Examine yourself
1 Corinthians 11:27-34 NKJV – 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
Step 4 – Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5 – Admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrong.
Step 10 – Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”
Matt 7:12-23 NKJV – 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow Way
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [a]Because narrow is the gate and [b]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
Colossians 4:14 NKJV – Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
Demas loved the Lord and was a great help to Paul in his ministry. Demas mingled, lived, and ministered with great men! Paul, Mark, Luke and Aristarchus. Demas had some amazing leaders teaching him.
Philemon 1:24 NKJV – as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.
2 Timothy 4:9-10 NKJV – 9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
What happened? Demas had several rock solid teachers and even did ministry side by side with Paul! Demas was much like that banana picture above. On the outer layer, he was sincerely in love with his savior and wanted to be of great service. But when life began to peel the layers back, Demas’ inner core wanted the things of the flesh and this life more.
As we examine ourselves, we have to be diligent in our daily 10th step. Are we truly living for Christ or do we prefer the things of this life more?