If you are a follower of Jesus Christ then you stand at the center of the world you inhabit. But wait! How does that idea mesh with such biblical phrases as consider others as more important than yourself, and he who is greatest among you will be your servant? Living and residing at the center? Really? Yes, it’s true! And it’s time to take your place in the middle of things. Get out there every day and let the focus be on you.
Love is the distinguishing mark among distinguishing marks in the lives of those who follow Jesus Christ. Love demonstrates the deepest level of maturity as a Christian. Love models the life of Christ and reveals the overflow of the Spirit from within. Yet, how do we know if love is on display in our lives? The answer is easy. Take the love test.
In its design, the church is uniquely equipped to reach out to every age group and say: We care about you. We want you. Come find a home here. But designs don’t reach out to people, people reach out to people. Brotherly kindness not only reaches out and brings others in, but it reaches out and brings others in again. Forgiveness is not a one-time event for a one-time failure. Forgiveness is an event that occurs again and again and again and again and again in the church.
In John 8 a lengthy conversation took place between Jesus and the Temple officials, a discussion that addressed the significance of Abraham in the life of Judaism. At its conclusion the fissure had grown so wide that the Temple officials picked up stones to throw at Jesus with the intention to kill Him then and there. Why this huge chasm? Did the difference truly matter then and does it truly matter now? The theological scholars debating with Jesus thought they had it all figured out, especially when it came to Abraham, but did they? Do you?
The answer to discouragement, despair and/or despondency is found in one word. What is that one word? It’s going to shock you. It’s the word, godliness. Is that a let-down? Does that word sound kind of boring? Well, hang on to your hat, because you just may discover in this word a power for living that will set almost everything right in your life.
Though believers cannot accept the lifestyles endorsed by much of the secular world, it is possible to live in peace. Genesis 21 provides a beautiful illustration of this possibility. The surprising thing, however, is that the difficulty is attributed to not to Abimelech, the unbeliever, but to Abraham, the believer. One might think it would be the other way, but not so.
If you are a Christian, it’s because somewhere along the way you made a choice. You said: I want to follow Jesus Christ, and you trusted Him as Savior and Lord of your life. Perhaps, that decision came as a struggle for one reason or another. Yet, making that decision was not nearly as difficult as maintaining that decision. Starting is not nearly as tough as following through. Many begin but few finish.
Saul’s downward progression to his ultimate demise is evident in his story from the beginning of his kingly reign to its end. In particular, 1 Samuel unveils at least five downward turns in his fall to the depths of spiritual, mental and emotional decline when he consulted the dead for guidance. Of course, Saul’s slide could never happen to any of us today – right?
In his song, Only the Good Die Young, Billy Joel sang: I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. If you feel the way Billy Joel feels you just may have a coronary if you listen to this sermon. So, consider this warning: What you are about to hear might be too radical to take seriously. At the same time, what you hear is the key to fulfillment, happiness and success.
Self-control is a quality found in the character of God. At least nine times the Bible tells us that God is slow to anger, i.e., God controls His emotions; God restrains His agitations; God never acts rashly. The person who breaks out of the egg and soars on the winds of the Spirit has learned to manage well his/her mind, emotions and passions. Here’s the question of the day: How can a person reel in the emotions and passions? How can a person manage explosive agitations? How can a person live below 212* Fahrenheit?