Another Sermon for the Starving Bible Believing Christians All Over the World Wide Web
2005 - Touchet Baptist Church, Touchet, Washington - Pastor Mike Paulson - 2005
Expounding the way of God more perfectly - Acts 18:26 - with the Scriptures Rightly Divided - II Timothy 2:15

What Is It To Be a Christian Today?
Reduce 'em' to Possession
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty,
so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
II Corinthians 11:3

This is a series looking at Paul's preachings and teachings to learn in detail "how" it is we should "be" as a Christian today among the Wheat and tares; Imitations; Phonies; Frauds; Real but still confused Christians; Real but still deceived Christians; Christians who don't know the Book - if they even have one at all; Christians that are too lazy to try; too busy to try; too prideful to try!

More folks will fit into Matthew 7:21-23 than most pastors, preachers and parents are willing to realize.


I was wondering how I was going to present Study to Be Quiet part II.
Sitting on the edge of a rock looking way down into a draw gave me the answer!

My first deer and elk hunting season along with the past years of bear and cougar hunting
has once again given me a sermon illustration.

The Hunt
Hard to find!

Hard to find 'anything' out there these days let alone anyone willing to follow a rightly divided 'book!'

False prophets, false teachers and false teachings are gobbling up the herd these days.  Wish we could just bait em and shoot 'em!

Fields are NOT white unto harvest, no matter what your pastor, preacher and missionary say!
John 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Instead, the preparations are being made for the 'burn' instead of the harvest.  (Purpose Driven, ALPHA, Ecumenicalism, Great Commission, Gospel Bluegrass Church Increase Movement, Family Forum Emphasis, etc. - our youth are being fed to another Jesus, another spirit and another gospel)
Matthew 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Jesus may be making the news more and more...

The deception is getting broader and broader!
II Thessalonians 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

The Shot
Hard to Hit

Folks are not only hard to find, they are equally hard to hit amongst all the distractions - the brush and trees / the house projects and the job schedules and family outings, etc.

Lost folks sure don't want anything to do with Him - let alone Christians.

"Christian" folks don't even 'want' what the real Christ will do for / to / with them according to Paul.  Paul presents a marvelous Christ far more than they will ever know from the Gospels!

The Hit!
Hard to Kill!

They don't die easily today!

Unfortunately, if you want your reward, you have to follow them all over the woods and find them. If you don't go after them after you hit them, the wolves will get them!

But - when you find them, and when you take your shot, and you hit them,
and then when you find them...

...Now the Work Begins!

Pack Em Out!
Reduce them to Possession
You have to pack them out of the wilderness / the woods!
(I am certainly not the expert on this, but I sure did experience the thoughts while I sat there on the side of the hill...)

They have to finally die - all on their own!
 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,
who are taken captive by him at his will.
II Timothy 2:25,26
Then, and only then, can you pack em out of the wilderness!

It is uphill all the way - it is cold - it is full of brush and dead wood, etc.
They are a heavy burden - they weigh you down something fierce.
It is a very difficult task!

God leaves the packing out up to the:
Pastor / Church:
All preaching the word!
Ephesians 4:11-16

and the brethren:
being there for them!
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly,
and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
II Thessalonians 1:3

And All by the Book!

After you find them, sneak up on them, shoot and hit them, and they die...
...then you have to skin them!

You have to gut them out!
Dig deep!
And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade,
so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
Judges 3:22

You have to lighten the load by getting rid of their rubbish!
Leave the junk behind!
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed,
and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Nehemiah 4:10


Christ takes possession!
I Corinthians 6:19,20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
II Corinthians 5:18,19  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Ephesians 1:5 - Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Colossians 1:20 - And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Galatians 2:20,21  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

So, why don't  we give Him all of it?

I suppose that is why He had to cut away our soul and spirit from the body!
Colossians 2:11-13

We haven't totally died yet!
Romans 7:15-20

Some day, He will get it all!
Philippians 3:21 -  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Ephesians 1:9,10  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Jude 22-24  And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Jesus Christ will eventually take FULL possession!

Either by the rapture:
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
I Thessalonians 4:15-17
or by our physical death:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27

That is what the Judgment Seat is - being reduced to possession!


But Until Then...

We must pack folks out of the woods - reduce them for possession - including ourselves!

The Book can pack you out!
Let the Book take possession of you!
Get into it daily!
Study it!
Hear the preaching of it!
(not just from it)

Turn to Christ through Paul - and... have that spiritual & mental peace.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard,
and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 2:9
And the work of righteousness shall be peace;
and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings,
and in quiet resting places;
Isaiah 32:17,18