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Light Of His Word The Sermons of Pastor Mike Walls Freedom Baptist Church Used By Permission Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
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Light Of His Word The Sermons of Pastor Mike Walls Freedom Baptist Church Used By Permission Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
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ARE YOU CONSISTENT IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE?
Introduction: Before you can decide to be or become more consistent in your Christian life, it is wise to answer the question on what is a Christian? In the Bible the word “Christian” is only found three times. The law of first mention in Bible study gives us the key to the other two. Let us see what this says and it will give us the key to the word “Christian”.
“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Let me answer a few questions before going forward. What is a Christian? Why were these folks called Christians? I will answer these questions. The title, Christian, its
1. Intended use. It was intended to defame the followers of Christ. It was a derogatory title. It was given to these believers to try to shame them. One person asked this pointed question: "If you were on trial for being Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
The church's enemies thought that they were shaming the believers at Antioch. They actually complimented them.
2. Improper use. It is improper to use the title CHRISTIAN to describe many of the religions today or activities that are suppose to be Christian. Jehovah Witnesses are not Christian. They do not believe that Christ died for their sins and they must accept Him as their personal saviour.
A lot of groups call themselves Christians but they leave Christ outside of their doctrine and living. Many times they don't even call themselves Christians. Yet they are labeled “Christian”.
There is a type of music that calls itself Christian music. It should drop the name Christian off its title. If you would lose the words you would hear music that sounds like that it is a rock and roll concert or a barroom.
The title "Christian" is only to be applied to the true followers of Christ. It should be the desire and direction of every believer under the sound of my voice and every reader of this message to be Christ like.
3. Important use. It is important to use the title Christian to those who belong to Christ that is evidenced by their conversion to Christ, their consecration to Christ; their character is like Christ and their unwavering commitment to Christ.
So basically a person who asked the Lord Jesus to save them and change their lives is a Christian. If a person says that they are saved and have not change in their lives are not a Christian but a fraud and liar. Some of the changes you can see almost immediately is a new desire for the Lord and being with other Christians. The Bible will be a new book. The more you read it, the more you want to read yet it is not the same as it was before you were saved.
Today I have asked the question- are you consistent in your Christian life? Any people are consistent. The problem is that they are consistent in the wrong things. They are consistent in the temporal or the here and now. When we live for the here and now, we forget God. A classic example of this is folks who drink alcohol. In the two years that I worked as a police officer, I arrested many people who had been drinking alcohol. When you asked how much they had to drink, the answer was usually two beers. Let’s suppose that if someone who has been drinking or taking drugs had killed, they would have awakened to the judgment of God. In this passage we see a truth that ought to be sounded out throughout the world. It is verse thirty-one.
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
These hands once held children while Jesus lived upon this earth. These hands once touched sick people and they were healed. These hands were nailed to the cross. Before you die, these hands are beckoning you to be saved. But now that you have died, you are into the hands of the wrath of God. This is a fearful thought when you read and study the Bible on this subject. Yes, the Lord is the God of Love. 1st John 4:8
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
But God hated sin so much that He sent the Lord Jesus to come and die for our sins and He saved those who come to Him for that forgiveness of sin.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
When these people who are living in the here and now die and they awakened in eternity, they will see and feel the terror of the Lord.
Are you consistent in your Christian life? As a Christian, you must be consistent. Being consistent means that you will grow in your Christian life like a child grows from a baby to a child to adulthood. It is natural for a Christian to grow in Christ.
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
This is exciting to know that you can learn more about the Lord. It is natural to want to know more.
I
want to look at a few thoughts in this passage in regards to being consistent
in your Christian life. Look at the passage and I will be preaching
from them.
I. BE CONSISTENT IN CLEANNESS OF LIFE
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
How is this possible? It means having a clear conscience and clean life. A clear conscience allows us is to lie down and night with a clear conscience and sleep peacefully. It means that we are able to recount your day without remorse over sin or spiritual neglect. To do this, we must seek God’s forgiveness daily and keep short accounts with God. He has promised to forgive if we will but ask. Short accounts with God means to allow the Lord to point out sins in our everyday life and confess them as sin. What do I mean by this? It may be a bad attitude. It may be an unkind or harsh word. It could mean using a curse word. These seemingly small items add up quickly and need to be confessed quickly. To confess does not mean to run to another man to confess them unless you committed against that man. It means to call it sin just like the Lord does and asking for His forgiveness. This is what leads to a clear conscience.
A clean life means to leave off or discard those habits that are really sin. We all take baths. These baths clean the body. But what cleans the mind? Our passage says that our bodies are washed with pure water. In the Bible, the Word of God is seen as water.
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”
The more of the Bible you read and study and store in your life, the more your life as a Christian will be clean. A clean life always and I repeat, always pleases God. It does not matter who else you please, as it is that we please God. But I have found that when I please God, others will be please also. This is true of real Christians.
So
first of all, be consistent in cleanness of life.
II. BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”
The eternal life, which is the object of your hope, is promised to you by him who cannot lie; as he then is faithful who has given you this promise, hold fast the profession of your hope. It is the Lord in which we have confidence and this is the hope in which are holding fast.
This is the forward attitude. This is the righteous hope found in Christ. We are given both faith and hope. 1st Thessalonians 5:24
"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
Confidence in the Lord means that we are looking unto Him and trusting Him for all and we will find that He is all that we need.
So
first of all we are to be consistent in cleanness of life and also
in our confidence in our Lord.
III. BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR COMPASSION
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works”
Let us have enough compassion to be truly and deeply concerned over each other's trials, difficulties, and weaknesses. Let us feel for one another and encourage one another to an increase of love for God and man and fruitfulness in good works. Most of the time when we are provoke, we lash out and react. But this provoke is in the positive sense. It causes us to show compassion. Compassion makes a difference. Compassion and brotherly love shows itself when we are moved by the hurt and pain of fellow believers.
So
we should be consistent in our cleanness of our lives and our confidence
in our Lord and also in our compassion for others.
IV. BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR CHURCH
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
One preacher said this about church members and I like it so well that I will pass it onto you. There are three kinds of church members: There are the "Old Faithfuls." Heaven bless them! Then, there are the "once-in-a-whilers." They are also known as "Up and Downers," or "In and Outers." They come one Sunday, and stay away five. There are also the "Almost Nevers." They never come! Perhaps, I should not have said, "Never." They do come on Easter, or on Christmas.
Here are some of the problems that come from not coming to church. Not coming to church may cause some people to wonder what you are doing. If you're not at church and you have a physical or spiritual need the people of the church are not going to know about it. You deprive them of an opportunity to minister. If you stay away from church you may influence someone else to stay away. This could have eternal consequences. If you stay away from church you give Satan an opportunity to drive a wedge between you and God. All Satan needs is a tiny crack to get his wedge in. Staying away from church will cause you to loose your fire and zeal for the Lord and His work. Staying away from church makes the statement that our priorities are higher than God's. Staying away from church is being disobedient to God; He commands us to come together to worship Him as a group.
You cannot be too faithful to church. You can sin against God by violating this plain, clear command of the Lord.
It was at church when God blessed the disciples. He answered their ten-day prayer meeting with His power and thousands were saved.
We
must be consistent in the cleanness of our lives, our confidence in
the Lord and our compassion and also in our church.
V. BE CONSISTENT IN OUR COMMUNITY
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
I want to be perfectly honest and tell you that these verses refer to people who are playing church. Some try to use this section of verses as grounds for losing your salvation. My eternal salvation is based on the Lord Jesus and not my keeping myself saved. We are His hands and not we doing the holding.
Our community needs to see people who are consistent. But there are many who are not true Christians who walking away from the Lord’s word. We call them apostates. An apostate rejects God’s word for his own doctrine. There is no sacrifice for this deliberate, willful sinning against the Lord. It is rejecting the sacrifice of Christ. So this makes it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God.
Why
should we be consistent? It is so that our community will know
that we are different. What makes the difference? It is
Christ that makes a difference.
Conclusion: We saw that we must be consistent in our cleanness of life, confidence in our Lord, compassion, and church and in our community. Too many people are consistent with the wrong areas. Let’s determine that we will be consistent in all areas of our lives.
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