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Sermon:
Pathway lights
Part 2
[see
Part 1]
by Chris Cumming 2011
MP3
MP4
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Let us begin today by turning to Psalm 119:105, where we began Part 1 of
this sermon.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
We are in the way or journey of life and the Word of God is a light unto
our path. It is as if each scripture was one of those lamps we see
along a path or walkway in the evening.
The purpose of my sermon today is to make each scripture a lamp for your
feet as you travel through the Salvation Process. That is, “Light your
path.”
I am going give you a number of lights in the form of a set of
questions. Each question will lead us to a scripture you can use as a
light for your path.
In Part 1 we made it through Light 25. We will begin Part 2 with
Light 25.
Light 25: What is your highest responsibility regarding the power of
God that is in you, the Holy Spirit?
1 Thessalonians 5:19
Quench not the Spirit.
Notice the Matthew Henry commentary on this…
Quench
not the Spirit
- for it is this Spirit of grace and supplication that helpeth our
infirmities, that assisteth us in our prayers and thanksgivings.
Christians are said to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. [It]
worketh as fire, by enlightening, enlivening, and purifying the souls of
men. We must be careful not to quench this holy fire. As fire is put out
by withdrawing fuel, so we quench the Spirit if we do not stir up our
spirits, and all that is within us, to comply with the motions [workings]
of the [Holy]
Spirit; and as fire is quenched by pouring water, or putting a great
quantity of dirt upon it, so we must be careful not to quench the
Holy Spirit by indulging carnal lusts and affections, or minding only
earthly things.
~
Matthew Henry
Light 26: According to 1 Thessalonians 5 what are you commanded to do
regarding the Bible?
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Now wouldn’t it be simple if this was the only verse on this element
that you had to know but here are many. From all those verses I came up
this this list:
1] Know the scriptures.
2] Know and review often, the doctrines of the church.
3] Renew your mind by full immersion into the Word of God, thus proving
what the will of God is [Romans 12:2].
4] Speak to God [pray]
(1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
5] Be sincere and without offence (Philippians 1:10).
6] Try all spirits and all your thoughts (1 John 4:1).
7] Prove your teachers and ministers (Matthew 7:15-20 and Revelation
2:2).
8] Have readiness of mind by being immersed in the Word of God (Acts
17:11).
9] Do not believe anything, including sermons, papers, booklets, tapes,
doctrinal explanations, ministers or teachers until you prove it
yourself with your Bible.
10] Never become a victim of a slick but false argument or a powerful
and dynamic but false speaker or teacher.
11] Know the difference between
Good and Bad theology.
12] Hold fast and protect what you have proven as true. Embrace it. Make
it a part of your mind and character.
Light 27: According to 1 Timothy 4, we are to be an example of the
believers in the church. How are we to do that?
1
Timothy 4:12-13
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers,
in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Light 28: Sometimes when we are moving forward in the process we get
rebuked. What, in this regard, are we working toward? What is the
ultimate goal regarding the rebuke we receive?
1 Timothy 6:14
That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Now a couple of commentaries and a remark:
So that there be no occasion for reproach or reproof. –Barnes
Let there be nothing in thy conduct or spirit contrary to this truth.
Keep the truth, and the truth will keep thee.--Clarke’s
Most biblical rebuke is from the Lord and this is the clear intent here.
These elements of being without spot and unrebukeable are personal and
between God and the firstfruit. The verse is not an encouragement for
one in the congregation to go looking for "spots" in their brethren or
to personally rebuke them. The whole verse is taking about the overall
concept of lifelong character development in the Salvation Process
rather than the event of a sin being committed. In other words, a "spot"
is not necessarily a committed sin. It is development of conduct, habit
or thinking that is contrary to doctrine and the character of Christ.
Only God can ultimate judge this. If we, over a period of time [a process], stray from the doctrine and the Salvation Process [backsliding],
we open ourselves to rebuke from God.
Light 29: We are to be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.
How is that done? By what power?
2 Timothy 1:8-9
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me
his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel
according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began.
Let me give you a verse regarding the power of God in our lives:
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea,
and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Light 30: What have we learned lately about the pureness coming from
the throne of God? What have we learned in the past about “improper
mixtures?”
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit
the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.
Note:
If a person's religion is impure, it will be found out. True religion is
diligent and goes beyond the simple gesture of mercy. It is founded on
one's character and the invoking of the Holy Spirit. It is selfless and
is often done with only God watching.
Note:
Pure religion takes diligent action. When our focus is Christ, the Word
of God and action invoked with diligence and perseverance we remain
unspotted from the world.
Light 31: According to James 4 and 1 Peter 5 what are we to do in the
sight of the Lord? Now if we do this thing, what will God do to us in
return?
James
4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
1 Peter
5:6
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may
exalt you in due time:
Light 32: As we see the coming of the Lord getting closer and it is
always getting closer, what are we to be doing according to James 5?
James
5:8
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh.
Let us explore that phrase, “stablish your hearts.”
[Stablish your hearts] Let your purposes
and your faith be firm and unwavering. Do not become weary and fretful;
but bear with constancy all that is laid upon you, until the time of
your deliverance shall come. –Barnes
[Establish
your hearts]
Take courage; do not sink under your trials. –Clarke
"Establish your hearts-let your faith be firm, without wavering, your
practice of what is good constant and continued, without tiring, and
your resolutions for God and heaven fixed, in spite of all sufferings or
temptations." The prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the
righteous have in all ages been a very great trial to the faith of the
people of God. David tells us that his feet were almost gone, when he
saw the prosperity of the wicked, Psalm 73:2-3. Some of those Christians
to whom James wrote might probably be in the same tottering condition;
and therefore they are called upon to establish their hearts; faith and
patience will establish the heart.
–Matthew Henry
The many elements of righteousness that we see in this study will mean
little if we lack patience and firmness of faith. We must have
unwavering faith in the fact that God is on His own timetable and His
timetable is PERFECT. God is perfect in all His ways and His plan cannot
be stopped by anything in the Universe. Regardless of what happens in
the world between now and the return of Christ [and
it will get very bad],
we must keep our eye on the perfection of Almighty God.
Light 33: God is Holy. We know this. What are we supposed to do about
it according to 1 Peter?
1 Peter 1:15-16
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Here is a commentary on the phrase, “Be ye holy.”
Be ye holy; for I am. It is ME you have to do with. Ye are mine. We are
too prone to have respect unto men (Calvin).
Since I am the fountain of holiness, being holy in my essence, be ye
zealous to partake of holiness, that ye may be as I am (Didymus).
The creature is holy only in so far as it is sanctified by God. God, in
giving the command, is willing to give also the power to obey, through
the sanctifying Spirit (1
Peter 1:2).
–JFB
Light 34: Regarding the brethren what does 1 Peter 3 say we are to be?
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love
as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
A word about the phrase there, “Be all of one mind:”
Be ye all of one mind. This recalls the "one accord" of Pentecost, or
Paul's injunctions to the Philippians to be "in one spirit" (Philippians
1:27) and "like-minded, having the same love, being of one
mind, of one spirit" (Philippians
2:2), followed closely by his gripping outline of the mind of
Christ. Peter's catalog of accompanying graces reads like the gracious
self-effacing aspects of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23) or of the "wisdom that is from above" (James
3:17). –Wycliffe
Light 35: 1 Peter 4:7 says, “But the end of all things is at hand: be
ye therefore __________and _____________. Fill in the blanks with words and
phrases.
1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch
unto prayer.
Light 36: According to 2 Peter 1, what are eight things are we supposed
to have? In having these things what do we learn about Process?
2 Peter 1:1-8
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have
obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and
virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this,
giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make
you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Light 37: According to 2 Peter 1:10 we are to make two things “sure.”
What two things?
2 Peter 1:10
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For the word “Sure”
notice:
Your calling and election sure-by 'ministering additionally in your
faith virtue, and in your virtue knowledge,' etc. God must work all
these graces in us, yet not so that we should be machines, but willing
instruments in His hands, in making His election of us 'secure.' –JFB
Light 38: According to Revelation 2:10 we are to be faithful unto ______
what? Then is says that we are not to fear something. What? If we do
these things, what do we receive from God?
Revelation 2:10
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil
shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall
have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life.
At the beginning of this sermon I gave you
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
I have given you 38 lights this day. What is going to happen to you if
you keeping adding this lights to your path?
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and
more unto the perfect day.
So continue on and…
Light your path!!
[see
Part 1]
Note: All the lights mentioned in this sermon are taken from our
Bible study,
'How To' Instructions in Righteousness. |
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