What Can I Do Now? Series

INTRO: IN THE UNCERTAIN DAYS WE LIVE, BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT LIVE IN FEAR, NEITHER DO WE WANT TO RETURN TO "NORMAL" AND FORGET WHAT GOD IS TEACHING US..SO WHAT

SHOULD WE DO? PETER SAYS "DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION"(3:14)...AND OFFERS THREE SUGGESTIONS

ON HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THAT:

I. SANCTIFY (V.15a)

"Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts."

"Sanctify"= "to set apart, to make holy"

1. First and foremost, ask Jesus Christ to save you

and allow him to become Lord (boss) of your life.

2. Make sure you are properly "connected" with Him.

3. Settle the matter of Salvation

a. realize sinfulness

b. repent of sin

c. receive him personally (sinners prayer)

4. Once we set him apart as Lord of our lives,

we are then instructed to...

II. TESTIFY (v 15b)

"always be ready to make a defense to everyone who

asks you to give an account of the hope that is

within you." (NASB)

1.Conversations in workplaces, casual gatherings,

gas stations, bus stops, etc. will revolve around

the terrorist attacks for quite some time...

2.People will express fears, anxieties, concerns,

etc. about events and about the future.

3.THIS IS A PERFECT TIME for believers to honestly

express concerns, BUT TO ALSO EXPRESS OUR HOPE

AND ASSURANCE IN CHRIST.

4.WHEN THEY ASK HOW WE CAN BE HOPEFUL, TELL THEM

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST...HOW HE SAVED YOU, AND HOW

HE HELPS YOU COPE

5.INTRODUCE THEM TO THE FACT THAT THEY CAN ALSO FIND

HOPE AND ASSURANCE IN JESUS.

**THIS WINDOW OF WITNESSING OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN

GIVEN TO US FOR A SHORT TIME...WILL WE UTILIZE

IT?? PEOPLE ARE MORE "TEACHABLE" ABOUT GOD RIGHT

NOW THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN A LONG TIME.

6. SO, SANCTIFY Christ as Lord,

TESTIFY about our assurance and hope

but there’s one more instruction:

III. JUSTIFY (V.16)

"JUSTIFY: = "TO ALIGN, TO LINE UP WITH"

"AND KEEP A GOOD CONSCIENCE SO THAT IN THE

THING IN WHICH YOU ARE SLANDERED, THOSE

WHO REVILE YOU IN CHRIST MAY BE PUT TO SHAME"

1. The lost world says "okay, you SAY Jesus is

Lord, you TESTIFY of assurance and hope...

NOW PROVE IT BY YOUR LIFE.. DOES YOUR LIFE

LINE UP WITH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING?

2. Believers are admonished to ALIGN (JUSTIFY)

OUR LIVES WITH THE WORD OF GOD.

3. DO SO IN SUCH A WAY THAT EVEN WHEN SLANDERED,

YOU COME OUT "SQUEAKY CLEAN"...AND THUS YOUR

OPPONENT IS EMBARASSED..AND SOMETIMES SHAMED

SO MUCH THAT BE COMES "UNDER CONVICTION",

APOLOGISES, REPENTS, AND MAY GET SAVED!

4. CHRISTIANS WILL BE SLANDERED...FALSELY ACCUSED

ETC. WE CANNOT HELP THAT, but WE CAN LIVE IN

SUCH A WAY THAT THE "RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF".

ILL: A CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMAN WAS FALSELY ACCUSED

OF EMBEZZLEMENT BY HIS LONG-TIME BUSINESS

PARTNER. THE CHRISTIAN SAID "GET YOUR OWN

AUDITOR...AUDIT THE BOOKS." THE AUDITOR SAID

"OUR INVESTIGATION INDICATES NO IMPROPRIETY

WHATSOEVER...AN EXCELLENT JOB OF BALANCING...

THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF."

AT THIS MEETING, THE ACCUSER CONFESSED TO

FALSE ACCUSATION, REPENTED, WAS FORGIVEN BY

THE GRACIOUS CHRISTIAN, AND RECEIVED JESUS AS

A RESULT.

**(CAN YOUR LIFE (OR MINE) WITHSTAND GOD’S

INDEPENDENT AUDIT??)

CONCLUSION:

TO LIVE EFFECTIVELY AS BELIEVERS IN THESE UNCERTAIN

TIMES, LET US Sanctify Jesus as Lord of our hearts,

Testify as to his hope and assurance, and Justify our

lives according to the Word.

"making the most of every opportunity...for the

days are evil"