A Crucified Life - - Is Lived Deliberately

 

2 Corinthians 6:3

We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4349

Stumbling: cause for offense, shock

From the Greek word 'proskopé' (pronounced pros-kop-ay'): to do something which causes others to stumble, to err, to sin.

    We do not deliberately commit sins against God now that we are in Christ. Remembering that sin is going against what God says to do and not to do: He has a list, you know. When in doubt about what is and what is not right in God's eyes, we always go to the Word for our betterment and understanding. 

    When God says to do something and we don't then that's sin. When God says not to do certain things and we do them anyway, that's sin, too. 

    The closer a born again believer is to God in Christ, the less likely we are to deliberately sin against God. In fact, the desire of the flesh just seems to melt away from a person. We want to please God so we seek Him out in His Word, searching for what makes God happy. 

 Those who preach the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ absolutely must live the gospel. It is an imperative. To not live what one preaches is to mock God and put the gospel to shame. This is a hypocrite in action and the hypocrisy practiced will always cause someone or several someones to fall away from the faith, to never believe anyone who preaches Christ. That's causing someone to stumble. 

We must be ever vigilant in our ministry. Peter tells us that the devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, 1 Peter 5:8. To be sober-minded is to have presence of mind (be alert and aware); it is to be rational and not intoxicated by the pleasures of sin. 

    For the pleasures of sin are fleeting, but the joy of the Lord is forever. Hebrews 11:24-26 speak of Moses' faith. 

Verses 25-26: "He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward." So, too, does the believer choose to suffer oppression with God's people, for we are looking ahead to our reward, too. 

    Our outward lifestyles must reflect (mirror) an inward change that has happened in our hearts. The life and love of Christ in us must shine forth through us. A discerning heart will know the truth and the Spirit of God will reveal the false and the fake who only pretend to be Christians. Remember that not everyone who followed Christ followed Him for the right reasons. 

For example, Judas Iscariot followed Jesus so he could keep control of the pursestrings: he was in charge of the money that came in and was spent. Eventually turning Jesus into the religious authorities for a mere 30 pieces of silver, the price of betrayal as outlined in Zechariah 11:13. Undervalued and underloved, Christ is thrown to the wolves to be torn apart. Judas' example is a warning to those who follow Christ that we must follow Him for the right reasons and not the wrong ones. 

    In John 6 Jesus refers to Himself as being the Bread of Life that comes down from heaven (48, 51). Many of His disciples who had followed Him faithfully until that point turned away. This is the apostate church, the unbelieving who had not the Spirit of Truth in them; who believed to a point but no farther. They were without discernment and turned back, walking with Him no more (66). Appearing to be faithful but having no actual faith to back it up. They were broken cisterns: dry and dusty.

    Let us pursue God in Christ zealously, faithfully, in our lives, in our ministries, that we might be called "good and faithful servants" at the end of our race, our journey, our life in this world. The nearer we are to the cross of Christ the stronger our faith in Christ will become because we will see Him more clearly. And the Light of Christ in us will burst forth from our hearts into our faces, our hands and our feet, for His radiance cannot be hid. 

REMAINING FAITHFUL

Cistern vs. Fountain

A man I deeply admire and respect, and yes, even love, went home to be with our Lord and Savior a few years back. But before God called him home, I was privileged to hear one of the last sermons he preached. And after re-studying it just now, I would like to share it with you here.

Cistern vs. Fountain

June 16, 2002

PM Service Rev. Barker, Full Gospel Ministry

[first we came together in prayer, in Scripture (Matthew 18:19 "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven"), and agreed that God's will be done concerning the pastorate at River of Life (the church I attended where his daughter and son-in-law then pastored]

     Jeremiah 2:13 "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters,and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." The clearest example is pictured in this verse. A fountain is filled from the deep and below. A cistern is built and holds only what is put into it. For instance, the woman at the well filled Jesus' request for water. John 4:6,7 Yet Jesus offered her water which would quench her thirst forever John 4:9-14

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well:and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saithunto her, Give me to drink   9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me,which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesusanswered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Giveme to drink ; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 Thewoman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence thenhast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, anddrank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her,Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that Ishall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of waterspringing up into everlasting life.

     Luke 24:13-21 The Road to Emmaus. 13 And, behold , two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened . 15 And it came to pass , that, while they communed together and reasoned , Jesus himself drew near , and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk , and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. These followers had become cisterns. They knew only the teachings which Jesus had put into them. At His death, they turned away to unbelief.

     Galatians 1:6, 7 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert thegospel of Christ. An attempt at building cisterns. Turning away from the Gospel of Salvation through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ will create a broken cistern. It will hold nothing.

     John 7:38 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said , out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Rivers of living water flow out of the belly, which is deep within or below the heart. For what is in the heart will come out of the mouth. What is in the belly will come out in your life. Through your stomach you receive nourishment, that your body might be made strong and do the works that God has given you to do. 

     The choice is yours: Do you want to be a cistern? Or do you want to be a fountain?




*the reason Brother Barker chose Matthew 18:19 to pray together with is because he and I were the only two people who came to church that night. I think the pastor and family were on vacation that night. Perhaps other congregants believe there to be no church that evening. I am so glad I was there.*