How to be a good Christian… (6 things)

• 1^st – 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!
        
• 2^nd – 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…
• The same measure we use to give to others – is how they will give back to us!
  
• 3^rd – 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…
      

• 4^th – 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…
      
• 5^th – 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…
      
• 6^th – 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?”
  • 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!