Healthy Living in a Sick World (Part 12)

Our world is getting sicker by the minute and many a marriage. There is so many broken files, selfish ambitions, blinding. So many politicians and even in the church of Jesus Christ are some who have abandoned the truth that there once believe the second letter saying not just with the coronavirus sin and rebellion are destroying the foundation of our lives. Dr. Michael give you tools for healthy living in a sick world join him for leading the way to leading the way with pastor and author of the new block stating Dr. Michael every few years the world pauses and seemingly comes together in unity as a nation is pitted against nation for the Olympic Games. There some nationalism it comes out but in the end the entire world is celebrating the best in the world and cheering on the underdog together today are leading the way. Dr. Michael you set guide you through the words of first dance chapter 9.

This is where Paul uses language that's familiar to athletic competitions challenging you to run the Christian race with passion and also to be a good steward to investing in God's kingdom.

Do remember that this program is listener supported.

That means that Dr. Michael you set relies on God's provision through gifts from those who are touched encouraged and challenged by leading the way. Learn how to stand with Dr. yourself when you visit LTW.org or when you call us. We are at 866-626-4356.

Now, here is Dr. Michael you set continuing a series called healthy living in a sick world today.

You can hardly watch television or good news without hearing the term social justice number of social justice talking about is a socialist communist wire not Jesus way their social justice. The big talk about is government taking away what the hard earned money that people have greatest side where the money goes. Most arms they keep it for themselves that fill a huge government bureaucracy.

In fact, every time in history you can trust me on this.

I know what I'm saying. Every time in history a government exercises what they call social justice. It ends up concentrating the money and the power in the hands of the government delete question what is social justice.

Jesus way, there's little social justice.

Jesus way the answers absolutely yes. The Scripture shows a very clearly. First of all, social justice, Jesus way must begin by us viewing ourselves as managers and God is the owner, not the government as steward is entrusted by God to manage our bodies, our monies and our possessions, our time and our gifts all managed for God on God's behalf.trouble always always begin with there be an individual or community or society our country is when we begin to think that we are the owners under Chapter 9. Paul tells us that all of life is a stewardship all of life requires sacrificing of comfort sacrificing of resources, sacrificing of time sacrificing off self sacrificing for the sake of the one who sacrificed his all for you, better social justice. Jesus way this chapter. Chapter 9 divides itself into two sections very easily. In verses 1 to 14.

Paul gives us 66 reasons as to why we should give of ourselves to gospel work. Then in verses 15 to 27. The second half of the chapter he gives us an overriding reason as to why we must run the race to win to win. First, he gives us six reasons as to why we must.

We have no option but to be stewards reason number one versus 1 to 6. Reason number one giving gospel causes a keep saying gospel causes or gospel preaching ministry is a must, because the gospel ministry produces external results it produces men and women who escape from hell to heaven.

It produces Christians who become disciples who disciple others when you give to our cause for recognition when you give in order to get something, whether thanks or whatever it is you already have received your reward when you give for any reason other than your reward in heaven. You already have received your reward here when you give fraternal fruit. When you give for the cause of righteousness. When you give so that the loss be found in the found be disciple then you have an indescribable eternal reward. Now Paul points out to the Corinthians, themselves, he said you are the proof of that ministry you the seal of my effectiveness of my ministry gospel minister in you.

Therefore you need to support gospel ministry even though he himself did not want anything I want to come back to look at verse seven.

You're giving will free up ministers to minister.

He said, just like the soldier does not provide for his own rations. Neither should the soldier the footsoldier in God's Army just like the former who plants a vineyard shares in the fruit of the vineyard, so is the planter of God's vineyard, just like the shepherd of the flock drinks milk out of the flock, so does the spiritual shepherd suddenly verses 8 to 11. It is biblical and here the apostle Paul quotes Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse four. Do not muzzle the ox while it is driving the grain is a use of interpretation.

Listen to me you do not give to whoever screamed the loudest but you give what you been spiritually fed and that is why giving to the church is not the same as giving to museums and arts and entertainment center, politics, and education.

All good things. All good things. Why because nonbelievers can gift all this causes just as well. In fact, if not more. Only the believer give us the gospel causes giving where you are spiritually fed than encouraged and challenged is truly giving back to God himself. So giving the gospel ministry is also to in order to see to it that others of said encouraged and challenged, but is more only the spiritually welfare believer will give to those who provide them with the spiritual nourishment.

When you give to biblical sound ministry. You are not giving talk because you are giving directly to God. Did you know that you giving directly to God and God is the one who will multiply the seed, the only one.

Okay the robber said he is no man's debtor. He will not be holding to you the Scripture said he who sows sparingly will reap also sparingly but he who sows generously will reap generously forcefully all of the apostles practiced at verse 12.

While Paul chose not to receive support from the Corinthians. Deliberately, I will explain this to you by the next 16 we see that he received support from the barbarians he received from the Thessalonians in and from the Philippians and from the Macedonians.

Why because Paul knew that in this particular case the case of the Corinthians had he received support from Graham. It would hinder the gospel. That was his conviction. I hate to draw attention to myself. God only knows my family now, but I'm going to do this for the glory of God in a very similar way 30 years ago I made the decision I made it very loud and clear, and it is witnessed to by so many people sitting in the congregation here today when I started leading the way, which I been restarted. I was dragged into it and I'm grateful to God for that I had consultants and other friends who have served on boards of other media ministries who said to me according to Scripture that I must receive financial support from leading the way.

I said no it might be fine for everybody else is not for me. I insisted those many years ago, that will not have a red cent that sticks to my hand from leading the way, why I don't want anybody to say well he started that media ministry to enrich himself and hinder the gospel that was never my desire my desire always, always, to give the glory God I'm grateful to the church and we have met a decision from day one that we going to live within our means, and whatever the church supports us and I'm so grateful to God because I can tell you I have been blessed out of my socks. Amen. Amen. Give God glory, but the rest of the story is God is no man's debtor God is no man's debtor and God's promise will be fulfilled. If it takes 100 years. Paul said while it is his choice not to receive support from the Corinthians others did receive the support from the craziness and that's absolutely fine. It is absolutely fine for them for three verse 13 because God ordained this type of stewardship to the priests in the temple in the Old Testament there.

All were supported by the thousand offerings in the temple, but even before the temple way before the priesthood of the Levites of wine before the law of Moses was given on the 10 Commandments and all of that way. Before that Abraham ties not his income but his whole net worth to most. Yesterday was a type of Christ, the great high priest sexually. Verse 14 because Jesus commanded you know when Jesus sent the disciples 70 of them.

He sent them out to about two in Luke chapter 10 verse seven when he sent them out is that the labor is worthy of his hire and that they will receive their support as they faithfully serve the flock of God as their blessed others that will be blessed. Now I come to the second half of this chapter, the rolling of the race for the Christian life is a stewardship life in the running of the race of life. Paul said to him personally and to every believer should be the whole ministry in the whole life is a stewardship. He does not serve as someone who under compulsion to serve or like receipts of the people, the existence of drudgery and it's it's a duty to do it and he's gotta get through it together do it modeling your way through life, no, Paul is saying I am willing to go to any length I wanted to go any distance.

I'm willing to endure any hardship. I am willing to forbear any insult.

I am willing to persevere any indignities I am willing to cope with any harassment. I am willing to stoop down to any level in order to win people to Christ. Now there are some preachers who say that when Paul said that I become all things to all men.

It means that Paul compromised his convictions that Paul just modified the gospel for the sake of the relevance of the deck that he change his message to fit the audience through to please the audience that that he wanted to make it palatable and acceptable to non-repentant sinner, hogwash. Paul would not change the truth of the word of God to satisfy anyone. And if a person is offended by the word of God. That's the problem. If a person is offended by sound biblical teaching that is their problem.

If a person is offended by biblical morality.

That's their problem. You know why because that person is offended by God himself. And if God is offended by my behavior, my lifestyle lingers really really really my problem and that is why verses 24 to 27th.

Paul exhorts all believers to run the race well how by limiting our liberty through self-control of self-control.

That's another word does not use these days, self-control, limiting our liberty through self-control. Why, because God's winners do not turn their freedom into laziness, because God's winners understand that a steward must exercise self-control and that is why Paul gives us an example of the athlete fitted Scripture with me please and is speaking to the Corinthians about athletes because they understood what athletes are all about.

Collins hosted the second most important games.

Athens hosted the Olympics. That was the most important annual games, but Collins hosted the SME and athletic events. The SME and games next to the Olympics was the most famous and the Corinthians understood because they saw with their own eyes how hard those athletes exercise how hard they work in order to win these athletes came from all over the Roman empire. They came and they came early. Sometimes up to Massimo two months ahead of the game schedule.

They spent 1/2 hours and I watch them probably working the supervising being supervised in their workout every day. They worked hard to work hard and yet out of a large number of athletes, only one wins only one wins now in the Christian race. Paul is saying we don't compete with each other when not competing with each other nine or not we are competing against obstacles were competing against temptations that we face with competing against the enemy of our soul because God does not just want one of his children to be winners.

He works every one of his children to be with everyone.

Everyone to be a winner. It is the longing of his heart for the believer to live a life of an effective witness spiritual discipline must be exercised. Look at the athletes again. The athletes know that they have to restrain the liberty in order to win. They must discipline their sleep.

They must discipline their diet. They must discipline their exercise program and the one thing that an athlete cannot afford. Listen to me and listen to me. Believers are no what I know what I'm talking about the one thing that an athlete cannot afford to do is to live by his feelings when only the last people what you think anymore was a how do you feel that, will allow the body to tell their mind what to do and yet that's what many believers in the Lord Jesus Christ do today. They let their bodies dictate to their minds what to do. I don't feel like praying I don't feel like studying the word of God. I don't feel like going to church.

I don't feel like serving. I don't feel like witnessing.

I don't feel like giving you feel about do with it. The word of God exhorts us again and again and again, just like the athlete here in this passage, like the athlete we must tell minds. Let our minds tell our bodies what to do, not the other way around. Just like the athlete cannot allow his feelings to instruct his mind so must the believer just like the athletes mind leads his body, so must the believer in Jesus. Regular name. Why, why, verse 27.

The last verse in the chapter tells you why Paul said, I do this, lest I become disqualified list I become disqualified.

There are two views on this being disqualified. There are some who believe when Paul says, lest I become disqualified meaning losing his salvation. And this is how they explain it away.

They point to the fact that we must never presume that we are saved, regardless of what we do and how we live as a good point, but I'm going to come to the other side of that.

They say that no Christian can afford to take lightly the warnings of the Scripture. And I agree with that but is not a surprise any of you to know that I have a different point of view. If these dear people wants us to take our salvation seriously their right and their intention.

We must take it seriously and he's talking before talking about true believers, not the professing Christians on all about true believers, then I believe the Scripture is very clear that salvation for the true believer is sealed in Jesus for all of eternity. And when a true believer persists in sin, God has a way of disciplining the true belief member from chapter 5 is it's even that even a comfortable one of taking his life in order to save the soul. That's how serious God takes his duly adopted children. He has a way of dragging you back to himself, kicking and screaming. I know because I could not get dragged out of the wilderness was full of briars and forms them.

The blood is everywhere.

Figure of speech scratches on the world all over me, but he brought it back to himself. Scripture is very clear and nothing shall separate us that is talking about the elect of God nothing shall separate us from the love of God, even if you had to drag you back, kicking and screaming. Listen to me. In fact, that is why I think some Christians lurching from defeat to defeat the defeat to defeat the living a defeated life.

Some believers alike. Some of those athletes who start with great deal of enthusiasm and a desire to wear in the network hardening the started training seriously than they lose interest and stop running the race of five with me ask you this.

Have you come to a point of feeling that you just cannot run the race anymore and you are disqualifying yourself from the crown of righteousness from the crowns that are prepared for the believers of you given up the race. Have you stopped your spiritual training program and you're listening to the devil who says well now you failed just stay failed. It can get up anymore is lying to I want to tell you today on the authority of God's word get back into the training program get back into the race get back into spiritual workout program because God wants you to win say that with me. God wants you to win. God is cheering for you. He wants you to be a winner. God wants into believing in Jesus name. This is leading the way with Dr. Michael used to give more challenging messages on to the leading app use markdown tablet or by senior Smart speakers keyword find out more and LTW Ord hello friends throughout our nation's history. It has often been in the darkest times that God brought unprecedented revival.

However, the means God uses for bringing about revival are almost always the same commitment to prayer and uncompromising preaching of the cross. For this reason this month I am launching rail movement called awake America and I want to challenge you to try for God to bring a spiritual awakening to our nation starting with your city, your compass and your labor to encourage your friends and your family and your church groups do not together in prayer revival starts with you and me, so I hope jointly. Dr. Michael you sent passionately proclaims uncompromising truth each day on leading the way.

Learn more about him awake. America and the worldwide ministries of leading the way. When you visit LTW.org