1 Corinthians 4:7

PNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together it's reasoned relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane, George Washington, the first President of the United States.

The leader of the Continental Army Gen. Washington said, quote, it is impossible to govern rightly without God in the Bible hi welcome to treat for new generation Alex McFarland here.

I want to talk about some verses from the Bible from first Corinthians and out were going to talk about three realities of the things with which you have been interested because life your abilities what you do, your skills are what you have even really the food on your table and the shirt on your back. These are all things given to you by God, matters of stewardship and were going to talk about three facts regarding the things with which you have been entrusted but I say that in the context of where our nation is right now in terms of where were going with the selection. The battle raging over the justices on the Supreme Court, and in the future, and I welcome you to turn if you were to first Corinthians chapter 4 and were going to talk about stewardship the things over which we are stewards and even if your person and you don't think of yourself as especially spiritual or religious. Maybe you don't even profess to be a Christian. Nevertheless, before God we are all accountable with the blessings that we been entrusted with and I want to tell you about my first trip to Africa 20 years ago. Now my wife and I made our first of several trips to Africa and she's actually been more times than me because she's gone on medical missions and I've been several times on preaching missions, but I thought I was prepared for the culture shock of going to a place where there would be a lot of poverty, but when I found myself in the interior of Zambia. We were going village to village and we were just ministering to incredibly grateful people just beautiful, really, really lovely beautiful people, but people living in abject poverty, squalor it it really was shocking to know what besides all of the poverty and and really the lack of hygiene and the lack of clean water, and so many things that we take for granted are just absent there, but yet the eyes of the people in the when they would look at you with those beautiful eyes and they would smile with just heartwarming smiles you, you realize that were all human beings, and even that we might be from radically different cultures radically different states of of living and standards of of existence.

We are united in our humanity. If they're a believer were united in our Christianity, but as we were preparing to leave Africa the first time we had some people that were in some of the tribes. The common head men and I'll never forget the ways that the Zambian people witnessed Hedman Hedman, but they were the tribal leaders and that they offered us money if we would bring their children to the USA and raise their kids over here and I had Manion almost played with me to bring their kids, of which, of course, we couldn't do a mean legally we couldn't do that in you wouldn't take bribery or money for helping out a fellow human being but yet on the flight home from my first trip to Africa, I was just really stunned at how much I have as as a middle-class American that the people over there and in parts of the developing world and in Third World countries may people would just think it was royalty and riches and and so folks in terms of our standard of living and in terms of the state of our freedom. We live better than 96% of the humans that have ever lived here in America and I say that because here in this election cycle. There are people in the news and there are aspiring candidates that – America and business is bad and capitalism is Ezio and America's bad bad that we gotta tear it down, destroy America deconstruct and rebuild something new and something different and let me just say folks as one who is unit in my ship traveling around the world. We were blessed. I have often said this and I really do believe it that the two greatest nations and world history are Israel under King Solomon and the United States of America. At least the United States of America when she was as Washington said, living and governing with God and the Bible now. In recent decades God has been invited to leave. And you know get out of our midst.

It does remind me of Romans chapter 1 where it says that people did not like to retain God in their knowledge.

Many in our culture because God morals the church the cross, the presence of the 10 Commandments Christianity is convicting if you're pro-abortion if you're pro-gay marriage, if you don't believe in any moral boundaries.

If your Pro premarital sex, pro-pornography approach transgender is him if, if, as liberal progressives are standing for the things that world history, moral precepts, legal precedents, human biology, medical professionals, mental health professionals, and just plain common sense stance against if your for all of the things that reality itself says are false and wrong, then you're not going to like the idea of God in Scripture and a holy, righteous Lord, because those things like God and Christianity and the Bible remind you that your worldview and maybe behaviors are wrong, and why my saying that I'm saying that because we are embroiled in a fierce battle for the DNA of the country and ultimately the souls of people and I say that reading first grade ins for verse seven because folks if you're a citizen if you're an adult American you have a lot of things that will that you will give an account to God for I did, I'm accountable to God were all accountable to God because we are stewards were not owners. Believe it or not, you don't own anything you really don't. Things are entrusted to us in first Corinthians 4 verse seven, it asked the question what do you have that you did not receive. If then you received it.

Why do you boast as if you did not receive Helga unpack that in the moment stating because we come back country for new generation were going to continue looking at what we received and how we are answerable to God for it.

Don't go away true for new generation with Alex McFarland is back after this. Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government abortion and war. Too often, we manage these disagreements by ignoring them, yet were called to engage the world for the sake of Christ. How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions 10 issues that divide Christians Alex McFarland challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice evil and suffering, photography, and environmentalism as he echoes the biblical invitation, this reason together only by engaging the Scriptures deeply thinking clearly and speaking truthfully can we, in God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians buying this book and many others@alexmcfarland.com America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote. Drs., the life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself team of quote caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient economy is crashing crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. By Alex the farmer has one single purpose to get you prepared the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow.

Regardless of what tomorrow brings. The assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and local Christian bookstores were apologetics, resources, books by Alex McFarland and to find out where Alex is speaking to visit Alex McFarland.com local baptistery for new generation were talking about the first Corinthians 4, seven, and I want to return to that in just a moment, but I want to say thank you because the spirit of this message is about gratitude really, and stewardship and I want to say thank you to all of the people that have thoughts and are reading my new book, the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. It's getting really good reviews.

I give God the glory. And it's a book that I would really urge you to read before the election. I really do talk about what's at stake in terms of our Constitution, our civil liberties, our freedoms, religious freedom may be of been following in the news had John MacArthur on California's being persecuted and threatened with jail time for preaching the gospel and having church services Christians in California are told they they can't sing hymns in church.

They can't have pew Bibles or hymnals and really persecution is is present in our nation and I talk about all of these things in my book the assault on America. It was published by Harrison house it's available everywhere. Any Barnes & Noble can get it or should have it and I would encourage you when you buy the book on Amazon or in a store like Barnes & Noble and those are what they call New York Times reporting stores. Retailers like Amazon Christian book online or Barnes & Noble.

They report to the New York Times. Now I don't make any money off of this book and that's that's really bad design. I don't want any money. I literally wrote this book for God and country, and the message is urgent that we must have a spiritual awakening, and I give the steps to this. What does an authentic move of God look like and why do we need one and how can we, by God's grace, experience, one in our nation so I'm I'm urging people to read the book and for those that may be on the fence you know maybe you think, well, you know, doesn't really matter. This world is passing away in a why get too invested in the state of America. I think this book will persuade you. I really do. So pray. Please consider reading the book the assault on America and please consider a donation to our ministry.

You can give online@alexmcfarland.com or you cannot mail in a donation and I will give you that contact info later on in the show but only get back to first Corinthians 4 verse seven, and Paul asks this rhetorical question, what do you have that you did not receive. If then you received it. Why do you boast as if you did not receive it in the context of stewardship and gratitude for the United States of America gratitude for who we are as a nation and for what we've got in a Mark Twain who was no friend of Christianity, but Mark Twain one time somebody asked him about the difference between you know a man in an animal because Dr. Klein was very active in the 19th century and Darwinian evolution had spread around the world and the difference between man and an animal. Mark Twain said this will if you pick up a starving dog and see them and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. That's the difference between a dog and a man you give a man something make a man prosperous and and eventually he if he doesn't have a God ordained sense of gratitude still turn around and bite the very hand that fed him. He'll denigrate and criticize and cut himself loose from the very thing that puts food on his table and made him prosperous and I think that's how it is with the United States of America. We are so blessed. We are so fortunate, and the standard of living we have in the freedoms we have are better than 96% of the humans that have ever lived, my friend, historian and author Bill federal documents. This would work together extensively and yet there many people now in this, it will yeah I'm just not going to vote.

I don't.

I'm tired of the whole business. I don't trust any of them not been about that others that José will you know yeah I'm going to vote, but you know socialism, entitlement programs, big government, confiscatory taxation, the redistribution of wealth. You know let's let's have universal healthcare, let's have free college tuition questions have free free free and friends. I'm telling you this socialism that many people are enamored with right now. And the idea of a of us in a big government, a police state and and really statism and I'm just going to say it it's it's Marxism friend that is not what made America great secularism and political correctness that is not what made us the greatest nation in the world and so we have to understand what gave America the prosperity that we enjoy is not what many leaders are peddling right now and you have an obligation, my friend, as a citizen to vote to pray for America to be a citizen, and these things that we've received to understand that they're not things we own or possess.

But there are things before which were accountable to God so so let me unpack this. Let's talk about this for the rest of the show. Paul asked the question what do you have that you did not receive. And if you received it and why do you boast as if it's yours.

Okay three points number one you have some things number two you received those things and number three you are accountable for those things okay .1, you have some things now you're if you're hearing this broadcast, you're alive your human being.

You were born so that's a gift God gave you is his life, and you were born, presumably in America that to is a gift.

I assure you, having traveled so much of the world being born in America is a gift being literate. Are you able to read.

That's a gift you have some type of device either computer or mobile device or radio through which you hearing this program. That's a gift you have years you can audibly hear things you can think you can process you may be you're on your way to church right now, as so many are who hear this while you've got a car you got close your ambulatory you've got mobility.

You hopefully had some food today and still we have many things we have things well according to first grade is 47. We didn't create those things for ourselves that were given to us. Now when we come back I'm going to talk about cause and effect, and what accountability is before a loving not only a loving God immersive got an abundant God who enjoys blessing us with things. God is good God is bountiful to us but with gifts and very receiving of those gifts comes accountability and I'll talk more about that when we come back stating as we take a break, let me tell you about 310 three books that will answer questions that come your way from others or even yourself about the Christian faith book number 110 answers for skeptics today. Skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward faith in this book you will learn how to answer intimidating questions. Identify the root issues behind those questions and dismantled the spiritual bombshells drop by nonbelievers. Those usually end up just being a puff of smoke, number 210 answers for atheists were Alex looks at the philosophical assumptions that the root of atheism and agnosticism exposing logical historical and can actual fallacies. Alex shares clear explanations of beliefs and biblical answers to those questions that often leave you stumped, but no more than number three. The 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them know many Christians hear these objections and have a crisis of faith, but Alex visited many places and talked with many people through the years and can offer straight answers that will give you confidence and understanding about your beliefs so with 310s once again 10 answers for skeptics 10 answers for atheists and the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer find them wherever Christian books are sold.

Alex McFarland.com not afraid to ask hard questions we care about a lot of things.

We are engage magazine.net online group of millennial's, brought together by a common goal to share truth apply Scripture and to get involved in are lost and hurting world engage magazine.net host discussions that help you apply biblical worldview to your daily life engage magazine.net timeless cruise soundbite culture for a new generation radio.

Welcome back to truth for new generation Alex McFarlane here were unpacking first Corinthians 47 that says what do you have that you did not receive. If then you received it while you boast as if you did not receive it. Okay the point is that life is a matter of stewardship.

Paul says it were not our own, and point number one we have some things we have life we have freedom we have all the blessings of being in America in the 20th century. I would say not only where you were born, but when you were born is a matter of God's providence enemy, and something for which we need to express gratitude and it just that you are not born in an era where you have to get a well and draw water with a bucket you're not born in an era where you have to till the ground with the sweat of your brow you probably go to the grocery store and buy food and it we we are able to wash her clothes and washing machine to microwave food and heated up in a matter of seconds left so many amenities we really do and we have talents and abilities, and maybe you're in the pursuit of a career right now. Or maybe you're retired in your living off money that you carefully saved up over the years but we have a lot of things that God is giving us if you're born again believer, you have the comfort of God's promises in the Bible you know you have a home in heaven.

Through Jesus, you have the indwelling Holy Spirit to instruct you and guide you may be in and I hope this is the case that you have family around you that love you and encourage you and affirm you and your friends that lift up your day and you have so many things. I mean the Bing Crosby was right.

The deal somewhere, he would say when I'm weary, and I can't sleep. I count my blessings instead of sheep because we have so many blessings we really really good so we have some things secondly, and this is so important. Let's be honest, we received those things now what does it mean not in the Bible.

The wording here very interesting. If you look at the original language. The word received there it will. It's a word.

Lumbar Neo for for those that are Greek people are your into the Greek language, but it means to have something offered to you, but you actively laid hold of it now.

Maybe you've been in a situation like I you you bought something and and maybe you know after you didn't you read the contract and he said wow.

I'm really committed and I wasn't just kicking tires side I'm in a contract.

Now I want to say this you are accountable to God because the blessings of life have been given to you and some were passive, but most were active. Now none of us had any control over the fact that we were born God in his sovereignty decreed that you and I would be conceived and born. Praise the Lord for that. Life is a gift, but all of these other things to eat the food and enjoy the milk and honey of this land of democracy and an capitalism look the word received means something was offered and something was accepted. Therefore, there is accountability and let let's be honest with ourselves we didn't create the world we didn't cause ourselves to be born. The fact that we have health and life and ability and mobility, and we were able to read and learn, and we found some things that interested us. We got an education.

We have received things right you with me okay. We've received things well we receive them from God. God's been good to us. But let's be honest, God is given us things. Therefore, we are accountable.

Paul asked the question if you received things then why do you boast as if you didn't.

In other words, how can you say you know you know I just I don't want to get involved. I'm not gonna vote you have to vote. It's a matter of stewardship and just as the Bible says we will give an account for every idle word you know and maybe like James as you know, for really spirit lead we have to let God tame our tongue listen there might be words you wish you could take back and there might be things you said and done and thought and things you should've said, but didn't say and you need to repent and subject your vocabulary to God right you know what I honestly believe as much, as we will give an account for every word and every action I think will give an account for omissions and there are a lot of people right now that are saying.

I just don't want to vote you.

You've got to.

It's a matter of stewardship and if you're a Christian up my goodness, I think you have an obligation to vote a godly vote and let me just say this folks, and this is not about people or personalities or preferences. This is about truth, morals, convictions, and our accountability to God the most fundamental moral precept is the precept of life and abortion should instantly decide every vote you ever cast. I mean, I mean really does look all of the other moral precept lawfulness. The point point of order a in in law and criminals being apprehended or whether it is law enforcement or immigration or the economy. There are many moral precepts, but all of the lower moral propositions really pale in comparison to the highest moral proposition, that of life due to medical science says that a fetus if the palm of an eight week fetus is pricked with a needle.

The hand will draw back and the mouth will move in the face will show expression indicating knowledge of pain and eight week old baby in the womb can feel pain and I think about that. The ghastly barbaric practice of abortion and so many in our in our country passionately argue for the right to abortion, and so listen that alone to stand up for human life and to stand against the murder of the unborn. That should instantly decide any and every vote you would ever cast so were accountable for four things. In Matthew 24 says they will be a day of reckoning when the the landowner comes back there will be a reckoning and I want to ask you, how will it be on the day that you have a reckoning before Almighty God, pray about it because look, we've received so many things were accountable for those things were accountable. So think about that and pray for our nation and pray about your own actions in life as we ponder our accountability to God. TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 is Burrell, NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listen the program archives. Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time. As we bring you more true for a new generation TMG radio