Title: Believer: It is Not All About What Not to Do Meta: What characterizes the Christian is not that they don't do bad, but it is that they are zealous for good works. We must get away from a Christianity that has a negative emphasis; where the focus is on everything you don't do. Tags: Christian,positive,negative,focus,believer 1 00:00:00,497 --> 00:00:02,090 Do you know what sort of Jesus 2 00:00:02,090 --> 00:00:09,746 you do not find in your Bibles? 3 00:00:09,746 --> 00:00:12,832 We do not find the sort of Jesus 4 00:00:12,832 --> 00:00:15,153 Who didn't smoke, didn't drink, 5 00:00:15,153 --> 00:00:16,648 didn't watch R-rated movies, 6 00:00:16,648 --> 00:00:18,770 didn't send His children to public school, 7 00:00:18,770 --> 00:00:20,681 didn't come late to church. 8 00:00:20,681 --> 00:00:23,343 We don't find that Christ. 9 00:00:23,343 --> 00:00:25,529 You say, what? 10 00:00:25,529 --> 00:00:27,060 Listen. 11 00:00:27,060 --> 00:00:29,015 My emphasis is this: 12 00:00:29,015 --> 00:00:35,041 You don't find this Christ 13 00:00:35,041 --> 00:00:37,543 of negative emphasis 14 00:00:37,543 --> 00:00:41,853 in the pages of your Bible. 15 00:00:41,853 --> 00:00:44,335 Acts 10:38 doesn't say that Jesus 16 00:00:44,335 --> 00:00:51,018 went about not doing evil. 17 00:00:51,018 --> 00:00:53,575 That's not the Jesus of the Bible. 18 00:00:53,575 --> 00:00:56,083 You say, what? You're saying He did evil? 19 00:00:56,083 --> 00:01:01,427 No, I'm just saying, that's not the issue. 20 00:01:01,427 --> 00:01:05,940 So often you find religious people - 21 00:01:05,940 --> 00:01:08,399 professing Christians. 22 00:01:08,399 --> 00:01:10,499 Well, what's wrong with that? 23 00:01:10,499 --> 00:01:12,806 Well, I don't do that. 24 00:01:12,806 --> 00:01:15,646 You know, the typical fundamentalist attitude: 25 00:01:15,646 --> 00:01:17,283 I don't drink. I don't smoke. 26 00:01:17,283 --> 00:01:20,736 I don't dance. 27 00:01:20,736 --> 00:01:23,270 So? 28 00:01:23,270 --> 00:01:29,001 You say, what, the pastor's saying you can? 29 00:01:29,001 --> 00:01:31,267 I'm saying this: 30 00:01:31,267 --> 00:01:35,511 We're called to be followers of Christ. 31 00:01:35,511 --> 00:01:37,769 When you do spiritual inventory, 32 00:01:37,769 --> 00:01:39,638 sure, it's good if you haven't 33 00:01:39,638 --> 00:01:41,914 viewed pornography this week. 34 00:01:41,914 --> 00:01:46,399 It's great if you haven't beaten your wife this week. 35 00:01:46,399 --> 00:01:50,749 Brethren, those things are a given. 36 00:01:50,749 --> 00:01:52,194 If that's the level at which 37 00:01:52,194 --> 00:01:54,787 you're trying to live your Christian life, my friend, 38 00:01:54,787 --> 00:01:58,723 you are missing the whole point 39 00:01:58,723 --> 00:02:02,495 of why Jesus Christ saved a people. 40 00:02:02,495 --> 00:02:04,560 Have you ever read? 41 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:10,547 He saved a people for His own possession. 42 00:02:10,547 --> 00:02:13,222 And what would chiefly characterize them? 43 00:02:13,222 --> 00:02:16,547 The fact that they don't do bad? 44 00:02:16,547 --> 00:02:20,246 Brethren, that they'd be zealous of good works. 45 00:02:20,246 --> 00:02:22,831 That's it. 46 00:02:22,831 --> 00:02:25,063 Get away from this negative-oriented 47 00:02:25,063 --> 00:02:30,863 kind of Christianity. 48 00:02:30,863 --> 00:02:32,977 You know, you ask some people 49 00:02:32,977 --> 00:02:34,469 about their Christianity, 50 00:02:34,469 --> 00:02:39,320 and it's like it's all the negative. 51 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,663 It's all about what they don't do. 52 00:02:41,663 --> 00:02:43,182 Listen, Jesus didn't save us 53 00:02:43,182 --> 00:02:45,627 just to stop doing the bad things. 54 00:02:45,627 --> 00:02:46,994 Of course, He did that. 55 00:02:46,994 --> 00:02:48,600 Of course, by the Spirit 56 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,476 to put to death the deeds of the body. 57 00:02:50,476 --> 00:02:53,537 Of course that. 58 00:02:53,537 --> 00:02:58,797 But doing good, doing good. 59 00:02:58,797 --> 00:03:00,310 This is the will of God, 60 00:03:00,310 --> 00:03:02,353 that by doing good 61 00:03:02,353 --> 00:03:03,818 you should put to silence 62 00:03:03,818 --> 00:03:05,421 the ignorance of foolish people. 63 00:03:05,421 --> 00:03:07,289 In the same way, doesn't Scripture say, 64 00:03:07,289 --> 00:03:10,120 let your light so shine before men 65 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:11,920 that they may see your good works 66 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:13,605 and give glory to your Father 67 00:03:13,605 --> 00:03:14,647 Who is in Heaven. 68 00:03:14,647 --> 00:03:15,889 Right there in Ephesians, 69 00:03:15,889 --> 00:03:16,995 we came across it. 70 00:03:16,995 --> 00:03:18,568 We are His workmanship, 71 00:03:18,568 --> 00:03:21,096 created in Christ Jesus for good works. 72 00:03:21,096 --> 00:03:22,860 Brethren, this is the heart and soul. 73 00:03:22,860 --> 00:03:24,944 Again, when we talk about making it 74 00:03:24,944 --> 00:03:28,020 a primary endeavor of your life to pray, 75 00:03:28,020 --> 00:03:30,805 one of the primary endeavors of our lives 76 00:03:30,805 --> 00:03:32,584 is doing good. 77 00:03:32,584 --> 00:03:33,737 With so many people, 78 00:03:33,737 --> 00:03:36,441 it's "I didn't miss church on Sunday." 79 00:03:36,441 --> 00:03:39,132 Listen, churchgoing - that's good. 80 00:03:39,132 --> 00:03:42,344 Not forsaking the assembling together of yourselves is good. 81 00:03:42,344 --> 00:03:44,702 But why do we come together? 82 00:03:44,702 --> 00:03:48,673 To stir up one another to love and good works. 83 00:03:48,673 --> 00:03:50,829 You see, that's the issue. 84 00:03:50,829 --> 00:03:53,286 You being here - that's only to equip you 85 00:03:53,286 --> 00:03:55,934 for the real work: 86 00:03:55,934 --> 00:03:59,416 To go out these doors 87 00:03:59,416 --> 00:04:00,941 and among one another 88 00:04:00,941 --> 00:04:03,002 and among the world out here 89 00:04:03,002 --> 00:04:04,849 in the midst of all this. 90 00:04:04,849 --> 00:04:07,549 Brothers, sisters, 91 00:04:07,549 --> 00:04:09,394 do good. 92 00:04:09,394 --> 00:04:11,312 Let that be the banner that flies 93 00:04:11,312 --> 00:04:12,456 over your life. 94 00:04:12,456 --> 00:04:13,880 Do good. 95 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:15,368 Don't just live your life 96 00:04:15,368 --> 00:04:16,577 not getting drunk, 97 00:04:16,577 --> 00:04:18,570 then selfishly seeking to 98 00:04:18,570 --> 00:04:20,583 live for your own profit, 99 00:04:20,583 --> 00:04:22,757 your own good. 100 00:04:22,757 --> 00:04:24,565 Look for every occasion to do good. 101 00:04:24,565 --> 00:04:26,040 Look for opportunities. 102 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,685 In your secret prayer, ask God: 103 00:04:28,685 --> 00:04:30,154 Please, open doors. 104 00:04:30,154 --> 00:04:31,618 It's amazing how many times 105 00:04:31,618 --> 00:04:32,755 my wife has said, 106 00:04:32,755 --> 00:04:34,569 "I asked the Lord for an opportunity 107 00:04:34,569 --> 00:04:36,240 to evangelize, and He brought it." 108 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,216 Almost instantaneously. 109 00:04:38,216 --> 00:04:40,719 Like that day. Right away. 110 00:04:40,719 --> 00:04:42,131 I find that to be true too. 111 00:04:42,131 --> 00:04:43,763 You ask the Lord for opportunities 112 00:04:43,763 --> 00:04:47,165 to do good - the door will swing open. 113 00:04:47,165 --> 00:04:48,541 Just ask Him. 114 00:04:48,541 --> 00:04:49,996 Ask Him. 115 00:04:49,996 --> 00:04:52,504 This excerpt comes from the full sermon: 116 00:04:52,504 --> 00:04:57,084 A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial. 117 00:04:57,084 --> 00:04:58,637 The full message can be found 118 00:04:58,637 --> 00:05:01,148 on illbehonest.com.