Just Do It!

TITLE: “JUST DO IT!!”

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:1-12

By: Captain Danny Pinksen

The Salvation Army CBS Corps

Introduction:

[ILLUS: You and I are the consumers. Did you ever wonder why TV commercials are the way that they are? Every commercial producer hopes (believes) that their commercial, advertising their product, will entice us, the customer, into buying their product. Simply put - they are trying to make you believe that life won’t be the same unless you’re using their product.

Some examples include:

A wife and mother cannot possibly find peace and rest unless they take a bath w/Calgon: “Calgon take me away!” {Men, we don’t have anything!}

It is impossible to have a good night’s rest unless you use Niquil: “The sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head so you can rest medicine.”]

I don’t want to be and never will become a commercial producer. But I certainly want you to buy into this message this evening. Therefore I am going to do this sermon in the form of a commercial hoping that I can sell it to you.

When I thought about Community Cares Ministry Sunday, for some strange reason a TV commercial kept coming to my mind. Whenever I gave I gave thought what I would speak on - a certain commercial kept coming to me.

Until finally I said to the Lord “Now I get it, You want me to preach about this commercial.” The Lord said “Yes”.

We live in a world that is filled with slogans.

Scouts: Be prepared!

Ford: Built Ford tough!

M and Ms: Melts in your mouth and not in your hands!

Canadian Tire: More than just tires!

But the slogan and commercial that has really caught my attention over the last few weeks is the one by the NIKE corporation.

“JUST DO IT!”(rpt)

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this slogan applies to our Community Cares Ministry in more ways than one.

I want to introduce this slogan to you this evening perhaps in a way different than you have ever thought about it before – one word at a time.

The first part of the slogan I want to look at is ….

1. JUST:

What is JUST? The Websters’s Dictionary defines it as being righteous. Righteous is acting in an upright manner; virtuous; morally right. Therefore a JUST person is someone who is righteous, someone who acts in an upright manner; someone who is morally right.

That’s what the dictionary says it means but what does it really mean to us Christians?

Romans 5: 9 “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” This verse gives us a glimpse of what JUST really means.

When we give our lives to God, come to faith, get saved, being born again, whatever way you want to describe it. When this happens in our lives then and only then do we become JUST.

Romans 5:9 “we have now been justified by his blood…” If you are a child of God, then in God’s eyes you are a JUST person. God views you JUST as if you have never sinned.

What does the Bible have to say about JUST people? James 5:16 “…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” The prayer of a righteous man, woman, and young person is powerful and effective.

Not only are the prayers of righteous people powerful and effective, but you will notice all throughout scripture, but God only uses righteous people (JUST people) to carry out His work. This is true in the Old and New Testaments. Therefore the work of righteous people is powerful and effective when God is with them.

Some examples:

Old Testament: God used Moses in a powerful way in freeing the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. From the beginning when God first called, Moses said ‘I am not your man, I am inadequate for such a great task’. Basically God said to Moses I have choose you not because of your abilities but because of your relationship with me. God seen Moses as a JUST person. God said to Moses “no arguments – JUST DO IT!”

New Testament: Jesus Christ in choosing His disciples called 12 ordinary individuals to follow Him. Not only were the first disciples but some of them are known today as the greatest of disciples. He didn’t ask the men to think about their calling. He basically said “JUST DO IT!”

Those of us who claim to be Christians, especially CCM workers. Are you the Biblical “JUST” person – doing the work that God has called us to do.

If the JUST don’t do it, then tell me something: Who is going to do it? (rpt) We need to think about that!!