Do you know what sort of Jesus you
do not find in your Bibles?
We do not find the sort of Jesus
who didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't watch irated
movies, didn't send his children to public school,
didn't come late to church.
We don't find that Christ.
You say, what?
Listen, my emphasis is this.
You don't find this Christ of negative emphasis
in the pages of your Bible.
Acts 10.38 doesn't say that Jesus went
about not doing evil.
That's not the Jesus of the Bible.
You say, what?
You're saying He did evil?
No!
I'm just saying that's not the issue.
It's not the issue.
So often you find religious people professing Christians.
Well, what's wrong with that?
I don't do that.
You know, the typical fundamentalist attitude.
I don't drink.
I don't smoke.
I don't dance.
So?
You say, oh, what?
The pastor's saying you can?
You can?
I'm saying this, we're called to be followers
of Christ.
When you do spiritual inventory, sure, it's good
if you haven't viewed pornography this week.
It's great if you haven't beaten your wife
this week.
Brethren, those things are a given.
If that's the level at which you're trying
to live your Christian life, my friend, you
are missing the whole point of why Jesus
Christ saved a people.
Have you ever read?
He saved a people for His own possession.
And what would chiefly characterize them?
The fact that they don't do bad?
Brethren, that they be zealous of good works.
That's it.
Get away from this negative-oriented kind of
Christianity.
You know, you ask some people about their
Christianity and it's like it's all the negative.
It's all about what they don't do.
Listen, Jesus didn't save us just to stop
doing the bad things.
Of course, He did that.
Of course, by the Spirit to put to
death the deeds of the body.
Of course that.
But doing good.
Doing good.
This is the will of God.
That by doing good, you should put to
silence the ignorance of foolish people.
In the same way, doesn't Scripture say, let
your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and give glory
to your Father Who is in Heaven.
Right there in Ephesians, we came across it.
We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus
for good works.
Brethren, this is the heart and soul.
Again, when we talk about making it a
primary endeavor of your life to pray, one
of the primary endeavors of our lives is
doing good.
With so many people, I didn't miss church
on Sunday.
Listen, church going, well, that's good.
Not forsaking the assembling together of yourselves is
good.
But why do we come together?
To stir up one another to love and
good works.
You see, that's the issue.
You being here, that's only to equip you
for the real work.
To go out these doors and among one
another and among the world out here in
the midst of all this.
Brothers, sisters, do good.
Let that be the banner that flies over
your life.
Do good.
Don't just live your life not getting drunk.
Then selfishly seeking to live for your own
profit and your own good.
Look for every occasion to do good.
Look for opportunities.
In your secret prayer, ask God, please, open
doors.
It's amazing how many times my wife has
said, I asked the Lord for an opportunity
to evangelize and He brought it.
Almost instantaneously, like that day.
Right away.
I find that to be true too.
You ask the Lord for opportunities to do
good, the door will swing open.
Just ask Him.
Ask Him.
This excerpt comes from the full sermon, A
Three-Fold Chord, Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and
Self-Denial.
The full message can be found on illbehonest
.com