Sermon Tone Analysis

Living in plain sight!

We are not called to be undercover Christians, we are called light and light is not to be hidden.

So, we are to live our Christian life in plain sight.

In the midst of perverse generation, let our light shine (Php2:15; Mt5:16)

We are called to let our light shine in a particular way, blameless, harmless and in some versions it says innocent or pure, and we will get more into that in a few minutes.

Think about what Jesus said:

Let our light shine in a particular way with a particular purpose.

In our study passage for this series (Php2:12-15) we are given direction, hope and a warning.

Direction given (Php2:12)

what is the direction?

- work out your salvation

Hope given (Php2:13)

What is the hope? - it is God’s work in you!

Warning given (Php2:14)

What is the warning given?

- do it without grumbling or disputing

And a goal given and that is our focus tonight (Php2:15)

And now our focus passage for tonight coupled with a few other passages along the way.

That we would be children of God without fault!

In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation we are to be light, living in plain sight as children of God, not just children of God but children of God without fault!

We are to be a shining light, living a life in plain sight, being children of God without fault, being blameless, harmless, innocent, pure.

All, so that, the world will see the light of Christ in us and through us!

Tonight awe are looking at the who, what, why and how of being blameless and harmless as we live life in plain sight.

The What, How and Why of Blameless

Who, what, where, when, how and why are some basic investigative questions.

and right now we are going to focus on the word blameless and the scripture on the why how and why.

(Insert blameless from Greek picture here)

Blameless: The definition (adj) meaning innocent of wrong doing (Oxford dictionary); in Strong’s it says deserving no censure, free from fault or defect.

Blameless does not mean perfection, for if we thought so, we would be lying to ourselves (1Jn1:8-10; Rom3:23)

We all sin, we all fall short of the glory of God (Rom3:23).

So, to be blameless is to live in a manner, in such a way, that even those who oppose us have nothing bad to say.

Paul calls to live blameless other places too (Tit2:7-8)

Why live like this?

So nothing can hurt our witness (exampled Mt23:3)

We need to be transparent, we need to be consistent, we need to be people who do what we say and do what we do in accordance to the scripture.

If we say one thing and do another it will be apparent and it will not shine a good light on Jesus.

we should live in such a way that we have not glaring faults for that which would discount our message that we have been charged and equipped with to share with others.

How to live blameless, or to be blameless

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Practice what you preach

Work out your own salvation (Php2:12)

If there is a problem with someone, work it out (Mt5:23-24)

Practice gentleness, patience and humility (Gal6:1; 2Tim2:24-26)

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Practice what you preach

Work out your own salvation (Php2:12)

We have looked ta this verse many times over, if we want to practice what we preach we need to work out our own salvation personally first.

We need to know where we stand and how we stand there

Practice what you preach

Work out your own salvation (Php2:12)

If there is a problem with someone, work it out (Mt5:23-24)

Self examination is important when we want to practice what we preach.

For we all fall short at times, and when we find there is problem we need to promptly admit it, confess it, deal with it.

Practice what you preach

Work out your own salvation (Php2:12)

If there is a problem with someone, work it out (Mt5:23-24)

Practice gentleness, patience and humility (Gal6:1; 2Tim2:24-26)

We can be people who practice what we preach when we come with the spirit of gentleness.

But the other passage mentioned 2Tim2:24-26 we should look at too.

So to practice what we preach according to these verses what are we to do? -

Not be quarrelsome

Be kind, ready to teach

Be patient when wronged

Be gentle in correction with a purpose in mind

Escape, freedom, release from captivity

We cannot do that, practice what we preach if we are hypocrites, if we have blaring faults before us.So we need to be without fault and should be considered harmless.

The what, How and Why of Harmless

Harmless what a great word isn’t it?

As Christians who are living life in plain sight we are to be harmless, not ones who pose a threat.

akeraios: unmixed, pure

Original Word: ἀκέραιος, ον

Part of Speech: Adjective

Transliteration: akeraios

Phonetic Spelling: (ak-er'-ah-yos)

Definition: unmixed, pure

Usage: (lit: unmixed) simple, unsophisticated, sincere, blameless

Harmless: Akeraios meaning without mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent, simple.

-If we are to be free from evil, guile, to be innocent and simple then we would be free from any taint or suspicion of any evil, or duplicity (saying one thing and doing another; aka hypocrisy).

Harmless as exampled by Christ’s words (Mt10:16)

We should never be seen as a threat to people who would bring harm or violence upon them.

Why should we be harmless and without fault?

May we look at Paul’s words to Titus, I believe we may have looked previously, but hey, it fits perfectly right here too.

Harmless, without fault as exampled by Paul’s words (Tit2:7-8)

Now here are some things to consider things that in the name of Jesus have been carried to extreme that are not living a life in plain sight that is blameless and harmless.

Pro-life protests that lead to violence or intimidation

Economic blackmail (banning, boycotting) in effort to force a change

Protests at military funerals

How do you think these things make Christians look?

Do they attract or distract people from Christ?

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Biblical Suggestions in being harmless

Paul’s instruction - Give no offence: (2Cor6:3)

Paul’s direction: give regard to honorable things (2Cor8:21)

In our conduct do not blaspheme God (Rom2:23-24)

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Biblical Suggestions in being harmless

Paul’s instruction - Give no offence: (2Cor6:3)

We are to have the kind of attitude that Paul and the apostles had, they were determined to give no cause for offence for a purpose, what was the purpose?

- so ministry would not be discredited.

Biblical Suggestions in being harmless

Paul’s instruction - Give no offence: (2Cor6:3)

Paul’s direction: give regard to honorable things (2Cor8:21)

We need to not be offensive, we need to be honorable, to give regard for honorable things not only in the sight of the Lord, but who else? - sight of men, now that is living a life that is in plain sight and is shining a light!

Paul in writing to the Romans speaks of blasphemy God because they break the law but demand the law of others, they were not practicing what they were preaching.