed up. If we have good doctrine in our churches but don’t love people, we’re missing the heart of God. Let’s be like Jesus.

Jesus had just healed a paralyzed man, and the people were giving God glory. But not the religious leaders. They had seen the miracles of Jesus. But they refused to believe in Him. That’s a word of caution for us. We can listen to daily devotions, go to church, read God’s Word, but it can become mechanical. Let’s be intimate with the Lord today. Let’s be open to His working and give Him glory.

Does our friend have a need? Let’s get him or her to Jesus. That’s what intercessory prayer is all about. Four men in the Bible were so intent on getting their paralyzed friend to Jesus that they tore up a roof and lowered him down in front of the Lord. Let’s be like those men and drop someone, in faith and prayer, right in front of Jesus today for salvation, deliverance, healing.

When our hearts are breaking, our worlds are in pieces, we can’t fix the messes we’ve made, does Jesus care? Yes. Even when we’ve ignored His plans for us and gone our own way, He is saying, “Come to me, all of you are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Jesus cares. His heart is touched with our griefs. Let's be comforted by His help today.

Some of us are lonely. We feel like no one cares. But Jesus has compassion on us. When a leper found the faith to ask Him for healing, Jesus didn’t just speak to the man’s disease. He touched him—an untouchable. Aren’t you happy that God in the flesh didn’t say, “Uh, step back a little bit.” Jesus wants to touch you and me today and fill us with His joy, peace, and healing.

What are you going through today? Do what the leper did: bring it to Jesus. Your marital problem, aching heart, financial pressure, assault from the enemy, out-of-control habit, secret that’s eating you up—Jesus has authority over it. And He’s willing to heal it. Stir up fresh faith, and bring your need to Jesus today.

Paul wrote, “Do everything without arguing.” Yet in our pride and anger, we argue with our families, in the church, over politics. “You’re not allowed another opinion," we say. "You’re a devil if you don’t think like me.” Instead, let’s be like Jesus, who never argued. By God’s grace, let’s overlook quarrels and live in the sweetness of unity and peace with other believers.

How do we know what God wants us to do each day? The same way Jesus knew God’s will: from spending time with the Father. Just as the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus has sent us into the world. To do what? Whatever He tells us. May the Lord give us today our daily marching orders for Him.

Jesus ministered nonstop, healing sick people, driving out demons. But notice, “Early in the morning, while it was still dark,” He found a deserted place to pray. Jesus needed balance. So do we. As Christians, we should work, volunteer, serve. But we also need time alone with God. Work and devotion. Service and prayer. May God give us balance today.

We’re not saved to say “Whoa! God helped me! Now it’s back to the same old routine.” No. We can learn from Peter’s mother-in-law who, the minute she was healed by Jesus, began to serve Him and His disciples. If we’ve experienced the gracious touch of Jesus Christ in our lives, let’s reach out and touch others in the name of our Savior. We’ve been saved to serve.

Right now what the church needs is people who perceive the spiritual moment we’re in and know what to do. Like the men of Issachar, who gave themselves to help make David king, believers in America and around the world need to realize, “This is a critical moment. We need to make Jesus King over more people. We’re going to give ourselves to it.” Let’s do it today.

Jesus was so famous so that He barely had time to eat. Why? Not by promoting Himself. Rather, because God was doing something new and powerful through Him. Our churches should be like that—people coming not because of our fancy buildings or fog machines but because God is among us, souls are getting saved, miracles are happening. People will be pick up on it and be blessed.