Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you.

Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you.

The example of Paul’s life is so evident that one can readily see it and use it as a pattern for living.

Is your life lived in such a way that people can follow you and live for Christ? 1 Peter 5:3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Who is that you follow? Who is it that you admire? That tells a lot about you. We should first of all as Christians follow those who teach and preach the word of God. We are not to follow those who try to downgrade or put aside the word of God. Only God’s word is sufficient to instruct us in Godly living. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

We have a favorite sports team. We have favorite restaurants. We have favorite cars. We have our favorite drink. All that is good and is your personal choice. But do you have a favorite spiritual teacher? Mine was Adrian Rogers. I hope your favorite spiritual teacher is a Biblical teacher. Did you know that most people if asked that question would say “Dr Phil or Dr Oz.” They don’t have a clue about what Biblical discernment.

We should pray everybody knows that. But how do we pray? There is an outline in your prayer guide every Sunday. But I want you to look at a passage in the New Testament that tells you exactly how to pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ. First of all we are to pray for others. Secondly we should pray these things for ourselves. You are the most important person in your life. Then comes others. When you are right then you can help someone else. If you need constant spiritual care how can you pray for someone else? First of all to better pray for yourself I want us to see how to pray for others. How to really pray for someone else.

We do not work to be saved but because WE ARE SAVED! The difference between Christianity and ALL other religions is this. They must DO something in order to be saved…In Christianity Christ has already DONE it. He did the work for our salvation. So what does this passage mean? Was Paul contradicting himself? Are we truly saved by works? Must we do works to stay saved? This passage has the answer to all of these questions.

But not just about salvation only, this passage encourages us to continue to build on our walk with Christ. To continue to grow in the knowledge of Him. To grow as we walk with Him each day. We don’t get saved again and again and again. We are saved once and then we are free to follow our Lord each day and in every way acknowledge Him. We don’t have to worry about punching the time clock of works salvation everyday. When you are saved you get it all up front. It’s like going to work in a factory that pays you all 30 years at once and retirement also.

You are vested immediately in the kingdom of God for all eternity when you trust in Jesus Chirst. You cannot lose a job that is already paid for and you are immediately vested in. Now you can quit coming to work each day, but you are still vested in the company that won’t change because they have already paid you forever. My concern is that many in the church are not coming to work each day. They have become bogged down in worldly activities and concerns. They have gotten lazy and just keep hitting the snooze button. One day the factory is going to move to heaven and you are going to be unfamiliar with it…oh you will be at the new location…but you will be very ashamed that you didn’t know what was going on because you haven’t been coming to work each day. Don’t quit

The apostle John wrote 1 John 2:18 way back in the first century. Was He looking for Jesus? Absolutely. Remember that the apostle Paul had to write a letter to the Thessalonians to assure them that they had not missed the Lord’s coming. The angels told the witnesses in Acts 1 that as they had seen Him taken up into heaven so likewise He would return to the earth. Peter in 1 Peter 1:20 felt that His time was the last times. The Lord told them to be “ready in an hour ye think not the Son of man cometh.” So in that sense the disciples were always to be ready for the Lord’s return as every Christian in every generation.

But what make our generation the one that probably will experience the Lord’s return?

Why is it important for the church to be one? Think of your body. If your leg had a mind of it’s own no telling where you would wind up. If your hand had a mind of its own no telling what it would stick in your mouth.

But the body works together for order and purpose and success. The church is made up of people. Jews and Gentiles are the only kind of people in the world. The church is not two but one. There isn’t a church for the Jews and a church for the Gentiles. There isn’t a salvation for the Jews and a salvation for the Gentiles. There is One Lord, One Faith and One baptism.

When Johnny was little and would do things that he shouldn’t be doing….his mother would scold him by saying “no.” But Little Johnny kept doing it. And you’ve heard this before. His mother would say “what part of NO don’t you understand?” NO is pretty pain word isn’t it. Pretty easy to understand. Well why is it when we get a clear passage of scripture people still ignore it? When Jesus said He is coming back was He just kidding? Was He lying? Was He misunderstood?

For 2000 years the Bible has been proclaiming to the world that Jesus would be coming back. Jesus stated in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. I will come again." What is hard to understand about that? If we don’t’ believe it then we have to believe that Jesus was either kidding, Lying or was misunderstood. I don’t think it was any one of these.

What is the best gift you ever got for Christmas? I was very fortunate. I had so many wonderful Christmases that I could not tell you what my favorite gift was. Back then you got one present and then a stocking full of fruit and maybe some candy. And we were very happy and felt blessed beyond measure! My favorite memory was the anticipation of my mother telling us to go to bed so Santa Claus could stop by. So we went to bed about 6 or 7 o’clock. We couldn’t sleep we were so excited. And then a couple of hours later my mother would come to the door and tell that Santa had arrived and we would run excitedly to the Christmas tree and see our gifts.

God is coming to the door of our hearts and telling us to come and see the gift He has for us. It is a gift more precious than all the presents in the world. It is a gift guaranteed not to disappoint but rather cause us to rejoice and be glad forever and ever!

What do you believe about the Bible and about Jesus? Why do you believe what you believe about the Bible and about Jesus? How did you come to believe that? How were you convinced? Many people believe a lot of things without much evidence. Many people ignore the evidence and believe whatever they want to just because they have a conviction. Many people don’t know what they believe about the Bible and about Jesus. And many people don’t believe in the Bible or believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Well John the Baptist was convinced without a shadow of a doubt. What led him to this belief?

Santa Clause only gives gifts to good children. Santa only comes to good children. But how is that possible? The Bible says that there is no good but one and that is God. The Bible says that there is none that seeketh after God. The Bible says that the heart is deceitfully wicked and who can know it.

The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags. So how can we ever be called “good?” How can we ever be good enough to go to heaven? There are people who are good in relative terms. We as humans call people good who do good deeds and are kind and generous. But even the kindest and gentlest person is not perfect. Even the best in this world is the worst person in the kingdom of heaven. The Bible says that John the Baptist…… the greatest man who ever lived according to Jesus….would be the least than the least person in heaven.

Micah 6:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Who wouldn’t want their sins cast into the sea by God? Who wouldn’t want their sins removed as far as the east is from the west by God? Who wouldn’t want their past erased by God? How Can we know are sins are forgiven? We can.