Get a Life!
Matthew 7:13,14
2nd Chronicles 7:14
“If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
· We don’t mind turning in our resignations of being God to become humble
· We don’t care to spend more time in prayer
· Picking up God’s Word a couple more times a week doesn’t really bother us
But this week’s challenge will keep 90% of us from experiences true victory in our lives.
This is not a popular subject = It makes us feel uneasy
And God already knew this wouldn’t be popular.
Read Matthew 7:13,14
The gate that leads to destruction is wide –
To accommodate all of those who choose to go that route
“Narrow” is the gate that leads to life.
Title of Today’s Sermon: Get a Life!
“Get a Life” is clearly the most repeated catch phrase in the history of Star Trek. Another possibility would be “Beam Me up Scotty”.
Through the years, the phrase has spurred laughter, anger, controversy, and far more than its fair share of debate.
But this is clearly what we have to do if we are going to experience daily victory in our lives.
Matthew 7:14 – “The gate is small, and the way is narrow – that leads to life.”
If I am going to have a Victorious Christian life –
Ø I have to choose not to go the way everyone else is going
Ø I have to choose not to do everything else that they are doing
Ø I have to choose not to be what they are trying to be
Ø I have to choose to take the road less traveled
Is it as much fun? Probably not!
But that is debatable by if you want 15 minutes of a good time or if you want a lifetime filled with victory.
I feel there are three things that we must do if we are going to experience daily victory in our lives by turning from our wicked ways.
1. Grow Up! -
1st Corinthians 13:11
“When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
But we all can’t say that! But to have victory we are going to have to get to where we can say it.
a. I no longer talk as a child -
We found out early in our lives that “Goo Goo Gah Gah” was not going to get us anywhere. If we were going to get the things in life that we need, we found out that we needed to learn how to talk as an adult.
(ex. Learning to talk before learning to walk)
1. Immediately parents working for the first word
2. Children repeating everything they hear
But as an adult, I know what to and what NOT to say. I know that I am not to repeat everything that I hear.
Why? When I was a child, I spoke as a child but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
b. I understood as a child
As a young child, I knew that things would be done for me. Do you know how they get your attention?
- Grunting!
(ex. Potty Trained – changing of the diaper)
If that doesn’t work they begin pitching fits.
I understand that as an adult, I have to learn to quit grunting my way through life waiting on someone else to change me.
I have to decide to grow up and start taking charge of my own life under the guidance of my Heavenly Father. And doing things for myself -
I also have to know and understand:
· A 40-year-old married man is no longer considered a “player” so we need to quit acting like it.
· A married woman has no business flirting with co-workers trying to grunt her way into a promotion
· Teens and Adults need to understand that pitching fits because you don’t get your way is not living a victorious Christian life.
I spoke as a child, I understood as a child – WHEN I was a child. But WHEN I became a man (adult), I put away childish things.
Get a Life! – Put away the childish way of living and grow up!
If we are going to have victory in our lives everyday, we must not only grow up but we must also:
2. Give Up! – Things in our lives that are a hindrance to our Christian growth.
Philippians 4:8
“…Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 is our mind’s filtering system.
If there is one way the enemy is tearing down Christians today, it is through their minds and what they think.
The devil is slowly deceiving you into lowering your standards. Don’t let the enemy have a single opportunity to pull you down by watching or partaking in things that are questionable.
Psalms 101:3 – “I will set no evil before my eyes…”
If we want to have victory in our lives, we must first determine that we want to LIVE in victory.
Living in victory means I am going to control what enters my body.
Through my eyes
Through my ears
Through my mouth
We have to understand that as Victorious living Christians:
· There are just some shows/movies that we don’t need to be watching
(don’t care if it is on local TV)
· There are just some “words” and “phrases” that we don’t need to listen to. Because we are not smart enough to keep ourselves from repeating what we hear
· There are just some things that we don’t need to be putting into our body.
You may say that every once in a while won’t hurt. But it does. Not only does it mess you up but it also harms the witness you have. People make decisions about you based on what they see you do.
The last thing we need is for people to know us as the Christians who drink on Saturday nights and teach on Sundays.
To be able to give up some of the things that enter our body… sometimes we have to make a huge decision.
That is to GIVE UP – some of the friendships we have.
Some of our weaknesses that we have as Christians are with those people that we hang out with. And some could even be in church with you.
But these people:
· Have an influence on you that causes you to do things that you know are not right in the sight of God.
· They cause you to think negative about life and other people, not to mention about church.
· They cause you to be down and depressed all the time.
GIVE UP – these so-called friendships and surround yourself with people that will:
· Motivate you to do what is right.
· Keep you from falling back into the temptations that you have worked hard to get out of
· Keep you from thinking negative thoughts so that can have victory in your life.
Some of you are on the brink of having some great things in your life. You have been working hard to get ahead and the enemy is trying his best to get you to give in just one more time.
“It’s just one get-together”
“This will be my last time, I promise”
“None of my church people will see me”
“What can it hurt just one more time”
Don’t give in to the lies of the devil. He is trying to destroy you and everyone around you.
For the sake of your lost loved ones
For the sake of your family
For the sake of your own life…
GIVE UP – those things that have you committing sin.
Even if it means getting new friends!
While we must Grow Up and quit doing childish things and after we Give Up those things that are hindering us from moving forward… we need to also remember to:
3. Get Out! – Of the slavery that we feel bound to.
Some of you are in the shape you are in:
Physically, Emotionally and Spiritually
Because of what you are bound to.
What has got a hold of you that won’t let go?
It is stealing your joy, peace and your whole life?
Is it your past?
Is it your family?
Is it your job?
Is it the many years of “living it up”?
You have got to GET OUT of your old way of thinking.
Galatians 5:1
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Christ died so we can be free. You do not have to stay in the humdrum way of living.
· Stop feeling sorry for yourself because of how others treat you.
· Stop feeling tied down to situations and relationships that are not of God
· Stop feeling as though you are not a Champion
The victory has already been accomplished. It is up to us to claim it in our lives.
How do we do that?
1. Humble Yourselves – know that you are not in control
2. Pray – with everything you have got
3. Seek God – let Him direct your paths
And with everything you have within you: Turn from your wicked ways.
Notice:
2nd Chronicles 7:14
“If my people who are called by my name…”
This word was not for the lost. When he said, “Turn from your wicked ways…” he was talking to Christians.
Are we going to live a perfect life? Of course not
But do we have to help the enemy by putting ourselves in a situation that we know before we ever arrive that we will not be able to handle?
· Grow Up – and quit acting like a child
· Give Up – those things you do that harm you, your family and your body
· Get Out - of the bondage of slavery.
You have been purchased by the blood of Christ therefore you are owned by the King of Kings. No need to try to please anyone else. You don’t belong to them.
1st Corinthians 6:19 –
“Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
Wide is the road that leads to destruction…
Narrow is the way that leads to life…
Please hear me today, “GET THE LIFE that you need in Christ. And you will have victory everyday!
