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How to be a good Christian… (6 things)
- 1st – Be Gracious – do not judge and you will not be judged… vs. 37
- Simply stated we are commanded not to Judge others…
- This is not talking about actions but intensions of the heart…
- We cannot know why someone does something – what their motive is…
- Only God knows the motive of the heart – only He can judge it…
- *Psalm 44:21 – “For He knows the secrets of the heart.”
- Don’t judge others – and you will not be judged…
- When we judge others motives – we will ourselves be judged…
- When we are judgmental of others – they tend to judge us…
- When we are short / ungracious / harsh to others – we receive the same from them…
- Better to think the best of others – don’t assume their intentions…
- Then other will tend to think the best of us and our motives…
- Forgive and you will be forgiven…
- Because if we do not forgive – then Jesus will not forgive us – Matthew 18:23-35
- There was a servant who owed the Master 10,000 talents (8 billion pesos)…
- Which makes the next statement obvious – he was not able to pay…
- But the master wiped away the debt – he was completely forgiven…
- But the man went out and would not forgive a fellow servant who owed 100P…
- If we focus on what others have done to us – then we want ‘justice’…
- We want them to pay back every centavo they have cost us…
- Our problem is we are looking in the wrong direction…
- We are looking at what they have done to us – rather than what we have done…
- The Master found out – should you not have had mercy as I had mercy on you!
- How could you not forgive so little seeing how much you have been forgiven…
- When we consider all that Jesus has forgiven us – everything (8 billion pesos)…
- How could we not forgive our brother what little debt they may owe us…
- When we really understand from our heart how much we are forgiven…
- How can we not from the heart gladly forgive others!
- Simply stated we are commanded not to Judge others…
- 2nd – Be generous – give and it will be given back… vs. 38
- God here gives a spiritual law – when we are giving towards others – we will be blessed…
- God’s mathematics…
- If I have 100P – and I give away 20P – that means I have 80P left…
- In the same thought – if I have 100P and don’t give anything – then I have 100P…
- So it would seem to be better for me in the end – not to give anything away…
- But in reality if I give to others – I will end up with more than I stared with!
- Pressed down – squished together – to make more room – and still overflowing!
- This does not seem to make much sense – but God assures us it is a spiritual truth!
- * II Corinthians 9:6 – “This I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”
- A man who sows only a few seeds – will only harvest a small crop…
- A man who sows a LOT of seed – will end up with more than he started with!
- If we are generous towards others – the tendency is for them to be generous back…
- But if we are ‘sigorista’ towards others – they will likely repay us in kind…
- God’s mathematics…
- God here gives a spiritual law – when we are giving towards others – we will be blessed…
- The same measure we use to give to others – is how they will give back to us!
- 3rd – Be careful – who’s example you follow… vs. 39-40
- The parable of the ‘blind leading the blind’…
- We all learn best by following someone else’s example – from childhood till now…
- You learned to talk / walk / drive / cook – practically everything by example…
- So the question becomes – whose example are we following today…
- If we follow the blind (someone who does not know Jesus) we will both end up in a hole…
- Or we can choose to follow a godly example – someone who will lead us to Jesus!
- I Corinthians 11:1 – “You should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.”
- A disciple is not above his master…
- If you want to know if you have chosen a good example to follow – look at the person…
- Ultimately you are going to become like the person you are following…
- If their lives are out of control – if they are making poor decisions…
- If you don’t like what you see – then you may want to reconsider your choice…
- The parable of the ‘blind leading the blind’…
- 4th – Be patient – with the speck in your brother’s eye… vs. 41-42
- Often when we see someone who is struggling with sin we want to help…
- If someone has something in their eye – it irritates – keeps them from seeing clearly…
- We want to get the spec (dry chaff / labhang) out of their eye…
- The idea is that we want to ‘help’ others get rid of the littlest flaw…
- A sin or struggle – something that keeps them from seeing Jesus clearly…
- The problem – we have a beam (main house supporting beam) in out eye!
- It’s hard to see and to take the spec out of their eye when we have a beam in our own…
- The beam in our eye – is the same speck we are trying to get out of someone else’s…
- But in our eye the small speck becomes a HUGE beam!
- Our sin always looks worse on someone else – it’s easy to see our sins in others lives…
- We are sensitive to the sin because we are convicted about it ourselves…
- If we are greedy – we see greed in others / if we are prideful – we see pride in others…
- Hypocrite – first get the beam out of your own eye…
- Let us first deal with our own hearts before we reach out to help others…
- Get rid of your sin before we ‘try’ and help someone else for their struggle…
- Often when we see someone who is struggling with sin we want to help…
- 5th – Be fruitful – you are known by your fruit… vs. 43-45
- Good and bad trees…
- Trees can only produce one kind of fruit – that fruit tells you a lot about the tree…
- You cannot get a mango from a buko tree – or a mais from tubo…
- Good and Bad people…
- In the same way our words and actions reveal what is in our heart…
- How do you know what is in someone’s heart – look at their fruit…
- I can tell you I am a Christian – but what kind of ‘fruit’ comes from my life…
- * James 2:17-18 – “So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless…”
- It is easy to say we have ‘faith’ and ‘believe’ in Jesus – but the proof is in our actions…
- If we say we’re Christians – but still live like the world – then do we really have faith…
- We can call ourselves Christians – but if we are continually sinning – are we really…
- The test of our hearts is the fruit that comes from our lives!
- Put your faith to the test…
- * II Corinthians 13:5 – “Test yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine.”
- Eternity is too important to be uncertain – check out the fruit on your branches…
- Be certain that you ‘bear’ the fruit of a life transformed by Jesus…
- Good and bad trees…
- 6th – By founded – on the Rock… vs. 46-49
- Many will say Lord – Lord…
- The idea is that they confess Jesus with their mouths…
- Their words are right – but their actions don’t match their words…
- You are not a Christian just because you can say the right words…
- Two foundations – the rock / and sand…
- When you build a house – nothing is more important than a good foundation…
- The challenge is it takes a lot of work to dig down – lay a solid footing…
- It is far easier to just throw up a house right on top of the sand…
- We make the excuse – ‘some day we’ll dig deeper’ – but the reality is we are on sand…
- The storms of life are coming…
- Everyone will face difficult times in their life – sickness / financial / relationships…
- Theses storms can come quite unexpectedly – giving us no time to prepare…
- The only hope we have is that we have built are life on a solid foundation…
- Built on a rock…
- The only constant in life – the only unshakable foundation we can build upon – Jesus!
- Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today, and for ever.”
- The challenge for us is that it’s not easy – it takes a lot of work to live for Jesus…
- We have to make a daily choice to deny ourselves – live our lives for God…
- Not just knowing God’s Word – not just saying the right things – but doing them!
- The benefit is when the storms of life come – we are unshakable!
- If our things are stolen – our house burns down – we know God provides for us…
- If we get sick – the doctor gives us bad news – we know the Great Physician…
- Not matter what life throws at us – we have nothing to fear…
- Romans 8:32 – “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
- The only constant in life – the only unshakable foundation we can build upon – Jesus!
- Built on sand…
- It is easier to live our lives our way – do what we want – not listen to God’s Word…
- We can go where we like – we can do what we want – say anything…
- But then we are our foundation – and when trials come – we have no where to go…
- When life falls apart because of our choices – and it will – Galatians 6:7…
- We can’t go blaming God – it is not His fault – we choose not to build on the Rock…
- Some compromise and listen to God’s Word – but still do what they want…
- * James 1:22-25 – “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”
- Those who attend Bible studies – agree with everything that is said…
- Then go home and inexplicably forget everything they just heard!
- The Bible is not a textbook you must learn – it is an instruction manual to follow…
- You can know all words – but if it does not change your actions – it means nothing!
- When the storms come – immediately the house falls – and is completely ruined!
- Destruction is not necessarily a bad thing – sometimes it is necessary…
- Often we need to loose everything – in order to learn to build our house on the Rock…
- But how much better not to have to go through the devastation…
- Choose to obey God’s Word – choose Jesus – choose to build you life on the solid Rock!
- It is easier to live our lives our way – do what we want – not listen to God’s Word…
- Many will say Lord – Lord…
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