Message: “Keys to a Christian LifeStyle” from Pastor Joe

Keys to a Christian LifeStyle  Lesson Objective: To review lifestyle keys as described by Paul so that others can see God by the way we live Scripture: Romans Chapter 12 Christians must first learn that a Christian lifestyle requires sacrifice Romans 12:1  I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. Definition of sacrifice: giving of life or something of perceived great value Old Testament was the sacrifice of animals New Testament- Christ’s sacrifice for us We have to sacrifice daily by not following the desires of our hearts(perceived values) if they are inconsistent with the word of God   Do not think like the world but have a renewing of the mind- Romans 12: 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God What are some things that the world teaches which are opposite to the Bible? Look out for number one first Fornication is acceptable behavior It is ok for kids to disobey their parents Parents should not ever spank or discipline their children   How does one gain this renewing of the mind? By studying the Bible and by surrounding ourselves with Christians who believe in the inherent truth of the Bible Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Praying without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17   Be humble and have humility Verse 3 Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you What does it mean to have a measure of faith? We all have the capacity for exemplifying all of the spiritual gifts in some measure but we exceed in one more than the other because that is what comes most natural and we utilize that gift most often which allows us to become more comfortable   Use of Spiritual Gifts Review of Gifts as described by Paul- Verses 4-8 Prophesy Serve Teach Encourage Giver Leading Show mercy Not meant to be the only gifts for there are other gifts that may not fit directly under any of those identified by Paul. Used to the uplift body of the Church-  These gifts are to be used in the development of the Christian body.   The necessity of Love in our lives for each other- Romans 12: 9 Let love be without dissimulation( pretense). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. This love must be genuine and not based upon what we can get or some ulterior motive   Devoted to one another 12: 10 We must be able to depend on each other no matter what the condition   Zealous- Verse 11 also Galatians 4:17-18 We must have the same deal when utilizing our spiritual gifts for the up building of the Church as we have in nonreligious events such as football games, etc.   Do not be revengeful- 14-21 We must recognize that there will be disagreements but these should not lead to our revenge.   Summary It is vitally important that we recognize that the key to living a Christian lifestyle is to understand first that we must allow God to enter our lives and that we are to meet his purposes. Furthermore, this requires a change of mindset different from what is taught in the world and recognizing that each of us has a spiritual gift that must be used to build and sustain the Church. We can only accomplish this if we truly love each other and be zealous of our responsibilities and never utilize revenge as a means of addressing the Church.  

More Messages from Joe Summers | Download Audio

From Series: "Sunday Service"

These are the regularly scheduled Sunday lessons