For Review
Mason Phillips
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 51:16
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· 29 viewsThe Bible encourages followers of Jesus to examine themselves to be sure that they are in the faith. In this message by Pastor Mason Phillips find some helpful tools for reviewing your growth.
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For Review
For Review
Illustration: Marine Corps, M2 .50 Cal disassembly and assembly. Times. Branson - blindfolded under a minute.
Review is a part of life, or it should be. Whether it is a performance review, a peer review, or a code review we are familiar with the idea in our work life. When it comes to our health we do annual exams and checkups. In our finances we do audits.
What do we do when it comes to our spiritual lives?
Test Yourself
Test Yourself
5 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. 6 I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. 7 But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. 8 We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. 9 We couldn’t possibly do otherwise. We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.
Fred Smith, Conducting a Spiritual Audit, winter 1998.
Am I content with who I am becoming?
Am I becoming less religious and more spiritual?
Does my family recognize the authenticity of my spirituality?
Do I have a “flow-through” philosophy? God flowing through my life to others.
Do I have a quiet center to my life?
Have I defined my unique ministry?
Is my prayer life improving?
Have I maintained a genuine awe of God?
Is my humility genuine?
Is my “spiritual feeding” the right diet for me?
Is obedience in small matters built into my reflexes?
Do I have joy?
Prepare the Way for Change
Prepare the Way for Change
Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
Charles Finney, Lectures on Revival of Religion, Lecture III, 1835.
Sins of Omission - things that we have not done but should have done
Ingratitude
Want of love of God
Neglect of the Bible
Unbelief
Neglect of prayer
Neglect of the means of grace (sacraments, including church)
The manner in which you have performed those duties (without faith or passion)
Your want of love for the souls of your fellow-men
Your want of care for the heathen
Your neglect of family duties
Your neglect of social duties
Your neglect of watchfulness over your own life
Neglect to watch over your brethren
Neglect of self-denial
Sins of Commission - things that we have done but should not have done
Worldly mindedness
Pride
Envy
Censoriousness (evil speaking)
Slander
Levity (lack of seriousness)
Lying
Cheating
Hypocrisy
Robbing God
Bad temper
Hindering others from being useful
If You Would
If You Would
If you would do a self-review, then you would find the mercy of God. He would come to you and change you and lift you up to a higher place. He would deliver you and empower you. He would take you out of the miry clay and set you upon the Rock of Salvation (cf. Isaiah 51:1).
13 “Still, if you set your heart on God and reach out to him, 14 If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home, 15 You’ll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless. 16 You’ll forget your troubles; they’ll be like old, faded photographs. 17 Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring. 18 Full of hope, you’ll relax, confident again; you’ll look around, sit back, and take it easy. 19 Expansive, without a care in the world, you’ll be hunted out by many for your blessing. 20 But the wicked will see none of this. They’re headed down a dead-end road with nothing to look forward to—nothing.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
People don’t change because they experience something. They change when they evaluate their experience and act differently.
When it comes to our salvation, we are admonished to work it out with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). As we do, God works in us so that we both desire and do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13).
The fruit of a relationship with Jesus is a transformed life that is full of peace, joy, and holiness. God’s blessing is attracted to those who live according to His way.
The Scriptures call on us to examine ourselves to be sure that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). This is because the life we live now will continue on into eternity. We will stand before the Lord and give an account of our lives. If we are in the faith, we will have great joy in that day and receive a reward. If we are not, we will have great sorrow and receive judgment.
God rewards the works of faith and now is a good time to review where you stand and how you stand so that you can ensure that you are in position to receive all of the good things that He desires to give to you.