The Impact of Following Christ

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David Brainerd is not one of the more famous missionaries. He did not have much success, nor did he see much fruit from his life. However, his life exhibited a life that strove to put on Christ in any circumstance and to seek to put off Christ every opportunity that arise.
David did not grow up as a Christian. It was in his late teen years that he decided to follow Jesus and to pursue ministry. After deciding to serve God in ministry, he wrestled for years with his salvation.
David served in North America in the Northeast part seeking to reach the native americans with the Gospel. David did not see much fruit, but his impact has effected many past and present missionaries. He sought to be faithful to daily put on Christ as he strove for faithfulness and daily communion with Christ. His life is a example to us of what it means to put on and put off.
Prior to putting off and putting on, Brainerd had to choose to follow Christ.
It is through this deceision that lives are changed for eternity.
This morning I want to talk about the impact of following Christ on an individual’s life.

1. Followers of Christ have Life.

MLB scouts drool over prospects. That is their job. They travel around looking for anything that will propel their team to future success. Every once and a while, MLB scouts come across what is called a five tool player. These players have the full makeup that encompasses every aspect of the game.
1. Speed
2. Power
3. Hitting for Average
4. Fielding
5. Arm Strength
More than likely, these five tool players are destined for greatness. Each of these players spend years training and many hours practicing to continue to improve. They must daily choose to get better.
A five tool prospect has everything going for them and they have worked to earn that status. God on the other hand, he does not expect us to have our life cleaned up in order to come to him. We must submit to Him, ask Him to save us by the blood of Jesus, and turn from our sins. The Bible tells us that we will be saved.
In order to understand life with Christ, we must understand life apart from Christ.
Ephesians 4:17–19 ESV
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

A life apart from Christ involves walking like the gentiles.

This is all prior to Christ’s salvation.
Colossians 3:7 ESV
In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
Life transformation and walking worthy of the gospel begins by grace through faith. ()

A life apart from Christ involves futility of the mind.

Ephesians 4:17 ESV
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

A life apart from Christ involves futility of the mind.

Emptiness

A life apart from Christ involves darkened understanding.

A life apart from Christ involves darkened understanding.

Ephesians 4:18 ESV
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Mind

A life apart from Christ involves alienation from God.

A life apart from Christ involves alienation from God.

Ephesians 4:18 ESV
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Alienation means ignorance.

lack of knowledge or information
Ephesians 4:18 ESV
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Alienation means hardness of heart.

dull. Use of a knife often it eventually becomes dull
Ephesians 4:18 ESV
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Alienation means becoming callous.

Ephesians 4:19 ESV
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Alienation means sin.

Ephesians 4:19 ESV
They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Sensuality, impurity
Each of these requires repetitive consistent use.
Romans 3:23 ESV
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 ESV
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This leaves us wondering…if our sin is a result of death, how can we achieve life. God’s free gift.

Paul is encouraging the believers at Ephesus to remember how you learned Christ.

Paul is encouraging the believers at Ephesus to remember how you learned Christ.
Ephesians 4:21 ESV
assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
The text begins using life transformation terminology illustrated by putting off and putting on. Each of us has one thing in common today. We are all wearing clothes. Thank you for putting clothes on this morning. When we remember Christ, we remember the manner we once walked and remember that Jesus gives us life to be able to walk in the manner to which he has called us. Our old life had corrupted desires, while our new life has a renewed spirit of the mind.
Colossians 3:10 ESV
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Putting on the new self is ultimately creates after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Paul is encouraging believers to know that the truth is in Jesus.

Paul is encouraging believers to know that the truth is in Jesus.

Ephesians 4:20
Ephesians 4:20–21 ESV
But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
Our friends and family cannot just figure this out on their own. They need Jesus. They need you to point them to him.

Paul is encouraging believers to put off the old self.

Paul is encouraging believers to put off the old self.

Ephesians 4:
Ephesians 4:22 ESV
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
The old self belongs to your former life.

Paul is encouraging believers to have mind renewal.

Paul is encouraging believers to have mind renewal.

Ephesians 4:23 ESV
and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

Paul is encouraging believers to put on the new self.

Paul is encouraging believers to put on the new self.

Ephesians 4:24 ESV
and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

2. Followers of Christ daily choose to put on Christ.

We speak truth.

We speak truth.

Ephesians 4:25 ESV
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:25 ESV
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

We exhibit righteous anger.

Ephesians 4:26 ESV
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Ephesians 4:26 ESV
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
We flee the devil.

We show honesty.

Ephesians 4:28 ESV
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Ephesians 4:28 ESV
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Ephesians 4:

We build positive upbringing.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
we strive to build positive upbringing in our kids.

We express kindness.

We express kindness.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

We tender the heart.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Gentleness

We forgive mightily.

We forgive mightily.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Just as Christ has forgiven us.

3. Followers of Christ daily choose to put off sin.

We run from falsehood.

We run from falsehood.

Ephesians 4:25 ESV
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Lying, deception

We kill unnecessary anger.

We kill unnecessary anger.

Ephesians 4:26 ESV
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Anger can be emotional, verbal, or physical. We got to kill it.

We flee the devil.

We flee the devil.

Ephesians 4:27 ESV
and give no opportunity to the devil.
Remove yourself for situations that tempt you.
David Brainerd had the devil seeking to steer him off path. David struggled throughout his life (he died in his late twenties to tuberculosis. He had many health issues that he sought to not let him be distracted from his mission. It was all about being faithful to God for Brainerd. He gave no opportunity, even in a time of weakness for the devil to enter. How did he accomplish this? He sought to flee the devil. His journals describe a daily communion with God to be faithful no matter what.

We destroy theft.

We destroy theft.

Ephesians 4:28 ESV
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Ephesians 4:28 ESV
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

We remove corruption (talk).

Ephesians 4:29 ESV
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Summary of putting off:
Ephesians 4:31 ESV
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Next weekend we are going to memorialize those who have gone before us, providing us freedom to be in this place today. Just like you put clothes on this morning, every soldier that is currently in the military and those who have retired or passed on have done the same thing. They wake up and put on the uniform that represents their country.
They don’t just wake up and decide they want to be a soldier.
They have gone through a process of becoming a soldier that continues each and every day.
Everyday they become wiser and stronger.
Soldiers make many sacrifices along the way.
We as believers are called to something far greater…a life with Christ.
We must be willing to run the race with endurance that constantly involves our active participation in putting on Christ and putting off sin.
Sacrificies must be made as we seek to put on Christ and pursue holiness.
Unfortunately our uniforms are going to get dirty. We will struggle with sin until Christ comes back or until we die.
There is great joy in working hard to put on the clean uniform (Christ) when we are faced at the crossroads of choosing sin or holiness.
Deal with sin. Seek to put off sin in your life on a daily basis. Even when you fall, remember that if you are in Christ, he doesn’t see your blood stained uniform, he sees the perfect, loving, and righteous blood of Jesus.
We must continue to pursue Christ.
You’ll experience many curveballs that will seek to limit your production…however, your mission stays the same.
We must pursue holiness by putting on Christ and then take that good news to others so that we can connect people with Christ.
To conclude…let me direct you to three points of application.

1.Choose Christ.

1. Choose Christ.

2. Choose to put on Christ’s righteousness.

2. Choose to put on Christ’s righteousness.

3. Choose to put off sin.

3. Choose to put off sin.

David Brainerd dealt with many issues in his life. However he choose Christ. He just to daily put on Christ’ righteousness even in the midst of turmiol and struggle. David had the measles, died of Tuburculosis and experienced many other sickness in his short life…However through all of this, he chose to put on Christ and put off sin.
I want to leave you with a quote from his vantage point as he spoke about his missionary experience to people who were not responding. He wanted to show the native americans of their need for the gospel to put on and put off. Brainerd strove to do that in his life, but he also strove to teach others the love of Jesus.

“My eyes were up to God for help. I could say the work was His, and if done, the glory would be His.” David Brainerd

“My eyes were up to God for help. I could say the work was His, and if done, the glory would be His.” David Brainerd

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