Why Oh Why Didn't I Take the Blue Pill?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I once knew a guy who was living a lie
He drove a Cadillac CTS-V-Spec - $90k car
Had a big 6 bedroom house
Wore fancy clothes
Offered me a deal
I’ve been leasing, will buy in 6 mos.
Let’s go in together
Start off $700 mo. rent and we’ll share the mortgage
This guy loved to party
Girls over every night
Snowboarding down the stairs
Air-soft gun fights
Dirt-bike track in the backyard
5 months in, he asked to borrow money, he was waiting for a check to clear
I thought you made $20k a month?
I do but it’s in special funds blah blah blah
It was only $500, and he did pay it back
Then he said the owner wanted to sell, but not to him
We went around fixing everything
Holes in the ball, broken doors, even a broken banister
Then I found out...
He made $20k sometimes, usually nothing
The car was a lease and it was repoed
He actually owned the house the whole time
He was using my rent to pay the mortgage
The funny thing is this: I wold have paid rent if I knew the truth
but it always bugged me that he wanted to lie about everything
Why? I hate believing lies
Rob used to say ignorance is bliss
But I would rather know the truth
Would you take the red pill, or the blue pill?
YouVersion: Why Oh Why Didn’t I Take the Blue Pill?
Or 1 Timothy 4:1-10
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
Just like “The Matrix,” Satan wants us to live in a false reality
What is the doctrine of demons?
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
He appealed to selfishness and pride
I think it’s opposite of love God and your neighbor
Upon all sin hangs these 2
Demons lie to you
calls Satan “the father of lies”
1 tim 4:
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Your conscience is your sense of right and wrong
Your conscience is your sense of right and wrong
Your conscience is your sense of right and wrong
It will push you in the right direction
Paul says these liars have seared or burned consciences
When a human is burned, they damage nerve endings
You can’t feel, or you feel what isn’t there (phantom pain)
Ashlyn Blocker has a condition called CIPA
She has congenital insensitivity to pain
That might sound great! Never step on a Lego! It’s not...
She cannot sense temperature so she cannot sweat - or break a fever
If outside, she could suffer heat stroke and never know it’s coming
People with CIPA die from appendicitis because they never feel the pain
They die from infections they never knew they had
She may not feel pain, but she still suffers the effects
In a sense, she cannot sense reality
That’s what Paul is saying about a seared conscious
People have burned their conscience so they cannot feel the effects of their lies
However, their lies still have effects, but they don’t live in reality
That’s where Satan wants you to live
However, their lies still have effects
Have you ever been in sin so deep, you no longer feel guilty about it?
You just feel numb?
You swear so much you even notice your words
You watch so much porn you don’t even try to hide it
You
Or like these Ephesians, you lie so much you forget what the truth even is
We cannot let ourselves become numb to sin
In Ephesus, they started teaching things that were incorrect
Paul’s examples are food and marriage
Abstinence from food is probably not eating meat
Probably not eating meat
Paul teaches in Romans that those who don’t eat meat for Spiritual reasons are weaker
Weaker because they miss out on freedoms given in Christ
That’s different than not eating meat for ethical or health reasons
I am not a vegetarian but I do care about how we treat animals
But that is NOT a spiritual issue
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
May also be abstaining from cooked food
Favorite part of cruises is the weird food
Tried steak tartare, was waiting to die the rest of the trip
Afraid of salmonella or mad cow disease or something...
Again,
Again, raw food is not a spiritual issue
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
They were telling people not to get married
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
Paul does actually say there is good to being single
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
BUT he also considers marriage to be a gift from God also!
Paul mentions that he wants everyone to be single like him
Paul then says, God created it, so it’s good!
He would NEVER make a rule against being married!
We’ve talked about this problem before - LEGALISM
Making rules for people that God never made
In early church, monks went out to torture themselves for God
Some stood and leaned on sharp rocks to not sleep
Some never washed and were so dirty bugs dropped dead (That’s nasty)
Why? To gain God’s favor!
Sometimes people sacrifice for God, and feel He owes us something
That is the terrible thing about legalism
We try to manipulate God into giving us what we want
But there’s a caveat to these things
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
That caveat is called thanksgiving
Not eating a bunch of turkey - being thankful for God’s provision
That’s one of our struggles in America
We are so comfortable with what we have
We actually feel it’s owed to us
We God takes it away, we get mad!
How dare you take my rights from me!
God owes you NOTHING!!
The homes we have are not promised
Food, safety, cell phones...
Even if they were, God doesn’t owe us!
Even your salvation...
That is promised, but God never owed that to us
Do you realize He is so powerful (elaborate)
Even without our salvation, He is still worthy of our worship
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
Regardless of what He does for you, God is AWESOME
But He DID do something for you...
He gave His Son and He doesn’t stop there!
Think about all the wondrous things He has done for you
And He doesn’t stop there!
If you can start to wrap your mind, then you start to be thankful
That’s why Paul says this
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
He says “Stop worrying about rules!”
It’s not about rules, it’s about freedom!
God has given us so much, be thankful!
Start thanking God for gifts and live as a free person
Stop asking God for rules to make sure you don’t step on His toes
Study done with chimps and 18-mo old humans
Adult spins 3 times, presses two buttons, pulls a lever - food comes out
Humans copy the motions exactly
The chimps just grab the lever
Humans naturally want to follow all the rules
Chimps say, “You don’t have to do all that. Just do the important part”
That’s what Paul is saying!
Stop making so many rules! Just hang on to the important part!
You are not saved by keeping the rules, you are saved by the Blood of Christ!
Just be thankful!
He tells Timothy, “Dude, if you teach them that then you’re a good servant of Christ”
1 tim 4:7
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
19 years old
That’s the last time I went to the gym - surprised?
Actually, I have lost 10 pounds this year, and looking for more!
How did I do it?
I changed what I put in, and what I put out
Tasha and I started WW
Not just eating less, but eating healthier
Fruit is 0 points, so I eat a lot of it
Cookies, not so much!
We also started renovating our house
I’m getting a ton of steps everyday
Plus lifting and sweating
Playing the drums, lifting weights - just being active
Paul says the same thing goes for godliness
Stop eating spiritual junk food, and take in Godliness
Stop being spiritually lazy, and start working out your spiritual muscles
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
But wait, didn’t Paul just say “stop doing all this work?”
Yes, but there’s a difference between asceticism or legalism and Godliness
Seeking holiness is God-centered - what has He done?
Seeking legalism is self-centered - what can I do?
If you ask, “what has He done,” your response is in gratitude and love
If you ask, “what can I do,” you’re trying to earn something for yourself
You’re playing Satan’s game at that point
Much of Godliness is preparatory
Are you ready for what God will do next?
Last week with Elder qualifications
Paul asks, are you blameless, a devoted husband, sober-minded, respectable, hospitable...
Is your life setup first, so that you can then do the ministry of teaching?
Tasha and I have always renovated
Always notice when it’s been awhile
I’m sore, I’m tired, I can’t work as long
After a few weeks, I’m energized and excited about working
Godliness and ministry work the same way
How often are you presented with a ministry opportunity?
Your co-worker: The Bible is full of contradictions...
Your child: Why does God let others kids die?
Your sibling: I need somewhere to stay for a month...
If you’re spiritually fit, responding in a Godly way comes natually
But if you’ve been feeding yourself spiritual junk food...
Like we talked about last week: You need money to find joy, love and peace
A few weeks ago another pastor said God wants you to find the man of your dreams
I’ve been hearing a lot about “The Passion Translation” of the bible
It is a terribly inaccurate translation for one
For another, Brian Simmons claims he saw the 22nd chapter of John (there’s only 21)
He actually changes the meaning of Scripture to support cultural bias
as an example
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Look at screen
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
TPT says, “For wives, this means being supportive to your husbands like you are tenderly devoted to our Lord...”
Most of the translations probably are good, and the wording is very nice
However, you cannot compromise the word to make yourself confortable
These are spiritual junk food
Taking things of God and using them to make you more comfortable in what you already are
It’s like using a treadmill to convey cookies from the kitchen
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
That started a Google spree...
Remember they’re in Greek/Roman culture
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Show slides
Placed high priority on
1 cor 9:24-2
That’s not what God wants us to do
That’s what Satan wants to trick you into doing!
Instead, He wants this:
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Paul is saying, You cannot become Godly by being passive about your faith
Then he explains why:
Yeah, working out is good
It provides strength, makes you better looking, clothes fit better, more energy, lowers blood pressure, etc...
Paul says that has SOME value
BUT Godliness has value in EVERY WAY!
Then he says this:
9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Bodily training has some good, Godly training is all good
He says this is absolutely true
You can take it to the bank
It has a better reputation than Jennifer Garner or Denzel Washington
(Everyone loves them)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
The Paul recaps everything right here
There are promises in this life, and promises after this life
We can trust them, why? OUR HOPE IS SET ON THE LIVING GOD!
It is that hope:
…that allowed a young shepherd to slay a giant
…that allowed 3 condemned men to stand in a fiery furnace
…that allowed Jesus to explode out of that tomb and say “I have given you eternal life!”
So that is the hope we continue to live by every day
Every day seeking to know God better
Satan wants you to believe in yourself
But God wants you to know the truth
Conclusion
Conclusion
6 week old baby adopted in 1958
At 2, mysterious illness caused him to stop growing
Misdiagnosed him several times, even gave him 6 months to live
His illness corrected itself, and he grew to 5’4” and 108 lbs.
After a hospital visit, he stopped by an ice rink
Later discovered it was a brain tumor that nearly took his eyesight
He had a dream, he loved to compete and perform
Because he was small, he chose to try figure skating
Started training at 13, but couldn’t afford it
Helen and Frank McLoraine saw his talent and paid for his training
He worked for 16 years
Then his mom passed away from cancer
More determined than ever, he started competing on the big stage
He won 16 straight amateur champoionships
Finally, his biggest moment came in the Winter Olympics in 1984
He competed in the men’s singles figure skating event
After a great performance, he stood to hear his scores
At that moment, 25 year-old Scott Hamilton won a gold medal for the United States
After, someone asked why he stared at his medal so intently
It was a moment to be shared……What I was doing was looking at 16 years of my life.
He was thinking of training, discipline, struggle, challenges that led to this moment
He later said this about his moment on the podium.
Holy cow. Now, who am I? For most of my life I’ve been pursuing this dream of competing at the highest level. Who am I? Where am I going after now? I don’t have an identity anymore. And then you look over the edge of the podium and it feels like you’re standing on the edge of a cliff.
Later, he survived testicular cancer
Questioned why he lived, but his mom died
In his questioning, his soon to be wife shared Jesus with him
They were married, had a son, and then he got really bad news
Let’s see what he had to say about it
Then he said this
It was in that moment I knew where I was going to put everything. My trust, my faith, everything. It was the most powerful moment in my life. From that moment forward, we just said, ‘whatever it is, whatever it takes, we’ll face this.’
He had a brain biopsy, and they learned what the tumor is
He said,
I remember waking up and I looked at the clock and it was 10:20. I knew where I was and then the next thing I saw was my wife come in with a smile on her face. She said, ‘they know what it is.’
They found out that that brain tumor was one I was born with, which inhibited my growth as a young child. That was the mysterious illness I had that they couldn’t diagnose that got me into skating. Who would I be without a brain tumor? I’m 5 foot 4, if I were 5’8”, if I would have grown those years, 5’10? Where would I be? Who would I be?
I could choose to look at it as debilitating, I could choose to focus on the suffering. I choose to look at that brain tumor as the greatest gift I could have gotten because it made everything else possible.
It isn’t our training for this world that matters
It’s our training for that one!
The hope here can only take us so far
The hope there, puts us in the presence of our Father forever!
Prayer
Prayer