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EffortPart II
Part I Recap...
• Does effort matter as a Christian?• Common misconceptions• What the Bible teaches about
effort• How we can apply our effort
towards God
Part II-Outline
-Hindrances to effort and how we can overcome them
-The Judgment
Hindrances to Effort
“...For we are not unaware of his schemes”
2 Cor. 2:11
Common ways the enemy can hinder our effort
• Take away our motivation• Cause us to shift our focus from God• Convince us to be satisfied with “just
getting by” or “just doing enough”• Create problems within the Body of
Christ
Common ways the enemy can hinder our effort
• Deceive us into misusing our effort-selfish ambition (Philip. 2:3-4)
* Almost anything that hinders us from serving God with all our heart is probably not from God-ex. teachings that undermine
effort
The enemy’s primary goal is to render us useless for God’s
kingdom
Overcoming our Hindrances
“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”
1 Cor. 1:8
We can overcome our hindrances by...
• Maintaining the right attitude• Being avid consumers of God’s Word• Encouraging each other• Holding each other accountable• Avoiding unnecessary hindrances• Changing immediately if we realize
there is a problem
If you have become distant from the Lord, seek Him with all your
heart until you find Him!
The Judgment
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for
this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden
thing, whether it is good or evil. Eccl. 12:13-14
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him
for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad”2 Cor. 5:10
Although effort is not how we get saved, nor is it why we make
it to heaven, we will all be judged on our effort
Being Ready When Christ Returns
Matt. 25:14-30, The Parable of the Talents
Luke 12:35-36 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your
lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him”
Examples of God’s Faithful Servants
• Job – “…There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8)
• King David – “…I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22)
• The Apostle Paul – “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed” (1 Thess. 2:10)
• Anna the prophetess – “…She never left the temple
but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying” (Luke 2:37) • Persis – “…another woman who has worked very hard in
the Lord” (Rom. 16:12)
What will God say about you?