Today’s post is from what is commonly called “The Eight Woes.” This would be the 5th Woe. I personally find this to be among some of the most serious scriptures in God’s Word. I put this up there with (Eze 3:18-21; 2Pe 2:20,21) I’m not saying one verse is more important than another; those are just some that seem very sobering to me!
In today's text, Jesus is referring to the Pharisees doing what they can to appear clean to men (outside), but their hearts were extremely unclean(inside). Looking at several translations I found a lot of words here from rapine, intemperance, injustice, uncleanness, covetousness, and iniquity to describe the Pharisees. Putting them all together really shows what Jesus thought of the Pharisees.
Today, we will try to learn how to live inside out. The goal is not be hypocritical or be called by any of the aforementioned words! Christianity starts on the inside. That is when we receive the Holy Spirit. Until that point we are not a part of the Lord’s Church. (Mt 23:25,26)
I. LIFE IS ABOUT PERSONAL CHOICES
We are faced with decisions from the time we get out of bed until we go to sleep. The choices we make, say everything about the person we are. We can talk and appear one way on the outside, but the choices we make says who we are. Aristotle said "We are what we do repeatedly. Therefore, excellence is not an act, but a habit!"
There are two types of people in the world. REACTIVE AND ACTIVE!
The first is:
A. REACTIVE PEOPLE
A reactive person lets everything around them dictate their actions and decisions. These people tend to “follow the crowd” so to speak. (Mk 7:15)
Reactive people let the outside control the inside! Reactive people let others shape and form their decisions. Reactive people live outside in! Reactive people don’t have a foundation to support them. (Mt 7:26-27)
Jesus must be the foundation we all are supported by. In order to have Jesus as our foundation we must “act on his words!” Having a personal relationship with Christ is far deeper than mere believing he exists! Did you notice that some people heard the words but they lacked action? THEY ARE FOOLS! Many people from the “Stained Glass Crowd” are reactive people. Reactive people are often happy on the outside and miserable on the inside. That’s because all their decisions are based on what others say and do!
B. ACTIVE PEOPLE
An active person doesn’t allow their decisions to be affected by outside sources. These people tend to “set the pace” they “march to the beat of a different drum” so to speak. They have goals and nothing or no one will keep them from achieving that goal. WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE? It may be financial independence, if such a thing exists. Me personally, I want to hear these words, “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!”
It’s not what you know; it’s who you know! Many people today who are driven by possessions get those very things. Their focus is in worldly things. Those people don’t know Christ! They claim to know him, but they really don’t. They may even know the Word of God. There is a big difference in knowing the Word of God and applying the Word of God! (1Jn 1:4; 2Th 1:8)
We must have a personal goal of intimately knowing Christ!
II. Life is about personal goals.
Your goals will dictate the fruit your life will produce! Wolfgang Von Goethe said, “The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least” (2Pe 2:19) Your personal goals are what control you. They influence your thoughts and actions.
A. PROIORITIZE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS
Therefore, you are a slave to your personal goals. Life breaks down into two main sections.
SPIRITUAL (we aren’t just flesh & bones) AND PHYSICAL. Now physical can be divided into 2 sub-
parts. FAMILY and OCCUPATION. We must choose which ones to put first! That is how we
formulate and prioritize our personal goals. People today, often put physical before spiritual. Yet,
they claim to be a “BROTHER” to Christ! (Mt 12:50)
If you thought “A house that’s paid for and meeting the Old Timers every morning at the Coffee
Shop!” YOU ARE PHYSICAL MINDED PERSON!
If you thought “To be with my Lord in Heaven for Eternity” YOU ARE A SPIRITUAL MINDED PERSON!
the inside! We must be active. That is letting what is inside dictate what comes out! We can only
be active in accomplishing our goals if we BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!
WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS AND LOOK AT THEM EVERYDAY!
Prioritize your goals with the end in mind. Spiritual, Family, and then Occupation or whatever
order yours maybe . You must work DAILY to achieve your goals. When decisions in life come up.
Make them according to your personal goals. “WILL DOING THIS keep me from achieving goal #1?
NO, Good. #2, NO, Good. #3 YES. I have no reason to do that activity then!
B. DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS
To assist you in defining personal goals let’s do this. IMAGINE YOU ARE AT
YOUR OWN FUNERAL. The following people are going to speak at your funeral. 1. Close Family
Member 2. Close Personal Friend 3. Close personal Co-worker 4. Close Church Member. Take time to
think what you would like those people to say! Then write them down and look at them everyday as
well. That will tell you what you feel a successful life is.
Don’t be reactive and let someone else define what success means to you! When we are living a
life that is obedient to the commands of our Father in Heaven, that is productive in the home
with our family, and also paying the bills we will find that is living inside out. Living inside out
will provide much more happiness for us since we are accomplishing and doing things that are
meaningful to us and not to society as a whole. Our first goal must be a spiritual goal.
If we are to be obedient to our Father in Heaven, we must be obedient to all his Word and not just
parts we want to pick and choose.
It starts with belief and faith. (Heb 11:6; Jn 3:16)
How do we get faith? (Rom 10:17)
Then we must repent of our sins. (Lk 13:3)
Repenting is more than saying I’m sorry. It’s a change of life!
Then we must confess. Rom 10:9; Mt 10:32)
Then we must be BIBLICALLY baptized by immersion. (Mk 16:16; 1Pe 3:21; Ac 22:16)
Why are we baptized? (Acts 2:38) Not to join a church; that’s not Biblical
If you weren’t Baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. You weren’t
BIBLICALLY BAPTIZED
Have a red letter day,
Chad
Good message and study,Chad. Keep up the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteWe will do our best today to live Inside Out.
Thanks
Bill and Rhonda