Bilston SDA Church Youth Campaign 2015
This page displays the sermons of Dean Cullinan as preached at Bilston SDA Church's Youth Campaign.
Speaker - Dean Cullinan & wife
The Youth campaign is now in progress. Please do come and join in this invitiation on October 2 - 17.
The following is a word from Dean Cullinane himself:
"My name is Dean Cullinane, I'm 24 years old and I was born in the Republic of Ireland. I came to the UK in 1999, and although I was raised a Catholic, I met Christ for the first time when I was 19 years old. I was baptised on October 9th, 2010 and life had never been the same. God has blessed me in so many ways that I wouldn't have time to explain even if I spoke about it for the rest of my life! I married the most beautiful woman in the world in 2014 and together we have been ministering all over the world. We have a passion for young people and desire to work for the Lord until the day he returns. We are excited by Gods leading and the work he is doing in the midlands and Wolverhampton and we pray that everyone will come to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our saviour."
Sermons:
The Crimsom Worm
Ready Now!
Run For Your Life
Scripture Reading: Genesis 39:8-9
Dean began his sermon with a picture of a tortoise with two heads. He spoke about the person who found it, thinking it was very strange and noted that both heads where fighting to get at the food. The discoverer decided that the animal would not have long to live due to the constant struggle of the two heads. Two heads struggling for control.
He draws a parallel to Adam and Eve. He noted that here was the perfect marriage, as God meant it to be. Here Adam and Eve worked together for God. Their focus was on that work for God, two minds working as one to do God's work.
Satan is able to tempt the woman because the woman was alone. He notes that they are no longer in union with each other and with God after their fall.There is now a struggle of two minds. Where once it was easy to follow God with a single purpose, it is now difficult to do so wit a conflict of two minds.
Double headiness he calls. He give ten practical tips to get rid of the double mind. He used Joseph as his module for the tips he gave. He also noted numerous times that you can’t avoid temptation. God will give a way out, but you have to persevere, there is a host of angels ready to stand with you. Temptation is proof that Satan doesn't have you!
Dean gave personal testimonies through out the sermon. He noted that been idle is a dangerous thing as his experiences proved.
- Don’t be alone
- Satan can also use beautiful things to tempt you
- Sexual sin is Satan’s Trump card
- You Can Say No
- Remember Your Reward
- Sins Pleasures Is Extremely Short
- Be A Person of Principle
- Remember Your God
- Have A Plan
- Run For Your Life
We need to be willing to run from sin. Regardless of what we leave behind as incriminating evidence like Joseph that will lead to embarrassment and shame. Rather the public embarrassment than to sin in secret before God. When God is number one it doesn’t matter what others say. When God is your focus it doesn’t matter what any other can say.
A key note that was often repeated in his sermons is that you don’t have to go out into the World of sin to appreciate the love and sacrifice of Christ. It is the ones that stay in the Church, stay on the side of Christ that the angels can relate to.
When you are tempted you are not alone. Persevere, God won't excuse that sin if you don’t try. God will empty heaven to save your soul. Temptation is a certainty every day of your life until you die. You can stand as a witness. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and our testimonies.
The Gospel According To Rome
Who Shall Beable To Stand?
Will You Leave too?
Special song by the London Group including Dean's wife
He begins with a disclaimer. This message will agitate you. He asked who in the congregation has access to social media and then goes on to describe Twitter. He spoke about the unique feature of Twitter – followers. He looks at who has the most followers, Katie Perry, Justin and President Obama. The Pope he notes, is number one in a religious context.
He continues talking about Twitter and asks the Church to imagine they have a Twitter account and you have followers numbering in the millions. Then you said something that your followers don't like. Suddenly you are left with no one! Millions one day and then none the other. You can imagine that you would not be in the best of moods.
Jesus wasn't on Twitter but he experienced this very situation. He said that John was his favourite gospel because of the unique view of the disciple’s account of Christ’ life compared to the other. He looks at John 6. John is the disciple that Jesus loved the most. John was a little bit closer than the others. He describes the chapters of John.
He speaks about the feeding of the five thousand men, which he increases to eight thousand with the unnumbered women and children. Then he went on the verse 14. He notes that Christ ran away from the crowd. He notes that to the people, Christ would never be the same after these events. The people wanted Christ to be the new King. They wanted a King to save them not from sin but from the Romans. Not the King that the prophecies pointed to, but a physical one. He ran, because he knows that the thousands of people begging him for an audience today are going to turn their backs on him tomorrow.
If men could have Christ and the world together, everyone would be a Christian. If a religion is presented to the world with a figure as loving and self-sacrificing has Christ and man could have him for free, without sacrifice, men would flock to it, because that would appease the carnal nature completely.
He spoke about Christ fleeing across the lake without a boat. The people went seeking Christ after the feeding. They found out that Christ had travelled over the lake without a boat. The people questioned the disciples how this was possible. The disciples recounted the miracles of Christ and still they did not believe. When they found Christ, they questioned him; they came with a spirit of test.
They wanted to hear the same things that the disciples told them from Christ himself. They did not believe the account of the disciples. They found it incredible that someone could do all these miracles. They did not believe.
Christ told them that they came because they were fed yesterday. Why are they coming to Jesus? They come for selfish reasons. Don't labour for the things that will pass away, that can’t be taken to the kingdom of heaven. We need a change of focus; we work so hard, he sees it on Sabbaths, so exhausted. You need to not focus on the things that will not last forever.
The people demand a sign from Christ to prove who he says he is. He noted that many are always demands signs; he is thinking he is just like them, always demanding more, another revelation. Christ said that he is the bread of life. The disciples had having difficulty understanding this. Here I am it's me, Christ, Dean notes. The bread of life, their focus was on the here and now, freedom from the Romans, oppression and slavery.
He read a quote, “seventh-day Adventist are watchmen and bearers. They have been given the proclamation of the First, Second and Third Angel messages.” “They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention.” He notes noting is to be allowed to control, absorb or consume our attention from the purpose of proclaiming these messages.
He then looks at the story of Gideon vs the almost numberless enemy army, Judges 7. He spoke about how God ordered Gideon to send the men home who were scared, fearful of their life or were not vigilant.
He spoke about been fearful and afraid. He notes that there are pastors and evangelists that are scared of preaching certain messages. That's why so many of our sermons are dead. He notes that you should leave if you are scared just go.
We judge the success of our campaigns by the number in the Church. This was not the case with Gideon. God does not measure success by numbers; it's by the hearts of the people. He measures success with faithfulness.
He then recounted the water test. He spoke of two groups of people; the first group falls to their hands and knees and lapped up the water like dogs. The other was cautious, watching the enemy while drinking. He spoke about focus of these two groups. The second group was focus of the task on hand, they were ready for war – 300 remained. Started with 32000 and after the sorting he leaves for war with only 300 soldiers, focused on the task of God.
We need people that are focus on what is coming, focus on the events that are knocking on the door of the Church. Christ is telling the people that he is fully aware of their focus; it’s not where it should be. He needs to test them, to show them that their focus is not where it ought to be.
He notes how the people were offended. They slandered the origin of Jesus; they alluded to is doubtful parentages. He said that this was way he is Christian today, because of Christ response to these people. This he notes would have been reason enough to push anyone over the edge.
Not Jesus though. He spoke of the suffering of Jesus birth would have caused for his mother in the community. His response was stating clearly that they can only get to the Father through Him. His focus was on saving them not responding angrily. Christ is focus on the mission his Father gave him.
The Jews have been spoiled with a history of God working in the lives of their fore falters. They are proud of this heritage. Then Christ tells them they don't have a clue about righteousness, they are nothing. He has shattered their traditions and beliefs in themselves and they don’t like it. They found it too hard to listen to Christ. He notes that they can't listen to this, and many of Christ disciples walk away.
Your imperfections don't exclude you from God’s Word. Many left him and walked with him no more. Your life must mirror that of Christ. You need to be ready for the sacrifice that comes with following Christ?
If you don't want to be here, than leave. There's the door, just go. If you are fearful and afraid, just go. That is fine. You can still be here and not here. Just call it a day and live the life you want to leave. One foot in and one foot out, you are still going the same place – out.
Jesus said exactly the same thing; in verse 67, are you going to leave too? Dean isn't going to force you to stay here, just go if you want to leave. Follow everyone else that is going away. The door will remain open right up to the very end. You can choose to have any part of this Church mission. You can leave.
Simon Peter steps forward, verse 68. He asks Jesus - to whom shall we go. Where would you go? “There is no one else; thou have the Word of eternal life.” He has seen in his life where he as seen his own faults, pride, characteristics that God is still changing in him. He keeps messing up. He noted that he might as well give up on this Christian walk. He keeps messing up; he’s just going to leave, but every time he finds himself at that stage, he sees that door that he wants to go out of and Jesus is knocking on and he wants out.
Jesus is saying, Dean you want to go, by all means go. The thought comes to him, where too? After everything he has done for me, after all the work He has done on him. How can he go anywhere? There is nowhere else than here. If you think anything is going to keep you in Christ, other than His Word, you are mistaken.
The only thing that kept Peter and the others is the eternal words of God, nothing else. Nothing other than a relationship with God is going to keep you in this life. Your imperfections don’t exclude you from keeping God’s Word.
What about you when time gets tough are you going to leave? When it gets hard are you going to leave the Lord too? If you are not grounded in the living word you will leave too. Nothing will keep you than the word of God.
Please note that this is only a summary of the sermon preached by Dean. It would be best for you to watch the full video to get the personal conviction that Dean stroved so hard to convey to each and every hearer of his voice on the night - watch the sermon, feel the power of his conviction and faith, hear the vocie of Chirst pleading for your soul salvation!
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Friend, Why Have You Come?
Dean spoke to a full church on the eve of the Sabbath. His audience from all walks of life. He was introduced to the audience by the powerful voice of a little girl from Pendeford SDA Church who’s solo stirred their hearts with her bravery and strength.
Dean queried how did the jews miss the mission of Jesus, the Bible points to that mission, its clearly defined. Yet the Jews where looking for a stately King, to rescue them from Roman oppression and re-instate the Jewish state to the prominence of King Solomon reign of old. Dean noted that Jesus coming was for something far greater, to free man from sin not from the Romans, political bondage or poverty.
Dean points out how Christ himself demonstrated his purpose to his disciples and those around him. He noted the reasons people came and attached themselves to Christ has he went about His mission for completely different selfish motives.
Motives; Dean spoke of Judas. He stated that Judas taught him more about Christianity than any of the disciples around Christ. An astonished statement to his audience. He spoked about these motives of Judas and noted that Christ made it clear to Judas just what he was getting himself into, yet Judas had made up his mind just what he wanted to achieve.
Dean questioned if he fell into this trap too. He continues talking about Judas’ deception. Judas sold Christ for the price of a common slave. Judas wants to be around Jesus to be seen by others, but Christ mission was contrary to Judas’s goal. This lead to his betrayal. Judas knew full well what he was doing, even so he stayed around Jesus, he was such an hypocrite.
When they came for him in the garden, Judas greets him with a kiss. Christ asks - friend, why are you here? In that question Christ taught him, Dean, so much about Christianity. He his giving Judas the opportunity to save himself, Christ forgave him.
Dean observed that evangelism needs to follow the blueprint set down in the Bible from the very beginning. God laid it down when He asked the question to Adam. Dean went on to speak about Hagar fleeing from her mistress’ household and then Elijah hiding in a cold wet cave.
God asks what are you doing here? The first step is not to condemn, but to find out why you are where you are. He wants to build a relationship. We need to show that you care about the people, then they will care to know what you know.
Open the heart. God knows where you are. He continues with the story of Judas’ betrayal. Friend, Christ address to Judas - he is trying to win Judas’ soul. He knows this man has sold him to death, that’s what Christianity is right there, loving your enemy.
We are all still the presence of God. God knows who we are and knows our sins. Yet He is giving us a chance for redemption. A friend of God, how did you come to where you are today? Jesus is going to ask you that same question. Why are you here? Why did you come? What are you seeking to gain in the presence of God?
If you come for any other reason than to know Jesus Christ, you should leave. What's kept you coming, he asks. What are you seeking to gain? If you come for hope, you are broken, fallen; welcome. No where else to go, welcome to a place you will not be turned away.
Dean made it clear - We come because there is a God who needs us, and boy do we need him!
Please note that this is only a summary of the sermon preached by Dean. It would be best for you to watch the full video to get the personal conviction that Dean stroved so hard to convey to each and every hearer of his voice on the night - watch the sermon, feel the power of his conviction and faith, hear the vocie of Chirst pleading for your soul salvation!
Ransom & Reunion
Dean spoke of worth, just how much are you worth? What makes a man valuable to God? He illustrates this with an incident of a kidnapping of a father’s son. This man he notes was not interested in another son, he was willing to pay any price for his kidnapped child, not a replica or any other child. Why he queries did God pay such a high price for us?
On this note he quotes Isaiah 43:21 and Psalms 149:4. God made us for his pleasure, to make Him happy, to fulfil a purpose for God.
He then went on to speak about friends of God – Moses, Jacob and Daniel. Men who were at some time of broken characters and great sinners. Yet they are noted as friends of God.
He notes that God needs us and we need Him even more. No one can fill that place with God but you. Each and everyone has a place in God’s heart. God will love the person next to you but that person cannot take away your place with God.
Make sure you watch the sermon for yourself!
God's Quiver
Charge That To My Account
Father of the Fatherless
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