FULL ACCEPTANCE

Rom. 12:1,2; Matt. 5:20; Jno. 15:4; Matt. 19:9; 1 Sam. 10: 19; 8:4-9; Prov. 10:32; Acts 10:34,35.

INTRO:

1. Many times people get the words ACCEPT and EXCEPT mixed up.

A. Actually, they are the opposite to one another: ACCEPT means to take a thing as it comes. EXCEPT means to take out or exclude.

B. The word REJECT means a REFUSAL to ACCEPT.

2. Since this is true, many people are accepting things that they ought to be excepting and excepting things that they ought to be accepting.

A. All the fruit in the Garden of Eden was ACCEPTABLE, EXCEPT the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen. 2:16 f.

3. Men are prone to being picky and choicy in matters of life.

4. In some instances this can be a good thing, but in other instances it can be tragic.

5. Men tend to accept in full that with which they fully agree. Jos. 24:14,15.

6. But on the other hand, they pick and choose out of the whole that which pleases their taste and ideas and they reject the rest. 2 Tim. 4:1-4.

7. This reminds me of a little episode that happened to brother Robert Turner in Hawaii, as he was coming over to Australia while I was there. He said that he went to one of these places that served a lot of rice dishes. He got a large platter of rice the same as the one the oriental man got before him. He sat down to eat it across from the oriental. The oriental begin to eat with his chop sticks and would pick things out of his rice and lay them aside and not eat them. This concerned Robert so after he got through eating all of his food, he asked the oriental just what he was rejecting or laying aside out of his plate and not eating? The oriental told him that a man as old as Robert and still did not know what to accept and what to reject that he was not going to tell him.

8. Let us be able to recognize the difference in that which we should reject and that which we should accept. Rom. 12:9.

9. We need to realize, especially in the field of religion, that which we have every right to must reject; and that which we must of necessity accept in full, if we are to please the Lord.

10. So, in this lesson, we are going to consider some things and beings that we must accept fully or we will not be accepting them at all.

I. GOD: -- Accept Him as He is or we don't have Him at all. Eph. 2;12; 2 Jno. 9.

A. His existence: -- Gen. 1:1; Psa. 14:1.

B. His position: -- Our Creator and Source of life. Acts 17:24-28; Psa. 100:3.

II. CHRIST: -- Accept Him as he is or we don't have Him at all.

A. The Son of God: -- Matt. 3:17; 17:5; 1 Tim. 1:15-17.

B. The Savior of the world: -- Matt. 1:21; Jno. 1:29.

III. HOLY SPIRIT: Accept Him as He is or we don't have Him at all.

A. One of the Godhead: -- Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3,4.

B. Revealor of all truth: -- Jno. 16:13-15.

IV. THE BIBLE: -- Accept the Bible as it is or we don't accept it at all.

A. As the pure and complete word of God: -- 2 Tim. 3:16,17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21,3,4.

B. The truth by which we are saved and by which we will be judged: -- Rom. 1:16,17; Jno. 17:17; 8:32; 12:48.

V. THE CHURCH: -- Accept the church as it is and for what it is or you don't accept it at all.

A. As belonging to Christ: -- Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28.

B. As Christ's body in which we are reconciled unto God: -- Eph. 1:22,23; 2:16; 5:23.

VI. ENTRANCE INTO THE CHURCH: -- Accept the pattern for entrance into the church or you don't accept it at all.

A. The Lord adds the obedient: -- Acts 2:37-41, 47.

B. Only one entrance: -- Jno. 14:6; 10:1.

VII. WORSHIP WITHIN THE CHURCH: -- Accept the worship as it is or you don't accept it at all.

A. In spirit and in truth: -- Jno. 4:24; Col. 3:17.

B. Steadfastly: -- Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:25.

VIII. ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH: -- Accept the organization of the church as is found in the Bible or you don't accept it at all.

A. Autonomous, self-governing: -- Acts 14:23; Rev. chs. 2,3.

B. Christ as Head, Elders as overseers, Deacons as special servants, and members in general: -- Col. 1:18; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9;1 Tim. 3:8-13.

IX. WORK OF THE CHURCH: -- Accept the work of the church as patterned in the Bible or you don't accept it at all.

A. Preach the word of God: -- 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 3:8-12.

B. Edify itself: -- Eph. 4:9-16; Acts 20;32.

C. Care for its needy members: -- Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim.5:3-16; Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor. 16:;1-4.

X. SALVATION FROM PAST SINS: -- Accept the pattern in the New Testament or you don't accept it at all.

A. Hear the word of God: -- Rom. 10:17.

B. Believe God and His word: -- Heb. 11:6.

C. Repent of past sins: -- Acts 17:30.

D. Confess that Jesus is God's Son: -- Matt. 10:32,33.

E. Be baptized for remission of sins: -- Acts 2:38; 22:16.

XI. AN ERRING CHILD OF GOD: -- Follow the pattern in the New Testament or you don't accept it at all.

A. Confess wrongs, repent of them, and pray to God for forgiveness: -- Acts 8:14-24 Jas. 5:16.

XII. LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE EVERY DAY: -- Follow the pattern of Christian living as found in the New Testament or you don't accept it at all.

A. Note the following scriptures as examples: -- Gal. 5:16-26; 2 Pet. 1:1-11.

CONCLUSION:

1. These are the required elements in ones religious life.

2. We must accept them all as they are or we don't have a God accepted religion at all.

3. God will accept all who accept Him on His terms: -- Acts 10:34,35.

4. Why not take this opportunity right now to begin to accept all that God requires of you, and to reject none of it?

5. God will also except all those who except Him: -- 2 Thes. 1:7-9.

6. Our desire is to help each and everyone do all that is required of them in order that they might be saved: -- Micah 6:8.

7. Why not let us help you now?

By Jim Sasser

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