Devil's Drugstore

2 Corinthians 13:5 (GW)

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves! Don't you recognize that you are people in whom Jesus Christ lives? Could it be that you're failing the test?

This afternoon I want us to examine ourselves. A little different lifestyle. We’re going to take a trip through the Devil’s drugstore. Do you see yourself in the Devil’s Drugstore? Many of us would say No way preacher How in the world could you even suggest something like that? Approach this with an open mind. And let’s see

There are different brands, different types of Christians that Satan is working in and working through. Many have the idea that you have to live up to some unreasonable standard way before you can walk through the doors of some church. Of course, they probably got that idea from some Self-righteous Christian, that said, "You’ve got to do this and you’ve got to do that. Stop this and stop that." You know if I can get well before going to the hospital.Then I really don’t need the hospital. Man, I’d save a lot of money. Jesus said that it’s not the well that need the physician it’s the sick. We need to realize that the church is not a hotel for the saints. It is a hospital for the sinners. We need to also realize that there are Christians who are out here that do more harm to the cause of Christ than any sinner who is out living in sin.

I have heard that there are two reasons why someone doesn’t get saved…They do know a Christian...They don’t know a Christian. That’s why on this day, on this fellowship/evangelism day, I thought it might be good to stroll up and down the aisles of the Devil’s Drugstore maybe we’ll see what kind of a Christian we might be.

Hypo-dermic Christian

This Christian that lives off of periodic injections of religious excitement. They only come to church when they need a fix. They wait until they’re broke. They wait until they find a lump. They wait until the children run away. They wait until they are being carried into divorce court. They wait until they get into a problem that the pain is so severe that they can’t stand it anymore. Then they run to the church to get their fix. They stay out of church until they can’t stand it anymore and they only come to church when they absolutely have to. They live from chill bump to chill bump, from thrill to thrill. Never eating a steady diet of the Word.

Hypo-dermic Christians are special event Christians. You could announce that somebody is going to be raised from the dead, and they will be here. You could have T.D. Jakes and they’ll be here. You can have some famous singer, and they’ll be here. But you say, "Pastor is going to be teaching on fasting and discipleship." "Well, I don’t need that."

Or you say, "We’re going to have a prayer emphasis service." "Well I don’t need that. I pray enough at home."

These type of people are revival chasers. They run from place to place, looking for a thrill, but never settling down and putting down roots somewhere.

Hypo-dermic Christians living from thrill to thrill and chill to chill. Fix to fix.

Rolaids Christian

Seeking only temporary relief. They're everywhere. They don’t want an everlasting change in their life. They just want an ease from their discomfort. They’re not into real repentance. They’re sorry, but not sorry they broke the heart of God. They’re usually sorry they got caught.

They don’t want lasting help. They’d rather spend their time and money on Spiritual Rolaids from the preacher. Than a lasting heart surgery from Dr. Jesus. They say, "Dr. just call off the surgery. Just touch up the x=ray. I just want temporary relief."

By the way, Rolaids Christians consume 47 times their weight in the minister’s time. Because they don’t want lasting help. It is just temporary relief from their indigestion.

Novocain Christians

These people couldn’t feel the Holy Spirit moving in a service If it were screaming in a mega-phone, shouting and throwing lightening everywhere. They come in with the attitude, "Well, preacher, bless me if you can. I’ve had hell all week and you just try and pick me up if you can." "Well, the sermons going to be dry tonight." "I don’t know why they have to sing so long." "Why don’t we get out at 12 like other people?" "Why do we have to stay in church like we do?" "Can’t we sing the first, second, and last verse and get gone?"

1 Timothy 4:2 says

"Their conscience has been seared with a hot iron"

Have you ever tried to talk with a Novocain Christian when you are so excited about what God is doing? I mean you’re about to come out of your skin and they just sit there like bumps on a pickle? Wishing you’d shut up. Wishing you’d hurry up and get through with your story already.