Following Christ Will Transform Your Character Series

Sermon Notes November 8, 2015 FBCam

Following Christ will Transform Your Character

2 Cor 3:12-18

There are many ideas about how to IMPROVE your CHARACTER

Tony Robbins wrote a book on how to “Unleash the Power Within You”

Kevin Leman wrote the intriguing book, “Have a New Kid by Friday.” It’s sold nearly one million copies!

Steven Covey writes about “win-win” situations

Oprah Winfrey has no shortage of guests and opinions on how to be a better person.

And in the religious category, Joel Osteen will tell you how to “Become a Better You”

All of these pundits claim to have some answer that will transform your character. But the best source that we can turn to is the man who came from heaven, Jesus.

He gave us many commands about our CHARACTER.

Today we will learn what Christ commands about our CHARACTER and

HOW to obtain the CHARACTER Christ Commands for us

We will look at 9 commands that Christ gave that all focus on our character. These are from Tom Blackabys book, “The Commands of Christ”

Command 1. Walk in the Light. John 12:35–36 ““The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

Jesus was the “light” that was among them

He would be departing soon

He tells them that He must be the center of their lives.

Walk = conduct yourself

Darkness = the world around us

Command 2. Let your Light Shine. Matthew 5:15-16. “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Being a Christian is not a SECRET part of life

Being a Christian is not a SEPARATE part of life

Command #3. Be Humble. Mark 10:42-45. “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Significance in Christ’s kingdom is marked by SERVITUDE, not POWER

Jesus demonstrated this by washing the disciples’ feet

POWER and PRIVILEGE are not the way of Christ’s disciples.

Command 4. Be Merciful. Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

God is merciful. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalm 103:8, ESV)

Mercy triumphs over judgment! “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13, ESV)

Command 5. Judge Not. Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Command 6. Don’t be a hypocrite. Matt 6:5, 16

““And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:5, ESV)

““And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:16, ESV)

Command 7. Freely Give. Matthew 5:42; 10:8

“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42, ESV)

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.” (Matthew 10:8, ESV)

Giving FREES us from possessiveness. Illustration...... I remember packing our house in belongings to move to PA. We loaded up the truck, and closed the door. Kim and I were in our car, along with our 3 children following a truck in which was everything on earth that we owned. We realized how insignificant our accumulations really are! AT that moment, everything that mattered was in the car, and it was just our stuff that was stacked in the truck. It really gave us a good perspective on material possessions.

Command 8. Be perfect. Matt 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

God is not looking for improvement,