How to Live in a Changing World – Part 4
Pastor Stan Roberts
Have to REALIZE TWO THINGS:
1. BOTTOM LINE…. GOD’S WORD IS TRUE!
2. Never going to progress unless you do something with what you have now.
2 Peter 1:5 Ampl. Says exercise your faith to develop virtue.
They are connected so that as you exercise one it helps develop the next level.
We are ALIVE in God, we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS, and we have ETERNAL LIFE.
(Rom 8:33-38; Acts 17:26-28; John 11:25-26)
“What is the best kind of life for a human to live?”
Let’s look at the idea of FUNCTION.
Examples:
1. The function of a knife is to cut. A knife is a good one when it cuts well.
2. The function of a car is to transport people and their stuff from place to place.
A good car is one that does this well.
DO WE HAVE A FUNCTION?
A KNIFE is a knife because it has the CAPACITY to CUT.
We as HUMANS have the CAPACITY for RATIONAL BEHAVIOR.
We CAN make RIGHT DECISIONS with our LIVES when we KNOW WHO and WHAT WE ARE.
To live the BEST LIFE POSSIBLE we need to OPERATE in the TOTALITY of WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST.
What were YOU CREATED FOR?
You can ONLY FIND this out by GOING TO THE CREATOR! J
You were NOT CREATED to be a LOSER!
You were NOT CREATED to be a STUMBLER!
Real Bible Faith simply says about you what the WORD says about you.
2. VIRTUE –
1. The quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. A person has virtue if they are
fair, honest, responsible, and doing or producing good.
2. Conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral or ethical principles; uprightness.
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CHOICES lead to ACTIONS.
The OUTCOME of our ACTIONS can lead to STUMBLING and FALLING…
If we change OUR HEARTS then we can make the RIGHT DECISIONS in our life.
Our MOTIVES should be CONTROLLED by our FAITH and NOT our MISINFORMED FLESH!
So, RIGHT CHOICES based on YOUR FAITH mean EVERYTHING!
MICAH 6:6-8 KJV
6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
SUCCESS IS BUILT ON MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES!
If you are just starting your walk with the Lord or trying to get it right, make some quality life changing decisions!
Our ATTITUDE will dictate our success in TIMES OF PROVING!
PLEASE God in your FAITH and you’ll PLEASE HIM in your CHOICES!!!
Commitments are DRIVEN by ATTITUDE. Positive Attitudes come from Maturity.
You have VIRTUE… “The quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.”
3. KNOWLEDGE It’s more than memorizing scripture.
Galatians 4:8-9 NLT
8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 And now that you have found God (or should I say, now that God has found you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual powers of this world?” NLT
2 Peter 1:2-3 KJV
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Life TRANSFORMED comes through the MIND!!!
These are all TRANSFORMING activities in the building process.
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Prov 8:12 “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” KJV
NLT – “12 “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.”
Making PROPER CHOICES (Virtuous) leads you to MORE KNOWLEDGE and DISCERNMENT!! It’s NOT just HEAD KNOWLEDGE.
TLB – “12 Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding. 13 If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.”
4. TEMPERANCE – moderation in action, thought or feeling; self-restraint; a habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions; moderation in, or abstinence from, the use of intoxicating substances. I CALL IT SELF CONTROL.
KNOWLEDGE informs us of CONSEQUENCES and RESULTS in SELF CONTROL!!
Pro. 29:18 (KJ) “Where there is no vision, the people perish;…”
(NIV) “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;…”
TEMPERANCE is just a part of the Christian life. There are some things that will harm you!
1Cor 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
Some things may be LAWFUL but can CONTROL YOUR LIFE.
1 Cor 6:12-13 “…Even if I am allowed to do them, I’ll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can’t easily stop when I want to.” TLB
Some lawful things can become so strong that it begins to CONTROL YOUR WILL.
SELF CONTROL is not just NOT doing something but DOING something!!!!
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Don’t be quick-tempered-that is being a fool.” TLB
Proverbs 14:17 “Those who are short-tempered do foolish things,….” NLT
Without having SELF CONTROL how are we ever going to have PATIENCE?
5. PATIENCE – bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
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James 1:2-3 (NIV) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith, develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (Example of I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Working on our cars when they were working on me.)
FRUIT can’t be born in your life without Patience!
You can do all the RIGHT STUFF up to a POINT and STILL MISS THE CROP!!!
Luke 8:15 “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” NIV
Hebrews 10:3 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” KJV
James 5:7-8 “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” NIV
Patience has something to do with mixing all these previous steps and accomplishments together and to bring maturity and completeness to step toward the next level.
6. GODLINESS – Having, showing, or expressing reverence for a diety; spiritually whole or sound, of unimpared innocense and virtue; free from sinful affectons, pure in heart, godly pious, irreproachable, guiltless, acceptable to God.
I’m not expressing reverence for God if we’re having a wall eyed fit.
And I’m not thinking of what God thinks or of consequences!
Godliness is an attitude of Christlikeness. It’s SPIRITUALLY SOUND… FAITH, VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE, TEMPERANCE, AND PATIENCE.
1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” KJV
Many places in scripture the “believers” are referred to as being the “godly”.
Psalms 32:6 “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found;…” NASB
Psalms 32:6 “Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does.” TLB
We just need to ACT LIKE WHO WE REALLY ARE!!!!
1 John 1:9 KJV James 1:13-16 KJV 2 Tim 3:2-5 KJV 2 Tim 3:1-5 NLT
GOD’S Power can work in us to live GODLY before him….to ACT RIGHT (TEXAS talk…) !!!!!
7. BROTHERLY KINDNESS – basically loving others and not being self centered.
ALL these other BUILDING BLOCKS are INWARD. It takes that to get to where we can go OUTWARD.