Live in the world not of the world

Good morning and welcome to CCC. So glad to see each of you here this morning. What a wonderful thing to have kids here again this morning in our second week of kids Sunday School.

You may also have noticed I am wearing my old Nevada Wrestling coaching polo that is in support of our very own Sydnee Baldwin who with three other teammates qualified for the Missouri Class 1 Girls tournament next week. Great Job Sydnee and good luck!

We now have a ride line 417-448-0369. If you or someone you know needs a ride to church call that number and myself or Mike Compton will answer. God has called Mike to head up our van ministry which is truly a blessing and I can’t wait to see the fruit and testimony that will come from his obedience!

Let’s Pray

START OBS

I want to start with a story that I came across this week.

When conducting a mission in a mining town a preacher was escorted through a coal mine. Entering the black, grimy, underground tunnel he saw some beautiful, pure-white flowers growing out of the black mine earth. He was amazed! How could anything, let alone a flower of such great beauty and purity live in that black grime? He asked the guide for an explanation. The guide told him to throw some coal dust on the flower and watch to see what happened. The preacher did so. As soon as the coal dust hit those snowy-white petals, it slid straight off, leaving no trace of coal dust to mar its beauty. The surface of the petals was so smooth that the grit and grime had nothing to hold onto. The dirtiness that surrounded the plant and tainted its leaves and everything else in the mine could not get a grip on the glossy flower petals. The dirt could not cling to them.

I have a picture of coal white daisies. Look at how white they are yet being in coal. I do not know if the story is true or if these coal white daisies are the flowers being talked about. This got my mind thinking and I did a little more research and found something pretty amazing

Before I show you this video it is a commercial for a product but it shows exactly what we are going to talk about this morning. I am in no way endorsing this product or the company as I have no idea about either of them so please don’t leave here and say Pastor Josh said to buy this product it is great. I am just interested in the video not the product.

Please show the video

This morning we are going to see how we can live in the world not of the world, surrounded by sin and evil but it not sticking to us

I John 2:15-17

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“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

You and I as Christians cannot love the world or the things of the world

I believe that there will be many Matthew 7 “Christians” who loved the world, they claimed to love the Father but the love of the Father was not in them because they loved the world.

Outside appearances are deceiving. Salvation is an inside job, true you see the fruit of salvation on the outside but that is a result not a cause.

What are the things of the world

Desires of the flesh

Desires of the eyes

Pride of life

How do we eliminate the love of the world?

How do we eliminate the desires of the flesh an eyes and pride of life?

That is what we are going to look at this morning.

Much like those things treated with that product in the video we, through the power of the Holy Spirit and application of God’s Word can have the world bounce right off of us.

Romans 12:1-2

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“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I want to look at 4 things this scripture brings out

1. Living Sacrifice

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Turn with me to

Luke 9:23

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“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

The life of the Christian should be marked by sacrifice.

Giving up the world to be filled with Christ

You were never in control of your life that is a lie the devil sells society and they buy it hook line and sinker

You are either lost,

a sinner,

on satan’s team

loving the things of the world and

walking in the desires of the flesh and eyes and pride of life or

You are saved,

redeemed,

part of the family of God,

loving the things of God and

walking in the Spirit

You are either controlled by satan

the world

and sin

Or God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit

That is the only choice, having control is not a choice

You must surrender to God

You must submit to God

You must take up your cross daily and follow Jesus

Sacrifice you for Jesus

EVERYDAY!

You must die to the world and live from Christ

2. Spiritual Worship

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Dying to self.

Taking up your cross

Presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God

Is your spiritual worship

Worship is not just songs.

I love worship.

I love helping Stephanie and Melody lead worship

I love hearing each and everyone of you worship

That is just part of worship

Giving thanks to God for what he has done for you is worship

Kinley worshipped with me this morning. She went to the doctor this week and got great news. I got a text from her dad to pray for them and then when I followed up with them to see how things went Mike said Roo has great news but wants to tell you all about it.

That is worship. Praising God for his provision and guidance and healing in our lives.

That is also carried over into corporate worship. If you see them worship you can tell that they understand who God is and what He has done in their lives. Praise God for that!

Spiritual worship is the act of denying self so that you can be a living sacrifice because of how good God is

When you choose God’s Word over sin that is worship

When you speak truth into someone’s life that is worship

When you endure trials and tribulations and persecutions for the glory of God that is worship

Helping your neighbor mow their lawn or whatever you help them with is worship

Choosing to be at church instead of sleeping in or putting something else in front of God is worship

I need to worship in my eating, deny myself the things I crave that are unhealthy and choosing the healthy options is worship

Fasting to seek God’s will

or seek a closer relationship with God

or to seek an answer to a situation or problem

or to intercede for someone

or to seek healing

or whatever you are seeking by fasting is worship

As a Christian your spiritual worship is to be a living sacrifice

Dead to the world and alive from Christ

3. Don’t be Conformed to this world

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Romans 6:1-14

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What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace

That is what baptism represents and why it is the first step of obedience following salvation.

It is not salvation itself, it plays no part in eternal life other than being the first step of obedience. I also believe that you receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of true salvation.

Baptism represents your decision to die to you

Die to the world

Die to your old self

Your old ways

Your old addictions

Your old beliefs

You old sin

DIE TO IT

Buried with Christ in death to sin and the world

and

Risen to new life from Christ Jesus

New you

You must die to self 24/7 365 all day every day!

Baptism is also a public declaration that you have died to the world and are alive in and from Christ!

Folks if you do not believe that how you live matters to God you are dead wrong.

You are under grace

Your sins are forgiven

When you accept Jesus you will go to heaven

Those are all reasons to walk in the Spirit not walk in the flesh

You have a sin nature.

It will not die until you are perfect either in heaven or when Jesus returns

You will be in a constant battle against that nature and it matters what you choose

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

As a Christian you can’t choose to live in sin

Will you sin

Absolutely you will sin

The issue is what do you do when you sin

Do you ignore it

Do you justify it

Do you sweep it under the rug

Do you run from it

Do you try to out do it, doing good works hoping those will offset that sin

Or

Do you mourn for it

Do you weep over it

Do you sprint to the cross to give it to Jesus

Do you confess it

You and I cannot live in sin and be Christians

God is holy

God cant stand sin

God hates sin

You can’t live as a child of the holy God who hates sin and cant stand sin while choosing to live in sin

Sinning is part of our daily life as humans

The difference is this, when we sin we confess it and do our best to not sin again

Living in sin is knowing we are sinning, such as living with someone before marriage....engaging in pre-marital sex or any sex outside of marriage including porn....living a homosexual or transsexual lifestyle.....putting pride and money and greed and hobbies and whatever before God and only seeing God as a get out of hell free card....fire insurance.

Your walk must change

Your life must change

You cant accept Jesus and keep walking as you were walking before Jesus.....you might have met Jesus but you didn't accept him

Look at vs 12-14 again

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make it obey it passions

Stop living in sin

Stop allowing your body to obey its passions

Look at 13 you are either an instrument of sin and death or an instrument of God for righteousness

Those are the only two options

In Christ you are free from death and sin.....14 tells us that

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace

Live like it.

Stop letting sin have dominion over you because you refuse to do things God’s Way

You refuse to be in God’s Word

You refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you God’s Word

You refuse to apply God’s Word

You refuse to confess your sin

You refuse to walk away from your sin

You refuse to mourn over your sin

You refuse to weep over your sin

You refuse JESUS!

Jesus willingly died for you

Jesus willingly paid the price you couldn't pay.....even if you could pay it most wouldn’t pay it

Jesus was beaten and spat upon and rejected so you could be a Child of God

Jesus willingly mounted a cross and willingly, even though he lived a perfect life without sin became your sin....became my sin......then he died to forgive that sin.....to shed his perfect blood once for all to cover that sin to pay for that sin

You can’t accept that lightly

You can’t accept all He has given without giving all that you have

There is a game today and many people’s entire world revolves around that game

Shame on you that is sin

That game is an idol for you

I am looking forward to the game, not for the game itself so much but because family is coming over and I get the joy of cooking for them and fellowshipping with them

We must be different

We must be dead to the world, living sacrifices to God and all in for Jesus

I urge you don’t conform to this world

4. Transformed by the renewing of your mind

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I told you the story of the coal flower and showed you the video this morning because a Christian must live in the world but not of the world

Not conformed to the world

God’s Word is the way to transform your mind

When you are taught God’s truth by the Holy Spirit, which is how you learn God’s truth by the way

It may be presented by me or one of our teachers here at CCC but we are not teaching you the Holy Spirit is teaching you.

God’s truth is what repels the dirt and shame and guilt and sin of this world

I heard a quote at an educational leadership conference about changing culture in an educational setting and it was this

Talent repels non-talent

What is means is this, as you build a quality team.

As you bring in people with talent

or help build people with talent

Those who cant or refuse to grow or have no talent will leave

The Gospel repels sin

if you are a Christian and the Holy Spirit is inside of you then you can repel sin because the Holy Spirit repels sin

You will battle it but you can win through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I want to close today by giving you some steps to help you along the way to renewing your mind.

1. You don’t need a miracle to change your mind

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So many, maybe even you, are waiting for that miracle

If only this would happen then I could believe

If this would change then I could be all in

IF

IF

IF

Stop with the ifs

Stop with thinking you need a miracle because you already have one Salvation

Jesus

God’s Word being active and alive

The Holy Spirit living inside of you

You don’t need a miracle to change your mind as a Christian you have all that you need right now

God gave you and me His Word so we could stand on Truth not miracles.

I believe God is still in the miracle business but I don’t need a miracle to believe or renew my mind all I need is God’s Word!

Make God’s Word your standard and see what happens in your life!

2. Stop believing you can’t control your thoughts

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Philippians 4:8

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“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

God gives you a list of things to think about.

If it is not one of these things.

If it is not of God

If it is not in God’s Word or about God’s Word

Stop thinking it.

Give it to God

When it shows up as a thought speak God’s Word to it

The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead I think He can guide you on how to control your thoughts

When thoughts come that are negative or bad or destruction think on the things of God mentioned in Philippians 4:8..... the choice is yours!

3. Good in Good out Bad in Bad out

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There is a saying in coaching if you put junk in you will get junk out

If an athlete eats junk food their body will never perform the way it would with good fuel

Race car teams don’t put junk fuel into their cars because they wont run right they put the best fuel they can get in their cars

If you are not feeding your mind with scripture you will never renew your mind

What you feed your mind becomes your mindset

I want to say that again

What you feed your mind becomes your mindset

If you are putting sinful junk in your mind through what you

read

music you listen to

tv you watch

movies you watch

games you play

social media you consume

people you listen to

Then your mindset will be those things....evil....sinful.....selfish.....prideful.....lustful.....full of the desires of the flesh and eyes

what you feed your mind becomes your mindset

You have the world at your fingertips with the internet and social media today but you must guard what you feed your mind

4. Talk about what you believe not what you feel

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You must talk about God’s Truth not your feelings. Circumstances

Situations

People

Hurts

Trials

Tribulations

Persecutions

All of those will come

All of those will hurt

All of those will cause us to have all kinds of feelings and emotions

Don’t talk about your feelings talk about truth

Your emotions are not bad it is not making your emotions obey truth that is bad

When I react emotionally it is never good

I say stupid things

I think stupid things

I do stupid things

Speak God’s Truth to your feelings and make them obey the truth

Don’t speak your feelings and think they are God’s Truth

Don’t speak your feelings trying to make God’s Truth obey your feelings

Finally

5. Resist negative thoughts and help Godly thoughts

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James 4:7

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“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Same thing with renewing your mind.

When negative or worldly thoughts come resist them

How

Submit yourself to God

Give it to God

Father I can’t defeat this thought and I am giving it to you....give me the strength to stand.

When Godly thoughts come think on them

Talk about them

Praise God for them

What a wonderful way to end the day by talking about all of the godly thoughts you had in a day with your spouse or parent or kid

Fill your social media with godly thoughts, positive thoughts

What this all boils down to is relationship with Jesus

Giving Him your all

I don’t know where you are this morning but you do and God does and again we give this opportunity so you can respond to God

Maybe that is by accepting Jesus for the very first time

Maybe that is by saying I need to be baptized to obey Christ and die to self and the world, buried with Christ and risen with Him to a new life

Maybe that is dealing with sin, confessing it and leaving it at the foot of the cross

Maybe you need to come forward and praise Him, give him thanks for what he is doing in your life

Whatever it is come and meet Jesus!

STOP OBS

Invitation song Changed My Name