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THE WISDOM OF THE SCRIPTURES

April 18, 1999 PM

Sermon Outline

KEEP DOING GOOD

Gal 6:9

INTRO: It is easy to become weary! A life without rest, a life without discipline, a life without purpose, a life without satisfaction ... anyone, or any combination, of these can bring us to a physical or mental state of weariness. In weariness we may find it difficult to keep going, to keep doing. The course of life is strewn with derelict lives which have simply run out of steam and quit. It may be that among them are Christians who have grown weary in well doing. To them, to us the wisdom of scripture says, Keep doing good.

I. THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS

A. Acts 10:38 ... Who went about doing good ...

1. here is a wonderful way to be known, remembered

2. everywhere He went He touched lives

3. He was exceedingly active, busy

B. Did He ever grow weary?

1. Jno 4:6 ... being wearied ...

2. but His physical weariness did not stop Him from taking an opportunity to talk about living water

3. he kept doing good! there is the example

II. WE MIGHT ASK, WHAT SORT OF GOOD?

A. Good as it relates to spiritual matters

1. Col 1:21-23 if ye continue in the faith

2. in Jesus case - He observed the Mosaic covenant: sabbath, feast days, etc.

3. charitable works do not replace spiritual fidelity

B. Good as it related to moral uprightness

1. 1 Tim 4:12 purity - moral cleanness

2. Jesus teaching about morality was noble and uplifting - Mt 5:29,30

3. when the world seems to have no moral compass, when anything goes, we must keep doing good!

C. Good as it relates to love and charity

1. Titus 2:14 and 3:8 zealous of good works

2. surely, we can see this in Jesus life, ministry

3. good works are more often than not the small deeds, acts of kindness - no demand for elaborate!

III. SOME CAUSES OF WEARINESS?

A. Loss of the vision of Christ

1. this begins the turn if attention to self

2. somehow, keep our eyes on Him - His example, His word, His challenge, His going the extra mile - inspires us beyond weariness

B. Ingratitude

1. remember Lk 17:17,18? or 2 Thes 1:3 - does his thanking God for them excite his charity toward them? certainly

2. we must overcome ingratitude with this: Col 3:24!

C. Fatigue

1. most of us are so busy we have reason to be weary

2. but if doing good is really on our minds, in our hearts, we will go on with goodness

D. Problems in our own lives

1. maintenance - Im just given out - yes, we can neglect our selves, our families, our needs to extent that we may feel we can go no further

2. remember that a garden must be tended - you, too, must be tended if your life is to be fruitful

IV. TWO PASSAGES OF ENCOURAGEMENT

A. Rom 2:6,7

B. Gal 6:9

C. There can be no doubt of the return to one who patiently continues to do good!

CLOSE: Rev 14:13 ... and their works do follow them. O Land of Rest, for thee I sigh ...

Cecil A. Hutson

April 18, 1999

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)