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Sermon: Are You Living Your Faith to the Fullest?

Don Ruhl

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08182013AreYouLivingYourFaithToTheFullestDonRuhl

There Is So Much More to Christianity 

Are you living your faith to the fullest?

Hebrews 5.12–6.3

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • August 13, In the year of our Lord, 2013

 

Prelude: 

  1. This is not a game. 
    1. This is not entertainment.
    2. This is not a mere social club.
      1. This is life and death.
      2. This is heaven and hell.
  2. Showing up on Sunday mornings is not the extent of Christianity, but 
    1. an extension of what we are, and
    2. of how we live.
  3. I want you to see 
    1. that Christianity is more than just being saved initially,
    2. that Christianity is more than an hour on Sundays,
      1. that the Lord expects to see growth in your life as a Christian,
      2. that your eternal destiny depends upon whether you are growing spiritually.

Persuasion: 

  1. Our Highway 
    1. We start in the world

      13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Col 1.13).

    2. What we should gain or add

      5.12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 6.1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits (Heb 5.12–6.3).

      5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Pe 1.5–11).

    3. Our destination

      1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21.1–4).

  2. Our Hindrances 
    1. Satan

      8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1Pe 5.8).

    2. The Flesh

      17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish (Gal 5.17).

    3. Worldliness

      15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1Jo 2.15).

    4. Weak Christians

      33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1Co 15.33).

    5. Falsehood

      18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom 16.18).

  3. Our Helpers 
    1. God

      19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phi 4.19).

    2. Jesus

      20b “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt 28.20).

    3. The Holy Spirit

      13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11.13).

    4. The Scriptures

      32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20.32).

    5. Christians

      16 from [Christ] the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Eph 4.16).

Exhortation: 

  1. So, what are you doing with your life? 
    1. Just remember that your life will determine your eternity!
    2. For this reason, the passages we have read today urge us to grow,
      1. to be more today than we were yesterday and
      2. to be more tomorrow than we are today.
  2. May every one of us know what is at stake! 
    1. Where will you spend eternity?
    2. God wants you to spend it with Him, but
      1. if you do not want Him,
      2. you will not spend it with Him.
  3. Turn your heart to Him right now! 
    1. Make a decision soon.
    2. Delay may prove to be costly.
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