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Building a Resilient Church Culture: Part 1 - Intro · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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We'll spend some time today in Ephesians chapter 5, verses 11 through 17.
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But you may have noticed, perhaps you have a bulletin,
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that instead of a text for today's sermon, which is normative for us, there is a title,
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Building a Resilient Church Culture, Part One.
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A little over a year ago, I preached this sermon, and your elders now, a year later,
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thought it wise to revisit the idea and develop it further.
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So today, I'll re-preach that sermon, some small edits,
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and then in the coming five weeks, Lord willing, we will think together about each of my five sub-points,
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which I'll cover in brief this morning.
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Before we get started, I want to note a few things.
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Number one, as a general practice, we preach expositional sermons.
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Most simply put, this means that we take for the sermon's point or points,
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the main point or points of that week's text.
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We exegete the text, right?
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The text drives what we're doing together, it speaks to us.
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We read it, explain it, and we give application from it.
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But we are careful not to eisegete a text or read into the text what we want to see in the text.
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And this is why we tend to preach verse by verse,
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because it lends itself toward good exegesis and away from eisegesis,
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although it's still possible to do so.
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However, from time to time, a topical sermon has its place,
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which is what I will be doing this morning.
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And I just want you to know that you should be especially discerning sitting under topical preaching.
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Number two, I am not trying to be an alarmist this morning.
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The elders of the church don't want to come off as alarmists.
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That said, we feel a burden to prepare you for challenges that we believe are coming.
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It's our hope that you know us well enough to know that we love you very much,
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and we want good for you,
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and above that, we want glory for our God.
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And thirdly, I will not have nearly enough time this morning or in the coming five weeks to exhaust this topic.
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So we will need to talk more about it,
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both in our formal gather times and in our informal day-to-day gathering.
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This needs to be a primer for more conversation.
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I've thought a lot about this, but my thinking is not done.
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I do hope that you will ask questions,
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that you will push at my thinking,
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and that you will spend time with the Lord and His Word
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as you consider the days in which we live.
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So, Ephesians chapter 5, beginning in verse 11 and following,
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before I read it, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us,
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that it was written for His glory and our good.
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And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises
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and to obey its commands.
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Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness,
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but instead expose them.
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For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
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But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.
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For anything that becomes visible is light.
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Therefore it says,
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Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,
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and Christ will shine on you.
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Look carefully then how you walk,
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not as unwise but as wise,
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making the best use of the time because the days are evil.
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Therefore do not be foolish,
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but understand what the will of the Lord is.
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So we are exhorted in this text
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to not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness,
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but rather to expose them.
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By which he means to expose them as unfruitful works of darkness.
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Show them for what they are.
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Paul has previously given a sampling of the unfruitful works
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that he is referring to beginning in chapter 5 and verse 3.
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Sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, idolatry,
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filthy talk, foolish talk, crude joking.
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I don't think that Paul means for us to understand this list as exhaustive,
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but to give us an idea of those things that we are meant to avoid and to expose.
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He juxtaposes this kind of unfruitful living
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with a living that we must assume would be fruitful,
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if it's to be the opposite of the unfruitful living.
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Verse 15,
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Look carefully then how you walk,
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not as unwise,
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but as wise,
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making the best use of the time because the days are evil.
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Therefore do not be foolish,
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but understand what the will of the Lord is.
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So the fruitful life,
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Paul tells us,
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is in part
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careful
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and wise
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and efficient
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and informed.
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And he is exhorting this kind of caution
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because our time is limited
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and because the days are
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evil.
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By God's divine appointing,
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he has made us Christians
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in the 21st century,
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assuming that you are
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in Christ.
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He has made us
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for this time.
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So to be clear,
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these are
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our evil days.
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This text,
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originally written to these Ephesian believers,
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was also written for us
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and has bearing on our lives
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today.
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So we must ask,
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what are the particular evils
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of our day?
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What unfruitful works of darkness
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are we meant
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to be exposing?
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And to be clear,
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there are so
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many.
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The list goes on
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and on.
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Today,
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I want us to consider
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a particular
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rising tide
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as we think about
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this need
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to build a resilient
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church culture.
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It's a rising tide
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that is making
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ground inland
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at a steady rate.
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One that we will have
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to build a resilient
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church children
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to stand against.
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We're going to have to do it
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if we're going to
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survive.
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And this particular evil
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is the evil
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of the redefinition
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of our
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anthropology.
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Who we are
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and why
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we exist.
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This redefinition
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is happening
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on multiple fronts
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and I'm sure
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this is not
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exhaustive.
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It's happening
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as it concerns
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the unborn.
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Unborn children
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are defined as
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babies if they are
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wanted,
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fetuses if they are
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unwanted.
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And praise be to God
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that Roe and Casey
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have been overturned,
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but this cultural evil
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still
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exists.
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This is happening
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in the case of
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men and women.
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It's fine,
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gender as social
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constructs and not
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biological
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definitions.
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This happens
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as it concerns
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minorities,
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which these days
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seems to be any
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human who is
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not white
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and straight.
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And these minorities
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are necessarily
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viewed as
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oppressed.
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Now,
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we certainly
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don't have time
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today to explore
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each of these ideas
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and look to the
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scripture for the
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answers,
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although it does
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have the answers.
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But we need to
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have our eyes
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open to the fact
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that each of
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these ideologies
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stand in
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contradiction
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to the scripture.
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To hold a
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Christian worldview
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of the sanctity
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of human life,
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the biological
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assignment of
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gender by our
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God,
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the proper
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exercise of
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sexuality within
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a biblical
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marriage,
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and a God-ordered
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justice,
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will make us
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more uncomfortable
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in the coming
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years than I
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think most of
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us are ready
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for.
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I think things
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are going to
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be tougher
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than you might
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imagine.
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Your elders'
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concern for the
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church is that
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we will have to
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be deliberate
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in our efforts
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to build a
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resilient church
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culture as our
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society swiftly
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moves toward
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totalitarianism.
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Now,
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totalitarianism
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is a system
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requiring
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complete
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subservience.
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It has
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at its head
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some set of
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ideas,
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and if you
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don't fall in
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line with
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every one of
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those ideas,
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then you do
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not belong.
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You will,
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in the case of
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hard totalitarianism,
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be put in the
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gulags of
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communist Russia.
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So,
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hard totalitarianism
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comes in the form
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of these kind of
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regimes,
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right,
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that rule and
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reign over a
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people.
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You step out of
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line,
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you're punished.
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Soft totalitarianism
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is what we're
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going to experience
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in our day,
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at least for
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some time,
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and probably
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just soft
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totalitarianism.
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Those of you who
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know me know
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that I'm not
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much of an
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optimist,
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but in this
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case,
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I'll say it'll
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likely come just
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in the form of
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soft totalitarianism,
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which means it
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will be coerced
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by the economy
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and will be
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policed on
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social media.
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Just as an
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example,
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think for a
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moment,
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since the
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overturning of
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Roe and Casey,
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how many
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companies have
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morally postured
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themselves as
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being for
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quote-unquote
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feminine rights,
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right?
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We have to be
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thinking about
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what brand of
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pants we wear.
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I don't want to
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think about what
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brand of pants I
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wear.
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I just want to
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wear the pants.
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I just want a
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pant company to be
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a pant company
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and not be
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politically and
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socially engaged,
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right?
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But in a
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growing sense,
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if you're not
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on board,
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then you're
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canceled,
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right?
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Cut out of
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society,
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ostracized as
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a result.
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I think,
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just as a
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kind of high
10:27
view observation,
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that the highest
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value of
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Americans is
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comfort.
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It's what
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Americans generally,
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it's true of us
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too.
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What we like
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more than
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anything is
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our comfort.
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Our second
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highest value,
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until it gets
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in the way of
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the highest
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value,
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is our
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autonomy.
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We want to
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do what we
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want to do,
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when we want
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to do it,
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unless we're
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uncomfortable,
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and then you
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can tell us
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whatever you
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want us to
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do.
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We saw this
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play out
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across a
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recent pandemic,
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right?
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Able to give
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up so much
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if you just
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keep me
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comfortable,
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right?
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Don't cast
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me out.
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Don't cancel
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me.
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Don't call
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me out on
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the streets
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or in the
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grocery store.
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We are going
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to get
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pressed more
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and more
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and more
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by this
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society to
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toe a line
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that if we're
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to be biblical
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Christians,
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we will not
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be able to
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toe.
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It just
11:17
won't be
11:17
possible to
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do so.
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If we are
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to be a
11:21
people who
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have been
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awakened by
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the gospel
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of Jesus
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Christ,
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then we're
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going to need
11:27
to look
11:27
carefully how
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we walk.
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We're going
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to be wise,
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verse 15.
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We're going
11:34
to need
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to make
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the best
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use of
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the time.
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Why?
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Because the
11:39
days are
11:39
evil.
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We ought
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not be
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foolish.
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We need
11:44
to understand
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the way
11:45
of our
11:46
Lord.
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We ought
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to be wise
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and unfoolish
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because God
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has saved
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us from
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our foolishness.
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Verse 13,
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when anything
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is exposed
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by the light,
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it becomes
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visible.
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For anything
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that becomes
12:02
visible is
12:02
light.
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Therefore,
12:03
it says,
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Awake,
12:05
O sleeper,
12:06
and arise
12:07
from the
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dead,
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and Christ
12:08
will shine
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on you.
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And this
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is a
12:12
citation
12:13
from Isaiah
12:13
chapter 60
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and verse
12:15
1,
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loosely,
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which says,
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Arise,
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shine,
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for your
12:20
light has
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come,
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and the
12:22
glory of
12:23
the Lord
12:23
has risen
12:24
upon you.
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Now,
12:26
this citation
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in Ephesians
12:29
chapter 5,
12:30
verse 14,
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many commentators
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believe,
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was a hymn sung
12:34
by the early
12:34
church calling
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anyone in their
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midst who had
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not yet believed
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in Christ to
12:39
repent and
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place their
12:40
faith in him.
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Because it's a
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gospel summary.
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Awake,
12:48
O sleeper,
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you who are
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dead in your
12:51
sin,
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who have yet
12:52
to be awakened
12:53
to the light
12:54
of Christ.
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Arise from
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the dead
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through repentance
12:57
and faith.
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And God's
13:00
grace in
13:01
Christ will
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shine
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on you.
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Because God
13:06
has saved us
13:07
from our
13:07
foolishness,
13:08
we are to be
13:08
a people who
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pursue
13:10
that which is
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good
13:12
and true
13:14
and beautiful.
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and we are
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to do so
13:18
for our
13:19
good,
13:20
loving,
13:21
kind
13:21
instructions
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from our
13:22
God and
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for the
13:24
glory
13:25
of our
13:26
God.
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And this is
13:28
going to
13:29
cause
13:29
discomfort.
13:32
This is going
13:32
to cause
13:33
persecution.
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persecution.
13:37
I have
13:38
wrongly said
13:39
in the past
13:39
that the
13:40
church has
13:41
always thrived
13:42
in the midst
13:43
of persecution.
13:45
And broadly
13:46
that's true,
13:47
right?
13:47
Capital C
13:48
church,
13:48
the church
13:49
has always
13:49
pressed on
13:50
throughout
13:50
space and
13:52
time.
13:53
But in
13:54
particular
13:54
locations,
13:55
that hasn't
13:55
always been
13:56
true.
13:57
There have
13:58
been places
13:58
in history,
13:59
in the world,
14:00
that persecution
14:01
has altogether
14:03
stamped out
14:04
the Christian
14:04
witness.
14:07
We want
14:07
this to
14:08
not be
14:08
true of
14:09
us.
14:11
We want
14:11
rather
14:12
what Thomas
14:14
Watson
14:14
once said,
14:15
this is on
14:16
your bulletin,
14:17
this is what
14:17
we want to
14:18
be true of
14:18
us.
14:18
He said,
14:19
how much
14:19
good comes
14:20
to the
14:21
saints
14:21
by affliction.
14:23
When they
14:24
are pounded,
14:25
they send
14:25
forth their
14:26
sweetest
14:26
smell.
14:28
Affliction
14:28
is a
14:29
bitter root,
14:30
but it
14:31
bears
14:31
sweet fruit.
14:32
we want
14:34
this to
14:35
be true
14:35
of us,
14:36
of Christ's
14:37
family
14:37
church.
14:40
So how
14:40
do we
14:41
build a
14:41
resilient
14:42
church
14:43
culture,
14:44
a church
14:44
that will
14:44
stand against
14:45
the rising
14:46
tide of
14:46
soft
14:47
totalitarianism?
14:48
And to
14:49
be clear,
14:49
we will
14:50
have to
14:50
build it.
14:52
It won't
14:52
just happen.
14:54
We will
14:54
have to
14:55
be strong
14:55
because the
14:56
tide will
14:56
be destructive.
14:59
It will
14:59
have to
15:00
be cultural,
15:01
not to
15:02
be ingrained
15:03
into who
15:03
we are
15:04
as a
15:06
church.
15:07
Not a
15:07
six-week
15:09
series and
15:10
we all
15:10
move on,
15:11
but we
15:11
have to
15:11
be thinking
15:12
about these
15:12
things
15:13
together.
15:15
And so I
15:16
want to
15:16
briefly outline
15:17
for you
15:17
five overlapping
15:19
areas that
15:19
we believe
15:20
we will
15:21
need to
15:21
work on.
15:23
This is
15:23
probably not
15:23
all of
15:24
it.
15:24
Much of
15:25
this could
15:25
be exhausted
15:26
more,
15:26
it could
15:27
be worked
15:27
out,
15:27
it could
15:28
be talked
15:28
about,
15:29
but I
15:29
think this
15:30
is a very
15:30
good place
15:31
for us
15:32
to start.
15:34
Before I
15:34
get into
15:34
them,
15:35
as a
15:35
note,
15:36
it's already
15:36
been pointed
15:37
out to me
15:37
that there's
15:38
an acronym
15:38
here,
15:39
CRASH,
15:39
and that's
15:40
not on
15:40
purpose.
15:45
Although in
15:46
thinking these
15:46
things through
15:47
and having
15:48
these particular
15:48
points,
15:49
I did notice
15:50
that they
15:50
spelled out
15:50
CRASH,
15:51
and I put
15:51
it in that
15:51
order because
15:52
it helps
15:52
me remember
15:53
it,
15:53
and I've
15:53
been talking
15:54
about this
15:54
now for
15:54
a year.
15:55
So that's
15:56
the order
15:57
that I put
15:57
them in,
15:57
but I don't
15:58
know that they
15:58
necessarily need
15:59
to build in
16:00
this order,
16:00
and I'm
16:01
not trying,
16:01
you know,
16:02
I mean,
16:03
somebody probably
16:05
would have had
16:05
some cool
16:05
graphic made,
16:06
but that's
16:07
not me.
16:08
So,
16:08
number one,
16:12
and we'll
16:12
take these in
16:12
the coming
16:13
weeks in this
16:13
order as well.
16:15
So,
16:15
number one,
16:17
clear mission.
16:19
The church
16:20
needs to know
16:21
why it
16:21
exists.
16:22
What is the
16:23
church,
16:24
and what is
16:25
the mission
16:26
meaning of
16:27
the church?
16:28
If we are
16:29
not crystal
16:30
clear on
16:30
why we
16:31
exist,
16:32
then we
16:33
will always
16:34
be distracted
16:34
by some
16:35
lesser
16:35
purpose.
16:38
Perhaps by
16:38
a gospel
16:39
implication,
16:40
but not the
16:41
gospel itself.
16:42
Why does
16:43
the church
16:44
exist?
16:47
What Jesus
16:48
said in
16:48
Matthew
16:48
chapter 28,
16:49
verse 18,
16:50
and following,
16:51
all authority
16:52
in heaven
16:53
and on
16:53
earth has
16:53
been given
16:54
to me.
16:56
Go,
16:57
therefore,
16:57
and make
16:57
disciples of
16:58
all nations,
17:00
baptizing them,
17:01
this is how I
17:01
know that this
17:02
is a work of
17:02
the church,
17:03
because that's
17:03
a church
17:04
ordinance,
17:05
baptizing them
17:05
in the name
17:06
of the Father
17:06
and of the
17:07
Son and
17:08
of the Holy
17:08
Spirit,
17:09
teaching them
17:10
to observe
17:10
all that I
17:11
have commanded
17:12
you.
17:13
And behold,
17:13
I am with
17:14
you always
17:14
to the end
17:16
of the age.
17:18
I'm going
17:18
to develop
17:18
this next
17:20
week more.
17:21
Why does
17:22
the church
17:22
exist?
17:23
To be
17:24
heralds of
17:24
the good
17:25
news of
17:26
Jesus Christ.
17:28
We attach
17:28
some things
17:29
to that
17:29
as we carry
17:30
that message
17:31
forth,
17:31
but this
17:32
is the
17:32
thing we
17:33
need to
17:33
stay clear
17:34
about.
17:34
We have
17:35
a mission
17:36
in this
17:36
world.
17:38
We will
17:39
need to
17:39
readily identify
17:40
what battles
17:41
we ought to
17:42
engage in
17:42
and what
17:43
the war
17:44
is that
17:45
we cannot
17:45
avoid.
17:46
We need
17:47
to understand
17:48
what it
17:48
means to
17:48
be the
17:49
church
17:49
militant,
17:51
and the
17:51
church
17:52
victorious.
17:55
So that's
17:55
number one,
17:56
clear mission.
17:56
Number two,
17:58
robust
17:58
theology.
18:01
If we
18:01
do not
18:02
have a
18:03
robust,
18:04
think a
18:05
well-developed,
18:06
a thick
18:06
theology,
18:07
we will
18:08
fail to
18:08
understand
18:09
cosmology,
18:11
anthology,
18:12
and certainly
18:13
even
18:13
biology.
18:15
theology.
18:16
All other
18:17
studies are
18:17
subservient to
18:18
the study
18:19
of God.
18:21
Proverbs 1
18:22
and verse 7,
18:23
the fear of
18:23
the Lord is
18:23
the beginning
18:24
of knowledge.
18:25
Fools despise
18:26
wisdom and
18:28
instruction.
18:29
We must
18:29
humble
18:30
ourselves under
18:31
God's
18:32
word,
18:33
and we must
18:33
be a people
18:34
of it.
18:35
We have to
18:36
be thick
18:37
in our
18:37
theology.
18:40
In a
18:40
highly
18:40
psychologized
18:41
age,
18:42
we are
18:42
being
18:43
inundated
18:43
with the
18:44
message that
18:45
we are the
18:45
center of
18:46
the universe
18:46
and that
18:47
our feelings
18:47
dictate
18:48
our reality.
18:50
Feelings
18:51
seem to
18:52
rule the
18:53
day.
18:54
And beloved,
18:54
I will tell
18:54
you, this
18:55
is true in
18:55
our church
18:56
as well.
18:57
Your feelings
18:58
may or may
19:00
not be
19:00
consistent
19:01
with the
19:01
truth.
19:03
But your
19:04
feelings never
19:05
define the
19:06
truth.
19:07
God defines
19:08
the truth.
19:10
But we live
19:11
in a culture
19:11
that is
19:12
telling us
19:12
that opposite
19:13
thing all
19:14
the time.
19:16
Define your
19:17
truth.
19:17
What's good
19:18
for you
19:18
must be
19:19
good.
19:21
But our
19:21
creator knows
19:22
what's good,
19:23
what's best
19:24
for us.
19:26
Many
19:27
churches
19:27
peddle what
19:28
sociologists
19:28
Christian Smith
19:29
and Melinda
19:29
Lundquist
19:30
Denton called
19:31
therapeutic,
19:33
moralistic
19:34
deism.
19:36
And this
19:37
is not
19:37
good for
19:38
the souls
19:38
of mankind.
19:40
We do
19:41
not need
19:42
a high
19:42
view of
19:43
man.
19:44
We need
19:45
a high
19:45
view of
19:46
God.
19:49
We are
19:49
going to
19:49
have to
19:50
learn to
19:50
do
19:50
theological
19:51
triage
19:52
on the
19:53
fly.
19:53
I'm not
19:53
going to
19:54
explain
19:54
theological
19:54
triage to
19:55
you this
19:55
morning.
19:56
There's
19:56
people in the
19:56
room going,
19:56
okay,
19:57
good.
19:58
Good.
19:59
But you
20:00
need to know
20:00
how to do
20:00
it, right?
20:01
We need to
20:02
know what
20:03
to encounter,
20:03
what not
20:04
to encounter,
20:04
what battles
20:05
to fight,
20:06
what hills
20:06
we ought to
20:06
die on,
20:07
and what
20:07
things don't
20:08
matter.
20:10
It's part
20:10
of developing
20:11
a robust
20:12
theology.
20:13
We're going
20:14
to need to
20:15
develop the
20:15
ability to
20:16
hold and
20:18
communicate
20:18
nuanced
20:19
positions.
20:22
We don't
20:23
need to be
20:23
the kind
20:23
of people
20:24
that try
20:24
to sort
20:24
out the
20:25
world's
20:25
problems
20:25
in 240
20:27
characters
20:27
on Twitter.
20:30
So,
20:31
clear mission,
20:33
robust
20:33
theology.
20:35
Third,
20:35
accurate
20:36
histories.
20:38
I must
20:40
admit that
20:40
accurate
20:41
was the
20:42
A.
20:42
I actually
20:42
put it in
20:43
there because
20:43
it made
20:43
crash.
20:45
Accurate
20:46
histories.
20:47
If we
20:48
do not
20:48
understand
20:49
where we
20:49
have come
20:50
from,
20:50
we will
20:50
not see
20:51
clearly
20:51
where we
20:52
are going
20:53
and we
20:53
will be
20:53
doomed to
20:54
repeat the
20:54
mistakes
20:55
of the
20:56
past.
20:57
We're
20:57
going to
20:57
have to
20:57
be a
20:58
people
20:58
who have
20:59
knowledge
21:00
of our
21:02
history,
21:02
local,
21:03
national,
21:03
world,
21:04
most
21:05
particularly
21:05
church
21:06
history.
21:07
Who are
21:07
we as
21:08
God's
21:08
people?
21:09
What
21:10
mistakes
21:10
have
21:11
God's
21:11
people
21:11
made
21:11
in
21:12
the
21:13
past?
21:13
I'll
21:14
tell you
21:14
right now,
21:14
we have
21:15
such a
21:15
place to
21:16
observe
21:17
soft
21:18
totalitarianism
21:19
at play
21:20
in Europe
21:20
and what's
21:21
happening to
21:21
the church
21:22
there.
21:23
Churches
21:23
that are
21:24
thriving
21:24
there,
21:24
how have
21:25
they stood
21:25
against
21:26
that tide
21:26
and those
21:27
that haven't,
21:28
how have
21:28
they failed
21:29
to do
21:29
so?
21:30
We have
21:30
much to
21:31
observe
21:31
and much
21:31
to learn
21:32
about this.
21:34
And I
21:34
will say,
21:35
as Baptists,
21:36
we need to
21:36
especially pay
21:37
attention to
21:38
Baptist church
21:39
history.
21:40
We need to
21:41
be steeped
21:42
in it.
21:43
Now,
21:44
less than
21:46
the other
21:46
things,
21:47
you may not
21:47
have to
21:48
participate in
21:48
this quite
21:49
as much,
21:50
but we'll
21:50
work to
21:51
do it
21:51
for you.
21:51
We'll
21:51
work to
21:52
bring these
21:52
things together
21:53
for you and
21:53
help you to
21:54
understand the
21:55
mistakes of the
21:56
past that we
21:56
might be better
21:57
in the future.
21:59
So,
22:00
clear mission,
22:00
robust theology,
22:02
accurate histories,
22:03
fourth,
22:05
sacrificial
22:05
hospitality.
22:08
If we do
22:09
not love
22:09
one another
22:10
as we
22:10
should,
22:11
and if we
22:12
do not
22:12
love our
22:13
neighbors as
22:13
we should,
22:15
then we
22:15
will not
22:15
have a
22:16
foundation
22:16
from which
22:17
to say
22:17
difficult
22:18
things
22:19
into a
22:20
confused
22:20
culture.
22:22
It's
22:23
important
22:23
that we
22:23
build
22:24
equity
22:25
with
22:25
people
22:25
as we
22:26
bring
22:27
correction
22:27
to
22:28
people.
22:29
John
22:30
13,
22:30
35,
22:31
Jesus
22:32
says,
22:32
by this
22:32
all people
22:33
will know
22:34
that you
22:34
are my
22:35
disciples.
22:37
If you
22:38
love to
22:39
debate
22:39
reform
22:39
theology,
22:41
if you
22:43
have love
22:44
for one
22:45
another,
22:46
the way
22:46
we love
22:47
one another
22:47
is a
22:48
witness
22:48
to the
22:49
world
22:49
around
22:50
us.
22:52
Jesus
22:52
said,
22:52
Matthew
22:53
5,
22:53
verse 43
22:54
and following,
22:54
you have
22:54
heard that
22:55
it was
22:55
said,
22:55
you shall
22:55
love your
22:56
neighbor
22:56
and hate
22:57
your
22:57
enemy.
22:58
But I
22:58
say to
22:59
you,
23:00
love your
23:00
enemies
23:01
and pray
23:02
for those
23:03
who persecute
23:04
you.
23:05
For God's
23:06
church to
23:06
stand in
23:08
this age
23:09
of people
23:09
who will
23:10
hate us,
23:11
our response
23:12
is going to
23:12
have to be
23:13
a response
23:13
of love.
23:15
And we
23:16
have to
23:16
show that
23:16
to people
23:17
through
23:17
sacrificial
23:18
hospitality.
23:19
It means it
23:20
requires something
23:20
of us.
23:21
We have to
23:21
give something
23:21
to make it
23:22
possible.
23:23
We have to
23:23
be uncomfortable
23:24
at times.
23:25
We have to
23:25
give of our
23:26
resources to
23:27
have people
23:28
feel welcome.
23:29
And this
23:30
word
23:30
hospitality
23:30
means a
23:31
welcome
23:31
to the
23:33
stranger.
23:34
We have to
23:34
do this
23:35
amongst
23:35
ourselves,
23:36
that we
23:36
know we
23:37
have a
23:37
people,
23:37
a place
23:38
that we
23:38
belong,
23:39
and we're
23:39
going to
23:39
have to
23:39
do this
23:40
to others
23:40
as well.
23:41
If the
23:41
church is
23:42
to survive
23:43
in a
23:44
secularizing
23:44
age,
23:45
we're going
23:45
to have
23:45
to show
23:46
sacrificial
23:46
hospitality.
23:49
Clear
23:49
mission,
23:50
robust
23:50
theology,
23:51
accurate
23:52
histories,
23:53
sacrificial
23:54
hospitality.
23:54
See,
23:54
I don't
23:55
know if I
23:55
could do
23:55
this if
23:55
it
23:55
wasn't in
23:56
an acronym
23:56
that spelled
23:57
crash.
23:59
Fifth,
24:00
healthy
24:00
family.
24:02
If we
24:03
do not
24:03
have
24:04
healthy
24:04
families,
24:05
then our
24:06
church will
24:06
not hold
24:07
together,
24:08
because the
24:09
family is
24:09
the first
24:10
and foundational
24:11
institution of
24:12
all societies.
24:14
This is why
24:15
the evil
24:15
one is so
24:16
bent on
24:17
destroying
24:17
families.
24:20
Think about
24:21
the direction
24:21
from which
24:22
attacks on
24:23
the church
24:23
most readily
24:24
come in
24:25
our day.
24:26
In almost
24:27
all cases,
24:28
it's the
24:29
family.
24:31
We need
24:31
to have
24:32
healthy
24:33
biological
24:34
families.
24:36
We need
24:37
to have
24:37
healthy
24:37
adoptive
24:38
families,
24:40
both formally
24:40
and informally,
24:41
that we
24:41
would pull
24:42
people into
24:43
our family
24:44
life in
24:44
informal
24:45
ways and
24:45
also
24:46
officially,
24:47
formally,
24:48
be an
24:49
adoptive
24:49
culture.
24:52
So these
24:53
things are
24:53
things we
24:53
need to be
24:54
thinking about
24:54
and talking
24:55
about,
24:55
and we're
24:55
going to do
24:55
that over
24:56
the next
24:56
five weeks,
24:58
Lord willing,
24:59
that we
24:59
would have
24:59
as a
25:00
church,
25:01
clear
25:01
mission,
25:02
robust
25:02
theology,
25:03
accurate
25:03
histories,
25:05
sacrificial
25:05
hospitality,
25:06
and healthy
25:07
families.
25:09
It is our
25:10
prayer that
25:11
we will be
25:11
a resilient
25:12
church culture
25:13
and that we
25:14
will stand
25:14
against the
25:15
rising tide
25:16
of the
25:16
soft
25:16
totalitarianism
25:18
of our
25:19
evil age,
25:19
and that we
25:20
will do
25:21
so for
25:22
our good
25:22
and for
25:23
the glory
25:24
of God.
25:24
So in
25:26
closing,
25:27
let me read
25:27
today's text
25:28
one more
25:28
time and
25:30
ask that you
25:30
consider how
25:31
you might
25:31
be wise,
25:33
perhaps with
25:33
us in
25:34
our evil
25:36
days.
25:37
And then I'll
25:38
pray.
25:39
Take no part
25:41
in the
25:41
unfruitful works
25:42
of darkness,
25:43
but instead
25:44
expose them.
25:45
For it is
25:46
shameful even to
25:47
speak of the
25:47
things that they
25:48
do in secret.
25:49
But when
25:49
anything is
25:50
exposed by the
25:51
light, it
25:51
becomes visible.
25:52
for anything
25:54
that becomes
25:54
visible is
25:55
light.
25:57
Therefore it
25:57
says, awake,
25:59
O sleeper, and
26:00
arise from the
26:01
dead, and
26:02
Christ will
26:02
shine on
26:03
you.
26:05
Look carefully
26:06
then how you
26:06
walk, not as
26:07
unwise, but as
26:09
wise, making the
26:10
best use of the
26:11
time, because the
26:12
days are evil.
26:15
Therefore do not
26:16
be foolish, but
26:17
understand what the
26:18
will of the Lord
26:18
is.
26:20
Let's pray
26:20
together.
26:21
Thank you.