Culture Shock - Salt & Light, Part 2

We are living in a culture today that has shifted and changed more in the last 40 to 50 years than it has in the last 2000 years.

What happened, why is it wrong is called right and right is called wrong, evil good and good evil you want to understand what's going on in the world and what God will allow you to do to make a difference.

That's today stay with thanks for joining us for this Thursday edition of living on the shipping trip serves as our Bible teacher on this daily international discipleship program.

I'm really today trip continues our series culture shock by asking and answering some tough questions about the intersection of culture. This is a message, you may want to share with one of your children, so you'll find it on our website living on the dartboard just click listen now on our homepage and share now with today's message. Here's our teacher shipping in the 60s and many of you will remember this. If it feels good do it. What I have my truth. You have I'm okay you guys are really well educated. In fact, even indoctrinated and and that's that's just X essentialism so in the 60s X essentialism it it it it removes moral restraint, who's to say what's right and wrong. If I want to have sex and have sex. I grew up in a world where make love not war in the 70s. The music changed the literature changed. Academia changed. This was embedded in the life of all the universities by the 80s it went into the financial district and we learned that greed is greed is good business people began to realize and universities with start teaching ethics courses. Why because people just steal and rip people off and capitalism in our whole system doesn't work when there is no morality by the 90s. We were the me generation by the 2000 pluralism and all pluralism is every opinion for every view holds exactly equal power.

There is no absolute. No one can tell anyone this is right and this is wrong when giving illustration, let's pretend, just as hypothetical because it may not be true, hypothetically, let's believe this is a black stool just hypothetical okay the black stool.

It's always been a black stool. If I believe the voxel someone has the audacity say it's a black stool people sit on but brother right here with a structure that is a blue door at the blue door why I feel like the blue door. My friends think it's blue door wheat we are into blue doors and endlessly was a lady lady in pink Jell-O lighting the pink goes into what it is a red window I mean is just a red window and so in our culture. The answer is stop. You're both right, not seriously Baha'i Muslim Jew Christianity living together homosexuality stop. Everyone has the right to their own opinion and their own view on everything in your opinion is valid. There's only one opinion is not valid. Someone has the audacity say for 4000 years it's been a black stool.

If you tested people sit on it.

I believe with all my heart, regardless what anybody thinks this is a black stool in our culture says will you are an intolerant, narrowminded anti-intellectual now.

So what you need understand is these issues of sexual immorality. The issues of politics, the issues of the environment really are symptoms of the shift in truth and end dates. Ethan okay I want to sit here think boy, Moore wrote window person that I don't know. It's the it's it's the culture. It's the education so now Christians when they say instead of at the black stool. I believe the Bible is God's word.

I believe that were to be like consultant loving to be like consultant loving to people that are living together people who are radical environmentalist people that are involved in the homosexual lifestyle to people that are cheating people loving because Jesus loves them but I have to tell you it would be unloving to do anything less than tell you he's the Savior of the world and how he says life should happen, and how relationship should happen, and how citizen community should live and how should take of the earth. It's absolutely true. What you believe it or not, the were still not there because even if we can agree there is an absolute truth there is the question who gets to say what's true right there's a there's other most other world religions believe in absolute truth, so who says what's true and on what basis and I would suggest that if these symptoms homosexuality and abortion environment, politics, human sexuality, if there are symptoms of how we view truth. I would suggest that the past philosophical issues have a deeper it's our present spiritual implications and that Scripture is Scripture culturally interpreted. Or is it the final authority. In other words, what we have now. This is this is this is anybody out there. This is us inside the church going yeah I understand, 10 Commandments, you know know know idols and understand what Jesus said understand what Paul said about sexuality, about immorality about same-sex relationships, but I don't. I just don't really think that's for today is we really love each other but I love Jesus I love to come to church, that one song you know that when that one really gets me and I want to be a nice person and so we have this dichotomy where we can actually is Bible believing loving followers of Jesus. We now Scott grown so accustomed to glasses that 35% of the people that are young, say were living together. But Jesus and I believe the Bible that the Bible for me is a lot like a salad bar. I like that I like that and I like that. Okay I mean that facetiously, and there's this dichotomy but but here's what I want you to hear. Here's the compassion of God. You know it will people always laugh when I say you know I don't believe in gravity and you step off three stories will write is what you know what can happen is a big fall. But if you literally can you imagine if you stepped off of three stories you might live. Probably the couple broken legs internal injuries that listen carefully you don't have to believe that life is most precious thing but if you're sitting in here today and you've had an abortion. Like many of my friends or you urged the woman to have an abortion. You understand what the loss and pain is like you understand what post-abortive depression can be like you've been forgiven in Jesus loves you, and that some of you can't have kids now some of you been through pain that you can you know what you didn't know anything was unintended. You many of you weren't even Christians. And yet you know what you have to believe that the consequences of the same and you will have to believe that that marriage is just between a man and a woman. Here's the design, but sexual immorality and whether it's heterosexual or homosexual, whether it's liars and adulterers and fornicators, or others. When we have done those things consequences of the same.

You feel ripped apart you feel shame you feel hurt to get a kid living in this house. Another kid live in the south half of all the women that go through divorce, live below the poverty level God's heart and design when he says, thus says the Lord.

This is true Jesus member/prayer of father, glorify your son now just like the glory had before the foundations of the earth. I pray not only for these disciples. But for them to believe through them now. Father I pray that they might be one even as we are one.

Now sanctify them, set them apart make them holy by your words, your word is the apostle Paul would say all Scripture is given literally brief by God and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, that the man with a woman of God might be fully equipped to live out this new life. God's word. The issue in our day is not the symptoms.

The issue is even beyond truth. The issue for you and for me is is this the final authority in light means that I live my life, whether I feel like it or not this is the final authority about how we guard our environment and model that this is the final authority about abortion.

Even if were ones that have been washed who had abortions. This is the final authority went out of love with our young people going to puberty 25% of all young boys have some level of same-sex attraction doesn't mean there homosexual but but in most churches that believe the Bible you say that you have an issue like that.

There's no safe place with. We got have the compassion and the love and delight, and then at the end of the day. This is the final authority. It could, here's here's what I know hear my heart through Jesus our there's a significant percentage in this room you're sitting here you live in them was somewhat great having casual sex or you're in the lifestyle or I mean even the conviction you feel like the only log on now and then, are some of your in your your your having an affair or you're really discouraged with what's happening because there's different seasons of marriage that are really hard and you, just flirting. Right now, but you can feel right for human question is what we do, but how do we beat the salt and be the light and not have these compartmentalize in Paul's day. They lived with the same thing Fekete was far more sexually immoral, even in our day. The average man, especially in aristocrat member Rome has the rule that the Greeks have the culture. So if you are a Roman citizen you have a wife and she is for lineage. In other words, she gives you sons if you're a Roman man you have had a rule in Rome and they would bring children before he went airborne.

If there was a defect went like this are often it was growing would like that to put them to the dump.

Christians change the world because they get on the dump and then they would pick him up in love, raisin, much like you're doing foster care and scary to the way you bring light as you make a difference, but but he would have a woman like that for his his marriage, she would even eat the same room, there would be a young gal usually who was a slave he could have sex with her whenever and then he would go and you know maybe an emphasis temple of Diana and will be all, were on all kind of worship almost all the worship had sexual immorality as a part of the worship you get heterosexual or homosexual, just depending on what you felt like that day into the world. The apostle Paul is speaking and say Jesus you're the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. You have been washed even sanctified, you can change. Here's the new way to live and it was hard. In fact he speaking to them and he says to them in a conference of passage you know we got some guy who's he shacking up with his wife. I mean, I need that pushes the boundaries even for the secular people and so he's he's instructing them about how we have to live purely to open your Bible to first Creek in chapter 5.

This is God's word for us to be salt and light. When you live in a sexually saturated culture pieces I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people so that's that big broad work, fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals.

Not all meaning the people of this world who are immoral the greedier swindlers, idolaters, in that case you would have to leave this world you anything you don't criticize the people in Hollywood are you people in the city Council or you have to be negative in my job or your job to judge people outside of the Bible believing church and say they're terrible and they're doing this in pieces wouldn't judge them that that's the issue. In Jesus, judge not lest you be judged.

We don't judge the outside world, but knows what he goes on to say. He says, but now I'm writing you the must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy or idolater of slander a drunkard or swindler don't even eat such people. This is not on the outside but those that claim to be brothers and sisters in Christ, I'm writing to you not to associate with those who habitually live a lifestyle that is contrary to the truth and the truth of God's word and that call themselves brothers and sisters. He goes on to say what businesses a mind to judge those outside the church grammatically makes it clear. None are you not to judge those inside the church grammatically absolutely. God will judge those outside the church. The notice application expel the wicked person from among you. One of the greatest myths that's happened in the culture and then in the church is this idea that were not to judge one another.

You're called to judge one another, but the word judge is not judge mentalism were hot, loving, caring, accountability. You see a friend. It's veering off morally. You see someone treating their mate in a different way. I met a lady two nights ago who you know she has a friend of having an adulterous affair and she literally just said hey I'm concerned about you and just started to talk about it for you to judge me, you send before. See that's the attitude that is happening the church and so most of us are either fearful or silent and we don't hold each other like this whole passage is the apostle Paul teaching the church when people habitually are living in ways that are contrary to the truth in Scripture. He would go on to say, you get to judge angels, can you judge each other but the judgment is in a condemnation it's a cut confrontation at an accountability. It's Matthew 18 it.

You see someone you really love is what can happen. Death, destruction, pain, divorce, separation, disease hurt, it's because you care and so you go to Matthew 18 a brother and sister you know I'm seeing this, I'm really concerned about you to let's talk about what's going on. They won't listen you bring another person loves and cares and they won't listen will then you take to the church leadership and you say you know this. See that's that's not happened for about two decades and most Bible believing churches is over time. The leaven is multiplied. Churches are filled with people with un-biblical divorces are churches are filled with people or living together. Churches are filled with people living the homosexual lifestyle and you know what you can say what I love the worship and I believe in this, but you know who the glasses are who's anyone to tell me what to do in Jesus would say I in the Bible would say here's the absolute, but listen to why God sets boundaries for your good outside of his boundaries. Even the 10 Commandments, a member teaching that series and I refrained God's boundaries for abundant living. No good thing will God withhold from those who walk up rightly when God gives us commandments behind every commandment is a heart of compassion and wisdom and knowledge. Basically, the wisdom of God. The word Hebrew wisdom is an intellectual keeper. Wisdom is understanding the pathway by which to live, to get the highest in the best from God and so he says here's how you should do relationships. Here's the plan for money. Here's the plan for conversation. Here's how you do leadership. Here's how you raise your kids. It's the wisdom of God so that you receive the very best from God loves you and so when we say God I don't want to do like your way we in essence are saying, I know more than God I'll be the judge. I'll say what goes in our cultures, reinforcing it, but what happens if were not salt were not light. What happens to us what happens to relationships. What happens to the message of Jesus he goes on to say in chapter 6.

Skip down to verse nine he says or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God do not receive neither sexually immoral or idolaters, or adulterers, nor men who have sex with men north Eden or greeting or drunkards or slanders or swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God and that is what some of you were but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by his spirit. When I taught on homosexuality. I still remember walking out before the service, and there was a guy on the edge, he said, hey, this is going to be interesting is and what he say that he said will that your notes say what you say to gay friend and I'm gay on his friend and he asked me to come sucking and he stood up and we talked for a while and because where I was in Santa Cruz with just lots of people in the gay lifestyle and became friends and learned that Sybil did me a favor. I guess when I get done and he did know we were filming it for small group. I said when I get done I'm gonna teach you twice tomorrow, you'll listen. Like few people would you come up and give me an honest brutal critique whether unfair to the homosexual position as I quote literature and I want them related you not even body language would you think is okay so you know there's message leveled off to get done come back down and I think it is. And here he comes.

I literally a member pulled up my pin. I said okay what strength I'm not really I really want to hear Sybil man. Overall I think really pretty good because how you started like blew me away as we need is it we said that you know those of us in the lifestyle. Often we hear about Christians in general and then you you apologize to the gay and lesbian community never heard you guys do that stuff and then he said there's people over here they call themselves Christians in the hold up signs and they scream at us and they yell bad names and were going to hell, and they seem really angry and some of them are violent and were afraid of them and you said there nothing like Jesus there all truth and no love. He said there's other people that you said they call themselves Christians and they say that we can keep living the way we are. And this is sort of God's design and you know other pastors or homosexuals to and you said there all love but no truth and then you know this is him right in the Bay Area. The right middle Silicon Valley and he said when you quoted that statistic that the average lifespan of a male homosexual in the bay area is age 43, and then he said, how could it be loving to know what is killing a person and not tell them that lifestyle behavior is a desktop and I care about you not not some higher better than but with tears in your eyes I if I knew someone had cancer and I knew what was causing it as a bug, I would be loving so the disconnect I and he said when you said that, I just realized Jesus really brings light, heat similar friend to some of your thinking you know what I can one forget that passage about don't associate with right is in your mind like after each service of talk to people. It's like you. My daughter is a lesbian and this is where were at or have one my best friends and if I say something my best friend like what you said we may not be best friends anymore. Here's what want to hear.

I get it. Let me give you three takeaways as we move ahead Takeaway number one is get educated. Okay, you have got to understand the issues articulate them know what's going on you, your friends, your family, your small group 2nd model, a biblical lifestyle. This this is going to be one of the greatest days of summer. Your lives. You know when I said when I said that some of your limit together some of your the lifestyle. Your body language.

People were great.

They go oh yeah, I'm one of those literally that's what your goal all over the room, but that was like the early church today you get a chance to be clean.

To repent, to own it to say God it's not what I believe or what I feel I'm to live for life can be salt them to be like.

I'm Jenna, I'm gonna receive forgiveness. I'm going to get a new start and what I know is there's former fornicators and homosexuals and liars and drunks in swindlers and idolaters in this church. And they've been washed.

They've been sanctified and I'm gonna come clean to get forgiveness and there can help me and have a brand-new life and it may be hard but you will give me life forgiveness in change in your bride were you will use my life like never before. Right back. But if you just joined us.

You're listening to living on the shipping chips message today. Salt and light is from his series culture shock in this bold series trip addresses fundamental yet controversial cultural issues from a winsome biblical point of view.

Topics covered are human sexuality truth about sex, abortion, homosexuality and the church and politics. Parents help equip your children to know the truth about these important topics and consider using this series as a devotional study with your teens and preteens chip does the teaching and brings the issues to the table in a way that promotes discussion versus debate light versus heat the small group study is currently discounted. So take advantage of this opportunity and order your studies today.

Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org will chip in today's message you gave us an analogy of an iceberg representing the causing symptoms of our cultural dilemma inside the church and you refer to things like sexual immorality as a symptom, not as a problem when he clarified that a bit. It's certainly a problem that their sexual immorality. But I think the church has argued and there is divisive issues and people being very angry in evangelical circles arguing about homosexuality are human sexuality or abortion and what we need understand is those are symptoms.

The apostle Paul talks about sexual immorality is a broad issue and what it does it destroys relationships of men and women together.

It destroys families and so what I wanted people to understand is that there's a bigger issue. And the bigger issue is the issue of truth is it relative or is it absolute and the real issue in Bible believing evangelical churches is not the symptoms of politics and the environment sexual morality.

The real issue is our view of God's word and is at the final authority or are we going to sort of interpret it as we experience and how we think best in our day trip for 4000 years the truth you just talked about a stood firm and it's only been in the past several decades that we've seen the separation begin to destabilize things.

Right now it feels like the whole thing is descending in a heap of what can we do to stop the erosion while I shared this message at a very very large church in Florida and then had the opportunity after multiple services to talk with people and what you found is that people were just completely unaware of what the Bible said in the philosophical basis for what's occurred in the last 50 years, and when I began to unpack that and in the book culture shock.

I spent a couple chapters on it because you know as I shared in today's message you wrote my thesis on this at West Virginia University and I when I was doing grad work there. It was there that I realize I cancer my brains in the trash to be a Christian.

So what is truth. How did we get here and what I find is many of our young people were many parents or grandparents are conical on while what's happened I mean is just like the whole world changed and you know sex outside of marriage used to be like wrong homosexuality is to be wrong abortion is to be wrong and and I don't mean just the legalistic you know do this do that wrong right I mean from the heart. What does God want for his people. How does he protect us. Why does he give us commands and what I've seen is that people have no idea how we got here and then as a result, they become sort of this battle of my view versus your view and and there's no sense of God declared in his word. This is true. I love the words of Jesus his very last night on the earth. He prayed father set them apart or make them holy hell, sanctify them by your word.

Your word is truth, and so is the heart of culture shock whether we put it on DVD or Booker MP3 or CD. We put it in multiple ways for people to get it. Even the message notes for free on the web so that parents could get together with their kids and watch this and talk about it because they've not talked about it and now they find their kids in high school, college and beyond who look at them and say dad mom you not know where you come from, but that's just not what I believe anymore because they've never heard differently.

Thanks Chip for complete information on all the culture shock resources, including the book and previews of the small group video sessions. Visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or if you'd prefer to talk with someone about these resources. You can always reach us by calling 1-888-333-6003 and for a limited time. The small group study of culture shock is significantly discounted to get your copy today. Visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 you know a great way to stay engaged and connected to chip and Living on the Edge is with the Chip Ingram app will be getting all these culture shock messages, chips, free message notes and much more.

Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to order resources or give us a call right from the app to download the Chip Ingram app. Just go to Google play or the app store will tomorrow on Living on the Edge will continue our current series should make plans to join us for now. This is the same. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge