A Sure Pathway To Living An Overcoming Christian Life.
The Expected Christian Life and Description
Part 4 – YOU ARE THE LEAVEN
Bible Passage: John 1:4-9; Gen 1:3; Gen 1:16; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 13:33; Lk 13:21; Mk 9:49-50
INTRODUCTION – Summaries of Parts 1 – 3
Leaven That Leavens The Lump – Matthew 13:33; Lk 13:21; Gal 5:9; Matt 16:6; Matt 16:6-12; – What is Leaven?
A substance, typically yeast, that is used in dough to make it rise; a pervasive influence that modifies something or transforms it for the better; permeate and modify or transform (something) for the better; “they acted as an intellectual leaven to the warriors who dominated the city; cause (dough or bread) to rise by adding yeast or another raising agent; “it only take a little bit of yeast to leaven the bread”
Leaven A Way of Life, A Teaching and A Doctrine – Matt 16:6-13 – They can influence and corrupt you.
The Christian As Leaven – What it Means To Be A Leaven Christian – One
1. As a believer I raise people
2. As a believer I am to make others rise
3. As a believer I am to ferment others
4. As a believer I am to lighten the environment and people
5. As a believer I am to expand and enlarge the kingdom of God.
The Christian As Leaven – What it Means To Be A Leaven Christian – Two
1. My life is to penetrate others with the essence of God
2. I am supposed to be a transformational agent while Christ keeps transforming me
3. I am to modify all situations and circumstances to the glory of God
4. I am to enliven, lighten and quicken all associations I am involved in
5. I cannot be dormant, without influence and without impact.
6. I cannot be unconcerned and stay on my own and keep just to my self
7. I must live a life of inspiring others, be an inspiration or be inspirational
The Christian As Leaven – What it Means To Be A Leaven Christian – Three
1. The Christian stimulates- you as a stimulus
2. The Christian invigorates
3. You ginger up
4. You energize and electrify
5. You galvanise, brighten up and season
This is prescribing the personality profile of a Christian.
Examples of Christian That Lived As Leaven
1. David an example of leaven – Acts 13:21-22
2. Daniel an example of leaven – Dan 2:47; Dan 6:3; Dan 6:5
3. Joseph an example of leaven – Gen 39:1-6 – The description of Joseph by Pharaoh – Gen 42:38
4. Mordecai was an example – from Esther 2, we see a man that was indeed a leaven that affected both the Jews in Shushan, the king’s house and the entire land as leaven
5. Peter, Paul, John, Stephen were an example – Acts 2; Acts 13; gospel of John and Rev.
6. Stephen and the other six in Acts 6 were great examples of leaven – Acts 6;7 and Acts 8: 1-40:- the city of Samaria and the Ethiopian eunuch story; Acts 21:9
The Light, The Salt and The Leaven – All In One – Matt 25:26-30; Matt 25: 31-46
You cannot be the light and not be the salt and the leaven. You must be all in one, yourself. The call to be a Christian is to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth and the leaven that leaven’s the lump. Light is not for itself. So it salt not for itself. So much more leaven has no impact except it gets into the lump.
The people you are to impact are crying, waiting and unfortunately some are dying as they wait for you. Delay to be the light, salt and leaven is not an option for the believer at all. Not to lighten, salt and leaven leads to death, eternal death. There is great judgment against the believer that fails.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus was and is a super leaven. All followers of Jesus should be and are expected to be leaven. If you are not leaven, then you need to go back to your source Jesus to make you one indeed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
