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Key Verses: "My son, forget not my laws; but let thine
heart keep my commandments. For the length of days, and long life, and
peace, shall they add to thee." -- Proverbs 3:1-2
We live in a society where the world looks upon Christians
as being strange--because we are good. A Christian knows that all things good
come from the Good Lord. Jesus told His disciples, ”Follow Me.”
Christians are different-- we look different, we think different, we talk
different, and we live different.
It's hard to live the good life when so much temptation
from evil is all around us. It's especially hard on our youth in this day and
age. They don't participate in some of the things their peers are into. To be a
Christian makes them stand out in the crowd, and nobody likes to be different.
They are sometimes called “religious nuts.” They are often laughed at because
they won't get into worldly things. But I say to our youth, “You hold on,
stand tall for Jesus. I would rather be called a religious nut here on earth
and go to Heaven-- than be one of the earthly crowd and enter the gates of hell,
when I die.”
What's wrong with being different and living the clean
life? For one thing, It might lengthen your life here on earth; Verse 2;
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall be added to you.
Going out getting drunk or spaced out on some kind of drug,
could get you wrapped around a tree. Who is to blame for that? You, or God?
God' s Word tells you to abstain from all natures of sin.
Verse 3; Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind
them about thy neck; write them upon the table of your heart. Keep all
your actions and thoughts about God. In doing so, we find His favor. Just as in
Verse 4; So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of
God and man. Therefore, you find God's favor, and man will see God
dwelling in you.
Proverbs, is a text book teaching wisdom...Solomon says; to
use what you know!
The greatest truth is to be obedient to God. He will do
the rest.
So what is the good clean life? Verse 7, tells us; be
not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and flee from evil. If it smells
bad---looks bad, it's bad! Stay away from it. Live right, and you
can't go wrong! When in doubt; question yourself with, WWJD (What Would Jesus
Do)!
Verse 9; Honour The Lord with thy substance, and with
the firstfruits of all thine increase; Put God first in everything you do.
Remember from where your blessings come from, and do you thank Him for each
blessing?
Matthew 7:14: Straight is the gate, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
There is nothing narrow about being a Christian......just narrow-minded. I'm so
narrow-minded that I believe Jesus is the only way to live, and the only way to
Heaven. He is coming back. So call me a religious nut, call me narrow-minded,
call me odd, but when Jesus calls.....call me gone!
There was once a child born to a dad who wanted to give his
son a name different from any other. So he named him Odd. Now, when little
Odd went to school, all the kids made fun of his name. When he grew up and went
to a job, everyone thought the name was funny. When Odd got married, he
told his wife, ”When I die, don't put my name on the tombstone. You can put the
date I was born, and the date I died, but not my name." Years went by, and
Odd died. His wife carried out his wishes. She only put the dates of his
birth and death on his stone. One day, someone walked by his grave. They
stopped at his tombstone, and saw only dates and said, "That's odd."
Bro. Jr Fields........March 19, 2006.
Sermon edited by Mary King
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