Tonight we want to review a little bit and by the way I'm
feeling really good tonight but a but I made a commitment to try
to keep it down last night, I got so exuberant but tonight I
just want to try to go over some points that we know but maybe we
forgotten and just kind of little review a little bit and
make sure we're all on the same page and our Christian walk.
What would talked about about the need for change in our life?
Is that we need to absolutely change.
Each ourselves for if there was no need for change.
Then why did Jesus Christ? Tell everyone to repent and acts
17:30, God is commanding all men everywhere to repent.
But in what areas we need to change in our life those are
things. Are the Bible continually gives
us even lists from which to review and sometimes checkoff
even we've asked of you to focus and on some of these things and
to start working on some of them.
Because sometimes Christians are forgetful hearers.
The Book of James tells us, some people can look into the mirror
of God's word and see where we need to, correct what we need to
shape up or clean up or be prepared.
So we can be prepared to meet God.
But some people go away and immediately forget what manner
of man, or what kind of people that we are, we compare
ourselves among ourselves. We tend to judge ourselves by
others and if we could find other Well, worse than we are
then we think we're better. If we think we can find other
people that are the same as we are, then that's all we need to
do. To feel confident that we must
be following Jesus. And that's not necessarily the
case. The Bible warns us, if you
compare yourselves among yourselves, you're not wise,
you're not wise. So the fact of the matter is, is
in Christianity. The measure isn't whether we're
better than anyone else. It's We imitating Jesus and the
Bible continually tells us to fix our eyes upon him for
examining ourselves. The measure of the stature that
belongs to Jesus Christ, is what we're supposed to be measuring
up to that is our goal is to imitate him.
We've noticed in the scriptures in 1st Peter, chapter 2 and
verse 21, but you have been called for this purpose since
Christ suffered for you leaving. You an example for you to follow
in his steps. Now, this This is just more than
in suffering. This is the example that Jesus
set. By the way, he lived.
That's why the gospels record, how he dealt with circumstances
is. So we can learn how to deal with
circumstances like he did. So we've got to be imitators of
Jesus Christ. Paul said, be ye followers of me
as I also am of Christ. He continually pointed people to
Jesus and he says he is the example.
He's the one who steps you're supposed to follow.
He The One You're supposed to conform your life do, as we
notice through the book of Romans, we were predestined by
God to be conformed to his image, to be transformed.
As we've noticed, other scripture says in First
Corinthians. Well, there are many many
passages. We don't want to re-preach all
the lessons that we've given earlier in this series but it's
surprising to me how so many people Define their Christian
walk by what they do in worship. Only in other words they believe
that if they're worshiping correctly 3, A hours a week that
they're following, Jesus 24/7 365 and that is just not the
case, many people leave here without the attitudes of Jesus,
without the Heart of Jesus without concern for the lost
without concern for their family and their husband, and their
wife, and their children, and their job.
You look at their morality, you look at the way they live
outside the assembly. And, you know, they don't know
the Lord. The Bible says, in first, John
hereby, do we know that we know him, if we We keep his
Commandments. This is how we reflect our
knowledge of Jesus. We understand his position in
our life and we reflect that, by the way, we live.
It's what we learn in the assembly that equips us to go
out and live the Christian life being in the assembly and
worshiping God in spirit and Truth.
Collectively is important don't ever get me wrong.
That is absolutely imperative that we because the Bible says,
we must worship God in spirit and Truth John.
At verse, 23, and 24. And when the Bible says must, we
better pay attention, we better pay attention.
But my friends, some people that is the only measure that they
have in their life and that is absolutely foreign to
Christianity. Christianity is a way of life
that we live outside of this assembly.
It is the attitudes we possess whenever we meet others, rich or
poor, or of A different race than Is the Bible continually
points out that? We've got to put away attitudes
that affect the way we make decisions and the way we
interact with circumstances. Let's look at a few passages
that we've looked at so many times before in Ephesians the
fourth chapter, notice what he says here at Ephesians 4, mmm.
In verse 19, they have become callous, Ephesians chapter 4,
verse 20. They become callous having given
themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind
of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ.
You did not learn Christ in this way.
This isn't the example of Jesus. Jesus didn't live a life of
licentiousness of fleshly indulgence know.
You learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard of
enema and taught him just as the Truth is in Jesus that in
reference to your and very play prints to your former manner of
Life. There were, I believe the King
James word, if I'm not incorrect, there is the word
conversation is that right. The word conversation has
changed. Meaning said, 1611.
And it then a conversation might been what was reported about
someone. But this word literally means
manner or way of life. And so he says whenever you were
before you were Christian, you had a way of life that is now
foreign to you, you put it away, you put it off.
And so he begins to use this metaphor of taking off and
putting on in the rest of the passage.
Notice what he goes on to say, verse 22 that in reference to
your former manner of life. You lay aside the old self,
which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of
Deceit and that you'd be reminded.
In the mood, in the spirit of your mind and put on The Noose
put on? Yes.
There's the idea and put on the new self, which is in the
likeness of God, and is be created in righteousness, and
Holiness of the truth, therefore, and he describes what
this is therefore, lay aside falsehood be angry and sin not,
he gives a whole list here, describing the manner of life of
a Christian. He must not steal verse 28, no
unwholesome Proceed out of your mouth verse 29, let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put
away. From you verse 31, be kind,
tender hearted to one another forgiving each other just as God
has forgiven, you verse 32, this is Christianity, describe.
This is the measuring stick. He says, here's how you know,
you're following Jesus. Here's how you know, you're
living In His Image. If you put these things out and
you've put these things on, that's a description.
Option. You know how many times that's
Christianity? Been talked about whenever we're
talking about worship and that my friends aren't, like I said,
I'm not trying to downgrade that.
I'm trying to get us not to be deceived into thinking that just
because we worship correctly. We must have holy Lifestyles.
That is not necessarily the case.
Look at the church at laodicea and Revelation the third
chapter. They thought they were rich and
increased with goods and have need of nothing.
Nothing. But Jesus said, don't you know,
you're poor, you're blind, you're nekkid, you haven't got
anything. You're destitute.
You're morally bankrupt. They thought that of the
assembly would take care of their whole life and it doesn't,
the assembly is part of a Christians life worshiping God,
collectively is one aspect of a Christians life, but my friend,
if crushed, if Christ means nothing to you, outside of the
assembly, if your Christianity, is only defined by what you do
in an assembly, you have a different gospel, you have a
different concept than the Bible concept of imitating Jesus.
He said, it is a lifestyle. It is a A manner of living it is
a way we interact every day. It's a way we treat our wife.
It's the way we treat our children.
It's a way we treat our parents. It's the way we interact with
our boss, it work. It's the way we treat our
neighbors. It's the way we react every day.
That lets us know that we really are following Jesus Christ.
And that is so critically important.
Let's look at a passage in Colossians right quick.
If you have your Bibles flip over there to Colossians the
third chapter. Hmm.
Notice what he says here. Well, we're not going to have
time to read the whole chapter, but notice in verse 5 he says
consider your body's dead immorality.
Of course a Christian somebody who's following, Jesus does not
commit immorality. Notice he says impurity.
Passions, evil desires greed, which amounts to idolatry vert
is because of these things. The wrath of God is coming.
In other words, here's the reason why God is going to
execute judgment on the world is because people behave and this
way toward one another notice in Which once verse 7 you also
walked when you were living in them.
But now you also put them all aside, I want you to underline
that put them on the site. This is just as much a command
as worship. God in spirit truth friends.
Just as much. You better not be saying this is
more important than this. I want you to know the Christian
Life, the manner, in which we live is just as important as the
way we worship. Because they both reflect the
Same Heart. They wrote for reflect our
commitment, our devotion to God. We've got to love God with all
of our heart soul, mind and strength, not just in the
simply. But with our life, we've got to
love God with our life. We've got to be a Living
Sacrifice, Romans 12, which is appropriate a whole acceptable
sacrifice which is our reasonable service.
Notice in verse 8, but now we're Colossians 3, put them all aside
anger wrath malice slander. Her abusive speech from your
mouth, do not lie. One to another since you've laid
aside the old self with its evil practices.
He talks about it in the past tense.
This is something we've got to repent of maybe now acts, 17:30
is making sense. God is commanding, all men
everywhere to repent, that is to change to change the direction
of our life, into one following. Ourself following the world,
following the flesh, to one of following Jesus Christ.
And in his steps we will walk. That's what we're supposed to be
doing. Imitating Jesus and he says,
Jesus didn't have anything of these things.
Notice verse 10 and having put on the new self who has been
renewed to a true knowledge. According listen, according to
the image of the one who created him, isn't that amazing?
God tells us that we're being renewed in to that image.
That's what that's what Hebrews has 12 is.
Meaning when it says, fixing our eyes on Jesus, fixing our eyes,
that means we look at him. And if he wouldn't do it, we
don't do it. And if he would do it, we do it
because we're imitators of Jesus Christ.
Notice also notice he tell he goes on to describe Jesus.
Notice verse 12 so though having those have been chosen by God
holy and beloved put on a heart of compassion.
Kindness humility gentleness and patience bearing with one
another and forgiving each other.
Whoever has a complaint against anyone.
Notice what he says just as the Lord forgave you so also should
you. He he he tells us dirt think of
what Jesus did. Think of what Jesus did we're
going to talk about Steven before this meeting is over.
But, you know, Stephen whenever he was dying, I'm sure what
Jesus did was on his mind. Because he, like Jesus said,
father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing, isn't
that amazing? Now, that's how we know we've
got the Life of Christ in us. That's how we know.
We're imitating, Jesus is whenever we can say, what would
Jesus do in this situation and I will do that.
That's what we're talking about. Beyond all these things verse
14, put on love, which is the perfect Bond of unity, and Let
the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
Which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful, well,
enough of our review tonight. This is such an important point
that we don't get a wrong concept of what religion is all
about. Whenever we talk about
Christianity, we're talking about a people who follow
Christ, because that's what the word means.
Ins, and if you're not behaving like Christ, when you're in your
home, if you're not behaving like Christ, with your husband,
with your wife, with your children, with your neighbor, if
you're not honest above board at, have these qualities in your
spirit and in your mind, then don't deceive yourself into
thinking. Well, I'm a Christian but I'm
not imitating. Jesus really?
I don't think there is such a thing.
In fact, it's just pretty evident that a person who thinks
that such a thing can exist. Wrist is deceived.
That's the whole point. Don't think you can be angry.
You can be wrathful, you can be dishonest, you can be all those
things and still be a Christian. That's just a deception of
Satan. We must have a lifestyle that
reflects our knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
Jesus Christ. We've talked about how that Luke
6 and verse 40. If you're taking notes, the
Bible says, a disciple or a student when he is fully
trained, will be like his teacher.
Whenever we're mature in our knowledge of Jesus Christ, then
we will behave and react, acted react, like Jesus in Matthew 28.
Verse 19 through 20. Jesus wants us to become his
disciples and as his disciples were taught, all things that he
brought from the father and the Bible tells us where to be
conformed, to the image of his son Romans 8 and verse 29.
Well, Whenever we read some of these lists in the scriptures of
things to put off and things to put on, and I've asked you each
to do some homework and begin to specifically identify areas that
you need to change in your morality that you need to
perfect Holiness. The Bible talks about, we're
going to talk about Hope before this is over as well.
But listen to this those who are Christians are always growing in
this area. The Bible says, he who has this
hope fixed on him purifies himself.
That were purify means to make single make a single substance.
Whenever something is said to be pure gold, that means it's
without any other impurities. And those who have their eyes
fixed on Jesus, those who have their hope fixed on him.
They will purify themselves as they grow.
Their life becomes more and more pure as they mature, their life
gets more and more consistent to the image of Jesus.
Now, I'm Jesus is sinless perfection and sometimes we say,
well that's I'm not there yet. Well, Paul an apostle of Jesus
Christ and no one. Questions.
His maturity said he buffeted his body daily and make me his
slave. That's after he preached to
others, he himself should be a Castaway Paul understood that
this process of maturity is an estate.
You get to and then you relax. It's something you do every day.
So Christian regardless of where you're at, I hope you know that
you have not reached a state of perfection but hopefully you
have reached a state of maturity.
Those are two different things. Sure is Two different things,
one implies flawlessness. And Paul had to daily, make sure
he was obedient, he had to continually every moment.
Make sure that he had the mind of God and wasn't distracted by
the Temptations and lust of the flesh.
He had some tools available to him, that helped him succeed in
his daily walking after Jesus walk.
Can we identify some of those tools for ourself?
Yes, we can. We've talked about some of these
things before, but tonight, I would like you to take notes
because once we've identified what aspects we want to lay
aside and what aspects we want to add, there are some things
that will help us in our Christian development.
First of all, whenever we talk about change in our life, we
have to do some mental mentally, some exercise, if you will, to
make sure we've got the target actually set in our heart and in
our mind that is to be very clear about what we're aiming
for one, is it? We're exactly wanting to change,
you know, in any business they say they want a business plan,
what is it that your business does write it down?
And some, if businesses don't do Ooh that sometimes they often
fail because they get to going in so many directions and their
energies are not focused. You have to know what you do in
your business. You have to know and as
Christians we have to know as well.
We have to have a plan. We have to have some specific
things of what we're doing every day of our life.
What am I doing this week? How am I growing this week?
How am I going to grow closer to Jesus every day?
We need spiritual goals. Each of us needs spiritual
goals. A lot of the reason a lot of the
reasons why we never travel from where we are to where he is, is
we never? Look at a map.
We never know what our goal is. So the first thing we need to
know is what is our goal? What is our goal?
What is it exactly that we're shooting for now?
We need to identify where we're at on this map.
Some of us in this map if you will, are over here some are
over here. Maybe this is where we're headed
right here, some started a different Place than what we may
have to start and still. So others may be here and they
have to go in a different direction but wherever we start
from that's personal this doesn't move.
Jesus is Jesus is the same Jesus is static, he is he is stable.
He is always where he always is and if you're not with him it's
not because he moved it's because you're in here.
Not there yet. You need to get there.
So what is it that you some of you don't need to work on?
Hospitality. Some of you don't need to work
on love still. Others.
May have to work on putting the side, hatred out of their life.
Others may need to work on self-discipline.
Add to your faith virtue and to Virtue knowledge and knowledge.
King James says, Temperance that were Temperance means
self-control. Perhaps, that's something we
need to work on. Perhaps it's the tongue.
Perhaps it's jealousy. I don't know what it is, but you
know what it is, you know, where you are.
If a map is going to be helpful, you have to know where you are.
And then that map also has to tell you where he is.
Where is you want to go? So first of all, get you a goal,
you have to be specific, write down that goal.
Make it clear and then we're going to have to work.
Now, this goal can either, as we've already noticed, can be
putting off. Or putting on something, but it
is something it's either one or the other.
It's either putting off something or putting on
something, make sure to go, make sure to maybe you need to work
at being more loving, or more kind, or less hateful or bitter,
or whatever it is, but whatever it is, make sure you have a goal
then, secondarily you have to have a plan.
Sometimes plans, involve others if you want, for instance, if
you say the bereans were more noble than those in thessalonica
and that they studied the word daily and the other state that
we're daily and I need to study the word daily and I need to get
this into my life daily. You may have to incorporate your
husband or wife cooperation and your children.
You have to have say honey this is a plan for spiritual growth
and this is where I want to go. And is this some place to where
you want to go? Go, you know, Amos 3:3 says can
two walk together except they be agreed.
We're going to have to have a on the right goal here and raising
our children, we're going to have to have the right.
The same boundaries. We're going to have to agree and
that may mean you have to sit down with your mate and make up
some plans about where you want to go.
You may have to look at your work because maybe your work
won't let you to make different plans.
Maybe your work is something you're going to have to change
in order to please God. You know, I've met a lot of
people and studied with a lot of different people about becoming
Christians and I'll tell you what, it's amazing what you meet
out there. You don't normally meet people
that have to change their vocation in order to become
Christians, but if you get out there and talk with people,
you're going to meet somebody that Christ is going to change
their entire life. Turn it upside down and dump it
out and they're going to have to start building all over again.
How to start building all over again, I've talked with
prostitutes and how that live, I can't continue to live in the
lifestyle to which I'm going to custom.
If I become a Christian, you go, that's right.
I haven't talked to a Hitman yet.
But I did talk to an enforcer for the Hells Angels about
obeying. The gospel one time and he beat
up a lot of people and I told him I'm sorry but I just can't
imagine Jesus doing that. Can you?
I just really challenged him with the image of following
Jesus and he said, no, Glenn. You're right.
I'm going to have to quit my job but that's going to be quite.
I'm going to be taking my life in my hands.
If I change my job, if I tell him, I'm quitting.
I said, it's either your life or your soul, what's it going to
be? What's it going to be my
friends? Most of us don't have to change
that drastically. But you may, if your require, if
your work requires you to lie all the time, if you're
required, if your work requires you to be immoral or unethical,
you may have to change jobs. I don't care if the rest of the
world approves of it. You know, one of the things that
divides this country is the fact that abortion is justified by
our culture and by law, but I don't care how much the law
says, it's okay, it's not okay. People have to change whenever
they come to, Jesus Christ, even if it's a respected profession
acknowledged and approved of by men, you have to determine what
it is specifically and then you have to make plans to change
that. You have to make some, you have
to go and you have to say, I need some help, I need some
cooperation, I need to get from here to there and make some
plans, do some changing and my life.
And lastly, all the goals and all the plans in the world won't
Won't do any good if there's no effort.
Put forth to change you know I know people who have a good set
of plans. I've been drawing these plans
all my life, the house still ain't built. that's the whole
point just because you know what the Bible teaches, just because
you're familiar just because that may be a goal that you want
to get that into your life or that out of your life isn't good
enough until you put forth the effort, make the decision, make
the commitment that it will happen and it will happen now
today, Today will be the day. How many people have tried to
stop smoking? But they never did it.
They never did it. And that's what I'm talking
about here and Christianity. The same patterns, the same
principles that lead to success in the world lead to success
spiritually. Here's the point, make sure your
eyes are on the goal. Make sure you know exactly what
you're going to put off and put on, make a record of it, write
it down and we're going to notice some other keys in just a
moment. Make a plan and then literally
put forth the effort to bring about that change.
It may mean putting off Ins for evil companions, corrupt.
Good morals. You may have to get some new
environment. You may have to turn off the
radio. You may have to play other kinds
of music. You may have to watch other
kinds of shows, but whatever it takes to be holy, you need to
get that into your life and whatever makes it Unholy
whatever corrupts needs to be out.
So, it's an effort Christianity. Is not 0, not friends.
This isn't easy. But there are many people who
think that Christianity is easy. They've never paid the price or
counted. The cost mean, Christian is some
of the most difficult changes you'll ever have in your life.
But yet it is the most rewarding because whenever we design our
homes, whenever we design our life, after God's will then add
two functions as God designed for it to function.
The relationships will be as God designed and we will have peace
in our hearts even though we may not find contentment in our
circumstances. One of the things that we're
going to conflict, right here is lust and putting off and putting
on, literally one of the things right here that we're going to
confront often in goal. Setting is lust.
The Bible says that we must actively stop.
Impure thoughts in order to end in pure actions.
In Matthew, the 15th, chapter and verse 19, the Bible says,
out of the heart comes adultery fornication, etc, etc, etc.
Out of the hardest where sin comes from.
And so, we've got to guard the hearts, and our minds.
We've got to, we've got to Guard.
Our lust lust means unlawful desire.
A desire for that which is unlawful in our mind, in 2nd
Corinthians, 10 and verse 5. The Bible says, we are to
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to
The Obedience of Jesus Christ, every thought captive to The
Obedience of Christ, that means make sure we keep our thoughts
Corral And my friends are TVs. You know, they used to preach
against TVs. But it's not, it's not the TV
that's evil people preach on it. It's not the radio that sinful
people preach on it. It's not the printing press
That's evil. They print.
The Bible's As well as pornography.
It's not the printing press, it's not the TV, it's not the
radio, it's not the computer. Those are just mediums for
messages, but we've got to choose the message.
We listen to. We watch, we pick up, we indulge
in. We've got to choose that.
It's not the movie that's wrong. It's what movie you go?
See. It's what song you listened to
its, what book you read. That's the point.
We've got to learn to discern Christians.
Because whenever we put garbage in, we get garbage out.
That's right. The Bible says bring every
thought captive, guard your heart and it's something nobody
else can do for you. Guard your heart, Proverbs 23
and verse 17. Listen, do not let your heart
Envy sinners That's pretty straightforward.
Don't let your heart Envy Sinners but live in the fear of
the Lord always. Do not let who's responsible, I
am, if I let my heart, the Bible says, you do not let your heart
in dissenters. How many times have you said?
Well, I don't do that. I'm a Christian, but I sure
would like to. That's letting your heart in
these sinners. I'd like to, but I can't.
I'm a Christian. I'm gonna get caught, it's
wrong. That's when ever lost.
That's where that's the cultivation in our heart.
We're lost can plant a seed. My friends.
Don't let that happen. Do not.
Let your heart in be Sinners, but live in the fear of the
Lord, always remember the Lord knows the thoughts and the
intentions of our hearts First Chronicles 28:9, do some weeding
in the garden of our mind. Point number two, we've said
this before when talking about how to bring about Changing our
life. Point number two, Well, we want
to call Point number one. And you guys have heard me say
this before, that means stop stinkin Thinkin, that's what
we've always called it. That's what that's, what Zig
Ziglar calls it, stop stinkin Thinkin, it means control our
thoughts. But number two, there's
something that feed our thoughts.
The Bible tells us to memorize specific scriptures.
In other words, put scriptures in our mind, memorize scriptures
that have to do with whatever you're working on.
If you've got a goal over here, memorize scripture that have to
do with that goal. If you've got trouble with
gossip memorize scripture that have to do with gossip.
Look, in the Book of Proverbs look in the Book of James.
When it talks about the trunk tongue, scuse me, That was going
to be quoted. I guess, what are we talking
about here, memorize scripture that have to do with whatever
you're working on? That is specific.
That is a tool Jesus, whenever he was tempted, use that.
What did he say? Whatever Satan came his way.
It is written. It is written.
Thou shalt not have Jesus. Had those words in his mind,
those living words in his mind. Those words that empowered him
to overcome the lusts of the flesh.
The Bible says, in James 1 verse 21 received the word.
Implanted engrafted is the King James word, word.
Unfortunately, that word doesn't really get the job done the
word. Does it mean to add it to?
It means to plant it in. Receive the word implanted in
our heart, which is able to save our souls.
It's able to do what save our souls parents.
You want to save your children. Put the word plant, the word in
their hearts and in their minds, teach them to memorize
scripture, and if you don't know what to teach them, perhaps you
need to remember eyes it right along with them, you need to
memorize it right along with them.
I remember being raised, I remember one of the first
scriptures that I had to memorize.
It's the one every child should memorize Ephesians 6:1 children
obey. Your parents in the Lord for
this is, right? I was so glad when I got up and
could teach that. Hey Dad, I found one for you
father's provoke. Not your children.
Giraffe. There's one you got to work on.
We all need to be working on some scriptures.
We really do. If you don't know, the Books of
the Bible, memorize it, teach your children.
And guess what? You'll learn to, by teaching
your children, you'll learn. That's the whole key.
Get the word of God into our hearts and into our minds,
right? Amount of hearts and our minds
because that's where God wants them kept, he doesn't want to
put him in a book and lay it on a shelf.
You should keep them. He said I'll put him in your
heart and in your mind, I will write them.
Memorize scriptures have to do with your problem.
The sword of the spirit is the word of God Ephesians 6:17, and
it needs to be where the battle is in our hearts.
And in our minds. First, John 4 verse 17,
Colossians 3. And verse 16 notice the Bible
says in Matthew 4, no, excuse me, Psalms 119 11 by word.
Have I treasured in my heart that I may not sin against thee?
I'll tell you, there's nothing like remembering a passage when
you're about to commit, a sin that will keep you from sin.
It will guard your heart, it will guard it.
And I'm sure each one of you can give an example of that.
You may be about to tell them, I you maybe get to gossip, you may
be tempted to commit fornication, you may be tempted
to do, steal something, but that scripture comes to your mind and
it keeps you from doing that, which is forbidden by God.
Memorize scriptures that have to do with your problem.
David said, Thy word have I treasured in my heart that I may
not sin against thee, Psalms 119, and verse 11 Point number
three, how many Christians have tried to overcome through
fleshly knowledge, and all this other stuff without prayer.
Pray, the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews 4:16 to pray and
ask God for help in time of need.
It went in time of need, in time of need.
That means we ought to be praying, right?
Whenever we're being tempted, right?
Whenever we're working on this goal of putting something off
on, what's about to raise, its ugly head, it's about to do
something, I'm about to have this at the other.
You know what? The best thing to do is just
pray, it's a real good thing to get into praying with your kids,
praying with your husband, and with your wife, you know, I know
woman that had trouble, not abusing her children, but she
would definitely lose her temper.
And she said, it wasn't Godly. And so we talked, Out this
praying in time of Temptation and so you know what she began
to do, she began to call her kids in and she would say,
Johnny we need to pray and they would pray right then and Johnny
knew what was going to happen at the end of that prayer often
times. But the whole point, is he
recognized prayer was a time for for praying and he would pray
and then he finally began praying.
Pray, Lord. Please save me from my mom
sometimes. I mean that's like he learned
how to pray. He learned what prayer was for,
is for asking God, for help in time of need.
And that's what we're talking about to pray.
The instant, when you're driving down the road, where does the
bible? Does it say close your eyes?
I want to know one verse. We pray to God when we address
our thoughts to him, you can pray with your eyes open.
Pray to God. Instantly direct your thoughts
toward him, and pray the moment you're tempted.
Pray, the Bible says, to find Grace to help in time of need
Hebrews 4 verse 16. Notice in Matthew, 26 and verse
41, the Amplified version translates.
This passage this way. The Bible says, all of you must
keep awake. Give strict attention, be
cautious and watch, and pray that you may not come into
temptation. The spirit.
Indeed is willing, but the flesh.
Is week knowing that he tells us to watch and pray Point number
four and this is our last one. I want you to memorize this.
Make yourself accountable. That's accountable.
If you can't see, couldn't get it all in there right quick.
Make yourself accountable to other Christians in James, the
fifth chapter and verse 16. By the way, it's not really
talking about assembly of the church there.
Although we can in the Assembly of the church confess our
faults, one to another but it more often implies a private
thing where we call the Elders of the church.
Even contextually. Whatever is going on in that
passage, he's saying you get ahold of somebody else in the
body of Jesus Christ. You are the book of Galatians 2.
You who are spiritual restore, such an one in the spirit of
meekness considering yourself. Lest you also be tempted,
whenever we end the body of Christ have trouble in spiritual
victory in our life. God has equipped us with the
congregation to be a source of help as well.
That is one of the reasons why God gave us a congregation read.
First Corinthians 12 chapter read Romans of 12 chapter
whenever he says your parts of one another We have this access
this great access to help from our brothers and sisters as
well. The Bible says confess your
faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be
healed. We can find healing and doing
that and acknowledging with one another of why our we're
growing. And what we need to do, we need
to make ourselves accountable to one another.
It is so important that we do that.
I know one preacher that needed to do that.
He said he couldn't, he didn't want to disappoint anyone in the
congregation. He was having trouble with
temptation and so he didn't, he didn't do that.
And he said, had he done that? He probably would not have been
where he was then he had brought literally run off.
With another woman in the church.
I'll because he disobeyed God whenever God says, make yourself
accountable to somebody confess your faults one to another and
pray one for another. My friends, if you're having
trouble, get somebody to help you overcome, that's why we're
together. We're supposed to be
strengthening one another. In the what the Bible says.
In Hebrews 10:24, 25 about one of the purposes of the assembly
is what to encourage one, another to love and good works.
That's the relationship we're supposed to have with one
another. There's many many Christians who
think they can do it by themselves.
And wonder why God told them to assemble.
Why God told them to interact and relate with one another.
And if they would just read First Corinthians 12 they would
find out one person does not a body make.
God knew that we needed a fellowship.
God knew we needed congregations and it's his design.
Don't short-circuit it. It's God's wisdom, not ours and
God told us to confess our faults one to another.
So who are you to think? You're smarter than he is?
It might save you. Some embarrassment, it might
also cost you your soul. Confess your faults one now,
that doesn't mean to any and everybody.
You who are spiritual restore, such a one.
If I had family troubles, there are some people I wouldn't go to
with my family trouble. There's some preachers that, by
the way, they behave, I don't want them.
I wouldn't ask them for Council in marriage problems, maybe they
have trouble with anger. Maybe they have trouble with
other kinds of things, find people who are mature in the
area. You're having a problem with.
Doesn't that make sense? You.
Who are spiritual restore? That's right.
Find somebody that's qualified to help.
You find a brother or sister. That's needed wives.
If you've got problems, loving your husband's, find an older
woman. Because she is supposed to
encourage the younger women to love their husbands, find an
older woman, that loves her husband.
And then be encouraged by that. Don't go to somebody who's got
having the same problems with her husband that you're having
with yours. Don't find somebody that's
having the same problems you're having to confess.
All you'll do is feed each other.
Find somebody that may tell you what you need to hear.
Not what you want to hear. That's right now this is the
Bible solutions to that to our problems in this world to growth
in our in this world and I and I told myself I would quit, okay?
We're going to stop, there's much more.
If you have more questions, please just ask.
We'll try to give to be more helpful to us in our life, you
know, Holiness without which we will not see the Lord Holiness
is so important in our life and it's a forgotten Church topic.
Those who have inching ears, only want to hear sermons about
the worship because that's so dispassionate.
Disconnected, from the way they live.
And the attitudes they have preached to me about the
worship, tell me how good we all are as a group because then I
don't have to be personally accountable to following Jesus
Christ and I want you know that's it two years.
We have enough congregations there preached on the
fundamentals so long about worship that that we think that,
as long as we got the worship, right?
We're following Jesus. And I'm sad to say, that's
nothing more than feeding, scratching Engineers, that is
it's Ty time. We preach the whole counsel of
God, and I want you to know that the church is, in the Bible,
especially the Book of Revelation.
I believe they were probably worship.
God probably pretty right in the Book of Revelation by the time
that book was written there, Corinth had been corrected Other
churches and come along. But their personal Holiness is
what God calls us to. So many times you write down all
the verses in the Bible that have to do with worship.
And then you look at the percentage of those as in
contrast to the ones that tell us about our attitudes and the
way of life that we're supposed to have, I'm not trying to say
one is more important than the other.
You got to have both. But so many times in the church,
we deceive ourselves because we think we got five things, right?
And we hard life is a shambles. Our home is a shambles, our
Behavior, our morality and our ethics.
We are unclear, we have no idea. It's about time.
We grew up Church. And recognized.
We've got to follow Jesus.
We've got to imitate him in our behavior in our heart.
We wouldn't have to preach about the necessity for personal
evangelism. If we all had the heart of
Christ, if we had a love for the lost as he did, Who would have
to be exhorting everybody to go out there and seek the Lost.
We'd all be concerned. So the real need of the church,
these things you ought to have done left.
The other undone, we need to make sure we have pure worship.
We need to be sure that we're following after the pattern set
in the scriptures. To do no more, no less not to
the right or the left of the path that Jesus trod.
But we're going to have to do that in the way we live with our
wives husbands. You can go to hell for not
honoring your wife first, Peter 3:7, wives, you can go to hell
for not honoring, your husband's Ephesians 5:23, you've go to
hell for not bringing up your children to nurture,
instruction, Lord, Ephesians 6, 5, 3, through 5.
You can, you can do all kinds of things.
But my friends just because we worship correctly in a corporate
since does not mean that we individually are following
Jesus. So let's resurrect the
importance of personal, Holiness and purity.
Let's resurrect the idea of imitation of Jesus and realize
how vitally important it is for us to be conformed to his image
to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Romans 12. One through three tonight.
If you're here, you want to follow Jesus?
It's going to be more than just a few hours a week.
It's going to be every moment you breathe.
It's going to be a Living Sacrifice, it's going to be.
When you rise up, when you sit down, it's going to be one.
You walk with your children. By the way, it's going to be
when you're at the store, it's going to be.
When you're at work, it's going to be.
When you're at school, it's going to be when you're in the
hall, it's going to be whenever you're having Recreation.
It's going to be whenever you're sleeping at night, the Lord.
And his way is going to be with you 24 hours for the rest of
your life, every breath. Do you take my friends?
Christianity is everything left of your life?
Anything else is cheap gospel? It's cheap, Christianity.
If you want Chief Christianity, go somewhere else.
If you want to follow Jesus Christ, it takes a Living
Sacrifice tonight. It takes all of you.
It takes your heart. Soul mind, strength, ambition.
Is to be pleasing to him and all things.
So tonight, repent change applies to all of us at 17:30,
God is now commanding all men everywhere to repent.
Won't you and your faith? Repent of your sins tonight
confess his name before men, Matthew, 10:32, and be immersed
in water for the remission of your sins Acts 2:38 and then be
raised to walk a new life. Having laid aside the old one
with its evil passions and desires and took up a life of
following Jesus Christ with the rest of your life.
Great goal. Great plan. it'll never work
unless you're willing to number three, put forth, the effort we
thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the Church of
Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
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Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
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at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
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