"COMATOSE CHRISTIANITY"

(GET ON THE RIGHT TRACK - PART 2)
MF Blume
JANUARY 17, 1999 pm


Hebr 10:19-23  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And [having] an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)

Hebr 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebr 5:12-6:2  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age {of full age: or, perfect}, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.



(See this morning's notes for foundation of this message)

If you look carefully at many believers' lives, you would see the only thing different about them is that they go to church, and they do not do outward things associated with sinful living.

REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS. The next principle shows us where we must direct our faith to: Jesus said this because when you start a relationship with God, and direct faith towards Him, and not a thing you do, you will grow and your joy will be full.

People who have faith in deeds, never talk to God Himself much.

Paul wanted to talk to God. Go right to the source. Talk to God often.

Jesus spoke of being the vine and of us being the branches.

That is how Paul described his christianity. The church is like a hospital. Paul spoke of "LIFE" that he lived. At this point I want to say that once you are truly attached to the love of God, nobody can separate you from it.
If nobody can separate you from it, then you alone are the rascal that is responsible if you get away from it.
Roma 8:37-39  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This like the following:
John 10:29  My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand.
The branch can only be fooled into leaving the vine Jesus and trying to exist on its own.

So abiding in the vine and being branches is living by His life.

Some are not even attached and never were attached. Do not turn prayer into a dead ritual either. When a new person comes to church, do not dare tell them they must stop dressing a certain way. Comatose Christians

You can float along for a while, but there is a death that begins to grow inside the christian who loses his connection to the Lord.

By their fruit you know them. You know a false prophet by the fact that he hands out fruit of knowledge of good and evil. If the devil is going to make you die, he is going to have to do it and make you fooled into thinking it is not happening for it to continue its deadly work. I have seen men and women die by staying away from the vine too long. So we must attach to the vine by exerting faith towards God for our lives. But Paul said something might happens when we walk after the Spirit. It is a thing about being BORN AGAIN. But life is more than just being born. There is a "way to life." The WAY is to JOIN and UNITE WITH JESUS. (Roma 11:24)  The root of the good tree is holy. Notice the elements of drawing near by having a true heart. The note about our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience refers to dead works.
Hebr 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
This reminds us of Hebrews 6:1 and the principle of turning from dead works and instead having faith towards God. If you never tried it before, come and ask Him to forgive you. I do not believe we need to settle with being more on fire in love for Jesus in our first few years than ever before. THIS WILL TAKE YOU STRONGLY AND BOLDLY  INTO ETERNITY WITH GOD


SERMONS