The Enemy of "Us"
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The Church is an amazing thing. Not just this thing called the local church but the church body. The collective group of believers all over the world.
And in this series “THIS IS US” we are going to be talking about how we be the best US. How we have better families so we can be a better us. How we become a better church so we can be a better us. How we individually can can contribute to us being a better US. Because God’s purpose in your life depends on it.
BUT CAN WE ALL AGREE THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE LIVING IN SOME PRETTY DIVIDED TIMES?
No one agrees on what truth is
No one agrees on what is right
There’s this clear dividing line
If you stand for life you are over here. If you don’t you’re over here
If you believe in God’s word should be the authority in your life you are over here.
If you vote for this party you are over here. If you don’t you are over here.
And to some point that is to be expected. People naturally form tribes around what they believe. But the biggest concern is that inside the christian faith there isn’t even agreement. Because in todays world you can say you follow Jesus, but believe something that’s completely opposite of what the Bible teaches. In todays world you can say you are a believer, but hate the church.
So today I want to talk about...
THE ENEMY OF US
There is a very real enemy. His name is Satan. And as we have said before is he cannot keep you from becoming a believer, he will then seek to distract you. And one of the biggest distractions the enemy can throw at you is division, getting you to believe something outside the bible’s standards, having you throw hate at God’s church, And cause believers to not even agree on what the Bible says clearly. Because when that happens you don’t pursue your God given purpose, The Kingdom of God will not advance, and the world watches as people who claim to have the truth cannot even agree on what that truth is.
1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.
COUNTERFEIT FAITH IS THE ENEMY OF US
WHAT IS COUNTERFEIT FAITH?
A faith rooted in what i feel not what God says
A faith rooted in what I wish God had said not what He actually said
A faith rooted in what will make me accepted by the world
A desire to please culture and not my heavenly father
a faith that calls evil good and good evil
And you may say why would someone choose a counterfeit faith?
IF YOU FOLLOW GOD’S WORD, HIS TRUTH AND HIS STANDARD YOU WILL BE PERSECUTED… IT’S PROMISED.
Now we should thank the LORD that we live in a country that is not like some in the world. As of now you are not risking your life to practice your faith and hold it’s standards because in some parts of the world you would be. But persecution on a level can still happen here today.
12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
Following culture and denying God’s truth as a believer will lead you to temporary flourishing. This is why it’s so easy to do. You’ll get followers. You’ll get likes. You’ll get endorsements and deals. You may even find a new stream of revenue. But in the end it will leave you empty, outside of God’s will and not fulfilling your purpose. And emily and I have watched as people we know decide to follow cultures politically correct Bible, grow in influence and all the while be left empty. BUT CHURCH WE MUST hold true to what God’s word says.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
THE ENEMY OF US is when the Church decides to stop looking to God’s word for what’s true and instead bows to cultures standard. And this is becoming more and more prevalent. You scroll through any social media platform and you will see, more often than not, people who claim to be followers of Jesus leaving the church, changing their views on sin and claiming a moral authority over every other believer where they urge others to just realize the truth like they have. If you would just get with the times and see that things have changed. But God says that He never changes, and that His word stands true throughout generations.
Increasingly we are looking for the voice we want to hear not the one we need to hear. We are turning to false voices that only lead to destruction instead of the voice of truth that brings life.
And this effects your kids, it affects your spouse. This affects your family. This affects you. When you decide to listen to the wrong voice on the altar of connivence, not ruffle feathers, and to be accepted you sacrifice influence and God’s purpose in your life.
And Paul knew this would happen…
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
WE ARE IN THAT TIME.
And this is more than just others this is also the church. Believers are increasingly seeking out pastors and churches and christian influences who will line up with their views and what they wanted God to say not the Bibles views and what God actually said.
If you go on youtube. You can find a person with the title of pastor who will confirm anything you want to believe. It could completely go against God’s word. If you want to find someone to confirm what you want to believe, what you wished God said you can find it. You can find a church here in town that will confirm whatever it is that you wish God had said. AND IF YOU ARE READY IM GOING TO COME OUT SWINGING.
If you want a pastor to affirm that children can decide which gender they are and that you as the parent should be arrested if you fail to affirm them you can find it. In fact a simple google search will take you to a website where in all seriousness there is an alphabetical list of the 112 genders your child should get to choose from. in fact i started to read these genders and I only made it to the B’s. But one is called BIOGENDER - Feel like a tree. And so if you want to believe that your child should be able to choose their Gender, even if their gender is an oak tree, you can find it.
If you want a pastor affirm that we should no longer uphold the biblical view of marriage you can find it.
If you want to find a church or a pastor who will affirm that a life is not a life until it’s outside the womb and you should be able to kill an infant up until right before the moment you give birth because their life is an inconvenience and that doing so is actually another word for mercy you can find it.
If you want a pastor to affirm that salvation is not through grace alone but rather only through your works and being good enough you can be saved, they are out there.
If you want a pastor that tells you that the local church is not necessary and in fact should be torn down you can find it.
If you want to find a pastor whose goal is to tear down God’s church, lead you to deconstruction, and urge you to get away from God’s church you can find it.
And this week I saw a pastor who said that God’s word is no longer relevant and that it’s not needed in todays church
And so whatever you want to to believe, and whatever you wish God had said, there is a buffet on social media and in the news that you can choose from.
But we have to decide that God’s word is the authority in our lives. That what He said is what we believe whether we like it, whether it makes us uncomfortable.
New Purpose I am calling us to be comfortably uncomfortable. For us to cling to God’s word in such a way that it actually corrects our lives when we are wrong. that informs what we stand for. And at times it will be uncomfortable. But it’s what we are called to do. You see when you decide to shape your worldview and your beliefs with God’s word it will call you out. It will lead you to repentance. It will cause you to change. And all of that is always uncomfortable.
And I want to ask. In any area of life, where has avoiding the uncomfortable ever gotten you. When studying was uncomfortable, when doing the homework was uncomfortable. When choosing to be faithful to your spouse is uncomfortable. When deciding to not cope with a bottle is uncomfortable. We would all agree what the right decisions are there. but what about when God’s word makes us uncomfortable?
And this is the basis for this series. That when it comes to our personal lives, to our families, our relationships, our beliefs and our standards that we would choose to embrace what God said even when it makes us uncomfortable. Because as we go and as our families go so goes the nation. And we are living in a nation that is the result of how we have gone and how our families have gone.
I heard a pastor say this week that if we do not fight for our future we may not have one and I could not agree more. Because if we want to actually see revival happen in this community, this state and in our nation it starts in us and in our homes.
Now hear me out. Here is what I am not saying: I AM NOT SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD HATE, BELITTLE, AVOID, AND TEAR DOWN people who do not practice biblical values. I am not saying that you should start treating people who don’t agree with the Bible standards like they have leprosy. I AM SAYING THE OPPOSITE. That rather we should love people AND live a life so close to God’s word that the world takes notice and says “I want some of that”.
AND I FIGURE WHILE IM AT IT WHY DON’T WE MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE UNCOMFORTABLE IN HERE. So i’m gonna say some things that okay?
You cannot complain about the worlds influence on your children and at the same time give them complete unrestricted access to social media without sitting down with them and talking through the things they will see on there. We have a culture that is trying to turn your 7 year old into a 18 year old overnight. Have the conversations with your children. It’s uncomfortable.
You cannot claim to be a believer and have absolutely no burden for your neighbor who doesn’t know Jesus all because you don’t want to feel uncomfortable.
You cannot complain about your spouse and your marriage but not take the church seriously, not pray with them and not be seeking to become a better person and closer to God yourself.
You cannot complain that your children don’t take church seriously and don’t take faith seriously when you yourself show up early for football games but late and sometimes never to church.
And lastly you cannot complain about the state of our nation but not vote and vote for the person that most closely aligns with biblical standards.
THIS IS A TIME FOR US TO TURN TO GOD, to regain our influence as followers of Jesus and as the Church and it starts with US.
So Church i’m calling us to be uncomfortable. because our lives depend on it. our children futures depend on it and revival in our state, in our homes, in our families, and in our nation depends on it. SO CHURCH LET’S GET UNCOMFORTABLE.
