FAT CHRISTIANS

Proverbs 28:25

Introduction: One of the things that we can get over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is an unwanted possession. FAT! Many people make New Year resolutions concerning diets and determination to lose pounds. But today, I want to say that we need to be FAT Christians in 2009 and continue into 2010! Psalm 92:13-14

“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

Proverbs 28:25

“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.”

Proverbs 11:25

“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”

The political correct term is calling someone who is overweight obese or weight challenged. I am not talking about being fat physically although many of us are dealing with that problem as well. I am talking about our growth in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not a matter of our genetics or our education. It should not be evaluated on the basis of how "good" we are or how much we've kept from certain sins. Jesus selected His disciples and related to them on the basis of their attitudes. That is exactly how I intend to deal with you is by using the word fat.

God wants us to be FAT Christians in 2009. In fact, I would like to pastor a whole church of FAT Christians. So what is this fat that I am speaking about today. It is a person who is saved and is:

I. "F" – FAITHFUL 1^st Corinthians 4:2

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

You can never be too faithful to the Lord just like you can never be too faithful to your spouse. That is not the problem of most Christians. It is that they are not too faithful.

If everyone were as faithful as me, how faithful would they be? This is another one of those quotes pondering.

This principle of faithfulness to the Lord runs throughout the Bible. Let me cite a few passages. Numbers 12:7

“My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.”

It could be that one-day that God may use your name in this sense. Think of it- my servant Wanda or my servant Seth or my servant Jose or Amber who is faithful in all in mine house. 1^st Samuel 2:35

“And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.”

Nehemiah 7:2

“That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.”

Psalm 101:6

“Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.”

That is found over and over again in the Bible. We are to be faithful in our living and giving. In fact giving is the subject your heart. If you are stingy with your giving, you are showing that you are not faithful. Here are a few thoughts about faithful. A faithful Christian is:

A. A disciple loves Christ's person. The men and women that followed Christ enjoyed His company. They were loyal to Him and wanted to be like Him.

John 14:21

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Some of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day liked His teaching, but they hated Jesus, the person. The multitudes liked what He gave them, but they had no desire to learn to be like Him. In fact, many quit following Him when He wanted them to truly follow Him. It shows the real heart of those people.

John 6:66

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

B. A true disciple wants Jesus to be number one in his/her life. He will follow from the heart, not from duty. He wants internal changes in his character so he can know God better and serve Him more effectively. He wants Him more than anyone and anything else in the world. But many times we give the crumbs or leftovers.

Let’s ask ourselves those hard questions. Are we faithful to God? Is He at the center of our lives? Colossians 1:18

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

II. "A" – available Isaiah 6:7

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Acts 9:6

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

A. Why should we be available?

1. The cost of our salvation 1^st Corinthians 6:19-20

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Jesus paid the price of our salvation with His very own blood. He suffered all that agony for our salvation. He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God by Him.

2. The commitment of our salvation

2^nd Timothy 1:12

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

3. The compelling of my salvation

I cannot ever repay Christ for my salvation but it compels me to do something of eternal value because of my salvation.

B. When should we be available? Whenever and where ever is the answer that honors the Lord.

C. What will it cost us to be available? It may cost us some time. It may cost us some effort. It may cost us some tears. It may cost us some friends. It may cost us some money. But whatever the cost, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

Luke 14:25-33

“And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

D. What kind of available is not right? The occasional involvement in church programs will not produce real change in character. It is the unwillingness to do anything for Jesus. There are many Christians who are not doing anything for Christ but there is no Christians who have nothing to do for Christ.

III. "T" -- teachable

This is a Christian who is willing submit to Christ's training process. What is Christ's training process?

A. The Lord uses God challenging circumstances to train us. This is one of the hardest for us to understand. Why does God allow these challenging circumstances to come in our lives? Romans 8:28-29

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

B. The Lord uses clear, concise truth from His Word to make us and mold in us Christ-like character. That is one reason why we ought to take a daily time in the Bible. We are looking for truths that help us to grow and grow up in the Word.

Psalm 25:4-5

“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

John 16:13

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

The Holy Spirit never teaches beyond this Bible. It is all of the revelation that we need and should want. If we need more, then God will take us home to Heaven and give it to us.

Being teachable means that the Christian is open regarding his lack of knowledge, skills, and character. I know some people who you cannot teach a thing because they act like they know it all. It is not the things that I don't know in this Bible that bothers me the most. It is the things that I do know that bother me and convict me.

A teachable Christian wants challenge that will help him reach his goal. He is willing to let go of his own way of dealing with things, his own ideas, in order to develop new convictions.

Here is the challenge: Do we have anything to learn from Christ? The answer from the heart can only be yes.

Let's determine to remain teachable. I want to learn more about Jesus and His Word. I do not want it to be so I can brag but that I can a better servant of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: God wants us to be FAT Christians! That is Faithful, Available, and Teachable.

Let me give you those pondering thoughts again. “If everyone were as faithful as me, how faithful would they be?” “There are many Christians who are not doing nothing but there are no Christians with nothing to do.”

“I want to do thy will O’ Lord

I want to do thy will O’ Lord

Take me, break me, mold me and make me.

I want to do thy will O’ Lord