Examples - Both Good and Bad

10) Examples

4 good examples:

1) Moses - Hebrews 11:26 – (Message) - By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God's people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king's blind rage.

2) Prophets - James 5:11 (Message) - Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course!

3) Joshua - Joshua 14:8, 9 – I followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. OR as the Message puts it, I stuck to my guns, totally with God, my God.

4) Paul - 2 Timothy 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

3 bad examples:

1) Martha - Luke 10:39-40 – She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

2) Lot’s wife - Genesis 19:26 – But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

What did she look back at? She looked back at the culture of her world and all its empty promises.

3) The Rich Fool - Luke 12:16-21 (Message) –

Let me just add here that I find this story to be a most profound one!

Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'

"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?' "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."

Isn’t that a description of the American dream?

Shane Claiborne (author of Irresistible Revolution), says, “The world cannot afford the American dream”.

Don’t be distracted. Like Joshua, stick to your guns! Don’t look back!

Resist… the pull.

11) Examine yourself

Oswald Chambers says, “At least once a week, examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you.”

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 – (Message) - Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid.

Amp = examine and test and evaluate your own selves

2 Corinthians 13:5 – (Message) Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

· Are you living for yourself?

· Inventory where you are right now regarding:

• time in the Word
• meaningful and quality time with your family
• checkbook
• calendar or daytimer
• TV habits
• eating habits

· Are you pleasing God with how you:

• spend your time
• spend your money
• eat
  

· Does your calendar and your checkbook look like world’s? Or is it different?

· How many days last month did you intentionally reach out to someone that was hurting or depressed or lonely? Instead of going to the latest Hollywood blockbuster, would you give up an evening in order to put together a puzzle with the widow down the street?

· Is it time to evaluate where you are spiritually?

· Are you neglecting the spiritual disciplines: being in the Word daily and spending time in prayer?

· When’s the last time you fasted?

· Have you ever fasted?

· Judge yourself and bring your life into line with God’s standards.

· Is He the Lord of your life in all areas?

Are you pro-active about these things? Or are you lazy?

If you can spend 4 hours a day watching such nonsense as “I’m Smarter than a 5^th Grader”, can’t you spend one hour a day in the book that teaches, “The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge”?

Is the pursuit of the “almighty” dollar pushing Almighty God to the side?

Besides paying your tithe, do you also give to the poor? Do you support any outreach ministries or missionaries?

Are you a “Sunday Christian”? Are you simply maintaining a religious veneer?

Do you passionately love/hate the things that God loves/hates?

Have you drifted away? Are you distracted? Have you grown complacent?

Can you, like Moses, turn your back on Egypt? Can you forsake self-indulgence?

What will your life count for? What legacy are you leaving?

Are you wasting your life?

I say again - Are you… resisting the pull?