Getting Our Spiritual Bearings (Part 2 of 2)

We are continuing our on 22 series on Truth for Life featuring some of the most requested messages from the past year. Today Alastair beg urges us to wake up step up and speak. Find out what he means is he concludes a message titled getting our spiritual bearings were in Philippians chapter 2 verses 14. Our world is desperately our world is disease. Our world is searching for a cure cure that is only found in the gospel do believe this lesson, you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, what rights Paul in Ephesians 2F following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and we were by nature children of Roth like the rest of mankind, alienated from the God who made on two fronts by our own rebellion and by his settled reaction to sin.

Therefore, unless there is the opportunity of reconciliation. We remain in a dreadful state. We sit with us know the whole story is doesn't the psalmist say that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Yes, and we are around your neighbor fearfully made wonderfully made by the psalmist also is honest enough to say I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me now you see that's a big help when you think about raising your children because if we have a biblical view of the doctrine of creation in the biblical view of the fall. Then we really what were dealing with is not simply a bunch of little angels, but angelic looking little creatures who will defy you as quick as look at you what what is that didn't go to school for this no, what's the problem crooked walked is not a straight line. Now you see what the Bible actually does is then make clear and there's what Paul is doing he is reminding these people as they live in Philippi. Listen, you must remember the fact that you live in a crooked and perverse generation that you live in an environment that you have been actually removed from spiritually and yet you live in that you go to work in that every single day. So do we. In the Bible's explanation of the darkness is not simply politely ignored now and not now. It is vehemently opposed all the things that I've said so far. If I were to get an opportunity to say them down in the public square that we would shout me down in an instant it probably come and take me away. How could you say such things. Now we have another credo that we live by.

We got rid of that old stuff. No no no no, this is a much nicer program. You can navigate your life by using this first of all number one humans are inherently good. They say the problem is only environment. The problem is your grandmother, she should have taken you to the zoo when you wanted to go and you have never recovered from it. What a shame. What a thing that she would do such a thing. You find yourself in such a mess and you such an inherently good little boy. Secondly, individual freedom and personal happiness is the ultimate good. Check it out Friday. I'll do what I want. She's available I can do what I choose. No one will ever know, and furthermore, it's all about me is about my happiness, and ultimately, I will be the arbiter as to what is good and helpful for me in the notion that if individuals if individuals are given maximum freedom in every aspect then eventually all will be well.

Just let us go. Just let us be free. Why do you have to have these frameworks when you have to have these structures know you sensible people in this way, you see, God is Dethroned Man Takes His Pl., Philippi lived in the first century experiencing the pressure of an alien culture we live now in the 21st century what I have very short journey from the inception of our nation to today, and yet the Judeo Christian principles which undergirded the establishment of our nation, which actually undergird all of Western civilization. Those principles are no longer dominant really in any place et al. and people find themselves saying, well, it's better that we be done with this. The God-given boundaries we should at least blur them if not, remove them, there would be one thing love ones. If the culture was clear about this initial position in the church was equally clear in his pushback. But guess what the church isn't church with the big C and you don't have to go looking around for this stuff. It will meet you in the thoroughfare of life speak now concerning the United Kingdom, about which I know a significant amount and particularly the response of the established church in England to the influence of a culture that is dismantled the boundaries that are established by Almighty God from the very beginning of civilization from the very structure that he is made the universe. So for example, a liturgy within the framework of the Anglican Communion that is fashioned particularly to make sure that people of various gender persuasions will not feel uncomfortable with the language that is used by the vicar or the priest or the minister writing of this one of Anglican clergyman says it is not expected that churches simply accept that a trans person is not just identifying a gender different from his or her biological sex, but that he or she is ontologically different. This he writes is a new narrative. No longer is a transgender person, someone who feels trapped in the wrong body.

This now is a new variant of what it means to be human.

The boundaries of creation have not simply been set aside. They have been wiped away a crooked and a perverted generation Philippi, Cleveland, Paris wherever you want to go on the world. There is no question but that the very threshold of opposition to God and to his rule is manifested with a clarity that is unavoidable when it comes to the very foundational elements of what it means to believe in Jesus to trust in the gospel and to be those who submit to the Bible and those three areas are sex, marriage and family when you think about it and you read your newspaper said you just go through the thing goodness gracious, it doesn't matter.

You can be watching a golf tournament.

Now and you're subjected to this.

In the realm of business corporations bending over backwards to say essentially, we do not believe in the doctrine of creation. We do not believe there is a living God. We do not believe that God knew what he was doing when he made the universe and so what is happened reason and evidence have been set aside and emotion begins to take his place and when that happens. Reality becomes whatever you wanted to be their loved ones. This is not a political statement to understand that everything has been now turned to a political agenda when not talking politics here we are talking first century Philippi, who are you, the people of God. Where is your allegiance as citizens of the king where you're living your life in the middle of a crooked generation. Welcome to the last one turned the corner get a little positive for the people said well what are we to be doing what are we to be doing well let me tell you. First of all, he says this is what you're not to be doing and this is a real blow to some of us because we've already started doing it under our breaths. There's a word, actually. In Greek the just that it is translated by guys like some of us are very, very good at it. Okay verse 14 whatever you're doing.

Do it without grumbling or disputing.

Do it without grumbling or disputing or complaining or arguing Paul when he writes to Timothy says and I want that in every place. Men should pray, lifting up holy hands without arguing and complaining receives much easier to let your holy hands fall down for the people of God to neglect the place of prayer and instead simply to champion our own particular agenda and cause and to give voice to the things the disturbing distresses and give us the grounds of a right good disappointment with everything and complain about everything that we ever meet.

You will notice that in the 27th and 28th verse of chapter 1, when he says your manner of life should be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

He says let me tell you what that means. It means that your standing firm in one spirit, with one mind there is a unity unity that is not a political unity, or unity that is a gospel unity. We do not all agree on a political agenda, just be honest about that if you knew what I really believe about certain things you probably would listen to me preach and if I knew what you believe I have for you I wouldn't even waste my time preaching to you. That's the facts.

Alright, so the issue is not politics here know what is the issue driving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel for the faith of the gospel. That's why I began as I began Paul as a gospel man. You can explain his life apart from the gospel. You can expand his ministry. Apart from the gospel. You can explain his letter, apart from the gospel. Standing side-by-side for the faith of the gospel, speaking to our society. Augustine in the fourth century, says the problem with is is that our IRR desires are disordered, disordered, yes, that's it. Disordered instead of it being here is God says it's over here instead of it being a straight line, according to the purposes of God. It is a crooked and a deviated line expressed manifestly in our day. In the matter of human sexuality. This is not a story I'm not here to talk to this morning about that except that it is illustrative of what policy it's unavoidable, sore friends and neighbors are seeking substitute guards that can see longing for a unity that can be for settling the issue of their guilty consciences, but it can't be done only in Jesus.

There drama of salvation, a kind of divine shock and undeserved gift as it is would be a complete waste of time this morning I was saying to you.

Something along these lines. Now things are in a dreadful mess and I want you to go out and try and do your best and try and fix know if you hear that or tall your your you haven't, you don't have a touch of the Lydia in you not not even a touch of you're not paying attention. Paul says I want to make sure that you are unashamed and that you are on the freight unashamed and unafraid are we going to stand passively by as we make our way to the end of our earthly pilgrimage. I was going to pass off to our children and our grandchildren. All of this without a word spoken against.

Are you willing to just be struck down for the sake of a coercive culture you say well it's easy for you you to stand up there behind that box if you should see where I go to work, you wouldn't be so quick to say I dear friends, I acknowledge that entire but in the arts in journalism and science in education where ever you are set.

Here is what we are to be standing firm striving side-by-side holding holding firmly to the word of life see that there in verse 16 holding fast to the word of life see conferences.

This is the word of life. The reason you are if you are because you need the word. The word of life in him was light and the light was the life of man and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness is unable to put it out they can't put it out it will put it out because Jesus said he would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. And so Paul is really clear and we must be equally clear. He says when he writes to the Colossians he says see to it he says, look out. Make sure see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive arguments.

Make sure you don't get trapped by that. He says be on the alert when he writes to the Corinthians.

He turns around the other way and he says listen we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and we take every thought captive to obey Christ, or as Phillips puts it, we even fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ.

Our battle is to bring down every deceptive fantasy and every imposing defense that man erect against the true knowledge of God.

It's time to wake up, it's time to step up. It's time to speak up our message. The message of the gospel in its essence is timeless and it is on alterable. Therefore, truth is what is found in Christ.

Relationships are as defined by God, the creator. It is timeless. You see, the chances are that you and I have begun to embrace what CS Lewis referred to as chronological snobbery. The idea that if something that was before is by is inevitably obsolete just because it was then you hear this all the time from pooper's well this stuff about the husband's role and so on. But that was back then in the first century we know that's not the case. Children obeying their parents.

What a crazy idea. Haven't you heard what they've done in Scotland.

Anybody that would dare to give their child a little powwow treatment will be taken off will be taken off to jail. That's the facts. That's how it works.

Why is that you don't believe that old stuff do you well yeah yeah we do and we believe this that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved. So what are we to do shine shine shine on you crazy diamond's shine sign pulses made me proud. This this is a legitimate statement by Paul as the pastor of the church in Philippi, he says to this so that I will know that I haven't run the race in vain that I have not worked in the that's the call of pastoral ministry to teach the Bible. I can go to your place of work. I'm not bright enough organized enough skillful and I have no access. You say no when know is right. You see this to true.

I have a sneaking suspicion that others might join actually Jesus only began in John 17 Jesus says you know father, I am taking them out of the world. I left them in the world and if you send me into the wall. I've send them out into the world. Nobody lenses you know what, so that the world might believe that you sent me.

How will the world come to believe that God sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for sins, one person at a time now by a political agenda, not by appropriate ministry, but by the people of God. The children of God, citizens of heaven in the midst of crookedness in darkness standing for striving side-by-side shine as lights in a dark place and finished up my studies this week. I said to myself you know I think when I went to DC I saw at the railway station there in DC. These things carved into the wall and I went and looked it up and I was right there at the great room station. There are three texts, at least these 31 from Isaiah 35, one the desert shall blossom as a rose 1 from Hebrews 28 thou hast put all things under his feet, and one from John chapter 8 verse 33. The truth will make you free love ones. We don't need to be ashamed we don't need to be afraid we need to wake up step, speak, shine, you in your small partner and I in my question for each one of us is, are we shining like a diamond Jesus our corner of the world listening to Alister bearing on Truth for Life. Alister will be back in just a minute to close with prayer. You certainly realize the Bible is not like any other book not only because it is God's word but because it contains so many different types of literature. The various writing styles can make studying the Bible confusing at times, maybe even a bit overwhelming. If that's been the experience for you or someone you know, we encourage you to request a copy of a book called read this first. This is a book that will provide great help to shorten guidebook. It begins by explaining why everyone should read God's word.

No other text gives us insight into God's thoughts, the way the Bible does the author of this book explains why that matters, and how reading and understanding God's word will shape our lives and as Alister reported at the end of the sermon. Help us shine request your copy of the book, read this first when you give a donation online in Truth for Life.org/donate or you can call us at 888-588-7884. Now, if you are eager to start applying some of the helpful study tips that are outlined in the book, read this first, we have a Bible reading plan that can help. This is a one year guide that will take you through the entire Bible. You can download the Bible reading plan for free or you can purchase the booklet just one dollar Truth for Life.org/store if you download the Truth for Life and visit our website@truthforlife.org you can access the entire ESV Bible to use during your study. Now here's Alister with prayer. Jesus bids us shine clear pure light like a little candle burning in in this world of darkness so we may shine you in your small and I am not all, God help us, we pray, save us from ourselves, for Jesus sake Bob peen your neighbors or coworkers know you're a Christian tomorrow will learn how we are to stand out Bible teaching of Alister bearing is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living