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• Some Things To Consider Now That
You Are a Christian:
• I thought that a few could benefit from a lesson like this.
• As I consider this lesson, it will benefit all of us in one way or another.
• Introduction:
• When one obeys the gospel, the Lord adds them to His church, this is just
the first step (not last!)(Acts 2:38-41, 47)
• So as a member of the Lord’s church, what is my function?
• Do I have any obligations?
• What is expected of me?
• Do I have responsibilities?
• YES!
• 1 Timothy 4:12-16
• 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct,
love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until
I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and
teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed
on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.
15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will
be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere
in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself
and for those who hear you.
• Introduction
• We need to remember that God needs NOTHING from us
• Acts 17:24-25 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since
He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself
gives to all people life and breath and all things…”
• Introduction:
• This lesson is not indicating God needs our help, yet as a child of God,
He expects us to be busy about His business.
• Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works,
so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
• We All Need To Grow
• Realize That You Need To Grow –
• 1 Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit
and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure
milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you
have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
• Knowing what to do to obey the gospel is not the entire gospel! –
• Matthew 28:18-20 “teaching them to observe all things…”
• Desire More Knowledge Of The Word
• 1 Peter 2:2 “long for the sincere milk of the word”.
• Absorb it, study it, meditate on it daily –
• Psalm 102:18 “This will be written for the generation to come, That
a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.”
• Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written
for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope.”
• 1 Corinthians 10:11 “Now these things happened to them as an example,
and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have
come.”
• Obtain more knowledge by being present in the assembly– Hebrews
10:24-26
• Don’t forsake the assembly.
• It is here for your benefit.
• Pray For Wisdom & Strength
• James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
• Proverbs 2:3-6 “For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice
for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden
treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge
of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
• Have Confidence He Hears You, don’t doubt –
• 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence which we have before Him,
that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know
that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we
have asked from Him.”
• James 1:6-8 “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for
the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
• Follow Good Examples
• Look At Good Examples, Follow them –
• Paul said 1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators
of me.”
• 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
• Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe
those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”
• Philippians 4:9 “The things you have learned and received and heard
and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
• 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things which you have heard from me in the
presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to
teach others also”.
• These brethren followed Paul’s example, and became one themselves
–
• 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 “You also became imitators of us and of the
Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”
• 3 John 11 “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.
The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”
• Includes faithful family members –
• Consider Timothy’s good examples –
• 2 Timothy 1:5 “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you,
which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure
that it is in you as well.”
• Includes examples of faithful married couples…they help each other
as they both serve God –
• Respect and honor those who teach and lead.
• Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of
God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for
what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light
with darkness?”
• Resolve To Hang In There
• Understand it will not always be easy, rely on the Lord in the good times
and bad –
• Matthew 5:44-45 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;
for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous.”
• 2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God
as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of
truth.”
• Be careful Ephesians 5:15-16 “Therefore be careful how you walk,
not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days
are evil.”
• “watch over your heart with all diligence” Proverbs 4:23
• Resist the devil, the Lord provides a way of escape during trials –
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as
is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able,, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also,
that you may be able to endure it”.
• Ephesians 4:27 “…and do not give the devil an opportunity.”
• Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be
able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
• James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will
flee from you.”
• 1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary,
the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But
resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering
are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
• Stand Strong
• Be Firm, Be Faithful even when family & friends disagree –
• 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the
eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the
presence of many witnesses.”
• Titus 1:9 “…holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance
with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and
to refute those who contradict.”
• Matthew 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not
worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
• If your faith isn’t worth fighting for, family may likely never
see it’s worth.
• 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is
not in vain in the Lord”.
• It will only be important to them once it is important to you, if ever.
• Focus On The Reward
• Keep your eye on the prize, avoid worldly distractions/friends –
• PHILIPPIANS 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the
upward (EYES UP!) call of God in Christ Jesus.”
• Worldly friends can distract and corrupt good attitude/behavior - 1 Corinthians
15:33 “Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
• James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with
the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of
the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
• This includes the world’s preoccupation with wealth and pleasure
–
• Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate
the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth.”
• 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful
pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is
passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
• 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of
evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs.”
• Prepare Yourself
• Begin thinking now how to cultivate a life which could later be in service
as a deacon or elder or deacon/elders wife – Titus 1:5-9
• One major reason congregations have such a hard time finding qualified
men to serve is few determine to be the person they should be until it is too
late.
• Strive to live in such a way you may serve the Lord and His people to
the best of your ability both now as a young Christian and later in service as
God describes in His word.
• Summary
• Desire more knowledge of the Word.
• Pray for wisdom and strength.
• Follow good examples.
• Resolve to hang in there.
• Stand strong.
• Focus on the reward.
• Prepare yourself.
• Conclusion:
• While this list is not exhaustive, and I am sure many other elements of
the Christian life could be mentioned, this list is a good start toward being
the child of God that each of us should strive to be.
• Grow, pray, observe, learn, serve, persevere and BE the best example of
a Christian you can ever be for the Lord until He takes you home! (Revelation
2:10b)
• 1 Timothy 4:16 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for
yourself and for those who hear you”.
By Carey Scott from an outline by Kris Gardana
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