Profession Without Possession

PROFESSION WITHOUT POSSESSION

TEXT: TITUS 1:16

INTRO:

NOW AS WE GET INTO THE MESSAGE THIS MORNING, I JUST WANT TO READ ONE SIMPLE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE HERE IN THE BOOK OF TITUS AND USE THAT FOR MY TEXT. AND THEN WE WILL GO RIGHT INTO THE MESSAGE AND SEE WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE FOR US THIS MORNING. NOW AS I PREACH THIS MORNING, I ASK FOR YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, THE MESSAGE IS ONE THAT WE ALL NEED TO HEAR, AS I WILL BE PREACHING TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF US THAT ARE HERE THIS MORN-ING.

READ 1:16 I WANT TO PREACH " PROFESSION W/O POSSESSION "

WE ARE LIVING IN A DAY WHEN EVERYONE CLAIMS TO BE A CHRIS

TIAN, EVERYONE CLAIMS TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST BUT IN WORKS THEY DENY HIM. THEIR LIFESTYLE SAYS SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT.

JESUS: MANY SHALL COME TO ME IN THAT DAY SAYING LORD, LORD..

NOW WHAT DO I MEAN A PROFESSOR.... ?

1. ONE WHO CLAIM’S TO BE SAVED

2. ONE WHO CLAIM’S TO KNOW CHRIST AS SAVIOR

3. ONE WHO CLAIM’S TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BUT YOU DO

NOT POSSESS SALVATION.... PROFESSION W/O POSSESSION.

HERE TITUS EXCLAIMS THAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE PROFESSING CHRIST, BUT IN WORKS THEY DENIED HIM. IN OTHER WORDS, THEIR WALK WAS IN CONTRADICTION WITH THEIR TALK. THEY CLAIMED TO BE A CHRIST-IAN, BUT THEIR LIFESTYLE SAID SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT.

ILL. TOPEKA SOULWINNING

THIS YOUNG MAN PROFESSED CHRIST AS SAVIOR BUT WAS A HOMOSEXUAL. YOU SAY PREACHER ARE YOU SAYING THAT A HOMOSEXUAL CAN’T BE SAVED?

NO, THEY CAN BE, BUT IF THEY ARE SAVED, THEY WILL NOT LIVE IN THE HOG PEN FOR VERY LONG.

PAUL: AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU, BUT YE ARE WASHED

AND MY FRIEND, WE ARE LIVING IN A DAY WHEN PEOPLE ARE CLAIMING TO BE CHRISTIANS, BUT IN WORKS AND DEEDS THEY DENY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

A. JUDAS ISCARIOT - PREACHING ENGAGEMENTS, MISSION TRIPS

BUT IN THE END, EVERYONE KNEW THAT JUDAS WAS A THIEF AND A PRETENDER. AND LET ME JUST INTERJECT THIS INTO MY MESSAGE THIS MORNING....WHAT YOU DO IN PRIVATE IS WHAT YOU REALLY ARE.

IF YOU ARE....

1. HAVING AN IMMORAL RELATIONSHIP AND STILL CLAIMING TO

BE A CHRISTIAN... YOU’RE A PROFESSOR.

2. CAN MISS CHURCH AND IT DOESN’T BOTHER YOU, YOU ARE

JUST A PROFESSOR. DAVID - I WAS GLAD...

I AM SIMPLY SAYING IF YOU CAN MISS CHURCH AND THE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD’S PEOPLE AND GO ON ABOUT YOUR MERRY WAY DAY AFTER DAY AND IT NEVER BOTHERS YOU, THERE IS SOMETHING DRASTICALLY WRONG!

YOU ARE JUST A PROFESSOR AND NOT A POSSESSOR.

AND MY FRIEND, THE WORD OF GOD SAYS THAT WE ARE TO EXAMINE OUR-

SELVES AND SEE JUST HOW WE MATCH UP TO WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS. AND LET ME SAY THIS MORNING: YOU ARE EVER SO FOOLISH TO THINK THAT THE MESSAGE IS NOT FOR ME. I WILL JUST SIT BACK AND COUNT CEILING TILES OR CLIP MY NAILS..... FRIEND THAT IS A TRICK OF THE DEVIL TO PREOCCUPY YOUR MIND AND TO KEEP YOU FROM HEARING THE MESSAGE THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO HEAR. THIS MESSAGE IS FOR ALL OF US TODAY.

PROFESSION WITHOUT POSSESSION:

NOW AS WE GET INTO THE MESSAGE THIS MORNING. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME (5) DIFFERENT MARKS OF THOSE WHO PROFESS CHRIST, BUT DO NOT POSSESS HIM AS THIER LORD AND SAVIOR.

FIRST OF ALL, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THOSE WHO PROFESS CHRIST, BUT DO NOT POSSESS CHRIST.....

I. THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE

HEY IF YOU ARE HERE THIS MORNING AND YOU ARE PROFESSING CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR, THERE MUST BE A CHANGE. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THERE MUST BE A CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE, LOOK AND LOVE.

2 COR. 5:17 IF ANY MAN.....

NO I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT INSTANT MATURITY, BUT I AM TALKING ABOUT A DEFINITE CHANGE, THAT SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS INWORKED AT SALVATION THAT HAS CHANGED YOUR SOUL. MY FRIEND, I AM SIMPLY SAYING THAT THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOME EVIDENCE IN YOUR LIFE, THAT SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS EVIVDENCE CAN BE SEEN I (1 - 3) AREAS. FIRST OF ALL THERE WILL BE A ....

1. CHANGE IN WAY YOU LIVE - WHEN YOU GET SAVED, YOU WILL NOT...

A. GO TO SAME PLACES YOU USED TO GO. STRIP JOINTS, POOL HALLS

B. YOU WON’T SAY THE SAME THINGS YOU USE TO SAY.

C. YOU WILL REACT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU DID BEFORE

D. YOUR LANGUAGE WILL BE TRANSFORMED FROM CURSING TO PRAISING

THERE WILL BE A DEFINITE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE.

ILL. DOUG CUMMINGS

2. CHANGE IN THE WAY YOU LOOK - MANIAC OF GADARA

AT ONE TIME THIS MAN WAS RECORDED TO HAVE BEEN CUTTING HIMSELF WITH STONES. HIS BODY WAS COVERED WITH CUTS AND SCARS. HE WORE NO CLOTHES, SATAN HAD STRIPPED HIM OF EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD.