WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
On this first watch night and on each night for the remainder of this week, we would like to focus on and establish a series of sermons centered around the Theme Verse for this revival. The theme verse, as found on our program is Philippians 1:19 which reads, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” Please note that Paul begins this verse by saying, “For I Know”. And how many of you know tonight that when you know something without a doubt, then you are actually believing in that thing that you know. For example if you were the coroner who performed the autopsy on Elvis or rapper turned actor, Tupac Shakur. Then you would know, without a doubt in your mind, that despite all of the rumors of Elvis sighting, despite all of the rumors that Tupac is still laid up somewhere writing and recording music, you would believe that those folk are crazy and that Tupac and Elvis were just mere mortals who have exited life as we know it. Have I got a witness?
So tonight, on this first watch night, I would like for you to turn to Romans Chapter 10 and Verse 9 where we would like to pose a important question tonight.
Text: 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.
Subject: WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
In these United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, we have the privilege of being able to express our opinions and our views on most matters, because the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of speech as well as freedom of religion. And I think that it is because of these freedoms that we now live in a society dominated by opinions and beliefs.
There are people who believe in the political system of this country, and have united together as Republicans, Democrats, or some other sociopolitical group to share their common beliefs and their commons goals. There are people who believe that all other races, religions, and cultures are inferior to those of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestants. And having this belief, they become eligible for membership in hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan or the Neo Nazi parties. There are people who believe in god, but who do not believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God. They practice religions such as Islam giving all of their praise to Allah. They practice Buddhism, worshipping the little oriental looking fat guy in the form of a statue. Have I got a witness?
And then when you get right down to it, there are even people like us. Who have confessed with our mouths the Lord Jesus, and are supposed to believe in our hearts that GOD has raised him from the dead. We call ourselves Christians and are supposed to believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of the living God…..that he died and rose again with all power in His hands. We are supposed to believe that because of our so-called belief in Him, that we have been washed free of our sins and that death no longer has a hold on us.
We should believe and expect Jesus to return for us on the day of judgement where we should expect to go home to live with Him forever. We are supposed to believe in the word of GOD. This is what we are supposed to believe as Christians. This is what we are supposed to live by as the law that governs our daily existence. But my brothers and sisters, I’ve seen far to many things happen right in the church that are contrary to the teachings of the Bible. So again I ask, what do we truly believe?
You see with as much sin as that which goes on right here in the church, I can’t believe that we can truly look ourselves in the mirror and say that we believe in Jesus. If we believed in Jesus then we wouldn’t be scandalizing the names of other folk behind their backs. We wouldn’t be shooting deadly darts filled with venomous poison in their backs. We wouldn’t be spreading lies and rumors all of the time. But instead if we believed in Jesus we would be spreading HIS love. We would be doing HIS will. For Jesus told us in John 14:15, that if you love me, keep my commandments. Have I got a witness?
But instead of keeping his commandments, we come to church Sunday after Sunday and talk about how good the LORD has been to us and then we head right back out the door, by-pass our own house, and keep right on to somebody else’s house where we practice our so-called good religion by committing adultery…..by fornicating…..by practicing homosexuality and lesbianism….by going to the bootlegger’s house…..by tipping in the whore house. By doing everything that we KNOW a child of God is not supposed to do. And then we have the nerve to talk about somebody else. But baby don’t you know that the word of God says that whatever is done in the darkness will be brought to the light. Now ya’ll should know that I’m not talking about anybody, I’m just doing what? Saying what I’m saying.
It just amazes me that we continue to call ourselves Christians, that we say that we believe in Jesus Christ, but we are not willing to do those things that we as Christians are supposed to do. When it comes time for Sunday School, we won’t go. When it comes time for Bible Study and Prayer Meeting, we’re not there. When it comes time to go out and visit the sick and the shut in, we’ve got something else to do. But let it be a football game on a Friday night. We won’t miss it. We gotta be there to see thenm Dawgs play. Let it be a basketball game in the middle of the week. When Auburn basketball wasn’t winning, they couldn’t give tickets away. Now after a couple of successful years, everybody’s looking for tickets. Let it be wedding reception on a Saturday night. You’ll be there, wearing your best clothes. Fuming up the place with your best cologne and perfume. Can’t nobody tell you nothing.
And, not only will you be there, but everybody else will know you’re there because you’ll be yelling and screaming talking about the roof is on fire. You’ll be at the basketball and football game yelling and screaming and calling the referees all kinds of things. For those things that don’t mean anything for your soul, you’ll act like you don’t have good sense. But you’re afraid to lose your mind for Jesus. You’re afraid to let go and let God. You just sit still like a rock on a log and won’t say Amen…. Won’t say Hallelujah. Won’t give God the praise that He deserves. But the Bible says “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. In other words, if God has been good to you, you ought to say so. If God has brought you from a mighty long way, you ought to say so. If God has made a way for you when there was no way to be made, then you ought to open up your mouth and give him all of the praise. Is there anybody here who knows that the LORD has been good to them, let me hear you say YES?
What do you believe? We want to talk about the Jehovah Witness’. And some of us are afraid to even look out of our windows and answer the door on a Saturday morning. But look at the Jehovah Witnesses. They’re out letting their light shine. They’re out being a witness for the Lord. They’re out practicing what they believe in even if their light is all messed up. They’re making the effort to let it shine. They’re making the effort to bring somebody to Christ. But where is your effort?
The drug dealer is making an effort to string all of our kids out on heroine and crack, but where is your effort. The pimp is making an effort to have all of our daughters turning tricks, but where is your effort. The gun dealer is making an effort to put guns in the hands of all of our boys, where they can go out and commit a drive by shooting, but where is your effort. Is God please with your effort. Is the Lord pleased with the use of your talents or have you buried your talents in the ground.
What do you believe?
Well tonight, I am reminded of the story of some friends who picked up the bed of their friend and took him to see Jesus. They believed that if they could get their friend who was stricken with the palsy over to Jesus, that their friend would be made whole. Ain’t the Lord alright?
But when they got there the Bible tells us that the house was packed and that they could not get in. Oh Lord. But the Bible tells me, that they didn’t give up, they climbed on top of the roof of the house, and they tore a hole in somebody else’s roof all because, they believed in a man called Jesus. Ain’t the Lord Alright.
I am reminded of the story of a woman with an issue of blood. And we all know the story of how she pushed her way through the crowd and she believed that if she could just touch the hem of his garment she would be made whole again. Am I right about it?
I am reminded of how Peter believed that if Jesus told him to come to him, even in the middle of troubled waters, he believed that he could step out of the boat and walk on the water. Ain’t the Lord alright.
Well all of that is well and good. But I need to know tonight, what is it that you believe in. Oh Lord.
Do you believe in a man called Jesus.
Jesus, Jesus, Oh Jesus.
How I love to call his name.
He’s my Alpha and Omega.
He’s my lily of the Valley.
He’s my bright and morning star.
He’s my doctor when I’m sick.
He’s my lawyer in the court room.
He’s my butcher and my baker.
He’s puts clothes on my back.
He gives me shelter in the time of a storm.
He’s my water in dry places.
He’s my mother and my father.
He’s my battle-ax in the time of a battle.
He’s my friend when I’m friendless.
But most of all he’s my savior who died one Friday……
