“SPIRITUAL CHECKLIST”
TEXT: 2 Cor. 13:5: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (Reprobate: means rejected, disapproved. Rom. 1:28
Introduction: In my late teens, I was stationed in Germany in the military. The military gives you a maximum of 30 days leave to go home to visit your family or go on vacation.
I was in Germany for about 1 and a half years before I wanted to go home and see my dad and high school buddies. So, before I purchased my plane ticket, I took out a sheet of paper and I wrote down everything I wanted to do when I got back to the states. First of all, I put down my necessities:
What clothes I wanted to wear Socks
What sneakers to take
Hats
Toothbrush, toothpaste
Deodorant
Belt
I went as far as putting down the color shoestrings to put in my sneakers.
Then, I wrote down what I wanted to do when I got there:
Visit my cousins
Visit my friends
Buy new shoes
Use my brothers car
I wanted to make sure that, when I got there, I didn’t forget to do things that I wanted to do. And when I got there, I checked everything off the list when I did it. I GOT ORGANIZED.
Are you getting organized this morning??? I believe without a shadow of a doubt that each one of you came here this morning to get organized. You go to church because you want something better in your life. You came here this morning wanting the Lord to get your life ORGANIZED. Organized here on earth to be prepared to get to heaven.
So God laid this message on our hearts this morning entitled “SPIRITUAL CHECKLIST”.
This morning, I read to you out of the Holy Bible. I wanted no doubt in anyones mind this morning that what the bible says is NOT a fairy tale.
He made mention in Rom 10:9-13: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I am not an end times preacher, but as a preacher you can’t help but preach that the end is near.
We are living in the last days.
Jesus said in Matt. Ch 16, that the people wanted Him to show them a sign.
He said: When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Mat 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it,
Jesus went on to say in Matt ch. 24:8-12 that:
nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. There are people in other countries that are being killed for the gospel’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
People are offended if you say the name of Jesus in a public place. Some people are scared or ashamed to pray for their food in a restaurant.
They’ve taken prayer out of schools.
They want to take the name of God off our money.
They’ve change the word Christmas to Xmas. They want to X Him out of everything in our society.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
There are people right now, this morning, preaching a prosperity gospel that all you have to do is give them your money, and you’ll be blessed. It’s biblical to give tithe and offerings, but God is really not concerned about your pocketbook this morning, He’s concerned about your heart. It takes people giving to keep the doors of the church open, but it takes giving people to keep the doors of people hearts open.
People knowing that you care.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
That word “iniquity” means known sin. Because so called Christians are doing what they know they should not be doing, the love of many shall grow cold.
People are saying, “IF THE SO-CALLED CHRISTIAN CAN’T LIVE FOR GOD CORRECTLY, WHAT MAKES ME THINK I CAN DO IT??
It’s time to get YOUR HOUSE, and I mean, YOUR SPIRITUAL HOUSE in order.
First question on the list:
ARE YOU PREPARING YOUR LIFE TO MEET YOUR CREATOR?? YES OR NO?
There’s one thing I’ve noticed about life…it’s too short. One day my kids were 2 and 4, now their 23 and 24.
There’s 2 things that none of us can do, and that is:
We can’t stop time
We can’t change the past
Time waits for no one. It keeps on ticking:
Second to second
Minute to minute
Hour to hour
Day to day
While mankind wrestles with the question….are you preparing your life to meet your creator???
You may ask the question: “How do I get prepared?
The bible says in Romans 10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
People say, “I already done that…I believe. PRAISE GOD!! Christ has already done his part as far as saving you, you have to do your part now, and that is…..LIVE RIGHT!!! Live for Him!!!
That’s why the bible says in 2 Cor. 13:5: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
That brings us to question #2:
HAVE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE BEGUN TO CHANGE?? YES OR NO??
The bible says in 2Co 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Are all things becoming new??? I try preacher!! I know YOU try. I, I, I. I is the middle letter in the problem people have…sin.
Lets change that I in sin to an o. Instead of wrestling with sin, let’s wrestle with the Son Jesus Christ.
2 Cor. 7:1 says: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
In order for any person to perfect holiness within themselves, the Holy Spirit has to be the one perfecting Himself within them.
We can’t do it within ourselves. It is the Holy Ghost. He makes us more like Christ.
He is the one who cleanses the things we can’t cleanse.
We, ourselves, can stop certain things in our lives. But it takes the Holy Ghost to purge certain things of the flesh and spirit.
We have to allow the Holy Ghost to do what he wants in our life before it’s too late. The bible says in 2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
If we go by God’s time, Jesus would have died 2 days ago, because he died 2,000 years ago.
The Apostle Paul said in 1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
He said “Be not Decieved”
Nor Fornicator: Fornicator means a person who has sex with an unmarried person.
Nor Idolators: One who is inordinately fond of some person or thing. Like movie stars, rappers, cars, boats, women, men family, almost anything can be an idol.
Nor Adulterers: Having sex with a married person
Nor Effiminate: a man Having womanly traits or qualities, being feminine.
Nor Theives: Someone stealing.
Nor Coveteous: To have an inordinate desire to have what someone else got.
Nor Drunkards: One who habitually drinks to intoxication. If it takes you 5 drinks to get you drunk, and you drink 1 drink…you are 1 fifth to getting drunk.
Nor Revilers: To use abusive or contemptuous language. Like cursing, slander.
Nor Extortioners: To take from a person by violence, threat, oppression or abuse of authority.
And such WERE some of you, But you are washed, WASHED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB
BUT YE ARE Sanctified: made holy, free from sin.
YE ARE Justified: To declare or prove guiltless or blameless…just as if you never sinned.
Jesus, by his cleansing blood, has cleansed us from our sins and made us free. If your not free this morning, it’s because you haven’t made up your mind to be free.
Jesus has done his part. He’s checked off all he had to do:
came as a human…check
persecuted…check
hung on a cross for your sins…check
placed in a tomb…check
raised again on the 3rd day…check
ascended back to heaven…check
sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify us…check
It’s up to you this morning. Make sure that YOUR SPIRITUAL CHECKLIST IS CHECKED OFF!!
Do I know Jesus as Savior…check
Do I examine myself daily to see if I am in the faith..check
Do I cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit….check
How is my church attendance…check
How is my prayer life…check
Do I hang around those that draw me closer to Christ…check
Does my life line up to the Word of God….check
Make sure you mark off your spiritual checklist!!
