Eric Ludy Sermon Podcast: Church At Ellerslie

Fear controls the modern American Christian. And for most in the post-modern Church, this is nonchalantly accepted without a fight. But, the Biblical declaration of the healthy Christian soul does not allow for even a scrap of self-preserving fear, fretting, anxiety, and foreboding. It's simply not intended to be a part of the Christian life. So, how do we deal with this great discrepancy? And how do we start living the lives of fearless faith that God intended us to be living?

There are tests of faith that prove the true substance of our spiritual man. First instance, when God appears to be silent, how do we respond? When God appears to have forgotten, do we actually believe He has? Or when the natural realm boasts that such a thing is impossible, will we believe the boast? Or how about when it would appear our God has lost, will we, for even one moment, tremble under the anxiety of such a farce? Ax heads sink in water. It's a natural fact. But God is in the business of making iron float. And the church of Jesus Christ today must once again believe that even though it may appear that the ax head has officially sunk, it is in such moments that our God smiles and says, "Now watch what I will do!"

Few of us were ever trained how to handle our thoughts. In fact, most of us have considered ourselves victims to the random, strange, perverted, and otherwise demonic thoughts that float through our minds. But that should halt today. The thought-life of a Christian is not the playground for the enemy, but the stage upon which the Truth of Jesus Christ can shine. Jesus has given the saints of God everything they need in order to take command over their thought-lives. The Christian is privileged to think on nothing but that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and of good report.

In a time when God's voice has been emptied of it's lion-like roar and neutered of its thunderous majesty, this message is deeply significant, making a case for both the kingly-authority of Scripture as well as for the return of old-fashioned preaching in our day and age. This message is also an interesting peek into the fascinating journey Eric Ludy has gone on in gaining the forceful voice he now wields. At the close of this message there is a unique video bonus that demonstrates the "boisterous evolution" of Eric's speaking voice over the past 17 years of ministry.

This is an inspiring illustration of how to both approach Scripture and unpack the beautiful mysteries of Scripture. At Ellerslie we are always declaring that everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus. Eric Ludy takes a singular story in the Old Testament regarding the person of Moses and the newly budding Israelite nation and demonstrates how this one seemingly innocuous story powerfully demonstrates how our life in Jesus Christ ought to work. Everything in the Bible really does shine forth the power and majesty of the Gospel of Christ.

At Ellerslie, this is THE message. A semester at Ellerslie is a constant refrain of this extraordinary Truth. Eric Ludy is constantly asking his students, "Where are you spiritually located?" And the answer to that question defines the level of spiritual health that our soul enjoys. The Gospel power hinges on the believer being "in" Christ—not "near" Christ, "on" Christ, or merely "within earshot" of Christ. When you truly grasp the substance of this message, the Christian life finds its wings and begins to fly.

Faith is the linchpin that holds the entire construct of Christianity together. Without it the Christian life is completely non-functional. But if faith is understood, grasped, and realized, everything begins to fit back into place. Suddenly the Christian life once again has power. Suddenly the Bible begins to live and breath for the believer. And suddenly all Hell goes on red alert. Get faith right and all Hell's best laid plans and conspiracies go south. If your faith is a bit wobbly at the moment, this message is a sure elixir.

There are certain topics that pastors know they should probably avoid for fear of raising the ire of their congregants. Talking straight about parenting methods would definitely fall into that category. However, in this message Eric Ludy throws caution to the wind. With the extreme influx of post- modern "feelings-based" ideology into the raising of our children, it's important to gain a Biblical grip on the issues at hand. Many Christian parents today have unwittingly bought into the notions of "feelings-based"parenting methods. This inevitably results in Christian homes run by little toddlers with grape jelly on their chins and foolishness running unchecked within their hearts. But God has an age-old, time-tested method for raising children, and it's high time we brought it back to the Church of Jesus Christ, both in parenting our kids and in the way we respond to being parented by our God.

To be "politically correct" is one of the not-so-hidden social secrets to success in our modern age. In America today, there are social behaviors that are frowned upon and social behaviors that are approved by the populace (i.e. racial sensitivity is approved while criticism of homosexuality is disapproved). But this demarcation of "correctness" by no means originated in modern America. It's as old as humanity itself. And we are not the only culture that has been poisoned by its power. In fact, Jesus struck a decisive blow against this "man-defined righteousness" at the Cross. 2000 years ago, Jesus declared this form of “righteousness" filthy in His sight and wholly unfit to save a single human soul from the judgement to come. He then proceeded to provide us with the only righteousness that was truly fit for the job of rescuing the world... His own.

In 1638, Scottish Christians were faced with a jarring challenge. They had to choose between their earthly king, Charles I, and their true "heavenly"King, Jesus Christ. To choose the "earthly" would mean comfort in this world, but death to the soul. To choose the "heavenly" would mean death in this world, but life to the soul. They chose Jesus. And these "Covenanters" modeled for each of us as believers the manner in which we are supposed to handle this same decision in our own souls. We must die in order to truly live.

This is a message that unlocks the art of praying in a very unique and stirring way. The answer for the Church is not in brainstorming solutions and in novel marketing campaigns—it's in prayer. And prayer is enabled and empowered when one beholds the "face of God." This message is about seeking the face of God as a primary work and not as a last resort.

December 2nd of the year 1804, an arrogant little man named Napoleon Bonaparte ascended to the throne of France. Kings being crowned kings is not an uncommon thing throughout the histories of men; however, at Napoleon's coronation something very unusual happened—something so bizarre, fantastical, and despicable that it proves an amazing metaphorical picture to explain the bizarre, fantastical, and despicable things that happen within our own human souls. There is one very clear conclusion that can be drawn: no man is great enough, wise enough, or strong enough to sit in the seat of the preeminent. That seat belongs to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone!

Every Christian today seems well groomed in the phrase, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." But Scripture makes it clear that "judging" (authoritative decision-making based on the Word of God) is a necessary part of a healthy society, business, church, family, and individual life. For instance, if a father doesn't have the ability to bring judgment in his home, his little children will run wild without proper discipline and punishment. There is an arrogant and improper way to judge, and there is a humble, heavenly way to judge. It is imperative that the Church of Jesus Christ learns how to judge rightly.

The following quote from Charles Spurgeon should prove sufficient in introducing this moving and inspiring message: “There is no glory in being a featherbed soldier, a man bedecked with gorgeous medals, but never beautified by a scar, or ennobled by a wound. All that you ever hear of such a soldier is that his spurs jingle on the pavement as he walks. There is no history for this carpet knight. He is just a dandy. He never smelled gunpowder in battle in his life. If he did, he fetched out his cologne to kill the offensive odor. Oh, if we could be wise enough to choose, even were as wise as the Lord Himself, we would choose the troubles which He has appointed to us, and we would not spare ourselves a single pang.”

This is a message that is most appropriately listened to while on your face at the feet of your beloved Jesus. This is the eternal song of the redeemed. It's a song the world deems utter foolishness and extravagant waste. But to those of us that have beheld our almighty Lord and have had our lips touched with a burning coal from His altar, this is the song we are moved to sing—and even delighted to sing—no matter what this world may think.

This message pulls no punches, hitting squarely on some of the most touchy subjects in the conservative church. It's Eric Ludy's appeal to the modern Church which seems magnetically attracted to controversy and debate in and amongst Bible-believing saints. In the Ellerslie world, every conceivable conservative denominational persuasion is represented, with every vantage point on soteriology, eschatology, baptisms, sabbaths, and the gifts of the Spirit resolutely hosted within our student body. Yikes! The opportunity is rife for potential division and contention. And yet there is a supernatural sense of order and agreement in our midst. There is one mind and one message that rings forth from the students at Ellerslie, causing the lion to lay down with the lamb (or in our case, the Calvinist to respectfully hold hands with the Arminianist). So what is our message? It's Jesus Christ and Him crucified!

This message is about the basics that make Christianity really work. In other words, this is basic training. It's no-nonsense Truth applied to the human life so that the human life begins to function as it ought. Eric Ludy has his drill sergeant voice in full gear for this one.

This message is a game changer. It's a poignant look at how the Gospel is meant to be applied to the area of daily work, industry, and diligence. Most modern-day business owners would agree that Christians today are often some of the worst workers. And this very real blind-spot in our spiritual discipleship is crippling our testimony for Jesus Christ in countless ways. It's high time we gain a vision for how our behavior can (and must) begin to match up with our bold belief.

75% of 18 to 24 year old young people in America today are considered ineligible for military service. They are obese, mentally unfit, and unable to pass the hearing tests (due to hearing loss attributed primarily to a life filled with loud music). Could it be that what is true of the United State's military is also true of God's military? There is a lethargy, a soul obesity, and a Biblical ignorance that is disqualifying a vast number of young Christians from proving anything but pathetic in their Christian service. It is totally unlikely that God would find His valiant and victorious army in and amongst our spiritually lumpy ranks, but such is God's great agenda—to take the weakest things and turn them into triumphant pictures of His great redeeming grace. This message supplies one of the primary ingredients necessary for this great and seemingly inconceivable reformation to begin.

Every man needs a code of honor. He needs to know why he's here and what he's supposed to do with the short time he has here on Earth. This message supplies such a vision. For if a man knows what to live for and what to die for and possesses the God-imparted strength to live and die well, the world will undoubtedly be altered for the glory of King Jesus as a result.