Emeka

2019 DECEMBER RETREAT MESSAGE
DAY 4, BIBLE TEACHING
DATE: DECEMBER 24, 2019
THEME: THE FINAL SOLUTION: JESUS
PREACHER: OUR FATHER IN THE LORD, PASTOR W.F. KUMUYI
TOPIC: CONDITIONS OF SECURITY IN CHRIST
TEXT: JOHN 15:1-7
* 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
* 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
* 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
* 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
* 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
* 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
* 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
The Lord knew that His disciples were familiar with farming, vine, vineyard, husbandman, and the keeper of the vine so He used the agricultural terms in order to pass His message clearly to them.
He said to begin to believe is the beginning, and not the final step. Starting is good, continuing to walk with Him, abiding in Him, being steadfast and secure in Him is the most important. He says, He is the true vine, and His Father watching over the vineyard is the Husbandman.
He talks about two categories of believers: those who abide and those who do not. Those who continue and those who do not, those who stand steadfast and those who are shaky and wander away.
vs 2. “every branch in me” the one that is born again and believes in Christ but forgets that every branch is purposely there to bear fruits and does not make any effort, does not have the ability to bear fruits the Father takes away, whereas, those who bear fruits are purged and preserve to bear more fruits.
vs 4. The Lord counsels the disciples to abide in Him. Those who abide and remain, and continue with the Lord will bring forth much fruits.
vs 5. Without the Lord, we can do nothing.
vs 6. The branches that bear no fruits are cast away
Now we can see that the security of the believers in Christ is conditional.
A. THE CONDITIONS OF THE BELIEVERS’ SECURITY. John 10:27-29
* 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
* 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
* 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.
These are the only verses some believers consider, while they ignore some other verses (vs 5) Those who will not follow strangers are secure. You believe the Lord and you do not follow strange doctrines.
I John 2:24. Let all the new things you have received of the Lord remain with you (vs 28).
I Corinthians 9:24-27
* 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
* 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
* 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
* 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Starting a journey does not guarantee that you will finish well. You have to be focused and strive for the mastery. You are to be temperate in what you do, eat, or the people you relate with. If athletes go to such length of self denial just to win corruptible crowns, how much more we that are going to win the crowns of eternal life! We must put every member of our bodies under subjection and firm control. This is how to have the believers’ security.
Romans 11:20-22
* 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
* 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
* 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
It is important to let the word of God abide in us and we continue steadfastly in Him.
Matthew 24:11-13
* 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
* 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
* 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
You must endure to the end, therein lies your security. That is, your security depends on abiding in Christ till the end.
B. THE CONSEQUENCE OF BACKSLIDERS’ SINFULNESS
Who is a backslider? Someone who used to believe but is no longer in the faith (Proverbs 21:16 - The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead). Someone who wanders out of the way of life and eventually dies spiritually.
What makes people to backslide? Ecclesiastes 10:1. Dead flies causes the oil or the medicine to bring forth stinking odour.
Song of Solomon 2:15
* Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Indulging in little, little things that can spoil the vines of our Christian life.
I Corinthians 5:6. Backsliding starts in little ways. The little lies, evil, carelessness, anger, and folly will make you to slide on until there is no stopping.
Galatians 5:9
* A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
The Lord is telling us to beware of the inroad of little folly, foolishness, malice, anger bad temper, talkativeness, little by little, you are derailed.
James 3:5-6
* 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
* And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Watch out, a little fire of fighting, violence, arguments, disagreement. A little fire of the bad mouth, the strange tongue which defiles the whole body and sends the soul to hell.
At times, it is the influence of others. Little, little influences from here and there. You have believed on the Lord and He has been influencing, controlling and inspiring you and then a little figure (in comparison with Christ) comes to give you counsel. He wants to make you go the other direction. Whoever he is, he is little and you will not allow him to mislead you. Be watchful of the counsels you receive from others.
Moses went up the mountains to receive laws and instructions for the children of Israel. He was without food and water forty days and forty nights. Aaron, the High priest remained with the people. After a while, they, the people and their priest forgot Moses, after all he left for their sakes (refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter) to bring them out of the land of Egypt. They forgot the Lord who brought them out of the bo***ge of Egypt. Because he was gone for a few weeks, they requested for a god to worship. He listened, and all of them, without any exception followed and worshipped the idol. This shows that a whole denomination and congregation can backslide. We have seen some denominations like that. A new leader comes in and new ideas are introduced. The congregation forgets all they have learned so far and follow after the wrong path.
Exodus 32:32-33. Here we see Moses interceding for the children of Israel but God told him, whosoever (regardless of the position or status) sins against Him He will blot out of His book.
Joshua 24:20. If anyone sins against God, God will do him evil after doing him good. So, as a result of your sins, you will be punished. Security in God is conditional, and the condition is to abide in Him
II chronicles 15:1-2
* 1 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
* 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
Hebrews 10:26-27,29-31. Everyone of us hearing the words of truth in this church will never deny the quality of what we have received so far. But after this, if you sin wilfully, with your two eyes wide open, throwing away the true doctrines, convictions and the word of God, there is no more sacrifice for sin. God will not cancel His words to please anyone (vs 38-39)
* 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
* 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
As a child of God, you must know that you cannot compromise and indulge in bribery and corruption or committing immorality to get anything or any position. You must trust God for all your needs.
II Peter 2:20-22
* 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
* 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
* 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
After salvation and such believer goes back to indulge in sins of all kinds, life in eternity will be worse for him (James 5:9). Every sinner and backslider needs to be assisted into the way of life.
C. CONSIDERATION WITH BLAMELESS STEADFASTNESS. I Peter 3:17
2 Peter 3:17
* Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
I will not fall, you will not fall, we will not fall.
Rise up and tell the Lord that He will