In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson emphasizes the centrality of the resurrection to the Christian faith and life, rooted in 1 Corinthians 15:29-34. He explains that without the resurrection, Christianity loses its meaning, rendering faith, suffering, and obedience futile. The resurrection not only guarantees our future bodily transformation but also underpins every aspect of our spiritual journey, beginning with baptism and extending to daily self-denial and service.

Pastor Johnson highlights three key points:

1. Baptism's Symbolism: Baptism represents death to the old self and resurrection to new life in Christ. Without the hope of rising with Christ, the act of baptism becomes meaningless.
2. Suffering for Christ: The Christian life involves daily dying to self and enduring hardships for the sake of Christ and others. These sacrifices, Paul says, would be pointless without the resurrection's promise of eternal life.
3. Obedience and Eternal Perspective: A life of holiness and sacrifice is only logical if there is a future resurrection. Christians are called to live not for temporary pleasures but for eternal glory, giving all to Christ as an act of worship.

Pastor Johnson concludes with a challenge: to embrace suffering, relinquish earthly attachments, and live fully for Christ, knowing that the promise of resurrection secures eternal joy and unimaginable riches in the new heaven and earth. The sermon reminds believers that their hope is not in this fading world but in the everlasting life found in Jesus.

In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson reflects on 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, focusing on the theme of Christ’s victory over death and the eternal nature of His kingdom. He begins by diagnosing the current state of the world as having a "terminal cancer"—the cancer of sin. This spiritual disease has affected every aspect of human life and institutions, rendering all worldly hopes and reforms ultimately futile. Despite political efforts or societal changes, the root problem remains: death, brought into the world through Adam’s sin.

Pastor Johnson emphasizes that true hope is not found in earthly politics or temporary solutions. He challenges the congregation to recognize that Christ did not come to establish a political kingdom or provide mere hospice care to this broken world. Instead, Jesus came to build a new, eternal kingdom by conquering death itself. Through His resurrection, Christ defeated sin and death, securing the promise of eternal life for those who believe in Him.

The sermon explains the legal concept of imputation: just as all humanity inherited death through Adam’s sin, we inherit life through Christ’s righteousness. Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of our spiritual rebirth and the promise of a future physical resurrection. Pastor Johnson stresses that being part of Christ’s kingdom requires a spiritual rebirth; we must be born again to see and enter this everlasting, spiritual kingdom.

Looking ahead to the end times, Pastor Johnson highlights the ultimate defeat of death when Christ will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. At that point, all enemies—including death—will be destroyed, and the fullness of God’s kingdom will be established. The hope for believers lies in this eternal kingdom, which is pure, sinless, and without end.

Pastor Johnson concludes by urging the congregation to place their hope in Christ’s kingdom rather than in the temporary systems of this world. He encourages a response of faith: to die to self, flee from the fleeting hopes of earthly kingdoms, and seek refuge in Jesus. The message is clear—Christ is the only cure for the "cancer" of sin, and through Him alone can we find eternal life and a place in His unshakable kingdom.

In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson explores the theme of resurrection, rooted in 1 Corinthians 15, and its foundational significance to Christian faith. He begins with a compelling question: how much would we give for eternal life? Drawing on both the example of baseball star Ted Williams, who had his body preserved in the hope of future revival, and the recent passing of a church member, Brother Wallace, Pastor Johnson emphasizes our universal desire to escape death. Yet, he explains, while people invest everything in worldly attempts to prolong life, they often overlook the true promise of eternal life found in Christ's resurrection.

Pastor Johnson walks through Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians, explaining how the resurrection is central to the gospel. He details the catastrophic consequences if the resurrection were denied: the Christian faith would be futile, the Bible’s integrity would collapse, and the hope of salvation would vanish. The resurrection is not just an abstract hope; it is the guarantee of forgiveness, transformation, and ultimate victory over sin and death. Using illustrations from Scripture, he emphasizes that Christ’s resurrection is both a promise and a prototype for believers’ future resurrection. The certainty of this hope, he urges, calls believers to surrender everything to God with trust and joy, just as one would trade temporary riches for eternal treasure.

As he concludes, Pastor Johnson challenges listeners, both those in the faith and those uncertain, to consider what they are willing to give up to follow Christ wholeheartedly. He recalls the words of a young church member, Molly, whose profound faith and willingness to entrust everything to God captures the heart of discipleship. In a closing call, he urges everyone to anchor their lives in the resurrection, embracing full surrender to God’s love and sovereignty as the path to everlasting life and true freedom from fear.

In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson shares a heartwarming and powerful story about his son Britton’s baseball team, which was the worst in the league. The story focuses on a player named Wally, who struggled all season but in the final game, against all odds, hit a crucial ball that helped his team win. Wally’s triumph serves as a metaphor for the Apostle Paul’s transformation from Saul, a persecutor of Christians, to Paul, a “super-apostle.” Just as Wally was the least likely to succeed on the team, Saul was the least likely to become an apostle.

Pastor Johnson emphasizes that Paul's conversion is a story of grace—God’s unmerited favor. Paul acknowledges in 1 Corinthians 15:8-10 that he was the least of the apostles, unworthy of his role because of his persecution of the church. However, it was by God's grace that he was saved and became fruitful in ministry. Similarly, the sermon highlights that we, like Wally and Saul, are unworthy of salvation but are saved by grace alone. Just as Wally cleared the bases without skill, and Paul achieved great things despite his past, believers are called and saved not because of their merits but by God’s grace. The message concludes by reminding the congregation that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, no matter their past or current circumstances.

This powerful sermon offers hope and encouragement, showing that God’s grace can transform anyone, making them spiritually fruitful despite their past mistakes or unworthiness.

In Jeffrey Johnson's sermon "The Fundamentals," he emphasizes the core, essential truths of the Christian gospel that cannot be compromised. He begins by referencing 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, where Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel message: Christ's death, burial, and resurrection according to the Scriptures. Johnson stresses that Christianity is not just about being a good person or vaguely believing in Jesus, but involves specific, non-negotiable beliefs. These include Christ's incarnation, sinlessness, death, burial, and resurrection.

The sermon addresses the issue the Corinthian church faced, which was influenced by Gnostic thinking that downplayed the physical body, focusing only on the spiritual. This led some Corinthians to deny the resurrection of the dead, which Johnson points out is a fundamental error. He argues that if Christians deny the bodily resurrection, they deny the gospel itself, because Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of Christian hope.

Johnson further explains that faith in the gospel is not just a one-time event but an ongoing commitment. Believing in the essentials of the gospel—Christ's death and resurrection—saves initially and continues to sustain the believer. He emphasizes that faith is not something we generate ourselves but comes from hearing the Word of God. Johnson highlights the importance of maintaining this faith and warns that failing to do so renders one’s belief vain. True faith in Christ is the only way to salvation, and it is faith in the power of the gospel, not in human wisdom or strength, that gives life and hope.

The sermon concludes by reminding listeners that faith is not about self-confidence or human effort but trusting fully in Christ’s work on the cross and His resurrection. This is how believers are saved and stand in grace—through the power of Christ, not their own.

In Jeffrey Johnson's sermon "The Rules of Engagement," based on 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, he addresses the theme of orderly worship and the importance of corporate church attendance. Johnson begins by humorously recounting a story about a pastor reluctant to attend church, underscoring how even committed Christians can occasionally feel disinclined to gather for worship. However, he stresses that this should not become a habit or excuse to neglect church.

The core message of the sermon revolves around Paul's correction to the Corinthian church's disorderly practices, particularly regarding the misuse of spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy. The Corinthian church had turned their services into chaotic, unstructured events where multiple people spoke at once without interpretation or discernment, which hindered worship and learning. Paul, in chapters 12 through 14, teaches that these gifts must be exercised in order and with a focus on corporate edification, not individual experiences.

Johnson makes a larger application of this passage to modern churchgoers, outlining four reasons Christians should regularly attend church:

1. Attendance is assumed: Paul doesn't explicitly command church attendance because it is taken for granted that Christians will gather for corporate worship.

2. To serve and edify one another: Church is not just for personal benefit but for building up the body of Christ. Each member's gifts and presence contribute to the growth and encouragement of the community.

3. To learn and be encouraged: Church is a place for teaching, learning, and mutual encouragement. Proper order in worship allows for everyone to understand and grow in their faith.

4. To submit to God’s order: The structure of the church is designed by God, and all members, including spiritual leaders and women, are called to submit to the roles and order He has established.

Johnson emphasizes that church attendance is not merely about fulfilling a duty but about corporate worship, learning, serving, and submitting to God’s design. He concludes by stating that the church is essential for spiritual growth and sanctification, and it offers a foretaste of heaven through the love and unity shared among believers.

In his sermon "The Need to Understand," Jeffrey Johnson focuses on 1 Corinthians 14:1-25, addressing the tension between emotional experiences and doctrinal understanding in Christian worship, particularly regarding the use of tongues and prophecy. Johnson emphasizes that while spiritual experiences, including speaking in tongues, were present in the early church, they must be grounded in clear and understandable communication of God’s Word for the edification of the congregation.

He outlines two common types of Christians: those who prioritize academic and theological understanding and those who focus on emotional and devotional experiences. While both are important, Johnson cautions against extremes—pursuing theology without personal devotion or chasing emotionalism without grounding in Scripture.

Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 14, according to Johnson, highlights the importance of prophecy over tongues in the church because prophecy can be understood by all and builds up the body. Tongues, on the other hand, without interpretation, fail to benefit the congregation and may lead to confusion rather than edification.

Johnson explains eight reasons why speaking in tongues, without interpretation, is ineffective in church: it doesn’t make sense to others, doesn’t build up the church, is not beneficial, remains personally unfruitful, disrupts corporate worship, wastes time, does not mature believers, and was not designed for corporate worship. He emphasizes that clear, articulate communication of the Word is what convicts, builds up, and leads to genuine spiritual growth.

The sermon concludes by stressing the power of God's Word to transform lives. Johnson encourages believers to pursue both emotional experiences of God's presence and deep understanding of Scripture, for true spiritual encounters come through the clear proclamation and understanding of God's Word.

In Jeff Johnson's sermon, "The Imminence of God," he explores the profound nature of God's attributes, particularly focusing on His transcendence and imminence. He begins by discussing the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God, explaining how certain characteristics, like love and mercy, are shared with humanity, while others, such as omnipotence, are unique to God alone. This leads to the theological question of how God relates to creation—how He is both distinct (transcendent) and close (imminent).

Johnson draws from Isaiah 57:15 to illustrate this tension, highlighting that while God is high and holy, He also dwells with those who are humble and contrite. He critiques classical philosophy's attempts to define God, such as Aristotle’s concept of the "unmoved mover" and modern pantheism, which fail to capture the personal and relational nature of God as revealed in Scripture.

Ultimately, Johnson emphasizes the importance of the Trinity in understanding God's relational nature. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in eternal communion, which forms the basis for God’s relationship with humanity. In contrast to impersonal philosophical ideas, the biblical God is both transcendent and personally involved with His creation, inviting us into a loving relationship with Him.