Why People Twist Scripture - [Matthew 5:43]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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June 10, 2007

00:00: What tempts you What do you struggle with when it comes to temptation
00:07: Trials difficulties almost caving in Last week we looked at Matthew chapter 5 and how the
00:17: Pharisees distort scripture for their own means for their own ends to take a verse like Matthew 5 43 and Say, you know
00:28: God's Word doesn't say that we should love our enemies, but we should hate them
00:34: How could people do such a thing Horrible God's Word is clear precious true sufficient and Satan likes to attack it
00:45: But today we're not going to look at those evil Pharisees and how they tempt and Test God with the word, but I'm going to give you a pastoral exhortation that if not careful everyone in this room
01:00: Would be tempted to do and in fact might just do and That is distort the meaning of Scripture Well, are you going to distort the meaning of Scripture you say pastor
01:12: Mike? I'm an evangelical. I'm a fundamentalist. I'm a I'm saved.
01:17: I'm redeemed. We're not like the Pharisees. We would never ever distort the word would we Well as we learned last week from Ecclesiastes 9 3 that there's something bound in the heart of a man until the day when he dies
01:30: And that is called what? insanity Last week we looked at what the
01:36: Pharisees did to distort God's Word and today we're going to look at how Christians how even you
01:43: Could distort God's Word the most common
01:48: Scripture twisting method for the evangelical church is this
01:54: Ready, if not careful, we will change the meaning of Scripture To allow our unsaved family members whether dead or alive to be
02:09: Christians Every one of us will be tempted with the fact that we have friends and relatives dead or alive
02:17: Who claimed the name of God who claimed the name of Jesus but did not live up to what the
02:22: Bible teaches about? Salvation and we will be tempted to lower God's requirements to mess with his word to allow those saved relatives
02:31: In to the kingdom you will be tempted. I am tempted to do this and I don't want to do that Yes, it's an expression of love.
02:41: Maybe misplaced love love believes all things and hopes all things and we want the best Yes, hell is so bad
02:49: If you believe the Bible's description of hell, you will hope that it's not true You will hope that somehow some way that relative of yours who prayed a prayer who got baptized catechized catechized
03:04: Anathetized I don't know what they got but you will hope somehow they are in We all have those loved ones
03:11: This is not theoretical for me I have buried four grandparents and a father every one of them not professing faith in Christ Jesus What do we do about those people?
03:25: Is it good to change what we think about salvation to assuage our conscience while at the same time changing the
03:33: Word of God If you'll take your Bibles and let's open to 1st Corinthians chapter 6 I'd like to address that today with a pastor's heart with a with a heart that says
03:43: Church, I don't think you're doing this in some bad way I try not to do it a bad way, but I'm trying to forewarn you so you can be forearmed
03:54: I Am trying to forearm you so you'll be forewarned either way is really applicable we will all be tempted to change the meaning of Scripture because we love our friends and family and Hell is so bad
04:08: If I said do you want to change Scripture and twist its meaning? No one. I don't think would want to raise their hand would they?
04:14: Who would be so bold so brash so brazen to say I'd like to distort God's Word, but if we're not careful
04:23: It can happen furthermore if we understand truly From our perspective if someone saved or not it will help us
04:33: Treat them with the proper methods in other words If we see someone's life doesn't match up to Scripture and obviously we're not the ultimate judge
04:42: But God has commanded us to discern God has commended discernment And we look at their lives and say they're not matching up to what the
04:50: Scripture says about salvation Then we can pray for them. We can evangelize them we can confront them we can come alongside of them versus standing there thinking somehow if we just Accept well they accepted
05:03: Jesus in their heart when they were a kid they still must be saved The truth is still the truth
05:09: And it's not going to change their eternal state based on what we believe or feel they are either a kingdom citizen or they're not
05:18: No matter what and so we need to think properly so a we don't twist the Scriptures and B We can then have the right method and talk to them and train them to present the gospel to them
05:31: Why do people twist the Scripture? Sometimes because they're blatantly like the Pharisees in Matthew 5
05:37: Hating God and being hated by God but some other times we drift into this personal realm and we have friends and family and we will bow to our own views of Scripture to let our family members in and I don't want that to happen to you, and I don't want you to have that happen in your life
05:56: We want to think biblically I Could put it this way. Let's let's push it a little bit Are you willing to think properly about God and his word even if it costs the salvation of your family member?
06:11: It doesn't cost that because we can keep both. I will remember what God says about his word and If that means my family members not saved well
06:21: He would already not be saved anyway because God is not changing his word we need to think properly and biblically and that's exactly what first Corinthians 6 can help us achieve and that is
06:32: Understanding what the gospel does to someone so we might be able to better minister to those who profess
06:39: Christ Would you believe there are people who say they're Christians that are not Christians.
06:44: Is that a true statement? Can you believe how horrible and how awful and how? Wretched that day would be when you think you're going to heaven and you stand before God and then he says what?
06:57: depart from me I Never Intimately knew you you can say all you want about miracles and crusades and other things
07:06: But I didn't know you and when we have people in our lives who act like they're not Christians We don't know if they are but if in fact we see someone acting like they're not a
07:16: Christian It is good for us to then minister to them as if they were not yes It's the most loving thing you could do we say well, that's not loving friends
07:26: It's not loving according to the world, but it's loving according to what the Bible teaches Jesus told
07:32: Sinners enslaved to their own passions the truth to liberate them What were the liberators in World War two the b -24s?
07:41: Right the b -24 bombers come in. These are the liberators and truth liberates
07:46: It does us no good to play around with the Word of God to make us feel better It hurts our cause when it comes to preaching the gospel that always always
07:57: Transforms this really is at the core of the gospel and let me show you from 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9 through 20 5 objective truths to remember when you have a situation of with a loved one who's either not saved
08:13: And doesn't know anything about Christ, but you thinks a good person or who specifically says I'm a
08:18: Christian But then their life betrays them People can believe the facts and even be emotional and not go to heaven.
08:28: Yes James chapter 2 verse 19 even the demons what? believe and shudder
08:36: They believe intellectually could they state could they sign our statement of faith? Absolutely, they probably even know where our statement of faith is wrong
08:44: You say how's our statement of faith wrong? I don't know because if I knew I'd change it They can sign it some of you were thinking
08:51: I know where it's wrong. That's why I'm the preacher
08:57: They are Orthodox. They're creedal.
09:02: They're confessional. They understand the doctrines of grace They know we're chosen in eternity past that Jesus Died to redeem us and the
09:11: Spirit seals us. They would ascribe to Ephesians chapter 1 and It says in Scripture in James 2 19 that they shudder
09:20: They have an intellectual belief and they have a shuddering belief that word shudder By the way comes from the word that if your dog is afraid or is attacking a cat
09:29: Like a dog always should that the hair The hair on the dog's back
09:35: Bristles up that's the exact Greek word that the demons although without a body
09:41: It's as if they're the hair on the back of their neck Is so emotionally charged by the holiness of God they understand
09:49: This is the Holy One of Israel that the hair on the backs of their neck as it were stand up The Latin word is where we get the word horrified
09:57: You can believe intellectually and not go you can believe emotionally and not go to heaven and everywhere we turn in evangelicalism
10:04: We will run into people who say I intellectually know I emotionally have had an experience and yet they may not be saved
10:12: Would you like to be able to minister to those people? I'll never forget as long as I live. Dr Zimmick at the Master's Seminary years ago said the best place you can do all your evangelism is in this local church
10:23: Grace Community Church where John MacArthur is the pastor That shocked me
10:31: James chapter 5 says the same thing. There are those among us My prayer today is that you would be confronted with the gospel and if you're hiding behind a false faith that God would save you
10:43: But more importantly I'm after the church members today myself Included that will be tempted to water down the faith so that my sister may get to heaven
10:54: So that my father who has died may be in heaven when in reality We are playing with the apple of God's eye
11:01: Holy Scripture five objective truths to remember in situations of evangelism
11:09: So we can discern What to say and how to say it in other words five truths about salvation that the
11:19: Bible always Teaches it's not gray. It's not some kind of amorphous blob kind of Floating around out there salvation over the eons and the centuries salvation first was this and then that it is always the same
11:34: Salvation is and we want to make sure we understand it 1st Corinthians chapter 6 an amazing chapter an amazing book as Paul is writing to the church at Corinth Not just 16 chapters of correction, but in 2nd
11:46: Corinthians 13 more chapters. Can you imagine? 29 chapters written to a church to help them understand things properly and the first truth that the
11:57: Bible always teaches So we can warn ourselves ahead of time if we're tempted is this
12:02: Christians don't live like they used to the Bible always teaches in verses 9 and 10 that Christians don't live the way they used to We'll talk about kids in a little bit, but Christians don't live like they used to Did you know something
12:19: Christians don't live like they used to? We forget that fact and Paul just zooms right in this pagan horrible
12:28: City at Corinth with the worst kind of things going on You can imagine a port city and all the things that it would offer and Paul basically says in 9 and 10
12:38: Here's what you used to live like but we don't live that way anymore And if you're not careful, you will be deceived you say why are you getting into this hole?
12:46: You know We might do it We might be tempted because why else would he say what he says in the middle of this verse?
12:52: You're gonna be deceived if you're not careful verse 9 1st Corinthians 6
12:58: Are do you not know that? The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God To not be what deceived
13:09: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor homosexuals
13:16: Nor thieves nor the covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers
13:21: Shall inherit the kingdom of heaven or of God Just like the
13:28: Sermon on the Mount Jesus comes as the king and he wants people to live in his righteous kingdom with righteous living and states of righteousness and states of a
13:39: Godly living show that in fact I am a kingdom citizen, but states of unrighteousness characterized lives of unrighteousness betray any profession
13:51: He's not saying if you've done this once are you slipped up or Christians don't sin
13:57: He's saying if this is your life. This is a characteristic of your life You are known by this because of habit and purpose and frequency
14:05: These people don't inherit the kingdom of God and if you're not careful, you're going to be tricked Jessica Hahn former church secretary who committed immoral acts with Jim Baker Said that God gave her a quote real peace about granting an interview for a smut magazine and posing topless
14:25: Now you tell me That her profession is true. If you met her, what would you say?
14:32: How would you act? There are people that should know that don't know and if you look at verse 9
14:37: What does it say are do you not know you see verse 2 of the same chapter? Do you not know look at verse 3?
14:45: Do you not know Do you see verse 15? Do you not know verse 16?
14:52: Do you not know verse 19? Any guesses what it says? Do you not know? Meaning the kids are getting it
14:58: Peter's got it. Should they know this? Yes, but life situations and circumstances come up and we go.
15:05: You know what? They must be in they prayed that prayer Paul says you ought to know
15:11: Paul probably even taught them himselves. I taught you he says That these people will not inherit the kingdom.
15:19: It's a future of shall not Inherit, they never will never ever ever and then he says don't be deceived
15:27: By the way, that's a that's an imperative and it's an ongoing imperative You can't just say
15:32: I'll bolster myself early on and then I'll get better and then I'll be no longer prone to this
15:38: Always and forever the oldest Saints to the youngest Saints have a propensity to be deceived in this area because we love our family
15:46: And it doesn't matter Paul says if a leader or a friend or yourself
15:53: Tells you that somehow these people aren't in danger Scholars could say it pop
16:00: Christianity Christianity astray. I mean, excuse me the magazine Christianity Today. They might all tell you that and And Paul is saying don't you know, there's no need for this
16:10: There's no necessity for me to say these things because you you know the truth Because you've been taught by me and he could say because when
16:18: God saved you are were you different? You were different and it's good for us to know because if we meet someone who's not acting like a
16:28: Christian The most loving thing we could do is to present the gospel to them And Then Paul gives a list
16:34: It's not exhaustive, but he gives a list of typical behavior of the unsaved with a heavy focus on sex sin
16:41: Because that is such a hard sin to break yay Almost impossible without the
16:47: Spirit of God Showing that people that act like this as a lifestyle as a habit as a walk aren't in the kingdom of heaven
16:54: They're not backslidden. They don't have a poor walk Paul says Don't be deceived and AT Robertson the
17:05: Baptist preacher from the South said this is a solemn roll call of the damned
17:13: When I was a kid in school Mike Abendroth present Mike Abendroth here.
17:19: They usually wouldn't say Abendroth because they could never get the name, right? Mike Afferhorf present my first name is without an a and so most people calling me
17:28: Michelle when I was a kid and you know, It's just my fragile eggshell esteem. You know, it's like the first kid.
17:35: I'm not very good with names but let's just go around the room and Raise your hand and say here when when
17:40: I call on your name You're a fifth grade boy and trying to just show how tough you are Michelle This is a roll call, but it's the roll call of those people whose lives betray their profession
17:55: Friends Jesus talked about in John 6 people that believed in him, but who are not his disciples
18:01: There's a belief that doesn't save and without getting too exhaustive here because really that's not the point.
18:09: It's just giving these words of characterization he says fornicators that is sex between unmarried people idolaters
18:18: Obviously the the readers would understand that adulterers specifically to a married person in sexual sin
18:26: Nor effeminate nor homosexual the latter being the male version of the homosexual that The earlier the effeminate being the female as it were version of the homosexual that is to say the submissive one the passive one
18:41: Then he moved from sex sins to two sins of material abuse thieves here sins of greed covetous drunkards
18:51: Revilers those that spread strife and then swindlers kind of indirect stealing one man called
18:58: This is one who persists in these things. This is one whose lifestyle is is is is
19:05: Summarized by that word you see a wino on the street and you call him a drunkard
19:10: Why because that just describes his whole life Paul said excuse me first John 3 verse 10 says by this the children of God and the children of the devil are
19:24: Obvious anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God nor the one who does not love his brother
19:32: Ultimately when we see someone in this state, we aren't their eternal judge. That's Christ Jesus is privilege and prerogative
19:38: But we are to discern and to judge don't let Oprah influence your theology judge
19:44: Not lest you be judged if you learn anything from Oprah. Don't let her teach you about Scripture learn about I don't know
19:51: Something else but not that Matthew 7 as we'll get to in three or four years from now after Matthew 5 and 6
19:57: It's going to tell us we are to judge but righteous judgment the Bereans commended to discern by their discernment first Thessalonians 5 discern everything carefully what could be more important than the discernment of This person says they're a
20:13: Christian, but they don't act like it Because even at the worst if they are a Christian who's sinning and I believe
20:18: Christians sin That when you confront them with the gospel That would even be enough to wake some people up Don't you think if I was ever in so much sin that the elders came to me and said by the way,
20:30: Mike We don't think you're saved and here's the gospel. What a wake -up call that would be
20:37: When Christians get when people get saved they are different. I Know the verse and so do you 2nd
20:44: Corinthians 5 17? Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new
20:50: Creature old things have passed away behold new things have come new affections new appetites new likes new dislikes new hates new
21:01: Priorities new goals new master new destiny new longings new cravings
21:07: Why because Christians true or false have? repented answer
21:15: True Christians have repented we teach the kids Here's repentance everybody get in line like a row of ducks and off they go down the kitchen and daddy screams out
21:24: I told you this a dozen times probably but it's effective daddy screams out repent and they're to turn about face and go the other
21:30: Way and that's kind of a fun game Then I then they just keep walking and just before they get about an inch to the to the cupboard then
21:36: I yell out repent again and off they go Repentance means a 180 it's an about -face there is not a
21:45: Christian who hasn't repented because by definition that the tail of the coin is repentance the heads of the coin is
21:52: The head of the coin would be faith But sadly we've got people running around in this
22:00: Theological group called anti lordship who somehow think you don't need to repent and if you do repent you can do that Sometime later because as long as you believe as long as you've said the prayer signed the card went up to the front somehow you are in and I would bet my
22:17: Investments on this statement right here that the reason they change the scripture is not because they don't understand the scripture
22:24: Is it because this is why they should change it because if they keep the scripture up here this high view of salvation
22:30: Then that means damnation to their wife sister husband spouse kids grandparents dead or alive people change theologically for personal reasons
22:43: Do you want to do that? I don't What I believe about my father and four grandparents will not determine their eternal destiny
22:51: They're either in heaven or not in heaven. What can I do about it change the word to somehow feel good? No R .c.
23:00: Sproul said one cannot have true faith without simultaneously having Repentance we would believe that isn't that a far cry from Zane Hodges?
23:09: Though genuine repentance may precede salvation it need not do so That's not true if you have real faith you will have a changed life
23:23: Do you know these verses? Galatians 2 for through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer
23:32: I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now Live in the flesh. I live by faith in the son of God Who loved me and gave himself up for me
23:44: Family and friends that you have who live in an unrighteous lifestyle and have not repented
23:50: Need you to love them by giving them the gospel They should be new
23:55: They should have a new allegiance to the king a new change of value systems a new change in priority a new change in life goals
24:05: And I like Thomas Watson and old Puritan he said repentance is never out of season
24:10: If anyone misses repentance, he will miss salvation I mean,
24:16: I'm a classic example when I look at this brought up in a in a Lutheran background It could have been
24:23: Baptist. It could have been anything. That was not the problem. The problem was my heart and I Still have my confirmation tests and I wish
24:32: I could remember what I had gotten 98s on and that I was getting A's I was catechized confirmed
24:39: Baptized I took communion. I went on a mission trip to Galeana, Mexico and preached the law -free
24:47: Gospel to the kids in Galeana, Mexico and the day
24:55: I'm driving down Santa Monica Boulevard with a group of people that I've hardly never met, but I was just trying to go to church with all these people because Church makes you feel good.
25:06: Number one and church has ladies there Number two was my thinking my soul go to church.
25:12: Where are you gonna meet a nice girl? So I'm driving to church and I wish I remember the name. I wish I could call this guy up I wish
25:19: I I wish I could could just look him straight in the eye and say you were a man
25:24: You had so much courage I mean I was a bigger guy and he was smaller and and I was older and he was younger and we were talking on the way home
25:32: From church on Santa Monica Boulevard and he looked at me and he said something just was striking He said because I told him
25:38: I was a Christian. You're a Christian He couldn't believe it. He was flabbergasted.
25:44: Why because I was a pagan Licentious Idolatrous you just keep going and He knew it because I was a braggart about it and he's like you're a
25:57: Christian now You tell me was that a loving thing for him to do are unloving he wasn't going to lower the standards of the gospel to somehow fit in next to this guy in a
26:07: Company car Taurus Cup truck. No way Taurus Auto, whatever it was That is love
26:14: Friends if you have loved ones or I could say if you say you're a
26:19: Christian and your life is indifferent Then friends you need to repent and you need to tell your friends to repent or your kids to repent
26:27: It's loving to do that Christians aren't the same as they used to be Number two the second truth that's good to grab a hold of like a mooring because sometimes our hearts and our feelings and our
26:41: Subjectiveness might get to us if we're not careful number two Christians by definition have been cleansed and washed number one
26:51: Christians don't live like they used to Number two by definition you if you're a Christian you've been cleansed and washed
26:57: This is one of my favorite verses in all the Bible, aren't you glad that the word and is there in verse 11 and Such were some of you
27:07: There's more to the story with the end You used to be like this maybe not those ten sins, but other sins like that that would show that you were unrighteous that I was unrighteous and Then not only is there an and but there's the beloved word, but B U T Lloyd -jones says his favorite word in all the
27:25: Bible But you were washed But you were sanctified.
27:32: He doesn't even say but one times one one time, but you were washed you were sanctified But you were justified
27:39: How many people like the Wall Street Journal? From now on every time you see the word the letters
27:46: WSJ I want you to rid your mind from Wall Street Journal. I want you to put in WSJ washed sanctified justified
27:57: WSJ WSJ comm I was washed I was sanctified I was justified three words that talk about God's cleansing act
28:05: Did you know these words are all passive in the Greek that is to say God does this work to us?
28:11: We don't wash ourselves. We don't sanctify ourselves. We don't just justify ourselves These are all words that mean
28:16: God did this and I'm gonna get ahead of myself But you mean to tell me the God of the universe all -powerful omnipotent
28:24: Triune God who can create the world with the word Changes you and washes you and sanctifies you and justifies you and you can still live like you used to live
28:34: It is impossible So I love this WSJ washed
28:40: Sanctified justified and it's all a language in the Greek. That's a point in time There was a point in time that you were washed
28:48: Scrubbed from the inside not just a little behind the ears I have three girls and one son and one of those out of those four needs more scrubbing behind the ears and I'll let you
28:57: Figure out which one that is but we just don't want a little spit bath And we just don't want to kind of you know, just get our feet cleansed or anything
29:05: It is everything and God with the rich language of Titus chapter 3 and John chapter 3 washed us
29:13: We were dirty. We were defiled. We were unholy. We were profane And the
29:18: God of the universe cleansed us and again at point in time The word sanctification is really not growing in grace like it's often used but it's not always used that way
29:29: This is the word used when God saved us. He sanctified us. That is he purified us he
29:37: He made us clean he set us apart. We are sanctified in him Paul calls
29:44: Christians to all who have been sanctified in Acts 20 and then we are declared righteous
29:51: We are justified God treats us as if we've never sinned God treats
29:56: Jesus as this if he sinned God confirms it by raising it raising him from the dead and If you look at the passage again in verse 11 such were some of you but you were washed
30:07: You were sanctified, but you were justified and look in whose name What's name mean
30:12: Jesus Christ of Nazareth know all his attributes the holy righteous loving
30:19: Kind merciful name of the Lord Jesus and not just Jesus, but Lord Jesus He did it all and he did it through the instrument of the
30:27: Spirit of God There's no need to despair or lack. Hope God did it and whose spirit did it and in the spirit of our
30:37: God? It's almost like he doesn't call the Spirit the Holy Spirit because everything that the Spirit is doing is holiness towards his people
30:45: That's why I love the church because this is a church full of X's Ex You just go down the list.
30:51: We are a group of people who've been washed sanctified and justified and we are X fornicators
30:56: X idolaters X adulterers X effeminate X homosexual and the list goes on Grace greater than all our sin the hymn writer says
31:13: Why do you think Paul would say this in 2nd Corinthians 13 verse 5 test yourself to see if you're in the faith?
31:21: Because there are some who are attached to the church who are not John 2 It says many believed in his name, but Jesus did not commit himself to them
31:32: What a spine -tingling bone -chilling statement I believe but Jesus isn't committed in me to me.
31:39: I've accepted into my heart, but Jesus hasn't accepted me in his heart I've said
31:44: I believe but Jesus doesn't believe in me And so what do people do people run around and they say, you know what?
31:51: Here's how we figured it out in evangelicalism You can accept Jesus as Savior and then later you make him what?
31:59: Lord We know it's not right, but we've got a family member who wants hell insurance and we want them to have hell insurance
32:06: But in no way would they bow their knee to say you are Lord. You are master. You are the king
32:12: They're basically saying you know what? I want to split I want a schizophrenic Christ a
32:17: Christ who's kind of you know on one hand the gimme God and on the other hand I'm not gonna do anything Friends that is so false, but we get tricked because we have family members and friends
32:27: Who live like they're not Christians whose lives are not different who have not repented Did you know when the
32:37: Apostles were preaching in Acts? You think they use the word Savior more when they were preaching our
32:44: Lord more. I mean this kind of sermon What are you gonna guess? I mean, you know When they were preaching about Jesus Two times they called him
32:52: Savior in the book of Acts Chapter 5 and chapter 13 when they were preaching about Jesus Apostolic inspired preaching how many times you think they called
33:03: Jesus Lord in the book of Acts when they were preaching? This is not like a word mister. This is not like a word, you know reverend or something
33:10: This is Lord. How many times do they use Lord twice? They use Savior 92 times
33:16: Lord 13 more times Lord Jesus Six more times the
33:23: Lord Jesus Christ and when we tell people to believe in Acts 1631 believe on the
33:29: Savior Jesus and you'll be saved. Well, it's true, but Not true in that verse.
33:35: It's the Lord Paul knows we could be deceived. I Could push it a little bit and I like to do that.
33:42: You know me once in a while. I push it Charles Haddon Spurgeon Here's what he told his seminary students and I will tell you this if the professed convert
33:56: Distinctly and deliberately Declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it
34:04: I know what God says and what he requires, but I'm not going to do it You are not to pamper his presumption
34:12: But it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved
34:22: Now I would never say anything like that, but that's what Spurgeon said Arthur Pink said if he is not your
34:30: Lord Then certainly he is not your Savior God himself declared Jesus as Lord We are not the ultimate judge of our family spouses kids dead relatives
34:45: That is not for us to judge the eternal soul. That is God's responsibility privilege and prerogative
34:52: But we are as Christians to look at people and say, you know what? I think they need the gospel
34:57: I know that's the way you think when you have a Muslim Atlantic next door to you. Do you go? Well, you know
35:02: I better not judge their eternal soul Well, if you mean by that,
35:07: I'm not the one standing there throwing that soul into hell I would agree with you, but I would disagree with you
35:13: If you don't go hmm, they say they're a Muslim and Muslims need Jesus Christ as Savior Aren't you supposed to do that?
35:19: when I meet someone and they say well, I'm a So -and -so so -and -so and I'm a such -and -such such -and -such and I go well
35:27: Yeah economy of terms. They said that they must believe it. They deny the law free gospel
35:33: They deny Jesus is perfect death. They desire they they they defy salvation by grace alone and faith alone
35:39: Christ alone. Hmm. I better tell them the gospel whether they say
35:44: Jesus or whether they don't Somebody says well have an conversion experience.
35:51: I've experienced the warmth and the love of God Well, if you have you will be different and I'm not after perfectionism
35:59: MacArthur says it and he says it well when God changes someone he doesn't necessarily make them perfect It's not the perfection of your life.
36:07: It's the what the direction you're different our word
36:14: The Word of God Has to rule our feelings we can't change it What I despise in the
36:22: Pharisees and the people who knock on my door and tell me how to go to hell really fast What I despise in them.
36:28: I don't want to despise in myself by changing the word Objective truth number three, not only
36:34: Christians are changed and they don't live the way they used to Not only have they been washed
36:40: Sanctified and justified WSJ, but also number three Christians don't continue to rationalize their sins verses 12 and 13
36:47: Christians don't continue. I mean we all do some but they don't can continue to do it That's exactly what was happening here in first Corinthians chapter 6
36:55: Why do smart people make dumb decisions? Because they're smart What smart people make dumb decisions because they're so smart.
37:05: They can rationalize the flow chart to get to where they want to go. I Meet the smartest people in the world sometimes and I think how did you make such a stupid decision?
37:15: We are all great Rationalizers and blamers and you know, we've got it all figured out and I can't believe it when you watch first Corinthians chapter 6
37:23: You're gonna go these people are so foolish. It's beyond me and you're gonna go, huh? I wonder if I ever act that way
37:30: I mean just it when someone's living in sexual sin, what do they say to you? Well, I'm a Christian and I live with my boyfriend.
37:36: I live with my girlfriend and and you go, why would you do that? Dishonors the church it dishonors
37:41: God defames your own body and you need to run from that sin There's forgiveness for you at the cross now run like Joseph and they go, you know what?
37:54: I Got some slogans. I Got some things that make me feel good It's biological.
38:01: It's Everybody's doing it I mean, it's like Colorado Boulder, Colorado where those people get up and basically say, you know what we're the teachers here high school students
38:09: Forget any kind of moral sense do as much drugs as you can have as much sex as you can you will anyway
38:16: So drink and imbibe and go for it And so the kid that person goes, well, you know what my teachers told me to do it and look at What happens here verse 12?
38:29: All things Paul says are lawful for me. I am a Christian. I'm justified.
38:35: Nothing can change that But not all things are profitable Paul says, you know There's some things that aren't lawful like sexual sin 1st
38:44: Corinthians chapter 5 suing other Christians 1st Corinthians chapter 6 He's already said some things are lawful, but on the non -sinning areas things are lawful
38:52: But not all things are profitable all things are lawful for me But I will not be mastered by anything and then here comes a slogan
38:59: Here's the slogan of the Corinthians that people have just changed to make it better today So they can live with a peace in their heart thinking that they're everything's right with God They can still have their sin and everything's fine
39:13: I'm gonna do it a little slogan II way, you know, this is not my forte, but I'm gonna do it anyway Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food food is for the stomach and the stomach for food
39:23: Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food. You just memorize a verse by the way, you got the verses done
39:31: Hey when you the stomach It's made for food and I've been given
39:39: Hormones and this body and God you've created me with a sex drive That's what sex is for you gave me this body and it's using this word about food and with stomach as the slogan this kind Of motto so that people can go.
39:54: You know what? That's just what we do. It's almost like well, you know God the reason I sinned is you gave me that woman
40:00: Eve God the reason why I fornicate is because you gave me this body. You gave me testosterone.
40:05: You gave me these hormones You gave me all this and you know what? I got the slogan. That's what we're for. That's how we're billed.
40:11: That's how we run That's why in first Corinthians chapter 10 23 ,000 people were killed on the spot for sexual immorality
40:23: Sex sin enslaves and it makes people rationalize all kinds of things and I hate to do the whole
40:29: Star Trek thing But it's like a cloaking device for sin covering Slogans instead of saying
40:37: Jesus your Lord I submit to your rule I've got some little slogans going on and the slogans could be we're engaged.
40:44: We're in love and Infinitum ad nauseum You can't rationalize justify or defend sexual sin for any reason
40:57: I like to sin God likes to forgive I like to sin God likes to forgive
41:02: I prayed the prayer I'm going to heaven. I mean whatever you want to say and then
41:10: Paul uses this as an example in verse 13 But God will do away with both
41:17: Foods gone stomachs gone glorified bodies don't need stomachs Yet the body is not for immorality
41:25: Why but for the Lord and the Lord is for the body Don't rationalize the sin
41:38: Come up with things so you feel good about doing it food and stomach go together, but there is a temporal nature nature to that But the eternal
41:47: Relationship between body and the Lord will exist verse 14 now
41:52: God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through his power
42:00: When it comes to food the relationship to the stomach dies when we die but when it comes to our bodies
42:07: We can't be throwing our bodies around in some kind of immoral way because these will be the raised bodies number four
42:18: Christians realize that what they do affects others number one We don't live like we used to number two.
42:25: We've been washed sanctified and justified number three We don't throw our liberty around as a cloak for sin and number four.
42:32: We realize that what we do affects others verse 15 You can just imagine in this context here when you want to sin you like to be alone tonight in Proverbs chapter 7
42:44: It's dark when it's time to sin nobody watching Our conscience even knows and here
42:51: Paul is going to use that to say what you do affects other people Do you not know verse 15? There's that do you not know again that your bodies are members of Christ?
43:00: Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot may it never be Don't we know that our bodies are for the
43:08: Lord. We're gonna go put them together with the harlot I mean with with without going too far
43:14: Can you imagine if people would would sneak into the church and brazenly have some kind of horrible
43:21: Orgiastic service up here on the platform of the service of God's Church See, that's horrible.
43:28: That's wicked it is but this is worse This is worse
43:35: The members of Christ and make them members of a harlot Joining together the body of Christ with the harlot
43:44: What a prostitution Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her
43:52: The two will become one flesh like it or not But the one who joins himself to the
43:59: Lord is one spirit with him therefore verse 18
44:06: Do not stop do not pass go flee immorality every sex sin run
44:11: Why every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body
44:18: Run and always run Commentator Barnes said quote how many a young man would be saved from poverty want disease
44:28: Curses tears and hell could these two words flee fornication
44:35: Be made to blaze before him like the writing before the astonished eyes of Belshazzar in Daniel chapter 5 and when we see friends in this sexual sin and slave to it
44:55: And it's not just a slip -up. It's not just I sin here there and I've got regret But they're living with people and years go by it is our duty
45:04: It is our privilege to tell them there is a Savior who saves from that kind of sin
45:12: Then lastly number five Christians remember the cost of their salvation In other words, they know they don't own themselves
45:19: We've been bought with a price verses 19 and 20 or do you not know see that there it is again We should know that your body's a temple the
45:27: Holy Spirit who is in you Whom you have from God and that you are not of your own and that you are not of your own.
45:34: He says Spirit of God, we're stewards. We give an account to him why verse 20 you have been bought with a price
45:42: Therefore in the context of sexual sin therefore glorify God in your body
45:48: God yes did create sex and it's for good in marriage But God bought us as Christ life was the paid ransom price at redemption
45:58: We were slaves to sin, but God bought us out of that slave pit and brought us into his kingdom
46:05: So we glorify God just a few questions to end with number one
46:12: What do I do with my younger children who say they believe Now this is big difficult because when you have little kids sometimes they they don't say to themselves.
46:21: Well, you know when I was 28 was the day I I stopped running the brothel and do
46:27: X Y & Z. I mean, it's not that dramatic So you look back and you go what if I have kids that say they believe
46:34: Number one when your kids say they believe in Jesus Encourage that faith Tell them great
46:41: You don't go to them. You know what you prove it to me boy. Give you a few years And let's see
46:46: Puritans always said time and trials determine a conversion. You don't do that to a kid They see the compelling story.
46:53: Why do kids believe at least intellectually? It is a compelling story of a wonderful God -man dying on the cross and I remember when we used to watch the
47:02: Jesus movie at home and I'd watch Haley and she just would tear up at the crucifixion and she would walk up to the
47:10: TV and She would kiss Jesus on the television and as the kids got older, they didn't want to see the crucifixion because it was so brutal
47:19: There's a compelling wonderful story and your kids will will be enamored and will want to believe furthermore, they will want to believe because You believe it.
47:30: They want to please you. They want to do what you do They don't want to be walking around saying, you know, everybody loves
47:36: Jesus, but I hate Jesus So we we guardedly rejoice on the inside and then we affirm and keep teaching and keep preaching and every time
47:47: They give an affirmation of faith you encourage that and you tell them good and that's God honoring
47:52: But at no time should you somehow 20 years later when your kid is is unrighteously acting as a state of Characterization and go back in your heart of hearts and say
48:04: I remember that day as a family when we all kneeled I've been watching
48:09: TV downstairs and I've had a kids come running to me bawling saying dad. I don't think I'm a
48:14: Christian and off goes a TV and there's one of those sweet moments with just Dad and son or dad and mom and son and dad and mom and daughter and we just sit and talk
48:26: We talk about our lives aren't perfect. That's why we believe in the perfect one
48:31: We talk about we can't be good enough for God But Jesus is the good one and all the gospel and I tell them to believe and we pray
48:40: But I'm not gonna be so dumb to be having my kids 30 years old living with some girl going
48:45: You know, they're a Christian because when they were 8 years old we had that TV time downstairs No We keep preaching keep trusting in the
48:55: Lord Do you believe that if God gave you your children that he can be trusted with their eternal souls?
49:01: I have to trust the Lord. I have to wait on him Number two, what do
49:07: I do about deceased relatives? What do you do if you have deceased relatives? I'm quite convinced that many people do not come to faith in Christ because if they do it will
49:17: Relegate their dead relatives who have their same non -saving faith to hell somehow and they can't get over that What's already been done has already been done.
49:28: Yes. The truth of the gospel is still only the born -again ones go to heaven You can honor
49:34: God by what you believe now, and you'll have to let God sort out those who are dead. That's what I do.
49:40: I Have to say God, whatever you do is good and right and when I get to heaven I won't say how can my grandmother grandpa other grandma other grandpa and father?
49:50: They're not there God How could you when I realize grace is a sovereign undeserved grace?
49:56: And if he graced me and didn't grace them he gave them justice But you know what I do do is I say to myself
50:02: Is God powerful enough on the deathbed of one of these loved ones to save them? And I'm just gonna have to trust in the
50:10: Lord with my whole heart and I'll never forget the time it was two years ago in Santa Cruz and my father was a hard man and Tough man, and he did call for the pastor of the
50:19: Lutheran Church for communion at the very end of his life And and but in my mind, there's nothing about his life that I would say born again changed washed
50:28: Sanctified justified and even to this day. I thought if he's alive. He may be embarrassed to have two sons who are pastors
50:35: My other grandparents were when I was living in the world in Los Angeles making a bunch of money Running around like an idiot.
50:42: They were proud of me and they bragged all their friends The day I became an evangelical pastor.
50:47: I was anathematized still loved us to our face But not behind her but behind her back.
50:53: So it was a different story and I walked in grandma Evie's kitchen After a bike ride
50:59: Bike rides are very inspirational by the way. I encourage that you walked in and I just lost it
51:06: I just I just started bawling and you know that kind of bawling where your shoulders go to it is they just can't help it
51:11: It's just weeping and I was weeping with joy Because I said I thought to myself, you know, this isn't a word from God God didn't tell me or anything, but it came to my mind that I know
51:22: God is so powerful that he could take a Blind deaf
51:30: Sinful Unregenerate man who mocked him for 55 years and change his heart on that man's deathbed and bring him to heaven he was that powerful and I thought
51:42: I'm gonna have to trust the Lord and I could get to heaven and see my father and my grandparents
51:47: How many deathbed experiences do you see in the Bible? One the thief on the cross why only one
51:53: Spurgeon said so number one you don't have presumption and number two, so you have hope We have hope and we trust in this
52:01: God with our eternal souls So why wouldn't we trust God with the eternal souls of our deceased relatives or our children?
52:09: It is not going to change anything if we mess with God's Word. It will only dishonor him. We bow to scripture
52:19: We are his people Number three we need to wrap this up.
52:24: What if I am the one described in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9 and 10
52:30: That is to say if you're here today and you say you know what those words describe me I'm not a
52:36: Christian Well, I would say to run to the cross to flee to Christ and his forgiveness and his mercy
52:43: His death burial and resurrection is what you should gaze upon look and live But if you refuse to do that May I read this little poem from an anonymous source you call me master and obey me not
52:57: You call me light and see me not you call me the way and follow me not you call me life and desire me not
53:04: You call me wise and acknowledge me not you call me fair and love me not you call me rich and ask me not you
53:11: Call me eternal and seek me not you call me gracious and trust me not you call me noble and serve me not
53:18: You call me mighty and honor me not you call me just and fear me not
53:24: If I condemn you blame me not While you're alive, there is hope for your souls
53:31: I believe that when you preach the gospel that Jesus dies a substitutionary death on the cross for sinners
53:37: That people get saved and I believe there are people today that need to get saved and number four lastly
53:45: What if I struggle with sin and what if I struggle with assurance of my salvation
53:51: Because I sin I'm so glad you asked that question rejoice
54:01: Christians struggle Christians struggle with sin Would it help you if I is the pastor?
54:08: said I Struggle with sin and I struggle with the assurance of my sin and those two things are linked together
54:14: By the way, when you're living a super righteous life you rarely struggle with assurance Christians struggle
54:21: Christians sin I didn't read the list in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 because if you've sinned those as a
54:27: Christian you're not in going to heaven I read those because those are states of unrighteousness and we are now righteous and as righteous people we still sin
54:36: I could ask you these questions.
54:42: Do you confess your sins? Do you confess Jesus as Lord? Do you love not the world?
54:49: Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ? And do you love God? Then first John chapter 5.
54:56: I've just given you the five tests of saving faith from first John. It's not perfection
55:03: But it's about what we desire I like it that I struggle I met two people in my life who have said
55:10: I have never questioned the validity of my validity of my salvation and only two One of those people
55:17: I think was saved the other person. I'm not too sure is saved Lloyd Jones says everybody struggles with their assurance.
55:24: Don't we all sin? Of course we do. So we struggle with our assurance if you struggle with this it is a good sign
55:37: Before we're Christians. We don't struggle. You know, we struggle with before we're Christians the consequences of our sin now when we sin we struggle with Well like Psalm 51 that I heard was in sunny school,
55:51: I've defamed God I've dishonored God against thee and thee only have I sinned and done what is evil and I signed and What I love about Christianity is that God forgives
56:03: Christians, too There's forgiveness for sins you say
56:08: I've done some things on those lists lately. Well, it's time to run It's time to repent and it's time for then God to give you mercy
56:16: Everyone struggles with assurance. It is a good sign and Then quickly to be repented of sin.
56:28: Well, it's kind of a hard word today. I know But here's what I would say you will be tempted in your life
56:34: If you live long enough to take this gospel, that's here that no one can hurdle over without the
56:40: Spirit of God and Lower it so some of your friends and relatives dead or alive
56:47: Spouses or children can get in friends resist that temptation and Then say to yourself.
56:54: I've been taught the truth. I understand the truth Christians are different Christians are a wash
56:59: They're sanctified and justified and God Thank you for giving me to that discernment and now can you give me wisdom to preach the gospel to these people so that they might?
57:08: have angels in heaven honor you God for trusting in Christ Jesus any
57:18: I'll use the word purposely Any chance you might meet someone in the next few weeks that you could give the gospel to who has a false profession?
57:26: I found it so many times. I studied the Bible. I hear a sermon and then God in his goodness
57:32: Let's me live it out sometime soon Maybe today's the day Maybe today's the day for you to sit down with your older son or daughter and to say, you know
57:40: You say you're a Christian, but I really wonder Are your spouse are your friends are your neighbors?
57:48: If we do it in a self -righteous way shame on us, but if we do it for the glory of God He will be very pleasing to our
57:58: Lord Let's bow. Thank you Lord for our day -to -day Certainly Lord we are people who need to learn and we have all kinds of situations in life where we have friends
58:08: And we just would ask for wisdom We know that when we ask for wisdom You are faithful and generous to give us that wisdom and father we would ask that you would not let us be ostriches somehow not
58:20: Believing what's right or true or good protect us from self -righteousness protect us from overanalyzation
58:27: Of our own state help us to live for you the fairest Lord Jesus a precious
58:33: God and Savior Lord I would pray for those in the church today who have heard the message and realized that they are in a state of Unrighteousness that today you would flood their soul with free sovereign
58:45: Undeserved grace and that you would credit to their account Christ perfect righteousness that you would
58:51: Give them confidence that they are new creatures in Christ and father for us today I would ask for the church and for my sake that I despise those sins in first Corinthians chapter 6 9 and 10