Sermons on Censure:

The Singer

Contributed by Michael Stark on Aug 6, 2016

Thinking of worship through examining Jesus' singing of the hymn before His Passion.

“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” [1] Jesus was a singer; on four occasions Scripture informs us that Jesus sang. I cannot help but wonder what songs Jesus sang. Perhaps my training in the sciences compels me to ask such questions; nevertheless, I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:26

Denomination: Baptist

No Sweat!

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 21, 2020

Worship, true worship, worship that honours God, flows from the Spirit of God through the life of a follower of Christ who seeks to be pure and holy. True worship requires no effort on the part of the worshipper. Rather, it is the effortless response of that one who seeks the True and Living God.

“[The priests] shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments around their waists. They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat.” [1] God is concerned about the smallest facet of the lives of His children. It is not an insignificant matter to speak of the ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 44:18

Denomination: Baptist

God And The Wicked

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 23, 2025

God’s judgements compel the inhabitants of the world to learn righteousness! For the redeemed, His judgements encourage us while giving evidence of His love. For the wicked, His judgements cannot be understood, even when seen.

“The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 26:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

Going Out For The Sake Of The Name Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 21, 2010

Understanding our mission dictates embracing missions. Failure to understand the first leads to failure to fulfil the latter.

3 JOHN 5 8 GOING OUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE NAME “Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:5-8

Denomination: Baptist

What To Do About Cranks

Contributed by Michael Stark on Oct 17, 2010

Divisive people, like divisive doctrine, harms the people of God. Failure to address divisive people ensures that the church is hindered in her labours.

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” Harry Ironsides was quoted as saying, “The brightest light draws the most moths.” He was referring to cranks, ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:10-11

Denomination: Baptist

Sealing The Threat Of Apostasy

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Nov 30, 2010

The writer to the Hebrews was not satisfied with apostasy’s threat to his audience. & thus tried to circumvent that threat. The threat of apostasy is unacceptable & preventable. But what seals this threat? 3 factors sealing the threat of apostasy are

SEALING the THREAT of APOSTASY—Hebrews 6:1-12 Attention: Need: How can someone preach or teach the word of God year after year & then walk away from it forever? If ‘once saved always saved’ is true, then how can that be? Can I be lost forever? Can I be saved forever? The ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 6:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

I Am The Life Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Apr 4, 2010

When Jesus presents Himself as "The Life," What does that mean for us as followers?

JOHN 14: 6 JESUS, THE GREAT I AM: I AM THE LIFE “Jesus said … ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.’” M any exist; few live. Even among the churches of our Lord, this statement holds true. Reflecting as we do, the society within which we are immersed, we Christians have become almost ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Denomination: Baptist

How Can Anything That Feels So Right Be So Wrong?

Contributed by Michael Stark on Feb 12, 2021

A Valentine's Day message emphasising the sacred nature of marriage.

“God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28

Denomination: Baptist

The Crown Has Fallen

Contributed by Michael Stark on Jun 25, 2021

In tumultuous times of national unrest, the people of God must turn to God to plead for their nation. The message is a call for God's people to see the danger in which we stand at this hour.

Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows. We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought. Our pursuers ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 5:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

When Life Is Treated As "cheap!" Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Apr 7, 2021

Can God accept a murderer? He accepted Saul; and He has accepted many of us who were once filled with bitterness toward others. Those who turn from their evil to receive Christ as Master over life will be accepted by the Living God.

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

How Will Your Epitaph Read?

Contributed by Michael Stark on Nov 1, 2015

Life is preparation for death. How you administer your life now determines God's response to you and your place in the world to come.

“Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 49:16-20

Denomination: Baptist

A Good Servant Of Christ Jesus

Contributed by Michael Stark on Oct 27, 2013

The responsibility of the pulpit to promote godliness in the Community of Faith is explored

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.” [1] Godliness looms large in the thinking of the Apostle. The term “godliness” occurs fifteen ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:6

Denomination: Baptist

Slouching Toward Bethlehem

Contributed by Michael Stark on Jan 18, 2014

As the world moves toward judgement, opposed to the Faith and righteousness, how shall the child of God live?

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

The Undefiled Marriage Bed

Contributed by Michael Stark on Feb 15, 2014

The call to purity must be iterated in this day if the people of God are to enjoy His power.

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” [1] Listening to contemporary sociologists, one would conclude that marriage is a dying institution. Actually, one need not listen to sociologists ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:4

Denomination: Baptist

Homosexuality: Lifestyle Or Deathstyle? Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Oct 29, 2014

I’m going to say something that may shock you out of your socks: Jesus had to deal with homosexual temptation. How I can say that? It’s simple. Jesus dealt with EVERY kind of temptation.

INTRODUCTION Open your Bibles to Romans 1:18. Today I am going to address the issue of homosexuality. After I preached this in the last two services, I was amazed at how quiet everyone has been. They have really been listening. Also, people really don’t know what to say when they leave the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:26-27

Denomination: Baptist