I Want to Live!

TEXT: Acts 17:25

INTRODUCTION:

A. GOD PROVIDED A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL HIS CREATURES.

1. For instance, fish and their water environment.

2. As long as the fish stays in water, he survives.

a. What if he decides to leave the water, what happens?

b. Why? Whose fault is it?

B. FISH DON’T THINK AND DECIDE. WE DO?

1. God provided for us both physically and spiritually.

2. If we live in the scope of God’s provision we are happy and prosper.

3. If we decide to live outside, unhappiness and destruction is the result.

C. WE NEED TO FIX THIS PRINCIPLE IN OUR MINDS.

I. "I WANT TO LIVE!"

A. MOST BASIC DESIRE – EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE.

B. HOW DO WE LIVE? WHAT CONSTITUTES REAL LIVING? THE NEXT LIFE?

1. God is the source of all life (Acts 17:25; John 6:68).

2. We should look to his book if we want life (2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

II. THE SOURCE OF THE GOOD LIFE.

A. IF YOU WANT TO GET WARM, YOU GET CLOSE TO THE FIRE; WET, CLOSE TO THE WATER. TO FIND ANYTHING, YOU MUST LOOK IN THE RIGHT PLACE. ABUNDANT LIFE CAN ONLY BE FOUND AT THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE – GOD (Psa. 36:9).

B. ALL PHYSICAL LIFE COME FROM HIM (Gen. 1:21, 25, 26-27; Acts 17:25-28).

1. Only in him can life be sustained (Job 34:14-15; Psa. 22:29).

2. Hezekiah recognized God as the sustainer (Isa. 38:16).

C. GOD HAS GIVEN NATURAL LAW TO GUIDE AND SUSTAIN. LIVING WITHIN THAT LAW PROMOTES HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS.

BUT WHAT IF I LIVE OUTSIDE THIS LAW?

III. LIVING LAWS CANNOT BE IGNORED.

A. GOD’S LAW IS A LIVING LAW (John 4:10-14; Heb. 4:12).

1. It abides (Luke 21:33).

2. Keepers of God’s law abide (1 John 2:17).

B. EASILY SEEN IN THE NATURAL REALM.

1. Johnny was a chemist,

But Johnny is no more –

For what he thought was H2O

Was H2SO4.

H2O is water. H2SO4 is sulfuric acid. Johnny is dead! Why?

2. Even atheist scientists know they are powerless to make or change natural laws. Their success depends on keeping that law.

A fish out of water doesn’t change God’s law –

he dies!

C. THE SAME APPLIES SPIRITUALLY!

1. We may violate or disobey, but we cannot change God’s law (John 10:35; Matt. 5:18-19; 24:35; Psa. 146:6; Isa. 40:8; Rom. 3:4, 19; James 4:8).

2. To disobey brings destruction (Rom. 6:23; 2 Thess. 1:7-9).

IV. IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE ALIVE AND DEAD AT THE SAME TIME? (Eph. 2:1).

A. WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DEATH? (Eph. 2:11-12).

B. WHAT SEPARATES US FROM GOD? (Isa. 59:1-2).

1. All sin from time to time (Rom. 3:23).

2. What is the result? (Ez. 18:20; 1 Tim. 5:6; Prov. 7:2).

V. JESUS IS OUR LIFE! (Col. 3:4).

A. APART FROM JESUS THERE IS NO LIFE (John 14:6; 10:10; 1 John 5:12).

B. IF WE WOULD LIVE, WE MUST BE IN HIM (John 5:25).

C. "ALIVE FROM THE DEAD" DESCRIBES A CHANGED PERSON (Rom. 6:11-13).

CONCLUSION:

A. ALL CAN HAVE LIFE THROUGH JESUS (Rev. 22:17).

B. IT IS UP TO US (Ez. 33:11; Josh. 24:15; John 6:68).

Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!