What Kind Of Christian Are You?

WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?

HEBREWS 10:30-31

MAY 13, 2001

PARKERSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH

WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH GOD? WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU?

ROMANS 14:12-SO THEN EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?

I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU THIS MORNING CONCERNING YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK WITH JESUS CHRIST. I WANT TO PRICK YOUR HEARTS THIS MORNING WITH GOD?S WORD.

WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU BLESSED? OR ARE YOU CURSED?

EVERY ONE OF US WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT CAN SAY THAT AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE BLESSED. WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE TO LOOK FORWARD TO. WE DO NOT HAVE PUNISHMENT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN. JUST WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN? IT IS SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL DEATH. AS CHILDREN OF GOD WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THIS SPIRITUAL DEATH.

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THE PUNISHMENT, BUT GOD WILL CHASTISE US FOR THIS SIN. WE MAY BE FORGIVEN AND PARDONED, BUT WE WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY THE CONSEQUENCES OF GODS JUDGEMENT.

READ HEB. 10:31 AND ROMANS 14:12 AGAIN

YOU MAY SAY, PREACHER, I KNOW I AM SAVED. I COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY. I SAY MY PRAYERS. I READ THE BIBLE.

YOU MAY DO ALL OF THESE THINGS. BUT, DO YOU LIVE THESE THINGS. WHAT ARE YOUR ACTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH?

WHAT ARE YOUR ACTIONS OUTSIDE OF YOUR PRAYER TIME AND THE TIME THAT YOU READ THE BIBLE?

ARE YOU LIVING A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO THE LORD. ARE YOU SETTING THE CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE FOR THOSE AROUND YOU?

OR IS YOUR LIFE ONE OF THOSE THAT CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED FROM THE REST OF SOCIETY. DO YOU COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY AND LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL THE REST OF THE WEEK?

I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS MORNING A FEW PARALLELS WITH THE LIVES OF CARNAL CHRISTIANS, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

WHILE IT IS TRUE WE DO NOT LIVE UNDER THE OLD COVENANT, OR THE LAW, IT?S TRUTHS STILL CAN TEACH US A LOT OF HOW WE SHOULD LIVE.

TURN WITH ME TO DEUTERONOMY 28. HERE WE HAVE THE CHAPTER OF BLESSINGS AND CURSINGS. YOU MAY ARGUE THAT THIS PASSAGE IS CONCERNING THE NATION OF ISRAEL WHILE LIVING UNDER THE LAW.

THIS IS VERY WELL TRUE, BUT, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU DISOBEY GOD. WE ARE CHASTISED. WHEN WE DISOBEY GOD, WE CANNOT RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF GOD. WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF BLESSING?

THE OPPOSITE OF BLESSING IS BEING CURSED. OR CHASTISED AS IT WERE.

I WANT TO CONCENTRATE THIS MORNING ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE COIN. WE ALL KNOW THAT TO OBEY GOD IS TO RECEIVE HIS ABUNDANT BLESSING.

I WANT US TO LOOK AT WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN WE LIVE HOW WE WANT TO LIVE.

LET?S READ DEUT. 28:15.

NOW WHAT IS THIS SAYING? IT IS SAYING THAT IF YOU CONTINUE IN SIN AND NOT HEARKEN UNTO GOD?S COMMANDS THEN IT WILL SURELY HAPPEN THAT GOD WILL CHASTISE YOU, THROUGH THESE CURSES.

READ V 16-TO ME THIS IS SAYING, LIVE IN SIN, AND YOU SHALL BE CURSED AT HOME AND ABROAD, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW. YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.

WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU HAVING TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS BECAUSE OF HOW YOU ARE LIVING?

READ V 17-WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING, WHAT DO YOU USE THE BASKET FOR? YOU PUT THINGS IN IT THAT YOU WANT OR NEED. THIS TELLS ME THAT YOU WILL NOT BE BLESSED ENOUGH TO GET WHAT YOU WANT MUCH LESS NEED.

THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS. YOUR NEEDS WON?T BE MET. AND WHAT YOU HAVE MAY BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. YOU WILL BE CURSED IN YOUR STORES.

WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY MAY BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW.

GOD ALLOWS TRIALS TO BESET US TO BRING US BACK TO HIM.

READ V 19-I THINK THIS ONE IS A LITTLE HUMOROUS. WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE SAYING CONCERNING THE GOVERNMENT AND TAXES. THEY GET YOU COMING AND GOING.

WELL, GOD CAN TRULY GET US COMING AND GOING. THIS IS TELLING ME THAT WE CANNOT HIDE OUR SINS FROM GOD. AND WE CANNOT RUN FROM HIS JUDGEMENT.

WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN ARE YOU? ARE YOU STANDING FAST ON THE TRUTHS OF GOD?S WORD OR ARE YOU RUNNING FROM SOMEONE THAT YOU CANNOT HIDE?

LET?S READ V 37-WHAT DOES THIS SAY TO YOU?

I WANT TO ELABORATE ON THIS. IF I DESCRIBE SOMEONE HERE THIS MORNING, I MAKE NO APOLOGY. I AM MERELY STATING WHAT GOD HAS LAID ON MY HEART.