Sunday Morning July 7, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: “Requirements For Revival” [#5]
SLIDE 1
A NEW DIRECTION
2 Corinthians 5
Introduction:
1. Stand with me as we read 2 Chronicles 7:14.
SLIDE 2
2. This week has been a very difficult week for the staff and the church. I said last Sunday that no one knew when their last day on this earth would be and 8 hours later Spike was killed in a car accident.
3. Monday night I decide that I had enough and was going to quit. My wife asked me if I thought Spike would have wanted that. The answer was simply no.
4. As I prepared for the funeral service, I began to remember some things about Spike that stood out in my mind. I remember when I first met Spike and how he seemed to be rough and unruly. But, as I got to know him, he definitely proved me wrong.
5. About 6 months ago, Spike gave his life to Jesus and that’s when I began to see a real difference in Spike. In the last month, Spike and KaCee have been on fire for God.
6. During Vacation Bible School, Spike was a very important part of several people being saved. Over this last month or so, he has been telling his family and friends about Jesus.
7. Not only was he telling them about Christianity, he started living it. As we continue to study the “Requirements For Revival” I want us to see that the way we live our life is such an important factor for revival. We are told to humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways. The way you live your life will speak to people much more than the words you say. Let’s look at the correct lifestyle for a Christian.
SLIDE 3
The Hope Of A Christian
SLIDE 4-7
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
1. As Christians we look forward to not hurting and suffering on this earth but being with God in Heaven.
2. We know that this isn’t all there is. We live our lives everyday knowing that someday we will be in a land of no tears or sorrow.
SLIDE 8-9
Revelation 21:1-4
3. This is what we look forward to. Being with the One who died for us. This is why we should want to live a life that is pleasing to God.
SLIDE 10
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
4. One day everyone will be judged. There will be two judgments. One for the unsaved (The Great White Throne Judgment), and one for the saved.
5. The Great White Throne Judgment will be the judgment of the sins committed by the unsaved and will result in their being cast into the lake of fire forever.
6. The Judgment of the saved will be a judgment of those things we did that counted for God. Our sins will not be judged because they have already been taken care of by the blood of Jesus. All of the works of our life will be tested by the refiner’s fire and those things that we did for the Kingdom will survive the fire, everything else will be burned up. We will be rewarded for the things that are left.
7. If you were to die today, which judgment would you attend? Christians, when your life is judged, what will be left after it has been put through the refiner’s fire?
SLIDE 11
The Life Of A Christian
1. So what kind of things should we be doing so that our lives will please God?
SLIDE 12-14
2 Corinthians 5:11-15
2. We should persuade people to surrender their lives to God. People must know that without Jesus they are going to live eternally in Hell.
3. God loves us so much that He gave us His only Son to die for us all and as Christians we are to have the love of Christ within us.
4. If people can see the love of Christ in your life it will compel them, it will draw them to Christ.
5. God uses His people to show and demonstrate His love for those around us.
SLIDE 15
2 Corinthians 5:15
6. When you surrendered your life to Christ, you no longer belong to yourself but to God. He has rescued you from eternal death and now owns you.
7. Do you live your life for yourself or Christ? Can the love of Christ be seen in your life? Does your life cause people to say, “I want what he or she has”?
SLIDE 16
The Message Of A Christian
1. Since we are not our own and we belong to God, that means that we have been changed.
SLIDE 17-19
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
2. We are a new creation! That means the message of our life is to be different.
3. Let me tell you what message your life should be telling. Let me tell you the message you should be telling others. If you are here and do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, let me tell you the only message that will save you from Hell.
SLIDE 20
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
4. We are dirty and unworthy of being in God’s presence, but He reconciled us to Himself through Jesus who died on a cross for our sins.
5. We don’t deserve to ever be in Heaven with God, but we can be because when Jesus died, all of the sins of the world were placed upon Him.
SLIDE 21
2 Corinthians 5:19
SLIDE 22 (Leave this picture up through the rest of the service.)
6. Because of Jesus’ blood, God does not hold our sins against us.
7. This is the message that saves people from eternal death and this is the message Christians are commanded to tell and demonstrate.
Conclusion:
1. After Spike’s funeral Wednesday, I was told that someone told KaCee that Spike died for nothing and KaCee said, “No, he died for you.”
2. KaCee is right. See, this last couple of months, those around Spike could see Jesus’ touch upon his life and because of that, several people were saved. That’s not a waste.
3. Christians, when you die, will someone be able to say that because of your life they found Jesus as their Savior?
4. If you are here without Jesus today, you must not leave here without having given your life to Jesus so that you too will be reconciled to God.
5. As I said last week, no one knows how long they have. Please don’t wait too long.
