[bibleblock]2 Timothy 4:2-4[/bibleblock]
A time has been reached in our society. A time that is not news to anyone who knows God. A time which has been gathering for a long time. A time to spereate your views of societal norms from those of God’s norms. We, as followers of the one true God, are called to be servants, to “preach the word”, and to be heralds of his God-breathed Scripture.
This session I will focus on 2 Timothy 4:4.
I recently went through and redid my “What We Believe” to be much more detailed by basically reformatting the main document outside of the Holy Scripture that explains my core beliefs. It is the 1689 London Baptist Confession. I have considered myself Reformed to a point for quite a while, but there were still some incongruencies I had to resolve. This document addresses them all in a form I can agree with.
I believe knowing what you believe, and why you believe it is important for every believer. If you don’t know what you believe, read the bible. Do you have to believe what I believe? No. I doubt many will. That doesn’t hurt my feelings. I believe what I believe, and I know why I believe it. I use Scripture as the source of all my beliefs. Scripture is the innerant divine revelation of God to the world.
(Read on …)
Whether you plan to get married one day or not, one of the most important things you can do while single is to set Godly priorities and focuses. This is the time to establish the habits you want to maintain for the rest of your life.
Some of you may know me personally, and be thinking, “What does the married guy know about single life? He doesn’t know how hard it is to be single!” Let me respond in two parts.
First, Yes I am married (have been for over 11 years as of this writing), and I struggled for many years in my marriage because I had not properly prepared while single for the life that would follow once I was married. Once I was married all the daily “stuff” of married life took over and I lost focus on my true duties as a husband. The priorities you set as a single person will help define your marriage attitude and response to your spouse and God.
Second, I have counseled, observed, prayed for, and cried for more than a few couples and singles over the years and while doing so, most of the problems in early marriage come down to improper perceptions and sin brought in from their time being single. Whether it be sexual sin, pride, or just a complete lack of understanding God. I pray that this will find a heart receptive to God’s will and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
While you are single you should be focused on the person of God. It’s a time to build you relationship with Jesus, and hear His voice. Your understanding of the word will grow, your faith will mature further, and you learn to better follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in your life. If you train yourself to spend time with him as a single, then you will bring that piety, consistency, and strong foundation of those habits to your marriage.
Many people make is look as though following Jesus is easy. While the act of being saved by Christ is easy, “Truly, truly, I say to you,whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24) However, to truely follow him daily takes more effort, “[...]If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)
So as a Bible believing follower of Christ Jesus, what should we expect it to be like? Is it supposed to be easy to follow him? Is it supposed to be easy to just do what the main stream is doing and just cruise into heaven?
[bibleblock]Matthew 7:13-14[/bibleblock]
(Read on …)
“I’m a very controversial figure in the Christian world. I don’t believe if you’re gay or you have a drink or you dance, you’re going to hell. I don’t think that’s the kind of God we have. The Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of the world are scary. I want to be a Christian like Christ – loving and accepting of other people.” – Kristin Chenoweth
I’m not going to pick on Kristin. I am going to use her quote I found over on IMBD as an example of what many Emergent or Liberal churches are preaching to be truth. This is a falsehood plain and simple. Comparing homosexuality to dancing and drinking is ridiculous.
Jesus drank, but he was not a drunk. (Luke 7:34)
David Danced, but in worship to God. (2 Sam 6:14)
Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27 both specifically call out the sexual immorality, therefore sinful nature of, homosexuality. Denying this is nothing but pride. Pride that you want to be “more accepting” and not “scare them from Jesus”. It is also pride of not wanting to admit that you or they are doing anything wrong because then it makes you look judgmental.
Jesus himself associated with and hung around the basest of society in his time, but did not partake of their sin. Teaching them in love the message of God so they can come to know him as their personal Lord and Savior was his example. His goal was alway to bring them to repentance and rebirth so he could spend eternity in heaven with them.
I do not and cannot hold a non-believer to my moral standard. One can share Gods love in the constant hope that they will come to know him. It is not our job to save people. God will draw them to Himself. It is our job to spread the message and hope some will listen. If someone claims to be a follower of Christ then their words, works, and teachings become open to inspection by the word. Using the example of Acts 17:10-12 with Paul’s praise of the Bereans, we base our foundation for testing a belief, teacher, or a teaching in the Scriptures. Paul commended them for testing his teaching against the word. Anyone professing to be a follower of Christ who teaches a message they claim to be a valid Godly view must pass the test of the God-breathed Scipture itself. Just as in 2 Timothy 4:2 we are to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” because as Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Again, the sin here is pride in unrepentant sin. If you know what God says not to do something, and you continue to do it and say that Scripture is “out of date” or “not relevant in our cultural context,” then YOU are turning your back on God. He is not rejecting you. He is not turning his back on you. He weeps for the loss of you to ways that are not his. He wants to have a relationship with you because he loves you more than anyone you will ever meet. He doesn’t want to “cast you into hell”. He sent his Son to die for you. Don’t turn away from him and call him the bad guy. You are doing this to yourself. He isn’t persecuting you. He is a loving God; please don’t turn your back on him out of your stubborn pride. Ask Jesus for forgiveness and he will give you the strength, love, and resolve to live a life repentant for your sin, and constantly growing in a stronger relationship with Him.
Don’t jump to conclusions and judge me from your pride. Just because something becomes socially acceptable does not mean it is right in God’s eyes. I know many would just read this and flame me as a fundamentalist right-wing homophobic bigot. You may view me as you like. I know the world will not like what I say. No one wants to hear a truth that makes them feel like they may be doing something wrong. Jesus was “loving and accepting of other people”, but he didn’t say they shouldn’t change their ways. The adulteress woman was told to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Paul was not told it was OK to go back to killing and persecuting the Christians; he instantly gave up his pride and did as God told him (Acts 9:1-19).
This is my prayer. That you will meet God in true love, not in the false love of the god preached by so many today. He wants you to come as you are to him so he can help you learn how to have a real relationship with him. He wants you to hear his voice and have your name written in the book of life. ”In that book are of those who have been redeemed by “the Lamb who was slain”” (Rev 13:8). Please, throw your pride out of your heart, and embrace God’s love for you.
