The World Against Us (1 of 2) (Part B)

Prayed they might have character in Christ permit Christianity is not God's plan. How many to have you ever heard of Christian.

The one little compound just Christians in it suck God's plan. We are supposed to be released into the world. How is disabled, of all Christians would just put walls up around them and never have contact with anybody outside those walls: get saved the state.

The people behind the walls of the compound would be so messed up and you Christians keep trying to do this. This is cross reference were with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first John, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with the continuing study called the world against us as he teaches through first John chapter 2 out third grade this fall is the world humanity stiff arming Christ is our third greatest enemy, the first of course is Satan and the second is ourselves. Our fallen nature, our own carnality, our own proclivity to sin very quickly be the world in different or intense in their opposition to Christ's. They are energized by Satan, and they energize the movement of the world they contribute to it. They're not part of the solution you're part of the problem we are supposed to be part of the solution.

If we can get away from the petty stuff swallowing camels gagging on gnats as Christians. You know were not encouraged to draw attention to ourselves. We are encouraged draw attention to Christ and his message. That's why we shun those things that shine the spotlight on us will cover some of that. Maybe next session. Do when we talk about the pride of life. First John chapter 5 to make the point that be they in different or intense in their opposition, they are under the devil's hand. John writes we know that we are of God is we've got this as we might say down packed as we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one, and they hate you for having the audacity to say Christians only say yes exactly what we mean.

That is precisely and here's why they all can't be true. All roads may lead to Rome, but they do not all lead to salvation human life and society with Christ left out is to not be loved. In the end, in the day of judgment. It is to be left out by God first Corinthians chapter 6, we look at the world is not our enemy so they are dangerous people in the world world system.

Yes, our energy, the people of the enemy, the people know the people are not our enemies.

They are the subject of our presence and such were some of you wrote Paul.

After he itemize a list of all sorts of immoral behaviors, he says, and such were some of you but you were washed, but you were sanctified when you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the spirit of our God.

So I as a Christian, reserve the right to reject whatever I think is false about my God no matter what anyone says, no matter what credentials they may claim to hold and I do it unapologetically. I don't apologize for not believing what the world believes I do not apologize for agreeing with God ever Romans chapter 12 verse two. Do not be conformed. Do not be shaped and unfortunately so many Christians cannot be distinguished from the world things because they live just like them. Do not be conformed to the world. This world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Please see when when John says do not love this place. Don't love this system if you love that you do not love him very easy to see all believers all believers want to seriously oppose Satan's rule and his ability to draw people to him and his interests but it is not easy. It is very difficult.

Of course we've got this fifth column in our heart we have these traders that live within us. The flesh carnality fallen nature. All names for the same thing.

That old man. Ephesians 2 Paul said in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience whether they agree or not.

They don't have to sign it to own it for not following Jesus Christ there under the power of the Prince of the air, they are sons of disobedience.

He says all the things of the world do not love the world or the junk that's annexed the flesh does. If we compare Galatians 519 to 21 where Paul itemizes the murders the envy the self-seeking all the junk that comes from the flesh, and then he says but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering kind is going to save lives again enjoy again such as no law and we get a better idea with us Christianity of ours is supposed to go with us, with us in total included Galatians 614 but God forbid love this dismissed disc and consider the man Paul in his life consider was saying this after all the stoning is the beatings, the shipwrecks, he says, but God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is been crucified to me and I to the world dead to that jump true believers wanted once abed it's not then there's that flesh which we will deal with in part two.

That's why we going to go to Homer's Iliad because we all have an Achilles' heel.

Otherwise Rick Gallant was strong and fierce except for that one spot on that doesn't matter. We going to bed. Endurance is going to be a big part of making it through.

First Corinthians 7 verse 31 for the form of this world is passing away.

John has already said that earlier he's going to say that again the form of this world the system. This world formed by human opinion is dying is just very dangerous until instead I saw the video of a copperhead separated from his body, biting its own body still exists is dead is still deadly and that is the world the dangers that lurk draw some of them so wonderful into the flesh. As I mentioned, the world is illustrated for us in the Old Testament in typed form God holds it up and says he see Egypt see that culture that's the world that's what the world takes many holes of Babylon is a you see Babylon us of the culture so much that the Colts in the world.

This spiritual errors see the Assyrians of vicious and mean they are. That is the world's cruelty. These want you to join them against me. Abraham he escaped from the world he lived in what became known as Babylon. That area of Mesopotamia, God said, Abraham get out from your father's house, get out of there and he tricks his way to the promised land. Not long after arriving in the promised land.

He stumbles, he goes into Egypt, and what is he say on the way to Egypt. God told never told him going to Egypt. Pressure came in his life and Abraham felt that was the logical thing to do.

What is he say to his wife. You are beautiful woman and they will kill me for you, but don't go that plays Abraham's take away from their but he goes anyways.

Listen, tell them you're my sister, which was a half-truth that should've been an indicator right but you know press is behind us and that's where Abraham was the famine had obscured his vision, but he made it through because he was a true man of God, then there is the rich, full in the Lord's parable in Luke chapter 12. This man was rich without God.

God said discounting all of his stuff. I'll make space for more stuff because that's what happens. Life becomes this thing we just keep buying stuff. It's called Amazon prime statistic could open his mind. I bought a necktie and by the time I close the window.

I was wearing it, then asked fast service. She's so that was pretty good back enterprise okay because it's made, but if you do it is to be reviewed by the pastor anyway. Double standards are frowned upon in other people. Luke's gospel chapter 12 chapter 12 verse 20 but God said to him, to the rich fool fool. That's why he's called the rich fool God could named him is no name-calling too late for this night your soul will be required of you, then whose will those things be, which you have provided you going to die tonight who gets all your stuff. It was one of the concerns of Solomon. What's going to happen to my kingdom and everything I have. Will someone that is worthy could take it already was looking at his boy rail bonuses get faster is going to mess it up and that's exactly what Rehoboam did continues commentary so he who relays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

You can have treasures but you better have him as the treasure that's the message that Christ is sharing with us that man he loved what the world offered and left it all behind. How much all of it left every bit of it behind. Then there was Solomon the poster boy for I know several posters he could go on is the name of these got it in his head.

You read this probably does. Read Proverbs 30 1UL listen son, don't give your strength any does just opposite of everything he taught started out as a young man living and loving the Lord is dedication of the temple's magnificent but in time he greatly expanded his harem and he lived more and more like a worldly king, less like a God fearing man, God-fearing King Mark's gospel and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in scope the word and it becomes fruitful it chokes it cuts off the life of the the life of the animal as the blood were told in Leviticus 17, because the blood brings the oxygen does other things to causes panic when it leaks media gal that is it so he continues, the cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering and show the word and it becomes unfruitful on beneficial that's the story of Solomon. All of his wisdom became not. It was no longer benefit. It was that he had advantages that he did not use and therefore they were no longer advantages. Practically speaking, in the end is a shipwreck spending his last days, lamenting his life for serving wrong things right. Ecclesiastes to reflect upon his despair and he makes many good points and Ecclesiastes that hitches best as you grow older in life and you know the drill now and you read Ecclesiastes sport that is right on, Lord, save me from this.

So I do not become just a biblical statistician Howard Cosell.

Some of you might remember, was a sports announcer and what I like most about him is the title of his book. I never played the game was such an clever little lady was an athlete, but he was announcer sports announcer. He would give interviews and the like that but he really never played the game inbox is going to the football field.

The baseball field any of those that's not that's not for us. We are not to say I've never played the game. We are to be totally in the game of life. As believers, and we are to be in the world not of it. So he says if anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.

What a grand distinction between the saints and the ancients in the Bible, the saints of those who were saved that word means separated. Set aside.

It does not mean that people voted you into some super status as it is a whatever that is a false teaching. It is one of many that come out a hell, especially in the institutions that promote such nonsense. When Paul wrote his letters to Christians you address them as saints. Every single one of them. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ. You are a saint you are distinct you are separated from the judgment to come and into the kingdom of God. That is the definition of the word and those living for this world prove a serious lack of understanding that this world is the enemy of God.

Anybody who claims to be a believer of Jesus Christ loves this world without shame is making themselves an enemy of God. John's gospel chapter 15. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own yet because you're not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you one to the point, just like John. How can we love and admire is system that hates our beloved Lord.

Yet there are those who claim to be Christians and they do that very thing.

Something is seriously defective. There John 17 verse six Jesus that I have manifested your name to the man whom you have given me out of the world out of the world system not off the planet because they were still here.

In fact, he left them behind Jesus Christ alone gets us out of the world system and its doom. And no one else. John's gospel chapter 17 verse nine.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world. But for those whom you have given me, for they are yours is in the world is doomed. And I know this distal sympathy for the snow rescuing it is comes from hell is damaged beyond repair. But the people in it.

They can be retrieved.

They would just come world system irretrievably doomed.

As verse 17 also points out, we should read it in the world is passing away in the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. One abides forever. The other one does not. That is the judgment mankind apart from Jesus Christ, has nothing to offer God's nothing what's in it for him. What what what I was going to bring the turkey you could bring him you know Chicago and what impressed him.

If you don't have the blood of the lamb.

You've got nothing. That's the whole story of Cain and Abel Kane did not bring the blood offering speaks of his sins and unworthiness and has no right to approach God because mankind apart from the blood of the Lamb has nothing to offer God zero love and zero care for God. If you have not tries. You may have full-blown care for your creation of God see the center will make God in his image the whole story of Greek mythology. They created gods like themselves and the pump steroids into them.

They made them super being super vindictive. They gave them power that humans did not have to exercise their revenge. That's what happens you get ahead and study success leaking out and I'm I'm doing that. I want to hold it for next week.

Well the world.

They despise those who deliver the message of love to try the love of Christ. They want love the way they want what they want to offer it. They want to be the keepers of it.

The custodians of love at the universities what they want to be the custodians of all knowledge, not just the knowledge in the field they can can can have. They want all of it.

That's why they give honorary doctorates where going to say you are smart like us but because we pronounce. I would love is not that but I would love for someone offer me an honorary doctorate. As I go live on YouTube and I would say no to sit okay with my fantasy.

I love it, but man didn't make me if I have anything in Christ, God did it and no one's going to get any of the thunder. It's all his we now pronounce you Dr. go boom boom and no not going to happen again. I know some you printed this because there are those that they they lean towards bowing down to knowledge it took Eve out knowledge took Eve down and the women are still running that way is a faster rate than the men. But the men men what are they being taken out by Reno defending Eve so we all see that the lessons remain for us.

They are powerful they are enough and we have to master them and make sure they don't master our passions and then take over the ship's okay you identify okay.

I've got this problem. This is my problem but I am not crossing the line with that problem and that's going to take a lot of work well where was I John 12 John 17 verse 12 while I was with them in the world. I kept them in your name those whom you gave me. I And none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. Lord is saying. The Scripture called out long time ago what was going to happen with Judas, not because it was decided because by God because Judas decided he made that choice, and God honored the choice of Judas what the others they while I was with them in the world. They are kept in the name of Christ, so dealing with the world.

We must distinguish those friendly facts from the hostile ones, and if we don't learn to do that we get tripped up in many of the covenant and intelligent Christian has been tripped up because they cannot discern between the friendly facts in the hostile presentation of facts or twisting. You might say it's an easy way to say John's gospel again. Chapter 17 this again.

Chapter 17 is the Lord's prayer to his father and John the apostle has captured it for us in this home much theology and in this that has everything to do it how I live my life, Christ prays I do pray to the father.

I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. Here he is facing death. This just walk away and he prays not that they would be isolated or comforted, replace the character he says I'm praying that the evil one does not get to them doesn't mean with the sword means with influence that Satan does not rule over them.

I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. Leave them here, leave him here in harm's way be a shield about them. You prayed that they might have character in Christ permit Christianity is not God's plan. How many to have you ever heard of Christian.

The one little compound just Christians and add some thoughts plan. We are supposed to be released into the world.

How is the same Lord of all the Christians we just put walls up around them and never have contact with anybody outside those walls: get saved you have to say the people behind the walls of the compound.

They'd be so messed up. And yet, Christians keep trying to do this, we are you know we shelter our children as their children, but we have to start preparing them to engage the enemy at some point we are to operate within enemy lines. Again, not isolated in some compound somewhere John's gospel chapter 17 verse 18 as you send me into the world. I also have sent them into the world as you send me into the world. I put them in a nice little happy place where the world can't get to them. It's not what he did. He says I'm sending them into the world and I'm praying that the evil one will not get to them because of their relationship with me.

So in the world. Here we are. We are swimming against the flow and not only are we to swim against the flow. But we also know how to get out of riptide's and get others out of them to that is the mission of the Christian.

We are left behind.

We are left behind to shine as a light in a dark place. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world were to let light shine. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden and it is a rookie mistake of believers try to draw from the world at large. Granted, we're not looking to go to the areas be taken out to run with. We are present here is an occupation force Jesus that do business until I meant righteous business also.

Thanks for tuning in to cross reference cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference.com find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there.

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