Saturday night our pastor asked us two questions to ask ourselves:
If the people that target and attack Christians came into your work or neighborhood, is your faith forward enough that you are known for following Jesus?
Do your neighbors see your faith in action?
Are you known for loving Jesus?
Does your family see you loving and following Jesus?
At work, do your coworkers know you follow Jesus? NOT just believe but FOLLOW?
By your actions and words, is Jesus evident in your life?
If the answer is no or not every area then what makes you think that when Jesus returns, He’s going to come looking for you?
Dang. These questions lingered over me for the rest of the message.
Not Just Saved
Our pastor for years now has been encouraging us to GROW in Jesus. Not just get our ticket punched to Heaven but mature and grow up in following and being a friend to Jesus. We’ve been encouraged for gosh maybe 8+ years now to read our Bible in a year in the reading plan. To “just pray” for others when we hear of needs or reasons to give thanks – short maybe one to two sentence prayers then move on back to normal. We also received anointing oil (old school cap stick in a metal tin) that we can use to anoint our families, places, things in the Name of Jesus.
This was not the way I was raised in Church and grew up believing – good ole Southern Baptist and there’s nothing wrong with that. I was just missing the emphasis on maturing in Jesus and my walk. It seemed like it was more about “being saved” than walking daily with Jesus on this side of eternity. Like once you got your ticket punched you were good until you died. Gosh I missed out on so many years not understanding truly how salvation worked and can work every day in your life.
The Warning
The two questions… less about my heart and more about my words and actions. I think we have done a great disservice in the Church today by not really reading our Bibles and understanding, seeking to learn and letting His Word transform our life.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:21-23
Did you know Jesus spoke this to people “in” the church. Not to outsiders but inside the church – the religious system of the day. Honestly His harshest words in the New Testament were to people inside the church.
Right before the above passage is “every healthy tree bears good fruit but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:17–20
Are you known for your “fruits”? Am I known for my fruits? This isn’t about me being a “good person.” I believe Hell will be filled with “good” people that meant well.
Practicing the Ways of Jesus
What are my fruits? Am I practicing the ways of Jesus? Really?
Jesus knew Scripture. He quoted it often but we don’t realize that to Jesus, Scripture was the Old Testament. So if Jesus knew the OT, why aren’t we reading it? Not just reading it but Jesus had it memorized. I get that He was God but it was normal in that day for Jewish men to have much of the Torah (first five books of OT) MEMORIZED. Let that sink in.
When was the last time you memorized a verse or chapter or whole book of the Bible? Are we putting God’s Word into our hearts? If it’s not in our hearts, how can it flow from our heart outward into our life and into others?
Jesus prayed and He prayed out loud – outside the tomb at Lazarus, on the cross He prayed Psalm 22, John 17.
Jesus spent time alone with God – He retreated after feeding the 5,000; Gethsemane, after healing multitudes and driving out demons.
He lived in community – Yes He retreated but He lived IN community with others and spent time with others.
He served others – He healed, He forgave, He washed others’ feet.
So how am I living each day? How are you living? How are WE living?
