"A
CLOSER WALK WITH GOD!"
Blessings & Responsibilities
Of Being A Christian
Introduction
1.
Every person has some big events in
life (for example: birth, graduation,
marriage, death).
2.
But the most important event for
anyone is becoming a Christian!
a. Why? Because it affects both
you and others for ETERNITY!
b. Unfortunately, many people
become Christians and do not really appreciate
it until late in life, if ever?
c. But our service
for Christ would be more productive and infinitely more enjoyable if
we began to grasp the true significance of being Christians, and as
such, the children of God.
3.
This lesson is the second in a
series designed to encourage and instruct one to
have “A Closer Walk With God,”
and to be more fruitful in our service as
disciples of Jesus Christ.
[To
help motivate us in fulfilling this goal, let's summarize just a few of
the blessings and responsibilities we have as Christians….]
I. GOD AS OUR HEVENLY
FATHER.
1 John 3:1
"Behold what manner of love
the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."
A. Consider the Blessing of
Having God as Our Father….
1. He is the source of
every good and perfect gift from above -
James 1:17;
Matthew 7:11.
2. He provides us comfort
in all our afflictions – 2 Corinthians
1:3-4.
3.
When needed, in love He chastises
us – Hebrews 12:5-11.
4. He has promised never
to forsake us – Hebrews 13:5-6.
B. Yet, There Are
Responsibilities For Having God As Our Father…..
1. We must SUBMIT to God
– James 4:7.
a. By submitting to
His Word.
b. By submitting to
His providential workings in our lives –
1 Peter 5:6-11.
2. We must also DRAW NEAR
to God – James 4:8.
a.
Just as an earthly father delights when his
children want to draw near to
him, so does God –
Matthew 23:37.
b.
We draw nearer to God by “cleansing our hands”
and “purifying our hearts” James
4:8.
1) That is, by obtaining
forgiveness and then strengthening our resolve to
2) For the Christian,
this involves REPENTANCE, CONFESSION OF
SINS,
AND PRAYER –
Acts 8:22; 1
John 1:9.
II. JESUS CHRIST AS OUR
LORD AND HIGH PRIEST.
1 Corinthians 8:6
"yet for us there is
one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him;
and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and
through whom we live."
Hebrews 4:14
"Seeing then that we have a
great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our confession."
A. Think For A Moment About
This Blessing…..
1.
He who is our “Lord” is also He who
rules over the kings of the earth –
Revelation 1-5-6.
a. All authority in
heaven and earth has been given Him –
Matthew 28:18.
b. All have been made
subject to Him. – 1 Peter 3:22.
c.
Yet, He calls us His “brethren”! –
Hebrews 2:11-12.
2.
As “High Priest,” He intercedes in
our behalf – Romans 8:34.
a.
A High Priest who understands our every feeling –
Hebrews 2:17-18.
b. A High Priest who
“ever lives” to make such intercession for us –
Hebrews 7:24-25.
B. What Are Our
Responsibilities Of Having Jesus As Lord and High Priest?
1.
If He is truly our LORD, we must do
what He says – Luke 6:46.
a. We must be careful
to observe what He taught –
Matthew 28:18-20.
b. We must keep His
commandments – John 15:10,
14.
2. We must also utilize
His rule as our HIGH PRIEST – Hebrews
4:14-18.
a. In other words, be
quick to obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
b. Again, for the
Christian this involves PRAYER.
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO DWELLS IN US –
1 Corinthians 3:16
"Do you not know that you are
the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
A. Wonderful Blessings
Are Attributed To The Holy Spirit's
Indwelling…
1.
He gives us strength to put to
death the fleshly deeds of the body -Romans
8:11-13; Ephesians 3:16,
20.
2. He also helps in our
weakness when it comes to praying as we ought, by acting as an
intercessor for us – Romans 8:26-27.
B. What Responsibilities Do We
Have In View Of the Spirit's Indwelling?
1. To keep the temple of
God , the church, HOLY - 1 Corinthians
3:16-17.
2. We are to GLORIFY God
even with our bodies – 1 Corinthians
6:18-20.
3. We are to WALK in the
Spirit, being so LED by the Spirit as to produce the FRUIT of the Spirit
– Galatians 5:16-18,
22-25.
a. This we do by
setting our minds on the THINGS of the Spirit
Romans 8:5-6.
b. Which involves the
WORD of God, which is the SWORD of the Spirit –
Ephesians 6:17.
IV. THE CHURCH AS OUR
FAMILY -
1 Timothy 3:15
"but if I am delayed, I
write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the
house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth."
A. The Blessing Of
Having The Church As our Family…..
1. The members become
like fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters –
1 Timothy 5:1-2.
2. They can even replace
physical relations we may lose when we become
Christians -
Mark 10:28-30;
Matthew 12:46-50.
B. Responsibilities Of
Having The Church As Our Family…..
1. We are to “edify one
another” – Hebrews 10:24-25.
a. This necessitates assembling
together frequently
b. This requires each one doing
their share – Ephesians 4:15-16.
2. We are to “bear one
another's burdens” - Galatians 6:1-2.
a. For such is the “law” of
Christ.
b. This requires that
we know each other well, and can be depended upon to provide
support.
Conclusion
1. There are certainly
many more blessings and responsibilities that we have as
Christians.
2.
But I hope that these suffice to
IMPRESS UPON US…..
a. How blessed we are
as Christians!
b. How important it is that we
fulfill our responsibilities
-- OR WE MAY LOSE THE
BLESSINGS WE HAVE! -
Hebrews 3:12-15
"Beware,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in
departing from the living God;
13
but exhort one another daily,
while it is called
“Today,” lest any of you
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14
For we have become partakers
of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the
end, 15
while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His
voice, Do not
harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”