1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,220 Okay, well here we are. We're going to 2 00:00:02,220 --> 00:00:05,700 begin a new series entitled, "Seven Habits 3 00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:07,890 of Highly Effective Christians, Elders, 4 00:00:07,890 --> 00:00:11,429 Ministers and Deacons" and this is the 5 00:00:11,429 --> 00:00:14,519 first in the three sessions and it is 6 00:00:14,519 --> 00:00:16,920 entitled, "The Seven Habits of Highly 7 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,539 Effective Christians." Now the the idea 8 00:00:21,539 --> 00:00:23,970 for the titles and approach come from 9 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:26,550 Stephen Covey's popular book of a few 10 00:00:26,550 --> 00:00:29,189 years ago entitled, "The Seven Habits of 11 00:00:29,189 --> 00:00:32,759 Highly Effective People." Now I'm going to 12 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:34,739 talk a little bit about this 13 00:00:34,739 --> 00:00:36,420 book further on in the series, but 14 00:00:36,420 --> 00:00:39,510 suffice to say that Mr. Covey's 15 00:00:39,510 --> 00:00:43,379 research found that highly effective and 16 00:00:43,379 --> 00:00:46,350 thus successful people who made an 17 00:00:46,350 --> 00:00:49,500 impact in their various fields shared a 18 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:51,449 specific set of character traits and 19 00:00:51,449 --> 00:00:55,020 habits which he analyzed and summarized 20 00:00:55,020 --> 00:00:58,859 into seven categories, that's what his book was about. 21 00:00:58,859 --> 00:01:01,440 Well, I believe that the same case can be 22 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,960 made for the church and those who play 23 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,930 different roles in the church; from the 24 00:01:06,930 --> 00:01:09,119 saints in the pew to the ministers in 25 00:01:09,119 --> 00:01:11,400 the pulpit, from those who have special 26 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,070 responsibilities to those who are 27 00:01:14,070 --> 00:01:16,170 responsible for the overall leadership 28 00:01:16,170 --> 00:01:19,470 in the church. There are characteristics 29 00:01:19,470 --> 00:01:21,900 and habits that distinguish those who 30 00:01:21,900 --> 00:01:25,080 are effective and successful in their 31 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,570 personal walk with Jesus as Christians 32 00:01:27,570 --> 00:01:30,810 as well as those who serve as preachers 33 00:01:30,810 --> 00:01:34,170 and deacons and elders. So as Christians 34 00:01:34,170 --> 00:01:35,820 we all need to examine 35 00:01:35,820 --> 00:01:40,920 ourselves in order to carry out a more dynamic ministry to one 36 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:42,990 another and the community and I think 37 00:01:42,990 --> 00:01:46,380 it's important to have a clear standard 38 00:01:46,380 --> 00:01:49,439 to strive for, to measure 39 00:01:49,439 --> 00:01:52,409 ourselves against as we serve the cause 40 00:01:52,409 --> 00:01:54,689 of Christ in the various roles that 41 00:01:54,689 --> 00:01:57,659 we've been given by the Spirit in the 42 00:01:57,659 --> 00:02:02,039 church. Now before we get into the 7 Habits of Highly Effective 43 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,619 preachers, elders, so on and so forth, 44 00:02:04,619 --> 00:02:07,439 I want you to know that all of you have 45 00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:10,050 some of these habits developed to 46 00:02:10,050 --> 00:02:13,440 various degrees and this is depending on 47 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,060 your maturity, your knowledge, your 48 00:02:15,060 --> 00:02:16,740 commitment to Christ so on and so forth. 49 00:02:16,740 --> 00:02:20,250 And please realize also that none 50 00:02:20,250 --> 00:02:22,530 of us will have all of these habits 51 00:02:22,530 --> 00:02:26,700 perfectly developed. Because the purpose of the lessons in the series 52 00:02:26,700 --> 00:02:30,660 that I'm doing is to encourage you and not to discourage you. 53 00:02:30,660 --> 00:02:33,540 So what I'm giving you is the ideal to 54 00:02:33,540 --> 00:02:37,440 shoot for, the template to copy in 55 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,590 your striving to grow as a Christian at 56 00:02:40,590 --> 00:02:45,690 every level of maturity and responsibility. Now remember the title of 57 00:02:45,690 --> 00:02:48,000 the series emphasizes the fact that 58 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,570 Christians at every stage have certain 59 00:02:51,570 --> 00:02:54,600 habits that enable them to be effective 60 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,770 and thus successful. So if we parse the 61 00:02:58,770 --> 00:03:01,290 title, let's start by parsing the title, 62 00:03:01,290 --> 00:03:06,510 we have two key words: one word is "habits," 63 00:03:06,510 --> 00:03:10,980 The seven habits. Habits of 64 00:03:10,980 --> 00:03:13,680 course are actions that are ingrained, 65 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,200 that have become natural because of 66 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,160 continued repetition, things we do 67 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,180 without thinking and things we 68 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:27,600 do with skill and precision. The other 69 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,630 word in the title is seven Habits 70 00:03:30,630 --> 00:03:33,750 of Highly Effective Christians elders 71 00:03:33,750 --> 00:03:36,870 and so on, "Effective." This word refers to 72 00:03:36,870 --> 00:03:39,239 the quality of our lives and the quality 73 00:03:39,239 --> 00:03:42,390 of our service. People can be 74 00:03:42,390 --> 00:03:44,550 Christians and they can serve as deacons 75 00:03:44,550 --> 00:03:47,430 or preachers or elders in name and in 76 00:03:47,430 --> 00:03:51,300 title, but to be effective as disciples 77 00:03:51,300 --> 00:03:55,170 of Jesus or effective as his ministers, 78 00:03:55,170 --> 00:03:58,290 elders, or deacons means that we produce 79 00:03:58,290 --> 00:04:02,640 fruit in our personal spiritual lives as 80 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,700 well as in our particular ministries. 81 00:04:05,700 --> 00:04:08,010 A person can wear the title without 82 00:04:08,010 --> 00:04:11,519 actually being very effective. And so 83 00:04:11,519 --> 00:04:14,100 these lessons that I'll be sharing with 84 00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:16,500 you will describe the habits cultivated 85 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:20,190 and ingrained in those who actually are 86 00:04:20,190 --> 00:04:23,760 effective as Christians and as Christian 87 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,639 leaders, something I hope that all of you 88 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:31,160 we'll begin to strive for from this day forward. 89 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,099 Alright, now we know that 90 00:04:35,099 --> 00:04:36,900 Christians don't just come out of the 91 00:04:36,900 --> 00:04:39,300 waters of baptism and immediately become 92 00:04:39,300 --> 00:04:43,259 effective as saints. We also know that 93 00:04:43,259 --> 00:04:45,689 through practice and discipline in the 94 00:04:45,689 --> 00:04:48,419 Holy Spirit, they cultivate habits that 95 00:04:48,419 --> 00:04:51,210 become a natural part of their lives and 96 00:04:51,210 --> 00:04:54,569 eventually enable them to become more 97 00:04:54,569 --> 00:04:56,490 and more effective as Christians in the 98 00:04:56,490 --> 00:04:58,409 service of the Lord and His church. It's not 99 00:04:58,409 --> 00:05:01,169 an overnight thing it takes time. 100 00:05:01,169 --> 00:05:06,189 These habits take time to cultivate in our spiritual lives. 101 00:05:06,189 --> 00:05:10,560 Now there are many of these type of habits. 102 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,900 We could have had 20, we could 103 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:17,580 have had 50, but I've chosen 7 common habits of highly effective 104 00:05:17,580 --> 00:05:20,909 Christians that I have read about in the 105 00:05:20,909 --> 00:05:23,099 Scriptures themselves and that I have 106 00:05:23,099 --> 00:05:27,089 seen over the last 35 years of ministry, 107 00:05:27,089 --> 00:05:30,779 things that I've seen in brothers and 108 00:05:30,779 --> 00:05:33,990 sisters who have had great success as 109 00:05:33,990 --> 00:05:36,569 disciples of Christ. So I want to share 110 00:05:36,569 --> 00:05:38,430 these with you, the seven habits of 111 00:05:38,430 --> 00:05:42,569 effective Christians, that's the session we're going to do today. 112 00:05:42,569 --> 00:05:44,699 Alright, we ready? Okay. Habit number 113 00:05:44,699 --> 00:05:47,819 one. Highly effective Christians have the 114 00:05:47,819 --> 00:05:51,509 habit of reading and obeying God's word. 115 00:05:51,509 --> 00:05:57,289 The habit of reading and obeying God's Word. 116 00:05:57,289 --> 00:05:59,099 Effective Christians are effective 117 00:05:59,099 --> 00:06:01,560 because their lives are powered by the 118 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,039 Word of God. They know what God says and 119 00:06:05,039 --> 00:06:07,409 that knowledge empowers them to make 120 00:06:07,409 --> 00:06:10,860 right choices in a more consistent way. 121 00:06:10,860 --> 00:06:14,009 It helps them to resist temptation, 122 00:06:14,009 --> 00:06:16,469 because they have God's word on their 123 00:06:16,469 --> 00:06:18,539 heart and on their minds, when 124 00:06:18,539 --> 00:06:22,039 you know the right thing to do, it's a lot easier to do it. 125 00:06:22,050 --> 00:06:24,899 They're more able to stand up for right, 126 00:06:24,899 --> 00:06:28,710 more able to give right advice, to say 127 00:06:28,710 --> 00:06:30,389 the right thing at the right time, 128 00:06:30,389 --> 00:06:33,810 because they know what right is. They can 129 00:06:33,810 --> 00:06:36,930 even quote it from God's Word. 130 00:06:36,930 --> 00:06:40,320 Paul congratulates Timothy, the young evangelist, 131 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,570 in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 15, 132 00:06:42,570 --> 00:06:44,910 when he tells them that Timothy 133 00:06:44,910 --> 00:06:47,370 knew the holy writings from an early age, 134 00:06:47,370 --> 00:06:50,430 he was familiar with God's Word early on 135 00:06:50,430 --> 00:06:53,730 in his life and this knowledge led him 136 00:06:53,730 --> 00:06:58,230 to salvation. But this knowledge also led 137 00:06:58,230 --> 00:07:00,420 Timothy into his vocation as an 138 00:07:00,420 --> 00:07:03,540 evangelist, as a partner with Paul 139 00:07:03,540 --> 00:07:06,090 in missions and as an example of 140 00:07:06,090 --> 00:07:10,260 effective Christianity for all future generations.Today we're 141 00:07:10,260 --> 00:07:11,790 still learning about how to be 142 00:07:11,790 --> 00:07:14,100 Christians and especially how to be good 143 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:17,250 preachers by studying the life of 144 00:07:17,250 --> 00:07:21,210 Timothy. So, you can't be very effective 145 00:07:21,210 --> 00:07:24,330 as a Christian in preserving your faith 146 00:07:24,330 --> 00:07:26,670 or sharing it with others if you don't 147 00:07:26,670 --> 00:07:29,160 know and obey the Word and you cannot 148 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,730 know God's word unless you read it on a 149 00:07:32,730 --> 00:07:35,820 consistent basis. So effective Christians 150 00:07:35,820 --> 00:07:37,620 begin to kind of pull away from 151 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:41,130 immaturity and entanglement with sin and 152 00:07:41,130 --> 00:07:43,200 the world to the degree that they 153 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,360 develop the number one habit of 154 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,020 reading the Bible on a regular basis. 155 00:07:49,020 --> 00:07:51,450 Habit number two. Highly effective 156 00:07:51,450 --> 00:07:54,630 Christians have an active prayer life. 157 00:07:54,630 --> 00:07:59,550 We can't effectively experience the life of Jesus Christ 158 00:07:59,550 --> 00:08:03,360 unless we read about it in God's Word. 159 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,540 God cannot effectively change and shape 160 00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:09,150 and mold our lives unless we share it 161 00:08:09,150 --> 00:08:11,250 with Him in prayer. He talks to us 162 00:08:11,250 --> 00:08:14,820 through His word, we talk to him through prayer. 163 00:08:14,820 --> 00:08:16,710 I mean, look at the people in the New 164 00:08:16,710 --> 00:08:18,870 Testament that God used in a mighty way, 165 00:08:18,870 --> 00:08:22,020 were they not men and women of prayer? 166 00:08:22,020 --> 00:08:24,450 I mean Jesus, the Son of God 167 00:08:24,450 --> 00:08:28,170 Himself, and yet He prayed at every step 168 00:08:28,170 --> 00:08:31,140 of his ministry. John the Apostle was in 169 00:08:31,140 --> 00:08:33,450 prayer when he had the vision to write 170 00:08:33,450 --> 00:08:36,180 the book of Revelation. Paul the Apostle 171 00:08:36,180 --> 00:08:39,120 prayed constantly for direction in his 172 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,820 ministry. Lydia was at a prayer meeting 173 00:08:41,820 --> 00:08:46,110 when she was converted. And so the habit 174 00:08:46,110 --> 00:08:48,990 of prayer is what keeps us tuned in to 175 00:08:48,990 --> 00:08:52,920 God and sensitive to the Spirit within us. 176 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,410 Without the habit of prayer, the noisy 177 00:08:55,410 --> 00:08:57,690 demands of the world and the impulses of 178 00:08:57,690 --> 00:09:00,089 our flesh are the only things that we 179 00:09:00,089 --> 00:09:02,670 can hear. The effective Christian 180 00:09:02,670 --> 00:09:04,440 succeeds in keeping the faith and 181 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,930 growing in faith because he stays in 182 00:09:06,930 --> 00:09:10,980 touch with the Spirit and God through prayer. 183 00:09:10,980 --> 00:09:13,980 Habit number three. The highly effective 184 00:09:13,980 --> 00:09:19,920 Christian has the habit of setting spiritual goals. There's a 185 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,620 saying in business, "If you don't plan for 186 00:09:22,620 --> 00:09:25,889 success, then you're planning to fail." 187 00:09:25,889 --> 00:09:27,779 Whether it's a business or a school 188 00:09:27,779 --> 00:09:30,389 or a family or a sports team, everyone 189 00:09:30,389 --> 00:09:32,639 needs to plan ahead. 190 00:09:32,639 --> 00:09:35,070 I mean, what makes us think that it's any 191 00:09:35,070 --> 00:09:36,540 different for our spiritual lives> 192 00:09:36,540 --> 00:09:39,779 Effective Christianity requires that we 193 00:09:39,779 --> 00:09:43,019 set personal spiritual goals and with 194 00:09:43,019 --> 00:09:44,970 prayer and personal commitment, we 195 00:09:44,970 --> 00:09:48,360 actually work towards these goals. 196 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,399 There's no gold medalist at the 197 00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:53,010 Olympics who ever stood on the winner's 198 00:09:53,010 --> 00:09:55,860 podium without having made a decision to 199 00:09:55,860 --> 00:09:59,720 pursue a personal goal long before that day. 200 00:09:59,730 --> 00:10:02,579 There's no politician who ever won an 201 00:10:02,579 --> 00:10:05,160 election without setting this victory as 202 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:09,390 part of his or her career strategy. So 203 00:10:09,390 --> 00:10:12,149 whether it's to be more faithful to 204 00:10:12,149 --> 00:10:15,570 services or start helping out in some 205 00:10:15,570 --> 00:10:18,779 way or a commitment to change a bad 206 00:10:18,779 --> 00:10:21,839 habit for a good habit or perhaps doing 207 00:10:21,839 --> 00:10:23,550 a better job in what we've already been 208 00:10:23,550 --> 00:10:26,370 given to do, we don't become more 209 00:10:26,370 --> 00:10:28,589 effective as Christians unless we 210 00:10:28,589 --> 00:10:31,649 visualize a realistic goal and 211 00:10:31,649 --> 00:10:34,199 strategize a way of achieving it and 212 00:10:34,199 --> 00:10:36,209 then commit ourselves to reaching it in 213 00:10:36,209 --> 00:10:38,760 a certain time frame with help from God 214 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,850 through faith in Christ. Paul the Apostle 215 00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:45,600 saw and heard Jesus, he could perform 216 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,540 miracles, he established the church in 217 00:10:48,540 --> 00:10:51,870 the Roman Empire, but he was continually 218 00:10:51,870 --> 00:10:54,510 setting new goals for himself. 219 00:10:54,510 --> 00:10:57,029 He wanted to go east to Asia or he 220 00:10:57,029 --> 00:10:59,430 wanted to evangelize Spain after he had 221 00:10:59,430 --> 00:11:01,800 been in Rome. And so he did these things, 222 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,709 he set these goals, in order to widen his 223 00:11:04,709 --> 00:11:07,920 vision for the future and keep his spiritual 224 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,890 adrenaline-pumping. You want to be 225 00:11:10,890 --> 00:11:13,530 energized spiritually? Set some 226 00:11:13,530 --> 00:11:16,980 spiritual goals and start working towards them. 227 00:11:16,980 --> 00:11:21,420 Alright, habit number 4. Highly effective Christians cultivate the 228 00:11:21,420 --> 00:11:24,660 talents of others. I don't know 229 00:11:24,660 --> 00:11:28,470 where I would be without Jim Meador or 230 00:11:28,470 --> 00:11:30,720 Hemzie Brown or Charles Branch or 231 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,960 Stafford North or Lewis Thompson, Edsel Hughes, just to name a few people that 232 00:11:35,970 --> 00:11:41,220 appeared in my spiritual life and development. 233 00:11:41,220 --> 00:11:43,470 These are all people who at one time or 234 00:11:43,470 --> 00:11:45,630 another in my Christian life helped me 235 00:11:45,630 --> 00:11:48,660 to grow spiritually. Each of these were 236 00:11:48,660 --> 00:11:50,880 effective Christians who took the time 237 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,670 to help cultivate different aspects of 238 00:11:53,670 --> 00:11:56,790 my Christian life and my ministry. They 239 00:11:56,790 --> 00:12:03,390 were my mentors at various stages of my personal spiritual development. 240 00:12:03,450 --> 00:12:07,650 Jim taught me how to study the word. Emmie 241 00:12:07,650 --> 00:12:09,870 Brown encouraged me to preach and 242 00:12:09,870 --> 00:12:12,480 Charles Branch made it possible for me 243 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,900 to get training. Louis Thompson showed me 244 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:18,600 how to do local work and brother Edsel 245 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,090 Hughes encouraged me and gave me the 246 00:12:21,090 --> 00:12:23,070 strength to pull up roots and move my 247 00:12:23,070 --> 00:12:25,770 family to a faraway place in order to 248 00:12:25,770 --> 00:12:29,600 take advantage of opportunities to minister. 249 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,500 Part of their effectiveness was helping me to become 250 00:12:33,510 --> 00:12:37,800 more effective as a Christian and then as a minister. 251 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,260 Barnabas was one of those people in the 252 00:12:40,260 --> 00:12:43,260 Bible who so clearly demonstrated this habit 253 00:12:43,260 --> 00:12:45,990 starting with Paul as a new convert and 254 00:12:45,990 --> 00:12:48,450 later continuing with Mark, the young 255 00:12:48,450 --> 00:12:52,260 missionary. Effective Christians realize 256 00:12:52,260 --> 00:12:55,140 early on that in order to stay effective 257 00:12:55,140 --> 00:12:59,220 they need to build others up in the body. 258 00:12:59,220 --> 00:13:03,180 Solomon says, "As iron sharpens iron, so 259 00:13:03,180 --> 00:13:05,100 one man sharpens another." 260 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:09,660 Proverbs 27 verse 17. And then Paul says 261 00:13:09,660 --> 00:13:11,760 it in another way in Ephesians chapter 4 262 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,460 verse 15 he says, "We are to grow up in 263 00:13:14,460 --> 00:13:19,180 all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 264 00:13:19,180 --> 00:13:21,370 for whom the whole body being fitted and 265 00:13:21,370 --> 00:13:23,410 held together by that which every joint 266 00:13:23,410 --> 00:13:26,290 supplies, according to the proper working 267 00:13:26,290 --> 00:13:29,170 of each individual part, causes the 268 00:13:29,170 --> 00:13:31,780 growth of the body for the building up 269 00:13:31,780 --> 00:13:34,900 of itself in love." Now I want you to know 270 00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:37,540 one thing about this passage, Paul says 271 00:13:37,540 --> 00:13:42,070 that the body builds itself up. In other 272 00:13:42,070 --> 00:13:44,560 words, when I build you up, I'm also 273 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:48,490 building myself up. And so, effective 274 00:13:48,490 --> 00:13:50,980 Christians are easy to spot, they're the 275 00:13:50,980 --> 00:13:54,190 ones asking for volunteers. Not just 276 00:13:54,190 --> 00:13:57,370 volunteering to do things, they're asking 277 00:13:57,370 --> 00:13:59,500 for volunteers, they're training other 278 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:01,270 people. You know when there's somebody in 279 00:14:01,270 --> 00:14:05,020 your congregation that's searching for volunteers, organizing 280 00:14:05,020 --> 00:14:07,240 something to do on behalf of 281 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:12,900 the church, that person is an effective Christian building up others. 282 00:14:12,910 --> 00:14:15,190 Alright, Habit number five. Highly 283 00:14:15,190 --> 00:14:18,040 effective Christians take responsibility 284 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,100 for souls. Paul says to the 285 00:14:21,100 --> 00:14:23,380 Philippians in chapter 2 verse 12 of his 286 00:14:23,380 --> 00:14:26,410 letter, "Work out your salvation with fear 287 00:14:26,410 --> 00:14:29,440 and trembling." And it was said of the 288 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,930 Bereans that they examined the scriptures 289 00:14:31,930 --> 00:14:35,950 daily. Acts chapter 17 verse 11, and they 290 00:14:35,950 --> 00:14:39,010 did so to verify if Paul's preaching was 291 00:14:39,010 --> 00:14:44,500 accurate according to God's Word. Highly effective 292 00:14:44,500 --> 00:14:46,930 Christians take responsibility for their 293 00:14:46,930 --> 00:14:51,310 own souls, very important, and they 294 00:14:51,310 --> 00:14:54,430 also take responsibility for the souls 295 00:14:54,430 --> 00:14:57,880 of others, especially the lost. Now 296 00:14:57,880 --> 00:14:59,950 they're effective because they know that 297 00:14:59,950 --> 00:15:03,460 Christianity is not a game and faith is 298 00:15:03,460 --> 00:15:06,940 not a crutch for the weak. Effective 299 00:15:06,940 --> 00:15:08,680 Christians make a difference in their 300 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,140 congregations and in the world because 301 00:15:11,140 --> 00:15:13,630 they understand that the stakes are very 302 00:15:13,630 --> 00:15:18,010 high, eternal life, and the enemy is very dangerous, 303 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,880 Satan. Harry Truman, the former 304 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,920 president of the United States, was very 305 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,170 popular as a tough-minded, no-nonsense 306 00:15:26,170 --> 00:15:29,440 politician and leader and he had a sign 307 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:32,950 on his desk that said, "The buck stops 308 00:15:32,950 --> 00:15:35,050 here," and of course we know what that 309 00:15:35,050 --> 00:15:37,930 means, it means that he was the president 310 00:15:37,930 --> 00:15:41,710 and he was responsible and he knew it, he 311 00:15:41,710 --> 00:15:43,660 knew he was responsible. 312 00:15:43,660 --> 00:15:47,350 So we are each responsible for our souls, 313 00:15:47,350 --> 00:15:49,210 not the preacher. Preacher doesn't get 314 00:15:49,210 --> 00:15:51,250 blamed for the loss of our souls. Not the 315 00:15:51,250 --> 00:15:54,160 elders. In the end we will be judged on 316 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,310 what we said and what we did, this is 317 00:15:57,310 --> 00:15:59,600 what Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 5:10. 318 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,710 And so effective Christians know this 319 00:16:02,710 --> 00:16:05,110 and they don't waste their time or 320 00:16:05,110 --> 00:16:06,970 their spiritual energy on things that 321 00:16:06,970 --> 00:16:09,010 would endanger the most precious 322 00:16:09,010 --> 00:16:12,520 possession that they have. They have the 323 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,400 habit of putting what is good for souls 324 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,310 first! I mean, they do that consistently. 325 00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:21,160 This is why these brethren are so 326 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,020 interested in saving souls and why 327 00:16:23,020 --> 00:16:25,090 they're so good at it and why they work 328 00:16:25,090 --> 00:16:27,790 hard at evangelism and visitation. They 329 00:16:27,790 --> 00:16:31,540 know the value of a human soul. Think 330 00:16:31,540 --> 00:16:34,060 back to the person who brought you to 331 00:16:34,060 --> 00:16:36,940 Christ or perhaps the person who brought 332 00:16:36,940 --> 00:16:40,510 you back to Christ. I'm sure that that 333 00:16:40,510 --> 00:16:43,570 brother or that sister fit very well my 334 00:16:43,570 --> 00:16:46,420 profile of the effective Christian. 335 00:16:46,420 --> 00:16:49,570 Alright, habit number six. Highly 336 00:16:49,570 --> 00:16:53,830 effective Christians have the habit of serving others. 337 00:16:53,830 --> 00:16:56,620 Jesus said, "The Son of Man did not come 338 00:16:56,620 --> 00:17:02,200 to be served, but to serve." Matthew chapter 20 verse 28. 339 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,880 I mean do you think any of us would be 340 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,790 here if Christ came as a royal 341 00:17:06,790 --> 00:17:09,670 king, if the Messiah showed up as a king 342 00:17:09,670 --> 00:17:12,550 with attendants receiving service that 343 00:17:12,550 --> 00:17:15,610 He actually deserved, the people bowing 344 00:17:15,610 --> 00:17:20,380 down to Him and so on and so forth? You think really we would all be here for 345 00:17:20,380 --> 00:17:22,510 that? I mean that's not what happened 346 00:17:22,510 --> 00:17:25,570 right? We're here with the hope of heaven 347 00:17:25,570 --> 00:17:28,240 today because Jesus Christ did exactly 348 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,760 the opposite of that, He emptied himself 349 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,340 as Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 350 00:17:33,340 --> 00:17:36,580 verse 7, "taking the form of a bond 351 00:17:36,580 --> 00:17:41,620 servant." What saved us was His very 352 00:17:41,620 --> 00:17:45,600 effective service on the bloody cross of Calvary. 353 00:17:45,610 --> 00:17:48,700 And what continues the salvation that He 354 00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:51,040 delivered once for all is the effective 355 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:52,960 service of millions of men and women who 356 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,110 give themselves in service to reach each 357 00:17:56,110 --> 00:17:59,380 new generation of souls who are lost 358 00:17:59,380 --> 00:18:03,130 without Jesus Christ. Effective 359 00:18:03,130 --> 00:18:05,559 Christians have cultivated the character 360 00:18:05,559 --> 00:18:08,440 of Christ within themselves by 361 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,990 cultivating His character of selfless 362 00:18:10,990 --> 00:18:13,600 service to other people for their good 363 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,140 and their advantage and their salvation. 364 00:18:17,140 --> 00:18:21,460 For effective Christians, service is not 365 00:18:21,460 --> 00:18:24,309 an inconvenience that they must bear in 366 00:18:24,309 --> 00:18:27,820 order to avoid guilt. Actually for 367 00:18:27,820 --> 00:18:30,070 effective Christians, they're like 368 00:18:30,070 --> 00:18:32,650 Epaphroditus, service is a way 369 00:18:32,650 --> 00:18:37,780 of life born out of love for Jesus Christ. 370 00:18:37,780 --> 00:18:40,240 Alright, highly effective Christians, one 371 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,390 more habit. Highly effective Christians 372 00:18:43,390 --> 00:18:50,770 consistently remain focused on the kingdom. More Christians lose 373 00:18:50,770 --> 00:18:56,919 their way because they just don't pay attention. In the parable of the 374 00:18:56,919 --> 00:18:58,990 sower and the seed Jesus describes the 375 00:18:58,990 --> 00:19:02,200 person who "receives the word and grows 376 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,510 for a time but the worry of the world 377 00:19:04,510 --> 00:19:06,640 and the deceitfulness of riches chokes 378 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:13,740 the word," He says and stops the growth. Matthew 13:23. I want you 379 00:19:13,750 --> 00:19:16,630 to note in this passage that the man 380 00:19:16,630 --> 00:19:19,240 that Jesus is talking about was not a 381 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,299 great sinner, I mean he did believe and 382 00:19:22,299 --> 00:19:24,400 he did practice his faith, there was 383 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,669 growth for a time. Jesus says that what 384 00:19:27,669 --> 00:19:30,040 destroyed his soul were the things that 385 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,590 all of us face each day as Christians, 386 00:19:32,590 --> 00:19:35,020 the things that don't seem dangerous: 387 00:19:35,020 --> 00:19:38,559 worry about deadlines and debts and 388 00:19:38,559 --> 00:19:45,399 health and family, busyness, activities, and emergencies, 389 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,679 making it and looking good and keeping 390 00:19:47,679 --> 00:19:49,960 up with with other people. 391 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,169 He became focused on these things 392 00:19:53,169 --> 00:19:56,530 and these things drew his attention and 393 00:19:56,530 --> 00:19:59,770 his energy and eventually his soul into 394 00:19:59,770 --> 00:20:02,830 the orbit of the world, that's the danger. 395 00:20:02,830 --> 00:20:08,860 It's like gravity. Gravity draws things down. 396 00:20:08,860 --> 00:20:12,280 Well worldly gravity draws spiritual 397 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,850 people away from focusing on the kingdom. 398 00:20:15,850 --> 00:20:19,090 So effective Christians have learned to 399 00:20:19,090 --> 00:20:21,760 keep the kingdom first and have not 400 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,220 allowed the cares and the desires for 401 00:20:24,220 --> 00:20:26,860 riches, the gravity of the world 402 00:20:26,860 --> 00:20:30,130 if you wish, to overwhelm their spiritual 403 00:20:30,130 --> 00:20:32,440 lives and when they do they're quick to 404 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,230 repent and refocus their attention to 405 00:20:35,230 --> 00:20:37,690 where it needs to be. As a matter of fact, 406 00:20:37,690 --> 00:20:40,540 effective Christians continue to 407 00:20:40,540 --> 00:20:43,570 increase their involvement, increase 408 00:20:43,570 --> 00:20:46,540 their love, increase their very lives, in 409 00:20:46,540 --> 00:20:49,660 the affairs of the kingdom and decrease 410 00:20:49,660 --> 00:20:51,910 their involvement and their love and 411 00:20:51,910 --> 00:20:54,370 their lives in the world. In other words, 412 00:20:54,370 --> 00:20:57,309 with time Christians begin to pull away 413 00:20:57,309 --> 00:21:01,120 from the gravity of worldliness. And so 414 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:03,490 effective Christians know that the 415 00:21:03,490 --> 00:21:06,490 kingdom is forever, that the kingdom is 416 00:21:06,490 --> 00:21:09,910 reality, that the kingdom of God is life 417 00:21:09,910 --> 00:21:12,580 itself and they also understand that the 418 00:21:12,580 --> 00:21:15,850 world is temporary, is sinful, and full of 419 00:21:15,850 --> 00:21:18,970 death. Effective Christians they know 420 00:21:18,970 --> 00:21:21,070 this, I mean, they know it, they get it, 421 00:21:21,070 --> 00:21:23,770 and they live accordingly. 422 00:21:23,770 --> 00:21:26,409 Alright well there you have Seven Habits 423 00:21:26,409 --> 00:21:29,830 of Highly Effective Christians. There 424 00:21:29,830 --> 00:21:31,570 are Christians, of course, who have 425 00:21:31,570 --> 00:21:34,750 managed to cultivate a lifestyle that 426 00:21:34,750 --> 00:21:37,510 incorporates these habits, in other words, 427 00:21:37,510 --> 00:21:40,150 practicing these habits has created a 428 00:21:40,150 --> 00:21:41,950 certain Christian character and ability 429 00:21:41,950 --> 00:21:44,890 that makes these men and women highly 430 00:21:44,890 --> 00:21:47,710 effective as disciples of Jesus Christ. 431 00:21:47,710 --> 00:21:50,500 Now if you're a new Christian and you're 432 00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:51,760 wondering where do I go from 433 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,909 here? Or if you are an experienced 434 00:21:54,909 --> 00:21:56,860 Christian wanting to go to a kind of a 435 00:21:56,860 --> 00:22:00,159 higher level, then pursuing these seven 436 00:22:00,159 --> 00:22:02,950 habits will provide direction to a more 437 00:22:02,950 --> 00:22:05,890 effective Christian life and 438 00:22:05,890 --> 00:22:08,680 service. So once again to become more 439 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,110 effective as a Christian you need to 440 00:22:11,110 --> 00:22:13,090 develop the habits of, first of all, 441 00:22:13,090 --> 00:22:16,870 reading your Bible regularly, praying to 442 00:22:16,870 --> 00:22:20,350 God on a daily basis, setting personal 443 00:22:20,350 --> 00:22:23,710 spiritual goals, cultivating your 444 00:22:23,710 --> 00:22:25,870 abilities and the abilities of others, 445 00:22:25,870 --> 00:22:29,260 taking responsibility for your soul and 446 00:22:29,260 --> 00:22:31,360 then the souls of the ones who are weak 447 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:34,180 or lost, stepping up your rate and 448 00:22:34,180 --> 00:22:36,010 intensity of service, and finally 449 00:22:36,010 --> 00:22:39,850 remaining focused on spiritual instead 450 00:22:39,850 --> 00:22:43,900 of worldly things. Of course all of this 451 00:22:43,900 --> 00:22:45,550 is for those who want to become 452 00:22:45,550 --> 00:22:48,700 effective as Christians as opposed to 453 00:22:48,700 --> 00:22:51,190 those who simply want to affect a 454 00:22:51,190 --> 00:22:53,410 Christian pose. There's a difference. 455 00:22:53,410 --> 00:22:55,120 Some people are just posing as 456 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:57,640 Christians. We want everyone to become 457 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:02,710 effective as Christians. Now for some, 458 00:23:02,710 --> 00:23:05,350 there is no spiritual effectiveness 459 00:23:05,350 --> 00:23:07,510 possible, because, well, there's no spirit 460 00:23:07,510 --> 00:23:10,000 within them, they have not yet obeyed the 461 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,090 Spirit's initial command to repent, to be 462 00:23:13,090 --> 00:23:16,090 baptized in order to be forgiven for sin 463 00:23:16,090 --> 00:23:19,090 and wear the name and the person of 464 00:23:19,090 --> 00:23:20,800 Christ and if you haven't done that, if 465 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:22,180 you're listening to this and you haven't 466 00:23:22,180 --> 00:23:24,040 done that, that's the first step. 467 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,050 You can't be effective as a Christian 468 00:23:26,050 --> 00:23:28,390 unless you become a Christian and you 469 00:23:28,390 --> 00:23:30,970 become a Christian by confessing your 470 00:23:30,970 --> 00:23:32,860 faith in Christ, repenting of your sins, 471 00:23:32,860 --> 00:23:35,290 being immersed in the waters of baptism 472 00:23:35,290 --> 00:23:37,690 for forgiveness of sin and the reception 473 00:23:37,690 --> 00:23:39,160 of the Holy Spirit and then beginning 474 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,410 your walk, your development of those 475 00:23:41,410 --> 00:23:42,850 effective habits to be an effective 476 00:23:42,850 --> 00:23:45,820 Christian. For the Brethren, of course, I 477 00:23:45,820 --> 00:23:48,160 hope that you'll see more clearly the 478 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,250 narrow path before you in Christ that 479 00:23:51,250 --> 00:23:54,460 leads to effective joyful spirit filled 480 00:23:54,460 --> 00:23:57,130 living powered by the cultivation of 481 00:23:57,130 --> 00:23:59,890 these habits and I pray that God bless 482 00:23:59,890 --> 00:24:02,350 you as you grow to become highly 483 00:24:02,350 --> 00:24:04,270 effective Christians. Okay, well that's 484 00:24:04,270 --> 00:24:06,940 session number one in the series, going 485 00:24:06,940 --> 00:24:08,380 to pick it up again in session number 486 00:24:08,380 --> 00:24:10,420 two and we're going to look at highly 487 00:24:10,420 --> 00:24:14,020 effective preachers and elders. Thank you for your attention.