The Consummate Redemption

The Consummate Redemption

I.                 Creation’s Consummate Redemption (Isaiah 35:1-10; Romans 8:22-25)

A.   Streams in the Desert (Isaiah 35:1-7)

(Isa 35:1)  The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

(Isa 35:2)  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

(Isa 35:3)  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

(Isa 35:4)  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

(Isa 35:5)  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

(Isa 35:6)  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

(Isa 35:7)  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

God made all things well in the beginning.  Obviously, all things are not well now.  Unbelievers accept the current state of the world as normal.  We should know better.  Isaiah was privileged to look ahead and see a time when the nation he loved would be restored and redeemed, both the land and the people.  The oppressions and occupation will end, the physical troubles and diseases will be healed, and even the topography and geology of the land will transform.  Only God can and will do these things for His chosen people.  The extent of the healing will not be limited to the Middle East, but will envelope the globe and the universe beyond.

B.   Joy and Gladness (vv. 8-10)

(Isa 35:8)  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

(Isa 35:9)  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

(Isa 35:10)  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Life springs not from chemical and biological processes.  These physical manifestations are just that only.  Life flows from the Creator.  Logically, this implies that life can only continue if it is connected to the Source.  Creation is dying because sin has separated it from God.  The healing and restoration of creation will happen as sin is judged and all created things reconnect to God.  We live spiritually as we pursue and worship our Lord, and the worship of God will be integral to the fabric of the redeemed universe.  His name will be exalted by all living beings.  The daily life of the new world will be the constant worship of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

C.   Waiting for Redemption (Romans 8:22-25)

(Rom 8:22)  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

(Rom 8:23)  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

(Rom 8:24)  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

(Rom 8:25)  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Paul discussed the misery of a creation separated from the life of the Creator.  We are conscious, as believers, of this misery as well as of the hope of reconciliation.  As we groan and desire to be with our God, so does the entire created universe.  God’s vision and plan for redemption is bigger than we can comprehend.  Everything will change, including all the expectations we have always had about “normal” existence.  Death will die, and life will be the only change agent in the redeemed reality.  This is not a fabricated fantasy of desperate, gullible people, as the unbelieving world regards it.  It is concrete certainty, because the Lord of heaven and earth has decreed it so.

II.            Israel’s Consummate Redemption (Psalm 130:7, 8; Hosea 14:8)

A.   God Will Redeem Israel (Psalm 130:7, 8)

(Psa 130:7)  Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

(Psa 130:8)  And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

God has always demonstrated His plan for mankind by way of His interaction with the covenant nation of Israel.  He will continue to do so as He implements His will for the future.  Israel may not accept that Jesus is their Messiah in this present time, but the day will come when they will.

B.   God Will Heal Israel (Hosea 14:1-4)

(Hos 14:1)  O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

(Hos 14:2)  Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

(Hos 14:3)  Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

(Hos 14:4)  I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

Over and over again the Jews have sought deliverance in something or some one other than God.  Over and over again God has called them back and by chastisement and judgment turned them to the truth.  Hosea’s life and words were powerful testimonies to the love and patience of Jehovah.  When they repented and returned to Him, the blessings of His life flowed to them again.  The cycles are not yet finished, but there will come the day of final repentance and recommitment to God, and Israel will be the preeminent people God chose them to be from the beginning.

C.   God Will Revive Israel (vv. 5-8)

(Hos 14:5)  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

(Hos 14:6)  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

(Hos 14:7)  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

(Hos 14:8)  Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

Redemption and restoration have been happening for Israel in stages.  The 70-year captivity was one such stage that cured them of the repeated national idolatry.  They found other ways to backslide, but God hasn’t finished with them.  He hasn’t finished with us either.  We sin and make huge blunders in our relationship to Christ, but He is faithful to continue the redemptive work of the cross in our lives as long as we are willing to follow Him.

III.        The Believer’s Consummate Redemption (Job 19:25-27; Psalm 49:15; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; Romans 818-21; Revelation 5:8-13)

A.   Redemption and Resurrection (Job 19:25-27; Psalm 49:15; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52)

(Job 19:25)  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

(Job 19:26)  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

(Job 19:27)  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

(Psa 49:15)  But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

(1Co 15:50)  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

(1Co 15:51)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

(1Co 15:52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

It is great that we can rest assured God will redeem creation.  It is awesome to regard His unflagging love for Israel and to know He will never let His people go.  What is most important to us this day however, is, how He will redeem and restore us individually.  God acts universally and globally, but He always relates to us personally.  He will make a new heaven and new earth, but He will come to take us to be with Him in the new creation, never to be separated from Him again.  That is our anchoring hope, whatever we face in our lives.

B.   Waiting for Redemption (Romans 8:18-21)

(Rom 8:18)  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

(Rom 8:19)  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

(Rom 8:20)  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

(Rom 8:21)  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Paul unified the hope of universal redemption with the certain promise of eternal life for believers.  God is accomplishing His redemption now.  He has been working on it since creation itself.  As He restores a sin-free universe He eliminates the sin nature that has tormented man since Eden.  He has said it, and we can count on it.

C.   Redemption by Christ (Revelation 5:8-13)

(Rev 5:8)  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

(Rev 5:9)  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

(Rev 5:10)  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

(Rev 5:11)  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

(Rev 5:12)  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

(Rev 5:13)  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

It is the greatest irony and the greatest paradox of history that we are being and will be saved from death by the submission to death of the Giver of Life Himself.  Defeat became victory at the cross, and all of creation saw the triumph at the tomb.  How He loves us!  The final fulfilling of the saga of redemption hinged upon Jesus’ submission to death, paying a debt He did not owe.  We can spend the remainder of our lives here and all of infinite eternity praising Him, but it will not be enough.  This is the essence and power of the Gospel, the message we should be living and sharing daily.

dealing with self feeling about sex

IS SEXUAL SELF-STIMULATION WRONG?

Over the past decade, since the Christian Courier website has been operative, many times I have received mail from obviously sincere people professing devout faith in the Christian religion and the conviction that the Scriptures are God’s revelation to man. But they are perplexed and troubled by their own problems—deep problems. I would even characterize some as tormented, and especially with the problem of sexual self-stimulation (commonly termed masturbation). The word generally is defined as: “Stimulation of the genital organs to a climax of excitement.”

I have responded too many of these requests with biblical instruction, and in so doing have become quite weary of the repetitive and disagreeable chore. From these exchanges I have drawn two conclusions. (1) There is a need to write something on this subject. It is rarely discussed in Christian literature. (2) The problem obviously is a common one—even among those who are attempting to live by Christian principles. Thus, without over-burdening the reader with this extremely distasteful theme, I will address it briefly.

Irresponsible Enablers       

I must say at the outset that unfortunately it is the case that some, held in high regard in the world of Christendom (some of whom I admire for several of their moral stands) have, in my considered judgment, compromised biblical truth on this issue. They allege that just because the New Testament does not explicitly condemn the practice by name, no one can oppose it legitimately.

Many feel that masturbation is acceptable for teenagers as a means of sexual gratification rather than engaging in “unsafe” sex. It is viewed either as a “harmless” indulgence, or else the “lesser of two evils.” That is about like saying that smoking marijuana is a lesser evil than sniffing cocaine! These rationalizations, though doubtless well-intentioned, are wholly pragmatic, with no apparent recognition of biblical principle.

I must add, however, that I do not subscribe to the view that several have advanced, that masturbation is the equivalent of “fornication,” and therefore is a just cause for divorce and remarriage. And Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:28 cannot be manipulated to that end. (See my article Is Lust the Equivalent of Fornication?.

Religious Legalism

The problem with many, regardless of how sincere they are, is that they are “religious legalists.” By that I mean they feel free to operate in a wide range of what they call “freedom.” If there is not a specific command condemning their actions, they feel they are at liberty to proceed with almost anything. Therefore, because the Bible does not explicitly condemn gambling or cheating on a test, these actions must not be viewed as violations of the will of God. Or, on a more “scientific” level, it is alleged that nowhere do the Scriptures overtly censure “human cloning” or “artificial insemination by a donor (AID).” One must recognize that the Bible can condemn a practice in principle. Elsewhere I have observed:

[E]ven though the Scriptures contain the guidelines for making correct ethical decisions, the instruction, from the nature of the case, cannot always be explicit. If the Bible is to be a perpetual and universal textbook for conduct, its teaching must be set forth largely in principles that will be applicable under all circumstances. The devout person will study the Scriptures to identify these principles (Jackson 1994, 49).

Important Principles

Here are some of the principles the dedicated Christian must ponder when considering sexual self-stimulation.

(1) The practice scarcely can be indulged without thoughts of sensuality or “lasciviousness” (Galatians 5:19; see Thayer’s definition of “lasciviousness” – 1958, 79-80).

(2) Masturbation is a self-centered practice that does not acknowledge that sexual gratification has been designed as an act to be shared within marriage. In his first Corinthian epistle, Paul declares that if a person “burns,” i.e., burns “with sexual desire” (Danker et al. 2000, 899), and feels he cannot exercise “continence,” i.e., “sexual restraint”—the control of “the sexual impulse and its satisfaction” (Kittel 1964, 342)—he can pursue a companion for marriage. Otherwise self-control is to be mastered.

(3) Self-stimulation is enslaving. Virtually all of those who have contacted me, bothered about this practice, have stated: “I have tried to stop, but I cannot.” Dr. Jay Adams, a professional counselor who has written dozens of books, says that “masturbation can get such a hold on a child that it can almost drive him out of his mind.” Again: “©counselors regularly see young people (Christian youth) who are so tangled up in the masturbation problem that they hardly can think about anything else but sex all day long” (1973, 399, 400).

The rationalization defense, “I can’t stop,” is the same complaint of many drug-addicts, drunkards, gamblers and a variety of other self-indulgers. A strong faith in God, and an intense desire to repent, resolves many issues.

In a context that deals with the eating of meats (but proceeds to the general use of one’s body), i.e., whether one is permitted to eat certain meats, or to restrain—in a cultural environment where the eating of meats (e.g., pork) was considered “unclean”—Paul declares his fundamental liberty. Yet under certain circumstances, he will refrain from forbidden meat on the ground of expediency, i.e., when others could be offended, having their consciences violated, and thus be lost (1 Corinthians 6:12ff; cf. 8:11; cf. Romans 14:15).

In this general discussion, the apostle declares: “I will not be brought under the power of any [thing]” (1 Corinthians 6:12). The Greek verb is exousias thesomai, a passive form, with this meaning: “I will not be enslaved, mastered, or overpowered by anything” (Fee 1987, 253). The principle here has a broad application, including the practice under consideration in this article. In fact, it is not without significance that Paul’s affirmation is within the larger context of sexual indulgence and restraint.

Solutions

There are several things that honest souls need to know, and work seriously on, if they would overcome this problem, or any similar one, and live pure in the sight of Almighty God.

(1) They must cultivate a love for God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Love is the motivating power behind faith and obedience (Galatians 5:6). You can only do this by immersing yourself in the Scriptures and coming to appreciate their authority and value in your personal life. When Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1ff), he appealed to “it is written” as his shield.

(2) Study a wealth of Bible texts on self-control, temperance, etc. A good concordance, e.g., Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, can provide a list of passages relating to these topics. A comprehensive Bible dictionary, or a dictionary of Bible theology, can be very helpful on these themes as well.

(3) Become convinced that you really can do all things in him who is able and willing to “strengthen” (the idea of putting power into something) you (Philippians 4:13). Develop confidence in the Lord by coming close to him through the study of his Word every day.

(4) Talk to God in prayer. Plead with him to help you overcome this weakness. He loves you and wants to assist you and lift you out of spiritual slavery.

(5) Find a Christian friend (perhaps an elder, deacon, or minister), or a parent with whom you may confidentially talk. Confess your weakness and ask for encouragement as you fight the sexual battle. Friendly confidants can be a powerful and wonderful source of strength

HE MAY CAUSE YOUR LIFE

WOULD YOU CAUSE YOUR BROTHER TO FALL?

1 Timothy 4:12 - Romans 14:12 - 1 Corinthians 8:9


Introduction:
1. I do not believe any Christian would set out deliberately to cause another person lost or saved to sin.
No believer would try set a snare (the meaning of stumbling block) in order to trip up or confusion who was seeking to come to the Lord.

No believer would intentionally lead a fellow Christian away from truth and spirituality.

No Christian parent would intentionally lead their children to rebel against God and not believe the Bible is true.

No Saved wife or husband would deliberately do things to cause their lost spouse to not come to Christ.

No true believer would deliberately and intentionally plan to deny the Lord Jesus and teach others to openly sin against God.

2. Would you say that these are correct statements?
I believe most would agree that the Christian is concerned in his mind for others and would like to see the lost saved and Christians growing in the Lord, living more abundant lives as they grow closer to the Lord and further from sin!

3. However, have you considered that you may unwittingly be doing one or all of these destructive things and leading others away from Christ by the way your life. You could be a stumbling block others.
I think that every Christian wants to bring others to Christ and live a life that would bring glory to Christ.

The Christian life is one of growing and maturing and learning. The person who honestly wants to live for Christ and be a blessing to others will continually be examining and evaluating himself to see where he can improve his testimony.

Have you considered that you have a great influence on those around you?

Have you contemplated that your influence and testimony for the Lord is not governed by your sincerity or desire to see others come to Christ, but by actually how you live your life?

I. WE ARE TO "BE AN EXAMPLE". I Timothy 4:12.
A. Paul giving instruction to young Timothy, told him to BE an EXAMPLE.

1. "Be" is an action verb. To be requires action on our part.

2. Verse 6, says he would be a good example as a young preacher if he put the folks he ministered to in remembrance of the need of faith, correct doctrine and turn from sin in their lives.

3. Paul in Verse 11, says that Timothy, as a preacher, is to "command and teach these to the church".

4. Then he says, do not let your youth or inexperience deter you from this and then he tells Timothy he is to practice what he preaches.

Be an example in to the believers in word, conduct, in love, in your spirit, in faith and in purity.

Further he said, you give much attention to reading the Bible and the doctrines (teaching) you find.

5. Verse 16, Paul is saying to Timothy, that if you do, you will greatly grow spiritually yourself and you will led others that will hear you.

B. This is instruction to every believer!

1. There are two kinds of examples that each of us are and no one is excluded!

a. You are an example by what you do.
b. Your are an example by what you do NOT do.
c. The two actually can be seen as together and summed up by this way. As a professing believer in Christ Jesus, and a child of God the way you live reflects on Christ Jesus and the genuineness of how others perceive the Gospel to be. Christians stand as examples of what a true Christian is.

ILLUS: There is a bumper sticker sometimes seen on the back of cars that says, "Christians are not perfect, they are just forgiven." That is absolutely true, but I hope the intent of the bumper sticker was not to make an excuse for a believer not addressing sin in his life.

C. First let look at things we do.

1. In Romans 14:13, Paul tells the believers at Roman to make a deliberate effort to judge themselves to see if any thing they did would put a stumbling block in a brothers way.

Why, would God give us this instruction about the possibility of believers actually being a stumbling block to others? The answer is obvious...we can be if we are not careful.

2. The context in Romans 14 is in the eating of meat by Gentiles that had been sacrificed to idols. It was a common practice for the meat that was offered to idols in pagan temples to be sold in the public meat markets. The pagan temples ran meat markets selling the meat that had been offered in sacrifice to the idol of that temple. Therefore much of the meat available came from the butcher shops of the pagan temples.

3. Paul is saying that the meat was not tainted by being offered to a idol that did not exist, yet if it offended an fellow believer to eat meat that came from the shops of pagan idols, then it was not right for them to buy the meat, when it would destroy our testimony before our brother in the Lord.

4. The problem had two sides:
Some Christians in Rome, probably Jewish believers, were greatly offended that any Christian would eat meat that had been offered to idols.

Others, understood idols were nothing and did not see that buying this meat as doing anything wrong. Paul says do not let this practice destroy the faith, (work of God) in someone else's life.

The rule Paul instructs is simply this: If what you do offends and causes other to be mislead or to stumble in coming to the Christ or to the truth, then you do not do it.

You may have the perfect right or liberty to do the thing, but if it may cause a brother spiritual harm...give up your liberty for the other's spiritual good.

1 Corinthians 10:23 says, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."

In other words there are things we can do that would not be sinful within themselves, but are not expedient meaning they are not profitable. Other things do not edify which means to lift up a brother. This should be considered all that we do. We are to ask ourselves, "Does this have any value and does it help my brother or hinder him."

5. This is the problem?

If a person thought it wrong to eat the meat, and you lead him to eat it anyway you would be leading a brother to sin.


C. Paul addresses the same issue with the Corinthians. (I Cor. 8:9)

1."But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak." (1 Cor. 8:9)

2. "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." (1 Corinthians 8:13)

3. This is the attitude and actions of a person who is truly living for the Lord and truly concerned about the seeing others come to Christ.

"If it offends my brother, I will not do it, even to the end of the world, I will not offend or cause someone to stumble"

4. "Abstain from ALL appearance of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

5. Self examination is the rule for believers is the Bible.

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28)

"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." 1 Corinthians 11:31)

II. HOW DO WE CAUSE OTHERS TO STUMBLE?

A. Malachi 2:8, God rebuked the priests of Israel because by the sin in their lives they had led the nation of Israel to sin.

1. Christians are priests of God to a lost and dying world.

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9.)

2. Peter further strongly speaks to believers in admonishing them to live for the Lord, and to turn completely from sin.

READ Verses 1 Peter 2:11-12.

Why is it so important!!??

READ Titus 1:15-2:8!

Paul tells young Titus, to exhort, the aged men, aged women, young women, young men, and servants.

Did you note that the aged men and women, are to be teachers of these good things to the younger men and women?

3. Peter makes the same plea to husbands and wives:

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives" (1 Peter 3:1)

The word "conversation" means one's manner or conduct of life.
"Likewise you husbands, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7)

How we live our lives effects whether God answers our prayers or not. It effects whether we are an effective witness for the Lord, or a stumbling block to those around us.

Are you praying for a lost love one? Are you living for the Lord?

B. It is sin to do anything apart from faith.

1. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that we cannot please God apart from faith.

2. Romans 14:23 says in regard to these gray areas, "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

3. Paul is saying before we act we should know that what we are doing is correct. If we are doubtful and go ahead not knowing what if it is right then that is sin because it is not of faith.

4. This is often referred to at "doubtful things." We are told by the Lord to live by the principles of the word of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says we are to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." We then better be sure that all we do is considered in light of the word of God and know that what we do is correct and therefore pleasing to God.

III. WHAT WE DON'T DO SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS.
ILLUS: A young mother was saved when I pastored in Beaver, Utah. She had never been to church in her life, never read the Bible. Yet, her neighbors were a godly retired couple and she for many years witnessed to her. Finally, she came to church and heard the preaching of God's word and was saved. It was a joy to see her growing as a Christian! She loved the truth. She had heart trouble, and the doctors told her she must stop smoking. She had a 2-3 year old daughter at that time. She talked about her concern for the example she was setting before her daughter and the Sunday School class she helped with. She was having a hard time quitting smoking. In a prayer meeting I was taking requests. Tearfully, she stood and ask for prayer, she expressed how hard it was for her. Then she just blurted it out that she knew it was wrong, but every time she got close to quitting, three members of our church came to her mind who smoked and she used them to justify what she knew was wrong.

Folks, these church members were a example to her, in fact they were a bad example and a stumbling block.
Another, young mother, came from a hard back ground, was really struggling with living for Christ, because of her background. She was honestly trying. All of a sudden she just stopped growing spiritually and started going down hill. Later she shared with me how she was also was trying to quit smoking. One day she visited one of the trustees of our church who smoked but hid it from everyone. She mentioned how she was trying to quit and he told her smoking was OK there wasn't anything in the Bible that condemned smoking, and he then offered her a cigarette. That was the straw that broke the camels back and it caused her to give up and she backslid and stopped growing.

This trustee of the church prided himself in his knowledge of the Bible, yet he over looked 1 Cor. 6:19-20 (Our body the temple of God) and the principle of not putting a stumbling block in front of a weaker believer. This man took me to task several times when I mentioned smoking as sinful or a bad testimony for Christians. He wrongly insisted that there was nothing wrong with it and he had to the liberty to smoke. The fact was even if he was correct about smoking not being wrong (which is not true) he greatly sinned against God and other people by his poor testimony.
The lady in the first illustration overcame the bad example of fellow believers and overcame this problem in her life. Later her testimony helped win her husband and daughter to the Lord. Sadly, the second lady to this day is not serving the Lord. Smoking was only one of many sins which she yielded too and in a short time left her husband. Her children all turned out bad and the last I heard one was in prison. Folks, it is important that we live for the Lord and the souls of men will be influenced by what we do whether we want them to or not.

ILLUS: When I pastored in Virginia I tried repeatedly to win the husband of one of our members to Christ. He was a nice man and we were friends. He was bitter however because he had worked years for a deacon in the church and said the man cheated him, lived the life of a hypocrite. He told me of many things sinful things the deacon did. He said it made him mad to see him all dressed up on Sunday acting like a wonderful Christian when he knew by the sinful things in his life that it was a lie. I was never able to win him to the Lord and he died after I left that church lost in his sins. You cannot blame the deacon completely, but he was a stumbling block to this man. I cannot say for sure, but maybe this man could have been saved had he not been so poorly lived before by this professing Christian.

A. READ: Hebrews 10:24-25.

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1. The writer to the Hebrews says some did not attend services. READ verse 23-24.

2. Note that by our example of attending the services of our church, we:

a. Provoke one another to love and good works. b. We exhort...which means to lift up one another.
ILLUS: Jack Gassaway a pastor friend in Asheville, NC. He worked in one of the factories in Asheville. Later God called him to preach. He said several years after he left his job and was pastoring his first church a man came up to him in a revival he was attending. He told Brother Jack he probably did not know him but they worked in same factory, and for a number of years he watched Jack's life. The man was not a Christian, but several years after Jack left the factory the man was saved. He told Jack, that one things that helped him come to Christ was Jack's testimony over many years. Jack was a witness to this man and did not know it.

CONCLUSION:
1. We are to be on our guard. Surely, no true Christian would want to harm or stand in the way of someone coming to Christ or living a godly life. Surely, no true Christian would want to be a stumbling block to someone else who is struggling with some sin or struggling with salvation. That would never be our deliberate intention. However, we when we are not faithful, when we ignore the God's principles, when we disregard our witness for Christ....we are sinning against God and aiding the Devil. Dear friend, dear brother or sister, "Is this not true?"
You see we represent Christ. What a wonderful privilege we have been given to carry His name and share Him with others. Matt. 5:13, says we are the salt of the earth. But salt that is not salty is worthless, and fit only to be cast out and thrown in the dirt.

Read: 2 Peter 3:11-18. Verse 17 seeks to help us and says "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."

2. There maybe those here this morning who need first of all to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior?

3. There maybe those who would be honest enough to privately between you and God, ask God to help you overcome every sin in you life?

You would say to our loving God, yes, I maybe have not in the past been the example to others I need to be.....but with God's help I am determined now to live for the Lord. From this hour on I determine to fight sin with all my heart.

Would you pray with me, "Dear Lord, I claim your promise to not allow me to be tempted more than I can resist, help me to overcome that which is wrong in my life. Help me dear Lord to keep the commitment that I have just made and always be mindful of my testimony before others."