What I Need To Do To Keep In Step With God

WHAT I NEED TO DO TO KEEP IN STEP WITH GOD

Eccl. 3:1-2 There is a time to be born, and a time to die. We have no choice over either of these they are a gift from God. When we consider all in the essentials of life it always takes us to our beginning and our decease.

We want to consider our Step of Death for it is one between us and God I SAMUEL 20:3

We are in this world to see as many people get into heaven as we can. We are to ask, "What does God want to do?" Then we need to live each day with this in our minds, "How will what I am doing help my church be what God wants it to be?"

WE NEED TO HAVE PURITY OF HEART. The most important ability we can possess is the ability to get along with others. We can only be a secure person as we are pure in heart. Our mission is to help others become more like Christ. We best do that by giving encouragement rather than criticism.

I. THE STEP OF DEATH IS A COMPLETE STEP.

A. It is appointed to man to die; Heb. 9:27.

B. All mankind is subject to death; Ps. 49:10 "Those who are wise must finally die, just like

the foolish and senseless."

C. The living know that they shall die; Eccles. "The living at least know they will die, but

the dead know nothing."

WE NEED TO BE PERSUADED IT CAN HAPPEN. We need to believe it can happen because God wants it to happen. We need to think beyond those who have the mind set "it cannot be done."

II. THE STEP OF DEATH IS A NEAR STEP.

A. Age is not anything before God; Ps. 39:4, 5 "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, you have made my days as a hand span; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity."

B. Life appears only for a little while; James 4:14. "You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears."

C. Man’s days are like a shadow; Ps. 144:4 "Humans are like a breath of air. Their life span is like a fleeting shadow."

WE ARE TO HAVE PURPOSE THAT IS RIGHT. We need to make sure our church is what it needs to be to make it possible for people to find Christ and enable them to live a holy life.

III. THE STEP OF DEATH IS AN unsure STEP.

A. We have no continuing city here; Heb. 13:14 "We don’t have a permanent city here on earth, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future."

B. We know not the day of death; Gen 27:2. Isaac said, "I’m old. I don’t know when I’m going to die."

C. We shall be cut off as a flower; James 1:10 "And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field."

WE ARE TO HAVE PASSION TO LEAD. We are not to blame others for the problems but to take on the problems as our own and take the responsibility to find a solution. We need to get a mind set that there is always something I can do to help fix the problem. It is my job to find solution and put it into action.

Keys to being a good leader: 1. BE ON TIME. 2. DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE GOING TO DO. 3. FINISH WHAT YOU START. 4. SAY "PLEASE" AND "THANKYOU." Always keep yourself doing what God wants you to do. If it takes 100 steps do not stop at step 97. You will have wasted 97 steps if fail to take the last three which I would suggest as step 98- OWNERSHIP.

STEP 99-COMMITMENT and STEP 100-ACCOUNTABILITY. We need to encourage others in these last three steps.

IV. THE STEP OF DEATH IS A SEPARATING STEP.

A. It separates a mother from her son; Luke 7:12 "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her."

B. It separates a father from his son; II Sam.12:22, 23 "David answered, "As long as the child was alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, ’Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But why should I fast now that he’s dead? Can I bring him back?"