Christian Characters

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: CHRISTIAN CHARACTER

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

TEXT VERSE: HEBREWS 6:8-9 “BUT THAT WHICH BEARETH THORNS AND BRIERS IS REJECTED, AND IS NIGH UNTO CURSING; WHOSE END IS TO BE BURNED. BUT BELOVED WE ARE PERSUADED BETTER THINGS OF YOU, AND THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION, THOU WE THUS SPEAK.”

I want to preach to you on Christian character. The Lord does expect better things out of us that are saved than he does out of those that are lost. We have to be in a position and in a place in our lives so we know what the Lord wants out of us. I begged God this week to give us a message that would help us to be better Christians and better soul winners and help us to be better servants.

First Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” There’s a lot of Christians in the world that act like little children. Instead of being on the meat of the word, their on the milk. There’s a lot of Christians that need to grow up. All these childish things will not get you any merit with God. Too many childish Christians walking around doing what they want instead of what God wants. I’m not here to be the boss. I’m here to be the Shepherd and lead god’s flock. Christian character is very important not only to you but to him and to lost people. It’s also important to our brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m going to cover about six things that go along with Christian character.

NUMBER ONE: Christian Credibility.

Luke 9:62 “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

There’s a lot of Christians who get started but they never finish. There’s a lot of Christians who are quitting on God. There’s a lot of churches folding up and falling under because of Christians quitting on God.

When you go to apply for a job they look for what you’ve done in your past. They’ll look at where you worked at and how long you worked there and how many days you missed. That’s kind of the way God looks at us. He looks at some of those Christians and says there in a while and out awhile. Then He looks and sees those that just keep on going for Him. That’s credibility.

John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Every morning when I get up, before I kneel down to talk to God, the devil comes along and says it’s time to quit. He says that nobody is listening and nobody cares but I have to do what God says and God says to keep on going. God is always going to have His way. Always! I’m at that age when my bones hurt and everything is slowing down and I wonder if tomorrow will be it for me. But I’m ready to go. But while w’re here we have to be about the fathers business.

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised). Let me interpret that for you in laymens terms. If you say your saved, then act like it. If you’re going to profess to be a Christian then you ought to live like one. he also said without wavering. There’s a lot of Christians wavering. They say they can’t get what they want at the Baptist Church so they’re going to go try out the Pentecostal Church. Listen, if you can’t get it from God then you can’t get it from some church. We have to have some Christian credibility about us in our Christian Character.

NUMBER TWO: We have to have Christian Conduct.

There’s a lot of Christians in the world today that sure don’t act like it. If you have to fake it and act like it, you’re probably not saved. First Timothy 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” We’re supposed to know how to behave ourselves in the house of God. I’m not talking about Westside Baptist Church. I’m talking about ourselves. We are God’s house. That means no matter who we’re around we’re supposed to have a good Christian conduct. There’s a lot of Christians in this world that will get off with some backsliders and all of a sudden they start acting like that crowd. Peter did it in the book of Galatians. There’s some sloppy Christian living going on in the United States today. It’s sad. We’re all going to live in Heaven together and we can’t even get along down here. Black, white, mexican; it don’t matter. If their saved, their all part of God’s family. If their God’s people, we ought to be able to get along.