Christian and His Concern

DAN 3:1; 5; 12

I. As the end gets closer, the days will get darker.

How will the devil try to manipulate and squeeze you? Through . .    

            A. Emotional Enticement

                        1. The music of adultery, drugs, death

                        2. Love or Lust? Who can tell?          

            B.  Social Inducement

                        Going against the tide . . .

            C. Governmental Enforcement

            D. Spiritual Defilement

                        1. Satan doesn't want causalities; he wants converts.

                        2. We are looked upon as un-American if we don't  

accept everyone's religion. 

II. As the days gets darker, the saints need to shine brighter.  Dan 3:13 -

Pressure to conform presents opportunities to stand. Why did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand?

            A. They had a settled faith. My mind is made up!

B. They had a strong faith. Dan 3:17

C. They had a steadfast faith. 3:18

                        1.Hebrews ll:32-39--and others were tortured.

2. "Faith is not as much receiving from God what you desire as it is accepting from od what He gives."

                        3. Rom 8:35-39  

III. When the saints shine brighter, the world sees clearer. Dan 3:24-25 -       

A. Cleansing of the Saints - "The only thing that the fire burned off  them was what the world put on them."

B. Company of the Savior - "Jesus did not come to get you out of trouble. He came to get into trouble with you."

            C. Conviction of the Sinner -- Dan3:28

THE CHRISTIAN AND HIS CHURCH

HEBREWS 10:19-25

One of the great problems of the 20th century is that people who call themselves godly  are neglecting the church.  Sunday is not the weekend .

Some people only go to church 3 times in their life, when they are - Hatched (throw water)  - Matched (throw rice) – Dispatched (throw dirt)

WHY WE SERVE THROUGH THE LOCAL CHURCH

1. Let us Worship together (v. 19-22.

Salvation does not come by learnng lessons from the life of Christ but by receiving life by the death of Christ.  God wants us to worship not because of what worship does for God but for what worship does for us.

A man becomes like what he worships. First the man molds the idol, and then the idol molds the man.  God wants us to become like Him.  

Worship is all that I am responding to all that He ls.

2. Let us Witness together (v.23).  

What does it mean when you walk through the doors of your church? I still believe!

            “The faith that fizzles before the finish had a flaw from the first.” 

3. Let us Work together (v.24). 

"I had a good  preacher as a teenager, yet I don't remember a sermon he preached.  But I do remember Mr Shultz, Mrs Tucker, Mr Grissom. These folks invested something in me, and they exhorted me." 

When we go to church, we say "God is important to me, and you are important to me." 

Ill: A man wanted to empress a girl wrote her a letter everyday for 365 days, she married the postman. 

What if someone says, "Jesus, yes; the church, no"? I say “you can't separate the head from the body.

 

                             The Christian and His Country

 

As someone wrote:
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the VETERAN, who salutes the Flag, Who serves under the Flag.

Today we want to honor all our armed service veterans. To you, veterans, we owe a debt of gratitude because you were willing to go, to serve and to give on behalf of the United States of America! God bless you!

Now let’s think about what it takes to be a veteran of the faith of Christ, something we all need to be and do.  

 

First let me remind you that you can’t become a Veteran unless you have enlisted in the fight. Salvation is our enlistment.

I. OBEY THE COMMANDER    Luke 6:46

Some people have authority and some just pretend to have authority. Some people have authority and some just “wanna be” in authority.  Our President has authority. While we may not agree with everything he does or says, he is still our Commander-in-Chief. We must support him in prayer. 

      

Our ultimate commander-in-chief is the Lord Jesus Christ!  Eph 1:22  Christ is the head of the body, the church. WE NEED TO LISTEN TO HIM!

II. ENGAGE THE ENEMY  I Peter 5:8-9

 Some church members do more shooting at one another than they do the real enemy.  We Christians are at war, but we are not to be at war with one another! When we fight with one another we are only helping the enemy. The devil loves church fights, etc. We need to fight against such things by fighting against him!  Eph 6:12;  I Pet 5:8  Our real enemy is Satan. We need to fight against him. We do that by bringing in the big guns of prayer, Bible study, church, giving, serving, etc.

III. FIGHT TO THE END   Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:12-14

The Christian life is not a matter of coming to church on Sunday morning and then forgetting all about the faith the rest of the week. It’s 24/7.  Brothers and sisters, we are called to fight in a war, not sit around and gripe about what we don’t like in life or in the church.

II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight.” Have we? Will we? Will we ‘til our dying day?
CON: War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight is a miserable creature…”

There are some things are worth fighting for: our freedom in America and our freedom in Christ!

God bless the USA! God bless our US veterans! And God bless the veterans of the Christian faith!

CHRISTIAN AND HIS CAREER

EPH 6:5-8

How can your job be a temple of devotion and a lampstand for witness to the Lord Jesus Christ?   "God takes ordinary people, puts them in ordinary places, and then does extraordinary things with ordinary people."

I. The Virtue of Everyday Work          

A. Every day is a holy day. All ground is sacred ground. And all service is to be to Jesus.  Col 3:11 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

B. "Every Christian is in full-time Christian service."  Col 3:22-24 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

C. llustration of Daniel--taken into captivity as a slave 

II. The Victory of Everyday Work           

A. The dog-eat-dog work environment of today.  Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world,but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.  Phi 2:14-15 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

            B. Leading separated lives does not mean living in isolation.

            C. How do we let our light shine?

                        1. Don't brag.

2. Don't nag.   Col 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace,   seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

                        3. Don't lag.    "It's a sin for a Christian to do less than his best."

4. Don't sag. 1 Pet 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 

III. The Value of Everyday Work 

A. Pro 14:23a In all labour there is profit . . . "All work has eternal significance. Work is not a punishment for sin."  

            B. Bloom where you are Planted.  Jer 29:4-7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.     

C. The darker the night, the brighter your life will shine.  "The greatest mission field in the world is where Christians go to work every Monday morning."