I titled the sermon What does a Christian look like. I should have titled it Things one should do to be a Christian. The 3 main points were 1. Accepting Christ 2. Building a relationship with him and 3. Obey him.
1. Accept Christ: Why? How?
Romans 3:23-24New International Version (NIV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-9New International Version (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
John 14:6New International Version (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Romans 5:8New International Version (NIV)
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Peter 3:9New International Version (NIV)
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Why? Simply HE LOVES US. That is something that at times I have a hard time accepting or understanding. But I know and believe in my heart he bleed and died on the cross so that I may have the chance to get to heaven. Its my choice to accept his gift. But he hung there anyway knowing that people would reject him, refuse him, take his name in vein and he did it anyway.
2. Build a personal relationship with Him.
This is where I personally struggle the most. This is why I have started this blog. I need to build a relationship with him and I need to do it today. Why am I waiting? Imagine Jesus sitting in a Coffee Shop waiting for you to arrive and spend time with him. Just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. We have 24/7 access to him yet we leave him waiting. I leave him waiting . How blessed are we that he will wait for us!
Proverbs 2:1-6New International Version (NIV)
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
2 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Read his word, that's our direct access to him. Spend time with him. Study. Spending time in his word to allow the changes in your life to happen. Your prospective will change.
Spend time in prayer
James 4:8New International Version (NIV)
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. What are we waiting for? Too often we are in the bad habit of only praying when we need something. But how often do we pray and ask God what he needs from us?
Philippians 4:6New International Version (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Pray for direction because he has a plan. More days than not I wonder what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. But I don't talk to God about it. Often I think my problems and worries aren't big enough to bother him with. rTHAT'S NOT TRUE
Be aware of the people you surround yourself with: Proverbs 27:17New International Version (NIV)
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
so one person sharpens another.
Tonight before I sat down for this post I thanked my bestie for being there for me, for praying for me, and for reminding me to look down when my head and heart are cast down.
Hebrews 10:24New International Version (NIV)
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 3. Obey
Matthew 16:24-26New International Version (NIV)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Sometimes it will take discipline.
Matthew 6:25-26New International Version (NIV)
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?I want to build a faith that is envious. Work towards an attitude of God will take care of it.
This message convicted me to the point where my heart was pounding. I knew He was speaking and he was speaking to me. This week I want to work towards meeting him each day. Even if that means I simply say thank you for the day he gave me.
