| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net Ever been spewed? Post "boomers" or "busters" sociologists call them, are those born after 1977. They are our teens to thirty somethings, and are often self described as "Extreme". They gravitate to or even seek out extreme sports, extreme technology, extreme things, live extreme lives then come to a Church that promotes Nominal Christianity. They want "radical" in all things, but we often don't teach them a "rad" doctrine. We don't (by-n-large) challenge them to radically give, radically sacrifice, radically say no to conforming to the world about them (Romans 12:2) to the degree that the lost world sees them as RADICAL. The world has made us think negatively of radicals, but that's exactly what Jesus wants from us. Jesus was radical. His desire is to do something Supernatural (God Sized) through you so that He gets the glory. What is a Nominal Christian? You will often in an election year, hear the term "RINO" which means republican in name only, but our Churches are infested with CINOs or Christians in name only. These are people who are afraid of a Jesus who was/is Extreme. They hate when the Word of God challenges them personally, and refuse to confront a lost and dying world with its sin. This is too extreme. And why don't we teach generation X what extreme Christianity is? Because many of us don't know. You can't give what you don't have. In Matthew 10 Jesus tells us: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him(Jesus) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell............ Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." 28, 32 and 33 Lets turn the Spiritual Switch. Next week we will look at some practical ways to be a "Radical" Christian, but for now, How might I deny Jesus in the course of a typical day? I might tell a joke that is inappropriate. I might laugh at the same. I might watch a movie or television show that is outside the will of my King. I might gossip. I may cuss or lose my temper, or speak harshly to someone, and let's not even talk about the computer. "But preacher, isn't tolerance a desirable trait in a Christian?" Not condemning tolerance. The world has sold us that bill of goods, and to our shame, we've swallowed it whole. What does Scripture tell us? Well when Jesus told us we "are" (not should be) "salt and light", we let the world tell us it's OK to sprinkle a little here, and wave a small candle there, while what He was saying is more like this - "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them......But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Eph. 5: 11, 13 and 14 "Ok preacher, what should I be doing?" Next week. God bless. |
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