I Have Decided To Follow Jesus Pt.3
Jesus Follower Pt.4 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsTo many of us are great at talking about what we want to do. How we are going to do it and what that will look like when we do it. But until you actually do it, you are only talking.
Notes
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Walk the Walk Talk the Talk
Walk the Walk Talk the Talk
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Jesus was a man of great action! There are very few great leaders who are not. It’s interesting that we look with expectancy from captains of industries. Why? Because they are typically leaders who deliver. Wrap your brain around that thought. Leaders - who - deliver.
What are we really saying when we say leaders who deliver. We are saying that we can put our confidence into their actions. And their actions produce deliverable goods.
This is important, because too have full confidence in someone is to locate the motivating factor. What is this factor that pulls us in. The motivating factor is the repetition of successful actions. The repeated rewards of knowing that they are consistent. The fact of the matter is, we all like consistency. Why ? Because it gives us a reassurance of expectations that we can manage.
So this is why it is important when we read what James says about having faith, but not showing it through our actions. We must walk the walk that we talk. Otherwise we are no more then hypocrites.
The word comes from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “an actor” or “a stage player.” The Greek word itself is a compound noun: it’s made up of two Greek words that literally translate as “an interpreter from underneath.” That bizarre compound makes more sense when you know that the actors in ancient Greek theater wore large masks to mark which character they were playing, and so they interpreted the story from underneath their masks.
The Greek word took on an extended meaning to refer to any person who was wearing a figurative mask and pretending to be someone or something they were not.
So when we see the struggle that James is having it’s because he wants to bring us from behind the mask and helps us face what is causing our hypocrisy.
When we think about Jesus He was one who did not do well with talk but no actions. So much so that He challenged those who only wanted to talk. Because talking never really changes things unless you follow up with actions.
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day.
11 A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had an evil spirit in her that made her crippled. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are free from your sickness.”
13 Jesus put his hands on her, and immediately she was able to stand up straight and began praising God.
14 The synagogue leader was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, “There are six days when one has to work. So come to be healed on one of those days, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord answered, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie your work animals and lead them to drink water every day—even on the Sabbath day?
16 This woman that I healed, a daughter of Abraham, has been held by Satan for eighteen years. Surely it is not wrong for her to be freed from her sickness on a Sabbath day!”
Jesus encountered the woman who was crippled and bent over, her pitiable condition couldn’t wait even a few hours. So he pointed out one other place that Sabbath rules are set aside. Even though a donkey could not be untied to go out to work, it could be taken out to be fed and watered, so that it wouldn’t suffer all day. This was called “tzar baalei hayim” – preventing suffering to living things.
Jesus seems to be using this logic in his statement about healing the woman. It was not a life-or-death need that she be healed that day, but she had “bound” by her affliction for 18 years. If an animal can be untied to be led to water to prevent its suffering, shouldn’t she be “unbound” too?
Interestingly, the one “breaking” the Sabbath was not Jesus in this case – he merely prayed for her healing, which was not prohibited. (Those who protested even this prayer would have been seen as extreme by the rest of the Pharisaic community.) According to Jesus’ logic, the one who did the “unbinding” was God himself!
So we see that Jesus was working within the rules, not negating them, and showing how God longs to take every opportunity to show compassion for the suffering of his people.
The first point we see in Christ that we can take away is that We should always make others a priority. to help prevent their suffering. Learn to serve.
Jesus served this woman by meeting her needs, not his own. His focus wasn’t like the religious leaders; Get healed on any day but the sabbath! No when God moves you move with Him and see what wonderful signs He will use to set you free from bondage. Or those He has called you to help. It’s about looking just like Christ and He was full of compassion. So we should be full of compassion.
There will always be critics who have an ulterior motive to your walk. This is the true test of your talk. If you are not being persecuted by someone then you need to really take a long hard look at your walk.
Tim Tebow Blasted for Praying for Dying Man on Plane
When a Delta passenger went into cardiac arrest on a plane, Tim Tebow stepped in to pray for him. But many are saying he did the wrong thing.
The Delta crew immediately went to work to try to save a passenger's life after he suffered a major heart attack on board. But while a physician assistant stepped in to administer CPR, Tim Tebow left his own seat to pray for the man.
Tebow bent over the man's distraught wife, hugging and praying with her and her friend. When the plane landed the man was rushed to the hospital. Tebow took the stricken man's wife to the hospital and stayed with her until she got the devastating news that her husband died from the attack.
One of the passengers on board posted about the experience on Facebook.
"I watched Tim pray with the entire section of the plane for this man. He made a stand for God in a difficult situation," the post said.
But many do not share the same sentiment. Even though Tebow prayed with the man's wife, took her to the hospital, and stayed with her until the doctor told them the sad news, many are criticizing him for praying in public.
"Tim Tebow was getting in the way while trying to be a missionary on a plane? What a putz!" said one commenter on an Orlando Sentinel article.
"Prayed? Give me a break. Get out of the way and let modern medicine take care of the sick. Idiot," wrote another.
Some are even claiming he was only being selfish by praying for the man's wife.
"Tim Tebow did nothing, because prayer does nothing. The young medical professional who attempted CPR and actually tried to save the man's life actually DID something. What Tebow did was engage in a narcissistic ritual," said one commenter on a People magazine blog.
Some say the negative comments show first-hand the problems of living in a culture that is increasingly becoming more antagonistic to Christianity.
"Tim Tebow did what any caring person would/should do," one commentator fired back. "He provided what the family needed most at the time-someone to show compassion and caring."
Critics will always criticize to cause a case of confusion
Commentary of Tebow story 1-2 minute
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
This woman was in the family and yet the religious leaders wanted her to suffer when her suffering could be eliminated! They had more respect for their animals, then they did her.
Take a stand for what you know is right, The best thing about Jesus is that He knew what the rules for the sabbath were. The religious leaders only knew what their hypocrisy had taught them. Bondage. Bondage and more bondage.
Be bold in your profession, but use wisdom in your professing
Jesus uses wisdom when healing this woman, He does so by knowing that according to the law, He was not in violation of the healing as even the animals were untied and taken out the stalls to eat and drink. As not to suffer cruelty at the hands of the owner. This was called: “tzar baalei hayim” – preventing suffering to living things. If an animal doesn’t have to suffer how much more should a human not suffer?
As followers of Christ we must learn our world around us. We must take place in shaping it for the kingdom of God and not our own little kingdoms. This is a worldly objective and one that is hypocritical if you are a true follower of Christ. We have got to get into the political arena, the professional arena, and any other arena that God has called us to be in then go in and bring about real change. Not just talk about it but actually be about.
The World Needs Men … [and I might add women]
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires.
who will not say they do it “because everybody else does it”;
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report,
in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hardheadedness
are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who say “no” with emphasis, although the rest of the world says “yes.”
Listen we must take our place and not budge with compromises because someone doesn’t like your position. no my friends we are Children of the most High and we are expected to hold fast in our place. But be wise when we do so.
16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.
Which brings us to our final 2 points and concluding thoughts
Bondage is only permitted when there is no acceptance to change.
We don’t know why this woman had this condition, But the Lord obviously permitted it to be in her life for 18 years! 18 years bent over with the burdens of this evil spirit. 18 years of coming to the Lords house and no change! 18 years of suffering and poverty, humiliation and sadness! 18 years! Yet she still came and yet God seeing her faithfulness moves to touch her and brings instant healing one day. What does she do? Accepts it and rejoices by giving God His glory! Amen!
Some people live their lives like hamsters. A hamster looks outside the glass of his cage and sees freedom. He decides to run for it. He gets on the wheel. He runs on the wheel, trying to get to his freedom. He soon realizes that he’s not getting anywhere. So, he runs faster. An hour later, he’s still in the same spot.
Many of us have been trying to break a habit for years, and ten years later we are still in the same spot. We’ve made New Year’s resolutions to quit bad habits or to have better marriages or to work on bettering our finances. A year later, we are in the same position.
Why does this happen? We are using the wrong method. When we are trapped, we cannot change things ourselves. The only way for a hamster to find freedom is for the owner of the hamster to reach inside the cage and lift it out of there. Somebody bigger than the hamster has to take over.
Trying to get out of a caged situation using only our own human effort is not good enough. No, we need someone bigger, someone who can change our situation someone who can take us out of the cage.
Jesus used the woman as an example to show the people including the leaders that they could have freedom like she had gotten freedom. No more carrying the burdens of their own sins if they were just willing to accept the owner of the cages offer and get off the hamster wheel, then freedom was inevitable. Like it was for the woman, like it could be for the hamster.
We must learn to risk being obedient to God in order to see true change from God
She was never going to see true change from God if she would’ve listened to those who were determined to keep her and everyone else that came there in bondage. Stop allowing satan to heap burdens on you and know that through Christ you can be free indeed! It’s all about a choice so make one that wins.
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Listen you are never going to come to a place of freedom if you try to make it about doing it your way. It’s never our way that’s going to win it’s God’s way. Doing it your way makes you hypocritical, doing it God’s way makes you free.... Walk the Walk that you Talk.
Let’s Pray
