THE CHALLENGES CHRIST OFFERS
INTRODUCTION
We want to make this a very simple but thought provoking sermon.
The God of heaven has challenges for our lives. We should never feature life in our minds without a challenge.
One man said aim for the moon and if you miss at least your traveling with the stars. Life would be dull and uneventful if we did not have challenges.
Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren".
God wants us to become more and more like Jesus Christ. God wants us to imitate his sons life.
Matthew 4:18 "And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee,
saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and
Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And he saith unto them,
Follow me and I will make ye fishers of men.
Jesus wanted these two men to follow him.
Hebrews 12:1-2 " Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of God.
We must follow Christ he is our example. The apostle Paul told us to follow the Christ.
I Corinthians 11:1 "Follow me as I follow Christ"
I Peter 2:21 " For even hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
example, that ye should follow his steps".
We sing this thought. "Oh to be like thee, blessed redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer".
How can I become more like Jesus? How can I be as God wants me to be?
There are four challenges we will study today to help us be more
like Jesus.
LET ME BE YOUR
PURPOSE FOR LIVING
Phillippians 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ , and to
die is gain."
Have you ever noticed the sense of despair in our land. People are interested in suicide because of the pain of life.
The world has almost lost a sense of purpose.
People don't seem to have many reasons for living.
People are uncertain of what they are doing here. The are fearful of
what is going to happen to them. They try
to ignore that one day they will die.
The challenge Christ issues to his people is: Let me be your reason for living.
Christ wants us to let him be our purpose for life.
A plane was flying 30,000 feet in the air. The pilot said
to the navigator, are we on course? The navigator said,
I don't know but we are making good time.
Lots of people are making good time but they don't know where they are going. They are lost for a purpose in life.
A New York City lady drove to a tall building in a Rolls Royce.
She was clothed in a multi-thousand dollar mink coat. Her fingers
was dripping with diamonds and precious jewels. The woman went into
the building took the elevator up
to the twentieth floor and jumped out of the window.
As her body lay on the sidewalk, someone passing by that knew
her saw her dead and broken.
A voice said, "She had a lot to live with but nothing to
live for".
Many people here have lots of things, but they are missing a purpose in life.
What are you living for? Is Christ the purpose of your life?
Acts 2:40 " And with many other words did he testify and
exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this uptoward
generation".
Our generation is really our degeneration.
Save yourself from this uptoward generation. We are going
toward nothing in a lot of cases.
We need something to live not only with, but something to live for.
Paul said Christ was his life, and his ambition.
The desire of Paul was to live for Jesus.
Galatians 2:20 " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of
God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me".
When Christ is the purpose of your life you can survive any hardships.
When Christ is the center of your life you can face life and its adversity.
With Christ you can surmount difficulties. When Christ is in the guide of your life you will be victorious.
No discouragement ever stop the child of God following his Christ.
H. G. Spafford sent his wife and children to England. On
the ship they were sailing on, a terrible accident occurred.
The ship sank in the Atlantic. The boat took the life of his
three daughters, but his wife survived. The girls all drowned.
As soon as he received the news he set sail to be with his wife in
England.
As the boat neared the area of the shipwreck, he went to the Captain of the boat. He asked if they could go near the place where the boat had gone down. In the late hours of the night the Captain came and said, we are near the place where your daughters died.
Spafford went to the edge of the railing of the boat and prayed silently.
Spafford then went back to his room and wrote a hymn. The words are,
When peace like a attendeth my soul, when sorrows like sea billows roll,
whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, It is well, It is well with
my soul.
No matter what happens in this life, if Christ is your purpose, then it will always be well with your soul.
No matter what you may face with Christ, "It is well with your soul".
No matter what comes in life with Christ it is well with your soul!
JESUS WANTS TO BE THE PATTERN OF OUR LIFE
PHILIPPIANS 2:5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
Jesus wants to be our pattern. He wants us to become like him
The mind of christ is a compassionate and caring mind.
If we follow Jesus we will be compassionate to others.
We need to care and be concerned about others.
Jesus people will imitate Jesus. We need to have attitudes like
Jesus. Love towards other, sacrifice, forgiveness
steadfastness.
All these things we need to pattern in our lives after Jesus.
We cannot call ourselves a Christian and not act like Christ.
Many people that are not Christians are more compassionate, friendly,
and generous than those who call
themselves Christians.
Jesus has given us a perfect pattern to follow.
His challenge is for us to become more and more like him.
JESUS WANTS TO BE THE PRIZE IN YOUR LIFE
PHILLIPPIANS 3:13-14 "Brethren I count not
myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which
are before
as I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
christ Jesus".
There is almost discontentment here in Paul.
Paul says, "he has not attained or apprehended yet"
We must be very careful not to think we have arrived. Sometimes we can become spiritually obese..
I Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he falls."
We must keep serving and remain faithful in the Lord's service.
I Corinthians 15:58 "Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord".
We will never reach a point where we can become complacent, and think we have arrived.
We must never believe we have become perfect and better than someone
else.
We need to make Christ our prize and look at his blessings and cherish him.
Two boys went into a department store. After the store closed
the boys did not steal anything but they
changed all the prices on everything. A box of Kleenex
$2500 dollars and a mink coat cost 2 for $1.00.
Sometimes we get our values mixed up and hold on to things we need to let go of.
There are some things we need to forget. We hold grudges and hold to the past.
I can't bring back the past its gone. I can only for today.
How many of us crucify ourselves on the cross of tomorrow, and the cross of yesterday
I would love to change many things in my life if I could go back to days past.
I have left things undone, I would have done.
I have done things, I wish I would not have done.
I can't change the past. I can change only today, and try to make
the future better.
We must forget the past and go on with life.
MAKE
THE LORD OUR PROVISION
Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by christ Jesus".
This is a great comfort to every Christian. God will supply our needs!
The mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. God supplies our needs not out greed.
God will take care of his people.
This is our challenge, to trust him, and to have faith, in his power and provision.
What are you living for today? Could you say Christ?
What is the center of your life? Could you say Christ?
What are you living like? Could you say Christ?
What are you striving for? Could you say Christ?
What does the future hold or who holds your future?
Could you say Christ is yours today?
CONCLUSION
Let us accept the challenges of Christ today. To live for Christ
is what living is all about.
To accept his challenges you must accept and obey his plan of salvation.
Believe Jesus as the son of God, John 8:24
Repent or perish, Luke 13:3-5
Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
Be baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10
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