JUPITER, FLORIDA – Grace Immanuel Bible Church focused its Sunday morning service on the importance of pursuing eternal priorities over earthly gain. The sermon, entitled A True Disciple’s Moral Convictions, was drawn from Luke 6:20—26 and emphasized that true discipleship is marked by humility, dependence on God, and a focus on His Kingdom above all else.
Senior Pastor Jerry Wragg explained that a true disciple has no higher love or affection than Christ. At the same time, he warned that Satan will attempt to infiltrate the church with false disciples who do not possess genuine faith. These warnings, Wragg noted, make it essential for believers to evaluate where their affections truly lie.
The message also recalled how people from Tyre and Sidon—cities long known for pagan practices—traveled great distances to hear Jesus teach. Their willingness to come underscored the remarkable power of Christ’s preaching, which stands apart as holy and perfect – the only message with eternal impact. It is also an underserved kindness of the Lord that He would draw even those whom the world would call the wickedest of sinners to Himself. Indeed, the Lord reaches out to cultures and peoples one might never expect.
Pastor Wragg noted that when pressed most people will choose temporary, earthly benefits that gratify the flesh over eternal benefits that satisfy the soul and produce righteousness. He stressed that those who come to Christ must do so on His terms, utterly needy and dependent. A true disciple, Wragg shared, is someone who understands that the poor in spirit will receive the Kingdom of God, that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied, that those who mourn now will one day laugh, and that those hated for Christ’s sake can rejoice in future reward.
The sermon underscored that eternity is what truly matters. Those who endure suffering in this life but pursue God’s righteousness are the ones who are truly blessed, while those who seek comfort exclusively in the present will find themselves empty and utterly lost at the final judgment.
References
A True Disciple’s Moral Convictions – Pt. 1 Grace Immanuel Bible Church. January 11, 2015. Accessed September 11, 2025.
Photography Credit
Image by Jose Weslley from Pixabay.
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