| Chapel Sermonhey guys, most of you know that i spoke in chapel at PHCA a few weeks ago, here is what i talked about
Mat 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Mat 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
Mat 7:18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Mat 7:21 "Not
everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On
that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in
your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Verse 16 is referring to the false prophets talked about in verse 15 it says,"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." it
says that you will recognize them by their fruits. Which means that
you will be able to recognize the prophets by their fruits. You will
be able to recognize the prophets by how they act, what they say, how
they live their life. This is not just a way of recognizing the
prophets, it is also a way of recognizing Christians. lost people, and
christians alike will be able to recognize others as christian or non
by the how they live their life. verses 17,18,19, and 20 all talk
about the fruits relationship to the tree. It says that a healthy tree
bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.a healthy tree
cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire.thus you will recognize them by their fruits. This all means that
those who do not bear good fruit, or have a relationship with Christ,
will be thrown into the fire and that fire is an eternal fire in hell.
sounds fun doesnt it? verse 21 says something that i believe we all
need to understand and take to heart..."Not
everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
This means that a relationship with Christ is so much more than words
you say in a prayer. if you pray a prayer one day, and go out and live
like you never changed, chances are that they were just words they
didnt mean anything. a relationship with Christ means a life-altering
change. if you never go through that life-altering change than think
to yourself and ask yourself if you truly are a Christian. and if you
truly believe that you are a Christian, that you have a personal
relationship with Christ, that you have gone through that life-altering
change, than the next verse is for you.
Pro 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
When you have a relationship with Christ, when you go through that
life altering change, than you will act as Christ acted. You will slip
up, but your relationship with Christ will always cause you to come
back to Him. it says, "but he who makes his ways crooked will be found
out." if you guys who say that you are a christian, than go out and
drink, smoke pot, have sex, or even put a bunch junk up on your
myspaces/xangas/facebooks and dont think that you will be caught, than
i am sorry, but you are a fool. You must have enough integrity to say
no to your lost friends. W. Clement Stone once said, "Have
the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right
thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life
with integrity.” and somebody else once said, "Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.”
even if you dont get found out here on earth, God knows, he found you
out the first time you even thought about it and everytime after that.
so who would you rather be punished by? God? or your parents?
personally i would rather be punished by my parents than God. yea God,
is a God of love and forgiveness. but he is also a just God, and it
breaks his heart everytime we sin against him, it breaks his heart even
more when we sin against him and we don't even care. He will not
tolerate it. He will not allow you into heaven just because you prayed
a prayer when you were little. he will not allow you into heaven just
because your parents are christians. he will not allow you into heaven
just because you go to church every time the doors are open. He will
not allow you into heaven just because you go to a Christian school He
will only allow you into heaven if you have a personal relationship
with Him. He will only allow you into heaven if you have gone through
a life-altering change.
P.S. Chiefs game was aweful....but the trip was fun
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