34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? – Mark 8:34-36
Illustration –
I. What defines you?
A. Are you trying to “fit it,” or do you want to be faithful
B. A true Christian faith will permeate our lives
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. – James 2:18
II. Doing what Right, Even when it Hurts
A. Sometimes when you take a stand you will be misunderstood and rejected by your friends
B. Are you ready to follow Jesus when it hurts? If not, are you really following Him at all?
III. Knowing when and how to stand
A. Start with the Bible
1. What does God’s Word have to say about the stand you want to take?
2. Don’t get caught up in obscure issues
B. Examine Yourself
1. You’ve got to be living your life right before you start trying to tell others how to live their lives
2. Matthew 7:3-5
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. – Matthew 7:3-5
C. Listen to your Conscience
1. Our conscience is our God given sense of what is right and wrong
2. As we grow closer to God through our quiet time we find it is easier to figure out God’s direction in our lives
D. Seek godly counsel
1. Seek counsel from those who are more Godly than you are
2. Explain your conviction about the issue and what the Bible says about it
E. Be humble, loving and bold
1. The attitude with which you take a stand says just as much as the stand itself
2. Remember, the stand you are taking is about the issue not yourself
Illustration – London from Zach and Cody painting the apartment
F. Be part of the solution
1. Don’t get a reputation for always being against everything
2. Be for something
IV. If you want to stand, Stand Now
A. God will give you strength to stand in any situation
B. Questions to ask yourself
1. Is there a stand you know you should be taking but haven’t?
2. Is there something in your life you know is wrong but continue to do it?
Final Thought: Doing what’s right always matters – and it matters NOW.
