NORTH YORK CHURCH OF CHRIST

Sept 18, 2018
Bro. Edward Bautista

Text: Proverbs 14:34

Righteousness exalts a nation

• Nation: a large body of people

• Righteousness:
  1. The quality or state of being righteous
  2. Righteous conduct
  3. The quality or state of being just or rightful

• Exalt: build up, applaud, bless, extol, honor, idolize, glorify, raise
• To raise in rank, honor, power, character, quality, elevate.

A righteous person will be blessed- the value here, or importance or cost is blessing

I agree what the bible says that no one is righteous, but when you fall, you have to go back to God, that is just and rightful action.

As Christian our product is Righteousness, like inviting people in your birthday, sharing your blessing, loving each other, providing support for the needy, these are only few samples of righteousness.

This was already in God’s norm or system that if He finds righteousness or faithfully serving to him, He will pour our blessing that is the value of righteousness.

Genesis 6:9

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

2 Peter 2:7

and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

They were saved from the wrath of God; the provision was there for them.

But sin is a reproach to any people.

Reproach- blame, to find fault, discredit, disapproval

Condemn - to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment, to declare incurable, sentence to punishment

We say, why there are rich people who have no relationship with Jesus Christ, why they are blessed. Blessing does not only mean richness or money.

Let’s look the broader understanding of blessing.

• Relationship with our Lord Jesus- that is a blessing
• Good relationship with your family- that is blessing
• Joyful, peaceful life- that is blessing.
• Responsible and Loving husband- that is blessing.
• Understanding and Courageous wife- that is a blessing

If sin is in the life of believers, meaning, it hinders the blessing of God.

Introduction:

First of all, God intention to mankind is bless, to have a life full of happiness, a happy life, no grief, and sorrow, problem, and no sickness and pain. God wants us to live abundantly, an abundant Life. God really wants us to have a peaceful life, good relationship with family, your wife, and your kids, with your brothers and sisters in the Church. God really wants us to live a harmonious life, Harmonious country, full of love, and peaceful. This is really God’s purposed and design to mankind. Let us draw back to the time of creation, when God created Adam and Eve, God put this creature to a place where they have everything, including the snake.(shackle) Harmony was there, Love was there, peace was there. In other words, Adam and eve were living in the paradise a place where in was filled with happiness. Unfortunately they failed to follow God’s commandment and fall into Temptation cause them to live a hard life.

In our time today, almost everyday is in the news, CP24, CBN, CNN, and all news TV network, killing is rampant, corruption is rampant, immorality is rampant, terrorism is everywhere, USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, in Syria alone, millions of people are fleeing because of war, I have seen in the news kids are crying, severely injured and died because of bombing. This has been already a culture to some people to kill people. The world situation today is deteriorating. Some people are not respecting the dignity of human being, the creation of God.

Now, I have seen only two reasons why all of these things are happening in the world, because of SIN, (people keep on doing on what is wrong) and not having a true relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that makes a person rightful. (there is no righteousness aside from having a relationship with Jesus Christ or with God.)

This is what sin could do.

1. Beautiful landscape can be destroyed by continuous drops of water
2. Rocks can be broken or eroded by running water or continuous drop of water.
3. Iron or metal can be eroded by starting just small rust.

In our Christian life, we can be destroyed or be eroded by just single sin. Remember this, all living creature grows, now if a Christian continue living in one particular sin, it can grow and add more and damage your whole Christian life. This is sin could do into our lives to destroy our relationship to God.

Our goal here is the product of righteousness because in it, there is blessing from God. We need to do our best as Christian to act justly an rightful to God.

Walking rightfully or in Righteousness to God requires.

1. You need me and I need you principle

Or a Support from each other.

One soldier cannot win in war against 1 battalion of enemy. We are not in the movie, we are in real battle of our life, we are not like Sylvester Stallone ( Rambo) who won the battle against thousands of enemies. We are not like the late Fernando Poe Jr. who pulled his pistol and pulled the trigger to the enemy, just in 1 bullet 2 people died immediately.

In our Christian walk we need each other to win the battle; we need each other to complete the task God has given to us. This is the right thing making God happy in our lives. You need me and I need you in our quest to have a happy life and abundant life.

1 Corinthians 12:27

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

We are all part of the body of Christ; We need to help each other.

In the book of acts, the church prayed for the apostles, that’s why the apostles were very eager and courageously did the right thing and what is pleasing to God. They were successful in whatever they undertook that time for God’s kingdom.

In Paul missionary journey, he had Barnabas, Silas, John, Luke. He never went alone in his Journey.

Paul needs Barnabas, and Barnabas needs Paul, Barnabas needs Silas, and Silas needs Barnabas,

They were helping each other.

Think about this, In our Christian Journey, along the way to eternal life as everybody’s dream, there would be ups and downs. Then slowly as the days passed by, we realized that there are no ups anymore and everything is down, and when a person/Christian is in the lowest form of his/her life, it’s going to be hard to think of what is right, this time you need someone from the family of God, you need support from other believers to help you bring back the good shape of your Christian life. I remember Elijah when he was in trouble, he asked God to kill him, He said, my Lord take my life now, I cannot bear this trouble anymore! Elijah was not able to think what is right, but God did not follow his request instead gave him a solution for his problem. Peter denied Christ 3 times when he was in trouble. He was not able to think of what right, Judas hang himself when in fact he has still opportunity to go back God, he did the wrong action.

Folks when you are in trouble do not isolate yourself to the church or to your brothers and sisters, listen to them; they can help you to stay on track of your spiritual life. Good influence is from good people and bad influence is from bad people. When you are in trouble of your Christian life do the right thing by staying connected in the church and to your brothers and sisters. You need me and I need you!

I read an article that says from a Christian writer / author

Christians should be part of a “church Family” and not try to live spiritually on their own, You cannot fulfill the five Purposes, worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, ministry, evangelism on your own, Life is not a solo act, you were created for community.

This Christian writer stressed out that being part of church family is essential to fulfilling God’s purposes for one’s life. This is to give glory to God. If God happy to our lives, He will bless us.

Apostle Paul acknowledged also this principle

Romans 12:5

⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

2. Read the Bible (Study the word of God)

Psalm 19:7-11

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
¹¹ By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

The Bible is good for

1. To transform us, when we are in the habit of doing sin, let us read the word of God. It will transform us.
2. It will give us wisdom, if we want right action, right decision, the word of God can help us on that.
3. It brings Joy, folks if you are sad today because of your problems that bother you, read the bible.
4. It will give light, if you are in the darkest moment today, folks the word of God can give light.
5. It gives also stability of life; there is reward, richness in the word of God.

Desire the word of God to stay in the rhythm of your Christian life.

2 Timothy 3:16

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

1. Teach us, so we will learn His word
2. Rebuke us, and correct us, from our wrongdoing or action.
3. Train us in righteousness, so we will be rightful or pleasing to God.

Joshua 1:8

⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Although, this promise of God points out to Joshua, it reminds us the character of God, that if we keep his word in our heart through meditation or thinking over and over again, it guards us and help us to do the right action and bless us. This is the reward, Blessings.

3. Prayer ( Proverbs 15:29, Rom 12:12)

Prayer should be part of our daily activities, that our day should be start with prayer, during the time of the apostles, they did not neglect the importance of prayer, the church prayed to the apostles and the apostles prayed the church, prayer had been part in their daily life.

Prayer is the essential component of our Christian life; it is the lifeblood of the church and the lifeblood of every Christian, A person that has no blood, has no life, a dead person, the same way with our Christian life, if we don’t have prayer life we are dead Christian.

Prayer is a way of communication to God; we stress out and lay down our needs to him, our petition to him and our thanksgiving, this is our opportunity to ask God for his guidance and protection, help and His intervention that all our undertakings for the day should be right to him. Prayer is also actually worship to God.

So what are three things that we learned to walk favorably to God.

1. You need me and I need you- meaning help from other believers
2. Read the Bible
3. Prayer

Conclusion:

Righteousness is actually obedience to God’s word. We cannot pursue righteousness without a true relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ,

True relationship with Jesus, is following his precepts and teaching and executing it in our daily life. It going to be tough and hard, but remember this, we are under the grace of God, and through our faith with our Lord Jesus Christ. The grace of Jesus Christ and our Faith to Him enable us to fight and overcome our daily battle and be able to walk justly or in righteousness to God.