A Blameless Life Series

INTRO.- ILL.- As a father came home from his work he saw his little daughter who had been playing in the mud. He said to her, “My, you’re pretty dirty.” In her childish way she replied, “Yes, I know daddy, but I’m prettier clean.”

I think we’re all prettier when we’re clean. At least, we are prettier in God’s eyes when we’re clean and blameless.

A blameless life. It sounds almost impossible, does it not?

ILL.- A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. So he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 100 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES."

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION."

ILL.- I remember one time when preacher Bob Russell was the Senior Minister for the large Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, he told this story on himself. I think it was Easter, Sunday afternoon, just after church. And Bob was in a hurry to get to a family gathering. The best I remember, he got stopped at a railroad crossing. The signs had come down, warning people to stop because a train was coming. Since Bob was in a hurry, he looked around and didn’t see the train so he drove around those warning signs. He didn’t get far when a policeman pulled him over. Bob admitted that he was in a hurry to get somewhere and that’s why he drove around the railroad crossing signs. Bob knew that he deserved a ticket and figured he would get one.

Fortunately, for him the police officer who pulled him over was a member of his church and took pity on him, but warned him not to do that again. And Bob was humble enough to admit the incident in his own pulpit.

To lead a completely blameless life is hard for any person. If it’s not impossible, it’s next to impossible, but of course, there are certain things we can do to help us lead a better life.

2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

PROP.- How to live a blameless life

1- Focus on the Lord

2- Have nothing to do with evil

3- Cast away pride

I. FOCUS ON THE LORD

1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise. 6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. I will sing of your love.

I take this to mean that the Psalmist focused on the Lord. Otherwise, why would he sing to the Lord? If you sing gospel songs, traditional or otherwise, more than likely you do it to honor the Lord. Why else would you sing gospel songs? And if your eyes on the faithful followers of the Lord then you are also focusing on the Lord.

ILL.- Long ago, a preacher was visiting at a couple’s new home out in the country. The preacher spent the night there. He was awakened the next morning by the soft voice of a soprano singing, “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” He was impressed by the young woman, since she evidently began her day by singing to the Lord. At breakfast he spoke to her about it and told her how pleased he was. “Oh,” she replied, “that’s the hymn I boil the eggs by; three verses for soft and five for hard.”

Any time you sing gospel is a good time whether boiling eggs or otherwise. I prefer singing while driving in the car by myself and in my office by myself. When do you sing to the Lord? If you don’t, why don’t you?

Ephesians 5:19-20 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Any time you sing to the Lord from your heart, no matter how it sounds, it is pleasing to Him and will increase your devotion to Him and help you to lead a better life.

I Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray continually” or “Pray without ceasing.”

You know as well as I do that if we spent every day in the spirit of prayer we’d live better lives. If we constantly communed with the Lord we would be better people. And the same thing holds true for singing to the Lord.