Q&A--What is Christian Liberty? What Activities DOES GOD SAY are OKAY for Believers?

this is our question-answer night and what we do here is I collect questions either from the floor and we have microphones or these particularly that were that I'm starting with tonight were right in questions but in the spirit of Acts 19 - to explain the connection in the scripture this is I'll actually read you the question it was really good it says my sibling plays lots of video games and every time I come home I'm convicted about not talking to him about it but I don't because I don't think he'd listened to me I hear him say a lot of times all things are permissible and that's a great quotation of first Canadian 612 and first Corinthians 10 23 it's it's repeated should I talk to him about how much and what kind of games he's playing also I get some flack from people both at home and away from home about the things I do not get involved in and I didn't even think we could go to you know what Peter said Peter said that people think it's strange that you don't run with them in the things they go to and and Peter was addressing people that were following the Lord and the people that weren't following the Lord didn't like what they were no longer doing because whenever we refrain from something that other people do they feel bad about it because they feel like we're saying they shouldn't do it and in some cases they probably shouldn't but he says I don't like to watch some movies that are out or be involved in activities that are not beneficial but seem empty not directed at God or distracting from true fellowship with the believers the biggest one and this is you know it's it's a long but it's it's a worthwhile question it's long though the biggest one are is the movies I hear the same thing all things are permissible I used to watch secular movies even after I got saved and I remember when it came to me that I should replace that time was seeking after the Lord I was resistant at first I was even offended but since I've done that I don't feel like I've missed anything but gain now when I watch a secular movie I just feel convicted some suggestions that some suggest to me I have a weak conscience and we'll get to that in chapter 10 and also Romans 14 I've wanted to ask this question for a long time because I'm not because I'm sure I'm not the only one struggling with what Christians should be entertained by so the question would be what kind of movies games and video games and books and hobbies should Christians be entertained by and I'm happy to answer that tonight would God be pleased with the movies that are out today and should Christians be watching some of the secular movies that are being produced Wow here I'll answer that question with with my little drawing I started this morning this is all of life this is every possible thing you could do in life anything eat drink watch do go everything collect by cell work at everything this part of life are the biblically defined sins and the Bible clearly the the infinite immutable God of the universe has revealed that because he says so a whole swipe of what we can do in life saved or lost our sins period and and whether we're saved or whether we lost are lost those things always eternally will offend God period he's just Scott and he said so then there's another whole section of life that I call the questionable things well I don't call that the Bible calls on that and these are what we would call the gray area in these are areas that Christians have always differ and they're the great they're the question thing so there's sin then there's gray areas then everything else is is what 1st Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 is talking about because if God has already weighed in on something he doesn't have to keep repeating himself once he said something that's how it is and so he's already said this these things are transgressions you know the words for him they're called transgressions they're called iniquities they're called sins but whatever whatever word God chooses at that time to call it these things are always sin and and what's amazing is that that there is a whole new concept that because we're under grace all things possible in life are permissible know those two verses first Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 are saying of course this is not in the equation those things will always be sin as in immorality and witchcraft and and you know selfishness and jealous and envious and every other you know time that God is weighed in on something this area the questionable things is Romans 14 and we'll look at that in just a moment these are the sinless this is Romans 14 all the rest of this is weighed in by these two but within the context so let's let let's the so this is the short answer how do you look at all things permissible you whack off what is already sin and what is bound by the questionable because anything that's questionable to other believers we are supposed to not intentionally offend them and so there's a whole different method of working within that triangle and we're never supposed to offend God but let's let me just go through I made graphics these are the areas to find I got is sin all of life that is not sin is permissible for the temporal but Paul goes on to say and let's just look at at what he says look at first Corinthians 6 and then 10 but first Corinthians chapter 6 now remember Paul is writing to a group of people never forget that the Bible was written to real people in real places with real problems that's one of my favorite things to think about when when I'm taking people to lands of the Bible that that you know Corinth is a real place and you can go there and it's just so fascinating to see the the Corinthian footprint of the city that's what's left today and and everything in that place was populated by real people and a hundred and some of them got this letter and they were in the church at Corinth and it says in verse 12 mmm-hmm all things are lawful for me but all things are not helpful all things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any so within this and we'll get our questionable things you know all this is the questionable stuff and this is the sin quadrant here but all the rest of this is permissible we can do anything in life I mean whatever we want to do eat anything all foods are clean remember he did the Lord declared all foods clean there aren't even any dietary laws for believers but notice what he says in verse 12 he says yes but he says you got to make sure that what you're doing is helpful and verse 12 that I am not bound in bondage to anything and and we we had I don't know a few months back that that someone was asking about alcohol you know what's interesting about alcohol is I mean you know up here in the sin area drunkenness is a sin and and remember that God says no one who is is constantly bound by alcohol that is drunk can enter the kingdom of God it is a damnable sin I mean the people who are drunken cannot enter the kingdom of heaven so we know number one that that being drunk is a sin each time and the perpetual state of drunkenness is a sign someone is not a born-again Christian but number two God says elders are and the scriptures say are to be may par join us you say wow I'm glad I'm not an elder I don't even know what that means may means not in Greek par means by or near I guess I had to do with golfing par doesn't have something do with I'm par you're that means you're close to being good or something I don't know I was only a caddy and this coin toss is the word line so it's interesting even within alcohol God has has levels and we already covered this I won't go over it again but elders are not supposed to be near wine deacons it's interesting it says are not given too much that's a whole different level that means they can they can drink they just are not supposed to be characterized as drinkers now we're talking about in the first century where people had water that was equivalent to what's in Calcutta and they would regularly mix one part like one per six you know one quart of wine two to five quarts of water two to not only flavor it but to determinate it you know but then normal people that means if you were not a spiritual leader or a deacon normal people we're not supposed to be drunk and so you can see that even here that that there are levels of the Lord's talking about either sins or questionable things or normal things in life but the bondage part that's where alcohol and a lot of other things can can get people bound by them anything food television exercise there's some people addicted to exercise I had a guy on staff once and he finally had to ask Lord help I mean he the rush he got from running his 6 miles a day he just he just was he had to do it and and there's a there's a line between keeping our body fit and being so addicted that I mean everything else had to fall to the ground so he couldn't miss it and he was bout and he came to that conclusion himself I never thought of that because I'm so not that way but he finally said it became an idol it's almost like suntan's you ever seen people I mean they're already brown as a bat but they just have to be a darker shade and they're just bound by that they have to keep adding to it so what he's saying is there are things that are permissible they're permissible right here but but they're not profitable what they do is they're they're just okay to do while we're here on earth but there are absolutely worthless for eternity okay now let's keep going on this lest we not have time for the rest so what are the sins defined by God's Word and what is this permissible so let's let's look at the verses around and you see we have first Corinthians we'll go up here I'm going to first work on the context so look at the context of this first one first Corinthians 6:12 and then look at the context of the second because this is what the question revolves around these two verses here that say all things are permissible okay so what's the context remember that's the first rule of understanding the Bible you can't just pluck a verse you know how you heard about the famous wedding cake verse you know first John 4:18 there's no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear and and this lady wanted that on her wedding cake for her reception at this bride and so the Baker didn't know the Bible stitch but John 4:18 you know what John 4:18 says Jesus looked at the Samaritan woman he said you have had five husbands and the man you're marrying is not your husband and that's what was on her wedding cake so you need to check the context of what we're talking about so look at 1st Corinthians 6 and and what Paul is talking about starting in verse 9 is a sin list now look at this verse 9 of 1st Corinthians 6 right up there in the upper right-hand corner do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators you don't that word that word that's a Greek word everybody has heard of it's this word por nos people characterized by poor Nos God says in verse 9 will not inherit that means will not have the gift of endless life people who are characterized by poor nuts we're living in the most pornified era in the history of the world hands down no questions asked that that is we are witnessing the porn if ocation of the world and what's happening is people are as as culture goes down the threshold goes down and it's just the what what was considered pornographic in the 18th century was not considered in the 19th century was not considered in 20th and now the 21st century is down here it's amazing so that's the first word nor idolaters that's a sin what is idolatry idolatry is anything here's God anything that takes his place as most important it can be job it can be money it can be anything it can be amusement but it just pushes God out and he comes down here it's anything that that takes his place that gets more important than God relationships can even do that it can become an idol and God says beware idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites that's curious isn't it those two words side by side that's the active and the passive member of the relationship and it's it's specified there our sin o and mala coasts - very interesting words nor thieves verse 10 nor covetous nor drunkards we already talked about that nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God that's very stirred and look at verse 11 such were some of you were they got saved see the scriptures say saving faith is life-changing faith if we can say were not our were it's interesting but you were washed this is the the washing of regeneration and renewing the Holy Spirit you were sanctified see anybody that's saved justified is also being sanctified that's what this is about you were justified in name of our Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God now look at verse 12 I mean what a run-up I mean what I would do is whoever asked that question when your relative your brother comes to you says all things are lawful say could I read the context of that verse for you please and go through that list and then verse 12 all things are lawful to me that are not those sins but all things are not helpful I mean after we carve out the sin those things aren't helpful they're not eternal they're not beneficial all things are lawful for me that aren't sin but all I will not be brought under the power of any now look at here now we get what is probably a little cliche of the Corinthian period look at verse 13 food for the stomach in the stomach for food but God will destroy both it and them you know two people were saying Corinth was such a think of Las Vegas Times Square New York and the carnival going on now in South in South America the carnival time think of all that rolled into one that was Corinth in the first century it was it was in your face Mardi Gras living and what the people said is foods for the stomach the stomach for food in other words I have a body and body was meant for sexual relations so let's go and look what Paul says in verse 13 now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body and God both raised up the Lord and will also raise up of up us by his power do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them a member of a harlot certainly not now look up from your Bibles and think about this for a second do you know where video games are going did you know that the big crisis in the society in Japan is that there's an entire generation that is living their life through the video games they don't even I mean they have no interest in real people anymore all of their interest including their sexual ones are all in this in this world they live in that it's not real except to them very interesting did you know the Lord says imaginations and real real behavior are equally in his sight sinful it isn't if it's just if it's just a video game with an avatar if it's just a dream person I put together and I imagine all this evil with that's okay no the Lord says no it's not because your body if you're a believer is a temple Holy Spirit and you can't do anything with your body or your mind that God is not tied to you understand that's all things are permissible that means all sins that we commit God has already forgiven that is the blessing of the the work of Christ on the cross he died once and it was in the past and that means every sin that I'll ever sin and I've already sinned 58-year full of sin and there are more ahead by his grace he's already paid for those but what he's saying is if I persist in this zone what we said this morning and saw this morning he says I will chasten you and I will not allow you to persist in in what you know and are convicted of his sin and here I will prune you I will work on your life because you need to not be living for what's temporal you need to be living for what is eternal so keep going verse 16 don't you know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her for two he says shall become one flesh but he was joined to the lord is one spirit with him well this is a fastening and it doesn't exactly translate in English but what he's saying is with the same intensity you're drawn in Corinth toward all the prostitution he says why didn't you cry out to Christ and as you received him as Lord and Savior ask him to give you such a drawing to be joined to knowing him he who has joined the Lord verse 17 as one spirit with him what he's saying is you can live as voraciously a holy life as you are drawn to live or a ously an unholy life it's all in what you really want and Christ is available to set you free and then he says flee sexual immorality every sin a man sins outside the body but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body that means this whole porn ass culture we live in is a higher degree of sinfulness I mean mankind has always been you know slugging it out and selfish and fighting and warring and battling but now we're coming to almost the days of the flood where every imagination it says in Genesis 6:5 was only evil continually and that's why by the time we get to Revelation 9 even when God's sending 100-pound hailstones down and squashing people people won't repent of their drugs immorality and witchcraft amazing now look at this good stuff verse 19 which is exactly the context of verse 12 for for everything is permissible to me for that concept you have to think about this verse right here that permissible verse is totally impacted by verse 19 or do you not know that your body that is sitting in front of the video game in this question and in front of the movie screen is the temple of the holy spirit there two words for temple now sand Iran hit Iran is the building not OSes the holy of holies our our body is the very place where the glory of God dwells like the Holy of Holies in the the Temple in Jerusalem and the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God you are not your own so I can't say hey I could do whatever I want you know everything's permissible to me no everything's not permissible everything's forgiven and everything that's not sin and everything that's not as we'll see in a minute questionable is is under consideration but I was bought verse 20 at a price therefore I want to glorify God member kilvo than the Old Testament one of the one of the beautiful expressions of God's glory in the Old Testament the heavens declare the glory the weight of God that that therefore feel the weight of God in your body and in your spirit because both belong to God okay keep going for first Corinthians to Philippians the next one and look what he says there Philippians 3:17 and these are just daisy chain versus that that you know I think of these passages look at verse 17 of Philippians three brethren join and following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern from any walk of whom I told you often and now tell you even weeping that there are the enemies of the cross of Christ what does that mean it says in Galatians 6 that the cross of Christ I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me but their enemies to that crucified to the world means that if I'm crucified with Christ my hands no longer can do what they used to do because they're tied to his etc etc and he says they are the enemies of the cross of Christ they don't want a crucified life they don't want to live out Christ in the world whose end is destruction whose God is their appetite whose glory is in their shame who set their minds on earthly things now we get to the movie thing here you know movies are our almost most movies are used to be neutral I don't know if they're all neutral anymore there's certainly an agenda behind almost all of them even the Disney ones so you have to be discerning but very carefully if a movie sets our mind on earthly things in other words some people I remember when the Star Wars thing was going there's some people that almost lived in Star Wars I mean there were all these paperbacks they not only watch the movies and played the games they were reading every paperback they just they couldn't pump up they were living in in that world not in reality not with God the Bible was absolutely not interesting to them so so then they they came under bondage you know all things are permissible so you can read books about science fiction but it's not profitable for eternity and don't get bound by them don't get so you you're addicted to them verse 20 always Paul shows what's wrong and then he really ends with a high note for our citizenship is in heaven from which we eagerly wait for the Savior that word eagerly is a fascinating word its Hoopoe deck I don't know the ending Hoopoe deck Alma thar something like that kupo means down and and this word means to to go toward and and this word is used outside the Bible for a Greek family you know the Greeks were always fighting the city-states so the men were always called to go to war and so every man left he kept his shield at home and his sword and he'd be called to war and he'd grab his shield and put on his stuff and go to war and they had a Greek custom that every warrior either came back carrying his shield or carried on his shield they brought their dead and wounded home to be buried at home and so every family when the trumpet sounded in the the the Warriors were returning they all went out and down and what it meant is they went out their house and they went down to the gate and everybody stood at the door of their house and they watched to see if dad or brother or son was carrying his shield which means he made it or was on his shield which meant he was either wounded or dead and that word became into the language his eager and what Paul says is in Philippians 3:20 our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly are looking can you imagine the intensity of a family looking to see if their husband and their their father and their brother and their son if they were if they survived that eagerness is how we wait for our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and what are we eagerly one who will transform our lowly body to be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he's able to subdue all things to himself so the Philippians passage again says don't live for your appetite and for the world now look at Colossians 3 it's the same thing and I mean Paul just like this theme you know flip Colossians 3 verses 1 through 17 since you're raised with Christ seek those things which are above have that eagerness looking for Christ at the right hand set your mind on things above not on things of the earth again our movies are more interesting than God then movies are wrong for you that's what this is saying if if games are more alluring than God then games are wrong for you if you can take it or leave it I mean if it's just like yeah I'm gonna waste 20 minutes you know it's kind of like you know whatever fine I know that I'm gonna waste it I know it's temporal I know it's not profitable for eternity but I have a little time to blow I'll blow it but if they're so enticing that a week can go by you don't even remember the last time you read the Bible but you have played in your at the 39th level you know of whatever game it's wrong for you because you have been brought under bondage Paul said all things are permissible but don't get don't cause the game or the event or the media or the movie or the music to take God's place because then it's a sin set your mind on the Lord seek him first seek first skin of God in his righteous he's first verse 2 for you died your life is hidden with Christ with Christ in God when Christ shall appear then you'll appear with him so what do we do with all these things were struggling with verse 5 put to death your members that are on the earth if it's and there's that porn ass word again and uncleanness and passion and evil desires and covetousness which is idolatry see this box Christians can do those things and they can get ensnared by those things that are defined by God's Word as sin so what are we supposed to do we're supposed to fight against it we're supposed to this this is a first imperative and and it's active I am supposed to say no and and ask God to kill I'm supposed to the same way I cried out to the Lord in faith and said God be merciful to me a sinner and save me I say God deliver me from that I don't want what I don't want my members involved in pornos in uncleanness in passion FP sumia lust evil desires covetousness which is idolatry why because of these things the wrath of God is coming verse 6 and you once walked when you lived in them but now you yourselves verse 8 put off now it's interesting the first lists are put to death that means once and for all say no no more it's putting that to death look at the different word in verse 8 you don't kill you keep scraping off see it's interesting these that's where the Catholic that mortal and venial you ever heard of that these are the mortal sins fornication uncleanness passion evil desire covetousness idolatry these would be if we were doing the venial thing with the Catholics anger and wrath and malice and filthy language the hoes are more they just keep coming it's kind of like barnacles you know they and you have to keep constantly putting them off scraping them off and don't lie to one another verse 9 these are all sins but we have to ask the Lord to deliver us don't lie put off the old man put on the new man there's the positive side remember he always gets the positive and then look at verse 12 he always ends this way Colossians 3:12 after all that junk as the elect of God those who are called and chosen and forgiven and saved holy and beloved that's how God sees us he that's he sees Christ's righteousness even though we're sinning put on that's the same imperative is to put off in verse 8 put on tender mercies kindness humility meekness long-suffering bearing all of those things are things you asked for you say Lord I want that please give to me I want your kindness I'm not being kind I want your humility humility is a choice it's not thinking little of yourself as nothing of yourself at all thinking of Christ's meekness giving all my energies and powers and strength to the Lord long-suffering that's growing in my in my bearing long with people bearing what's one another forgiving one another some people say I could never forgive her that forgive that person no you couldn't but Christ didn't you can see you invite him in just like you invited him to save you you invite him to live through you you invite him to be forgiving to be kind and and that's that's the empowerment that's what grace means grace is the towline we hook our hook on and it pulls us along and we get detached and we cry out the Lord when we hook our towline to it again and grace is the power that that causes these things to come about in our life and and above all these things verse 14 put on love and let the peace of God rule and let the word of Christ verse 16 and verse 17 whatever you do in word or deed do the Lord so and I could go through all of these Matthew 7 you know what it says it says no maybe you don't look at Matthew 7:21 2:23 it should be a warrant out section of your Bible remember that God never changes and this is God Himself speaking God the Son Jesus Christ who is God is the son of God he never acts independent of God and he speaks for God in verse 21 not everyone who says to me Lord Lord who says I'm a believer will enter the kingdom of heaven the ones who enter are those who do the will of my father in heaven Matthew 7:21 you see saving faith is life-changing faith now I told you that I had a great talk with someone I I bumped into them and they I was doing something and they saw me someone from church here saw me and and but they didn't say anything to me and when I came back again they said I prayed if I saw you a second time I'd come and talk to you I said well you could talk to me the first time don't you know I don't bite they said no no I asked Lord and and he made you come back and he said I want to ask you I want to tell you something I said I would like to hear it and they said I raised my children telling them if you pray the prayer you're going to heaven and they said I've been studying the Bible since I raised my children and have paid more attention to it and they said it doesn't say in the Bible if you pray the prayer you're going to heaven does it I said no it doesn't that's what people say but God never said if you pray the prayer you're going to heaven what God said is and this is what we talked about verse 21 not everybody who prays the prayer Sheol enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father in heaven many will say in that day I prayed the prayer and I will declare in verse 23 you did but I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness you who are characterized by unrepentant life dominating sin we're all sinners but the power of sin has been broken in the life of a believer when Christ moved in when Jesus moved in saving faith changes my life it changes this I want nothing to do with and if I fear in there I repent and and forsake but it also changes this and what it changes it to look at chapter 10 now of first Corinthians we'll will go from Matthew now we'll do the other pile of verses and see the context of the second time remember all things are permissible look at chapter 10 and again it's always neat when someone quotes a verse look it up and read around it and see the context of what they said and basically if you look at first Corinthians 10 it's a very fascinating first it's a the first what 10 11 verses are all about why we should read the Old Testament did you know that it says the Old Testaments an illustration it's kind of like the National Geographic it's full of pick moreover brethren I want you verse one to be unaware of our fathers they were under the cloud they passed through the sea what's that that's the the exodus deliverance in the Red Sea in Exodus 14 and we're all baptized into Moses in the cloud in the sea verse 3 they all ate the same spiritual food that's Exodus 16 that's manna they ate that they drank from the same spiritual rock and that rock was Christ in verse 3 our verse for what's that that's Exodus 17 he's taken us on a narrated journey through the Old Testament telling us all these pictures are there but look at verse 5 but with most them God was not well pleased and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness God they wanted to get out of Egypt but they didn't want Egypt out of them they wanted a savior but they didn't want a lord that's what the whole Old Testaments about oh they want a savior save me from all those problems but I'm not gonna obey you and the Lord doesn't separate the two Lord and Savior are connected and so that's what the whole Old Testament is about to these they became verse 6 are examples that's the Greek word to potts type all the Old Testament events are examples to pots types to us to show us something to the intent we shouldn't lust after evil things like they lusted that's number 11 do you remember they were lusting and and wanting they wanted to go back to Egypt they loved the sins of Egypt God took their bodies out of Egypt but Egypt stayed in their hearts and and usually wherever your heart is you point your body in that direction that's what the danger is when the Lord says don't have your heart longing earthly things because that's where your whole life is gonna go your heart should be heading toward me toward heavenly things verse 7 don't become idolaters these people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play and look at verse 8 they committed sexual immorality now he's in Exodus 32 the golden calf deal nor let us tempt Christ verse 9 remember 10 times they tempted as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by the Serpent's now the verse 9 kind of implies that in the Old Testament they were tempting Christ a lot of people think crisis in the New Testament God the son was quite alive in the Old Testament he was eternally existent he was the rock that's what it says the rock was Christ in verse 4 when Moses hit the rock in the wilderness that was Christ so it's fascinating that's why the Old Testament is so interesting to understand and read don't complain verse 10 that's numbers 21 again remember the fiery serpents they were complaining God sent those fiery serpents in their tents and everybody bitten by the serpent became a great illustration for John 3:16 as Moses lifted up the serpent that's numbers 21 and some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer that was the plague that came in numbers 14 and now he says it again all of these things happen to them as two-putts types examples they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the age have come therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall and he talks about temptation and then flee from idolatry 14 and then he goes through communion and talks about not verse 22 provoking the Lord to jealousy then he says in verse 23 see this is the second time you know all things are permissible really is complaining permissible God killed him for that is is idolatry permissible God killed him for that is fornication permissible God killed him for that would God change his mind see now it's permissible absolutely not all things are lawful that's our liberty in Christ to do anything that is not sin we can do anything we have our our freedom but all things but not all things are helpful they don't help me please the Lord all things are lawful to me but all things don't edify that's the context basically then he goes into conscience in verse 25 and let's keep going or we'll never get through this so what the Lord says is all things are lawful but beware of the consequences Galatians there are two consequences I think I think we don't really think about this enough for a believer every time we as believers sin every time there is a temporal and an eternal consequence did you know that it's just like physics for every action there's an equal opposite reaction okay did you know that not it does matter how you live grace does not erase our our actions what it does is Galatians 6 you know a Galatians 6 is a quota for you be not deceived God is not mocked for whatever a man sows that shall he also what yeah you don't that means that's the temporal that is for believers on the temporal level whatever we so we reap for forever when we sin there's a temporal in life nobody gets away with anything in life it's forgiven but there is a consequence if you now let's take this I was just talking to someone they says you know what they said I met someone in college and they're different than me they're really they they are very law-abiding they don't they don't do any of those things that I do and they said that's really interesting I said yeah it's really interesting you know why in 20 years when you got a college in your 40s the person who has constantly when they were younger so on what we call just sowing their Wild Oats they're gonna have so many more entry points for Satan and the flesh and temptations and the world it's gonna be like there are so many leaks they're gonna be constantly running the bailing you know the the flooding of their ship that with discouragement and with doubt and with despair and with with the sins of the flesh this person over here that resisted instead of you know just saying hey I'm in college I'm gonna you know have a girlfriend and live with her and I'm gonna watch any movie I want to watch and I'm gonna drink all I want to drink because I'm forgiven yeah if they're both Christians are both forgiven but the one that did all that has temporal life-long consequences did you know that every barrier you burst through it's easier to burst through it again and that's why this one over here that this one said boy they haven't they haven't done anything famine drank they haven't done pornography or anything they're just kind of like goody two-shoes yeah I hope they did it for the right reasons I hope it was by God's grace and by the power of spirit but you know what they are gonna have a lot fewer struggles in their marriage and for the rest of their life on business trips they would never think that this person would think about they go into that room all alone and they've got the the little box in there where you can pay $9.99 and watch anything any filthy thing there is this person would sit there and they'd be well you know they'd remember all the times they did that and they would this person has never experienced that and they have already decided they want to stay miles away by God's grace for that stuff did you see there is a temporal what you sow you reap and and you notice what it goes on to say he who sows to his flesh verse 8 will from the flesh reap corruption if you ever throw away garbage put it in the garbage bag and it starts rotting that's that's the corruption that the rotting that that this sowing to the flesh but he who says the spirit reaps everlasting life let us not grow weary while doing good you know mister wouldn't do anything wouldn't wouldn't get involved in that he is going to induce season reap the benefits the temporal benefits that you get from fleeing sin both believers but but now there's an eternal I mean this is just for this life did you know that when we sin there's also an eternal consequence look at 1st Corinthians 3 now this one is the scary one and it's not just once Paul mentions this twice within six chapters first Corinthians 3:15 if anyone's work is burned he will suffer loss but he will be saved yet so as by fire Wow did you know what that's talking about the eternal loss of rewards did you know everybody isn't gonna be equal in heaven did you know that it's absolutely dependent on what we do for the Lord by His grace in the power of his spirit now so it does make a difference what you do with everything that's lawful if you live for the temporary if you say I'm forgiven so I'm going as close as I can to sin or I'm just gonna kind of enjoy life and don't invest in what God says is profitable for eternity there is an eternal consequence there's not just a temporary one the temporary one is if you live for emptiness you feel empty if you live for eternal things you feel the what what Paul calls the exceeding and eternal weight of glory there's the weight with glory again that's that's Paul's way of saying you you always feel the wonders of heaven pressing on life through this time no let me keep going here but what do we do about about that part I showed you like this remember I said everything's here and here's sin and then here is the questionable things well that's Romans 14 I'll just read it to you in Romans 14 Paul explains how to coexist with believers who have all different degrees of conviction we have them everywhere here and everywhere within the church and extends far beyond their convictions extend far beyond what the Scriptures plainly say have you ever met people like that they it's like they have code books I mean there's a verse and they've amplified it into Wow and you say wow all of those things that's amazing it's it's beyond what scripture plainly says okay they see it hardly anybody else sees it but they have all these rules how do you deal with them Romans 14 says there's three ways to deal with it number one in Christ were all under the law of Liberty isn't it interesting calls it a law we as believers the law of Liberty is this I don't judge the convictions of others instead we receive them with understanding it reminds me of what Bonnie told me bonnie was once was meeting with dr. MacArthur's wife Patricia and Patricia told her a story she said that John MacArthur was speaking somewhere and it was a very conservative group and as Patricia walked in the door she noticed it was a group that they did not believe women should wear nail polish it was worldly and Patricia had nail polish on so you know what she did she said she went like this and it like she had her hand in a in a muff you know you ever seen people with those muffs you know that you put your hands in when it's cold and for the whole meeting she went hello yes hello she never shook hands the whole time she just and they just thought she was yay for you you know and she was hiding those gaudy red fing why because in Christ run the law of Liberty if I think I can paint my fingernails red and I don't by the way you know I I if I see you don't think that fingernails should be painted in mine are I don't go like this I have Liberty and you don't you're a dummy you need to you know you need to paint your fingernails no I will go like this that's what it's talking about we receive them with understanding we don't want to wound their conscience we don't know how they got to that view of no polish and and what if you go through the verses as brothers and sisters will each differ that's what verse one says verse four it says wherever each one of us are going to stand all alone before God for ourselves not for the people that didn't paint their fingernails but for how I treated them therefore don't judge those whose convictions differ from yours you know it's so interesting people that have Liberty and everything they despise at times those who have all these convictions and those who have all those convictions think those with all the liberties are just wicked gross and and that is very unhelpful for the church we are not to sit in judgment we there is one lawgiver who will you know take care of everything and it's not us as followers of Christ we must each be fully convinced in our own minds we don't do something because someone told us to we don't stop painting our fingernails because someone told us to we look at the verses and we come to a settled biblical conviction and by the way convictions are for ourselves you know what's so interesting about convictions everybody wants to push them on everybody else my convictions you've got to have no that's not what it says we each have these fully convinced convictions verse six we each serve God in what we do and you know what you can serve God with your red fingernails and you can serve God with no fingernails you know and we must trust in Christ judgment not our own that and and you know what's so neat if people would quit pushing their convictions on other people and pray for them then if it's really something you shouldn't be doing that frees the Holy Spirit to convict them you understand it's just it's the neatest thing and it works with with parenting your adult children instead of constantly you know poking them all the time pray and low and inexperienced ting the law of Liberty what it what it does then the second element starts in verse 14 Christ we're all under the law of love not just so of Liberty the law of love and we intentionally build up one another we don't intentionally grieve each other you notice I don't tell hardly at all stories about Starbucks anymore you know why so many people told me that Starbucks is bad to them because there are homosexuals that work there or something I don't know or they help homosexuals night talk about Starbucks hey I don't want to intentionally grieve you in someone else you've never heard me tell another story about buying a cup of coffee on Sunday that bothers people okay you know I'll tell the story I won't mention it's on Sunday you know because I don't want to intentionally grieve you know we aren't we aren't poking people that we have a Liberty and you should have it you know and then finally Rose 15 says in Christ were to bear every each other's burdens if we are so upset that they're going to movie and they're not supposed to and they're wearing makeup they're not supposed to and they cut their hair and they're not supposed to cut their hair and their hair is too short or too long if we're so caught up in that do you want someone to bear your burden that doesn't even like you and thinks everything you doesn't do is wrong see this this this is what were to be burden bearing one another as followers of Christ so that brings us to this this whole thing of the questionable things what do we do about questionable things and I cop I type this right out of my Bible thirty years ago when I was training for the ministry my pastor preached the best sermon on questionable things and it they all start with ease you can see them right here and and you can get them online just with the ease of questionable things and they're all online not as well as mine out of my Bible but you can get them anyway question of things in deciding whether or not to participate in any behavior that's doubtful what is doubtful it's not defined as sin you see this is clear as possible God says that is sin all the rest of this isn't sin but if historically it's been considered a questionable thing I look at it and I asked myself a series of questions first expediency will let's taste take smoking does the Bible say not to smoke no it doesn't in fact some of the greatest Bible scholars of all time smoked Spurgeon FB Meyer who knows who else you know but those are too well known once is it one that profits me for eternity or just for a moment do you know why it's virgin quit smoking because he was walking through London there was in a shop smoke the tobacco Spurgeon smokes and he thought they're gonna remember me for my tobacco and not for Christ and he never smoked again he certainly wasn't addicted is it is it expedient is it something that's gonna profit me only for right now or for eternity and that's what Paul said that's the context is what I want to do helpful and useful are only desirable okay number two edification the the second principle is is it going to edify build up other people will it strengthen a week in my spiritual life personally will I be built up a matured in Christ by going to that graphic murderous bloodshed witchcraft movie obviously not all things are lawful but not all things edify see I might be able to say I know that demons you know are fallen angels and I know that murder is wrong so I can watch that grisly you know chainsaw movie yeah but is it going to make me grow in Christ if not I probably shouldn't do it exaltation these get worse by the way is this activity clearly described as a pathway to magnify God will the Lord be lifted up and glorified in what I do God's glory and exaltation should be the supreme purpose behind everything we do whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God here's a big one will this activity increase my evangelistic ability or decrease it is my Testament going to be helped or hindered will unbelievers be drawn to Christ or turned away by me doing that you know what I thought about it was drilled home at the conference this week they're having a panel about our moral revolution we're going through in America and one of the speakers said this he said to listen to most Christians you'd think the homosexuals are our enemies they're our mission field do you expect if you're screaming and yelling and and gritting your teeth that someone do you think they're gonna listen to the gospel no there's a polite way of saying that you're wrong and going to hell you don't have to be mean when you say it you can be loving and rescuing it's kind of like if someone is is drinking poison you don't have to get mad at them you have to say do you realize what you're drinking is gonna kill you you shouldn't do that they might still do it but we we that's our mission field evangelism will help me conduct myself as wisdom toward outsiders making the most of the opportunity that's what that's how I'm supposed to be characterized and then am I going to be an example well they will people who see me be able to do what I do and will it hinder them or help them are we setting the right example for others especially for weaker brothers I mean you might have no alcohol might mean nothing to you you have no interest in alcohol so you can just you know go to a party and drink a beer and you just think it tastes like yeast you know there may be someone at that party who just got saved who has been a an alcoholic for 30 years and they look at you in your Christian you drink and they'll say well they drank I'll drink and it could start them right back down the line that's the idea you say oh that's their fault yeah but are you causing your weaker brother and sister to sin if we emulate Christ others will emulate us to follow our example that's what Paul said excess is this activity of wait now we're getting into T Hebrews 12 lay aside the sins is so easily entangle us is this activity a weight that can trip me up that needs to be laid aside is the activity or habit necessary is it merely an extra that's not really important is it perhaps only an encumbrance see this is this is the way we're supposed to process these questionable things yeah the all the questionable things drinking dancing card play I mean if you look at the historic one there's a lot of them but you know what yeah if you come right down to it there's really nothing specifically you can infer but nothing but is it really helpful is it or is it gonna is it gonna emulate is this activity something that Jesus would do the one who says he abides him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked if we are doing what Christ would do our action is not only permissible but good and right so the answer and we're two minutes over how do we reconcile God's term all things are permissible with all of God's other excitations for holy living the way we reconcile is by fleeing sin and pursuing what pleases God as we await and seek his well done see that overarching pleasing God answers the question let's all stand for sorry we didn't get two microphones but that was a long question who ever asked it it was a whole page but let's before we easily forget let's commit this to the Lord Father whether therefore we eat or drink or whatever we do in these bodies that are your temples we want to do it for your glory and so I pray tonight that we would realize all things are permissible in the sense that you have already forgiven us for any and every sin we could ever commit the rest of our life and all things are permissible that you have not declared our sin but not everything will please you and so we want to for our lives determine what your word says pleases you we want to do it and we don't want to impose that on everybody else we just want to live in such a way that people will say they love the Lord and they love us and we want to be examples of you O Christ as long as you give us until you come or call in the precious name of Jesus we pray and all of God's people said amen and God bless you Hugo

Channel: DTBM

Views: 9,406

Rating: 4.929471 out of 5

Keywords: Bible, God, Jesus, Christian, teaching, biblical, teach, sermon, trinity, church, lesson, traditional, truth, true, divine, theology, freedom, guilt, testament, pure, interpret, spirit, holy, John, Barnett, christ, father, heaven, hell, doctrine, doctrinal, sinful, forgive, forgiveness, history, teachings, chapters, verses, discover, the book, ministries, dtbm, Dr. Barnett, controversial, repent, helpful, sin, the, book, dr, john, doctor, barnett, training, videos, series, resources, savior, god, jesus

Id: Me--11I5LFM

Length: 61min 48sec (3708 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 08 2020