Walk as Jesus Walked

Good morning. Welcome to CCC to both those here in attendance and those worshiping with us online. If you are new here or new to us online the last Sunday of every month is Hymn Sunday. Thank you Barb and Monty and Eli for leading us in that this morning.

The last Sunday of every month is also Worship night at 6 pm. We gather for a time of worship and we would love for you to give your testimony as well. If you are interested in giving your testimony see Pastor Josh or Stephanie or Melody.

We also have a fellowship dinner right after worship night and tonight is Breakfast so bring your best breakfast dish and come worship King Jesus and break bread together in fellowship. Make an excuse to join us!

Wasn’t that rain Friday and Saturday just wonderful. We sure needed it and Praise God for sending it!

It is moving into one of my favorite times of year, we are starting to cool down. I just love fall, crisp air, cool nights, leaves will be turning soon. Just a wonderful time of year.

Let’s Pray

START OBS

This morning we will continue on with our sermon series in I John. Titled That You May Know. I just love God’s Word and I pray you do as well

I love to be in it

I love to study it

I love apply it through the Holy Spirit

I love to talk about it

We need to do that more

Have conversations about God’s Word with each other

How cool and impactful to those around us would it be if every time we talked our conversation included talking about God’s Word?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

If we are true Christians than our top priority is chasing Jesus

If we are chasing Jesus then we will be in God’s Word every single day

If we are in God’s Word every single day the Holy Spirit is changing us from the inside out

If the Holy Spirit is changing us from the inside out how could we not talk about it

If you are a true Christian here this morning nothing else matters

There is nothing of greater importance to you than growing closer to Jesus and telling others about Him

If that is not the greatest importance in your life then something is very wrong

You may not be who you claim to be, a true Christian

or

You may have unconfessed and unrepented sin in your life

You may be willing ignoring what God is asking you to do or not do

You were doomed for hell and feeling the full force of God’s wrath because of your sin but God sent Jesus to die in your place

to become your sin

to give you a way to heaven when there was no way

All while you hated Him

All while you were God’s enemy

How in the world could you not talk about that.

People are dying and going to hell and you have met the cure…JESUS.....how could you not talk about Him!!!!

Back to this morning

Turn to

1 John 2:1–6

________________________________________

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

1. That Ye Sin Not vs 1

________________________________________

As we talked last week a true Christian will live a life of continual confession

To confess sin you must acknowledge sin....this must be a constant in your life

Remember I John 1:9 says if you confess....you must acknowledge and confess your sin constantly

That, however is not a license to sin.....far from it

John is writing so that ye sin not

You can fight against sin

Sin is always a choice

Sin always begins with a thought

It is what you do with that thought that matters

2 Corinthians 10:3–5

________________________________________

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

You and I are human....physical by nature

We have flesh and bone

As Christians we are also spiritual and have the power of the Holy Spirit

The same Holy Spirit that was present at creation

Present at Jesus baptism

The same Holy Spirit that God sent to us when Jesus returned to heaven

God sent that Holy Spirit to comfort us and empower us as Christians

We walk in the flesh because we are human but our power is spiritual....through the Holy Spirit

This is so important to understand friends

Your weapons are not fleshly

You do not war after the flesh

The warfare you and I face as Christians in not fleshly warfare but spiritual

That means you do not fight for the souls of the lost with flesh....words....systems…programs…life groups…Bible studies…etc

Those are all WONDERFUL and things that must happen and be in place but they are not what you use to fight for lost souls

You fight for lost souls through the Holy Spirit!

He is what make words....systems....programs…life groups…Bible studies effective

Here is the awesome part

Because of divine power

Because our weapons are not of the flesh

Because of the Holy Spirit

You and I have the power to destroy strongholds in our lives

Praise God!!!!

You don’t have to be addicted

You don’t have to be greedy

You don’t have to cuss

You don’t have to be an adulterer

You don’t have to love money

You don’t have to be depressed

You don’t have to have anxiety

You don’t have to be a worrier

You don’t have to live in fear

God through the Holy Spirit will destroy those and all strongholds!!!!!!

Praise God!!!!

If God through the Holy Spirit has destroyed strongholds in your life!!!! Can I get an AMEN Testify

How

How does God destroy strongholds in your life

Vs 5

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God

Taking every thought captive is what that means

Casting down imaginations

thoughts

ideas

beliefs

culture

idology

anything that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God is cast down

The knowledge of God is the Word of God

If it doesn’t match the Bible you cast it down

You get rid of it

You refuse to think about it

You cast it down and make it obey the Word of God

That is another reason you must be in the Word of God so that you KNOW the Word of God

How can you make something obey the Word of God when you don’t know the Word of God

You can’t....get into the Word EVERY DAY!

I don’t care what it is, it must match the Word of God or be FULLY rejected by Christians!

When you sin, you fail to take that thought captive to obey Christ

Period

The more you take thoughts captive to obey Christ the easier it becomes!

2. You have an advocate with the Father vs 1

________________________________________

You will fail

You will sin

You fight with all that you have

You do all you can to surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit however you will sin

Until you get to heaven or Jesus returns you will sin

When that happens you are guilty

but in a true Christian’s life Christ is your advocate

Here is why that is important

satan prosecutes you before God all the time

your advocate

or defense attorney

Jesus Christ however is right there to defend you

Hebrews 4:14–16

________________________________________

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Because Jesus lived fully human and fully God without sin despite being tempted in every way just as you are

He alone can stand before the Father and defend you

Because of Him you get mercy and grace instead of condemnation and wrath

Notice here it doesn’t mention anything about you

there is nothing you can do to earn this advocate

There is nothing you can do to deserve this advocate

There is no price you can pay to buy or retain this advocate

No the only way to gain this advocate is to be saved, confess with your mouth and believe in your heart!

Jesus is your advocate with God the Father

Praise King Jesus!!!!!!

3. Propitiation vs 2

________________________________________

Propitiation comes from a Greek noun that means atonement.....appeasement…or satisfaction

Jesus took.....actually the Bible says became the sins of the whole world upon the cross

He then died a perfect sacrifice for those sins

meaning His death atoned....paid for…appeased God....satisfied the sin debt for any who would accept it

Your sins are paid for friend

Jesus is your propitiation have you applied that payment to your sin debt by confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and savior and do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead......

if so you are saved and you have Jesus as your propitiation for your sins

if you haven’t your on your own and headed to hell and the full force of God’s wrath

The choice is yours!

4. Obedience shows salvation is genuine vs 3-6

________________________

1 John 2:3–6

________________________

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

Friends this is a truth you must understand and apply to your life. There is no gray area here

There is no room for interpretation here

Obedience demonstrates genuine salvation

Matthew 7:13–14

________________________________________

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Jesus never shied away from the fact that following Him was hard

In fact He warns you to count the cost before following Him

Luke 14:25–33

_________________________

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: qbut if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

What is Jesus saying here

He is saying count the cost because following me

becoming my disciple will cost you

He is saying whoever casually follows Him

whoever just goes through the motions

whoever just checks the box

whoever just claims to be a Christian but does not do what He calls you to do is like salt that has lost his savour....cast out....useless...

To follow Jesus you must walk as He walked

You must love by giving up your life for theirs

You must forgive fully before they even ask let alone you feel the deserve it

You must keep His commandments

You must obey

Friend you are here today or are listening online and may have disobedience in your life

You claim to be a Christian

You claim to know Christ

but you refuse to keep His commandments and you friend are a liar

God’s love is perfected in you through obedience

You know you are in Him when you walk as He walked

Jesus was perfect yet hated

Jesus loved fully and completely yet was rejected

Jesus turned the other cheek and was beaten beyond recognition

Jesus was sinless yet became your sin and died while you hated him

If they did that to Jesus they will do the same to you as a true Christian

You must walk as Jesus walked

You don’t get to be offended

You don’t get to withhold forgiveness

You don’t get to hate

You don’t get to go after revenge

Those are easy

Those lead to destruction

You must obey

If you don’t obey you don’t know Jesus

Not my words friends, God’s Words

What is God telling you to do that you are telling Him no

What has God asked you to stop doing yet you continue to do it?

What has God asked you to give Him that you refuse to give?

Church

For Christians obedience is not optional

Obedience cannot be partial

Obedience cannot be done only when it is convenient for you

I watched a short Facebook video this past week and it hit me hard

It is a real life illustration and demonstration of this truth.....I was going to retell the story but I was able to find a YouTube video of it.....I know nothing more about Tim McCaffery other than what he says in this video

PLAY THE VIDEO

I pray we become more like those Chinese Christians and less like the worldly Christians who may not even be Christians at all

Here is the deal

If you are a true Christian

If you have met Jesus and fully understand what He did for YOU on the cross

If you have accepted Him and applied his payment to your sin debt and have the Holy Spirit living inside of you

If you are a true Christian nothing, not even the threat of prison or death will stop you from telling others about it

Nothing will stop you from being obedient

Nothing will stop you from meeting together and getting into God’s Word together

Nothing will stop you from being in God’s Word each and every day

You will live a life of obedience and constant confession

You will be different and people will be drawn to you to find out what makes you different and find out how they can get it

I want you to understand the power of the Gospel

God knew that if He created man, you and me, He would have to send Jesus to earth

To be born of a virgin

To be fully God yet also fully man

That He would be rejected by the very people, Israel, that He came to save

That He would open salvation to the Gentiles, you and me

That Jesus would be rejected

He would be hated

He would be spat upon

He would be arrested

He would be beaten beyond recognition

He would have to take the sins of the whole world, become the sins of the whole world

so He could die a horrible death as the one and only perfect sacrifice

God loves you so much He did all of that

Just to offer you an opportunity to be saved.

You can freely accept or freely reject

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you will go to hell when you die

If you claim you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior but do not walk as He walked

Do not obey as you have been called to obey

Not everyday sin

Not slip ups here or there but walking in sin

Choosing to live in sin

You are a liar and will go to hell when you die

Church attendance and membership doesn't save you

Tithing and giving money to help others doesn't save you

Going to, even leading Bible studies doesn’t save you

Only Jesus saves and the proof of genuine salvation is true obedience

Where are you

Do you know Jesus

Invitation Song