Today’s current Christian faith has withered down to “give me what I like and want spiritually“, “feed me“, “make me feel better about myself“, “make worship so good that it builds me up and makes me excited”, “make God accept me like I am”, and “do not beg for money, I want to spend my money how I want!” Selfishness and pleasure have become the driving force, the purpose, in most religious peoples lives. The hypocrisy is evident!
Paul warned us of this terrible day long ago.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
There is much evidence that the majority of American Christians live this way. Divorce is just as high in Christian homes as the atheists. Teens are brutal and think violence is funny. Everyone claims they can’t help what they are doing, obviously there is no self-control. Teen rebellion is normal. No one has time because they are so busy getting rich and having fun! The list goes on. This is not the way of life that the Lord Jesus or his first disciples lived.
Instead “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” was Christ’s statement to men. (Matthew 8:20 NKJV). The disciples (Christ followers) followed Him and learned how to work for God.
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:19 NKJV) And… “So likewise, whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (Luke 14:33-34 NKJV)
The Lord Jesus Christ was driven by God’s purposes and called Christians to follow him and do the same things. When asked by people what was the most important thing to do, He replied: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment.” (Matt 22:36-38 NKJV)
What does this mean in real life?
Loving God is different than loving yourself and pleasure! Worship is for God not you! It is not to make you happy, excited or to have fun for yourself! Worship is to glorify God! To make God happy! To make God exalted in your eyes! To lift Him up to the heights He deserves before your eyes so that you will truly bow before Him, obey Him, serve Him! To make His Word important to follow!
Jesus lived to make God the Father satisfied. He lived to do what God instructed him to do. He worshiped God by laying down his life for the world.
First he served them while he lived. Then he served them by dying for them. This is the second purpose! “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He fed them, healed them, washed their feet, and directed them into active love for God and man. Life is to care for others, not become so busy getting rich and having fun you disobey the directions of God!
“If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Change your schedule! Clear your calendar! Gather for “church” every week! Volunteer to take on responsibility! “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Make your work building up God’s kingdom!
How do we do this?
The next three purposes are spoken to us by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 28:19,20.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Go and make disciples!
Increase the population of God’s kingdom by making disciples just like the ones Jesus made. This is not like the majority of the so-called Christians of today. They are full of themselves! Few make any effort to obey the God of heaven. Few try to build God’s kingdom.
In fact, if they happen to go to a church service, even weekly, they think they have obeyed and done God a big favor. It is your obligation to go to weekly worship meetings. It is also your obligation to invite and bring others with you. And… it is YOUR obligation to try with all of your heart, mind, strength, and soul to obey God, OUT OF LOVE FOR HIM!
It is your obligation because “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works..” (Ephesians 2:10).
Christ further says that he purposed us to “baptize them (the newcomers).”
If you look in the book of Acts, the history of the first church, you find that baptism is not a religious symbol separated from the everyday new society of Christians. It was a public announcement of leaving the old sinful culture and joining this new family of committed people serving God.
It is not for your personal, religious comfort or enjoyment. It is for a change of direction for life, in the same way a marriage ceremony is a total change in the lives of two individuals into a newly united family following a new path of life together.
Finally, the 5th purpose is a family related responsibility for all Christians to become teachers. “…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you..” That means committing to help others learn what God wants of them. Show them how to follow God’s purposes. Commit yourself to do 100% of what God says to do. Do not retreat or get lazy. Plug yourself in now! Do it for God, not yourself!
- Love God with a100% effort, include everything you are and have
- Love your neighbors by sharing your life, time and things with them
- Like a fisherman try to catch fish, [people] for Jesus and help your church grow
- Once caught become their close friends and family
- Teach them how to follow Jesus too!
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