Are You Persuaded

Are You Persuaded?

Luke 16:19-31

Introduction: Are you persuaded? Have you become convinced that the way of Christ – the way of God – is true and therefore is that which you model your life after? Do you prayerfully consider your day? How about every decision “large” or “small” that you make? Are you persuaded? Paul, the Apostle, was persuaded. He said in 2 Timothy 1:12 “For which cause I suffer these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know Him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded the He is able to guard that which I have committed to Him until that day.” In speaking of Abraham in Romans 4:21, Paul also proclaimed: “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” Are you persuaded as Paul was in Romans 8:38 when he proclaimed: “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I believe that we as God’s people often forget who we are in Christ.

The voice of God is challenging us this morning and He’s asking these things: Who are You? Do you know who you are? Does the world know in Whom you believe? Will you be persuaded and be my ambassador to this world? Will you be wholly mine? Ponder these things as we continue in the Word.

I. Whose Life do you Imitate? (vs 19-21)

a. It isn’t wrong to be blessed – it is wrong to squander in richness and not complete the work of God

b. Ephesians 5:1-5

i. Walk in Love

ii. Sacrifice

iii. Immorality and impurity and greed

iv. No immoral or impure person or covetous man… has inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God

c. Do not be imitators in some areas of life but not others

i. Easy to imitate in corporate worship

ii. But do you know the Word?

iii. God Sees at Home and Everywhere (Your personal life)

iv. 2 Timothy 2:22-23 “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.

v. Do not imitate and follow false ideas and doctrines

1. There are whole denominations, pastors, preachers and teachers that support ungodly evil things such as murdering of babies, adultery, pornography, homosexuality, lying, stealing…

2. Furthermore they endorse and place into governmental power those who support those things.

3. Are you an imitator of Christ?

vi. 2 Corinthians 6:17

1. ALL things are new

2. Are you allowing God to work the newness of His redemptive power in your life or are you delaying and blocking it?

II. There is no second chance (vs 22-26)

a. Hate Your Life (Luke 14:25-27)

i. What He was saying was – more than the life you have – follow after me.

ii. If I call you to do something at a particular time – you must be willing to drop everything and do it.

iii. You must not pursue the things of life more than you pursue me.

b. The story Jesus was telling was not indicating that rich people go to hell and poor people go to heaven… There are plenty of rich people that yearn after God and are blessed by God and plenty of poor people who’d rather die than acknowledge Jesus Christ as their savior.

c. Vs 25 – remember that God remembers what you did and what you received during your life on Earth.

d. There is a great chasm that is fixed between God’s presence and the absence of God – hell.

i. But there was and is a redeemer! There was and is a plan in place that you need not worry about a second chance! For God said in John 3:16…

ii. There is but one way to cross that chasm before the opportunity disappears and that is to “Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” as Paul eloquently proclaimed in Romans 10:13. Hallelujah!

e. There is nothing so terrible in your life that cannot be forgiven, forgotten and cleansed by the blood that was shed.

f. You can’t convince God through your guilt and pain that you are unworthy. He’s made a way for you to be righteous even as He is righteous and Holy even as He is holy!

g. But in all this – you must give your life now.