WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN
SERMON TITLE: A GOOD POSITION DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN A GOOD CONDITION
“For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
TEXT VERSE: Luke 22:54-62 “Then took they him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. (55) And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. (56) But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. (57) And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. (58) And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, man, I am not. (59) And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. (60) And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. (61) And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. (62) And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. (63) And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.
I want you to notice that Peter was a disciple of Jesus Christ. I want to turn your attention to verse 54 where it says that Peter followed afar off. I want to preach to you this morning on: “A good position does not always mean a good condition.” There’s a lot of Christians in the world today that are like Peter. They are what we call a disciple for Jesus Christ. They’ve been saved by Christ, they’ve been on fire for God. They remember the blessings of God and the work of God, but something has happened in their life and they’ve begun to follow Jesus afar off. That’s where a lot of Christians are at today. Just because you’re seated in the house of God and just because you go to church every once in a while and just because you’re letter is at some church somewhere, does not mean that you’re in the condition that you’re supposed to be in with the Lord Jesus. There’s a lot of people more worried about what position their in, instead of what condition their in. You might have everything right on the outside. it might be going well for you. You may have all the things your body desires but I have news for you. I wonder what kind of condition you’re in on the inside this morning. The Bible says that the Kingdom of God is within us. If everything is right on the inside then their will be turmoil on the outside. Because if you’re here and you’re saved the Bible said we’re pilgrams and strangers passing through. This world is not our home. Too many Christians worried about what position their in instead of what condition their souls are in. They like looking at things on the outside. They like looking at the worldly things. The Bible says that man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the inward appearance. God knows what kind of condition you’re in. Peter was pretty close to the Lord. He’s the one that said, Lord I’ll go with you all the way. I’ll never deny you. But when it came time to take Jesus Christ to get ready to crucify him, I want you to know that the very one that said I will never deny you, denied him. He denied him three times. He was right there in the midst of Jesus and his position was good but his condition was backslid. You say that the disciples back then couldn’t be backslid? Yes they could. Most of the Christians then and today are living their life in a backslid condition. Their not walking close to the Lord. Their going about with things in this world and their walking afar off. Fred taught this morning in Sunday School on this same scripture except in Matthew and John. There were three things in John 18 that I noticed about Peter. Number one it says that Peter stood without. It said that because he was in a position that he thought was good but when Jesus looked at him, he was in the wrong condition. He was standing without. Number two it says that he was standing with them. Who did he stand with? The mockers and the sinner, the ungodly, the ones that hated Jesus. There’s a lot of Christians in the world today that are standing among sinners today. Number three it says he stood and warmed himself. Christians will get in what they think is a comfort zone and they’ll get out there with sinners and they think God can’t see them, they get comfortable out in the world but I’m telling you their walking afar off. A good position does not always mean a good condition. You can come to church every Sunday morning, every Sunday evening, every Wednesday night but that does not mean you’re where you need to be with God. When you get to where you need to be with God....God will change you’re life.
Why do Christians follow afar off? In Philippians 2:21 “For all seek their own and not the things which are of Jesus Christ.” They want to make sure they have everything they need but they don’t make sure the Lord has everything he needs. You may not be suffering where you’re at in your position but Christ may be suffering because of where you’re at in your condition. Isn’t it pitiful we make the Lord suffer? We’re supposed to do our best not to sin but a lot of Christians to their best to sin. They get out in the world and they look like them and live like them. You can’t hardly tell whether their saved or lost. It’s a pitiful condition to be in.
In Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Back in Matthew, Peter denied the Lord thrice. One verse said he even cursed. But when Jesus looked upon him he wept bitterly. What can we do to get closer to the Lord?.................
Number one you have to learn to deny yourself of earthly wants. Philippians 3:7 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” In other words, what things I counted important to me and those things I really wanted in the flesh, those are the things I chose not to do. The first step to getting close to Jesus is to deny your self. You’ve got realize that you’re nothing and the Savior is everything. We always want to protect ourselves. We always want to wear the best clothing, the best cologne, the most money. As long as we’re in good shape, everything else seems to be all right. We don’t care about how everybody else is. That’s called self righteousness.
Number two you need to know how to deny your earthly wisdom. Some people think their smarter than everybody. Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.” Don’t rely on your own wisdom. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Number three you have deny yourself of earthly wealth. That gets Christians in a lot of trouble right there. Preacher, I’m not a millionaire, you can’t be talking about me. You don’t have to be a millionaire to desire earthly wealth. Anything you put between you and Christ is considered wealth in an earthly fashion. Theirs a lot of people who don’t know how to deny themselves for things. We got to have everything. We need to have Jesus. Earthly wealth, First Timothy 6:17 “Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trusting in uncertain riches but in the living God who richly giveth us all things to enjoy.” If you can’t enjoy the things God gives you, don’t expect to enjoy the things that the devil gives you. They think that the things that the devil gives them is what brings pleasure in this life. The pleasures of sin will only last you a season. But the pleasure that God can give you will last you for eternity.
Take up your cross daily. You know what that means? Duty. We all have a duty to do our part. It’s pitiful when you get in the house of God and you can’t even get enough people to come to Sunday School to teach a good lesson. Whether you come or not, I’m coming because this is where I get fed. This is where we grow, This is what we need to help our families and our country. Church may look bad on the outside to people but it feels good on the inside. God is able to give you what you need. We all have a duty to do our part. I’m not saying your part is at Westside Baptist Church but if it is, you need to do it. It makes me sick to go up to people and ask them if their a member at a church. They’ll say yes I am. You ask them and some will tell you and others will say I forget what the name of it is. Then they can’t even remember what road it’s on. What’s your Pastors name. They can’t remember that either. I hear it all the time. If you can’t remember your church name or your Pastors name, how can you remember what sayeth the Lord? We have a duty. In our duty................
Number one: We need to be fearful. Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” You have to learn to be fearful in your duties. You know why we stay close to the Lord? Because we’re afraid not to. The Bible says he’ll chastise us. If you’re without chastisement the Bible says you’re a Bastard and not a son. When I start getting away from the Lord, he comes by and convicts me and chastises me. He spiritualy spanks me. Don’t you go around claiming to be a child of God if you’re not.
Number two: We need to be faithful. Fist Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” He was always there for us. We need to always be there for him. He went to Calvary for us. We need be willing to take up Calvary for him. He shed his blood, his life for the sins of the whole world and we ought to be willing to share the gospel with the whole world . We need to be faithful and not just at the house of God but everyday and everywhere. I wonder what you’d do if you came to the house of God and you were the only couple to show up. Would you go home or come in and ask God for what you need? It’s not about congregation or position. it’s about your condition. Your works will never get you into heaven. James said that you have to have faith by your works. The works are on the outside and the faith is on the inside.
Number three: We need to be fruitful. A lot of Christians have not grown after they got saved. Their still on the milk and not the meat. You’re position will never change until you get your condition right. When I was ten years old a group of boys came up to me and they were talking about the Bible. This was before I got saved. They told me that only so many people were going to get into heaven. They said not everybody on earth is going to heaven. They said a certain group would go to hell. It scared me. I said, Lord I hope I’m not one that won’t go to heaven. But after I got saved, the Lord showed me that was going to be a certain group that got to go to heaven and that was those saved by the grace of God.
Follow me. I believe that represents the discipleship. I believe Christ set an example to do as he did. Walk as he walked. Live as he lived. Preach as he preached. Love as he loved. He didn’t get mixed up in the world. He said, not thy will but thine Lord. That’s what we need to do.
Number one: We need to labor for him. First Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” We need to be laboring for him. That’s what discipleship is all about. Christ was a King. He didn’t live in a great mansion. He rode upon a donkey, he didn’t have any earthly riches but thank God he had a heavenly father and a heavenly home. That’s the greatest King I’ve ever known.
Number two: We need to love like him. Fist John 4:7 “Beloved let us love one another for love is of God. He that loveth God knoweth God.” Get to know God and you’ll know how to love. Not just people we know but sinners also, enemies. he said, if you love those that love you, what reward have you? He said for even the sinners can do that.
Number three: We’re supposed to live in him. Galatians 2:20 “I’m crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave his life for me.”
If we’ll deny ourselves of those earthly things and take our duty as a Christian and go forward with it and be disciples for the Lord Jesus Christ...we’ll be in a good condition. You may not be in a good position with your family or coworkers because those two things don’t mix. You can’t turn like them and stay strong for Christ. Your position may not be good in their eyes but your condition will be good in God’s eyes. I wonder what kind of condition are you in?
LET US PRAY: Father, my condition is not like it should be. I have allowed my eyes to lust after earthly things and my heart has gotten far from you. I repent of this and ask you to help me to not want these earthly things. Help me to become strong in the word and not in the world. Help me to get close to you and not to the earthly pleasures that my flesh desires. Help me to remember what my purpose is on this earth so that my position in this life will not matter more than the condition of my soul. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
