How Accountable Are You? (1) Fatherhood To Our Heavenly Father ● Exodus 15:1-2: After just crossing the Red Sea (symbolic of Salvation), Moses and the children of Israel praised God for their deliverance from the enemy. But, they didn’t stop there. They continued to assume the responsibility of preparing Him a habitation – a place of rest, a home. Well, brother, it’s not just enough to be saved. It’s your responsibility to prepare yourself as a habitation for the Lord. ● Also read: 2 Timothy 2:19-21, Romans 14:12, Ephesians 5:1 To Your Spiritual Father(s) ● 1 Kings 19:19-21: Elijah became accountable for Elisha when he placed his mantle upon him. The mantle symbolizes being covered by the anointing on Elijah’s life. When you are under the covering of the pastor, you are covered by the anointing on his life and ministry. This was the same mantle Elijah used to part the Jordan River so Elisha could cross over on dry land. Elisha became accountable to Elijah but not at the expense of his family. ● 2 Kings 2:1-11: Because Elisha was faithful, Elisha received a double portion of the anointing on Elijah’s life. It pays to be accountable to your spiritual father(s) in the Lord. To Earthly Father(s) ● We are accountable to observe and learn from both their bad & good Daniel 5:17-22 – We should learn from, not repeat their errors. Proverbs 4: 1-5 – We should soak up their wisdom. ● By honoring them, you have a promise from God – Ephesians 6:1-3 For Being Godly Fathers ● We are all priests. Your priesthood begins in your home. When your family sees you, they are looking to see the love, protection, and glory of the Lord through you. ● It’s our responsibility to make Godly deposits into our children. – Ephesians 6:4 (2) Fellowship Helpful Fellowship ● It is God centered – Psalm 119:63 ● Why?: Based on what we have in common – Romans 1:11-12 For everyone’s encouragement and refreshing – Romans 15:32, 1 Thes. 5:11 To sharpen each other – Proverbs 27:17 Unfruitful Fellowship ● Phony, hypocritical, appearance more important than relationship – Psalm 55:12-21 ● 1 Samuel 20:42: True fellowship isn’t crowding each other out based on always being together. After Jonathan and David made their covenant, they went their separate ways. While Jonathan went back into the city, David fled. Though we may live different lives, we should still be able to fellowship in the Lord. (3) Freedom God has freed us from bondage. But, it is our responsibility to walk in it. We are free from: Religious Bondage ● Galatians 5:1 ● John 9:19-22: This blind man’s parents were in bondage to religion. They were more concerned about being put out the “church” than proclaiming the truth of what Jesus had done in their son’s body. Worship Bondage ● NO MATTER WHAT, DON’T LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING HINDER YOUR WORSHIP OF THE LORD! – John 4:24 Status Bondage ● Some of us are bound by how others think we should act, our income, our lifestyle, our job-level, or in other words, worldliness. ● 2 Samuel 6:12-22: David remained free to worship the Lord in spite being king. Spiritual Bondage ● The enemy’s tactics to take you and your family out through: Discouragement / Depression, Addictions, Lusts, Other Sins of the Flesh Read James 1:14-15 (4) Faith ● It is your responsibility to stay in your Word so you can grow in faith. You don’t need the Bible to see the mountains you are facing. But, you do need the Word to let you know you can speak to them. Read Romans 10:17 ● Read and study Psalm 119:9-18 (5) Fire ● Even though you did or didn’t put yourself in the trial or situation, you are accountable for how you respond in it. How many of us do like the children of Israel and make a journey of days turn into years because of how we handle ourselves in the situation? ● If you want to be gold or even silver, you must be tried in the fire Even after gold has been purified, there’s a cooling off period to let it harden. If it doesn’t it won’t be good for anything. When you come out of a trial, don’t be so quick to jump back in that you never have the witness God desired. Read James 1:2-4, Zechariah 13:8-9, Malachi 3:1-4
