Skip to content No Other Gods - Part Four Jun 17 · 47 min ...more
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Since 2000 Every Man Ministries has been activating men worldwide to live out their truest identity in Christ through its discipleship resources, live events, and steaming platform.
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The Way, The Truth, and The Life 0:00 When Jesus left this earth, he told his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. Well, here at Everyman0:12 Ministries, we take that charge. Seriously, we exist to teach and admonish every man according to Colossians 1 28 so that we might present every man perfect0:24 in Christ. And that mission is made possible by your generosity. God is doing incredible things through partnerships around the globe. Our content is now being0:36 seen in multiple languages. In a hundred and 70 countries, we just started partnering to minister to over a half a million prisoners in state prisons by0:47 providing our content. God is moving. And we want to invite you to jump in. For those of you who are already on the team, for those of you who are already all0:59 in, God bless you and thank you. To those of you who have been blessed by this teaching and by this ministry, we encourage you jump on in. Because the water is flowing quickly and1:11 God is on the move. Well, welcome brothers to the men's global live stream. Grab your Bible and make sure you download the notes and get ready for this week's1:22 session. Of all the things that Jesus said during his time on earth, all of his incredible teaching, all of the counter cultural truths that he ever1:34 revealed, there was maybe none that was more controversial or more important than the truth that Jesus revealed in John chapter 14, in verse 6. Now zooming out, that whole area of scripture starting in1:46 about John chapter 12, going to the middle of chapter 16 is often referred to as the last discourse. Right? With Judas having now left the 12, Jesus starts what can kind of only be1:58 seen as a long farewell, kind of parting instructions to his boys. It's his last chance to fill them up with wisdom. It's his last chance to impart the truths that the men would2:10 need if they were gonna take the gospel to the ends of the earth. It was his last chance to convey exactly what they needed to hear before stepping into the great commission. And so in the2:21 beginning of chapter 14, Jesus starts off by comforting the disciples. Right? Before his impending death, he's lovingly telling them the wonderful plans that he has for them. The incredible plans that2:33 God has for each of us as believers. And he's saying trust. Just trust in the truth that there's room for you in heaven. That I'm going there to prepare a place for you and that we're2:45 always gonna be together. And then Jesus says something kind of shocking. He says, and you guys already know how to get there. You've already got the map, the roadmap. You already know where it is and how to get there.2:57 And Thomas kind of echoes what's going through every 1 of the disciples hearts. And he says, you know, not only do we not know the way, Jesus, we have no idea where you're going in the first place.3:09 How could we possibly know how to get there if we don't know where there is? And so Jesus responds, again, maybe with 1 of the most controversial and foundational truths for us as God's men.3:21 John chapter 14 verse 6, Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no 1 can come to the father except through me. Let's3:33 start with the end of that statement and this might be the most controversial part of the statement for the world that we find ourselves in today. Jesus says no 1 gets to God the father but through him, but through3:44 Jesus. Jesus is making a bold statement. He's saying that salvation is not found anywhere else. But we live in a politically correct world where you can't really3:56 correct 1 another. A world where you can't really say that anyone is is even wrong. And so Jesus's exclusive claim for salvation to a lot of people today just4:08 feels very unloving. It feels very narrow. It feels very exclusive. Right? Today's culture is really the everything is everything kind of view of life. This4:20 generation's viewpoint is summarized by the iconic Indiana Jones in his latest movie where he says, I found it doesn't matter what you believe, it's just how hard you believe it.4:32 Fervency now trumps truth. Relativism. Right? This is the lie that we're all really worshiping the same God. We just call him something different. That all roads lead to God. Well,4:44 let's let's look at that 1 for a minute. Because that that that statement is rather interesting. Because all roads really do lead to God. All life paths really do lead4:56 us to God. The difference? Only the path that comes through Jesus Christ leads us to God, not standing in judgment and condemnation. Not leading us as objects of5:08 wrath. It's true then. Right? All roads, all ways of life will get you in front of God the father ending in death. But as Jesus claimed, only 1 road to the father5:20 leads to life. And that's what Jesus claimed in John 14. He says, I am that way, that path. I'm the way to the father. Jesus was saying, he himself is the life. The5:31 life that we're pursuing. The very life that we live. But where I wanna camp today is the claim that Jesus makes right in the middle of those 2. The portion of this statement that is being challenged5:43 today like maybe at no other point in history. Jesus's claim that he is the truth. So confident. So supreme. Not even a hint of5:55 wiggle room. It's not even open to misinterpretation. Jesus does not say that he is a way, a a version, a type of life, or even a portion of6:07 some mysterious and eternal truth. Jesus rightly claims he is the truth. But what's almost unimaginable is that6:19 today, truth itself is under fire. I mean, truth is now sort of an an open and interpretive field of study. It's subjective.6:32 It's a conversation. It's something for us to consider. Gone are the days of certainty, of fact. Born is the invention of subjective truth. Even expressions as silly as6:43 my truth and your truth. Statements which are now common place. And so if we're gonna discuss truth, then there's some groundwork that we have to do. Right? About6:55 truth. Truth is absolute. By definition, truth is the actual state of a matter. It is conformity with fact and reality. The actuality of a thing. That's what truth is.7:07 And so truth is undeniable. Truth is unchangeable. At least it should be. Truth is accurate and absolute. It's not subjective.7:20 We don't alter it. We can't alter it. Rather we seek it. We submit to it. We don't create it. In fact, we are subject to it. Truth exists. And so that7:32 exposes a reality that we have to live into. And that's if there's truth, then there are lies. By definition, if some things are true then some things are not. They they can't all be true. But7:44 today, it's just not that easy, is it? Think about the conversations that you have. And so in this series, guys, we've been unpacking, uncovering, exposing, and hopefully,7:56 deposing of, false gods. Gods that seek to set themselves up on the thrones of our hearts. Lower g gods, impostors, lesser8:07 gods. And whether it's subtle or overt, counter to our culture or right in line with it. Right? These false gods are at war for our hearts, for our8:19 allegiance, for our passions. They want our interest. They want our time. They want our resources. They ultimately want control of our lives. They want our worship. And today we're gonna8:31 expose a relatively young false god, the new god on the block, the god of my truth. Although its counterpart is as old as time, right? The god known as relativism,8:44 the idea that things are only true or false based on a specific viewpoint. Right? That's subjective truth we are talking about. And there are some missteps8:56 that we've taken as a culture, some miscues that society has responded to that have led us to this place. The first of which is this, our opinions have been elevated to truth.9:08 Opinions have now been elevated to a position of truth. We've abandoned the idea that truth exists outside of us apart from us. And we decided to live as though truth is9:20 is simply what we make of it. Or maybe more aptly put, truth is what we'd like it to be. It's subject to our own story, Our personal opinions, our feelings,9:32 our convictions, and this kind of incorrect thinking is everywhere. I mean, podcasters fill the airway with claims they can't prove, ideas with no foundations, voices without credentials,9:44 subjective opinions, paraded around as absolute truth. And we as a culture just gobble it up. And why shouldn't we? After all, it's on a podcast. Right? This has been9:56 recorded and distributed. They have celebrity guests. They even have a neat song that plays during the intro of the podcast. And so we blindly treat opinion as if it's truth.10:08 The opinions we have, the very personal, the very fallible, and subjective viewpoints that we hold. As long as we believe them passionately enough, culture accepts10:20 them as true. Our culture respects them as true. And so truth truly now is as we would desire it to be. But the problem is10:31 this, how do we know what's actually true? Because we can't all be right, can we? And if we're not, all right all10:43 the time. What what opinions can we trust as truth? I mean, what happens when our opinions, yours and mine, are in opposition to 1 another? Well, now they10:55 both can't be true. Right? What about when my truth tells me that my life is worth more than yours? What about when my truth tells me that certain races aren't as valuable as others or that men and women11:07 have varying places in society, varying worth. What about when my truth tells me to hijack a plane and fly it into a building? Doing the will of of my God, killing thousands of people created in11:18 God's image. How then can all opinions be equally true? See, subjective truth sounds really nice, but it just doesn't work out in11:30 reality. And so as God's man, we live by battling against our own opinions, by testing them against the scripture.11:43 We battle our flesh. Right? We we don't openly accept what we what we feel is true or what we opinion to be true. We we we question it. It's true as long as it's in line with god's truth. And11:55 so dethroning the god of my truth. Right? Exposing him and dethroning him. We start fighting the battle here seeking not to create or believe or live into our own versions of the12:07 truth. And where do we go for the answer? We go to God's word. The unshakable truth. John chapter 8 verse 31 and 2 says this, Jesus said to the people who believed in him. Right?12:19 So he's talking to us. He's talking to believers. He says, you're truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching. And you'll know the truth and the truth will set you12:31 free. Such an encouraging verse. Right? It says that, first of all, don't just receive the truth, stay in it. Remain in it. Letting us know that we're gonna be prone to drift.12:42 We're gonna be prone to decide, to forget, to challenge, or to try to correct what we encounter in God's truth. And in this single verse, Jesus unpacks a huge12:54 inconvenient truth for our culture today. And that's the fact that truth does not bow to opinions. Actual truth lies within the teachings of Jesus Christ.13:07 There's also a great comforting promise here for us. Right? As we're steep in this huge pot of untruth, different voices claiming different things. I mean, how are we ever gonna find what's true? How are we not gonna be13:18 hoodwinked? We need we need help. But scripture says that we don't have to try to figure out truth on ourselves. It actually says the truth for god's man is a promise. It says point blank. You13:30 will know the truth. You abide in the teachings of Jesus. It's promised that you will know the truth. Truth is not some obscure mystery reserved for the elite or the few.13:42 Truth isn't some locked in some ancient magical wisdom. It's not subjective or changing like we've already said. In fact, truth isn't really a thing at all. According to the teachings of Jesus, truth is a person.13:54 And as God's man that just gives our life firm footing, that attaches our lives to an immovable anchor, and we need truth to be unchanging and reliable. Because our opinions,14:07 our emotions, they change. And so they cannot represent truth because like we said, truth is unchanging. Like Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. As we know14:19 him, as we know him more, as we abide in his truth more, then we will know the truth. And as we consider the things that are presented to us paraded as truth, we'll be able to14:31 identify what's true and what's not. And there's some qualifiers there for us. Right? As we try to consider what is true and what is not as our, do our own opinions line up with God's word.14:43 There's some good questions to ask. Just looking at this passage, we see that truth always leads to freedom. Right? Jesus said, you'll know the truth, the truth will set you free. Real, authentic,14:55 Christ centered truth always leads us into the life that Jesus Christ promised. A life of freedom. Right? Since Jesus himself is the truth, as15:07 we pursue him, we'll find that we we encounter freedom. That's a good way to spot a fake. Whenever the opinions that we hold become our15:19 truth, and anytime that truth leads us into any form of bondage, we're no longer dealing with truth. Like we said, truth always leads us to freedom. I look around at the world today.15:32 All the subjective fruit truths free to believe whatever we'd like. Free to decide our own gender, our sexual orientations. Decide the truth about God. Decide the truth about his word, what parts of15:44 it we believe, his nature, what he's really like, the purposes for all of us, why we exist. We have all this incredible freedom of thought. And the more I look at all of this freedom, the more I consider the lives of15:56 those who are being deceived, that freedom looks a lot more like slavery. And that's the way of untruth. Just as truth brings freedom,16:08 lies always lead to bondage. Untruth always leads to bondage. And as we trust our desires will be led into bondage as Edmund Burke said.16:20 Our passions forge our fetters. Right? Our our unholy desires create for us cages. Cages, prisons to live with him. Pure and simple. The truth of Christ16:32 brings freedom. And so the lies of the enemy, the lies of our own flesh bring bondage. So when someone's truth is leading them into bondage of sin, of worry, doubt, fear. When they're16:44 becoming prisoners of of of anger and jealousy, you have now exposed the god of their truth who is an impostor. But what's the way out? Because we don't16:56 we don't remain in truth by just avoiding lies. That just keeps us away from lies. We have to pursue the truth. Look back at the beginning of the verse. Jesus says, you're truly my disciples if you remain faithful17:08 to my teachings. Right? Kinda paraphrasing for us today. In the context of your and my battle for truth, it might be like Jesus saying, if you you're truly my disciples, if you don't17:20 decide which parts of my teaching are still relevant. If you don't find portions that you'd agree with and and and then remove. If you don't falsely teach a different version17:32 of gospel or falsely teach that something that I've prohibited is not harmful, is not wrong, and so on and so on. As we abide, as we remain in Christ, then his truth17:44 remains and abides in us and in all of it. We're never on our own to figure it all out. Remember that promise. You will know the truth. You're the promise of truth, and we17:56 actually have the presence of help. The presence of what scripture calls the counselor. Right? You and I don't have to become spiritual lie detectors on our own. That's the work of the Holy Spirit.18:09 When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. It says in John chapter 16 verse 13. It's the holy spirit,18:21 not our opinions, not our culture, not our desires or emotions that will ultimately lead us into what is truth to truth that can be trusted. It's only the spirit of God18:34 who we can entrust ourselves to to lead us into truth that we can stand on. And so as God's man, we have to live into the truth that the truth will only be in us to the extent that we abide in Christ.18:48 Now, I'm not talking about earning God's provision here or or proving ourself or achieving the spirits help through our own efforts but we have to choose ongoing to deny the18:59 flesh. Right? Stiff arm, throw the Heisman to the flesh, ignore our own opinions, submit them to scripture. Especially when they conflict with the word of God. Whenever our desires or our opinions conflict19:11 with the word of God, we have a choice. We have a choice of what is going to remain the supreme authority in our life. In today's culture, the God of my truth will lead even Christians19:24 in arrogance to disagree with the scripture. But here's the problem. I cannot sit under the authority of God's word and be in authority over it at the same time.19:36 I cannot simultaneously submit myself to the truth of God's word while deciding for myself which parts I think are true. I must submit myself to the word of God.19:49 James, Jesus's brother. Right? Who who did not believe during Jesus's life, who didn't entrust himself to the truth until after he experienced the risen Christ and says this, James chapter 1 verse 25. He says, but if20:01 you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you. Now, this is20:13 the approach that God's man is to take before God's word. That word translated as carefully or intently in in your depending on your translation is the Greek word, parakupto. And20:25 it means to bend beside. It's It's actually the picture to lean over, to peer within, to look into, to stoop down in order to view. Do you get the picture?20:37 Look at the posture that god's man takes before god's word. We come to it and then we bend in order to see it more clearly.20:50 This is what it means for us. We don't judge the word of god. We sit in judgement under it. We don't bring the book down to our level to encounter truth. We don't bend the book so it21:02 fits into our lives or so that our choices line up. We don't remove the portions that we don't, like them to be there, the portions that conflict with our desires or opinions. We don't21:13 shave off the rougher edges that are challenging so that our behavior lines up. Instead, it's us that contorts. We're the ones who twist.21:25 We bend. We stoop. We alter our lives to get in front of it, and then we allow it to alter our lives as we move out from it. To get his truth into our lives so that we're transformed.21:37 So that we're changed. So that his truth becomes my truth. So that our very lives start to change according to the promises of scripture as he changes the way I21:49 think. He changes the way I live. He changes the way I think. He changes what I value. Changes what I believe to be true. It's an inside out gain. And so that the stuff I22:01 do begins to line up with what God's word says is true and right and where true life comes from. So that I can experience what all of these passages been pointing back to. That freedom22:14 that freedom that comes as it changes us. Right? I I love that. Right in the middle of that passage is that word again. Free. The word makes us free. The22:25 law that sets us free. God continues to connect his truth to freedom. And all of that sounds great, but the God of my truth won't go away so easily. Because our22:37 enemy wants us to believe that the truth found in scripture doesn't lead to freedom. In fact, this is a prison cell. It's22:49 outdated, restricted, maybe even untrue. And the God of my truth whispers perverse lies that the freedom Christ offers us,23:01 it's more like a prison cell. The enemy will try to get you and I to think that, oh, you used to be free when you were in charge before the oppression of scripture.23:13 Alright. The enemy has convinced our culture as a whole that any form of restraint is oppression when that's just not true. The enemy wants us to believe that before Christ's truth came23:25 into our life, when we were the ones calling the shots, we were free, but not now. Now we're controlled by some archaic truths in some old time religion. The God of my truth wants to reduce God's word so23:37 that it's nothing more than a shackle. Right? Leaving God to be some distant cosmic killjoy. That's what happens whenever we elevate opinions to truth. But culture hasn't just23:49 stopped there. Culture keeps pushing the envelope. It's Culture has taken personal preferences and elevated them to be rights. They're beyond truth. Beyond what you think is true.24:01 What you feel is right should be law. And in our culture today, to challenge anything that someone else believes, now that's an attack of the highest order. It can't be tolerated.24:13 But how did we get here? How do we get to a place in society when no 1 is ever wrong? Because everyone is entitled to be or feel right. You24:25 know, his opinion reign supreme even above truth. We recognize that opinions are emotionally driven. Right? They we hold them closely because they're hyper24:37 individualized. They're they're tied strongly to our passions. And so in our culture today, we've twisted even what loving relationships look like. And so to question someone is the most24:48 unloving thing we can do. Love now means unconditional blind support without regard to truth, without regard to whether or not what someone believes is is harmful to them or to others, to question someone's25:00 decisions is like telling them you don't love them. We're we're stifling all of the incredible and life altering 125:12 another's in scripture where God uses community to bring about our healing, where God often uses loving challenge.25:25 The the conflict engaged in by people who are fully committed to us into our growth, our own sanctification occurs during that struggle. And without that, we're all left to navigate the world based on our25:37 own feelings or our own desires. You know, there was another time in history. The time in scripture actually where we see the exact same thing occurring. In those days,25:49 Israel had no king. No leader, no ultimate support, no no place of unmovable truth. All of the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. It's26:01 Judges chapter 17 verse 6. Kinda sounds a lot like today. In the time of the judges, the nation of Israel was confused. Probably the best way to put it. And this26:12 confusion and this hyper individualized doing what seem right in their own eyes type of living gave way to a life that was a mess as a culture. But let's let's keep26:24 the training rolling. How did they get there? Right? It wasn't overnight that the the the this abandoned collective and communal truths. Where did it all start? Because these26:36 people had been given the law. They had truth. They had seen God move powerfully. They've been miraculously rescued. They had been provided for in incredible ways. I mean,26:48 with that as their backdrop, as their history, how could they have ever taken their eyes off of God? How could they have ever removed their trust from him and placed it upon27:00 themselves and whatever they thought was right, believing a new and ultimately false version of truth? Well, let's back up just a couple years before. Moses had been uniquely27:13 used by God in the rescue of his people. You all know the story. The burning bush, the plagues, and the incredible exodus. And as Moses led the people towards the promised land he started to27:24 understand something. He started to understand that his life calling, that his role as their leader was a temporary assignment. That's an important truth for us men. Leadership itself is27:36 a temporary assignment. Right? For all the time that Moses had spent face to face with God, all the miracles that he had seen, the truth that had been entrusted to him, that he had given to the people. He saw rightly27:48 that in God's long term plan for the people, he was just a short term solution. And so in that vein, Moses wanted to make sure that truth was passed27:59 on. That he gave back what he had learned and experienced so that the next generation might know. He recognized that the primary responsibility of the current generation is28:11 to equip the next generation. And his goal was not just what would happen during his lifetime then, it was what would happen after he died. We see this same attitude modeled again28:23 in Jesus. Jesus Christ who spent his life caring for and training and equipping and then sending out his disciples. Launching the movement meant replicating28:35 himself. So Moses similarly poured his life out into the nets. Into the life of Joshua. We see, Moses brought Joshua up to the mount with him. To28:47 receive the 10 commandments in Exodus chapter 23. We see that when Moses smashed those very same tablets destroying the golden calf. Right? 1 of the first idols that set itself up against God. Joshua was right there28:58 learning, watching. He was witness to the special communion Moses shared, with the Lord in the tent of meeting in Exodus chapter 33. Moses had entered into an intentional, generational,29:10 impactful relationship. Moses had become a mentor. And his greatest act of care for the next generation was to make sure29:22 they had a leader who could go the distance, who knew the truth. And Moses gave himself fully to this pursuit. In Numbers chapter 27,29:34 Moses was shown the promised land. Even though he knew that he personally was not gonna be able to enter it, and instead of pouting, instead of worrying about himself or lamenting his coming death, his heart was29:46 all about the next generation. Then Moses said to the Lord, oh Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community.29:58 Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go, will lead them into battle. So the community of the lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd. Just like Jesus, Moses was30:09 focused more on the success of the people who would succeed him. He raised up Joshua. And they turned Joshua loose to lead the people. Joshua was equipped. The truth planted30:21 firmly within him. He had been cared for and taught, equipped, empowered, and then released. Such a beautiful model of transition. A model of transition that we30:33 need to see more often. But what about Joshua? Right after a lifetime of leading the people towards the Lord and following right in Moses' steps, how did he get the next generation ready?30:45 How did he preserve the truth? How did he make sure that he passed it on? Who was the leader that he raised up? Well, there's no record of Joshua investing in a specific30:57 successor. We don't read about him selecting and training and empowering Israel's next leader exactly the way that he had been selected, trained, and empowered. We don't see him pouring his31:09 life out into the man who would succeed him. He didn't multiply himself to provide for the people, and it took exactly 1 generation for the people of God to31:20 cease following him. Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the Lord died at the age of a hundred and 10. That whole generation was also gathered up to their ancestors. After them,31:32 another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works he had done for Israel. No absolute truth. And each did what was right31:44 in their own eyes. The movement stopped. The people began to live according to subjective truth. Why? Why didn't Joshua do what had been31:56 done for him? Why didn't he prepare the people? Maybe he was short sighted. Maybe he thought he'd live forever. Maybe he didn't like the idea of a successor. Maybe he didn't he didn't like the idea of being replaced.32:08 He wanted to hold on for longer. I don't know. Maybe he was selfish or lazy. I don't know what it was. But the impact of his life is undeniable.32:20 He did not prepare the next generation. And immediately, they forgot the things they had seen and encountered. Remember our first encouragement, we have to abide in Jesus.32:32 Stay connected to the truth. The people distance themselves and everything fell apart. Joshua's lack of provision gave way to personal, emotional,32:45 subjective truth to chaos. And we're living in a time that looks a lot like that. Your truth. My truth.32:56 Everyone doing what they think is right in their own eyes. I do wanna pause because in all of this we can take an overly sharper unloving edge.33:08 No more than you would come upon a lost child and be angry at them for being lost. As god's men, we respond to those living lost, those who don't know the truth like we would a child who is33:20 lost. We would want to help them find their parents. We wanna help people find the truth. Every person needs to be respected. Every person you encounter, even those whose opinions are at odds with yours was a33:32 person loved, cared for, a person Christ offered himself for that bears his image, his thumbprint, someone that he desires would come into a saving relationship with him. There can33:44 be unity in love even as we disagree. But when we're not allowed to challenge 1 another, When we can no longer discuss or debate.33:56 When we no longer associate with people who believe differently. When we're not open to correction. We're not open to education. How can we ever move forward? Scripture34:08 says we're supposed to correct 1 another in love. They were supposed to be used by God to remove 1 another from sin, to sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron causing sparks. But if we can't disagree,34:21 how's it gonna happen? Especially amongst brothers in Christ, we need to remember conflict not comfort is the catalyst for growth. Just like34:33 muscles that grow under pressure in the gym over strained use in the presence of conflict, in conversations and even debates where our views are challenged. That's where we34:44 grow. When we're forced to consider what it is that we believe. Why we believe it? When we have to strain and struggle to explain and defend the truth. Brothers, an untested34:56 faith is a weak faith. And the reality is we want a strong faith, but we don't want the testing that it requires. Remember when we're tested, God's intent is35:08 not to break us. I'm a surfer. Before I go surfing, I test my equipment. Especially when it's big. I pull on the leash, make sure there's no weak spots. I pull on my fins, make sure that they're set. I'm not trying35:20 to break my board. When the time comes, I want my board to be able to perform. To do what it was designed to do. When life is35:32 hard. When you're in the middle of a season where we're being tested. Where our faith is in the gym working out. We're being stretched and pulled. It does not feel great.35:43 It feels like God's trying to break us. But what if God's not intending to break us? What if God wants to use us? What if the testing of our35:55 faith is to make sure that when it's called upon to do what it's designed, what it's intended to do, that it can perform just like my surfing equipment. Testing is good.36:07 It does not feel good. It's the knowledge that it's producing something good that let James say this in James chapter 1 verse 3. You know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness,36:20 consistency, a footing. That testing will allow us to not be pushed around by lies and untruth. It will give us strength. It'll give us a toughness36:32 required for this life. A mental toughness that's anchored in unmovable truths. You know, when you talk about metal, and you talk about the toughness of metal, check this36:44 out. The toughness of metal is actually how much it can be bent and twisted before it breaks. It's literally how far it can go without snapping.36:56 According to that definition, how mentally tough are you? How tough is your faith? And how would we know?37:07 How would we know our faith is strong if it was never tested? We need to be tested. We need to be challenged. We don't grow when we sit still.37:20 We don't grow when life is all comfort. We need people who disagree with us. We need to explain our hearts. We need to explain the truth of God's word. And not use it against people as a weapon, but37:32 use it as a weapon against the enemy to free the people believing things that aren't true. We need to be ready to give a response. Look what Peter says. Instead, you must37:44 worship Christ as lord of your life. And if someone asks you about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. Be prepared to be late when you're in a rush and a conversation37:55 comes up. Be prepared to be patient if it takes a long time. Notice, this is not a call to defend yourself, to argue people into submission. This is an encouragement to get, good at defending our38:07 own personal convictions. No. God's man learns how to wield the truth. Ready to explain it when his children have a question. When his neighbor opens the door and38:19 allows the conversation to come in. But how can we wield the truth if we don't know it? How can we use god's truth when we're not encountering38:31 it? We've talked about this often. God's man begins dethroning the God of his truth by filling up on God's truth every single day at the beginning of the38:43 day. Get up early and feast on the word of God starting our day anchored to the truth. It keeps our life on course. It allows us to get his truth in before culture38:54 or flesh or just the busyness of the day starts to get away from us. We gotta cling to what's true. That time that we spend soaking in God's word, in his truth, that's gonna determine the trajectory39:07 of our days, of our weeks, of our lives. It's that morning space. And I'm not talking about a passing casual relationship with God's word.39:19 And we talked about that that bending over, that the getting in, that that contorting ourselves to see. I'm talking about soaking in the truth of God's word. We will only ever be able to39:31 expose the lies spoken in our culture to the extent that we know the truth of God. Now I'm I'm I'm hoping that there's some grillers out there today. I like grilling.39:43 I actually love eating, and so I I tolerate grilling. But there is nothing better than meat that has been soaked overnight in a good marinade. It becomes an experience. I mean,Show more In this video 0:00 The Way, The Truth, and The Life42:29 Spiritual Growth and the Inner Man
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