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Living in the Light of Christ's Return 0:00 And welcome to the men's global livestream and another installment in the Bible for every man and our final, conversation in our series as 1, which has been a walk through the book of0:12 first Thessalonians. And I pray that you've been as challenged and an encouraged as encouraged as I've been, as we've been walking through just some of the awesome teachings that the holy spirit, gave to0:24 Paul specifically for this church and for us, for for all of us as god's men. And we finally come to chapter 5. And this section of scripture begins by continuing the idea that we looked at0:36 last section, and that is that the grief that we feel when someone passes, the sadness that we have at the end of life, but how it's informed by the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.0:48 Now we also solidified the truth that, remember, when Christ returns, or how Christ returns is really not what's gonna inform our lives. Right? It's the reality1:00 that Christ is returning that gives our life purpose and trajectory and hope. I mean, that's reality is really what informs everything in our lives. Then in chapter 5, however,1:12 we do receive some insights as to specifically what the day of Christ's return is going to look like. Right? What the day of the Lord, as it's often referred to, is going to look like. Take a look at verse 2. So verse 21:24 says that the day of Christ's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. And this truth really reminds us that there's no way1:36 that we can know when. It's just reiterating that fact. But that does not mean that the truth of Christ's return does not inform or adjust our actions. I mean, really quite the1:48 opposite. No 1 knows when a thief is going to come. Right? I mean, that's sort of their thing. It's it's showing up unexpectedly when a house is is not protected.2:00 So so what do people do? I mean, what do you and I do? We prepare. We get ready. You know, so ready in fact that we're prepared for if the thief came at any2:12 point. And we do this by putting locks on our doors or cameras or however we protect our homes. Not because we know when a thief is going to try to break in and steal2:23 things from us. No. It's because we believe that someone could try to break into our homes. That's why we lock the door. And just2:35 like he uses it as an analogy for what it's gonna look like when Christ comes back, again, we see that is more important than when. That Christ is returning is far more2:47 important than when. And even if you think about this picture, I mean, how many of us have been robbed? Unfortunately, I was as a child. Someone broke into our house around Christmas2:59 time, stole all kinds of stuff from us. But I'm guessing that most of you listening have not had your homes robbed. But yet, all of us have ways to protect against this from3:11 happening. Even though the reality is that most of us will never be robbed or never be robbed again. Yet all of us prepare. But what's funny is, on the other hand,3:23 every single 1 of us, every person listening right now, anyone who's ever walked this word, 100 percent of humanity will die and3:35 stand before Jesus Christ. They'll either live to see him return or at their own desk, they'll stand in front of him. That is a certainty. Alright. The percentage of those of us who've been3:46 robbed is 5 percent. 100 percent of us have this as a reality in our future. And shouldn't that inform everyone's life? Shouldn't we take far greater3:58 precaution with the reality that will stand before Jesus than preventing being robbed, which is so uncertain? And in this passage, there's another comparison4:10 about the day of Christ's return and how it's gonna fall on us. It says that it'll fall as suddenly as a pregnant woman's labor pains begin, and there will be no escape. Now,4:22 again, we see the comparison of Christ's return to something that we cannot predict the specific timing of. But I do love the comparisons to labor for a few reasons. See, when someone's4:34 preparing for a child, the moment of delivery, right, the time of labor is certainly on their minds, especially for a first time mom and a first time dad. It's4:45 frightening to think about. It's uncertain. It's exciting, and it's going to be a big part of the child's life. It's their birthday. And so you prep. You prepare for it for sure. You4:57 know where you're going. You've got the bags packed. You have things ready. But that specific moment is not worthy of the majority of either5:09 your mental or physical preparations when you think about having a child. Sure. You give thought to the delivery, but you're preparing to raise a child. I5:21 mean, your thoughts and your prayers go towards the life that is about to join or create your family. I mean, you think about simple things like, what are you going to name the child? You get a5:33 room ready? Yes. You begin praying over the child considering its future. What will they look like? Will they surf? Will they be regular footed? Will they be goofy footed? At least these are the things that concern me5:43 with my children. Right? You prepare for the life far more than you prepare simply for the birth. And so in our spiritual lives, how can we let that inform our5:55 focus on the day of delivery when we see Christ or on the life that we're gonna live on the other side of it? The moment or the life. Is there6:07 any reason why believers should concern themselves at all with the day of the Lord? Why should we be informed? Why is it important for us? And a lot of people have been questioning, what do they mean by the day of the6:18 Lord? What what does that actually mean? Whenever the Bible discusses the day of the Lord, it's sort of a a catch all statement that's referring ultimately to the moment when God will appear to judge the whole earth6:30 and all of us. I mean, really it's a picture of the final accounting. See, the timing of Christ's return is not what gives our life direction, but rather to6:41 whom we must 1 day give an account. And for most people, the response to thinking about that moment, I mean, really the most natural human response to the truth that we will6:53 stand before God almighty, brings at best uncertainty, and at worst outright fear. But why would a believer, why would a follower in Jesus ever fear7:05 that moment? I mean, why should anything but joy, anticipation describe how we feel looking forward to that day? I think if there's fear when we think about that moment,7:17 I think deep down, we might still have questions about whether or not we're in. I mean, really, it's the only thing that makes sense whether or not we've somehow made the cut. But when this passage7:29 discusses those who should be concerned about this day, I want you to notice to whom he's speaking. We have to look at, Paul's writing. See, Paul's writing to believers. The audience is those who7:41 have professed faith in Jesus. So whenever he says things like us or we or you, he's talking about those who've placed their hope in Jesus. That the us and the we is the of the passage is the7:53 family. Right? The body of Christ. Conversely, whenever he says they or them, he's talking about those outside the family of God, those who have not yet placed their faith8:04 in Christ. So notice when verses 3 through 5, look at who Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Look at the corrections and then understand who they're for. Because he says disaster will fall on them.8:17 And they will have no escape. This is talking about the day when the Lord returns. But you aren't in the dark about these things, and you won't be surprised.8:29 And then he makes an identity statement in verse 5. Why? For you are all children of light and of the day, and we don't belong to darkness and the night. As we8:41 read this, men, there's a truth that we have to respond to. A truth that we we have to grab a hold of. It's very simple, but it's life altering.8:53 What makes us people of the light or people of the dark isn't about the things that we've ascended to theologically. That's that's not what designs the 2 groups. He's not talking about intellectual9:05 prowess. He's not talking about those that can avoid sin and those that struggle with sin. We're talking in salvific terms. Paul's talking about salvation and salvation9:17 in Christ. And really before we unpack more of what this looks like daily in the lives of the follower of Jesus, jump down to verse 9. Thus we ever forget verse 9. For God chose9:29 to save us. God saved us. I love when people say, I found Jesus. I thought I didn't know he was missing. We don't9:41 find him. He's the shepherd who goes searching for the 1 who was lost. In our salvation, he did all the saving. Salvation comes from him to9:53 us. We're passive in it. We're we're those who've been rescued. Do we have to respond? Yes. But it's all him coming towards us. Never forget that. It's by faith that we are saved through grace10:05 so that we would never boast, man. But keep reading. God chose to save us. How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so10:17 that whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. We are saved by Jesus Christ. And then what is the so that of our faith? It's so that10:29 we might be with him forever. That's the end result. Remember we talked about this last session. That's the reality that gives us a new identity. As God's people, the fact that we10:41 will be him forever, that's our identity that I'm loved, that I'm forgiven, that that's where I'm heading. Identity informs activity. It's our identity as God's men that moves us forward. It's10:52 what gives our life purpose. It's what allows us to get low and serve. The same is true of Jesus. Scripture tells us before Jesus demonstrated the lowest act of service when he washed the disciples feet. The scripture11:04 tells us that because Jesus knew that God had given him all authority, because Jesus understood that he would come from God, that he was going back to God. It says, he got up and11:16 began to wrap a towel around his waist, and go wash the disciples feet. Because Jesus understood who he was, he was free to serve in radical ways. When we know11:28 who we are, as God's men, when we know whose we are, then we know what to do. We know how to live. And this passage gives us a statement of identity. Right? It says, we are children11:40 of the light. That's a that's a definitive statement. But it it begs the question, children of the light as opposed to who? As opposed to children of darkness. Children of11:52 the day, again, as opposed to children of the night. And scripture is filled with images of light to symbolize the things of God and dark to symbolize the things that are outside of theIdentity and Obedience in Christ 12:04 kingdom of God. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 2 put it like this, the people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of darkness, a light will shine. I mean, this prophet is12:16 talking about those who don't yet know Christ, which at 1 point was all of us, and it describes them as walking about in the darkness, in a land filled with darkness. That is all of12:28 our story before Jesus Christ. And how did we transition to the kingdom of light? Colossians chapter 1 verse 12 to 14. He, the father, has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs12:40 to his people who who do what? Who live in the light. For he has rescued us, right, from that kingdom of darkness we were just talking about, and transferred us, moved12:51 us into the kingdom of his dear son, the 1 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. How beautiful is that passage? So much reminding for us in there. Reminds us we've been rescued.13:03 Right? He rescued us, and we've been rescued from the kingdom of darkness. And then there's this encouragement to continue to go on living in the light. It says that we've been transferred.13:16 As in, you don't have any business going back to the kingdom of darkness. It's like a player getting traded. You never come back out wearing an old jersey. That's not the team you play for any longer. You've been13:28 traded. If you get transferred from 1 office to another, that's where you work now. We've been transferred, moved from, as in never going back13:40 to the kingdom of darkness. And Christ says that this light is not actually a place. We didn't get moved to a place. It's not a place. It's a person. It's him. We abide13:52 in the light by living and moving and being in and with him. He is the light. We abide by staying close. John 8 12 says this, Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,14:04 I am the light of the world. I've transferred you from the city of darkness to to myself. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness. Notice it's not a destination. He's saying walk with14:15 me. I am the light because you will have the light that leads to life. So Jesus corrects their thinking that I haven't moved you positionally. I've moved you towards myself. I am the14:27 light. But then Jesus says something later that just blows my mind. He reminds us that he is the light of the world. But then he goes 1 step further and he says, and when my holy spirit comes to live14:39 in you, what's true of me becomes true of you. And he says this to his disciples in Matthew chapter 5, you are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop14:51 that cannot be hidden. No 1 lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house in the same way. Let your good15:03 deeds shine out for all to see that they might praise your father in heaven. So Jesus is reminding his disciples that that he was going to be with them, that his Holy Spirit was going to15:15 be in them, which means his desires, his truth, his purpose was going to enter into them, become a part of them. And he gave them a model for being. He basically15:26 said, you are the light of the world because I am the light of the world. What's true of me is true of you. When I look at Jesus Christ in the scripture, what I see in15:38 him as the holy spirit invades my life to greater degrees as he gets into all of the corners of my heart, I should see those things, those things I see in Christ, in me15:50 living out in my own life. And really, that's that's the proper response to our salvation. We're not talking about earning. We're not talking about entitlement. And it should never move16:02 us into having feelings of fear or concern about losing our salvation. Remember, it should always just move us to humility and to praise. To thankfulness and to worship of the 1 who16:14 saved us. Thanking Jesus for what he's done for rescuing us. That we're now children of the light, and not because of what we do, but because of who we are. Because we're Christ children. But16:26 then that reality should move us to worship. And it shouldn't just move us to feel thankful. I mean, it should move us to worship with our lives, which looks like16:38 obedience. I mean, worship sounds great. The hard attitude sounds great. Right? It feels right. But as men, we just hate the word obedience, obey.16:51 Sounds like you're training your dog. Sounds like defeat. But like we said, the things I see in Christ, people should see in me. It goes like this. I17:03 look at Jesus. I see incredible love. I see practical love doing something. Love for people that society wanted. Nothing to do with. I see a17:15 heart that went out to the ones that were furthest away to draw them in. And when I read scripture, I realize that's Jesus. But then it's salvation with his holy spirit coming17:27 to to to live inside of me. I realize, well, Jesus is in me. Which means people should see this type of love in me. As I become obedient to the things the spirit is leading me into, They17:38 should feel people around me should feel God's love. They should actually experience God's love, not just hear about it. They should experience the kingdom of heaven because remember it's not17:50 just an idea, it's a way. It's a way of life. So simple recipe. Whenever you see the beautiful character of Jesus on display in scripture, whether18:02 it's talking about honesty, consistency, and integrity, or love, or forgiveness, or generosity, or boldness, or faith, or humility, then that's how it goes. It goes like this. This is18:14 Jesus. Jesus is in me. So this is me. In increasing measure, the things I see in Christ, I want the people around me to see in me as the18:25 spirit changes me, as the fruit of the spirit. Right? Starts to be nurtured in my life. Because like Jesus said earlier in our passage, we're the children of the day, of the light, as18:37 opposed to those who are children of the night, who live how? How do we how do we define their living? Well, under the cover of night. Right? It's this picture of secrecy. This is picture of things that are shameful to18:49 look at. I mean, verse 6 gives us a little bit of a list of warnings. He says, so be on your guard, not asleep like others. Stay alert. Be clear headed.19:01 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But remember, here's that identity statement for us again. Let us who live in the life be clear headed. Protected by the armor of faith and love and19:13 wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. Little reminder there about the armor of God, but it's a simple and inconvenient truth, guys.19:24 That I think might be more rampant in the life of God's men than just outright sin, than just living in opposition to God's plan. As we're told here to stay clear headed19:36 and alert, I think the danger facing most men today is apathy. According to this passage, it says we're to be on guard not asleep. I think too many men are drifting through life19:48 asleep. Drifting through life passively, spiritually asleep, unalert, with no forward progress going nowhere, just punching19:59 in, punching out of work, the same meal, the same show, a new show, same nights, the same drink, same pill, same sin, the same struggle, the20:11 same website, the same frustration, the same emptiness, sleepwalking, and unalert. That's what the stats tell us. But according to the scripture, men, that's not us. As God's men,20:23 this shouldn't be us because that's not our identity. Why? Because Jesus Christ has freed us from both the power, the penalty, and the possession of20:35 sin. We've been freed from sin's power, from the penalty of sin, and from sin's possession. Sin has lost his power in our life. The enemy no longer has claim20:47 to those who have been set free. He has no power to invade, no power to control. He's still gonna try to lie and try to influence, but in the heart and the life of God's man,20:59 the power of the enemy is broken. Christ is supreme. But not only has the power of sin been broken, the penalty of sin has been taken away. On the cross, Jesus21:11 removed the debt that we owed. In perfect justice, sin had to be dealt with. It had to be atoned for. Right? Forgiveness is not saying that something bad is okay.21:23 God didn't just say, it's okay. Your sin isn't isn't sin and you don't owe me. No. Christ stepped in. He took what was due for us, took our penalty. When our number was called,21:35 Jesus stepped forward. So the penalty of sin is gone. But we're also free. Sin no longer possesses us. It no longer has claim to us. It's not our21:47 master anymore. It does not control us, but neither does our own flesh. We're no longer our own. Remember? Praise God for that. We belong to him. Our own selfish21:59 desires don't get to control us anymore. Society, pop culture, they don't get the final say in the life of god's man. We're not living like that. We're living like those who are, according to this passage,22:11 awake, alert, and sober. And not just sober from alcohol or the effects of drugs, although certainly free from those things as well. But alcohol is rarely the22:23 issue. It's the why. Alcohol simply numbs, lowers, and diminishes, and minimizes our true purpose, our true identity. That's not us. Remember, man,22:35 our actions, because of our identity in Christ, should just look different from those who don't belong to Christ. I mean, according to this passage, how different should we look22:47 as different as light is from dark? That's the contrast that this world should see when they look to the lives of God's men. Completely different.22:59 Wonderfully different. Obviously different. You know what it looks like practically? It looks like serving your wife in all areas rather than waiting to23:11 be served. It looks like rejecting the idea that your worth comes from the things that you have. The car you drive, the job you have, the house you live in, the company you run.23:23 That means concerning yourself with what you're going to give more than thinking about what you're gonna get in any situations. It means raising the bar on what you watch, taking God23:35 seriously, fleeing sexual immorality, even if it's just a show we like on Netflix. It means being the 1 to turn it off when you're sitting there with your bride and saying this has no place for us. Children of the light.23:47 Starting to see the difference? Light and dark. That means valuing everybody. Not just the people that society says are pretty or the ones that can do something for you. It means loving people like Jesus did because23:59 every person you meet is fearfully and wonderfully made. That's light and dark. That means living a life of honesty and integrity, especially when it's gonna cost you something. Light24:11 and dark. Our lives should look different to this world, as different as night is from day. And remember, we're supposed to be clear headed.24:24 We're we're to be aware, self disciplined, and ready. And living our lives differently, men, has has kind of a twofold effect because it24:35 instructs those who don't know Christ, and it encourages those who do. So the life of God's man has a twofold blast zone. To those who don't know Christ yet, they24:47 recognize this difference and instructs them that there's something different in the life of God's man. And to the 1 who's walking next to you, who's trying to follow after Jesus, they're encouraged. It's always easier24:58 to stand tall when there's 2 of you. In the power of the Lord, remember a cord of 3 strands is not easily broken. So we live as an example. Oftentimes, a contrasting example toEncouragement and Recalibration 25:10 those who don't yet belong to Christ. But we get to encourage those who do. Look at verse 11. So encourage each other and build each other up. When Gatsby chooses to take his25:22 identity to live as a child of the light, then he does that. His very life becomes an encouragement. And our instruction, the how that we're supposed to live, it gets really25:34 specific to the needs of the people around us. It's not that our standards change. You know, that we find out how much we have to give or how patient we have to be kinda testing the waters. No. No. But the the25:46 follower of Jesus knows that in every situation, the Holy Spirit is going to inform what light looks like. Look at verse 14. We urge you to warn those who are25:57 lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take care of the weak. Be patient with everyone. Look at how specific these commands are. There's such a specific kind of26:09 love. It says to those that are lazy, maybe people wasting their time scrolling their lives away. In love, we're supposed to speak truth. We're supposed to correct. We're supposed to provide a warning26:21 to those who should be living as children of light, making the most of these days. But for those who are timid or afraid, it's a different response. My job is not to warn them. My job is to26:33 encourage those who are timid. Do you see how it's based on what the people need? God's man is listening to the holy spirit. He's not deciding what the people around him need. He's discerning. Holy spirit, what do the26:45 people in my need what do they need? Is it a word of correction right now? Or am I supposed to listen? Am I supposed to point them to scripture? Or am I supposed to just put my arms around them and tell them that26:57 I'm here? Lord, teach me. Show me. Right to the week we offer care. Care for those that are weak. And what does it say for everyone? They all get patience. Now we're getting27:09 into the deep end of the faith boys. This is the type of living that puts Jesus on display like turning on a light in a dark room. And like we said before, we see what Christ does. We recognize that he lives in us, so27:21 we put that type of living on display. We love people the very same way that Christ loved us, but that's a high calling. 1 that we just don't have the27:32 capacity to do in our own power, if we're honest. If we're supposed to love or admonish or encourage or or help or be patient with everybody,27:45 then we're gonna have to fix our hearts and minds on the affections of Jesus. You see, as a follower of Jesus, I don't pursue peace or patience. I don't try to gain those things for myself.27:56 I pursue Jesus. And then he creates those things in me. We're not talking about self help. We're not talking about a 10 step process. We go to the Lord Jesus. He changes our28:08 heart. He turns our desires. He leads us in a new direction. He fills us with love that's just beyond our self. Agape love that's supernatural. As his spirit28:20 becomes the dominant force in our lives, we start to look more and more like him, and less and less like our flesh. And I love the final portion of this letter. I mean, Julie, a28:32 letter that's just been filled with encouragement. And Paul just kind of starts firing off these little nuggets of truth and encouragement. I mean, look at this barrage. Always be joyful. Never28:44 stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you who belong to Jesus. I love that Jesus knows what it's like to be human. He knows what it's like to be hurt or tired or28:56 abused or ignored or betrayed. And Christ's heart and his ability to relate to us comes out through this spirit inspired letter from Paul. Notice, it29:07 says to be thankful in all circumstances. Huge caveat. God's men are never called to be thankful for all circumstances.29:20 Some circumstances are just hard. Some are terrible. A bad diagnosis, The end of a relationship. The loss of of a job or29:32 or a betrayal. I mean, these situations are rough. And I praise God that he never once says, put a smile on, pretend it's okay, and be thankful for that situation. No. We don't have a God who asks us to29:44 be inconsistent with how we're feeling. He knows what it's like. He says be thankful in. Be thankful in.29:56 But it never says that you have to be happy about. Remember last session, where we said let's encourage each other to grieve? But let's encourage each other to grieve in light of the hope of Christ react,30:07 resurrection, to give to grieve with hope? Really to feel what it is that we're feeling? And so here we're called to be thankful. But thankful to for what? Or or30:19 to whom? We're called to be thankful to Jesus. And the why is because no matter the details of our lives, the title always reads, Jesus won.30:32 Jesus won. Period. Past tense. Done. Forgiveness, set free, eternal home secured. That's always, like we said, the final word in our story. And30:44 that's the only way we can face difficult situations and be thankful in them. Is that knowing on the other side of them is the victory that Christ has for us. And in all of these encouragements,30:56 I mean, the core prompting is really the same. And it's just this, men, get your eyes off yourself. Lift your eyes from your situation. I mean, these encouragements are really a recalibration,31:08 Like a recentering of our lives on the reality of who Jesus is and then who we are in him. And we need to be encouraged to get our eyes, to get our hearts, to get31:20 our minds, to get our our world view off of ourselves and our emotions because it's natural and sinful to see everything like we do with regards to how it31:32 affects us. I mean, we're completely myopic by nature. And this this passage has been sort of a a communal call for all of us to get our eyes off ourselves back onto31:44 Jesus and 1 another. I mean, look at the actions we're called to. We're called to rejoice, to pray in this passage. We're called to give thanks, and we're called to do all of that together.31:56 And we're surrounding the object of our hope. Right? And it says, this is God's will for us. What do you mean? In Christ Jesus. That's the context.32:08 Because only in Christ Jesus does all of the suffering in our life have any meaning, have any hope. And the fact that the Bible constantly tells us to remember these things32:20 and encourage each other, brothers, it means that we're gonna be tempted to forget. It means that we're gonna be tempted to worry. It means that the desires of this world are gonna try to crowd out the truth of God's32:31 word. Just simply put men, we weren't made for this world. So we need to remind each other when we feel sad or angry, disappointed, frustrated. Whenever we come together, we32:43 need to encourage each other that we have Christ and allow that recalibration to take place. And that recalibration when our eyes go back to him, it comes to the promise. Philippians 4 says this, always be full of joy32:55 in the Lord. I say it again, rejoice. Let everyone see that you're considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord's coming soon. Don't worry about anything. Right? Eyes off of our own lives and our situation. Instead,33:08 eyes to him. Pray about everything. Tell God what you need. Thank him for what he's done. And what's the promise? What's the what's the net result of that recalibration? Then you will experience33:20 God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. So we're called to joy. We're called to33:32 pray for everything. And then the net result is that we get this peace from God. This peace that it says protects us. This peace that actively, like a like a sentinel, guards our hearts and our33:43 minds. It covers our emotions. It stands guard actively to the places that we think and the places that we feel. How beautiful is that? How cool is it to think that worshiping God,33:57 praising him, not ignoring my situation, but choosing joy and choosing faith is good for both my heart and my mind. That I experience peace in both what I feel and what I34:08 think. But if that's true, then so is the opposite. Right? If I choose to stay and stew and fester in that worry.34:20 When I choose to sit in frustration or unmet expectations or anger and resentment that I'm opening up both my heart and my mind to the attack of the34:32 enemy. I'm sidestepping that protection that was promised to me when I turn it over to the Lord. But man, let's remember where we started this passage. Right? This passage in this session, we are encouraged to be34:44 aware and sober minded. That we have to be conscious about the nature of our both our hearts and our minds naturally. So not only do we guard ourselves with gratitude. Right? Protect our34:56 hearts by reminding ourselves of the reality of the position who we are in Christ. But we also have to live intentionally. Verse 21 says35:07 this, test everything that is said. Hold on to what's good. Stay away from every kind of evil. In a world of podcasts, self help, reels, opposing35:20 versions of truth, what are we supposed to do as God's men? Test everything. Test everything. Everything you read, everything you hear, test it. But test it35:31 against what? What's the true north against the scripture? Especially when we're listening to things that people are claiming are prophetic. Whenever people claim truths that belong35:43 to God, then we have to become aware. Right? We're supposed to be sober minded and aware. But God's people have been called to do this since the very beginning. Right? This has been r m35:55 o. Acts chapter 17, Paul's teaching in Berea, and the people love it. Right? And just eating up all the truths that the Lord is delivering through Paul. But it says, they listen eagerly to Paul's message. They searched36:06 the scriptures day after day to see if Paul was teaching the truth. They searched the scripture. They tested what they were being told was true and right. We're36:18 called to do the same. And where does all this land? The letter to the church at Thessalonica, first Thessalonians, where does where does he how does he wrap up36:30 this beautiful letter of encouragement and truth? I love this. Look what he says in verse 23. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way.36:42 And may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus comes again. God will make this happen for he who calls you is faithful.36:55 Men of God, that is my prayer for all of us. That as we continue to lean into Jesus, that he would create in us new hearts. That he would37:07 become our source of truth. That our identity would come from the fact that we're his. That he, Jesus, would fill our hearts and our minds with peace in a37:18 time when so few people are experiencing real peace, that he'd make us holy. Remember, we talked about holiness being set apart for a specific reason. But37:30 remember, we don't make ourselves holy. He makes us holy. And the backdrop of our hope, man, what gives us full confidence that all of this will happen is because the 1 who called us,37:42 Jesus himself, is faithful. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for the gift of your word. Thank you for the things that you have taught us and corrected in us37:55 and challenged us in this book. It's so incredible to think, Lord, that you've been instructing your children since the beginning through the dynamic power of your38:07 word. Make us men who test everything, who search the scriptures to ensure that the things that we believe are true, that we would let our faith inform our emotions and not the other way around, lord38:18 god. That our identity as your men would move us out, would inform how we spend our time and our lives and our efforts and the treasures you entrusted to us, Jesus. And that in all of it, we would remember that38:30 nothing can separate us from you, father. Because we've been rescued by you. Your power is complete and your love is perfect. We give you all the praise and all the glory in the name of Jesus.38:42 Amen.In this video 0:00 Living in the Light of Christ's Return11:57 Identity and Obedience in Christ25:05 Encouragement and Recalibration
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