THE LIFE AND WALK
OF A CHRISTIAN
I. T C - A
Surrendered Life
II. T C - A Surrounded Life
III. T C - A Serving Life
IV. T C - A Spiritual Life
V. T C - A Shining Life
THE LIFE AND WALK OF A CHRISTIAN
The
churches of
Christ Greet You (Romans 16:16)
Introduction
A. Many accept the concept of Christianity without
knowing
its true meaning.
1. To some: being baptized means you have
completed
your journey.
2. To others: just having one's name on a
church
directory completes the Christian life.
3. To still others: being a Christian is a way
to
please family or influence a business.
B. But how does the Lord want us to LIVE…How does He want us to WALK?
1. Love Ones, the
Christian Life is
a life of action.
2. Dead people don't walk.
3. Only live people walk!
C. In this lesson, we will look at this special kind of life.
I.
True Christianity - A Surrendered Life
1. It’s a
self-denying
life surrendered to the Lord (Matthew 16:24).
a. We can
no longer do as we please; we must do what pleases God!
b. We were
servants of sin…
c. But now we are
“Servants of
righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).
2. Our new life began
when we became Christians.
a. We were born again of
water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5).
b. We became New Creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
c. We therefore are to walk in a new life (Rom. 6:4)
3. Before becoming Christians we walked and lived by sight.
a. Even God’s people
of old walked
by sight.
b. They had a physical faith - tabernacle, ark of covenant, tables of
stone.
c. New Testament Christians are to walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7; Rom.
10:17).
1. We live in faith that our sins
are forgiven
by the blood of Christ…
2. In faith that our worship of God
is in Spirit
and Truth (John 4:24).
4. In this special life we abide in Christ and we must walk as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6).
a. But someone will ask, “Brother Matthews, how did Jesus walk?”
b. Well, for a detailed answer I would first direct you
1. to study the Sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7).
2. That sermon plainly shows how Jesus walked.
c. But for a quick answer, Jesus walked in love.
d. We therefore are to
walk in love
as Christ has loved us (Eph. 5:2).
e.
We imitate Jesus' love!
f.
His love was a sacrificial Agape or unconditional love.
5.
We should walk in Jesus' steps because only His steps lead to
God.
II. True
Christianity - A
Surrounded Life
A. Read Job 1:10.
B. God did not deny this hedge.
1. He allowed the devil to try Job, but kept
the hedge
to protect his life.
2. Thus, it was a hedge of protection - not
ornamental.
C. The Christian life today is a surrounded life.
Example: God
protected Paul
in a storm and shipwreck (Acts 27:21-44).
1. God has placed a hedge of GRACE around us
on all
sides.
2. Ephesians 2:8 – Saved by grace through faith
3. Romans 5:20 – Where sin abounds, grace much
more
abounds
4. Titus 2:11-12 – God’s grace brings
salvation and
teaches us how to live
D. Christ and the grace of God is greater than the world.
1. 1 John 4:4 – You overcome the world because
“Greater is he that is in you than…”
2. 1 John 2:1 – Jesus is our advocate with the
Father
even when we sin
3. Psalm 119:11 – But like David, we must hide
the
Word of God in our heart…
III. True
Christianity - A
Serving Life
A. The greatest example of a servant is our
Master, Jesus.
1. Jesus came to minister and give His life a
ransom
for many (Mark 10:45).
2.
Jesus
completed His job (John 17:4).
3. Paul served God (Acts 27:23).
4.
We need the
attitude of Saul - “Lord, what would you have me do” (Acts 9:6).
5. The HS tells us to serve all men as we have
the
opportunity (Galatians 6:10).
6. Many want to be
served, never to
serve…
7.
So they unhappily
say, "Here I am - serve me."
B. Do you want to be happy as a Christian?
1. Then you must love life (1 Peter 3:10) and make your Christianity personal.
a. You can't give by proxy.
b. Neither can you pay others to serve for you.
2. God wants HIS children to be happy - even when sadness comes.
a. We therefore should evermore rejoice (1
Thessalonians 5:16).
b. And “Rejoice with them that do rejoice ...” (Romans 12:15).
3. Too much unhappiness is a symptom that one has heart trouble.
4. Get busy serving as a Christian and happiness will come after you.
IV. True Christianity - A Spiritual Life
A. Christians are to walk a spiritual walk, not a
fleshly
walk (Romans 8:1-5).
1. The flesh minds the things of the flesh -
spirit, the
things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5).
2. We must live life in flesh, but not after
it.
B. What does it mean to live life after the
Spirit?
1. It means seeking the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness first (Matt. 6:33)
2. Living
life after the Spirit means one is walking in the Spirit (Galatians
5:16).
3. When one is truly converted he is crucified
with
Christ (Galatians 2:20).
4. The Spirit of God then dwells in you by faith (Eph. 3:17).
5.
You are then
able to produce fruit of the Spirit - L J P LS G G F M T (Gal. 5:22).
6. You must strive to abstain from fleshly
lust (1
Peter 2:11).
7. Loved ones, we are NOT living after the
Spirit if
we are walking in the lust of flesh.
V. True
Christianity - A Shining
Life
A. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12).
1. Being a child of
the King, Christians
are to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).
2. Thus, we also are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
B. Darkness is of the devil.
1. Darkness hides sin,
but light
exposes sin.
2. Therefore
we must shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).
C. Unfortunately, many Christians cover their
lights.
1. Fear, prejudice, and indifference are three of the many ways
some use to cover their light.
2. God knows your every thought and act.
3. One day He will reward you for your deeds (2 Cor. 5:10).
Conclusion
A. Where are you walking?
B. Are you living a Surrendered, Surrounded, Serving, Spiritual,
Shining life?
C. Only the walk of a Christian leads to eternal life with God.
D. Would you consider obedience today?