Jos Mattew25/11/01

How to lead an effective christian life?

II Pet 3:3-4
Acts 20:29-30
Mark 13:22&23
Matt 16:18

In the early church the persecution was physical and life threatening. But today it is a persecution of so many false doctrines for which we thr believers should be very careful as warned by Lord Jesus and His apostles. Yet in midst of such persecution believers are expected to be effecive.

How to lead an effective christian life? (I Tim 4:6-16)

THE FIVE D'S OF AN EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

In this passage Paul is instructing Timothy to have:
1] Desire to study the word of God [vs 6]
a] To Study the word of God we ahouls be hungry for the word.
b] Unless we study the word of God we cannot do the ministry He expects of us.
c] If we don't eat spiritual food {the word]our growth will be stunted. {eg : Prisoners in Nazi concentration camps }
d] By teaching the word to others we will be able to study it well.


2] Discipline yourselves in godliness. [vs 7] For this,
a] Reject the thingswhich are ungodly including doctrines - false teachers say that al physical and material things are evil and ungodly and so be rejected. eg job, house, education marriage, food etc. But the Bible says that all things that God has created is god and to be enjoyed with thanksgiving.
b] Thoughts and speech should be controlled. A spiritual person should focus his thoughts on things above and on what God expects him to do [ie-the ministry]
c] Like bodily exercises take regular spiritual exercises eg: Bible reading, Prayer, etc


3] Determination to reach the goal to fain Christ [vs 10 Phil 3:8 ]
a] Our efforts and labour should be towards our goal.
b] When discouraging events happen in our ministry, [Eg: during evangesilation] our determination should make us press on.


4] Demonstrate the Christian character [vs 12,13]
a] Believers are makers of good messages songs and exhortations and good managers of meetings and also they make good servants . But God is interested in good patterns of godly characters [Br John McAurthur]
b] Our nature should be desirable and friendly in speech and manners.
c] We are all patterns in whatever state we are ie either a good pattern or a bad one.
d] Our charater should be summerized by preaching less and praying more.


5] Devotion and Dilegence to ministry given to each.
a] Each believer should be devoted to using his/her gifts for the building of the church.
b] A believer should not try to do all things in the church and be devoted to nothing.
c] If a believer does not devote to his minsitry he cannot devolop his gifts and will do the church no good.
d] Timothy was asked by Paul to devote himself to public reading, exhortation and to the teaching of doctrine.
e] A believer is asked to devote himself entirely to his ministry ie. 100% effort.
f] The result of devotion to ministry is that all will see and honour this and God will be glorified.