I read an article recently that had three points in the conclusion. Some would jokingly say, add an introduction and conclusion and you have the makings of a sermon. I want to touch on these three points today. Jeanny Gilpin wrote the article in Think magazine, May 2010.
1. Fix your
determination today. Determination is defined as the process
of establishing something exactly, firmness of purpose, resoluteness. We need
to establish our salvation in Christ if we have not done so. None of us are going to live forever
although we may approach life as though that were the case. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that it is
appointed unto man once to die. If
the Lord does not return before that time, all of us will die. Therefore, we need to make plans to be
ready by obeying the gospel.
Ecclesiastes 12:1, ÒRemember now thy
Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years
draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.Ó
2. Fight the
enemy every day. We
are approaching vacation time when people decide to take several days or a week
off from work to do whatever they are able to do. In our battle with Satan, we cannot take a week off; we
cannot take one day off. Our
battle with Satan is a constant battle. I Peter 5:8, ÒBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.Ó We have to constantly be on the alert for the devices that
Satan will use to try to get us back into his fold. We must put on the whole armour of God and fight (Ephesians
6:11-18).
3. Finish
well. You have made the decision to be a New Testament Christian
and you have been in a daily battle with Satan. Do not give up as you near the finish line. Paul said in the Galatian letter, ÒAnd let us
not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint notÓ (Galatians 6:9).
We do not know when our race will be over, so we need to keep running
until we reach that goal. (Philippians 3:13,14). Paul proclaimed, ÒFor I am
now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faithÓ (2 Timothy 4:6,7). You must finish well to obtain the prize of eternal life.
THE CHRISTIAN CAN
Paul said,
ÒI can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth meÓ (Philippians 4:13). The Christian
must be careful with his interpretation of this verse. The Christian does not
wish to do some things. There are other things which God has not placed in his power.
What Paul is saying is that the Christian can do all things which God desires and
expects him to do. In many cases this may be far more that the Christian ever
dreamed he might be able to do.
1. THE
CHRISTIAN CAN BEAR BURDERS THAT OTHER MEN CANNOT BEAR. He can do so because he is not
bearing them alone. The Christian is to burden God with what burdens him (Psalm
55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). Christians help other Christians with their burdens
(Galatians 6:2). When the Christian yokes up with Jesus Christ, his burdens
become light (Matthew 11:30). The business of living the Christian life
provides strength for burden-bearing unavailable from any other source. But
above all, the Christian can shoulder burdens which would overwhelm any other
person because he knows there is no burden which he has to carry alone.
2. THE
CHRISTIAN CAN RESIST TEMPTATIONS THAT OTHER MEN CANNOT RESIST. The Christian lives a circumscribed
life (1 Peter 2:9). The Christian never faces a temptation that Jesus Christ
has not already examined and allowed to pass because He knows the Christian can
face it and conquer it (1 Corinthians 10:13). The temptations of evil are
strong, but the Christian has the power to resist and put Satan to flight
(James 4:7).
3. THE
CHRISTIAN CAN BEAR DISSAPOINTMENTS IN WAYS OTHER MEN CANNOT BEAR THEM. This world is not the ÒeverythingÓ
of the child of God. When this world is gone, the Christian has another world
that is far better (2 Peter 3:11-13; Revelation 21 and 22). This is not so with
the Òworldly person.Ó
The worldly person either gets it here and enjoys it here or he does not enjoy
it at all. When the Christian is risen with Christ (Romans 6:3-4), he has
affections set on things above, not on things here below (Colossians 3:1). The
realization that one day all things will be made right enables the Christian to
bear earthly disappointments.
4. THE
CHRISTIAN CAN BEAR SORROWS IN WAYS THAT OTHER MEN CANNOT BEAR THEM. Sorrows will come and there is no
way to avoid them. Life must go on in spite of sorrows. The question is what
effect it will have on the Christian. Will sorrows break him, leave him bitter
and full of resentment, or will sorrows form and mold him so that God can
better use him? With the grace of God, sorrows can be endured. Only the
Christian is equipped to bear sorrows properly.
PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, we thank You for your love and assistance in living the Christian life. In JesusÕ name. Amen.
--Levi Sides, June 2008, The Words Of Truth
IN A RUT?
Sometimes individuals and churches need to get out of their ruts.
Why do we do what we are doing? Is it working? Is it scriptural? Is it wise?
Self-examination is good for individuals and churches (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Often examination brings us back
to the same place. If our approach is based on Scripture and sound reason, we
will come to the same conclusions. At other times we discover that we are in a
rut that is taking us nowhere in particular, or even in a wrong direction.
Take, for instance, the American
railroad. The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) is four
feet, eight-and-one-half inches. Why such an odd number? Because thatÕs the way
they build them in England, and American railroads were built by British
expatriates.
Why did the English adopt that
particular gauge? Because the people who built the pre-railroad tramways used
that gauge. They in turn were locked into that gauge because the people who
built tramways used the same standards and tools they had used for building
wagons, which were set on a gauge of four feet, eight-an-one-half inches. Why
were wagons built to that scale?
Because with any other size, the wheels did not match the old wheel ruts
on the roads.
So who built these old rutted roads? The first long-distance
highways in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their
legions. The roads have been in use ever since. The ruts were first made by
Roman war chariots. Four feet, eight-and-one-half inches was the width a
chariot needed to be to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses.
Maybe ÒthatÕs the way
itÕs always beenÓ isnÕt the great
excuse some people believe it to be--
--Clark
Cothern sermonillustrations.com
(taken from Glad tidings of Good Things, 09/17/09)
MONTROSE FAMILY NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
May 30, 2010
WORSHIP----SUNDAY---9:00
AM
Co-Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Billy Halliburton
Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glen Reece
Scriptures Reading.. 2 Cor. 1:8-11É . .
Song Leader . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . Brian
Harville
Opening Prayer. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . Harold Smith
LordÕs Supper-Preside: Jacky
Carver, Sr.
Serve: Jimmy Smith, Steve Anderson,
Ricky
Kirby, Brian Smith
Closing Prayer.......................... Tim
Hommrich
GreeterÑ Ricky & Janie
Kirby
GreeterÑ Jimmy & Melanie
Smith
Count Offering. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . Jacky Carver, Sr.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
Kaleb Bush
AM SermonÑ He Maketh Me to Lie Down (Psa 23:2)
PM SermonÑ Young Men Speak
Announcements . . . . . . . .
. . . . . .. . . . . . .TBA
Song Leader. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . É.
TBA
Scripture Reading..2 Cor.
1:12-14É..
TBA
Opening Prayer . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .TBA
LordÕs Supper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBA
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .TBA
Closing Prayer . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . TBA
BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAY---7:00 PM
AnnouncementÉ . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .Glen Reece
Song Leader . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . Jimmy Smith
First Prayer. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . Ricky Kirby
Opening Prayer . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .Harold Smith
Closing Prayer . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . Larry Kemp
Prepare Communion for May
--Teresa & Susanne
Prepare Communion for
June--Dianna D. & Vicki Russell
Note: If you are not able to fulfill your assignment listed
above, please notify the coordinator so that he can find a replacement.
NURSING HOME: Lucille Smith,
Those on the sick list:
Donald Chaffin (Zion) Lou GehrigÕs disease
Hoss WestÑSmith County Health Care
Vaughn Allen
John William LeonardÑspine
problems
Francis KempÑICU Vanderbilt
Wednesday. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Worship Sunday AM . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 74
Bible Study Sunday AM .. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Daily Bible Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 31
Worship Sunday PM . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Offering . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
$3520.12
Our church picnic will be
June 5th at the Barn
Gospel Meeting with James
Watkins will be June 20-25th.
VBS will be July 5th
Ð9th.
Jackson/Smith County Youth
Camp is July 18th- 24th.
Congratulation to Brian and Kayla Harville in the birth of
Turner Stephen Harville. He weighed 10 lb. and is 21 inches long. Born May 19th.
The 5th. Sunday contribution will go toward the
compound we are building in India
BIBLE READING SCHEDULE FOR JUNE
01
Psa. 116-120
02
Psa. 121-123
03
Psa. 124-126
04
Psa. 127-129
05
Psa. 130-132
06
Psa. 133-135
07
Psa. 136-138
08
Psa. 139-143
09
Psa. 144-146
10 Psa. 147-149
11
Psa. 150;Prov.1,2
12
Prov. 3-5
13
Prov. 6-8
14
Prov. 9-11
15
Prov. 12-16
16
Prov. 17-19
17
Prov. 20-22
18
Prov. 23-25
19
Prov. 26-28
20 Prov. 29-31
21 Eccle, 1-3
22
Eccle. 4-8
23
Eccle. 9-11
24
Eccle. 12;
S. of S. 1-2
25
S of Sol. 3-5
26
S of Sol. 6-8
27
Isaiah 1-3
28
Isa. 4-6
29
Isa. 7-11
30
Isa. 12-14
31 Isa. 15-17