Woke

WOKE — it is not a new term, but over the past year it has emerged in greater popularity and expression. Combined with Cancel Culture and Political Correctness there is a movement that is embracing the principles of Secular Humanism and Marxism but coming at it by an appeal to self righteousness and justice.

In many ways it is a humanistic theology that has a

1. Theory of Knowledge

2. Evaluation of Human Condition

3. Redemptive Narrative

The only problem is the goal to achieve these things comes at the cost of muddling truth, ignoring the Bible, and an underlying fueling of hate rather than unification of hearts.

There are some good things that have come out of being WOKE - if any the plight of various people groups in our culture that are unequally treated and the need for equality.

How we approach that may differ greatly - but the equal treatment of all people is BIBLICAL and Christ centered and empowered!!!

This morning I want to talk about a different WOKE!!!

As much as I long for the purity of love and unity of mankind - I am aware that until Jesus is reigning, it just is not going to happen.

We can cancel culture and history and create ideologies, but none will replace the most important TRUTH that exists! CHRIST.

What if the church became WOKE to

Canceling the CULTURE OF SIN -

Clinging to a CULTURE OF THE CROSS and

Creating a CULTURE of Walking in the Spirit

1. CANCEL the Culture of Sin

Ephesians 5:1–20 NLT

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 17:15 NLT

15 Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

Coming to life in Christ is an awakening!!! An awakening that leads us out of the darkness of sin and into the truth of HIs righteousness.

In recent decades the church has been proclaiming a Gospel of self help and encouragement and leaving out the fact that Jesus wants to CALL US OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO HIS LIGHT.

1 Peter 2:9–10 NLT

9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

We have spent so much time embracing grace that we forgot to cancel SIN!!!

What would happen if the church started to pursue holiness, righteousness and being conformed into the IMAGE OF CHRIST???

The power that would be released in individual lives and the body of Christ would be intense and would allow the light of truth to shine more brightly in a world that is so full of darkness.

TRUE AWAKENING is letting go of the corrupt culture of SIN IN THIS WORLD!!!

Will be WOKE to releasing immorality, greed, partying, anger and unforgiveness, the pursuit of what is ungodly, and release ourselves to the truths.

2. CLING to the Culture of the Cross

It is hard to change CULTURE --- in fact there is a book that says CULTURE EATS STRATEGY...

CULTURE overtakes every effort for ideology or good, but following CHRIST is not an idealogy — it is a life transforming truth where we are empowered by the HOLY SPIRIT and made into NEW CREATIONS!

How do we survive in this world’s culture of sin that is overwhelmingly harsh?

By clinging to a new way, - the culture of the cross!

Matthew 16:24–28 NLT

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

You see, the culture of the cross is one of denying your old man - that you buried with all its sin, and embracing a new way in Christ.

It is surrendering to the will of God and not to your own desires and wants.

NOT ALWAYS EASY IN THIS WORLDY CULTURE WHICH IS SUCH A HARSH ENVIRONMENT ---

(Planting the arborvitae - not conducive to the Front Range climate ---

Following Christ is not conducive to this world’s climate --- or culture --- the conditions are harsh, so we must cling to the cross...

Everything in our natural realm tells us to pursue our dreams and desires, but Jesus calls us to pursue HIS KINGDOM FIRST! TO lose ourselves to this life and embrace HIS PLAN for our lives.

Paul explores the Culture of the Cross in the book of Galatians, here are a few highlights he writes...

Galatians 2:20 NLT

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 5:24 NLT

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Galatians 6:14 NLT

14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

OUR SOCIETY TALKS ABOUT INDULGING the flesh all the time, about grabbing hold of whatever we can, not denying oneself.... Clinging to the culture of the cross is contrary to the culture of sin in this world.

So we must then create a new culture to walk in...

3. CREATING a Culture of Walking in the Spirit

Once we have chosen to cling to the culture of the cross, we now fill our lives with the SPIRIT!

Matthew 12:38–45 NLT

38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.” 39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 43 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

You cannot cancel something without filling the void!!!

JESUS came to die on the cross and rise from the dead and to not only CLEAN the HOUSE OF OUR SPIRIT MAN, but to FILL IT WITH HIMSELF!!!

Here is the issue....

People come for forgiveness and ETERNAL LIFE --- but they fail to fill their house with the the culture of the Holy Spirit!!!

Jesus sweeping your house clean is amazing!!!

Think of a house being flipped, it is filled with garbage and mold, and all kinds of troubling issues...

It is great to clean it out, paint it up, and fix the problems, but then you have to fill it with something new.

In a house flipping they always decorate and showcase so people can enter and live in a different way than the way the old abused house was occupied.

SPiritually we must do the same...

Jesus made a promise to His followers,

Acts 1:8 NLT

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 2:4 NLT

4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

When we begin to WALK IN THE SPIRIT - we fill this earthly house, this spiritual house with what is good - with the new stuff!!!

Galatians 5:16 NLT

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Galatians 5:25 NLT

25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Romans 8:1–4 NLT

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Yes, we need to fill our lives with the Spirit of God - through prayer, Scripture, gathering as the body of Christ, Worship, Instruction, being empowered by the SPIRIT OF GOD...

God created the church for man to become a part of the CULTURE OF THE SPIRIT --- in the midst of a sinful world. This is why we need one another and the SPIRIT OF GOD moving in our midst.

As we see the day of Christ approaching, all the more we need to come back to creating a culture of walking in the SPIRIT!!!!

Conclusion

CHURCH --- Christ wants to awaken us today!!!!

To Cancel the Culture of Sin in our lives

To Cling to the Culture of the Cross in our lives

To Create a Culture of Walking in the Spirit

We are one body of Christ - let us be focused on who we are in CHRIST above all other things!