Featured Trying to live a Victorious Christian Life?

He preached nearly five hours on the victorious christian life? D.L. Moody summed it up in less than 250 words.

 

I'm with TNID here, I have to wonder about spending five hours of preaching on "How to Live a Victorious Christian Life."

While there is much to learn about Christian discipleship and growing in grace, I have a funny feeling that he's coming from another angle on this.

Can you sum up his teaching on the subject in a couple of sentences so I will want to slog through five hours of preaching on the subject?

 

Mark me down as in agreement with my two brothers here.



I also like how J.C. Ryle puts it in his book on holiness while discussing victorious Christian living - once again in a lot less than rive hours

I could easily be wrong, but am not going to slog through five hours. My guess is that he is talking about some type of instantaneous 'higher plane' Christianity? If I am wrong I will gladly rescind my statement.

 

You would sit in front of a TV to watch nascar or football for hours.You make listening to sermons to be a burden rather than a joy or delight.
Five hours is just an introduction.

 

Could you possibly summarise the key to victorious Christian living please?

I have read a couple of dozen books on the topic so don't think that two more hours of sermons will give me any more than I have read.

If, as it appears, he is arguing that the Christian life is not a struggle I already know I disagree Biblically.

'I have fought a good fight...'
'Endure hardness as a good soldier...'
'Thus I fight...'

 

I can beat Taylor. It took me 20, and unlike Taylor, I'm willing to admit it is still a challenge. I had the Bible too, but I found out it is much simpler than I made it, than Taylor made it, or (I suspect, since I'm still not going to spend five hours slogging through videos) than Prettyman makes it. Here is the secret: I assure you, it is much simpler than anyone makes it:

1. Leave behind the garment of guilt Christ stripped from you at the cross.
2. Live deeply immersed in The Word -- not preaching, not theology, not doctrine, not methodology: The Word.
3. Literate yourself as to what #2 means; refer to John 1:1-14.
4. Love God.
5. Learn from Christ, live what you learn.
6. Love others by reaching out and touching them with His truth.
7. Look on rejection as rebellion on their part, not ineffectiveness on your part.
8. Like being on your knees morning and night: Morning to prepare for the day, night to seek strength to do better than you did today.

There, that didn't take five hours did it? Here's the rub, though: Realizing it is simple is what takes 20 years. And you have to learn it for yourself. No one is going to "teach" you to live "victoriously." It requires your own experience to get there, but once you do, it really is simple.

 

Yup - I am 40 years a believer and I am STILL learning and changing and growing and fighting, and yet I am living and giving thanks to God for the victory that already mine.

Good pointers.

 

I changed it up a bit, C4K, sorry. Something in me -- probably the pedant -- likes alliteration. :laugh:

 

Hey, can I steal that to preach it ?

 

:laugh: Hey, if you like it, it's yours!

 

Here is how Ironside said it is achieved:

 

Big deal ... he used fewer words than I did. :laugh:

OK, maybe he was at it longer and studied it deeper than I did, ya think? :smilewinkgrin:

 

But if I preached his I'd be done in thirty seconds and we'd all be home for Sunday dinner sooner...

 

A Baptist pastor done and services out before noon??

 

Exactly. :thumbs:

I'm not surprised that some professing believers would come in here and complain about the length of these sermons on such a topic. In fact I fully expected it when I saw JK make the OP which I felt was appropriate and that those walking closely would appreciate. A 3 hour per football game double header is appropriate but not preaching. :laugh: :wavey:

Perhaps these would complain about the length of eternity as well. I mean anything just to be contrary, right?

You're correct Icon, the topic isn't nearly exhausted. Reminds me of Lloyd-Jones book 'The Assurance of Our Salvation' which is some nearly 700 pages on John 17. It's rich in depth and some plainly are neither.

 

Without attempting to be hypercritical but nonetheless taking into account so many of the "cheerleading" posts rendered by the seemingly dominant clique on-board here, I just want to point out, this is typical of those anywhere -- not just this board -- who believe being deeply rooted in theology, doctrine and dogma is preferable to being steeped in the word, not simply to "know" but to be rooted, per the psalmist:

Psalm 1, NASB
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. ​

And for what purpose do we become rooted? To suck up water? Or to flourish? Jeremiah gave us the answer, telling us to consume the Word.

Jeremiah 15
16 Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts. ​

No one is told to "delight" in the words, opinions, or theories of a man, even though they may be titularly, or evenly solidly, based on God's Word. We are told ...

Psalm 37
Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
​

I have rarely seen any on this board proclaim, "Study the Word!" Newbies, the hurting, the strayed, the angry are all told "Read Calvin!" "Read Pink!" "Read Tozer!"

I say, "Read Christ!"

So many here have forgotten all these other venerated teachers are just that, teachers. Christ is the Living Word. Pastors are just men, and while I receive excellent sustenance from my church and its pastor every week, two and three times a week, I will let Christ speak to me through His Word and through our conversations together daily. I will also continue to give credence to what is said in each week's sermon and in our discussions and reading during men's Bible study. I see the walk fits the talk with the men I sit with, and sit under. Some here, I don't know if the walk is compatible with the talk, and frankly, with many, I actually fear that it might be.

No one of you dares question anyone regarding wherein lies their faith, and from Whom they draw their strength. I adjure you to stop doing so. Many of you have selected your doctrine, your knowledge, and your theology based on the teaching of men. That may make you happy, satisfied, and help you to serve. So does mine, and I assure you, many of yours do not match up with mine, leading me to question the source from which your knowledge and conviction comes. That, in addition to being profoundly grateful for our differences.

 

Actually I wouldn't do either.

I have no problem listening to sermons - but there a key words in the titles that clue me in to what the message is going to be about.

'Struggle theology' is a clue word to mock those who realise that the Christian life is going to be a battle or a race. It requires diligence and effort. It is either a fight or Paul lied. That is 'struggle theology.'

And I don't know about the rest of you, but I realise that the outcome of the war is settled - but that doesn't mean we are not going to have battles along the way.