WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?
HEBREWS 10:30-31
MAY 13, 2001
PARKERSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH
WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH GOD? WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?
ROMANS 14:12-SO THEN EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU THIS MORNING CONCERNING YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK WITH JESUS CHRIST. I WANT TO PRICK YOUR HEARTS THIS MORNING WITH GOD?S WORD.
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU BLESSED? OR ARE YOU CURSED?
EVERY ONE OF US WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT CAN SAY THAT AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE BLESSED. WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE TO LOOK FORWARD TO. WE DO NOT HAVE PUNISHMENT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN. JUST WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN? IT IS SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL DEATH. AS CHILDREN OF GOD WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THIS SPIRITUAL DEATH.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THE PUNISHMENT, BUT GOD WILL CHASTISE US FOR THIS SIN. WE MAY BE FORGIVEN AND PARDONED, BUT WE WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY THE CONSEQUENCES OF GODS JUDGEMENT.
READ HEB. 10:31 AND ROMANS 14:12 AGAIN
YOU MAY SAY, PREACHER, I KNOW I AM SAVED. I COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY. I SAY MY PRAYERS. I READ THE BIBLE.
YOU MAY DO ALL OF THESE THINGS. BUT, DO YOU LIVE THESE THINGS. WHAT ARE YOUR ACTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH?
WHAT ARE YOUR ACTIONS OUTSIDE OF YOUR PRAYER TIME AND THE TIME THAT YOU READ THE BIBLE?
ARE YOU LIVING A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO THE LORD. ARE YOU SETTING THE CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE FOR THOSE AROUND YOU?
OR IS YOUR LIFE ONE OF THOSE THAT CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED FROM THE REST OF SOCIETY. DO YOU COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL THE REST OF THE WEEK?
I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS MORNING A FEW PARALLELS WITH THE LIVES OF CARNAL CHRISTIANS, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.
WHILE IT IS TRUE WE DO NOT LIVE UNDER THE OLD COVENANT, OR THE LAW, IT?S TRUTHS STILL CAN TEACH US A LOT OF HOW WE SHOULD LIVE.
TURN WITH ME TO DEUTERONOMY 28. HERE WE HAVE THE CHAPTER OF BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS. YOU MAY ARGUE THAT THIS PASSAGE IS CONCERNING THE NATION OF ISRAEL WHILE LIVING UNDER THE LAW.
THIS IS VERY WELL TRUE, BUT, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU DISOBEY GOD. WE ARE CHASTISED. WHEN WE DISOBEY GOD, WE CANNOT RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF GOD. WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF BLESSING?
THE OPPOSITE OF BLESSING IS BEING CURSED. OR CHASTISED AS IT WERE.
I WANT TO CONCENTRATE THIS MORNING ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE COIN. WE ALL KNOW THAT TO OBEY GOD IS TO RECEIVE HIS ABUNDANT BLESSING.
I WANT US TO LOOK AT WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN WE LIVE HOW WE WANT TO LIVE.
LET?S READ DEUT. 28:15.
NOW WHAT IS THIS SAYING? IT IS SAYING THAT IF YOU CONTINUE IN SIN AND NOT HEARKEN UNTO GOD?S COMMANDS THEN IT WILL SURELY HAPPEN THAT GOD WILL CHASTISE YOU, THROUGH THESE CURSES.
READ V 16-TO ME THIS IS SAYING, LIVE IN SIN, AND YOU SHALL BE CURSED AT HOME AND ABROAD, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW. YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU HAVING TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS BECAUSE OF HOW YOU ARE LIVING?
READ V 17-WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING, WHAT DO YOU USE THE BASKET FOR? YOU PUT THINGS IN IT THAT YOU WANT OR NEED. THIS TELLS ME THAT YOU WILL NOT BE BLESSED ENOUGH TO GET WHAT YOU WANT MUCH LESS NEED.
THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS. YOUR NEEDS WON?T BE MET. AND WHAT YOU HAVE MAY BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. YOU WILL BE CURSED IN YOUR STORES.
WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY MAY BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW.
GOD ALLOWS TRIALS TO BESET US TO BRING US BACK TO HIM.
READ V 19-I THINK THIS ONE IS A LITTLE HUMOROUS. WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE SAYING CONCERNING THE GOVERNMENT AND TAXES. THEY GET YOU COMING AND GOING.
WELL, GOD CAN TRULY GET US COMING AND GOING. THIS IS TELLING ME THAT WE CANNOT HIDE OUR SINS FROM GOD. AND WE CANNOT RUN FROM HIS JUDGEMENT.
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU STANDING FAST ON THE TRUTHS OF GOD?S WORD OR ARE YOU RUNNING FROM SOMEONE THAT YOU CANNOT HIDE?
LET?S READ V 37-WHAT DOES THIS SAY TO YOU?
I WANT TO ELABORATE ON THIS. IF I DESCRIBE SOMEONE HERE THIS MORNING, I MAKE NO APOLOGY. I AM MERELY STATING WHAT GOD HAS LAID ON MY HEART.
YOU COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING AND EVEN ATTEND MOST WEDNESDAY EVENING SERVICES. YOU STRIVE TO BE AT THE EXTRA FUNCTIONS THE CHURCH MAY HOLD.
YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY DURING THESE TIMES. BUT DURING THE WEEK, WHAT KIND OF COMPANY ARE YOU KEEPING.
YOU HANG AROUND THE SIN SICK CROWD LONG ENOUGH AND YOU START TO LOOK LIKE THEM. YOU START TO THINK LIKE THEM, AND PRETTY SOON YOU START TO LIVE AND TALK LIKE THEM.
THEN NO ONE CAN TELL YOU APART FROM THE WICKEDNESS IN THE WORLD.
THAT IS WHEN THE WORDS IN V 37 START CREEPING IN. YOU ASTONISH THOSE AROUND YOU. PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN CHURCH AND PROFESS TO BE A CHRISTIAN, WILL EVENTUALLY SEE YOU IN THE CLUTCHES OF SIN AND TEMPTATION.
THAT IS WHEN YOU WILL BECOME A PROVERB TO THE LOST. WELL, IF THAT IS WHAT BEING A CHRISTIAN IS ALL ABOUT, I DON?T NEED THAT. THAT PERSON IS DOING THE SAME THING I AM. THEY ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN ME.
I KNEW THE CHURCH WAS FULL OF HYPOCRITES. THOSE PEOPLE CAN NEVER LIVE LIKE THEY SAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO.
YOU SEE ONE PERSON CAN DESTROY THE WORK OF THE ENTIRE CHURCH. THAT IS WHY GOD CHOSE TO HAVE ROMANS 14:12-"SO THEN, EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD" IN THE SCRIPTURES.
THE WORLD JUDGES THE CHURCH, NOT BASED ON THE ENTIRE CHURCH BUT BASED ON THE FEW THAT FALL. JESUS CHRIST IS JUDGED BY THE WORLD THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL THAT CALLS HIM OR HER SELF A CHRISTIAN.
YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHOM YOU DISCOURAGED FROM ACCEPTING THE LORD AS THEIR SAVIOR BY THE WAY YOU LIVED YOUR LIFE.
WE ARE CALLED TO BE WATCHMEN OF THE WORLD, RATHER THAN RECKLESS EXAMPLES.
YOU SAY PREACHER, HOW CAN WE LEAD THE LOST TO CHRIST IF WE DON?T HANG AROUND THEM?
THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN BEING AROUND THEM TO DEVELOP A WITNESSING OPPORTUNITY, THAN IN JUST HANGING AROUND.
I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS MORNING, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT YOUR LIFE ACTUALLY INFLUENCES.
YOU INFLUENCE YOUR FAMILY-EACH AND EVERY MEMBER.
YOU INFLUENCE YOUR CHURCH-EACH AND EVERY MEMBER.
YOU INFLUENCE YOUR FRIENDS-EACH AND EVERY ONE.
YOU INFLUENCE THOSE THAT ARE YOUNGER THAN YOU. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING THE OLDER GENERATION IN THEIR LIVES.
THEY LEARN TO LIVE BY WHAT THEY OBSERVE.
NOW, WHOSE BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU STAND BEFORE GOD ALL MIGHT TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF YOURSELF?
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU AND EXAMPLE OR A STUMBLING BLOCK ON SOMEONE?S ROAD TO SALVATION?
NOW I REALLY WANT TO BRING IT HOME. LET?S READ V 41. I KNOW THAT THIS VERSE IS TALKING ABOUT THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. BUT I WANT US TO LOOK AT THIS VERSE IN THIS CONTEXT.
PARENTS, FATHERS, MOTHERS, I WANT YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. YOUR BAD EXAMPLE, CAN INFLUENCE YOUR CHILDREN TO BE CAPTIVE TO SIN.
YOUR BAD EXAMPLE, THE SIN THAT THEY OBSERVE YOU DO, CAN MAKE THEM TURN AGAINST CHRIST, TURN AGAINST THE CHURCH, AND TURN AGAINST YOU.
THE SINS OF THE PARENT CAN MAKE THE CHILDREN CAPTIVE TO A LIFESTYLE OF SIN. THEY WILL TURN TO OTHER THINGS FOR GUIDANCE.
PEER PRESSURE. DRUGS. ALCOHOL. ALL OF THESE CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF A PARENTS INFLUENCE. ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT CHILD SEES MOM OR DAD LIVING LIKE THE DEVIL OUTSIDE OF CHURCH AND GETTING AWAY WITH IT.
OR SO IT SEEMS. NOW CHILDREN, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING THIS MORNING.
IT MAY SEEM LIKE YOUR PARENTS ARE GETTING AWAY WITH THE LIFE THEY ARE LIVING BEFORE YOUR EYES. IT MAY SEEM LIKE IT IS OK TO SIN AND LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL, BECAUSE NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
I AM HERE TO TELL YOU, THAT GOD WILL ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN FOR A SEASON. HE GIVES YOU THE CHANCE TO COME AROUND ON YOUR OWN. BUT, HE WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE FOREVER.
GOD WILL CHASTISE YOU. IF YOU ARE TRULY A CHILD OF GOD, CIRCUMSTANCES WILL HAPPEN TO BRING YOU BACK IN CHECK. THESE ARE THE CURSES THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING.
YOU KNOW HOW YOU SAY YOUR MOM AND DAD WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING. WELL I AM HERE TO TELL YOU MY FRIEND, THAT GOD WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING EITHER.
YOU WILL ANSWER FOR IT I BELIEVE RIGHT HERE ON THIS EARTH. I BELIEVE THAT BEFORE YOU GO OUT INTO ETERNITY THAT YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT OUR REWARD IN HEAVEN IS INFLUENCED GREATLY BY THE LIFE WE LIVE WHILE HERE ON EARTH.
WHAT IF EVERY GOOD DEED, EVERY COMMAND OF GOD THAT YOU OBEYED EQUALED ONE GOLD BRICK IN YOUR MANSION IN HEAVEN. NOW WHAT IF EVERY BAD DEED, TURNED ONE OF THOSE BRICKS INTO LEAD.
WHAT IF EVERY PERSON THAT YOU TURNED AGAINST CHRIST TURNED 50 OF THOSE GOLD BRICKS INTO LEAD?
WHAT WOULD YOUR MANSION LOOK LIKE THIS MORNING?
WHOM HAVE YOU INFLUENCED? HOW HAVE YOU INFLUENCED THEM?
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? HOW MANY HAVE YOU WON TO CHRIST WITH THE EXAMPLE OF YOUR LIFE, AND HOW MANY HAVE YOU LOST TO HELL WITH THE EXAMPLE OF YOUR LIFE?
LET?S READ V 27-28.
YOU KNOW I HAVE HEARD IT SAID THAT THE SICKEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE THE LOST. WELL I BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE THAT ONE STEP FURTHER.
I BELIEVE THAT THE TRULY SICKEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE THOSE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE LIVING IN SIN, THE SIN-SICK CHRISTIAN.
THE SIN-SICK CHRISTIAN IS LIVING IN DARKNESS. A BLACK INFECTION THAT GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF HAPPINESS, BUT LEAVES ONE MISERABLE.
THESE CHRISTIANS HAVE LOST THEIR FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, LIGHT PRODUCES LIFE, GROWTH, AND BEAUTY. BUT SIN IS DARKNESS.
DARKNESS AND LIGHT CANNOT EXIST IN THE SAME PLACE. IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT THEN DARKNESS HAS TO GO.
IF WE LIVE IN SIN, THEN THE LIGHT GOES.
FOLKS THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND. WE CANNOT PROFESS TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND IN A BETTER POSITION THAN THE LOST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ON SUNDAY,
AND THEN LIVE LIKE THEM ON MONDAY. JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF SAID THAT A MAN CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STRADDLE THE FENCE AND NOT GET HURT IN THE PROCESS.
HOW CAN I GET HURT BY LIVING MY LIFE THE WAY I WANT TO. OTHER PEOPLE DO IT ALL THE TIME. THERE IS NOTHING I AM DOING THAT I DON?T SEE OTHERS DOING.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. YOU DON?T DO WHAT YOU SEE EVERY ONE ELSE DOING. YOU DO WHAT CHRIST HAS COMMANDED YOU TO DO.
YOU LIVE THE LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO HIM, NOT THE ONE THAT PLEASES THE WORLD. WE DON?T EVEN LIVE IT TO PLEASE OURSELVES. HE SHOULD BE IN CONTROL.
YOU GET HURT, BY GAINING THE REPUTATION OF A HYPOCRITE; AND YOU GET HURT BY MISSING OUT ON BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAD IN STORE FOR YOU.
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?
ARE YOU TRYING TO STRADDLE THE FENCE THIS MORNING?
DON?T LET THIS INVITATION GO BY IF YOU ARE. MAKE IT RIGHT WITH GOD TODAY. COME ONTO HIS SIDE OF THE FENCE, THE SIDE OF BLESSING.
TURN FROM THE WORLD?S SIDE OF THE FENCE, THE SIDE OF CHASTISEMENT AND CURSING.
