Eric Ludy Sermon Podcast: Church at Ellerslie

When we think of Jesus as a rock, most of us imagine a big lump of granite. But not all rock is created equal. And our God is no ordinary rock; He is the Rock of rocks. In Scripture, there is an amazing term utilized: “adamant.” This fascinating word is a wonderful invitation into a majestically expanded understanding of the strength and power of our almighty God.

Over and over again throughout Christian history, mighty men and women of God have singled out one very specific spiritual action as the "Christian secret" to their personal triumph and effectiveness in the kingdom of Heaven. Hudson Taylor, Leonard Ravenhill, A.W. Tozer, D.L. Moody, Oswald Chambers, John Bunyan, C.T. Studd, Amy Carmichael, Ian Thomas, and countless more all point to the very same thing. So, what is it?

Plain and simple: God builds heroes. He doesn't build self-centered egotists nor self-obsessed circus clowns—He builds men and women who have wholly forgotten themselves and are ready to spend and be spent for the glory of almighty God. And He calls such a masterpiece a "Christian."

The historic concept of "praying through" has gone missing in our modern- day version of Christianity. But "praying through" was the essence of the George Muller, Rees Howells, John Hyde, Hudson Taylor, William Booth, Leonard Ravenhill, C.T. Studd model for effectual fervent praying. How do we get this powerful, wrestling, persistent prayer back to the center of Christian life in our day?

We have a dorm wing on our Ellerslie Campus that we know as "The Etceteras Wing." It's a strange name, yes, but it has deep significance among us. In the early 1900's, the great missionary, C.T. Studd, coined the phrase "The Etceteras" when referring to the men and women called to give up their lives as death-defying missionaries. And to be quite frank, Studd's description of what makes up an "Etcetera" is something that each and every one of us on the Ellerslie campus longs to see formed within our souls. It is our hope that we might brush off the dust from the term "The Etceteras" and give this hallowed title a fresh run in this modern day.

The Old Ground is the place where lame walk and blind see. It's the place where the poor and the least are seen as royalty. It's the place where a handful of fish and bread feed a multitude of hungry. It's the place where helpless little lambs gain the faces of lions and march victoriously on the gates of hell. It's the place of God's presence in a flame of fire. It's holy ground. The Old Ground is the ancient message of the Gospel, and oh, how dearly it is needed in our day.

The Irish Elk once roamed the forests of Eurasia, boasting a head over ten feet in height and a rack of antlers that sprawled twelve feet in width. Even the thought of such a creature elicits awe and admiration. But the Irish Elk is no more. It is extinct. And its grandeur is merely a thing of legend and its rack of glory is now only an entry in the fossil record. And like the Irish Elk, a brawny, lionhearted, outrageously triumphant form of Christianity once roamed planet earth. But as of today, it's become only a thing of legend and its rack of glory has been isolated to merely the pages of Scriptural text. It’s time this rack of glory returns!

Just as there are gradients to the color blue, there are gradients to the grandeur and substance of a Godly man. On a scale of 1 to 10, Jesus ranks a ten—the deepest and richest royal shade of blue, so to speak. He was the perfect man, demonstrating the heavenly hues of majesty and holiness. Jesus has set forth a pattern of manhood, and it is a standard so far beyond the average pew-sitting man of our day. So, the question is, “Are we to ignore Christ's righteous pattern or are we to expect God to work the almighty manly pattern into our manhood?” History will show the significance of the men of God of our day answering that question rightly.

The ancient war-cry of the Hebrew nation was, "Rak Khazak." And today, those fiery words still turn Israeli soldiers into steely fighting machines. It was first introduced by Moses in his Deuteronomic commission and then carried on by Joshua as he stepped into the Promised Land with the face of a lion. Translated into English, the words mean "be strong and of good courage!" Those ancient words have prefaced supernatural victory time and again throughout history. And they are the very words needed for this hour.

If the power of the Gospel is to be fully realized in the life of a believer, that believer must first be emptied. The principle of the Gospel is always "first death, then life." Mary of Bethany took her most precious possession (the alabaster jar of spikenard) and poured it out upon Jesus's feet. Those near the scene grumbled that the cost of such a precious treasure was wasted in that fashion, but Jesus responded by declaring that such an act was a clear enunciation of the Gospel life. Taking on the life of Jesus Christ comes with a stiff cost: it means giving up everything. But let's not forget the fact that in giving up everything, we are getting the fullness of life in Jesus Christ.

The Gospel is more than forgiveness; it is a blood-speckled avenue into the fullness of the person of God. This is a message about living where God lives and comprehending the amazing truth that God Almighty wishes to enter in and take control of our very lives. This is the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to the saints.

The Emergent Church has proposed the outrageous notion that God's Word is evolving and each subsequent generation is responsible for interpreting God's Truth for their time. But the Word of God itself is in complete opposition to such a notion of a "changing" God and a "relative"Truth. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever—in Him is no variation nor shadow of turning. Our God is revealed as a rock, and He is immovable. His nature is perfectly consistent from generation to generation. His Truth is unalterable. His Gospel doesn't adapt. His promises don't go away. We can be assured that the same God that divinely crafted the Bible is the same God in our midst today and revealing to us the Scripture’s immutable meaning. Praise God for this fact!

The Apostle Paul mentions a certain sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, belt, and shoes in Ephesians, chapter six. He refers to them as the believer's "armor." Paul clearly commands us to dress ourselves in this "armor" in order that we may effectively fight this spiritual battle in which we find ourselves currently employed. However, even with the presence of a clear command, many Christians today are under the impression that this "armor" is merely for little kids in Sunday school class, and not something that mature Christian adults are supposed to actually "put on."In many ways, we have lost the grandeur and majesty of God's purchased weaponry, and many Christians think of God's "armor" as plastic, dime- store religiosity. The saints of God have not been left here on earth alone to fend for themselves. They have been given every last thing they could possibly ever need in order to thrive in life and godliness.

We experienced something very sacred in our midst this past week at Ellerslie. It was a powerful move of God upon our students and staff. It was a campus-wide revival that led to entire days of confession of sins, entire days of worship, and entire days of prayer. Here is the testimony as shared this past Sunday at the Church at Ellerslie (including student testimony). This service, as recorded here, was followed up with three hours of worship, confession of sins, and confession of faith. NOTE: a new microphone was implemented this past Sunday, and whereas the intention was to increase recording quality, it actually did the opposite. Please forgive the raspy mic clipping throughout the audio when Eric is speaking.

The book of Romans, chapter ten, makes a statement that is a bit unusual. "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace." At the pedestrian level of thought, "feet" are not typically considered beautiful. And the reason we don't understand this concept is because we don't understand the Biblical significance of feet. To the Hebrew mind, feet are more than just a body part; they are a symbol of something extremely powerful. So, as the idea of feet is Scripturally unlocked, likewise is the worshiping soul of the believer who desires nothing else but to shout heavenward, "How beautiful are your feet, Lord Jesus!" There is no better place to be than at the precious, lovely, life-giving feet of Jesus Christ.