Christian Ethics, Pt. 4: Submission and Supplication B

You know you can trace your life over men. That's good, but it's not best because men will fail, and men will change right and men will disappoint. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday day.

One man helped change the world. Martin Luther boldly proclaimed. My conscience is captive to the word of God and his powerful example his courageous stand for the truth is the spark that lit the fires of the Reformation. Now, odds are you'll never be tested as profoundly as Luther was, but if you're Christian, what you believe will be put to the test.

The question is how can you face trials and persecution with unflinching faithfulness to the Lord. John MacArthur helps you with that in his current study on grace to you titled the integrity factor. Now here's John we began to study the ethics in verses 1 to 19.

Let me just remind you what we covered.

We said there are three categories of behavior patterns are three categories of ethics that a Christian needed to follow. First category in relation to others in relation to others.

The first three verses that we have a responsibility toward others into areas sustained love and sympathy and when you have those two operating in your life that covers a whole gamut of things. The second area of responsibility for our ethics is in relation to ourselves. We have an obligation to ourselves in the matter of sexual purity in the matter of satisfaction in the matter of steadfastness. We need to keep ourselves pure sexually. We need to be content with whatever we have and we to be steadfast in the faith, not following around false doctrine. This we ourselves the last category of ethics is in relation to God. So what is our obligation toward God, separation, sacrifice, and submission to those of God is set to rule forth. And lastly, our obligation to God's supplication first word of verse 18 is what just at first word what is pray you and this is an obligation to God, the pray. Prayer makes things possible prayer moves the hand of God. Prayer ties into the power source and here it's so beautifully connected to the previous point because he says pray for whom for us and he's a writer, and I believe that he is one of the elders in the church, to whom he wrote here. I believe whoever this writer is, he was one of the leaders of this church, he says, pray for us, for we trust. We have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly but I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you. The sooner the indication was that was home for him and he gone away and he wanted to come back. Pray for me. Pray for me know. Instead of rebelling against your leaders.

What should you do pray for center criticizing.

Pray, believe me, the servant of Christ stands in tremendous need for prayer. We are men we are weak we are sinful we are foolish we are ignorant we are airing and we desperately need the prayers of the saints. I think very often it's the men of God around the world and the places of leadership will bear the brunt of Satan's attack, don't you think that because Satan knows that if they go a lot of people to go with and were often tempted to compromise or often tempted to water down our convictions because were afraid to face the issue were tempted to be slack in terms of preparation because it's a little easier to do that and people might not know the difference anyway tempted to all kinds of sin. And we need your prayers.

Pray for us.

So the writer encourages them to pray, you know I love what the apostle Paul did at the end of the book of Ephesians, he did the same thing in verse 18. He says pray for all saints in the 19 he says this and pray for me, that utterance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador says pray for me.

Pray for me that I might be bold that something very practical that you can pray for and I really do think that's I think of a lot of churches spent their time praying for the pastors rather than rebelling might be a little bit different situation is, I believe got answers. Leave it another two reasons that he uses to support he says pray for me. Now here's to good reason. Reason one I deserve it say what he sounds like egoism isn't I deserve what you mean. You deserve a look at verse 18 for we trust. We have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly what I like that he only says pray for me because I think as best I know, I believe that I am God's man in God's place with a pure heart. I deserve your prayers.

He says this we trust night is not arrogant. The best I know he says, I really trust that I have a good conscience and that I really in all things, want to live. Sincerely that I'm honest in my ministry that I really believe that what I'm doing. God is in pray for me.

I believe I'm God's man called of this ministry is like saying I deserve what you mean a good conscience friend what you mean you have a good conscience. Well, we could talk a lot about conscienceless not say too much other than the fact that the conscience is the faculty of the mind that enables us to perceive right and wrong to building system, we can tell what's right. We can tell what's wrong by the response of our conscience. It's the inner principal that decides whether something is right or wrong kind of it's God's vice regent governing us on earth and conscience is a court that's always in session.

Believe me, there is never recess in the court of conscience is really the nearest thing in this world to standing at the bar of God conscience is that thing that determines whether something is right or something is wrong or you know something people. It's wonderful to have a good conscience like that is is wonderful to have a conscience is not forever accusing and you know and yet I think all the time because were human and because were sinful are conscious, always has some work to do right.

You know people say to me after sermon. Sometimes that convicted me know what you're saying in effect that your conscience managed to dig up some area where you're not cutting it right and just flashed it up on the screen of your mind, and said you're not doing that or you are and you shouldn't be that conscience just is there to do the and here's a man who actually says I examine my heart before God. I believe I have a pure conscience.

Nothing accusing me know.

Paul said in acts 2416 and in this I exercise myself. He said you know what I do I work on this. I exercise myself I work at this when you work at what Paul to have always a conscience void of offense toward God. See, I work if I find my conscience convicting me in a certain area of weakness I get in there and I sure that area the spirit of God's bugging me about not praying I want to take care that the Spirit of God says I'm not faithful in my teaching the word of God. In my study and sharing trial.

Whatever it is I give Mary and I sure it up. That's what he says.

I exercise myself toward this to always have a good conscience toward God and then he says toward man is an opposite to that first Timothy 119, he says, holding face and a good conscience watch which some, having put you see some people try to shove some Christians to show conscience aside and just go on being disobedient and just kind of pushing conscience away know what they did.

They put away the face and they made ship Rick you know some conscience is the rudder that guides the ship throw away the rudder and you wreck the ship conscience is very important and you better respond to conscious because pushing conscience away can make a shipwreck of your Christian life choices. Pray for me. I deserve it.

Secondly, says pray for me I needed. I need verse 19 I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you. The sooner I want to get there, you see that guy actually believe that prayer works the end of the book of Romans chapter 15 verse 30's pulse as I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ sake and for the love of the spirit. Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that I maybe don't. I heard from them. The do not believe in Judea and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted by the saints, that I may come unto you, see, pray for me that I get out of this mess and get over you all believe in prayer the same Paul that wrote Romans chapter 9 believe in the sovereignty of God and yet he believed that prayer made things possible that otherwise couldn't be possible.

So supplication is our responsibility toward God love that I've given you the basic ethics of the Christian life. I want to know something you are not now unaccountable.

All these things need to be operative in your life. But wait there to other things in the passage which I want to briefly point and will close.

I've given you ethics holistic.

I've given you the ethics simple warranty, yet profound.

Now let me take a step further. You know, it's one thing to give me a list of something, it's another thing to give me an example spirit of God gives us some examples you ready for this.

Go to verse seven. I want to see that God doesn't just expect you to take the book and learn how to do it. He wants to show you somebody else did it and you can pattern your life. Verse seven. I love this, remember them, who have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God. Now watch whose faith, do what follow considering the end of their manner of life.

Your says a you remember those wonderful people, those men of God who first came to you who first dispensed under you the gospel, who first taught you the word of God. Remember, follow faith, pattern your life after their lives look at the results. Consider how their life ended and you pattern your life the same way as our example, say, to whom does he refer he refers to their leaders, their chiefs their elders their teaching pastors there of Angeles, their profits look at those that God is set over you and look how they live and what the results of it are consider the end of another term and as you sometimes in the Bible to speak of death but other times it used just to speak of results at bosses.

It can speak either way. So he saying look at the lives of those who lived before the originators of the ministry there.

Look how they lived and how they died. And then look at the living examples and see the results of the kind of life they live see their faith and follow it follows I'll tell you something.

Everybody patterns his life after somebody wise will choose the right somebody right so he says you look at your past leaders you mark you follow is a little note in here the so good you want to know the characteristic of a really good leader in the church remember them of the rule over you. That's number one.

They ruled number two was spoken unto you, what the word of God that is forever and ever people and you're gonna I know you're going to get tired of hearing it before the Lord comes. That is forever and ever. The obligation, the ministry speaking the word of God say all I don't know about that MacArthur you follow men in their own lives to be reset all time.

Don't follow him in.

Well I don't buy that there were two men that I never met but that when I was a young Christian seminary. Two men had a profound effect on my life. One of them was EM bounds wrote a little book called power through prayer that I used to read and reread and that book just shattered me every time I read that man became a pattern for me a pattern that I've never lived up to because it is there still another man was John Payton who was a missionary I read and reread his biography and his commitment became a pattern for me element. Believe it or not was Thomas a Kempis who wrote imitation of Christ very mystical and very kind of far out almost aesthetic. And yet, in that the devotion of the man became a pattern for me as a backdrop for the tracing of my own life and all my life I have to honestly say that I am a product of laying myself against many different human patterns and so are you orange listen to second Thessalonians 37 for you yourselves know how you ought to follow your lead pulse. As you know you are to be following us. Watch for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you because we live rightly among you, and you ought to follow our patterns even in Hebrews 612 but in the book were studying that same truth is brought out. Don't be slothful, he says, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. The Bible repeats that you are follow other man. Who are your examples and faith in the first Timothy chapter 4 verse 12 positivity, let no man despise our youth would be thou an example of the believers, in word and conduct, in love and spirit and faith, and purity.

You be a pattern that others can trace their life on Titus. He says the same thing. Titus 270 says you will you young man in all things showing yourself a pattern of good works you to be a pattern again tracing other people's lives against you. The apostle Paul repeatedly said, be followers of me. The key was this, he said, be followers of me.

What even as I am of Christ, and that takes us to verse eight look at here. Beloved is the ultimate pattern for the Christian to follow Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever. You know you can trace your life often over men.

That's good, but not best because men will fail, and men will change right and men will disappoint, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever men come and go. Jesus abides your first group of examples men supreme example who Jesus Christ you never varies who never changes. You notice it uses earthly name Jesus uses earthly title Messiah Christ. Why because it's presenting an earthly pattern. He says to them, watch follow the men who are your leaders, but oh, if you really want to pattern your life pattern it after the human Jesus from the Estes you want to see sustained love. The first ethic. We talked about. You want to see sustained love who you want to see it and better than anybody else. John 13 Jesus having love them love them. What under the end sustained you want to see sympathy who you want to see who you see sympathy here in jaundice. He goes to the grave of Lazarus and he begins to do what to URC sexual purity you see it in Jesus like a never seen anywhere else as he denounces the file sin of sexual immorality in John eight and then cleanses the immoral woman you want to see satisfaction, contentment, you'll hear when Jesus says my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, you'll hear it when he says the foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head at satisfaction. You're here, steadfastness, listen to them in Matthew four Satan confronts him three times and three times he says no I'll trust God's word. I reject yours, steadfast you want to see separation from the world.

Listen to his prayer in John 1716. He said father. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world you want to see sacrifice listen to the apostle Paul in Ephesians 52 and he says and walk in love, as Christ also loved us. Listen, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God is a sweet smelling savor. Never a greater sacrifice than is you want to see submission. Listen to Jesus in the garden as he prays not my will, what thine be done. You want to see supplication watching in the garden as he prays for himself for his disciples and for all the Christians who would ever be born in the world, my friends, the perfect example. The unchanging yesterday today and forever. Example is Jesus Christ the ethics great. The example look at Jesus and mimic him and you also will find him reproduced in the lives of men, after whom you can pattern your lives. Lastly, you need more.

Even then, ethics in an example, you say what what more would you need will tell you some friend. If all you had is the ethics in the example you might run out there grunt and groan and in your flesh and try to produce all the stuff and you know what you have wood hay and stubble.

Believe me you can't do it in the flesh, you know what you need you need the energy. I like this watch verse 20 and rewrap. Now the God of peace.

I love that title. Don't you the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Now watch make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. So let it be what are some exciting you get to the ethics because of the example in the get to the energy you say what's the energy hits the power of God, look what it says. Now the God of peace, not jump the verse 21, make you perfect walking in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, you will know some your Christian growth has none to do in your own power. It's God working in you right well and exciting say you have all these erosion. I am going to do them. I'm going to love love love. I'm going to be similar that exhibit the sympathy I'm going right down the line in a flash wife that you'll never do it. So you look at Jesus Christ in his yard. God carries yours, it isn't mine doing in my life and those verse 20 just explodes with the power of God, the God of peace that raised again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep to the blood of the everlasting covenant you what that is us the greatest display of divine power in the history of the universe is what got accomplished in the death and resurrection of Christ. Soy simply saying the powerful God. He is the one who can make you perfect.

You can't function on your own energy.

You can't just whip out your flesh and decide that you're going to be spiritual done work like that. I like second radiance 35 says this, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God again you do anything. Notice it says he wants to make you perfect. That means complete and mature. Lacking nothing in every good work.

Total God is into half jobs. Believe me, he wants to make it totally mature perfect.

It says he wants you even to do his will and everything and everything working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight on so excited to know that God puts down the orders and in God's the only one that can do them in me as I yield to him and the question of the Christian life is a question of humanness. Listen segment is 98 and God is able to make all grace abound toward you that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work. I have all sufficiency how you will abound in every good work. When God is able to make it happen and you that's only a question of your yielding to his power as long as you try to do in your own strength and fighting the power the sled God doing grace to you with John MacArthur. Thank you for being with us. The integrity factor. That's the title of John MacArthur study John has been grace to use featured speaker for more than 50 years now. He also serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary John for that person who saying yes I want to live a life of integrity but finds that to be a difficult path.

Word of encouragement. Would you have as we bring this study to a close will look living a life of integrity means obeying God means living a godly life living a virtuous life and that is not easy, that's a battle Paul says in Romans seven I don't do the things I want to do. I do the things I don't want to do. He says I see one principal, one power one law operating in my life and I love the law of God is holy, just, and good. I see another power, another law in me. The law of sin and that the the law of the righteousness, the law of God operates in my mind, but the law of sin operates in my flash and O wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body. The stuff so he acknowledges that this is a battle and a struggle but the Lord has granted to us his word and in his word, we receive the truth about how to live and then by his Spirit, who lives in us. We have the power to bring the word of God to life in our own life so you could say this the way to live is revealed in Scripture and the power to live that life is the work of the Holy Spirit so that is why we are told be being Filled with the Holy Spirit and the parallel passage to that one and Colossians is let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, so it is no secret to this there is no there is no man that magic sort of spiritual elixir that you can drink and get over the hurdle once and for all. It's gonna be a lifelong battle, but it's one by the means of grace. It's one by hearing the word of God is one, by prayer, it's one by putting the word of God into action.

It's one by losing your life in the lives of others. It's about holiness, obedience, humility.

Although spiritual virtues. This is been a great study and an important study. We want you to know that the messages that have made up this study are available in a CD album or on the MP3 from our website and we would love for you to download the more you can let us know you want the album and will send it out to you also.

We've been talking about the book the power of integrity that is an excellent resource that you can use in a Bible study and there are available now at 25% discount to purchase the book the power of integrity or the sermon series called the integrity factor the same series get in touch with us today. Yes, both of these resources will help you live a life without compromise a life that pleases God in your home, at work and when you're alone to take advantage of our sale and pick up John's book the power of integrity or our current radio series titled the integrity factor get in touch today.

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