What Are You Doing Out There?
As believers, we must prepare ourselves to stand up for Jesus, even in the face of pressure and sacrifice, by identifying with Him in His death and resisting sin to the point of shedding blood.
Eli Brayley challenges believers to consider their readiness to stand up for Jesus in the face of increasing pressure against God and His Word, urging them to be prepared to identify with Christ even in the darkest hours. Drawing from the example of Stephen, the first Church martyr, he emphasizes the importance of dying to self now to be prepared for any future sacrifice, highlighting that true strength comes from surrendering to God's will. By encouraging believers to build their foundation on the rock of Christ's teachings, he stresses the importance of obedience and action in the midst of trials and tribulations.
Text
An American author in the 1800's was put in jail for 'civil disobedience' because he spoke out against an injustice. A friend visited him in prison and said, "What are you doing in here?", and the author responded, "Friend, what are you doing out there?"
A timely question to ask believers: Are we Christians prepared to stand up for Jesus as the world applies more and more pressure against God and His Word, even when things get hot? Are we willing to identify with Christ in the hour of darkness or will we, like Peter, deny him before the rooster crows? The Scripture says that the night is almost over and the day is almost near... the rooster is almost about to sound the morning cry. (Romans 13:11-12)
We must, at this time, gird up our loins for action and prepare our minds for ultimate sacrifice. Death to self NOW will prepare us for the fruition of death LATER. Why could Stephen, the first of the Church martyrs, stand so boldly in the face of certain death, without a concern for his own safety, and unwaveringly proclaim the gospel to this captors? He certainly could have saved his skin! Probably even without compromising his faith... but he was already dead. Stephen was martyred long before the stones struck him, for Stephen had already been crucified with Christ, had identified with Jesus in His death, thus the act of physically dying became a glorious testament to the truth! There was no flesh left to defend!
Christians, are we prepared to suffer for Christ? If not, could it be that we have "not yet resisted sin to the point of shedding of blood?" (Hebrews 12:4). This death to the flesh is the discipline of God, as we read on in chapter 12 of Hebrews, which builds our godly character and puts meat on our bones (Hebrews 5:13-14). Our labor today will result in our strength tomorrow.
"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock." - Matthew 7:24-25
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction
- A. The American author's response to his friend
- B. A timely question for believers
- II. The World's Pressure Against God and His Word
- A. The importance of standing up for Jesus
- B. The danger of denying Christ
- III. Preparation for Ultimate Sacrifice
- A. Girding up our loins for action
- B. Preparing our minds for sacrifice
- IV. The Example of Stephen
- A. Standing boldly in the face of death
- B. Identifying with Christ in His death
- V. The Discipline of God
- A. Resisting sin to the point of shedding blood
- B. Building godly character
Key Quotes
“Friend, what are you doing out there?” — Eli Brayley
“Death to self NOW will prepare us for the fruition of death LATER.” — Eli Brayley
“There was no flesh left to defend!” — Eli Brayley
Application Points
- We must be willing to die to our old selves and let go of our fleshly desires and ambitions in order to stand up for Jesus.
- The discipline of God is a process of building our godly character and putting meat on our bones, which results from resisting sin and sacrificing our old selves.
- Preparing our minds for ultimate sacrifice requires a willingness to face challenges and difficulties head-on, trusting in God's sovereignty and provision.