What Does It Mean to Be a Christian? 2: Follow Jesus
September 6, 2022 | Sean Finnegan
Following Jesus entails two major aspects:
Reading his words and doing them
Watching his example and imitating him
John 10:24-28 People had various opinions of Jesus. Some believed and others thought he was oppressed by a demon. What do you think? Are you one of his sheep?
Luke 6:46-49 Jesus clearly defines what it means to follow him. If you call him “Lord,” you must also do what he says. Those who hear his words and do not do them are like someone who built a house without a foundation.
What Does It Mean to Be a Christian? 1: Believe the Gospel
August 30, 2022 | Sean Finnegan
Romans 6:23 You can’t earn salvation. It is God’s free gift.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Romans 1:16 The gospel is the message we believe for salvation.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Luke 8:12 The devil works to prevent people from understanding and believing the gospel.
The gospel includes three truths:
Acts 3:1-10, 16, 19
Acts 4:7-10, 12, 16-18
Do not speak.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man
John 3:16 For God…
John 3:17 For God…
John 14:6 Jesus said unto him,
Billy Graham story
SPIRITUAL MARKER
1 Samuel 7:3 Forsake your idols; turn back to Yahweh.
1 Samuel 7:10 They obeyed, so Yahweh routed the Philistines.
1 Samuel 7:12 Samuel set up an ebenezer, a spiritual marker, to commemorate this event.
“Ebenezer” is a Hebrew word that literally means “a stone of help”. Stones, altars, and recorded historical events can all be ebenezers that memorialize a time of divine assistance.
God Wants YOU and Is Fighting For YOU
Exo 20:1-6
Idols primarily refer to physical idols/statues that represent false gods. But there are also many other very dangerous idols in life that are not made by human hands.
The Battle—Spiritual Warfare
Eph 6:12-17
God has enabled us for the battle, but we must be prepared. We are not left helpless.
2 Cor 10:4-7
2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:3; Ephesians 2:2, 3; 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:9 The great deception we all are confronted with is we believe we can do it on our own. “I don’t need help” is the mantra of many.
Proverbs 15:8 God wants to help. He delights in our prayers.
1 Samuel 21:8-15 David knew he needed help.
Psalm 34:1-7, 15-19 The first step in receiving help from God is realizing you need help, and the second step is asking with faith.
Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17 Seek Yahweh, and you will find Him.
2 Chronicles 15:2, 4, 15
Proverbs 15:8 The prayer of the upright is God’s delight.
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, seek, knock.
Matthew 6:5-15 Jesus provided instruction on how to pray and gave a guideline for daily prayer. The aspects of prayer include – praise for Yahweh (Psalm 106:1), acknowledgement of the coming Kingdom (Acts 24:15-16), request for daily needs (Matthew 6:32-33), receiving and giving forgiveness (1 John 1:7-10; Matthew 6:14-15), help with temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9), and deliverance from evil.
Jonah 1:1-17 Instead of obeying God’s command to go and preach to Nineveh, Jonah flees in the opposite direction.
Jonah 2:1, 10 Although Jonah tried to end his life, God saved him and gave him another chance to do the right thing.
Jonah 3:1-10 This time, Jonah preaches to the people of Nineveh: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” The city’s response is heartfelt and all encompassing. Although he didn’t have a heart for the people, Jonah’s message hit home, inspiring wholesale repentance and fasting.
Revelation 4:1-3 John gets invited backstage to see God’s throne room in heaven. What he sees, he compares to precious stones that dazzle in the light. (See also Psalm 104:1-2; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 1:5.)
Ezekiel 1:4, 13, 22, 26-28 The prophet Ezekiel likewise saw a vision of God in which he used analogies to burning fire, flashing lightning, and gleaming stones to describe what he saw.
Revelation 4:4-5 Twenty-four elders surround God’s throne. Although we cannot be certain who these beings are, it’s likely that they are angelic beings (not deceased people) who are the counterpart of the church on earth.
