Text Box: weekly sermon 7-22-07 Do You Have It? (The sequel) Last week we talked about "do you have it". We talked about whether you had what it took to care about the ones around you enough to lead them to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. So do you have it? This will be a continuation of what we discussed last week. I am taking this a week farther, so far, due to the importance this message has on my heart. When I talk to folks concerning whether they have "it", they seem to really think that I want to know about their salvation. Of course I care about their personal salvation, but that does not stop there. It should not be such a case that we simply say, "hey God save my soul", and poof all is done. All is not done by far, it has just begun. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. Corinthians is in the new testament the 7th book, just to help you out there, hahaha. Here it says, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (2) Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." This shows us that we should be ministers, and stewards. Let us think about this. We have received our own salvation, and now we should immediately feel a strong urge in our hearts for human kind. I know that after I received my own salvation, I was so excited, I wanted everyone to feel what it was that I was feeling. I would really want to believe that any new Christian would have this same feeling. But now what do we do with it? Become simple stewards and even ministers. A steward is, by the dictionary description, one who administers anything as the agent of another. So basically you would be acting as an agent for, or a representative of Christ. If you are going to be a representative then you would have an obligation to present yourself in such a way that would make God pleased to have you as one. Folks take much pride in their jobs. If you work then you completely understand that I am speaking of how folks act about their job. That they represent the company they work for in a professional manner, something that would make the boss proud, so to speak. Well the same would apply here, let us make the "Boss" proud. In doing so, not only do we dress the part, or try to look presentable, but we should also be well versed in what we are about to represent. If you didn't know about paving a parking lot, then I am very sure you would not be looking for a job as an asphalt salesman. The very same would hold true here. To become this simple steward, we should really know something about what we are talking about before approaching others. So now we know we have received our own personal salvation, we felt the desire in our hearts to spread this new salvation, and now we want to be stewards. This would actually be a two part series here in itself. We should not only be the steward for man, but also for ourselves. Just as it says in Romans 11:25, "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles become in." This here is saying, that as stewards we study, and learn this great gospel so that we are not ignorant and that we would be wise to its mysteries so we are not fooled by our enemies. So if we really do have "it", we are to be stewards to our belief. And not only be stewards and ministers, but to be faithful in doing so. Just as it says in verse 2 above, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." This "faithful" that is written here is not only speaking of a true belief or of faith in their belief, but also of conviction, a conviction in their hearts to want to proclaim their belief. A faithful steward is one that has a constant vigilance to tell others of this great news of our Lord Jesus Christ. But I think I will go further into this in next weeks sermon. This week all I am saying is, look deep in your heart. Do you have that salvation of your own? Do you feel it in your heart that you would want the ones in your family to know this same salvation? Would you expand farther and care enough about the ones around you to share this same salvation? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then guess what? You have it!! Take a little time to study what it is you have, and go share it with the ones you really care about, and hopefully they will do the same. Then share it with the ones that you care some about, and hopefully they will. Let us see how the community around us would change, or how the expanding world would act. First, let us make sure we have it. Let us know for sure in our hearts that the true salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ is ours. The only way to the Father is through the salvation of Jesus. If you are not sure, then please say this simple prayer with me. Jesus, please come into my life and save my soul, be the Lord over my life, and lead me in the way to be like you. Amen. If you said this simple prayer, then please send us a note in our contact us button so we can rejoice with you. The Lord says that when one lost soul is redeemed, the angels rejoice. Let us rejoice with you and send you a few things that will hopefully help you in your new walk as a Christian. With Love in Christ, Pastor Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

                                             

The Christian Counter
The Christian Counter