Dare to be Christian

LESSON: To be popular with everyone
brings a warning; to be popular with Christ brings heaven's blessing.

OUTLINE:
I. Popularity with everyone
brings Christ's warning.
II. Popularity with Christ brings Christ's blessing.
III. To side-step criticism for Christ links you with the false prophets.
IV. To risk criticism for Christ links you with God's true prophets.

CONCLUSION: Dare to be Christian -- through and through. Even if your peers curse you, Christ will bless you when you risk being criticized for Him.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION: The Parable of "The Old Man, the Young Boy and the Donkey" (See www.salagram.net/parables.htm#45)

1ST APPLICATION OF PARABLE: If you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time, why not just live to please Christ?

2nd APPLICATION OF PARABLE: And, even if you could please all of the people all of the time, it would place you in the same category as the false prophets. So why not dare to be Christian -- Why not dare to be Christian, through and through, and leave the outcome to God.

EXHORTATION: Advance Christ's kingdom through kindness and words and stop worrying about whether people accept you.