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What’s So Great About Being a Christian?
by Steve May
Text: Colossians 1:1-7
Topic: Why it is great to follow Jesus
Big Idea: More than anything this world has to offer, following Christ eliminates despair and fills your life with meaning.
Keywords: Christianity; Blessings; Hope; Christian life; Purpose
Introduction:
- Illustration: May delivers a lengthy illustration, including narrative about Woodstock and Woodstock II and song lyrics from the group Offspring, to illustrate how pervasive pessimism is today, especially in Generation X.
- The message of the Bible is that no matter how bad things appear to be, with God in your life, you don’t have to give in to despair.
- With God in your life, there is always reason to hope.
Following Jesus gives you a reason to be optimistic.
- Colossians 1:3-5
- This is not wishful thinking. It is sensible optimism.
- Romans 8:28
- This optimism that we have—this hope that is ours—gives us the ability to live a life of faith and trust him with the details of our lives.
- Illustration: May explains how the parents of Cassie Bernall (a victim of the Columbine shooting) hoped in God to bring their rebellious daughter to faith, and thus allowed their daughter to attend an event where she became a Christian.
Following Jesus gives you a handle on the truth.
- Colossians 1:6
- Illustration: May tells a story of Chuck Colson confronting students at Yale Law School to illustrate how many have come to believe truth to be relative, a matter of opinion.
- The difference Christianity offers the world is that we believe—even in this day and age—that truth exists.
- Illustration: May tells the story of a youth pastor who insisted on obeying God’s truth, even when circumstances and his senior pastor insisted he bend.
- When you make a choice to follow Christ, he lays a foundation in your life of absolute truth that will guide you through the rough spots.
Following Jesus gives you the ability to get results.
- When you make a choice to follow Jesus, you can live every day of your life with the assurance that your efforts to serve him will produce results.
- Illustration: May quotes a Newsweek article that illustrates the uncertain futility of philanthropic organizations, demonstrating how good intentions don’t guarantee results.
- Paul says that when you commit to following Jesus and dedicate yourself to doing the work of the gospel, your efforts will bear fruit.
- Colossians 1:6
- When you serve Jesus, you are never at risk of wasting your life; your efforts will produce results—results that last for eternity.
Conclusion:
- What’s so great about being a Christian?
- Big Idea: More than anything this world has to offer, following Christ eliminates despair and fills your life with meaning.
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