Title: Do You View Holiness Like a Pharisee? Meta: When you're around unbelievers and your lost family members, what kind of impression are you giving them of Christianity? One of Jesus or one of a Pharisee? We must also realize that as Christians there is importance in not cutting people off too quickly and also not being unnatural around them. Tags: Pharisee,Legalism,Romans 9,Christian,lost,family 1 00:00:00,317 --> 00:00:10,806 Good morning. If we open our Bibles to Romans 9 and verse 1. 2 00:00:10,812 --> 00:00:16,669 When I go to preach in different places, 3 00:00:16,675 --> 00:00:22,807 I often ask our church back home, in Manchester, and those in Switzerland, 4 00:00:22,813 --> 00:00:28,546 what is the most useful and helpful thing, from me, that you’ve heard in the last year 5 00:00:28,552 --> 00:00:34,270 that you think would be beneficial to others.(P) 6 00:00:34,276 --> 00:00:39,022 What I want to share with you now, the brethren found very helpful 7 00:00:39,028 --> 00:00:45,813 both in their own life and in reaching lost family members, friends, neighbors. 8 00:00:45,819 --> 00:00:53,628 You see sometimes, otherwise godly Christians, in a kind of over zealousness, 9 00:00:53,634 --> 00:01:01,428 can build up an unnecessary wall with lost family members and friends. 10 00:01:01,434 --> 00:01:05,702 And so if you know people where there is this wall then, 11 00:01:05,708 --> 00:01:08,808 what I’m trying to do with this message this morning 12 00:01:08,814 --> 00:01:12,092 is show you how to take it down and reach those people.(P) 13 00:01:12,098 --> 00:01:14,932 We found this in our church, you know, back in Manchester 14 00:01:14,938 --> 00:01:21,122 people tend to think of our church, those who don’t know us, 15 00:01:21,128 --> 00:01:24,622 tend to think of our church as just a church with a great street ministry, 16 00:01:24,628 --> 00:01:28,031 reaching people through street evangelism. 17 00:01:28,037 --> 00:01:36,036 And we do that, but also the brethren reach people in normal everyday life. 18 00:01:36,042 --> 00:01:41,762 And as they’ve took these bricks out of the wall, what was once a tense relationship, 19 00:01:41,768 --> 00:01:46,551 next minute you find someone’s lost mother coming to the church meetings. 20 00:01:46,557 --> 00:01:51,368 Sometimes even getting saved.(P) 21 00:01:51,374 --> 00:01:59,742 I’ve entitled this mornings sermon, “Do You View Holiness Like a Pharisee?” 22 00:01:59,748 --> 00:02:03,199 When I’m around unbelievers, I always ask this question, 23 00:02:03,205 --> 00:02:07,435 What kind of impression am I giving them of Christianity? 24 00:02:07,441 --> 00:02:09,899 One of Jesus or one of a pharisee? 25 00:02:09,905 --> 00:02:11,060 What are they taking home?(P) 26 00:02:11,066 --> 00:02:13,650 So if we all stand as we read God's Word. 27 00:02:13,656 --> 00:02:24,864 I'll read Romans 9 verses 1 to part of verse 4, 28 00:02:24,869 --> 00:02:30,514 "I tell the truth in Christ - I am not lying; 29 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:36,304 my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit - 30 00:02:36,310 --> 00:02:40,838 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 31 00:02:40,844 --> 00:02:47,278 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, 32 00:02:47,284 --> 00:02:52,475 my countrymen according to the flesh who are Israelites." 33 00:02:52,481 --> 00:02:58,257 I am going to stop reading there. So let's pray.(P) 34 00:03:00,116 --> 00:03:05,920 Lord Jesus, we ask that You would make these truths real to us now. 35 00:03:05,926 --> 00:03:16,236 You would search our hearts and You would greatly help us in our own lives, enjoying You. 36 00:03:16,242 --> 00:03:22,883 And when we are around lost people, to help us to draw them; 37 00:03:22,889 --> 00:03:27,852 not to repel them but to draw them to You. 38 00:03:28,717 --> 00:03:35,479 I pray You would greatly encourage and lift up the saints through this word now. 39 00:03:35,485 --> 00:03:38,958 By Your Holy Spirit, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. 40 00:03:38,964 --> 00:03:43,225 You may be seated.(P) 41 00:03:45,833 --> 00:03:56,743 Okay, let me ask you: In speaking of his great burden for the unsaved Jews here, 42 00:03:56,749 --> 00:04:05,042 why does Paul begin by saying, "I am not lying about this." 43 00:04:05,048 --> 00:04:09,185 I mean, Paul is a trustworthy guy, is he not? 44 00:04:09,191 --> 00:04:11,693 He is a man of his word. 45 00:04:11,699 --> 00:04:20,168 So why does he feel the need to begin by stressing to these Christians in Rome here, 46 00:04:20,175 --> 00:04:23,440 that he is telling the truth about this. 47 00:04:23,446 --> 00:04:30,904 He even then gives an oath in Christ's name, and he says, "I am not lying about this." 48 00:04:30,910 --> 00:04:38,630 Well, obviously Paul had anticipated that there would be some of these believers in Rome 49 00:04:38,636 --> 00:04:45,726 that think he was lying about what he was about to say. 50 00:04:45,732 --> 00:04:51,467 Why would they think that, since Paul was such an honest man of his word after conversion? 51 00:04:51,473 --> 00:04:56,796 Well, if we consider what he says here, he says in verse 2, 52 00:04:56,802 --> 00:05:01,186 "that he has great sorrow and continual grief in his heart. 53 00:05:01,192 --> 00:05:06,224 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, 54 00:05:06,230 --> 00:05:11,133 my countrymen according to the flesh."(P) 55 00:05:11,139 --> 00:05:15,889 Now, let me make it clear here. 56 00:05:15,895 --> 00:05:24,651 Paul does not say that "I wish to be cut off from Christ if it means that these people would be saved," 57 00:05:24,657 --> 00:05:29,923 because no believer could ever wish to be cut off from Jesus Christ. 58 00:05:29,929 --> 00:05:33,247 He does not say, "I wish." 59 00:05:33,252 --> 00:05:34,195 That's not possible. 60 00:05:34,201 --> 00:05:37,505 But he says, "I could wish." 61 00:05:37,511 --> 00:05:41,038 Basically, this is a hyperbole figure of speech here, 62 00:05:41,044 --> 00:05:45,340 that is, when someone goes to an extreme in order to make a point. 63 00:05:45,346 --> 00:05:48,859 It's like when we say, "I am starving" or, "I am freezing." 64 00:05:48,865 --> 00:05:52,125 Well, not literally.(P) 65 00:05:52,131 --> 00:05:59,280 Paul's point here with this figure of speech is that he has an overwhelming, intense burden 66 00:05:59,286 --> 00:06:04,488 for his fellow countrymen (the Jews) to be saved. 67 00:06:04,494 --> 00:06:08,429 So, what's wrong with that? 68 00:06:08,435 --> 00:06:14,115 I mean, don't we normally want the people we know, and are affiliated with, to be saved? 69 00:06:14,121 --> 00:06:21,093 So why does Paul suspect that some in this church in Rome won't believe him about this? 70 00:06:21,099 --> 00:06:25,474 Well, think about this: 71 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:32,936 The Jews were the one people group that Paul should have, by all human reason, come to hate 72 00:06:32,942 --> 00:06:35,358 and have a grudge against. 73 00:06:35,364 --> 00:06:38,725 I mean, when you consider the way they treated the apostle Paul -- 74 00:06:38,731 --> 00:06:40,984 the Jews stoned him, they whipped him, 75 00:06:40,990 --> 00:06:43,584 at one time they even took an oath, some of them, 76 00:06:43,590 --> 00:06:50,539 that they would not eat again until they had killed the apostle Paul. 77 00:06:50,545 --> 00:06:56,278 You can imagine being best friends with people like that. 78 00:06:56,284 --> 00:07:00,509 And so, after all the continuous wickedness and the way they treated Paul, 79 00:07:00,515 --> 00:07:06,115 one would expect him to, perhaps, have a grievance towards them or even hate them. 80 00:07:06,121 --> 00:07:11,721 But instead, we see here that Paul has an overwhelming love and compassion for them. 81 00:07:11,727 --> 00:07:21,091 "I have great sorrow," he says, "and continual grief in my heart that they are not saved."(P) 82 00:07:21,097 --> 00:07:26,419 Now, the next thing I want you to consider though about this 83 00:07:26,425 --> 00:07:34,919 is that Paul's burden here is for his own countrymen according to his flesh. 84 00:07:34,925 --> 00:07:42,104 His burden, you see, was for those who, before his conversion, he had close affiliation with. 85 00:07:42,110 --> 00:07:48,299 Those of his own nation, those of his own family, his own bloodline relatives and so forth. 86 00:07:48,305 --> 00:07:53,750 You see, there are some people today who take this passage to mean 87 00:07:53,756 --> 00:07:58,683 "Well, Paul had a special burden for the Jews here, and so if we too are spiritual 88 00:07:58,689 --> 00:08:03,676 then we too will have this special intense burden for the Jews." 89 00:08:03,682 --> 00:08:07,598 Now, of course, listen, there's nothing wrong with wanting Jews to be saved. 90 00:08:07,604 --> 00:08:12,454 I should hope you want people of every nation to be saved. 91 00:08:12,460 --> 00:08:22,179 But that's not how this passage applies to you and me; unless you were born in the land of Israel. 92 00:08:22,185 --> 00:08:31,255 You see, the way this applies to us, if we really understand it and take this to heart, 93 00:08:31,261 --> 00:08:43,323 is that in the previous chapter, Paul had set forth the doctrines of election and salvation further back there. 94 00:08:43,330 --> 00:08:45,314 And so, if we really understand those, 95 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:50,797 then the way this applies to us is that the more we understand those doctrines, 96 00:08:50,803 --> 00:08:56,336 then the more we will have an intense burden for our own countrymen - 97 00:08:56,342 --> 00:09:02,139 those who were closely affiliated to us before salvation, according to the flesh. 98 00:09:02,145 --> 00:09:06,366 That is, our physical family members, the people we knew and grew up with, 99 00:09:06,366 --> 00:09:10,379 the people in our own nation, and so forth.(P) 100 00:09:10,385 --> 00:09:19,810 You know, I once heard Paul Washer say that a man told him that he felt called to be a missionary in China. 101 00:09:19,816 --> 00:09:22,374 And when Paul Washer asked this man why, 102 00:09:22,380 --> 00:09:26,052 he replied, "Because I love Chinese people." 103 00:09:26,058 --> 00:09:36,599 And brother Paul said to him, "The reason you love Chinese people is because you don't know any." 104 00:09:36,605 --> 00:09:43,720 Now, he wasn't putting down Chinese people there. 105 00:09:43,726 --> 00:09:50,727 But the point he was making was it's very easy to sit in an ivory tower and say you love people. 106 00:09:50,733 --> 00:09:55,875 It's very easy for people to say, "I love Jews," or "I love these other far away people," 107 00:09:55,881 --> 00:10:01,237 when at the same time, they have very little or no burden for people of their own country and city, 108 00:10:01,243 --> 00:10:08,724 or even their own family members, or the people in their life to be saved. 109 00:10:08,730 --> 00:10:12,411 But surely, brethren, it's a natural thing, is it not? 110 00:10:12,417 --> 00:10:14,589 That when you come to Christ for salvation, 111 00:10:14,595 --> 00:10:19,832 you want your loved ones (those who are closest to you beforehand) to be saved. 112 00:10:19,838 --> 00:10:25,416 We see this in the New Testament when the disciple Andrew first came to know the Lord, 113 00:10:25,422 --> 00:10:32,916 the first thing he did was go and tell his brother, Peter, about Jesus.(P) 114 00:10:32,922 --> 00:10:35,175 Let me put this another way. 115 00:10:35,181 --> 00:10:42,171 It is a very unnatural and strange thing to quickly cut all those people off 116 00:10:42,177 --> 00:10:49,815 and build walls between them, like many Christians do. 117 00:10:49,821 --> 00:10:56,306 They may build a wall, but hopefully it's over some major offence for Christ's sake 118 00:10:56,312 --> 00:11:00,835 and not us being pharisees. 119 00:11:00,841 --> 00:11:09,418 And so, if we want to learn how to be patient with others and love them, 120 00:11:09,424 --> 00:11:13,339 if we are going to learn to be patient like Paul here, 121 00:11:13,345 --> 00:11:17,160 he wasn't quick to put people off and build walls up. 122 00:11:17,166 --> 00:11:21,703 We must ask and learn from Paul here. 123 00:11:21,709 --> 00:11:26,821 What enabled him to have this intense compassion for his fellow countrymen 124 00:11:26,827 --> 00:11:31,073 even after they treated him so badly? 125 00:11:31,079 --> 00:11:38,044 Why does he not have even the tiniest trace of contempt for them? 126 00:11:38,050 --> 00:11:39,414 This is what I want us to ask. 127 00:11:39,420 --> 00:11:46,116 We want to learn from this because let's face it, the people who we tend to build walls with 128 00:11:46,122 --> 00:11:50,443 don't treat us anywhere near as bad as they treated Paul. 129 00:11:50,449 --> 00:11:55,626 And yet, he is still persevering and longsuffering there.(P) 130 00:11:55,632 --> 00:11:58,380 So what enabled him to be like this? 131 00:11:58,386 --> 00:12:02,326 Well, let me give you two reasons. 132 00:12:02,332 --> 00:12:07,763 One, he was well aware of where these people were heading. 133 00:12:07,769 --> 00:12:14,839 He knew that without Christ, they were in a position of everlasting condemnation. 134 00:12:14,845 --> 00:12:19,735 But let me give you another reason that enabled Paul to be patient with these people 135 00:12:19,741 --> 00:12:26,684 and persevere with them after they treated him so badly, and not hold them in contempt. 136 00:12:26,690 --> 00:12:31,065 I think this one is clear throughout the life of Paul in Scripture. 137 00:12:31,071 --> 00:12:36,529 And that is, Paul constantly put himself in their shoes. 138 00:12:36,535 --> 00:12:42,331 You see, they may have mistreated him. They may have done him great wrong. 139 00:12:42,337 --> 00:12:48,603 But Paul knew, just like John Bradford, "But for the grace of God, there go I." 140 00:12:48,609 --> 00:12:52,647 Think about this, brethren. 141 00:12:52,653 --> 00:12:59,643 Paul had been explaining those truths of election and predestination in the previous chapter. 142 00:12:59,649 --> 00:13:05,093 And Paul's understanding of those truths of God electing us 143 00:13:05,099 --> 00:13:09,469 ( I mean, one thing it makes you realize is that anything good in us, 144 00:13:09,475 --> 00:13:14,081 or anything good in Paul here, was only by the grace of God.) 145 00:13:14,087 --> 00:13:16,168 And if it wasn't for God's grace, 146 00:13:16,174 --> 00:13:20,646 then he could have been worse than those who were mistreating him, 147 00:13:20,652 --> 00:13:25,327 and he was doing the same himself before his conversion.(P) 148 00:13:25,333 --> 00:13:31,615 You see, something else about the apostle Paul, he never forgot who he was, did he? 149 00:13:31,621 --> 00:13:35,434 He never forgot where he came from. 150 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:40,139 He never forgot what he was like before he was saved. 151 00:13:40,145 --> 00:13:46,227 He said in 1 Timothy that he thanks God for putting him in the ministry, 152 00:13:46,233 --> 00:13:49,366 even though he was like this before conversion. 153 00:13:49,372 --> 00:13:53,920 He says, "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, 154 00:13:53,926 --> 00:13:59,621 an insolent man (someone who is rude, arrogant, showing lack of respect.) 155 00:13:59,627 --> 00:14:06,729 But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in my unbelief." 156 00:14:06,735 --> 00:14:12,844 What's he saying there by "I did it ignorantly in my unbelief"? 157 00:14:12,850 --> 00:14:19,495 What he is saying is, I was blind, just like those unbelieving Jews. 158 00:14:19,501 --> 00:14:25,776 You see, Paul had been in their position and he never forgot that. 159 00:14:25,782 --> 00:14:29,101 And then he speaks there of the undeserved favor of God towards him, 160 00:14:29,107 --> 00:14:33,504 and that's where he then says that famous verse, 161 00:14:33,510 --> 00:14:36,779 "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance 162 00:14:36,785 --> 00:14:44,918 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief."(P) 163 00:14:44,924 --> 00:14:49,933 That verse, you know, is often completely taken out of context today 164 00:14:49,939 --> 00:14:55,403 to mean that Paul still thought of himself as the worst sinner. 165 00:14:55,409 --> 00:15:02,831 But, in the context there, he is talking about his conduct before conversion. 166 00:15:02,837 --> 00:15:06,172 What he is saying there is that because of his former conduct, 167 00:15:06,178 --> 00:15:12,623 he considered himself to be the least deserving of salvation, never mind a preacher. 168 00:15:12,629 --> 00:15:19,751 And so, when he saw others like that, he thought, "I've been in your shoes. 169 00:15:19,757 --> 00:15:25,910 I was once just as bad, if not worse, of an undeserving sinner as you are. 170 00:15:25,916 --> 00:15:27,524 And yet, the Lord saved me. 171 00:15:27,530 --> 00:15:34,034 And He saved me as a pattern that God would save other sinners just like me."(P) 172 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,833 I remember one Friday night when we used to have a church meeting then. 173 00:15:38,839 --> 00:15:41,142 We changed it to Wednesday now. 174 00:15:41,148 --> 00:15:48,792 But we were driving a couple of people home and we passed, i think, some kind of night club 175 00:15:48,798 --> 00:15:52,278 with people outside queuing up to go in. 176 00:15:52,284 --> 00:15:57,579 And there was a row of girls there, scantily dressed, waiting to go in. 177 00:15:57,585 --> 00:16:03,640 And one guy in the car was like, "Look away. Look away." 178 00:16:03,646 --> 00:16:10,617 And it just came across in contempt. It was like, "Sinners!" 179 00:16:10,623 --> 00:16:18,052 But Zoe just said, "Well, I remember what I was like." 180 00:16:18,058 --> 00:16:24,188 You see, she had pity on them but had no contempt whatsoever. 181 00:16:24,194 --> 00:16:26,681 You see, that is putting yourself in their shoes. 182 00:16:26,687 --> 00:16:29,842 That is true holiness. 183 00:16:29,848 --> 00:16:35,640 And when you do that, the contempt disappears.(P) 184 00:16:35,646 --> 00:16:40,294 You know, I remember back in school, we watched a movie once. 185 00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:44,085 A true story of a little girl who was deaf, dumb, and blind. 186 00:16:44,091 --> 00:16:47,409 She had no senses. 187 00:16:47,415 --> 00:16:54,338 And one day, there were some doctors and surgeons trying to perform a life-saving operation on her, 188 00:16:54,344 --> 00:16:57,956 but she was fighting them off, getting really aggressive with them 189 00:16:57,962 --> 00:17:03,920 because she had no sense that they were trying to help her. 190 00:17:03,926 --> 00:17:05,948 But those doctors and surgeons, 191 00:17:05,954 --> 00:17:11,049 their response was not to get offended because she was being aggressive. 192 00:17:11,055 --> 00:17:18,333 It did not make them hate her, because they knew she was deaf, dumb, and blind. 193 00:17:18,339 --> 00:17:22,871 Here's my point: When a lost person mistreats you, 194 00:17:22,877 --> 00:17:27,454 or some other family member does something you don't like, 195 00:17:27,461 --> 00:17:36,068 if we truly understand their condition, then we won't be so quick to cut them off.(P) 196 00:17:36,074 --> 00:17:41,915 So then, the reason why Paul did not have even a trace of contempt or bitterness 197 00:17:41,921 --> 00:17:46,019 towards these people who mistreated him so badly 198 00:17:46,025 --> 00:17:50,659 was because he knew where they were heading, and he would put himself in their shoes. 199 00:17:50,665 --> 00:17:55,673 And Paul never forgot what he was like before the Lord called him. 200 00:17:55,679 --> 00:18:03,175 He knew that if it wasn't for the grace of God, he would just be a worse sinner than them, 201 00:18:03,183 --> 00:18:13,449 which brings me to the title of my sermon, Do you view holiness like a Pharisee? 202 00:18:13,455 --> 00:18:20,991 You see, is your view of sanctification or growing in holiness like that of a Pharisee? 203 00:18:20,997 --> 00:18:25,034 I mean, think about this, how did the Pharisees view holiness? 204 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:31,159 They basically viewed holiness as cutting everything off; cutting people off. 205 00:18:31,165 --> 00:18:35,749 If they were offended by someone, they would cut them right out of their lives 206 00:18:35,755 --> 00:18:41,546 and have as little to do with them, or have as little to do with them as possible.(P) 207 00:18:41,552 --> 00:18:44,464 Do you remember what they said of Jesus? 208 00:18:44,470 --> 00:18:48,810 "This Man receives sinners and eats with them. 209 00:18:48,816 --> 00:18:53,967 We wouldn't do that," they said, "because we are too holy. 210 00:18:53,973 --> 00:19:00,213 If He was holy like we are, then He would have cut them out." 211 00:19:00,219 --> 00:19:03,071 Do you know if the Pharisees saw a leper, 212 00:19:03,077 --> 00:19:08,133 they would cross the street and they would throw stones at them. 213 00:19:08,139 --> 00:19:11,562 "Get away from me, sinner." 214 00:19:13,300 --> 00:19:25,684 What I am asking is, in quickly withdrawing from people and cutting them off, 215 00:19:25,690 --> 00:19:31,917 are you viewing sanctification like a Pharisee? 216 00:19:31,923 --> 00:19:40,435 Because, let's not forget brethren, despite them thinking of themselves as the holy ones, 217 00:19:40,441 --> 00:19:47,774 Jesus had more condemnation for the lost, religious Pharisees than anyone else in the New Testament. 218 00:19:47,780 --> 00:19:51,492 You see, I want you to notice here, 219 00:19:51,498 --> 00:19:56,160 that Paul, after the way his fellow countrymen treated him, 220 00:19:56,166 --> 00:19:58,663 he had every right to be offended. 221 00:19:58,669 --> 00:20:04,448 And yet, sometimes we cut people off over something or nothing. 222 00:20:04,454 --> 00:20:06,849 But he does not despise them or cut them off. 223 00:20:06,855 --> 00:20:11,589 Again, there's no trace of contempt or scorn.(P) 224 00:20:11,595 --> 00:20:16,465 And so, how does this apply in our lives? 225 00:20:16,471 --> 00:20:23,612 Well, what if someone offends you in your workplace or in your lost family, or a neighbor, perhaps, 226 00:20:23,618 --> 00:20:27,305 how do you react? 227 00:20:27,311 --> 00:20:33,170 What if someone does something you find offensive in your school or your college? 228 00:20:33,176 --> 00:20:38,061 What if someone in your family does something you recoil at? 229 00:20:38,067 --> 00:20:42,994 What if someone you know, a lost person, posts something vile on Facebook, 230 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:47,258 do you instantly hit the defriend? 231 00:20:47,264 --> 00:20:53,284 You see, it is a lot easier to cut people off and to scorn them, 232 00:20:53,290 --> 00:21:02,707 than it is to love them and be patient with them and try and win them to Christ. 233 00:21:02,713 --> 00:21:13,129 Again, these verses here come straight after the truths Paul has set forth of election and predestination.(P) 234 00:21:13,135 --> 00:21:14,744 I want you to notice this. 235 00:21:14,750 --> 00:21:18,674 The result of Paul coming to understand those doctrines 236 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:24,299 does not make him a cold intellectual towards lost people, does it? 237 00:21:24,305 --> 00:21:28,884 You know, like many today who are more interested in winning arguments and being right, 238 00:21:28,890 --> 00:21:32,071 than they are about winning souls. 239 00:21:32,077 --> 00:21:38,372 I find many Christians who spend more time debating Calvinism with other Christians 240 00:21:38,378 --> 00:21:46,381 than they do trying to reach lost souls, and I don't just mean with words, but with their lives. 241 00:21:46,387 --> 00:21:53,586 And let me add here, understanding these great truths of election did not make Jesus cold. 242 00:21:53,592 --> 00:22:02,920 I mean, He wept over the lost city of Jerusalem there - those who would reject Him. 243 00:22:02,926 --> 00:22:06,823 You see, my point is this: If your Calvinism -- 244 00:22:06,829 --> 00:22:12,350 if your understanding of those types of doctrines like election and predestination -- 245 00:22:12,356 --> 00:22:14,776 if they do not produce in you a burden for the lost, 246 00:22:14,782 --> 00:22:21,436 then it is just head knowledge, detached from spiritual life.(P) 247 00:22:21,442 --> 00:22:26,941 In fact, we could say here that you can actually measure how much you truly understand these things 248 00:22:26,947 --> 00:22:31,078 by how much it gives you a burden, as we see in Paul here. 249 00:22:31,084 --> 00:22:33,125 He understood. 250 00:22:33,131 --> 00:22:35,482 Or let me put it another way: 251 00:22:35,488 --> 00:22:47,264 You can measure how cold an intellectual you are of these things by how quickly you cut people off. 252 00:22:47,270 --> 00:22:51,764 You know, this is something that comes periodically, 253 00:22:51,770 --> 00:22:56,255 but normally a brother would come to me every now and again, 254 00:22:56,261 --> 00:23:00,139 and he would say something like, "I need to leave my job. 255 00:23:00,145 --> 00:23:07,492 I'm really struggling at work because they are playing secular music on the radio. 256 00:23:07,498 --> 00:23:12,889 And people are swearing, and someone told a dirty joke." 257 00:23:12,895 --> 00:23:16,613 You need to leave your job? 258 00:23:16,619 --> 00:23:20,783 I thought, Behold the power of God! 259 00:23:20,789 --> 00:23:26,414 I just tell them, Look, we are to be in the world but not of it. 260 00:23:26,420 --> 00:23:30,396 The Christian is not to come completely out of the world, 261 00:23:30,402 --> 00:23:34,070 we are not to separate ourselves, but we are to be salt and light, 262 00:23:34,076 --> 00:23:37,236 and a gospel influence around those people. 263 00:23:37,242 --> 00:23:41,272 Be around lost sinners like Jesus did.(P) 264 00:23:41,278 --> 00:23:45,899 That's another thing, you know, perhaps in an overreaction to those professing Christians 265 00:23:45,905 --> 00:23:50,747 who try and get around sinners just because they enjoy to sin with them; 266 00:23:50,753 --> 00:23:58,316 perhaps in an overreaction to them, a lot of Christians seem to have a false impression today 267 00:23:58,322 --> 00:24:06,026 that when Jesus hung around sinners, they all acted like saints and were on their best behavior. 268 00:24:06,032 --> 00:24:10,016 And so, the way they think they apply that of Jesus being around sinners, is they think, 269 00:24:10,022 --> 00:24:15,705 "I too can be around sinners, but only if they are on their best behavior." 270 00:24:15,711 --> 00:24:18,887 You know, "I'll go to a family wedding, but let's leave." 271 00:24:18,892 --> 00:24:28,559 Show my disdain at a certain hour. 272 00:24:28,565 --> 00:24:30,720 They can't just love them and be happy for their marriage. 273 00:24:30,726 --> 00:24:39,423 They have to throw in their disdain at some point and completely ruin the witness.(P) 274 00:24:39,429 --> 00:24:42,601 You see, that sort of thing is not the impression I get 275 00:24:42,607 --> 00:24:45,370 of how we are to be salt and light in the New Testament. 276 00:24:45,376 --> 00:24:54,875 Read 1st Peter's account there about a believing wife winning her unbelieving husband. 277 00:24:54,881 --> 00:25:01,367 Do you think that's only if he's on his best behavior? 278 00:25:01,373 --> 00:25:02,938 I mean, think about this, brethren. 279 00:25:02,944 --> 00:25:10,578 Jesus would have been a lot more sensitive to their sin and be offended by things than we could ever be. 280 00:25:10,584 --> 00:25:16,948 And yet, when I read those Gospels, I don't sense any trace of contempt there. 281 00:25:16,954 --> 00:25:19,221 He doesn't quickly cut people off. 282 00:25:19,227 --> 00:25:23,250 You see, that is true holiness. 283 00:25:23,256 --> 00:25:27,523 But, do you see what's going on there in those types of examples 284 00:25:27,529 --> 00:25:31,951 like the Christians who would come to me, struggling at work? 285 00:25:31,957 --> 00:25:37,873 And they say, "Oh, but they use bad language and so I have to cut them off. 286 00:25:37,879 --> 00:25:42,257 Oh, they play secular music on the radio, or they tell a dirty joke or whatever. 287 00:25:42,263 --> 00:25:45,058 So I have to quit my job." 288 00:25:45,064 --> 00:25:48,693 Why? Are you tempted by that? 289 00:25:48,699 --> 00:25:54,931 Are you tempted to start using dirty jokes and to start using bad language yourself? 290 00:25:54,937 --> 00:25:59,416 You see, my point is, these people are not put into temptation there. 291 00:25:59,426 --> 00:26:01,459 They are being nothing more than pharisees 292 00:26:01,465 --> 00:26:05,531 throwing stones at people who they perceive to be the lepers of their day. 293 00:26:05,537 --> 00:26:08,822 "Oh! Sinners. Get away from me!"(P) 294 00:26:08,828 --> 00:26:11,052 Listen, I'm not saying you have to like it. 295 00:26:11,058 --> 00:26:16,006 But, put yourself in their shoes. 296 00:26:16,012 --> 00:26:18,577 I mean, let me ask you this: 297 00:26:18,583 --> 00:26:23,960 We all need the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life, don't we? 298 00:26:23,966 --> 00:26:26,046 Well, let me ask you this: 299 00:26:26,052 --> 00:26:30,234 How much of the Holy Spirit do you need to live in a monastery? 300 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:31,791 None. 301 00:26:31,797 --> 00:26:36,623 How much of the Holy Spirit do you need to live in some kind of Amish or Mennonite society 302 00:26:36,629 --> 00:26:38,838 that's cut away from everyone? 303 00:26:38,843 --> 00:26:41,120 None. 304 00:26:41,126 --> 00:26:44,604 How much of the Holy Spirit do you need if you're going to quickly cut people off 305 00:26:44,610 --> 00:26:53,500 and build walls between family members and those you closely associate with before conversion? 306 00:26:53,506 --> 00:26:57,460 You don't need any of the Holy Spirit if that's what you're going to do. 307 00:26:57,466 --> 00:27:04,395 The pharisees and the cults all do that very well without the Holy Spirit.(P) 308 00:27:04,401 --> 00:27:07,128 You know, sometimes I'll hear Christians say things like, 309 00:27:07,134 --> 00:27:11,124 they are so scared of visiting lost family members 310 00:27:11,130 --> 00:27:13,089 (you know, the lost mum and dad, or something) 311 00:27:13,095 --> 00:27:18,473 in case they put something on on TV that I don't like and I might get a glimpse of, 312 00:27:18,479 --> 00:27:22,040 and my children might see it. 313 00:27:22,046 --> 00:27:25,144 I really doubt your mum and dad are going to put something like a sex scene on 314 00:27:25,150 --> 00:27:30,528 in front of your kids when you go over in the day time. 315 00:27:30,534 --> 00:27:32,913 You see, that is being a monk. 316 00:27:32,919 --> 00:27:38,232 That's being a good Mormon. (P) 317 00:27:38,238 --> 00:27:44,969 My wife pointed out this, you know, you have the Pharisees in the New Testament 318 00:27:44,975 --> 00:27:48,573 where they were supposed to look after their older family members. 319 00:27:48,579 --> 00:27:57,358 But they were trying to get out of this duty by giving to the Temple instead, saying it is Corban. 320 00:27:57,364 --> 00:28:03,898 When people just try and withdraw, saying, "Oh, I'm too holy," 321 00:28:03,904 --> 00:28:09,227 are we not doing the same thing? Is that not Corban? 322 00:28:09,233 --> 00:28:12,280 Just not trying to properly reach and persevere 323 00:28:12,286 --> 00:28:16,968 and be patient with our lost family members, friends, neighbors, those around us; 324 00:28:16,974 --> 00:28:20,552 but dress it up as though we are being spiritual. (P) 325 00:28:20,558 --> 00:28:26,309 Again, it's much easier to cut people off than it is to try and win them. 326 00:28:26,315 --> 00:28:30,996 But are you not glad that Christ did not just quickly cut us off 327 00:28:31,002 --> 00:28:35,257 when we were offensive to Him for so long. 328 00:28:35,263 --> 00:28:38,577 You see, He was kind and long suffering towards us. 329 00:28:38,583 --> 00:28:48,733 He persevered with us, and He was cut off for us so that we could be reconciled to God. 330 00:28:48,739 --> 00:28:53,410 You see, if ever we find ourselves behaving like a Pharisee, 331 00:28:53,416 --> 00:28:55,578 and again, I always ask this when I am around people, 332 00:28:55,584 --> 00:29:00,755 "What impression am I giving of a Christian?" 333 00:29:00,761 --> 00:29:04,503 If ever we fall into this, we need to learn what this means: 334 00:29:04,509 --> 00:29:09,822 "That I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Matt 9:13). 335 00:29:09,828 --> 00:29:16,588 We can say, "What so and so is doing is so offensive. I'm just going to cut them off." 336 00:29:16,594 --> 00:29:26,141 But Christ says, "No, I desire to give mercy to such people, just like I did to you, remember."(P) 337 00:29:26,147 --> 00:29:32,421 Sometimes, I hear Christians quote the book of Job, and say, 338 00:29:32,427 --> 00:29:37,591 "I have made a covenant with my eyes." And that's good! - 339 00:29:37,597 --> 00:29:45,089 If by that you mean "I love my Lord, and so I don't want to put unnecessary temptation before my eyes 340 00:29:45,095 --> 00:29:48,924 that would cause me to sin or stumble." 341 00:29:48,930 --> 00:29:54,233 But, you know, (this may not be a problem here,) 342 00:29:54,239 --> 00:29:58,541 but sometimes I see Christian men walking down the street, 343 00:29:58,547 --> 00:30:02,472 and they'll see some girl in the neighborhood who they disapprove of their dress, 344 00:30:02,478 --> 00:30:08,604 or perhaps someone's got too many tattoos or whatever, or like with a girl there. 345 00:30:08,610 --> 00:30:13,477 Instead of giving them a warm, friendly greeting and being kind to them - 346 00:30:13,483 --> 00:30:22,732 a little kindness goes a long way, overtime, you know, "You're welcome in our church" - 347 00:30:22,738 --> 00:30:25,278 but because of a lack of approval over the way they dress, 348 00:30:25,284 --> 00:30:28,297 they kind of turn away and show their disgust. 349 00:30:28,303 --> 00:30:32,994 Or walk down the street, turning their heads away. 350 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:38,591 What does that say to the world?(P) 351 00:30:38,597 --> 00:30:47,268 You know, if a so called covenant with our eyes ever causes us to be rude and despise people, 352 00:30:47,274 --> 00:30:51,597 then it's really more like the covenant, remember, that Jephthah made; 353 00:30:51,603 --> 00:30:54,010 who, in the book of Judges, made a covenant with the Lord 354 00:30:54,016 --> 00:30:57,715 that he would kill the first person who came out of his house. 355 00:30:57,721 --> 00:31:00,911 Because that's what we're doing when we do that kind of thing. 356 00:31:00,917 --> 00:31:03,444 Eternally, though. 357 00:31:04,443 --> 00:31:12,212 You see, that type of holiness where you just quickly cut people off is very me-centered. 358 00:31:12,218 --> 00:31:14,881 It's very selfish. 359 00:31:14,887 --> 00:31:18,678 There's not really much thought for the other person's welfare 360 00:31:18,684 --> 00:31:21,817 but it's all about me, myself and I. 361 00:31:21,823 --> 00:31:23,562 It's not Christian. 362 00:31:23,568 --> 00:31:27,228 You might call it Armenian, but it's not Christian. 363 00:31:27,234 --> 00:31:35,684 A lot of Armenian holiness teaching is like that, isn't it? Pharisaical.(P) 364 00:31:35,690 --> 00:31:41,172 Let me give you some examples of ways this is manifested. 365 00:31:41,178 --> 00:31:51,701 You know, on Halloween for instance, when kids knock at the door for chocolate or candy, 366 00:31:51,707 --> 00:31:55,427 and the professing Christian responds by either turning all the lights off 367 00:31:55,433 --> 00:31:59,900 and locking themselves away, "Get away from me sinners," 368 00:31:59,906 --> 00:32:05,943 or, I've even seen this, they rebuke some little 5 year old kid at the door, 369 00:32:05,949 --> 00:32:08,566 "You know what you're doing is evil." 370 00:32:08,572 --> 00:32:10,548 Because, of course, when you give him that candy, 371 00:32:10,554 --> 00:32:19,436 he's going to go home and sacrifice his neighbor's dog [laughs].(P) 372 00:32:19,442 --> 00:32:24,120 You know, at one time, during Halloween we used to give out Gospel tracts 373 00:32:24,126 --> 00:32:26,867 and try to share the Gospel with little kids at the door, 374 00:32:26,873 --> 00:32:31,039 but it's kind of pointless, it's a 5 year old kid at the door. 375 00:32:31,045 --> 00:32:35,856 But this year, we used it to try and build relationships 376 00:32:35,862 --> 00:32:38,528 and used it as a chance to be warm and friendly. 377 00:32:38,534 --> 00:32:40,387 We always make sure we get the best chocolate, 378 00:32:40,393 --> 00:32:45,696 you know, we don't want to be known as the 'Stingy House'. 379 00:32:45,702 --> 00:32:48,103 But, you know, the kids would pop at the door, 380 00:32:48,109 --> 00:32:52,716 and I would pretend to be scared and make them laugh and things. 381 00:32:52,722 --> 00:32:56,880 But what you'd have though is normally, in England, 382 00:32:56,886 --> 00:33:01,730 you'd have the children who knock at your doors with a mask on, age 5 to about 13, 383 00:33:01,736 --> 00:33:05,195 and then you'd have a parent at the end of your driveway, 384 00:33:05,201 --> 00:33:10,941 chaperoning them, in case, I suppose, you kidnap them into your house. 385 00:33:10,947 --> 00:33:13,043 But this year, we stepped it up a gear 386 00:33:13,049 --> 00:33:20,688 and we actually were handing out warm wine and hot dogs for the parents on the cold night. 387 00:33:20,694 --> 00:33:22,474 And they really appreciated it. 388 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:23,590 And the funny thing was, 389 00:33:23,596 --> 00:33:28,486 the only other person that was doing a similar thing in our area was Gayna, 390 00:33:28,492 --> 00:33:33,509 a sister in our church around the corner, who was handing out hot chocolates for the parents. 391 00:33:33,515 --> 00:33:36,628 You see, what we're doing there is showing ourselves warm and friendly. 392 00:33:36,634 --> 00:33:40,132 A little kindness goes a long way. 393 00:33:40,138 --> 00:33:48,549 I mean, we have a great opportunity there, rather than getting uptight over a little thing. (P) 394 00:33:48,555 --> 00:33:56,846 You see, one way the Pharisees viewed holiness (and we can make it look like this,) 395 00:33:56,852 --> 00:34:03,404 is making the kingdom of God being like a set of rules - 396 00:34:03,410 --> 00:34:07,659 more things that we're against than what we're for. 397 00:34:07,665 --> 00:34:10,389 Paul said in Romans 14:17 - 398 00:34:10,395 --> 00:34:15,411 one of my favorite verses in the Bible since I've come to understand it - 399 00:34:15,417 --> 00:34:18,357 "For the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking 400 00:34:18,362 --> 00:34:23,786 but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." 401 00:34:23,792 --> 00:34:25,648 You see, Paul rebukes them there. 402 00:34:25,654 --> 00:34:30,254 He says, "You're making the kingdom of God look like it's a matter of eating and drinking - 403 00:34:30,260 --> 00:34:35,806 all about observing these strict dietary laws, rules and regulations. 404 00:34:35,812 --> 00:34:40,520 You're giving a false impression of what a Christian is." 405 00:34:40,525 --> 00:34:45,649 It's the kingdom. It's so much bigger. 406 00:34:49,217 --> 00:34:59,438 You know, we don't want to make too much fuss over all those little things. 407 00:34:59,444 --> 00:35:04,890 We had a brother making a massive deal over Christmas. 408 00:35:04,896 --> 00:35:10,476 "I can't celebrate this, and I can't go to my lost family members' Christmas." 409 00:35:10,482 --> 00:35:15,920 And I said, if you want to build up a wall between your lost family and cut them off, 410 00:35:15,926 --> 00:35:20,799 just make a big deal out of things like Christmas. 411 00:35:20,805 --> 00:35:24,139 You know, if you really hate them and want them to go to hell and cut them off, 412 00:35:24,145 --> 00:35:27,742 then just make a big deal over things like that. 413 00:35:27,748 --> 00:35:31,144 Because that's what you're doing. 414 00:35:31,849 --> 00:35:35,994 Again, it's making the kingdom of God look like it's Pharisaical 415 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,980 with a few laws and regulations.(P) 416 00:35:38,986 --> 00:35:44,853 Back in our church, we used to have a Christmas day service but we stopped it this year. 417 00:35:44,859 --> 00:35:48,324 We have our carol service before where we invite people to, 418 00:35:48,330 --> 00:35:57,196 but Christmas day, we realize, is a time when the Christians can go to be with their lost family members, 419 00:35:57,202 --> 00:35:59,530 (because it's a great offense otherwise to them,) 420 00:35:59,536 --> 00:36:03,396 and just be around them.(P) 421 00:36:08,538 --> 00:36:21,430 Another way in which a Christian can be like a pharisee is viewing holiness like this: 422 00:36:21,436 --> 00:36:28,014 Becoming unnatural and having no interest in people's lives around us. 423 00:36:28,020 --> 00:36:34,756 I want you to notice in our text, Paul still speaks of his countrymen as MY countrymen. 424 00:36:34,762 --> 00:36:40,721 He doesn't say my former countrymen but now I'm a citizen of Heaven. 425 00:36:40,727 --> 00:36:43,452 But they are still his countrymen. 426 00:36:43,458 --> 00:36:47,296 Lloyd-Jones said that there are Christians today 427 00:36:47,302 --> 00:36:51,902 who think it's wrong to take an interest in local or national affairs, 428 00:36:51,908 --> 00:36:55,379 or even that it's wrong to vote and things like that. 429 00:36:55,385 --> 00:36:58,094 He said that's just a bad view of sanctification; 430 00:36:58,100 --> 00:37:00,172 that's trying to come totally out of the world. 431 00:37:00,178 --> 00:37:08,039 We're supposed to be in the world but not of it, being salt and light there. 432 00:37:08,045 --> 00:37:14,881 And I mentioned that because a lot of Christians build up an unnecessary wall with lost people 433 00:37:14,887 --> 00:37:22,379 by shunning everything from day to day life, as if I'm too holy for that.(P) 434 00:37:22,385 --> 00:37:24,683 You know, you go to your lost family members, 435 00:37:24,689 --> 00:37:30,371 they might be talking about sports or something on the news, and it's just, "Ooooh!" 436 00:37:30,377 --> 00:37:35,034 And it just come across as unnatural. 437 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:41,196 There are some Christians who leave a bad impression because 438 00:37:41,202 --> 00:37:45,342 they think you have to separate from everything in culture. 439 00:37:45,348 --> 00:37:47,275 It's been great going through Genesis back home. 440 00:37:47,283 --> 00:37:52,333 We realized there Abraham had a winning party which was some pagan party they did. 441 00:37:52,339 --> 00:37:55,244 Just a tradition. 442 00:37:55,250 --> 00:37:58,875 Then we realized circumcision didn't start with the Jews. 443 00:37:58,881 --> 00:38:02,814 It was really a pagan rite that God took and christianized, 444 00:38:02,820 --> 00:38:07,146 because it meant a specific point in a specific culture. 445 00:38:07,152 --> 00:38:10,146 So you can do that too. 446 00:38:11,131 --> 00:38:15,537 You see, culture is not necessarily evil. 447 00:38:15,543 --> 00:38:21,044 We see in the book of Revelation there many tribes and tongues around the throne of God, 448 00:38:21,050 --> 00:38:24,365 all with their own cultures, worshiping God. (P) 449 00:38:24,371 --> 00:38:32,613 You know, one of the worst things certain British missionary organizations did at one time 450 00:38:32,619 --> 00:38:37,424 was to try and convert the world to 19th century Victorianism 451 00:38:37,430 --> 00:38:41,690 and make everyone act and dress like Victorian Englishmen. 452 00:38:41,696 --> 00:38:44,215 I mean, convert them to Christ, Yes. 453 00:38:44,221 --> 00:38:53,301 But you don't have to make an exuberant African act like a stiff, reserved Englishman. 454 00:38:53,307 --> 00:39:02,449 Which leads me to another way one can view holiness like a Pharisee. 455 00:39:02,455 --> 00:39:11,497 And that is, having an unscriptural definition between the sacred and the secular. 456 00:39:11,503 --> 00:39:14,315 How many people fall into this today? 457 00:39:14,321 --> 00:39:20,439 In the Old Testament, all the priests did all the holy work and the secular was separate. 458 00:39:20,445 --> 00:39:24,504 But in the New Covenant, you see, it's not like that. 459 00:39:24,510 --> 00:39:29,229 In the New Covenant, we are all priests, reigning with God. 460 00:39:29,235 --> 00:39:32,402 We are all offering up our priestly service. 461 00:39:32,408 --> 00:39:36,071 Now, how are we expected to live this? 462 00:39:36,077 --> 00:39:39,700 Are we all expected to become full-time preachers? 463 00:39:39,706 --> 00:39:42,488 No, we are to become priests in our daily lives. 464 00:39:42,494 --> 00:39:50,604 In your workplace, we are told, do your secular work for the Lord, and you will receive a reward. 465 00:39:50,610 --> 00:39:55,098 You know, motherhood, raising the children for the Lord. 466 00:39:55,104 --> 00:40:04,641 Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God. (P) 467 00:40:04,647 --> 00:40:12,174 A dear brother, (I almost hate using this example because he's so dear to me, 468 00:40:12,180 --> 00:40:16,202 but it really helps so many people,) 469 00:40:16,208 --> 00:40:21,383 but he once preached for us and he did very well, 470 00:40:21,389 --> 00:40:26,424 except one thing he said and I took issue with. 471 00:40:26,430 --> 00:40:31,889 And he said some Christians have a 15-minute devotion time, 472 00:40:31,895 --> 00:40:34,168 they have a 15-minute time in the Word, 473 00:40:34,174 --> 00:40:37,219 and then he said, "But that's all they give to God. 474 00:40:37,225 --> 00:40:41,953 That's all they think God is worth -15 minutes." 475 00:40:41,959 --> 00:40:45,670 And I said to him, "Brother, no that is wrong." 476 00:40:45,676 --> 00:40:50,107 I said take, for example, the example of a Christian mother. 477 00:40:50,113 --> 00:40:57,071 She may have a 15-minute devotion time, but that's not all she gives to God. 478 00:40:57,077 --> 00:40:59,533 She then gets the children ready for the Lord. 479 00:40:59,539 --> 00:41:02,918 She then runs the house for the Lord. 480 00:41:02,924 --> 00:41:08,606 She doesn't just give 15-minutes to the Lord, she gives her whole day to the Lord. 481 00:41:08,612 --> 00:41:18,920 And then I added, "Even when she's looking at a friend's baby photos on Facebook." 482 00:41:18,926 --> 00:41:26,762 You see what that is, it's this distinction from the sacred and the secular there. 483 00:41:26,768 --> 00:41:27,748 We are to be priests. 484 00:41:27,754 --> 00:41:31,673 We are not all to be monks and just read the Word all the time, 485 00:41:31,679 --> 00:41:39,964 but I'd rather people read less and lived more. (P) 486 00:41:40,656 --> 00:41:47,461 One last thing, and I think this is also very helpful. 487 00:41:47,467 --> 00:41:53,400 It certainly helped brethren in our church and me personally in being around unbelievers. 488 00:41:53,406 --> 00:42:02,491 And that is, when you become a Christian, you do not cease to be natural. 489 00:42:03,396 --> 00:42:08,758 The Christian is natural, but is more than the natural. 490 00:42:08,764 --> 00:42:10,875 He's more than the natural but never less. 491 00:42:10,892 --> 00:42:15,264 Take, for instance, Paul's burden here. 492 00:42:15,270 --> 00:42:22,456 In one sense, it is a natural burden to want to reach those you were closely affiliated with before salvation. 493 00:42:22,462 --> 00:42:23,816 Natural. 494 00:42:23,822 --> 00:42:28,358 But it's more than the natural after the way they treated him. 495 00:42:28,364 --> 00:42:32,964 Jesus told us we're not just to love those who treat us well 496 00:42:32,970 --> 00:42:37,465 (our friends, those who love us, our family members) 497 00:42:37,471 --> 00:42:39,689 but we are to love our enemies. 498 00:42:39,695 --> 00:42:46,221 But when He said that, He wasn't telling us we're not to love [those who are close to us]. 499 00:42:46,227 --> 00:42:48,552 He wasn't telling us we are to be unnatural; 500 00:42:48,558 --> 00:42:54,391 we are to be natural but more than the natural.(P) 501 00:42:54,397 --> 00:43:05,009 You see, a lot of Christians spend a lot of time and effort trying to suppress being natural, 502 00:43:05,015 --> 00:43:06,704 and act in an unnatural way. 503 00:43:06,710 --> 00:43:08,784 And it repels people. 504 00:43:08,790 --> 00:43:11,137 It gives them a false impression of Christianity. 505 00:43:11,143 --> 00:43:16,017 They pretend they are too high and holy to talk about normal things with people. 506 00:43:16,023 --> 00:43:17,301 Or if someone tells a joke - 507 00:43:17,307 --> 00:43:23,310 and I don't mean a dirty joke, but I don't mean a real easy one either - 508 00:43:23,316 --> 00:43:24,914 if a believer tells it, that's fine. 509 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:34,242 But if an unbeliever tells it, you know, "I'm too holy to laugh." 510 00:43:34,248 --> 00:43:36,982 You see, people get confused about this 511 00:43:36,988 --> 00:43:40,922 because Scripture, of course, speaks of the natural man (who does not accept the things of God) 512 00:43:40,928 --> 00:43:42,430 and the spiritual man. 513 00:43:42,436 --> 00:43:45,760 But he's not saying we cease to be natural there, 514 00:43:45,766 --> 00:43:48,700 but as a Christian you're not governed by the natural realm. 515 00:43:48,706 --> 00:43:51,504 You have the Holy Spirit so you're more than the natural. 516 00:43:51,510 --> 00:43:53,474 But you don't cease to be natural. 517 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:56,897 There's many more verses I can prove that point from, 518 00:43:56,903 --> 00:44:04,754 but for time, I will just give you a few closing applications.(P) 519 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:09,604 These are things we've experienced back home in Manchester or in Switzerland. 520 00:44:09,610 --> 00:44:14,384 I will sometimes hear Christians talk about going visiting their lost parents 521 00:44:14,390 --> 00:44:20,594 or spending some time with them or other lost family members, as if it's some great chore. 522 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:28,571 You know, "We have nothing to talk about. We can't talk about anything." 523 00:44:28,577 --> 00:44:33,419 And, I generally point out to people because normally this is asked about. 524 00:44:33,425 --> 00:44:36,921 And I remember one time, a brother was asking me 525 00:44:36,927 --> 00:44:41,969 and there were three Christian girls cooking in the kitchen. 526 00:44:41,975 --> 00:44:45,174 And I said, "Listen to their conversation. 527 00:44:45,180 --> 00:44:50,484 They are not speaking about Scripture at the moment, they are talking about normal things. 528 00:44:50,490 --> 00:44:52,289 Everyday things." 529 00:44:52,295 --> 00:44:58,242 You see, my point was, you talk about those things with Christians, 530 00:44:58,248 --> 00:45:03,273 so why can't you talk about those things with non-Christians? 531 00:45:03,279 --> 00:45:13,891 It gives a completely false impression of what Christianity is, 532 00:45:13,897 --> 00:45:19,700 because you're not like that when you're around Christians. 533 00:45:19,706 --> 00:45:27,966 It's only when Christians are around unbelievers they can become tense if they fall into this.(P) 534 00:45:27,972 --> 00:45:33,728 Another time I see this is, sometimes, a Christian would say, 535 00:45:33,734 --> 00:45:37,299 "I've got to go to a family wedding this Saturday, 536 00:45:37,305 --> 00:45:42,900 (a lost family wedding or some family party or some other event,)" 537 00:45:42,906 --> 00:45:48,679 and then they'll say in their next word, "but it's a chance to witness to them." 538 00:45:48,685 --> 00:45:54,608 Now listen, I am not against sharing the Gospel with them if the Lord opens the opportunity there. 539 00:45:54,614 --> 00:45:57,137 But you see what's wrong there? 540 00:45:57,143 --> 00:46:05,085 They can't just enjoy and show love and be kind to their family members. 541 00:46:05,091 --> 00:46:10,400 They have to give an apology to other Christians why they are going. 542 00:46:10,413 --> 00:46:12,657 And so what normally happens is they go to those things 543 00:46:12,663 --> 00:46:13,951 and they are on edge all the time 544 00:46:13,957 --> 00:46:18,405 because they've told everyone else that they are going to preach the Gospel to someone. 545 00:46:18,411 --> 00:46:22,822 And so, they either make a mess of it doing it mechanically 546 00:46:22,828 --> 00:46:31,353 or they go home feeling condemned because they never opened their mouth. 547 00:46:31,359 --> 00:46:39,303 The only impression they gave to everyone else is "Wow, that person is really on edge." 548 00:46:39,309 --> 00:46:44,462 I think it was brother Ryan Skinner who told us the other day 549 00:46:44,468 --> 00:46:47,819 that sometimes when Christians can be like that with lost people, 550 00:46:47,825 --> 00:46:56,404 the impression they give is like the Children of the Corn coming at them. (P) 551 00:46:57,717 --> 00:47:04,177 But you know, when you're reaching, when you're around lost people, 552 00:47:04,183 --> 00:47:09,973 you don't have to witness to them all the time or every time. 553 00:47:09,979 --> 00:47:14,968 Don't appear standoffish or unnatural. 554 00:47:14,974 --> 00:47:19,947 You know, those you're with regularly, again, show them your life first. 555 00:47:19,953 --> 00:47:24,692 Show them a change - how kind and warm you are - and they'll see a difference. 556 00:47:24,698 --> 00:47:28,419 You know, I hear this phrase today, "You can't live the Gospel." 557 00:47:28,425 --> 00:47:30,916 Has that person never read 1st Peter? 558 00:47:30,922 --> 00:47:32,778 The whole book is about living the Gospel, 559 00:47:32,784 --> 00:47:36,470 as the brother said before, "We are the fifth gospel." 560 00:47:36,476 --> 00:47:41,990 Treasure in hidden vessels. 561 00:47:42,965 --> 00:47:47,972 It's a lot harder, it takes a lot more love to live the Gospel around people 562 00:47:47,978 --> 00:47:51,483 than just to say a few words and run. 563 00:47:51,489 --> 00:47:56,901 You know, tick that box and leave them. 564 00:47:58,232 --> 00:48:06,215 Again, I always ask that question, What impression of the kingdom of God am I giving unbelievers? 565 00:48:06,221 --> 00:48:15,366 Am I giving them an impression that being a Christian looks something like a Pharisee, 566 00:48:15,372 --> 00:48:19,525 or that I really love them and I'm kind to them as Christ was to me. 567 00:48:19,531 --> 00:48:26,706 That it's a relationship with a person, it's joy. (P) 568 00:48:27,466 --> 00:48:32,388 Let's pray. 569 00:48:38,413 --> 00:48:48,712 Our Father, I know these words, these truths have been so helpful in my own life 570 00:48:48,718 --> 00:48:53,835 and for other brothers and sisters in Europe. 571 00:48:53,841 --> 00:49:02,393 And I know, what was once tense relationships, the walls have come down so quickly 572 00:49:02,399 --> 00:49:10,421 by applying these truths of persevering and not being quickly to cut off and defriend; 573 00:49:10,427 --> 00:49:20,511 and just being normal, natural, taking an interest in people, and showing love. 574 00:49:21,559 --> 00:49:26,717 People have even come to Christ 575 00:49:26,723 --> 00:49:32,323 who was once separated from the Christian by an impression of a pharisee. 576 00:49:32,329 --> 00:49:35,459 I pray You would help the brothers and sisters here, all who hear this word, 577 00:49:35,465 --> 00:49:41,447 help us Lord to be in their lives, to be reaching our lost family members, neighbors, 578 00:49:41,453 --> 00:49:48,903 those whom You put our way. 579 00:49:51,428 --> 00:49:59,724 We need Your Holy Spirit to have this love like Paul, 580 00:49:59,730 --> 00:50:03,438 so we don't quickly cut people off. 581 00:50:03,444 --> 00:50:06,896 We thank You that You did not cut us off. 582 00:50:06,902 --> 00:50:16,226 That, Lord, how badly we have been even since our conversion, never mind before. 583 00:50:16,232 --> 00:50:20,075 And yet, You persevered with us and You were cut off in our place. 584 00:50:20,081 --> 00:50:25,293 We praise You in Jesus' name, Amen.