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Sermon Date: 3/11/2007
Outline:
Introduction:
A. There are two important responsibilities in Christianity:
1. The first responsibility is of the church.
a. It was our responsibility to win you and others to Christ.
b. It was our responsibility to baptize you.
c. It was the churches responsibility to teach and equip you.
d. To sum it up, it is the churches responsibility to follow the great commission.
e. By the way, if you are saved, you are part of the church and are personally commanded to win others to Christ, get them committed to baptism and teach them.
2. The second responsibility is of the individual.
a. We call this sole responsibility.
b. If it was the church’s responsibility to give you the gospel, it is your individual responsibility to receive it.
c. If it was the church’s responsibility to baptize you, it is your responsibility to be baptized.
d. If it is the church’s responsibility to teach and train you, it is your responsibility to be in church, Sunday school, Bible Study, etc . . .
e. But there is one more responsibility that you have: The responsibility of maintaining a daily walk with God.
B. A walk with God requires work.
I. THE PRODUCT OF WALKING WITH GOD1. Compare to a relationship
a. For a single person, liking someone of the opposite sex is natural.
b. Asking someone to go out is fairly simple.
c. Learning about that person comes automatically with time.
d. But building a strong relationship takes a lot of work.
2. We often get confused as to what God is most impressed with.
a. Standards don’t make a great Christian.
b. Faithfulness to church doesn’t make a great Christian.
c. Inviting friends to church doesn’t make a great Christian.
3. It is a walk with God that makes the difference between a good Christian and a great Christian.
Saved – Baptized – Church Attendance – Daily Devotions with God – Faithful Church Attendance – Soul Winning – Forming Convictions (Modesty, Moral Convictions, Tithing, Losing Bad Habits) –Having a Ministry
4. I don’t want everyone to try to jump to the last step today. It won’t last.
a. But if I can get you to pinpoint which point you are standing on and take just one step today, we’ll see unbelievable results this coming year.
b. If you can take one step today, you will begin to see a drastic change in your walk with God.
A. A WALK PRODUCES FAITH. (HEBREWS 11:5-7)
1. Two things we find in common with both Enoch and Noah:
a. They both walked with God.
b. They both are mentioned in Hebrew’s Hall of Faith chapter as having great faith.
c. We can therefore conclude that a walk with God produces great faith.
2. You show me someone who’s always worried about the future; I’ll show you someone who does not have a walk with God.
3. You show me someone who can’t trust God with their tithe; I’ll show you someone who lacks a walk with God.
4. You show me someone who won’t step out and do the ministry God has called them to do; I’ll show you someone who isn’t walking with God on a daily basis.
B. A WALK PRODUCES COMMITMENT.
1. Noah had a hundred years of work to do.
a. A hundred years of ridicule over building a boat when there’s never been a drop of rain.
b. A hundred years of preaching to people who wouldn’t listen to a word he said.
c. A hundred years of letting go of every dream he ever had to build.
d. Even if God was right about the flood, how old would he be when he was rescued from it?
e. He was six hundred years old when the flood came. There’s not much of a life left to save.
2. I bet there were times he didn’t think it was worth it.
a. Then what kept him going?
“Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”
b. Have you ever meet someone who just goes from church to church?
c. Even while they’re at a church, they are constantly keeping their eye out for a better one.
d. “That one’s friendlier.” “That one’s more fun.” “That one’s got a better music program.” “The Preacher’s not so loud at that one.” “I hear they built a new building.” “I’m not getting fed.”
1- If you’re not getting fed, why don’t you start feeding yourself?
2- By the way, who feeds the pastor? I have to feed myself, yet I get plenty of Bible.
3. Isn’t it amazing that if when you talk to two different people about the same church you get opposite responses?
4. What’s the difference? One person has a walk with God while the other doesn’t.
a. How come one person thinks we have a friendly church while another thinks we don’t?
b. And how come it’s the ones that come late to church, leave the second it’s done, only come to one service a week if that, and never talk to anyone themselves that say we’re not friendly?
5. The problem isn’t that the church is unfriendly or you’re not getting fed or the preaching’s too loud.
6. The problem is that you don’t have a daily walk with the Lord and you don’t know commitment.
7. The reason you’ve been divorced seven times isn’t because you married seven losers, although . . .
8. The reason you can’t stay in one ministry for more than a couple weeks isn’t because your schedule is full. It’s a privilege to have a ministry in the local church, but you throw it away.
9. Hey, what you need is to begin to have a one-on-one relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
C. A WALK PRODUCES OBEDIENCE. (6:22, 7:5)
II. THE PROVISION OF WALKING WITH GOD1. What does that mean?
a. It means if you have a walk with God, I won’t have to try to convince you to tithe.
1- If everyone here walked with God, I’d not even bother to have a Stewardship Campaign.
2- If everyone here walked with God, I’d cancel the Missions Conference.
3- If everyone here walked with God, I wouldn’t have a have special offerings to try to keep up with the bills.
b. It means that if you have a walk with God, I won’t have to preach hard to get you to live right.
1- I’d never have to preach against liquor, cigarettes, tattoos and body piercing.
2- I’d never have to preach against ungodly movies, television programs and music.
3- I’d never have to preach against religious movements that are disobedient to the doctrine found in the Bible.
4- I’d never have to preach that a man should look like a man and a woman look like a woman.
5- I’d never have to make an emphasis on soul-winning because everyone would be going.
2. I’m simply saying that a walk with God always produces obedience to his Word and authority.
A. A WALK PROVIDES SECURITY.
1. They were safe in the ark.
2. I bet others wished they had that security.
3. Your friends may mock you now.
4. They will come to a point where they will want your security.
B. A WALK PROVIDES A FAITHFUL FAMILY.
1. Noah’s wife and children followed his lead.
2. If you have parents that walk with God, you better follow their lead.
3. If you walk with God, your spouse will follow your lead.
5. I’m not saying if you come to church or go on church activities.
6. I’m saying if you walk with God.
4. I’m saying that children can win their unsaved parents to the Lord by their walk with God.
5. I’ve seen grown-up children turn back to God because their parents never quit walking with God. (continued...)
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