sanctification

2 Thessalonians Sermon Series: Return of the King “Hold What Ya Got” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

2 Thessalonians Sermon Series:

Return of the King

“Hold What Ya Got”

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Introduction

Growing up in the church can be wonderful but it can also be very difficult. On one hand you have the blessings that come from a Christian family (provision, love, order, godly instruction, an extended church family), but the draw-back is that you are not allowed and certainly not encouraged to question the doctrines and traditions that you have grown up under.

So, predictably, when a young person, who has grown up in the Christian home begins to question and ask, “How do we know this to be true?” the church squirms and looks down and believes that all is lost. This generation is lost to the world because they don’t want to do things the same way we did things – but all they want is an answer to a very reasonable question.

The danger of passing the baton from one generation to the next is that man made tradition (the method) is held on the same level as God’s Word (the message). So, when the younger ask the older, “why do we do it this way?” and “Can we do it another way?” there erupts arguments. Today Paul is telling a young church to hold to the traditions they have received – but it’s not the traditions that you may be thinking of.

Prayer

It is Going to Be Ok (vv. 13-14)

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This new church had endured horrible persecution. Many in the church services would have been nursing the wounds of that persecution. Then, they had received the false teaching that Christ had arrived, and they had the emotional relief that all their suffering was over, they would be with Christ in moments.

Then Paul writes them back, saying no, Christ will return, but there are things that have to happen first. So back down the emotional roller coaster they go again – figuring out how do they stay faithful under the weight of persecution and hardship.[1] It is not enough just to correct people’s doctrine – Paul also understands that he needs to address their spirit, they need to be encouraged.

Timothy Dwight once said, “The Bible is a window in this prison-world, through which we may look into eternity.” Paul is wanting the church to look through the window of his words to remind them of the eternal glory of being with Christ.

So Paul goes back in eternity, and will end in the future kingdom. “God had planned their place, and their final glory is Jesus Christ.”[2] Firstfruits is an agricultural term of where a crop will come in, and there will be several more yields in the season. Paul is thankful for the believers at Thessalonica because they are “firstfruits” of many more that are to come.

When discussing the salvation of those at Thessalonica, he points back to them being chosen way before the establishment of the church, and then to their being able to experience the glory of the Lord in eternity. His view of salvation is an eternal, high-level perspective. It is much bigger than the difficulties and hardships that they are currently enduring. Their lives and the work they are to be doing has been established “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).

Paul says, “God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. . . he called you through our gospel” – The process of salvation seems to follow this order; God chooses a person in eternity past to be saved[3], they are called through the sharing of the gospel, the Holy Spirit sanctifies them, and they then believe the truth.

God chooses you, then through “sanctification by the Spirit,” – sanctification is act of making something or someone clean or holy.[4] We see a picture of this when Moses encounters the Spirit of God in the burning bush. Exodus 3:5 “Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

God wants Moses to come into His presence “For God so loved the world”, so he takes the first step (the burning bush). Moses chooses to investigate “this strange sight” then God tells him how to be clean in his presence (take off your shoes). Moses then removes his shoes – there is a relationship where man enters into the presence of God – God draws and man follows the direction.

Sanctification occurs in the beginning of salvation, where the blindness of sin is removed enough so that a person may respond to the gospel – but it is also a life-long process of removing sin and becoming like Christ in holiness. But this same process of man cooperating with the Spirit in dealing with sin – it remains a choice their entire lives.

There are two sides in the matter of salvation. The initiative and the power are God’s; the necessary response is man’s. In these verses there is a movement of God first, then we respond to that calling and the movement of the Holy Spirit. And, as first-fruits, there is more to come. Their work in the church will lead to others coming to saving faith.

Also, before we move on from these verses, we do see that all three of the Trinity are involved in the salvation of people. All three are involved in the work of salvation.[5] Gould says, “It is clear that our salvation is rooted in love, planned in eternity, initiated in time, and consummated in glory. Essentially, salvation is all of grace since it is originated in God’s loving choice, wrought through the power of God’s Spirit, bestowed by answering God’s call, and perfected in the glory of God’s Son.”[6]

All that is needed for salvation, God has provided (with all that he is).

Hold What You Got (v. 15)

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

When I was a kid I would go and help my grandfather, who learned to be a carpenter after he retired. He would hold one end of the board, and I would hold the other and place it on the desired mark. He would check it for level, and they he would always say, “hold what you got” – in other word this is exactly where I want the board to be, just hold it still.

(v. 15) Paul says, “stand firm and hold to” – “to have a masterful grip on a thing” the same word for take hold is used in Mark 1:31[7] where Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law, “And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” We are to hold on masterfully to the traditions.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” You take God’s word and hold it up where it needs to be – “hold what you got.”

The word for traditions (meaning to pass on something from one person to another) can be used in a bad sense such as Col. 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

And the word tradition can be used in a good sense such as, 1 Cor. 11:23 referencing the Lord’s Supper “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,” and here in our passage today.

When we say tradition, it is not a reference to a way of doing things (like contemporary or traditional music, or order of worship). This is not what is being passed along. Paul is referring to his, Silas and Timothy’s teachings they have received while they were there.

So there are things that tend to get passed on from one group to another group, one generation to the next generation, and we must discern if it is empty human tradition, or the teachings of Scripture. “Sound doctrine is vital. The Thessalonians are to disregard the voices of theorist and fanatics, and keep “the word.’”[8]

For them, they had Paul’s spoken word as he stayed with them, and then later wrote them with letters. Robertson says, “The worth of the tradition lies not in the form but in the source and the quality of the content.” Consider the source, where is this tradition (body of teaching) coming from?

Jesus even said several times, “You have heard it said (meaning other teachers), but I say to you. (Matthew 5-7).” Many of the religious teachers in Jesus’ day had not interpreted the Scriptures correctly.

He criticized the Pharisees for slavishly following their traditions (their interpretations and additions) and making them more authoritative than the Scripture (Matt. 15:2; Mark 7:3).[9] Our ultimate source of tradition is the Bible, it is our ultimate source of authority.manuscripts,

How do we know that what has been passed on to us today, has not been corrupted with time? Like the children’s game of telephone.

There are several ways to establish the reliability of the Bible. The first is manuscript evidence.[10] So a manuscript is a copy of a section of the Bible. “There are now more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Add over 10,000 Latin Vulgate and at least 9,300 other early versions and we have more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament in existence.”[11] These manuscripts stretch out over many years and yet remain incredibly the same.

The differences that are found among these thousands of manuscripts are changes to the spelling of words (which would count as a variant), and repeats of words as they were being copied (and and, the the), and there are no variances that would change any doctrinal concepts. Today you can go to the British Museum and see the Codex Alexandrinus that was written in AD 400, and it contains almost the entire Bible.

There is also many archeological examples of cities or personalities mentioned in the biblical text, and then those cities being discovered, or the names of the person being mentioned in texts found on the site of the archeological discovery. In other words we see again and again this field of study proving the Bible to be accurate. Archaeologist Nelson Glueck asserts, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”[12]

Also, in 1947 a Bedouin shepherd boy was out looking for a lost goat, threw a rock into a cave on the west side of the Dead Sea. He heard the sound of shattered pottery and went in to investigate, where he discovered ancient copies of various books. They were leather scrolls, rolled up, placed in linen coverings, and sealed in clay pots where they had sat for 1,900 years (AD 68).

There were several other caves discovered and many other copies of Old Testament books – one example is that it placed a manuscript of Isaiah 1,000 years earlier than before; and it was incredibly accurate to the earlier version. These Dead Sea Scrolls push the time line of the dates of manuscripts even earlier than before.

We Have a Job to Do (v. 16)

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Paul closes this section with a prayer. Everything relating to salvation and the church ultimately comes down to God’s power working within it. Through God’s grace we know that we have an eternal home, and in that have a “good hope.” But we are still here in this world, having to face the reality of a sinful fallen world – and in that we have a work to do, a word to share.

Paul is praying that God will comfort the church and to settle them down to focus on the important work they are to be doing – sharing the gospel.

Esther 4 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” 12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

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[1] “The artificial and strenuous excitement of the hope of Christ’s immediate return, and their disappointment at his delay, had left their minds fatigued. The irritation in their midst caused by a few incorrigible busybodies and confirmed loafers had left their nerves frayed. They needed uplift, so Paul takes them up to a high place where they can have a conspectus of their own state, the religion in which they believe, and God’s purpose for them in the present and in the future.” George Arthur Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 11 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1955) 331.

[2] Buttrick, 331.

[3] See also 1 Thessalonians 1:4 – Chosen by God.

[4] David Noel Freedman, Editor-in-Chief, Eerdman’s Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdman Publishing Company, 2000) 1166.

[5] J. Glenn Gould, Beacon Bible Commentary, Volume 9 (Kansas City, Missouri; Beacon Hill Press, 1965) 524.

[6] Gould, 524.

[7] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 4 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 54.

[8] Gould, 525.

[9] Ronald F. Youngblood, General Editor, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tennessee; Nelson Publishing, 1995) 1272.

[10] Suggested reading on this topic: Norman L. Geiser and William E. Nix, From God to us, How We Got Our Bible (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1974)139 ff.

[11] Josh McDowell, Compiled by Bill Wilson, The Best of Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense (San Bernardino, California; Here’s Life Publishers, 1993) 43.

[12] Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Nashville, Tennessee; Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999) 89.

1 Thessalonians Sermon Series Standing Firm: Foundational Doctrine For New Believers “Standing Firm in Sanctification” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

1 Thessalonians Sermon Series

Standing Firm: Foundational Doctrine For New Believers

Standing Firm in Sanctification

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Introduction

Before we jump into today’s text, I want you to turn to Exodus 3:3-5. It says, “And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

What was it that made this ground holy? If we take a microscope and compare it with surrounding soil samples, will they be different? If we had come two days before, the burning bush miracle, would it still be holy? What about later, when Moses had left, would it still be holy ground? The root word for holiness is separation. The ground became holy simply because God separated it as the unique place that he could reveal Himself to Moses.

Wilkerson says, “holiness requires separation from one thing and separation to a different thing. Holiness requires division; until the Lord set that part from the rest of the desert, He couldn’t call it holy.”[1] We are called to be holy, set apart from the rest of the world, to be used for a holy purpose.

Prayer

Determined to Keep Doing the Right Thing (vv. 1-2)

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

(v. 1) “how you ought to walk and to please God” – and “that you do so more and more.” In this opening introduction Paul says three things, 1) He reminded them of the instructions about Christ that he and the other missionaries had given them while they were there, 2) how they were doing well in following those instructions, 3) and how they must continue to “walk” in those ways more and more (and verse 11).

The Thessalonian church was living under the weight of persecution, critics telling them they are not correct in their teaching, the Jewish community spreading false rumors about them, and they were very new in their faith – it would have been easy just to stop, but Paul tells them to “do so more and more.”

(v. 2) “For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus” – instructions signifies an order passed along a line of soldiers, and it is often used for military order.[2] This order has been passed down through the Lord Jesus.

Determined to Keep My Body Under Control (vv. 3-8)

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

In life there are times when we are not sure what the will of God is (take this job, move to this city, marry this person, take the promotion, etc.), so we pray, and try to apply Biblical precepts. But here, the instructions that Paul gives are not precepts, or suggestions – but for their continued growth as a Christian, the church in Thessalonica must follow “the will of God.” It is summarized in one word, “sanctification,” or “holiness.”

(v. 3) “abstain from sexual immorality” – this command is given against the backdrop of a society where it was very common to have just about any kind of sexual sin, “including prostitution, adultery, or fornication.”[3] “He had been brought up in a world where polygamy, concubinage, homosexuality, pederasty (pedophilia), and promiscuity were accepted as a matter of course . . . Many of the religious cults were frankly sexual in character, . . . and sacramental fornication as part of the worship.”[4]

The gods themselves were given over to their sexual desires and using their power or position to take advantage of humans (becoming swans, etc.) “Pagan religions regarded sexual freedom and promiscuous practice as natural and normal.”[5]

“The general attitude is frequently illustrated by a quotation from Demosthenes’s oration Against Neaera: ‘We keep mistresses for pleasure, concubines for our day-to-day needs, but we have wives to produce legitimate children and serve as trustworthy guardians of our homes.’”[6]

There are a couple of words we need to define. Porneia, “sexual immorality” is a broad term that includes both adultery (sexual intercourse involving a married person and someone other than his or her spouse) and fornication (sexual intercourse involving individuals who are not married).

The biblical context for sexual intercourse is heterosexual marriage. Holy living, with respect to sexuality, involves disciplined fidelity to one’s spouse for those who are married and disciplined abstinence for those who are not.[7]

In our culture sexuality that goes counter to God’s will is seen as normal and should be accepted (just as in the Thessalonian culture). But let the church be clear, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Can a homosexual be a Christian? “the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God” . . . . “who practice homosexuality” – to become a follower of Christ everyone must repent of their sin (as defined by the Bible), and follow Christ. There is an admission that it is wrong, and seeking Christ and His kingdom, first. Homosexuality is clearly given as a sin in this list.

It does not say that the desire to sin will just go away. As with any sinful desire, everyone must, through the Holy Spirit’s power, fight against it in our lives.

Just because you have the desire doesn’t make it ok to act upon the desire. Also, am I putting myself in a position where I am allowing myself to be tempted by something that I know I am tempted toward? Boy and girl in the backseat of a car., ex.

Why focus on homosexuality when the 1 Thessalonians 4 passage doesn’t include it? Because in our culture today, we don’t have too much confusion over adulterers, greedy, drunkards, etc. these are understood as bad, but to enter into the homosexuality area, then we start talking about hate speech, gender pronouns, gender fluidity, etc.

(v. 4) “each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” – Holiness is a set-apart life style. Honor has the idea of how you treat other people. The Christian is respectful of the other person, and how they will be impacted by the relationship. The Christian is to act in such a way that others recognize they are different and have their lusts and body under control. He shows how the lost world live in “passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” and contrasts against the Christians who live with holiness and control.

We all know of people who have been impacted by their decision to go outside of God’s plan for us, (one’s spouse, children, marriages, potential future spouses, the congregation, etc.)

When Kimberly and I were in seminary I worked at a Christian High School. The vice principal (my boss), who was a seminary student as well, took a second job at a local convenience store. His daughter was in two of my classes. One Monday after school an emergency faculty meeting was called and we were informed that the vice principal was fired due to infidelity (with a woman at the store). His daughter, who was normally energetic, outspoken, very intelligent – her grades dropped, she kept her head down on her desk most of the time – it was devastating. When we go outside of God’s plan for our sexuality the results are devastating. (v. 6) “that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter”

“For Paul, sexual activity is not just an inconsequential private activity involving consenting adults; on the contrary, it has an impact on both one’s relationship with God (cf. 1 Cor. 6:12-20) and with other people; therefore, it ought to be exercised in a way that is respectful of both.”[8] The Christian takes into account what is best for the long-term well-being of one’s friend/date/partner, rather than what feels good or seems right at the moment.

(v.7) “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness[9]” – The word holy means “set apart,” and is this rooted in the very character of God, Leviticus 11:44 “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” Because we follow the one true God, and his command to us is to be set apart, we then set ourselves apart from the world and how is exists.

“. . . for the Christian to fall short of a life of holiness is him to deny the divine purpose in saving him in the first place.”[10] You were set apart (unto salvation) to be holy.

(v. 8) “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God” – When we don’t regard these commands from God, we disregard God. The person who takes sexual sin lightly, who sees is as something that does not matter much, is in effect, treating God as of no account.[11] They are disregarding His plan for the family, marriage, relationships, gender – the order He has established.

(v. 8) “who gives his Holy Spirit to you” – God does not just define the standard that his followers are to live; he also provides the power by which one can live. He gives us the Holy Spirit to live in such a way that pleases God. Phillips says, “It is not for nothing that the Spirit God gives us is called the Holy Spirit.”[12]

In our culture today we are right back in the Garden of Eden, standing at the tree and staring at the forbidden fruit with Adam and Eve. (v. 3) says, “3 For this is the will of God” – Man’s choice is and will always be, “who decides what is right and wrong?” Does God set the standard or does mankind decide for himself what is right and wrong? There is much confusion today regarding sexual orientation, gender, marriage – “Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians offer a biblical antidote to our current confusion.”

Determined to Have a Good Reputation (vv. 9-12)

9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

In these verses, Paul is telling the church to “keep a low profile, to give attention to their own affairs, and to stay busy,” and then gives reasons why.

“brotherly love” – “to do this more and more” – the Greek pre-Christian word “brotherly love” (Philadelphia) was always used in reference to siblings in your own family. But Christians called each other brothers and sisters, so a brotherly love is referenced here. They were showing a Christian brotherly love toward others believers throughout Macedonia.

But also concerning “brotherly love” is how we live our lives and how our lives effect the lives of other believers. The church was undergoing persecution in Philippi and here is Thessalonica.

“Some of them were disposed to become idlers – turbulent and meddlesome. In consequence, they created a very unfavorable impression upon outsiders. This affected adversely the standing of the entire church in the community.”[13]

(v. 11) “aspire to live quietly”[14] and “mind your own affairs” both have very similar meanings. Paul is pointing out that what you choose to do in the public arena, could very well affect the church, so whatever you choose to do, it should be influenced by a “brotherly love” because that decision may affect others in the church. In the Thessalonica church doing things in the public, may draw attention not only on that person, but also on Christians as a whole – which during that day may cost them their lives.

We see this same idea in Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

“It is our appointed duty to say something of his behalf if he is being exploited, tyrannized, tempted, or corrupted. Yet it is easy to be a busybody. Moffatt speaks of a man’s busy life becoming “an empty ado” (Psalm 39:6).[15]

“work with your hands[16], as we instructed you” – Paul has already given them instruction before about working. Here in chapter 4, is an idiomatic expression found several times in the Old Testament,[17]in which the emphasis falls not on “hands” but on “work.” So Paul says that we must be careful in how we live so because it will affect other believers, but also, our actions also affect how the world sees Christians as well.

John R. W. Stott observes, “It is an expression of love to support others who are in need; but it is also an expression of love to support ourselves, so as not to need to be supported by others.”

“So that . . .” (v. 12) “you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” They needed to behave the way Paul has described so that the gospel will not be discredited. Barclay says, “When we Christians prove that our Christianity make us better workmen, truer friends, kinder men and women, then and only then are we really preaching. The important thing is not words but deeds, not oratory but life.”[18]

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[1] Bruce Wilkerson, Personal Holiness in Times of Temptation (Eugene, Oregon; Harvest House Publishers, 1998) 24.

[2] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1984) 80.

[3] Michael Holmes, The NIV Application Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan, Publishing, 1998) 125.

[4] Arnold E. Aithart, Beacon Bible Commentary, Volume 9 (Kansas City, Kansas; Beacon Hill Press, 1965) 475.

[5] Clifton Allen, General Editor, The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 11 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1971) 278.

[6] F. F. Bruce, Word Biblical Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Waco, Texas; Word Books Publishers, 1982) 87.

[7] Holmes, 131.

[8] Holmes, 126.

[9] Paul views holiness “as a future goal, (a state or condition of holiness, as in 3:13), a past gift (5:23), and a journey (a process leading to a state of holiness, as in 4:3) to which God calls us (4:7). This view of holiness also helps us to understand how Paul can use the term as an overarching one-word summary of God’s will for his people (4:3). Holmes, 130.

[10] Airhart, 478.

[11] Morris, 85.

[12] Airhart, 479.

[13] George Arthur Buttrick, General Editor, The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 11 (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1955) 299.

[14] “The citizens of the ancient city of Shechem had a traditional belief that in the silence of the night there could be heard the fascinating music of the deeply buried streams flowing under the city.” Buttrick, 299.

[15] Buttrick, 299.

[16] Paul comes back to “work” in 2 Thess. 3:6-13.

[17] Duet. 2:7-8; Job 1:10; Ps. 89:17; Jer. 1:16; Isa. 5:12

[18] Airhart, 481.

Playboy is so PassÃ©; Keeping Your Path Pure in a World of Lies

Last week Playboy magazine announced that it would no longer publish nude pictures of itsâ€™ models. Video killed the radio star, and the internet killed the â€œangel in the centerfold.â€ With an internet browser search one could pull up literally millions of pornographic websites, with thousands being added daily. The magazine that led the way into this industry has now been surpassed by a deluge of images and video. Scott Flanders, Playboyâ€™s chief executive said, â€œYouâ€™re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so itâ€™s just passÃ© at this juncture.â€[1]

That which was â€œgroundbreakingâ€ is now old fashioned. In by-gone days pornography was limited to seedy book/video stores that required parking oneâ€™s car and entering an establishment. Now, porn is just a click away of a phone, tablet, or computer. No accountability, easy access, and complete anonymity. The access is getting faster, more precise, and with better wifi strength.

As a Christian father who is trying to rear faithful Christian children, that which was difficult in a previous generation, has now become extremely difficult. The â€œrebrandingâ€ of Playboy is a marker that, in order for them to continue to be viable in the porn industry, they have to either take the industry further (add even more content, or more profound evil) or change to set itself apart from the industry (an inventing of a new type of evil). They are working hard to see what kind of new evil they can create (which really isnâ€™t new) and to see how they can get it into peopleâ€™s hands.

But sin and sin taken to itsâ€™ extreme is nothing new. Even with all that we see with Planned Parenthood and videos of their depravity[2] â€“ it is nothing compared to parents (Godâ€™s own people) throwing their children into a fire to a false god as an act of worship.[3] Sin and itsâ€™ continuing morphing and reshaping is always the same. It may change in form and how it operates, but at the root level it looks the same.

Every generation has to figure out how to navigate the evils of itsâ€™ day and to face the future with faith. In every generation there are those that rail against the evil of itâ€™s day, and has a belief that it is growing worse. But the Bible has stood the test of time and as Godâ€™s Word tells us how to navigate these treacherous waters.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 â€œWhat has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.â€

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In the following passage from Psalm 119:9-16 we see that there are three components to consider when desiring to walk before the Lord in holiness.

Psalm 119:9-16

I. Â To Treasure Godâ€™s Word

9Â Â Â Â How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10Â With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11Â I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Â How a person keeps his way pure deals directly with the Word of God. Itâ€™s power and influence overcomes anything the world and itsâ€™ manifestations of generations has to offer. Now matter what orientation or design, and as new it may seem to us, Godâ€™s Word is sufficient to give you what you need to maintain purity before the Lord. The outward obedience before the Lord begins with an inward love and seeking after the Lord.[4] The Scriptures sanctifies the believer and enables him to resist the temptations of the world.

â€œsanctificationâ€ is a translation of the Greek word hagiasmos, meaning â€œholinessâ€ or â€œa separation.â€ In the past, God granted us justification, a once-for-all, positional holiness in Christ. Now, God guides us to maturity, a practical, progressive holiness. In the future, God will give us glorification, a permanent, ultimate holiness. These three phases of sanctification separate the believer from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (maturity), and the presence of sin (glorification).[5]

Godâ€™s Word is seen as a treasure that is sought after, guarded, and buried in the heart so that the person may not sin against God. When we begin to see Godâ€™s Word as being precious, it enables to see the world around us clearer and how the lies of this world are false. If we are to help the next generation, the best thing we can do it is point them to the priceless treasure of Godâ€™s Word.

II. To Understand Godâ€™s Word

12Â Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13Â With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.

Having established that the young man in order to keep his way pure must treasure the Word of God, he must now properly understand it. God must reveal itsâ€™ meaning to the heart of the reader. Again what begins as a treasure of the heart now overflows out of the mouth. What God changes on the inside becomes manifest on the outside.

A false sanctification begins on the outside, but does not touch the heart. This is religion rooted in external behavior and legalism. God teaches the heart that loves Him through His Word, and this overflows into action.

III. To Keep Your Focus onÂ Godâ€™s Word

14Â In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15Â I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16Â I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Once again the Word of God is seen as a treasure and once found there is delight. But not just in found riches, it is all riches combined. To meditate is not the eastern philosophy of emptying the mind. Instead, the biblical definition of meditation is to fill the mind with Godâ€™s Word. The word meditate carries the idea of a cow chewing cud, chew, chew, swallow, and then chew again.

If we see it as having great value, and we fix our mind on it, and meditate on it, it then sanctifies us and it becomes apart of who we are â€“ it changes us (and our outward behavior.) If you have wandered from God’s Word His grace will allow you to start again, refocus on His Word and watch how he changes your heart (once again).

So no matter how crude and vulgar the world may seem around us, we must keep our focus on the Word of God and allow it to guide our steps. Our steps are guarded because the Word of God is apart of who we are. Parents do not fear; just keep focusing your children on the Word of God. Teach them to love it, treasure it, and fear the God who wrote itsâ€™ words.

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[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/media/nudes-are-old-news-at-playboy.html?_r=0

[2] http://thefederalist.com/2015/09/29/a-quick-and-easy-guide-to-the-planned-parenthood-videos/

[3] 2 Chronicles 28:3, 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:2-6.

[4] Holman Old Testament Commentary, Psalms 76-150, Max Anders Ed. (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman, 2006) 242.

[5] http://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html

More Than A Ticket; Matthew 28:17-20

More Than A Ticket – Matthew 28:17-20 from Drew Boswell on Vimeo.

* The following is an approximate transcript of the sermon preached at First Baptist Church Valdosta, Georgia.

Introduction

If you have ever seen the movie Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory then you know that there is a feverous search among the entire world to find the five golden tickets. Then one by one each is found and eventually the tickets are turned in for entrance into the magical chocolate factory.

For many Christians, the gospel is treated like this. Once you have “prayed the prayer,” “gone down front,” and “received Christ,” then you leave the gospel behind and move into discipleship. But what we will discover today is that the gospel is yo stay with the believer, it continues to change the believer to become more and more like Christ every day. The gospel is more than a ticket into heaven, it is the God given means to grow in your faith.

Prayer

Lord if it were not for your grace and mercy we would be without hope. You have provided the only means of salvation, and you alone are worthy to be praised and worshipped. Help us this morning to understand your great commandment to receive the good news of Jesus Christ, and to share this gospel with those around us. We pray that you will bless the teaching of your Word this morning. Amen.

Please stand as we honor the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 28:17-20 “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.(ESV)”

In the 28^th chapter of Matthew, we see a description of the events immediately following Jesus’ resurrection. Two women, disciples of Jesus, go and tell the other disciples of their conversation with the resurrected Jesus, and how he had told them to go and tell them to meet Him in Galilee.

In John 20:17,18 “go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”‘ 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” and that he had said these things to her.

Matthew:17 “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” The word for “doubt” in Greek is distazo and refers more to hesitation than to unbelief. Jesus had been crucified for the salvation of the world. For the 40 days following the giving of the Great Commission Jesus would appear to various groups, even groups of over 400 people. And eventually he would tell the disciples that He must go, so that the Holy Spirit may come.

So the way they had operated and lived with Jesus were about to change. Some worshiped him and were quick to follow, “while others were hesitant because they didn’t know what they were supposed to do now. When Jesus was there with them, “ he told them what to do, where they would go, even how to dress and what to say. But now, they were hesitant and didn’t know what to do. People will always have this response when they don’t know what to do.

How had the resurrection changed things? Jesus now appears and disappears (as in the upper room with Thomas), He can allow people to recognize Him or hide His identity (the road to Emmaus), Jesus has gone to cross, resurrected and now changed from mortal flesh to a glorified body.

So some of the disciples are worshiping some are hesitant and confused so Jesus comes to them and gives them a clear mission. “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples.”

What we will see is that it is through obeying this command of Jesus to “go and make disciples” that the disciples will begin to realize how they are being made more like Christ and how they have been changed as well.

This “Great Commission” is for every believer to share the gospel with the lost world around them. As the body of Christ we must continue to share and preach the gospel to ourselves, but the “going” is not to church, but to the world.

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Imagine you are at the mall and you and your family have just sat down to eat at a Chic-Fil-A. You are enjoying your waffle fries, and chicken sandwich. The kids are inhaling their chicken nuggets so they can play on the playground and about that time a girl comes around with a tray of tiny cut up samples of chicken with a toothpick stuck in them and asks, “would you like a free sample?” Doesn’t this seem like a waste?

She should take her tray and stand out in the mall to the people passing by, she should go to the McDonald’s line and hand out samples. The people sitting down in Chic-Fil-A with their chicken are already committed. The sample girl would have the greatest impact if she went to those who weren’t already committed to chicken.

We have the most precious message that has ever come to mankind in all of its’ history, “creation and Creator can be restored. We have been saved from sin and depravity, “our lives can be changed and brought into the image of Christ. We have the power of the gospel, salvation and the only means for people to have eternal life. Where do we go with this message? Where do we share this message?

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There are a couple of things that we can infer from Jesus’ commission to us:

1) You have to believe that people really are lost. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Your neighbor who is a really great guy, who fixed your stove when it broke, “yes if he doesn’t know Christ he will be eternally separated from the Father for all of eternity in hell. No one comes to the father apart from a saving relationship through Jesus Christ. Hell is a very real place that those who don’t know Jesus, that’s where they go.

2) You have to believe that people really will respond. If we don’t really believe that anyone will respond we simply won’t do anything. We have been commanded by Christ to tell others about Him, we reach out with the gospel, “and people will respond. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ, and when you share the gospel.

3) every Christian is to duplicate themselves in the life of another person or people. You have received the saving message of the gospel, so we share it with others who in turn give their lives to Christ as well.

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So once we shared the gospel, and they have responded to the gospel and are growing in their relationship with Christ, “ what then? The next step is to welcome them into the church. “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

The Christian reaches out and shares the gospel with non-believing people. They receive Christ and are brought into the church body and fellowship through baptism. Then they begin a life long process of learning about Christ and following his teaching in obedience.

So up to this point, I have mentioned the “gospel” several times, but I want to make sure that we are all on the same page as to how we define this term that means, “good news.”

The Gospel

There is one God who is the ruler of heaven and earth. He created all that is including mankind. They were created in his image male and female. They were given dignity, value, and purpose. He made us to worship Him, but we chose to rebel against him and worship the creation instead (which includes ourselves).

As a result of this rebellion, we are separated from God. We all have believed the foolish myth that we are our own god, so we believe we have the right to make our own decisions, do we what think is right, and live by our own moral code.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I would remind you, brothers,1 of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures . . . (ESV)“

The man Jesus is also God, or Christ, (fully God and fully man) was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless perfect life even though “he was tempted in all ways like us.” Jesus died on a cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins. He was our substitute, “he took the punishment that mankind deserved.”

Just like mankind’s first parents substituted themselves for God in the garden, now Jesus (as God) substitutes himself back for mankind. He took upon himself all the sin (past, present, and future), of those who would come to trust him.

He gives the gift of salvation freely to all who believe in Him alone for eternal life. Jesus as a man took my place, paid my sin debt to God, and purchased my salvation.

Jesus’ dead body was then laid in a tomb and three days later (on a Sunday) He rose again to conquer sin, death, demons, Satan, and hell. Then as he ascended into heaven he commissioned us as missionaries to tell this amazing story to the world. This good news is that there is a God who passionately loves you and gave His one and only Son to die for you and your sin.

He continually pursues us, “He passionately chases us because He loves us with a love beyond our comprehension or anything the you have ever experienced. After the resurrection, He ascended into heaven where then and today, and for all of eternity He will rule and reign over all of creation. He is and always will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is commanding everyone to repent of their sin and turn to Him through His Word.

He is also coming again to rule as judge where everyone will have to give an account of their lives and how they are in relation to Him. Those who have believed in Him will enjoy eternity in heaven and those who have rejected him will suffer apart from Him for eternity in hell.

That is the gospel. It is this message of top priority that must mark every ministry, every lesson, every thing that we do must rally around the only message that can save mankind from their sin. The church is a group of people who have believed this message and are passionate about sharing it with others.

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Martin Luther rightly said that, as sinners, we are prone to pursue a relationship with God in one of two ways. The first is religion/spirituality and the second is the gospel. The two are opposites in every way.

But as believers we tend to think of the gospel as something we leave behind so that we can get strong. We receive the gospel to get saved, then we leave it behind to become religious. However, we are strengthened by God, through the gospel, every day.

Religion says that if we obey God He will love us. The gospel says that it is because God has loved us through Jesus that we can obey.

Religion says that the world is filled with good people and bad people. The gospel says that the world is filled with bad people who are either repentant or unrepentant.

Religion says that you should trust in what you do as a good moral person. The gospel says that you should trust in the perfectly sinless life of Jesus because He alone is the only good and truly moral person who will ever live.

The goal of religion is to get from God such things as health, wealth, insight, power, and control. The goal of the gospel is not the gifts God gives, but rather God as the gift given to us by grace.

Religion is about what I have to do. The gospel is about what I get to do.

Religion sees hardship in life as punishment from God. The gospel sees hardship in life as sanctifying affliction that reminds us of Jesus’ sufferings and is used by God in love to make us more like Jesus.

Religion is about me. The gospel is about Jesus.

Religion leads to an uncertainty about my standing before God because I never know if I have done enough to please God. The gospel leads to a certainty about my standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus on my behalf on the cross.

Religion ends in either pride (because I think I am better than other people) or despair (because I continually fall short of God’s commands). The gospel ends in humble and confident joy because of the power of Jesus at work for me, in me, through me, and sometimes in spite of me.

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Sanctification “is the process of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness.”[1] Sanctification is where we as believers become more like Jesus, as we turn from sin over our lifetime.

How do we grow in our faith? How are we sanctified day-by-day? As we make a concerted effort to go out into the world (all nations), and share His love. In this process of going we are sanctified.

As in the “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we show believers how to serve, relate, and love the body of Christ. As the local church we grow in how we deal with other people.

As we “20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you “we are sanctified as we learn how to teach others, “you learn far more and at a much deeper level when you teach others.”

But what if I make a mistake, don’t know what to say, where should I go, how do I do this? God has given us His Word, and “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” “ we have Jesus beside us every step of the way.

The gospel is not a ticket that we leave behind and use later to get into heaven, “ the gospel is Jesus’ command that we follow and it stays with us our entire lives as we grow in Him. It gives us salvation, purpose, and a means to grow in Christ.

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This past Sunday I ran in a marathon in Orlando and afterward we walked around Disney and they encourage you to wear your metal. Honestly, I didn’t want to wear it, but my family were like, “dad you have to wear it.” So I said, “Why don’t you guys take turns wearing it.” So all throughout the evening, people would make comments to my kids, asking them their time, if they met any Disney characters, etc. to which they loved.

But as people were making comments to them, I found it enjoyable, even though I had run the race. My kids got to enjoy the rewards of running a race that I had endured.

Jesus went to the cross and bore the weight of mankind’s sin. He died in our place. We get to enjoy the rewards of being forgiven of sin, even though Jesus ran the race to Calvary. I get the reward, He gets the punishment, “but it brings Him joy to see His creation” bring glory to the Father.

Prayer

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[1] Ronald F. Youngblood ed. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tennessee; Nelson) 1126.