“PRIORITIES FOR PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN LIVING ”
By: Dr. Dennis Deese - www.dennisdeese.com
JOHN 6:15-31
Satan knows he can’t change or determine your personal eternal destination. Thus, his strategy is to sever our relationship with the Lord in order to stop our progress in the Christian life.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit(Yoo-the-tos: useful, appropriate) for the kingdom of God.
The Scriptures exhort us - Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
In John 6:15-31 there are three priorities we must embrace if we truly want to be progressive in the Christian life.
1. GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIFE 6:15
1. Carefully discover it John 5:30; 6:38; Proverbs 3:5-7
Psalms 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.
2. Cautiously Guard it (demands, expectations of others)
3. Consistently Pray about it
Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
2. UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE LORD 6:16-21
We are judged by what we finish, not by what we start. - Anon
There is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks. - David Lloyd George
By perseverance the snail reached the ark. - C. H. Spurgeon
1. Regardless these:
1. Discouragement 6:16-17
2. Difficulties 6:18
3. Doubts 6:19
2. Remember these:
1. Brevity of Time
Psalms 90:12 So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom.
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
2. Reality of God
3. Intention of Satan
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
4. Day of Judgment
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.
3. SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN THE LORD 6:22-31
Why are so many devoid of Spiritual Growth?
1. Self-centeredness 6:26 (in 6:30-31 they wanted to manipulate Jesus into giving them more bread - Physical needs)
2. Half-heatedness 6:27 (you’ve got to work at it)
To LABOR: 2038 - er?gad’?zom?ahee (er-GOD-Zo-my); to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by implication) effect, be engaged in or with, etc.:??commit, do, labor for, minister about, trade (by), work.
3. Self-righteousness 6:28-29
