Let Your Light Shine Series
Let Your Light Shine • Sermon • Submitted
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· 26 viewsIntroduction2 to Christianity in post-Christian culture/04/2018
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Post-Christian Culture
Post-Christian Culture
There is no denying the fact that this world, that this Country that even some of the churches (or so called churches) are changing, and not for the good. We are seeing a trend where Biblical Christianity is loosing its primacy in many cultures, many peoples lives.
As far back as 1st century this was a concern. (Rom1:28; 2Tim3:1-5; Mt5:14-16; Php2:12-16)
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
Rom1:28
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Holding to a form of godliness where
Homosexuality is embraced; and if not you are intolerant
Sex before marriage; living together is the norm
When sin, adultery, is now called “having an affair”
Marriage, divorce and remarriage for unbiblical reasons is acceptable
Post-Christian culture can be defined as
old norms that one held true are no longer accepted by the majority
Example is people used to believe the Bible was in inerrant word of God, Jesus is the Son of God and in believing in Him you may have eternal life. Today many believe there are many ways to God and Jesus is just one of them.
Majority of people in society today do not go with the basic moral principles taught in the Bible, they believe they are “out-dated” and people who follow them are “un-enlightened”
Post-Christian culture is both socially and religiously
Socially: As mentioned before homosexuality, living together outside of marriage are just “alternative lifestyles” and acceptable
Religiously: Women’s roles; accepting homosexual leaders,
So what do we do as a bible believing group? How do we impact the post-Christian culture?
Do we form PAC’s?
Do we boycott, hold rallies, stand with pickets to try to make changes?
What about verbal violence and intolerance at abortion clinics?
Well what about forming monasteries, communes and isolating ourselves from the world?
Pretty far fetched with most of these I know but I think you get the idea. So what do we do?
We do as the Bible tells us and our passage for this series is Php2:12-16
While it was written in the Pre-Christian culture to a group of Christians living in the midst of
Heavy Roman culture - many gods, many ways
Paganism
Intellectualism and where immorality was not consider immoral
In other words, Paul writing could be the same writing that could be, should be written today in our post-Christian culture.
So our passage (Php2:12-16) that was written in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation is applicable to us today. It gives some direction, hope and warnings so we can let our light shine.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
As the series will continue we ill delve into the passage with accompanying passages more.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
First, work out our salvation
Work out salvation with fear and trembling
Working it out by allowing God to work in us
Allow the work without grumbling or disputing
Do it as children of God without fault and then
Finally, hold fast the word of life!
I. By working out our salvation
I. By working out our salvation
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
We need to work out “our” salvation personally first. (Mt7:1-6)
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
The passage here is not about judging but getting your own salvation, own house in order before you try to help someone with theirs, sweep up, clean up your own stuff first.
You can notice it tells us “first removed the plank” and then it says” then you will see clearly to take the speck out of someones eye” - we do have a responsibility to help each other.
1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
But first we need to work out our own salvation! (Mt23:3, 13)
Another thing to keep in mind in working out your salvation is don’t work out of your salvation and out of the kingdom of God.
3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
And then add to that scripture
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
If you were to summarize 1Cor9:24-27 it would be run your race, for the prize, be careful how you run your race, not without aim not like beating the air, but with discipline self discipline so not to disqualify yourself.
Don’t go preaching, proclaiming and not doing, don’t be a hypocrite, work out your salvation! - - - - when we work out our own salvation, our personal salvation then our light will shine!
II. With Fear and Trembling
II. With Fear and Trembling
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
Who likes to talk or hear about fear? (Php2:12; Pro1:7; Mt10:28)
No one likes to hear about “fear” for the most part, and it sure is not popular when you bring in God when it comes to fear. You remember the preaching of old and that was meant to scare the hell out of you.
Maybe in our post-Christian culture today the pendulum has swung too far the other way and the “fear of the Lord” has been diluted.
Where is the “fear and trembling?”
The Teacher spoke of fear of the Lord
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Jesus taught about fear of the Lord
28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Without the proper fear of the Lord it is unlikely someone will will make the effort to work out their salvation.
Have you seen apathy, faithlessness, fruitlessness in the church today
We need to work out our salvation, work it out with fear and trembling by allowing God to work in us.
III. By Letting God work in us
III. By Letting God work in us
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
To let our lights shine in this world, we need to let God do work in us. (Php2:13; EPh3:20-21; Php1:6; 1The5:19)
To let our lights shine in this world, we need to let God do work in us.
If we want to shine, allow God to work in us and will do more than we can think or ask
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
He is doing the work in us
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
How He works in us
to will - helping us in our motivation
to do - equipping us in our ability
But still we need to be careful to stay in God’s will so not to quench the Holy Spirit.
19 Do not quench the Spirit;
1The
We don’t want to hinder or resist God from working us and using us to shine a light in a crooked and perverse generation.
Don’t worry we will develop this more in the future lessons in this study.
So we are to be lights, but how we are lights is important too.
IV. Without grumbling or disputing (Php2:14)
IV. Without grumbling or disputing (Php2:14)
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
We need to have the attitude of gratitude
We need to keep a positive attitude
We need to think on the things above
Living the in midst of a crooked and perverse generation and can be down right discouraging or depressing, we do not want to be complainers. When we grumble, when we dispute we make ourselves less effective and our light does not shine the light of Christ.
Don’t let this generation lead to our own downfall, like it did Israel (1Cor10:10-12)
10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
They were destroyed
We are instructed and given example
We need to be careful so not to fall.
Another way for us to improve our light is by getting along and being in unity with our brothers. Unity brings conformity to convince the world concerning Jesus
Look at what Jesus prayed for the apostles. (Jn17:20-23)
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Jn17:
When we dispute, when we grumble or complain it is an indication of some growing that is left to be done. (1Cor3:1-4)
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
1Cor
infants not mature
living on milk not meat
fleshly not spiritual
We as the body of Christ, the believers, the Ekklesia, are to be the light of the world we need to not only not grumble, complain, dispute but don’t devour either and live in peace with one another.
Don’t devour (Gal5:15) be at Peace (Rom12:18)
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
When we are doing this, we can be consumed by one another and not by the Spirit of God that is at work in us. When we are devouring we are not at peace and the scripture calls us to be at peace.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
When we are in unity then the world will be able to see whose we are and what we are.
V. Children of God without Fault (Php2:15)
V. Children of God without Fault (Php2:15)
15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
Prove ourselves to be blameless by our actions and by our words, our life will display we are a child of God.
No we are not perfect, but we are being perfected in Him
We are to be blameless and above reproach
We still fall short, but we can quickly take care of that (1Jn1:9)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Nothing can hinder our walk, hinder our light like inconsistency and hypocrisy. For many do not come to church today because they believe, and are right in most cases, are full of hypocrites. We should not be hypocrites, we need to be lights. We need not be inconsistent, we need to be consistent if following the Lords’ example and Lord’s commands.
In other version's instead of innocent it says harmless
We are to stand against sin, but not sinners, love the sinners hate the sin, you have heard that before. Sinners should not be in fear of us. We should be harmless to them.
24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
We don’t have to beat people over the head with the Bible, we need to lovingly open the bible to them and let God convict hearts. Jesus spoke of being harmless, so maybe we should be like Jesus said.
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Now have to be honest, becoming a Christian is easy, being a light shining Christian takes effort. For we need to as it says in our next verse.
VI. Hold fast the word of life
VI. Hold fast the word of life
16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
The word of life, the Word of God that brings faith (Rom10:17)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Word of life that is the sword of the spirit (Eph6:17)
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
This is the tool that God uses to convict the world of sin produces repentance and brings about a new birth (Jam1:18, 1Pt1:23, add Rom1:16)
18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Hold fast by holding to the word of God- read, study and apply, it will help your light
Hold fast and be willing to proclaim it for it will bring others to be convicted and to be converted.
Remember I started today with personally working out your salvation. look at what Ezra had to say and we will wrap it up today (Ezr7:10)
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezr
What is your heart set to?
study
practice
teach
(invitation) Maybe you are ready to commit to the Lord and allow the Lord to wash away your sins today.
(insert Invitation slide)