Leading an Unexamined Life

How does it happen?

Let’s take a look at the scriptures and see just how it is that a man gets caught up in this unexamined

life, how does it happen?

. You should be there, if you’re not, just listen:

8

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on

Colossians 2:8 CSB

8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.

human traditions and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

See to it that no one takes you captive. How it happens that we lead an unexamined life is that we get

See to it that no one takes you captive. How it happens that we lead an unexamined life is that we get taken captive! How? Through hollow and deceptive philosophies that depend on the basic principles and traditions of this world! So there is a worldview in the world, it’s called secularism, it’s a hollow, deceptive philosophy and it takes men captive.

taken captive! How? Through hollow and deceptive philosophies that depend on the basic principles and

traditions of this world! So there is a worldview in the world, it’s called secularism, it’s a hollow,

deceptive philosophy and it takes men captive.

. Another way we get caught up in leading an unexamined life, this text says:

Romans 12:2 CSB

2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Turn to . Another way we get caught up in leading an unexamined life, this text says:

2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your

So the idea is that… if the text is saying don’t conform any longer to the pattern of this world, we get caught up in leading an unexamined life by conforming to the pattern of this world. The world has a pattern. Pattern is another word for world view. A world view is a system or structure through which we can interpret the things that are going on around us.

mind.

So the idea is that… if the text is saying don’t conform any longer to the pattern of this world, we get

caught up in leading an unexamined life by conforming to the pattern of this world. The world has a

pattern. Pattern is another word for world view. A world view is a system or structure through which we

can interpret the things that are going on around us.

It’s worth noting that these two world views are as diametrically opposed as the East is from West. They have no touch points in common, none! :

Turn to . It’s worth noting that these two world views are as diametrically opposed as the

East is from West. They have no touch points in common, none! :

Ephesians 6:12 CSB

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against

the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It is a spiritual battle! The battle between the Christian world view and the secular world view, it is a spiritual battle.

It is a spiritual battle! The battle between the Christian world view and the secular world view, it is a

spiritual battle. How do we get caught up? The world wants to take us captive, conforming to the

How do we get caught up? The world wants to take us captive, conforming to the pattern of this world.

pattern of this world. There’s a spiritual battle that’s going on, so practically speaking for most of us our

There’s a spiritual battle that’s going on, so practically speaking for most of us our world views are not carefully chiseled by a personal search for truth and obedience to God.Rather, we just take it as it comes.

world views are not carefully chiseled by a personal search for truth and obedience to God. Rather, we

We say I like that, I don’t like that, so we do that and not that, instead of being relentlessly searching for the truth. So the results of this, men end up doing what seems right in their own eyes. Men end up trying to have the best of both worlds.

Men end up in syncretism, the blending of two or more world views together, trying to come up with a new and improved third world view.

just take it as it comes. We say I like that, I don’t like that, so we do that and not that, instead of being

relentlessly searching for the truth. So the results of this, men end up doing what seems right in their

own eyes. Men end up trying to have the best of both worlds. Men end up in syncretism, the blending of

two or more world views together, trying to come up with a new and improved third world view. Men become Christian in spirit, but secular in practice, like Johnathan. They catch success sickness, the disease of always wanting more but then never being happy when we get it. We lead unexamined lives

become Christian in spirit, but secular in practice, like Johnathan. They catch success sickness, the

Men become Christian in spirit, but secular in practice.

disease of always wanting more but then never being happy when we get it. We lead unexamined lives

as a result, and we get caught up in the rat race as a result, and we become cultural Christians as a

It is for a lack of discipleship that men lead unexamined lives, and what is discipleship? What is it? If God’s put somebody in your path who is stuck, discipleship means what?

result, and we pierce ourselves with many many griefs, unnecessary griefs! Because, as the Big Idea

today says, it is for a lack of discipleship that men lead unexamined lives, and what is discipleship?

And it’s because nobody’s ever pressed in on them and said hey, you look like you’re stuck! What’s wrong? Why is that? Would you like me to try to help you figure out how to solve that problem? That’s discipleship!- Do you agree with the definition of discipleship?

What is it? If God’s put somebody in your path who is stuck, discipleship means what? Discipleship

means finding out why, why is that man stuck, and then helping him solve that problem! There are

formal programs in discipleship and so on, but at the essence, you don’t need a program! You just need

to love somebody enough to disciple them by finding out why are they stuck and then helping them

solve that problem! And it’s for a lack of that that men all around us lead unexamined lives! Hopefully

nobody here, but possibly somebody here, but all around us there are men leading unexamined lives!

And it’s because nobody’s ever pressed in on them and said hey, you look like you’re stuck! What’s

wrong? Why is that? Would you like me to try to help you figure out how to solve that problem? That’s

discipleship!

What can we do about it?

Finally, what can we do about this, for ourselves especially? There was a pastor who was a sports enthusiast, and he was trying to make a connection with a new congregant who also was a sports enthusiast. The pastor liked boxing, so he invited the new man to a boxing match, to which he had never been. They were sitting ringside, and just before the match started, one of the boxers made the sign of the cross. New guy leans toward the pastor and says what does that mean? He says, well, it doesn’t mean a thing if the guy can’t box! There you have discipleship! It’s good to have faith, but if you don’t know how to box, if you don’t grow in that faith, learn the elementary parts of that faith and how to apply it, it’s not going to mean much when the other guy starts swinging at you in this spiritual battle that we all are in!

enthusiast, and he was trying to make a connection with a new congregant who also was a sports

enthusiast. The pastor liked boxing, so he invited the new man to a boxing match, to which he had never

been. They were sitting ringside, and just before the match started, one of the boxers made the sign of

the cross. New guy leans toward the pastor and says what does that mean? He says, well, it doesn’t

mean a thing if the guy can’t box! There you have discipleship! It’s good to have faith, but if you don’t

know how to box, if you don’t grow in that faith, learn the elementary parts of that faith and how to

apply it, it’s not going to mean much when the other guy starts swinging at you in this spiritual battle

that we all are in!

The second suggestion is make a commitment to see yourself as you really are. Don’t kid, trick and fool yourself. Be willing to bring yourself, your soul, naked before God and ask him to mentor you, to disciple you. Bring yourself before the men at your table and be vulnerable with them, be transparent with them, because that’s how discipleship takes place. It takes place in the context of personal vulnerability and willingness to see ourselves as we really are. It’s the two yous, do you continue to groom and tend and take care of this image, this visible you, or do you go for the real you, the one that’s known by God?

I’m going to give you two things, two suggestions. The first one is to make sure that you understand the

I’m going to give you two things, two suggestions. The first one is to make sure that you understand the differences between the Christian and the secular world views. Make sure you understand the differences, because remember both world views are trying to solve your same problems! Secularism is going to have appeals. Honestly, think about it, no world view is going to survive if it doesn’t seem to solve the problem. The problem with secularism is that it does work, for ten years, twenty years, thirty years, maybe even forty years, but secularism will betray you eventually, and usually at the worst possible moment, after you’ve given your life to ideas that never had any possibility of satisfying the deepest longings of your life, to do something that will make a difference, to have someone in your life that you can share with and have a system that explains why life is so hard. It’s like the circus performer who rides on the back of two horses, one foot firmly planted on the back of each horse. But what would happen if those two horses started to move apart? The daring circus performer would have to make a choice, to go to the one or the other. By zeroing in and understanding these dramatic and radically different world views, instead of seeing them as not that much different. In the beginnings of discipleship, they don’t look that much different, because they’re trying to solve the same problems, but as you get to understand the differences, then you see how far apart they are, and then you too, like the circus performer, will make a choice. And of course you’ll make the right choice. So understand the differences.

differences between the Christian and the secular world views. Make sure you understand the

differences, because remember both world views are trying to solve your same problems! Secularism is

going to have appeals. Honestly, think about it, no world view is going to survive if it doesn’t seem to

solve the problem. The problem with secularism is that it does work, for ten years, twenty years, thirty

years, maybe even forty years, but secularism will betray you eventually, and usually at the worst

possible moment, after you’ve given your life to ideas that never had any possibility of satisfying the

deepest longings of your life, to do something that will make a difference, to have someone in your life

that you can share with and have a system that explains why life is so hard. It’s like the circus performer

who rides on the back of two horses, one foot firmly planted on the back of each horse. But what would

happen if those two horses started to move apart? The daring circus performer would have to make a

choice, to go to the one or the other. By zeroing in and understanding these dramatic and radically

different world views, instead of seeing them as not that much different. In the beginnings of

discipleship, they don’t look that much different, because they’re trying to solve the same problems, but

as you get to understand the differences, then you see how far apart they are, and then you too, like the

circus performer, will make a choice. And of course you’ll make the right choice. So understand the

differences.

The second suggestion is make a commitment to see yourself as you really are. Don’t kid, trick and fool yourself. Be willing to bring yourself, your soul, naked before God and ask him to mentor you, to disciple you. Bring yourself before the men at your table and be vulnerable with them, be transparent with them, because that’s how discipleship takes place. It takes place in the context of personal vulnerability and willingness to see ourselves as we really are. It’s the two yous, do you continue to groom and tend and take care of this image, this visible you, or do you go for the real you, the one that’s known by God?

yourself. Be willing to bring yourself, your soul, naked before God and ask him to mentor you, to disciple

you. Bring yourself before the men at your table and be vulnerable with them, be transparent with

them, because that’s how discipleship takes place. It takes place in the context of personal vulnerability

and willingness to see ourselves as we really are. It’s the two yous, do you continue to groom and tend

and take care of this image, this visible you, or do you go for the real you, the one that’s known by God?

Let’s take a look at how this happens by looking at the counter to , having verses taken captive, turn with me to . The counter to having your thoughts taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy is this:

captive, turn with me to . The counter to having your thoughts taken captive through

hollow and deceptive philosophy is this:

2 Corinthians 10:5 CSB

5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

5

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (that’s

leading an examined life, you see?), and we take captive every thought (all those thoughts taken captive

What did I say? I said that most men do not have a world view that has been carefully chiseled by a personal search for truth and obedience to God. Here it is, to make it obedient to Christ! Keep your finger there, but then turn with me to .

by hollow and deceptive philosophy) to make it obedient to Christ.

What did I say? I said that most men do not have a world view that has been carefully chiseled by a

If says do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, the antidote to being conformed, the counter,

personal search for truth and obedience to God. Here it is, to make it obedient to Christ! Keep your

Psalm 139:23–24 CSB

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

finger there, but then turn with me to . If says do not conform any longer

to the pattern of this world, the antidote to being conformed, the counter, :

That’s how we don’t end up leading an unexamined life, that’s discipleship. I asked you to hold your finger at , go back there and turn to . Here it is:

23

Search me, oh God, and know my heart;

test me and know (any offensive way in me, that’s idolatrous way) my anxious thoughts.

2 Corinthians 13:5 CSB

5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.

24

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

My favorite story ever: an elementary school teacher took her children to the studio of a famous sculptor. As they filed into the studio, they all had to pass by this giant, ferocious looking lion, that seemed ready to pounce on them! Every single child did the same thing, they sort of shrank back, it was so realistic. One of the kids went to the sculptor, tugged on his smock, and said hey mister, how were you able to make such a realistic looking lion? He said it was easy son, I started with a large block of marble and then I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like a lion. That’s discipleship, you see?

That’s how we don’t end up leading an unexamined life, that’s discipleship. I asked you to hold your

finger at , go back there and turn to . Here it is:

5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ

Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test (that’s not a test you want to fail!)?

In the book, and we have the books back there if you want to buy them and follow along, you don’t

need to, but you can if you want, “The choice between a Christian world view and a secular world view is

a choice between God’s race and the rat race.” My favorite story ever: an elementary school teacher

took her children to the studio of a famous sculptor. As they filed into the studio, they all had to pass by

this giant, ferocious looking lion, that seemed ready to pounce on them! Every single child did the same

thing, they sort of shrank back, it was so realistic. One of the kids went to the sculptor, tugged on his

smock, and said hey mister, how were you able to make such a realistic looking lion? He said it was easy

son, I started with a large block of marble and then I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like a

lion. That’s discipleship, you see?

If you want to lead an examined life, bring yourself into the presence of Jesus, preferably in the company of some men who are trying to do the same thing. Then, invite the Holy Spirit to chip away everything in you that doesn’t look like Jesus. The Big Idea today, it is for a lack of discipleship that men lead unexamined lives. Let’s pray!

If you want to lead an examined life, bring yourself into the presence of Jesus, preferably in the

company of some men who are trying to do the same thing. Then, invite the Holy Spirit to chip away

everything in you that doesn’t look like Jesus. The Big Idea today, it is for a lack of discipleship that men

lead unexamined lives. Let’s pray!