Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Christ's Call For Christian Living (Part II)


“Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”
(Luke 8:39)

II– HOME IS THE PLACE OF GLORY IN THE GOOD THINGS OF GOD- In this verse: “Show what great things the Lord hath done” the lessons we can get are: :
1. We should not appear holy at church and hateful at home.
2. We should not appear saintly at church and sour at home.
3. We should not appear gracious at church and grouchy at home.
4. Our home must be a place of praise not of pouting.

We also should not worry so much in our home. Paul tells us how to overcome PESSIMISM IN OUR HOME:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:6-8).

A. Don’t Worry - This verse means “don’t worry about anything.” God forbid us from worrying.
Application:
1. Worry is the advance interest you pay on troubles that seldom come.
2. Worry, like a rocking chair, will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.
3. Modern medical research has proved that worry breaks down resistance to disease.More than that, it actually diseases the nervous system particularly that of the digestive organs and of the heart.
Worry may cause “HYPERVENTILLATION” when a person becomes overly anxious, his respiration tends to be shallow and yawns frequently.In a sense he has “forgotten” one of the most fundamental activities of life – HOW TO BREATH NORMALLY. “Ulcers is what you get from climbing mountains over mole hills.”

B. Trust God for everything – “ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:7 ).

Illustration: Small boy’s version of the hymn, “Trust and Obey.”
When he said that at Sunday School, they had been singing “Trust and O.K.”

Lesson:
Everything must be O.K. if the life has been committed to His precious keeping. There is no other way. The text is found in a Psalm which is the MIDDLE VERSE OF THE BIBLE. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”(Psalm 118:9).
Pilots put confidence in their planes. Commuters place confidence in trains, cars, or buses. Each day we must put our confidence in something or someone. If you are willing to trust a plane or car to get you to your destination, are you willing to trust God to guide you here on earth and to your eternal destination?

C. Think only of Praise - “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. " (Philippians 4:8).

In order to keep God’s peace, christians must occupy their minds with the right things and busy themselves with the right activities. What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Examine what you are putting into your mind through T.V., books, movies, and magazines. Every member of the family should read God’s Word and pray everyday. It takes practice but it can be done.

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