The Great Test

A man went to his doctor for a checkup. The doctor did a very thorough examination and then asked the nurse to send the man’s wife into his office. The doctor said, “I have some very bad news, your husband is very sick. The good news is that there is hope. If you will take him home, cook him three hot meals each day and take care of all his needs, he should be recovered in about one to two months!”

The lady left the doctor’s office and went out and got into the car with her husband. The man asked, “Well, what did the doctor say?” The wife looked at her husband and said, “You’re gonna die!”

-Some people go to the doctors after they become sick, some people go to the doctors to keep from getting sick, and some people go to the doctors to get even healthier than they are.

-Anyone who goes to the doctor knows they run a lot of tests to determine the condition you’re in. For example, the doctor gives you a pregnancy test to see if you’re pregnant, or if you’re sick the doctor runs a blood test to see if you’re white blood cells are elevated to see if you have an infection.

Thought: A test will reveal what you know or what type of condition you are in. It can also reveal what something truly is.

Example. Take for example gold or iron pyrite or what is called fool’s gold. To the ordinary person these minerals look the same. I’m sure an untold number of treasure seekers have been disappointed because they thought they had something of value only to find out it was worthless as the tests were run.

Question: Do you know what would be worse than that? To think you are a Christian going to heaven only to arrive on judgment day and not make it!

: You might think that could never happen. Jesus tells us it will happen. He gives us a picture of judgment day in Matthew 7: Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, many will say to me on that day Lord did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you, away from me, you evil doers!

: Can you imagine thinking you’re a friend of God only to find out you are his enemy? I personally think this is one of the devil’s greatest joys.

Question: Well is there some sort of test, some sort of standard that I could hold against my life to determine how I am doing or to answer the question, am I truly a Christian, does God view me as a follower of his?

Today we will look at what the Bible says we need to do.

TITLE: The Great Test

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 13:5

I. We are to examine ourselves. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates

A. Today it is easy to say we love God or call ourselves Christian. But the real question is: Does God consider me his own? Does God call me a Christian?

1. Throughout the Bible you see people who think they are ok with God only to find out later they weren’t.

-The children of Israel in the Old Testament, they went to church (temple), paid their tithe, worshipped their God but they worshipped God the way they wanted. They thought they were in good standing with God only the prophets would declare judgment was coming. The Lord was so angry that he wiped out the religious system that was supposed to teach people about God. He destroyed their church.

2. In the New Testament in the book of James.

-James is the pastor in Jerusalem and he is struggling with people who call themselves Christians but they aren’t. They’re running around claiming they believe in God but they have no actions (fruit).

-James responds, good, even the demons believe that – and shudder. What James is saying the demons believe more than you do but yet they’re still in Hell.

Point: Over and over again throughout scripture you see people think they’re ok with God but they’re not. This is why Paul tells us to examine ourselves.

B. The Greek word “examine” literally means to objectively scrutinize, to test yourself, to put on trial.

1. Who is on trial – you are, not your friends or acquaintances but you.

-It’s easy to put others on trial but we don’t like to put ourselves on trial to see if we make the grade.

2. The text says we are to examine if we are in the faith. In other words does Christ really live in you, are you truly a new creation or are you a counterfeit?