When Brother John stepped up to the microphone, he humbly admitted this was only his second time speaking in public—the first being in 1971. But as he began to share, it was clear the Holy Spirit had been preparing him for this moment for decades.
John’s message centered on five powerful truths every believer can hold onto:
1. We Have Access to the Father
John 14:6 reminds us that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Through Jesus, we have open access to God Himself—not through our own goodness or religious effort, but through the living relationship made possible by His sacrifice.
2. We Have New Life in Christ
Reading from Romans 6, John spoke about how believers are united with Christ in His death and resurrection:
“Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
He encouraged us to stop living in the past—to let go of guilt and shame for the things we did before Christ. God has not only forgiven those sins; He has forgotten them. As far as the east is from the west, they are gone forever.
3. We Have Been Made the Righteousness of God in Christ
From 2 Corinthians 5:21, John reminded us that it’s not our righteousness that makes us right with God—it’s His.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Righteousness isn’t something we earn; it’s a gift we receive through faith.
4. We Receive Complete Healing and Restoration
John reminded us that we have been grafted into the body of Christ, adopted into God’s family, and made whole by His power. What once separated us—sin, sickness, and shame—has been overcome through Jesus.
5. We Are Free from Condemnation
The final point John emphasized was the freedom we have in Christ.
He spoke about the voices we all hear—the voice of our own thoughts, the voice of the Father through His Word, the deceptive voice of the enemy, and sometimes even the echoes of our past.
When a condemning thought comes—“You’ll never amount to anything,” or “Remember what you did?”—we can stand firm knowing that those lies no longer define us.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
A Simple but Powerful Word
John concluded by saying, “A message doesn’t have to be long to be good.” The power of a sermon lies not in how many words are spoken, but in how open our hearts are to receive.
As Pastor Hector added afterward, the Word we hear on Sunday is meant to draw us into deeper relationship throughout the week. God has a fresh word for us every single day—if we’ll take time to open His Word and listen.
Reflection
What voice have you been listening to lately?
Let the truth of God’s Word silence condemnation and remind you that you have access to the Father, new life in Christ, and freedom through His Spirit.