Christian Character Construction



Christian Character Construction

2 Peter 3:10-18

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1. What Is Character?

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“A Fixed Predictable Image”

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Real Character shows under pressure……

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2. Spirituality Is Seen Through Character, Not Spiritual Gifts!

1 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV)

1 Timothy 3:1 - 7 (NKJV)

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3. How Do You Construct Character?

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It is a Decision

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By Beating or Chipping With Chisel and/or Hammer

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By Heating or Melting Down

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Character Is Constructed By Making “Right Choices Under

Pressure”

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4. Christian Character

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Our Character Shows Who We Really are:

Proverbs 27:19 (NKJV)

Matthew 12:33 - 35 (NKJV)

Luke 6:43 - 45

Christian Character Construction

2 Peter 3:10-18

10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

15and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

16as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

17You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;

18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

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Introduction:

Chapter talks about the end of the earth as we know it – when everything will melt with fire….

Heart of message is in verse 11: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,”

Nothing will exist except our conduct (who we really are) and Godliness…

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1. What Is Character?

A. “A Fixed Predictable Image”

1. Fixed = firm; unmoveable; unchangeable

2. Predictable = tell in advance, guessable

3. Image = popular conception; picture

B. Best described by a statue or constructed object

1. It is always constant

EX = painting, building, house, car,

2. It may be bad or good

EX = god / goddess statues, poorly designed building

3. Position, place, surroundings, weather, etc may change, but the

statue, object, “fixed predictable image” remains the same!

C. Character is Constant -

1. Good Character or Bad Character:

a. Image of God and good

b. Image of Sin and evil

2. Character will manifest itself in time

a. Good Character always shows!

a. An evil, mean, sinful character cannot be hid indefinitely

– it will expose itself…

3. Real Character shows under pressure……

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2. Spirituality Is Seen Through Character, Not Spiritual Gifts!

A. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge shall cease:

1 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV) Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

B. The directions given to spiritual leaders involves character

and choice – not spiritual gifts:

1 Timothy 3:1 - 7 (NKJV)

1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

5(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

6not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

7Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

C. We Will Stand Before God For Who We Are – our Character

– not what we want others to ‘think’ we are?

1. Too many put on a show

2. Jesus said some wouldn’t make it who had ‘cast out devils in

His name’

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3. How Do You Construct Character?

A. It is a Decision - A Daily Decision

B. It Comes By Discipline

a. Makes you say NO when everyone else says yes

EXAMPLE = Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego

= Men & Women turning a deaf ear to filthy jokes and sin

C. By Beating or Chipping With Chisel and/or Hammer

D. By Heating or Melting Down and Forming Into A Mold.

E. Character Is Constructed By Making “Right Choices Under

Pressure”

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4. Christian Character

A. Character = Characteristics; Quality; Makeup;

B. What is your “Fixed Predictable Image?”

C. How Do You Act Under Pressure?

1. What choices do you make?

2. What Do you say?

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Conclusion:

1. Our Character Shows Who We Really are:

Proverbs 27:19 (NKJV) As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

2. Jesus said “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Matthew 12:33 - 35 (NKJV)

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

3. Jesus talks about getting the ‘plank’ out of your eye before trying to get the ‘splinter’ out of your brother’s eye… Then:

Luke 6:43 - 45

43“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

44For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

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