Three Pitfalls for Believers to Avoid (Pilgrim's Progress #7-C)

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #185

TEXT: 1 Peter 5:8-9: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

During our last message in this series, we accompanied Christian as he came to the place where he received what he had set out from his home city to find -- deliverance from his burden of sin. He found this deliverance at the cross. His burden of sin was rolled away, and he was given a clean slate as a child of God. You might be tempted to think that all is well with Christian now that he has reached his goal, but the truth of the matter is that Christian's journey is just beginning. He will face dangers, setbacks, and troubles along the way. In fact, he is not too far gone from the cross when he comes upon an interesting scene.

Christian comes across three men -- Simple, Sloth, and Presumption -- who also have come by the way of the cross, yet did not get very far beyond that. They, for one reason or another, gave up before they could grow into mature Christian believers, and they sit by the wayside as distractions to others content in their spiritual infancy. Today, I want to talk from the Word of God about three things we must do if we are going to grow in our walk with Christ, and not remain, as these three men were, babes in Christ.  

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