ULaity Missionary Baptist Church
ULaity Missionary Baptist Church
Follow us as we follow The LORD Jesus Christ.
Key Points From Past Sermons
Key Points From Past Sermons
Following the Lord Jesus Christ
What do we gain by following Christ?
When we follow Christ, we sincerely believe in Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior.
When we take on the character and identity of Jesus we gain 5 important things that we as Christians should remember.
1. We can live Holy and righteous lives because we follow Jesus who is the Holy and righteous Son of God.
We do not boast of our Holy and righteousness.
Instead, we are thankful because we are united with Jesus as sons and daughters of God.
Jesus is God’s wisdom and ways for us to follow.
Jesus is our Righteousness and Holiness and Redemption.
2. We can now live without sin in our lives because Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
If we walk step by step in the light of Jesus, where the God is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Jesus’ blood purifies us from all our sins.
If we say “We have no sin, we are fooling ourselves and we’re living a lie.
When we own up to our sins, God shows that He is faithful and just by forgiving us of our sins and purifying us from the pollution of all the bad things we have done.
When we confess our sins, we let God’s Word find its way into our hearts.
3. Our Souls can find rest now and for eternity.
In Matthew chapter 11 verse 29 Jesus tells us to
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Through Jesus Christ we can find rest in the Fruit of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, humbleness, self-control, righteousness, and the truth of God.
4. We can forgive one another because we follow the examples of forgiveness given by Jesus.
We have been sealed with God’s Holy Spirit and marked as His own.
We must reject bitterness, rage, anger, slander, and all malicious thoughts that bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
Instead, we must be kind and compassionate; forgive one another with love just as God has forgiven us through Jesus.
5. We do not live in fear of condemnation, we are a part of God’s Plan of Salvation because we walk in the footsteps of Christ.
God expressed His love for the us by sacrificing Jesus on the Cross so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life.
Jesus is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction.
No one who believes in Jesus must fear death, yet death is already the reality for everyone who refuses to believe because he or she rejects the name of Jesus, the only Son of God.
We Are The Lights of Christ
Matthew 5:14-16
Introduction:
In Matthew chapters one and two we can read about events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
Matthew tells us about the wise men who came from the east to Jerusalem to see the baby Jesus.
God had guided them to the birth place of Jesus in Judea by means of a bright shining star.
In the Bible, people often saw God’s glory as a bright light.
The Apostle John tells us that in Christ is life and the life is the Light of men.
In Revelation 22:16 Jesus refers to Himself as the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
Christmas is the time of the year when we make an extra effort to let our Christian Light shine as bright as it can shine.
By practicing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we Christians follow in the footsteps of Christ as the true Lights of Christmas.
We are Christian Lights of Christmas because we are the Lights of Christ.
How are we the Lights of Christ?
Jesus Christ spoke in John 8:12; saying:
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Our Christian way of life is founded in the Light of Jesus’ life.
Our Christian way of life is the light of our lives.
The Bible tells us that no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid in Jesus Christ.
The Foundation of our Christian Light is the Gospel of Christ.
As Christian Lights of Christ, we are God’s children working to achieve His will during our time on earth.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians Chapter15: verses3 and 4;
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
We believe this message delivered to us by the Apostle Paul in God’s Word,
We believe that Jesus' death made it possible for all to receive the Salvation of God through Christ. As imitators of Christ Jesus, life, we are Lights of Christ in the world.
Our belief and faith in the Word of God through Jesus Christ powers our Christian light.
Our light shines bright as we practice the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior, He turns on the Christian light of life in our lives.
The light of Jesus’ life lights up and shines through our Christian lives.
Matthew Chapter 5 verse 14 tells us that we are the light of the world.
Matthew Chapter 5 verse 16 also tells us to: Let our lights shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.
As lights of Christ our lives should show the light that is in Jesus Christ to the glory and honor of God.
The Light of Christ that is now in us is the light of His love, peace and good will.
God's love was shown to us in the giving of His Son Jesus for the salvation of the world.
Jesus continued God's love by dying on the Cross to save mankind.
Jesus symbolizes love, peace and good will to all men and women on earth.
Our lives on earth should demonstrate Jesus’ love, peace, and good will to all people.
The Light of Christ that is now in us is the light of His mercy, kindness, and compassion.
God's mercy, kindness and compassion was shown in giving Jesus for our sins.
God's mercy, kindness, and compassion continued through the acts of Jesus as He healed the sick and gave hope to the needy.
We must do all we can to show mercy, kindness and compassion by comforting the sick and giving hope to those in need.
The Light of Christ that is now in us is the light of His humility:
The Bible says that when Jesus found Himself in the form of a man He humbled Himself.
1 Peter Chapter 5 verses 5 and 6 says: Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
As men and women of God we are not to think of ourselves as better than others.
As we love and help each other God blesses us all.
The Light of Christ that is now in us is the light of His self control.
Jesus’ emotions and actions represented the will of God at all times during His life on earth.
Jesus practiced and preached an attitude of self-control as seen during His temptations by Satan in Matthew Chapter 4.
Chapter 4 tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
For forty days and forty nights Jesus fasted and became very hungry.
During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Then the devil took Jesus to the highest point of the Temple in the Holy city of Jerusalem, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off!
For the Scriptures say, God will order His angels to protect you.
They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.
Next the devil took Jesus to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Satan said, “I will give it all to you,”, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
Jesus rejected Satan telling him:
“For the Scriptures say, you must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.
To have self-control we must maintain control over the desires, passions and temptations of our everyday lives.
The Apostle Paul tells us that I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become undeserving of eternal life.
Our actions must represent the Light of Christ at all times.
Our efforts to help others in need, especially during Christmas should serve as proof that our Christian lights are shining bright.
Our spiritual growth should be shining bright as we worship, pray and study God' Word, practicing of the gospel and fellowship with one another, as we share in the joy of the birth of Christ.
Our fruitfulness should be shining bright as we do what is pleasing to God and profitable to our fellow brothers and sisters.
Our perseverance in overcoming the trials and troubles of this world should be shining bright to others as we experience our own medical, financial, family and work related problems.
Our obedience to God should be shining bright by submitting to the Word of God and conforming to the Word of God by living a righteous life.
Our good works should be shining bright as we bear the burdens of others, and lend a helping hand to others who are in need.
Summary- Just as Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, we are the Lights of Jesus Christ.
The Lights from our Christian lives should be shining bright, providing the Light of Christ to all this Christmas season and all year long.