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February 26, 2021 7:05 am
Our tendency is Christian is to believe in following Jesus will make life more comfortable obeying his commands will yield a better life.
Furthermore, we assume that our faith places us inside a protective bubble shielded from persecution.
Well, that's not what Jesus taught today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll will paint a much more realistic picture based squarely on Jesus sermon on the Mount. But first, will begin the program by enjoying an extended time of prayer, with the hope that these moments serve as a welcomed oasis in your busy day. You know, if it occurs to me that you may have been asked whose two something that wasn't helping. And somehow you've attached that to Christ or Christianity is a proverb that says a brother or sister offended is harder to be one of the strong city, and their contentions. The word means the resistance like the bars of a castle, you may find yourself living behind the bars of misunderstanding really really witness all shaken well just enough to add taste or life that wasn't shoved in your eyes turned on to pull one each in turn, you will especially glad that you're here today because Christ did neither did neither. This is a regular habit of life he represented salt and he represented light even said on one occasion, I am the light's easy for us to out of zeal to push too hard and cause an offense to you never come to Christ and only half of you who have been so offended I want to apologize for those who gave you the mistaken idea that Christianity is something that's forced on to people.
This church will never be forced into believing what is said or accepting what is presented. We respect the dignity of each individual you have a brain you have a mind you have a hard emotions you. You respond as you are led to respond if we are so offensive in our approach, we turn off the opportunity. We don't want to do that. Our hope is of course that you will come to know the Lord Jesus have a walk with him that is genuine, that it's a good beginning, a good birth is the beginning of a strong life so your birth into Christ may be what you have is your next step ticket carefully, but make sure you have taken that step before you try to live out the Christian life you must have Christ living within 40 can come out from you and live his life.
Let's pray we come today our father from all different walks of life. I look at the faces of people who are shy, who find themselves uneasy in this place of worship, who are here, perhaps because someone coerced them or some feeling ashamed of something they've done. Think there might be something here to relieve the shame you made us where we are you a wonderful way of taking us where you want us to be. In doing so, in rhythm with love and mercy and a lot of grace. So pray that all over here will find themselves at ease.
The ability to relax so that we can listen that we can learn the might help us as we walk away from print on the page into the homes in which we live. The cars which we drive the places where we work the neighborhoods where we relate to our friends and neighbors. I pray that we might as a result of being together like this discover new the value of authenticity. May our faith be genuine, deliver us from a phony religion caution us. Our father from being offensive in all of our zeal we will learn how to live it better than we say it, and then having lived it maybe be for others, a refuge lighthouse hope. Thank you for the fountain filled with blood drawn from the saviors of the's thank you for him who died for us, not one who was murdered, but one who laid down his life willingly, that we might know what it is to put our life on the line and walked as he walked use our gifts to get the message out.
We pray that it will be delivered carefully and well help it to make sense. Help us to relieve is we should even in a world that hates the name of Christ, may we become an attraction.
These are our gifts and we give them in his name and for his purpose as we ask these things through Christ our Lord.
Everyone's a man and to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures.
Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now Chuck's message titled shake and shine.
Don't love the world system don't love the world's opinion as JB Phillips rendered this paraphrase of Romans 12.
Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold politically correct thinking is all about agreeing with the world system. They love it when you do. They resent you when you don't have words for us when we don't fall in line and fit into the system, we can expect hatred, persecution and tribulation.
Look at the last chapter of first John chapter 5 verse 19 we know that we are of God as the believer in Christ. I look at the world. We also know that the whole world lies in the evil one. The whole world operates under his control. The world thinks like the evil one thing the world has opinions like the opinions of the evil one when you get this you are not shocked or disillusioned. You sigh your hurt when you get the specifics of how that works its way out as people treat one another like they do, especially as people treat Christians like they do were marked out may point out while we can expect hatred, persecution and tribulation John 15 verse 18.
These are the words Jesus spoke in what was called the upper room discourse words he gave his disciples shortly before he was arrested and crucified. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you want to show you three reasons the world hates us number one if you were of the world, the world would love its own, but because you're not of the world. That means a world system, but I chose you out of that system because of this, the world hates you. The first reason is because were different. The world wants us to feel like they want us to be as miserable as they are, let's not stop there. Look at 20 and 21 years. The second reason. Remember the word that I said to you, a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.
But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake because they do not know the one who sent me. Second reason because we bear the name of Christ. After all, look what they did to him.
Is that amazing the one who never did a wrong against anyone.
He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. He raise the dead. He comforted the afflicted wasn't about. He was so different. You gave them fits the religious folks who don't fit our mold. He doesn't talk. Our language is the third reason is that this put the clincher rented verse 22. If I'd not come and spoken to them, they would not have sand, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no one else then they would not have sand, but now they have both seen and hated me and my father is well number three we expose their sin just being there. They hated it was because he took up for the adulterous and said go don't sit like that anymore, but we not going to stone you, you are without sin, you cast the first stone vacated that there's a counterculture here that Jesus is promoting. He does it in the Beatitudes the peacemaker, the merciful. Blessed are you when you're persecuted. Persecution is sending you out. That's the reason I'm not invited all the company parties. That's the reason that you talk about with the water fountain is a reason you don't fit in as a child of God, how you how you manage that you would like a prude or you walk in your house close a door lock.
He pulled the blinds and stairway, read your Bible is that how you can reach her community until you my my first real real honest to goodness, you verbally refer to this X exposure to the real world was my hits and wrinkle in my time in the barracks were 90+ percent lived with venereal disease are virtually never gone them in the Quonset hut went into the village with prostitutes right there night after night, night after night, night after night, married or single, invited difference with the world's United States government brought 5000 prostitutes to Okinawa to service the Marines. One of the animals you yeah so I get there, and I'm thinking I got 8000 miles from home washed away. Mom and dad are here older brother and sister around him on what I do. I made a decision forever drop my sea bag on the concrete floor. I got a I got to do this right. I don't want to turn them off because I look like a little Lord Fauntleroy run around with it. Jesus, a badge and shot because our walk around with some disease. I don't how to do this. Lord help me do this would be different.
That's going to raise questions. I'm going to be known as a Christian. Okay and one Sgt. love to call me prior Friar Swingle is without a prior Slidell coming and I got to realize, and not like because my my not doing it they're doing it exposes them. I'm not doing or not do because it's just not going to do that.
I'm not going to go back with a slimy guilty conscience and try to fake it with my wife that I was faithful. I'm going to be faithful or I'm not going to be so I decided I will be. I didn't announce it and put on my locker faithful to my live hello you saw or not. I didn't do that is no way to win people. I just didn't run around the village hang out with her prostitutes. I didn't do that this is red-blooded, and just as contemptible as any other human being. But I made up my mind I wouldn't gonna be like the world system was I gonna be like letting a lot of health. I got it from organization call the navigators and their representative named Bob Newkirk who saved my life spiritually, and I got a very faithful Lord who kept me pure is the only testimony I have. Was I tempted you better believe it so happened upon a passage of Scripture Matthew 513 to 16, and I found some answers. Markham, if you haven't already, you are the salt of the earth. Next verse. You are the light of the world you not caring salt not handing out bags of it you not given out salt shakers. You are you are the salt will look at that further moment. You are the light cannot and not flashlights, not lighting torches, not put big great big lights right in people's faces.
You're the light not tearing it. You are it.
See the Beatitudes talk about who we are and these verses now salt and light. Talk about what we must be limber with those in the world system and were always around. Hope you never lose touch with them. I hope you never join a monastery. I hope you never become a nun and live in a convict is not he is really close to I just say don't go behind the wall like a subway from the world stay engaged stay in the hall. Now look, why would Jesus choose salt and light. What prompted him to select those two metaphors listen carefully. First of all, because the world is in the process of dictating and salt preserves and help preserve a number of people who would otherwise die early in life or suicide or stupid acts that they are involved in, or diseases they catch that they wouldn't otherwise catch you going to help preserve the world. The world is in the process of decaying and you know that I don't want to sound like an old man here, but the world is worse than they used to be. If you don't know that you're living in Lala land we raise our kids in the early 70s in Southern California. You ready for this.
They have bicycles they hopped on their bikes on Saturday morning.
They wrote down the Hillcrest Park and all over the city of Fullerton sometime up in the brilliant way to know where they were. They were safe would you do that today. Not on your life. Got almost all okay will be to the vet the movies it at the 530 you guys go ahead you want to do this one that's pharmacy at would you let your kids free in the ball. You better not. Why preserve predators. Our kids always came back. Never a problem. Southern California today. Why crime rates off the chart moral perversion everywhere years ago you go to peep show to see dirty movies red hot out of the stacks of the magazines to look at dirty magazines now you kidding turn your lights off, lock your door pull your blends and turn on the Internet. What channel do you want thousands of them available. You can go as deep in your perversion as you wish to go pornography but you and the world says that if they call it pornography you are done defining it, because a rural system loves pornography. So was wrong with you.
See what I mean it's decaying salt is needed were needed. Furthermore, the world was plunged into deep darkness.
Think about is a growing boredom with life increased hopelessness among even those who are well-off money never did satisfy anybody. This human trafficking on the increase human trafficking, girl's little boy's so to be used and abused and discarded like a piece of trash plunged into darkness. There is a departure from orthodoxy and religion. The shameless infidelity in fraud and domestic brutality and all these things and what is a Telus. He says you this all you don't like contact Clearly in your mind you preserve you that one light that helps them find their way darkness was your something on the stick you're not that big a deal. You just happen to be one who belongs to Jesus so we sponsor a Sprint spring Sprint people come from all over. I'm sure some expecting to be buttonhole. He knows Jesus you had a run in this race and not know Jesus went under that is the way to handle a spring Sprint that commonly run with a walk early role along with their wheelchairs and their involvement in the race and were fun to be around. They like being here is relight because were so so how do we impact the world we shake and shine like a title shake and shine Saul does what it adds taste, otherwise bland food. Not too much just a little salt ever had food to just one tasty left is a plastisol shaking salt. Oh, what a difference it makes that so salt also preserves meet the pioneers made it in there prairie scooters, often because they salted down the meat. It is good is the good long as it could. Salt preserves, salt creates a first have enough salt to get really thirsty make you thirsty salt helps cleanse nondisplaced.
Each of us in a social context and occupational contact a neighborhood context and yours is nothing like someone right next to mine is not yours and yours is not hers and hers is not in is remarkable to see the timeless nature of God's word. These principles from Jesus readily applied to life in 2021. This is insight for living Chuck's went all title today study in Matthew five shake and shine and you can learn more about this ministry when you visit us online@insightworld.org here at Insight for living ministries.
We realize that everyone comes to Jesus from a different background and burdened by a variety of different issues, but there's one thing we all have in common and that's learning to set aside our fears and trust in God's promises he will deliver on what he's promised what whatever problems are undermining your confidence today were recommending a devotional book check is written called perfect trust.
When you apply the biblical principles he's presented. We believe God will reward your confidence in him with peace that truly satisfies to purchase a copy of perfect trust. Here's the number to call if you're listening in the United States. Call 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/offer and then as God leads you. Please remember the influence of your donation to insight for living our website at our mailbox are filled with affirming notes.
Each one tells the story of God's faithfulness as men and women learn to trust in him.
Recently we heard from a listener who follows Chuck's teaching from Mexico and another in Brazil and here's another comment from Alberta, Canada, says Chuck, thank you for displaying true grit. During this pandemic. Your daily broadcasts have sustained us tremendously with people from all walks of life are benefiting from the gifts of those who support insight for living Chuck delivers the sermon. Our staff puts together the programs but it's people like you who give flight to insight for living give a donation right now, listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 also give online@insight.org. Thank you for your generous support insight for living ministries. Join us again Monday.
Chuck Swindoll continues his verse by verse study through the book of Matthew right here on insight for living. The preceding message shake and shine was copyrighted in 2000 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles Parsley dogging all rights reserved worldwide.
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