Job 23:10 But he
knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Pastor Rick Jackson
In the past few weeks we have been examining the pressures
of life. We have seen some of them are self-inflicted, we have seen others
pressure us. Sometimes, the pressure comes from above. That's right, sometimes
the pressures of life are from God. Now granted, when God pressures us it is
for our good and His glory, but the pressure is on nonetheless.
Job didn't know everything about the pressure he was under,
but he knew God would use it to help him be a better person. Joseph said
essentially the same thing when he declared to his brothers in Gn. 50:20 But as
for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to
pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Pressure from God can come
in many forms. One of the main forms for people, especially the lost, is in the
area of:
I. CONVICTION [Jn.
16:8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
1. Conviction of Sin [v. 9] Of sin, because they believe not
on me;
2. Conviction of Righteousness [v. 10] Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
3. Conviction of Judgment [v. 11] Of judgment, because the
prince of this world is judged.
Here God brings the pressure but it's to bring about the
salvation of the soul. Christians may find themselves under conviction to bring
about a closer walk with the Lord. Which brings us to another area of pressure
from the Lord and that is in the realm of:
II. CONTROL [Romans
6:16]
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
1. Walk Right [Galatians 5:16-17] This I say then, Walk in
the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary
the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
2. Love Right [1 John 2:15-17]
Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he
that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
It's not a matter of saying "I want to control my
life". The only control we have is to decide who we are going to let
control us, God or the world, the flesh, and the devil. Ultimately, it's either
God or the Devil. The pressure comes in making the choice.
3. Choose Right [Joshua 24:15]
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you
this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that
were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land
ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said,
How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if
Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Really- it all boils down to:
III. CHOICES
1. Choose to Live by Trusting Christ! [Pr. 3:5-7]
2. Choose to Die to Self by Emulating Christ! [1 Peter 2:21]
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, …
3. Choose how to Live by Following Christ! [1 Peter 2:21] “…
that ye should follow his steps:”
Do those three, and the pressure is basically off in every
other area.
No comments:
Post a Comment