AWAKE - Be Strong Cont.

Doing the right thing requires strength!

It is so easy to agree with the scriptures concerning relationship and then go right on with our life as usual. That is not only a sign that we are asleep but also that we may be doing the things we do for our mates with the wrong attitude. Let's take a look, while continuing in the third chapter of Colossians, at the attitude that we are to have when we do things for each other.

Colossians 3:22,23 - Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

You're probably saying to yourself by now, wait a minute, I'm not a servant! But think about this for a minute; didn't Jesus teach us to serve others? Why wouldn't that apply to our relationships at home too? I bet that was one of the first things that God taught Adam and Eve while they were out walking together in the mornings of that very first week in the Garden of Eden. I bet the temperature was perfect and the sun was just the right distance away that they didn't even break a sweat. They probably enjoyed every minute of every day!

You know what else! I'm not a betting man, but I would be willing to bet that Eve was so pleased with Adam as he served her like he was suppose to as her husband. I would also bet that Adam was just as happy because Eve served him with the right heart attitude also as his wife? This was not only the first marriage on earth, but it was the perfect marriage designed and created by the God of all our universe!

Why then, when men and women attempt to live like that, does something happen that creates friction between us? Well, we have to examine our motives and ask ourselves ,"Am I attempting to serve as unto the Lord or am I serving as unto people?". This can apply to parent/child as well.  As a servant in my home I must become humble and bring peace to my family. How? By reminding myself of the most important part of this passage. Take notice, it starts out with a command and then we learn how to live it out in our relationships successfully.

We are instructed that a servant is to obey their master. From a man's perspective I was thinking, "How would that apply to our relationship with our wife or children?".  But then it kind of sunk in slowly as I finished reading the rest of the passage. Who is my Master, I thought to myself? Who is your Master? Who do you serve in life? Then it hit me! Jesus talks all through the scriptures about how we can only serve one master, right? If you think that I am going to tell you to start calling each other "Master", I'm not. But, just imagine for a minute what a difference it would make if we treated each other as if they were the master and we were their servant?

So it got a little more confusing as I thought about the passage that says, Don't be a person pleaser using the eyes to give favor; BUT in singleness of heart fearing God. I am to do the best I can with sincerity; but fearing God alone because He alone is our only Master and we are to do it as unto Him. Wow! What kind of difference would it make if we would remember that it is God, our only Master, that we are serving every time we stop to do something for our mates, our family and our friends?

I imagine Adam and Eve before the fall of sin, feeling the perfect joy of serving God when they reached out to serve and care for each other. Try it! Serve God as you reach out to care for family and friends, I guarantee that you will experience that perfect joy as well.

One last point from passage that will strengthen our relationships is concerning the heart.

Some people can act so awesome whenever anyone is around to notice, but at home they may exibit a proud and self-centered attitude. That is what we are told not to be like when this passage tells us not to be eyepleasers. Be careful, men and women, husbands and wives, when you take notice of another man or woman that's always serving people in the eye of the public. Not that it is wrong to behave this way, but we should be focused on our own mates and what we can do to serve that special person that God has put into our lives. It is easy to put on an act in public, but your mate will know if you are doing things heartily (with your whole heart) by the way that you act in private! So, beware of this deceitful temptation to become men pleasers as this way of living doesn't follow the teachings of our Lord, our only true Master. We must do ALL that we do for the Lord and our mates will know without a doubt that they are truly appreciated and loved!

Luke 16:13 - No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.(wealth)

"AWAKE" - A Strong Home

Author-Robert Bailes

DETERMINE TO HAVE A STRONG HOME

When it comes to relationships, they're all different in some way or another, but there are certain principles in a relationship that apply to every person alive today. These principles were established by our creator, our God. It is so important to pay attention to them and adhere to what God has laid down for us in order to avoid the consequences that follow when we rebel and choose our own ways, rather than the way our Lord God Almighty planned for us.

When we say that God is love; we must also realize that He is the Master of love and therefore, His divine Word is not going to tell us something that would guide us into a relationship full of hatred, conflicts and abuse. So I tell you once more as we begin to discover and explore the ingredients that make a Strong Home, AWAKE! Pay close attention and get ready to start filling up those half full love tanks! Could it be that your ship has been tossed around in the storms of life and that your love tank is so empty that the engine isn't even running and you are just drifting through life with no direction or purpose? If so, don't abandon ship yet! Hold on tight and let's find out, as we explore God's Word, how you can begin to refuel your relation"ship" and get your engines running full throttle again!

A house is a place, but a home is made of people. A Godly home is a home where people are living their Christian faith each day.

I spent about twelve years of my life, following my college days, building homes of all types. There were houses with only a couple of bedrooms made of average building materials and there were homes that were large enough to house several families made of a nicer grade material. Then there were what we call mansions. These homes took almost a year to build and the materials were ordered special from all over the globe. One couple even went overseas to find a house with the type of chimney they wanted for their home. They then took the mason and showed him their choice so he could build it over here in the United States. Regardless of how much each home owner spent on materials, whether it be thousands or millions of dollars, the cheapest was just as much a house as the most expensive was a house. The more expensive house was a better house because of the quality of the products used, but it did cost allot more than the houses built with the lower quality products. It costs more to have a better house because the quality of the products are better. Many people appear to be working hard on their home life, but they are using the wrong materials.

In Colossians, chapter three,verses fifteen through twenty-one, the Bible says, " And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."

THREE HOMES WE ALL NEED

Everyone should have three homes. We need to know that we have a heavenly home. If we have asked the Lord to forgive our sin and received Him by faith, we have a heavenly home.

We all need to have a good church home. Please, don't underestimate the power and influence of a good, Bible believing, Bible preaching church. We know that Paul taught us that Jesus is the foundation and the head of the church, but we can't have strong churches without having strong families. Interestingly enough, we can't have strong homes either, without a good church home. They work together hand in hand.

Not only do we need a heavenly home and a good church home, but we need a Godly Christian home. I have seen Satan's hand at work in homes everywhere and it is so important to build our homes of the things that will withstand his attacks. Let's look at how to build a strong home and what it takes to do this!

WHAT DEFINES A CHRISTIAN HOME?

There are many who claim to be Christian and even have a testimony of salvation, but don't have a Christian home. You may be thinking, how can that be? Well, let's look at what makes a Christian home.

Some of you may say,"My husband is a Christian. Doesn't that make my home a Christian home?". Or you may be saying the same about the wife or mother of the home. You might even attend church faithfully, but these things do not make a Christian home.

Let's look at the text in verses twelve through thirteen of chapter three in Colossians and we will discover the vital ingredients of a Christian home. In this passage, seven things are listed for us to have in our homes. Let's consider them carefully: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another and forgiving one another..."

After giving us these seven ingredients to apply, the Lord covers them all up with something like a glue that holds all the other ingredients together. This is the bond of Christian love that is the most important ingredient to apply to our homes. We find this in verse fourteen,"And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

Have you ever come across a home that was built with average materials and during construction of the home something went wrong and the house was never quite finished. You could see that the house was left there through the winter and summer without the final coatings applied. As those average materials that were used to build that home were exposed to the elements of nature, without the proper protection they began to curl and swell and fall apart. It wasn't too long before the walls began to crack inside and the ceilings began to stain from the leaks of an unprotected roof as well.

It is like that house that was built and then left unprotected without the final materials that may have seemed to be insignificant at the time; we also can find the value of protecting our homes. We must protect our home with the ingredient valued above all other ingredients if we want to build a Godly Christian home. What God has valued above all else is LOVE! We must ask ourselves; each and every one of us, "Do I have the love that God has placed so much value on? Is my home strong?". Are the materials (mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, long suffering, forgiveness) that my house is made of, going to be bond together when the difficult seasons of life arrive? Could it be that my house going to begin to curl and fall apart or show stains of leaking because of the lack of the one ingredient that God valued above all the others? We must ask ourselves, "Is my home protected by the covering of Love, which is the bond of perfectness?"

AWAKENING!

PRAISE OUR ALMIGHTY GOD TODAY!
PRAISE HIS NAME ON HIGH!
PRAISE HIM FOR HIS MERCY!

LET US SING, "AWAKE MY SOUL, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE IN ME!"

Romans 13:11
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

"AWAKE" - Introduction

By Robert Bailes

IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE!
As newly married couples join hearts and hands in marriage, there are far too often those who feel they have the privilege of offering their two cents to the couple, even before the wedding reception is over. The traditional quotes and riddles with hidden meanings are passed on by those who have fallen asleep at the helm of their love boat, so to speak.

Most of those couples who have been together for years will tell them that the honeymoon will soon pass and reality will begin to sink in, so get ready! Isn't that a wonderful thought to leave a couple with right after they have married? The reason that this goes on generation after generation is because these couples have fallen asleep at the helm of their love boat.

They no longer feel like they once did because their love boat fuel tanks are empty or running on their last gallon of fuel. When the waves come and rock their boat around, that last little bit of fuel is still there but isn't quite enough to keep the motor from sputtering. The tank is very large and could hold hundreds of gallons of fuel, but that last gallon is swished back and forth past the fuel pump, allowing only enough fuel to barely keep their love boat running in the storm. So they share their experience with the newly weds as a forecast of days ahead in their relationship, almost as though it is normal and to be expected.

The facts are that this type of relationship between a husband and wife is not what God intended and there is a clear and decisive way for couples to avoid falling asleep at the helm and allowing their tanks to run dry. There are clearly defined principles to apply to our lives that will prevent a couple from finding themselves stranded and at the mercy of the storms in their lives. Instead of just hoping for the storms to pass, they will have the fuel and the navigational equipment necessary to move through the storm. When they come out of the storm, they will be on the same course that they were on before the storm and will have also made some progress along the way.

You might be thinking to yourself, "How can I tell if I have fallen asleep at the helm?". Most people, awake or asleep, think that they are doing alright in all of their relationships, but take heed! Paul is talking to believers in the book of Romans when he gives us this warning to "Awake" and this series of messages will show us just how our lives will change when we wake up; at home, at church and in the community around us. I have learned first hand, the things that I will share with you in this series and how applying the principles that Paul teaches us in the thirteenth chapter of Romans will bring a change in your relationships at home, in the community and even in your worship with God.

Romans 13:11
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.


Now it is HIGH TIME! That means that the HOUR is here and the time is NOW. People just roll over and go back to sleep in relationships all to often. I must agree with the apostle Paul when he says, "IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE FROM OUR SLEEP!" Verse twelve says,"The night is far spent", that means it is later than you may think! I want to tell you that it is later in this age than you may think! I believe that Jesus Christ is at the threshold and I believe that the trumpet is about to sound and Jesus Christ is going to come soon and it is only the restraining hand of Almighty God that has kept the floodgates of evil closed as much as they have been. It may be later in your life than you think! You only have so many more days or hours left to serve the Lord Jesus. James 4:14 says,"What is your life but a vapor that appeared for a little with and then vanished away"!

It's later in the day of opportunity than you may think. We have opportunities now that are unparalleled to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said when he was here on earth in John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day, the night cometh when no man can work!" There are allot of things you can do here on this earth, but there's one thing we won't be able to do in heaven and that is to win souls to Christ.

There are several things that I pray that everyone who hears this message will do, that the apostle Paul urges us to do in this passage and the first one is to "WAKE UP"!

God's alarm clock is going off all around us!
A young man asked his pastor one Sunday if there was a good prayer that he could pray whenever he came to the service and his pastor said,"Yes, Now I lay me down to sleep".

It's time that we wake up. So many times we are like Sampson, asleep in the lap of Delilah. When we wake up and go out to shake ourselves, it's without the spirit's power. How do we wake up? Not by hitting the snooze button; we have to wake up and get up! Get busy doing the things that you are purposed to do in your life!

Wake Up! Get Up! Husbands and wives, grab the wheel of your boats and get ready to fuel up and apply the principles we will find in the series of messages I have titled "AWAKE!".

IT'S HIGH TIME TO AWAKE! LET'S GO!