PP0602 DATE
THE REASON MOST CHRISTIANS DON’T
BECOME GREAT CHRISTIANS!
Joshua 14:6-11.
Jos 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
Jos 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. (KJV)
There is a reward for wholly following the Lord. Caleb was faithful in following the Lord all the days of his life and he received a great reward for doing so. In this experience of Caleb we can see why so many Christians only make it to a mediocre position in Christianity.
We live in a haphazard society. Most people take no pride in their work. They have no standard or conviction about being on time – about doing the work right. I have a real hang up about being on time. If you tell me you will meet me at 7:00 and you arrive at 7:15 you have stolen one-fourth of an hour from me. Fifteen minutes that I will never get back again. Caleb wasn’t that kind of Christian.
There are some requirements for being a great Christian. The N.T. Epistles are written for the growth to greatness.
Lu 9:48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. (KJV)
I want to give you four reasons why most Christians will not become great Christians.
I. TO BE A GREAT CHRISTIAN REQUIRES AN EVERYDAY COMMITMENT. Most Christians will not make that commitment.
A. Commitment In Holiness. Vs. 8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
One will never be holy without wholly following the Lord. You can’t follow God part time and be full time happy.
“Wholly” - Accomplish, confirm, fullness, gather presume, replenish, satisfy. Another definition would be: “Commit with your heart.”
Holiness is part of following God. Without holiness God will be unknown to any individual. Holy living attracts God’s attention. “Be ye holy for I am holy”. That’s why the movements that feature the contemporary culture are not separated. They don’t understand the holiness of God. Holiness means to be Godlike.
God expects every Christian to live holy. When Israel allowed worldliness to come into their life God punished them severely.
Your walk talks,
And your talk talks,
But your walk talks,
Louder than you talk talks.
B. Commitment In Honesty. Vs. 10-12.
Jos 14:10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. (KJV)
He kept his vow and did what he said he would do. What a trait for a Christian to possess. Many do not.
Do you know that a lot Christians are dishonest? I have done business with some that were dishonest. Any Christian who doesn’t totally follow the Lord is dishonest. Anyone who displays a public appearance of being godly and then lives otherwise in private life is dishonest. Are you dishonest. Does you daily living back up that which you display here at church? Does your walk and your talk match?
C. Commitment In Hardness. Vs. 11.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
2Ti 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (KJV) Endure hardness – a two fold application – hardness going out – hardness coming in. Hardness going out would be having great Christian stamina and endurance. Hardness coming in is being able to overcome the wiles and trials of the devil. Caleb had hardness.
Caleb wasn’t looking for an easy road to the top of the mountain. Jos 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. Caleb wasn’t expecting it to be easy. He had hardness.
Caleb expected a battle in taking the mountain. He knew he had to be hard to accomplish his goal. He knew that being great required a man to be hard as nails. Not just speaking of physical condition, but emotion, determination, etc. Where are the men of today whose forefathers possessed hardness? Are our young men coming up being taught and trained to possess hardness? Most young people are so soft that they can’t even make themselves get up at a decent time in the mornings. Where’s the hardness? They are not developing personal convictions that will guide them through their life. Most are soft and lazy.
Parents don’t bail your children out of every hardship. Make them find the solution themselves. I know of parents who have children 30 – 40 years old and they are still bailing them out of every hardship that comes along.
Caleb was totally committed to his cause. He was holy – he was honest – he had hardness.
II. TO BE A GREAT CHRISTIAN REQUIRES A COMMITMENT CONTRARY TO THE FLESH – Most won’t make this commitment.
To be in the flesh means to act, live in, make decisions outside of the will of God. A person in the flesh is one who is far away from God. To be in the flesh could also mean to be lost without God. Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (KJV) If the Spirit of God is not living in you then you aren’t saved – absence of the Spirit is absence of salvation.
A. The Flesh Profiteth Nothing. John 6:63
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (KJV) “Quickeneth” is speaking of life. The Spirit gives life to a dead sinful person.
The Spirit of God “quickens” a dead sinner and he/she becomes a child of God passed from death unto life.
1. The flesh rejects any and all spiritual matters. The flesh says, “No need for the Spirit”.
2. No profit spiritually. Following the flesh will cause a Christian to lose rewards in the Judgment Seat of Christ.
What does a business man mean when he says he is losing money. He is saying there is no profit or gain financially. He is saying there is no profit in what he is doing. Anyone who does the work of God in the flesh is losing in God’s viewpoint. There is no profit or gain spiritually.
Just because a person teaches a S/S class, sings in the choir, visits the sick in the hospital, visits a bus route doesn’t mean the are working in the Spirit. All of this can be done in the flesh.
Living in the flesh will bring defeat, disappointment, discouragement, and eventually the Christian will quit. “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
B. Starve The Flesh. Ro 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (KJV) Mortify means to “put to death.” You can get victory over the flesh through the Spirit of God.
“The deeds” of the body would be – actions or the sins of the body – the craving of the body. We are to put the sins of the body to death – mortify them. When something is dead – what does it do? Nothing but stink.
Reject the will of the flesh. Don’t let the flesh dictate what you will do. Make the flesh obey the Spirit. The Spirit is life – flesh brings death.
C. The Flesh Is An Enemy. Rom 8:5-8
Ro 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (KJV)
Our greatest enemy is our own flesh. The flesh will control everything you do if you don’t make it obey the Spirit. You can’t serve God in the flesh.
D. The Flesh Doesn’t Want To Commit. You will have to bring the flesh under subjection. 1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (KJV) Paul said, “My greatest enemy is my own flesh.” Paul said, “Have no confidence in the flesh.”
E. What Are Some Ways We Can Tell If A Person Is In The Flesh?
1. By the company they keep.
2. By their conduct they practice.
3. By the clothing they wear. It is amazing to me how Christians can dress in attire that is totally unchristian. When the flesh is in control dress is not an issue with a Christian. They will dress anyway they want to and think nothing of it.
4. By the conversation they speak. A Christian’s conversation should glorify and lift up God and His kingdom. I have heard many Christians talk like they lived in the gutter. Does your conversation identify you with the flesh or with the Spirit? Is God glorified by your conversation?
5. A flesh controlled person insists on having their own way at home, at church, on the job, or anywhere.
III. TO BE A GREAT CHRISTIAN REQUIRES A COMMITMENT OF SACRIFICE – Most won’t make this commitment.
A. Commit Every Day To Sacrifice.
The Christian life is all about sacrifice. We are instructed by the Bible to sacrifice our time; our energy; our desire; our money; our pleasure; and our life. We are to be a living sacrifice. 24/7/365.
Abraham committed to sacrifice. Gen 22. He knew the purpose in going to Mt. Moriah. It was to sacrifice Isaac his only son. He knew that God was serious in the matter and that it was not a hoax. Abraham took with him all that he would need for the sacrifice. That was commitment.
Sacrifice to Abraham was a real issue. He took the matter seriously. Do you? If I was to ask you to raise your hand if you have sacrificed in some manner in the last thirty days many would raise your hand falsely. Not many have sacrificed. Most of what we consider sacrifice should be normal Christian living.
B. Sacrifice Always Precedes Greatness.
Greatness can only be seen through sacrifice. Think of the hero’s from past wars – those who earned the Purple Heart – sacrifice was a great part of the qualification. Many gave their life for their cause – that’s sacrifice.
To plan to become great is to plan to sacrifice your life. No one ever achieves greatness from the recliner. Demanding three meals a day and air conditioning will exclude you from greatness. To refuse to sacrifice will exclude you also. If you demand a certain salary or payment then you are not sacrificing.
Our goal should be to become great for the cause of God and His kingdom whatever the cost. The cost nor the sacrifice should not be the issue, but what can I do for God? If we don’t have some Christians start sacrificing everything they have then the children of this church may not see freedom to worship as you and I know it.
We have so many that are half-on half-off – Half in – half out - not committed to the matter of living for God seven days a week. Because of that it is nearly impossible to have church services in the way God expects us to have them.
The traditional Christian is no longer in the majority. We will never take it back from them because we traditionalists will not sacrifice what it would take to win the battle. We will win the battle by winning one person at a time. You winning your neighbor, your brother or sister. You bringing your fellow employees to church and witnessing to them. Without this being done we can kiss, what we know as, Christianity goodbye. It may well be passed off the scene in ten more years. The kids in this church are seeing a different kind of Christianity and many of them will accept that as being biblical.
C. Sacrifice Will Bring A Change In Your Life.
The sacrifice of the Cross brought a change on all mankind who believed.
Real sacrifice is a type of the Death, Burial, and The Resurrection. After you have sacrificed you become another person who no longer demands things as they were before the sacrifice.
D. Sacrifice Will Bring Happiness In Your Life.
God’s sacrifice brought happiness to the Godhead.
Our sacrifice brings happiness to ourselves and to others.
E. Sacrifice Is A Godly Trait. You will not be happy until you begin to live like the Lord lived. That’s done only through sacrifice.
IV. TO BE A GREAT CHRISTIAN REQUIRES A COMMITMENT TO THE END – Most won’t make this commitment.
Someone said, “Greatness is doing what is right and keep on doing it.” Bro. Ivan Moore said last week, “Finish the Course.” That takes commitment.
Caleb committed to the very end. He “finished his course.”
Every person who has a goal in life and then sets out to reach that goal will commit to the final effort which is reaching their goal. Everyday is lived with the end in sight. They see that day when they have reached their goal.
Your goal and my goal is to be totally committed and subjected to God. Everyday we must keep that goal before us. Our every effort is to bring us closer to the time when we can realize the completion of our efforts and the accomplishing of the goal, and that goal is to be the Christian God wants each of us to be.
Today I live and do that which will put me one day closer to being a completely submitted Christian to God.
Tomorrow I will go even farther.
An athlete conditions himself/herself in such a manner that they become physically qualified to perform their intended purpose for their team. That’s commitment to the end.
A football player conditions and trains the year around to keep their body in top shape for the playing season.
I think of Lance Armstrong who has won the “Tour de France” six times, I believe. He has done this after overcoming cancer. He is the leading candidate for this present exhibition. He has accomplished goals that no one else in the world has ever done. He committed himself to the end of his goal and then he saw the victory. The reason you don’t see victory is you don’t commit to the very end. Commitment of this nature is to continue on to the end – no matter the cost of time, energy, or whatever it may be. If the action or work gets a little bit hard and difficult then you back off and quit.
Someday every Christian will be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will be joining in with the angels and the elders mentioned in the Book of Revelation praising and worshiping God. That is the end of our goal. Can you see that? Can you picture that in your mind? If you can then you can reach your goal of being a Great Christian for Him.
Last week we heard the challenge “To finish our course”. Are you going to finish your course?
Where are you in the program of becoming a Great Christian? You are in one of three states – starting – continuing – or refusing. Where are you?
INVITATION
Beth Haven Baptist Church
PO Box 891523
OKC OK 73189-1523
405-691-8701
icasteel1@cox.net
This sermon and thousands of others are available on a CD Rom Disk and may be purchased for $75. If interested contact the above information.
