Sermon Tone Analysis

Q. Have I protected my mind against the wisdom of the world with it’s emphasis on tolerance & diversity?

Date: 04-08-19 841 Echuca

Q. Have I protected my mind against the wisdom of the world with it’s emphasis on tolerance & diversity?

- By which they mean sexual diversity & by tolerance, they mean, having everyone endorse all kinds of sexual & gender preferences

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- You and I have a choice – we either believe God or believe secular humanism – the wisdom of the world

- I am not advocating a mean-spirited approach to anyone

- Jesus loved and sought out those whose sexual practises were not within the will of God

- But sin being sin, it will corrupt the mind & the body

- People are not helped under the pretence of tolerance & diversity

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- There was a good article in the Spectator recently, by Nick Kastelein

- When he talks politics, He says...

In many situations, both sides of politics agree on the problems.

Sensible doctors, however, don’t argue about symptoms, they argue about causes.

Without agreement over the cause, there can be no agreement on the cure.

The useful question is, “what is the source of harm?”

- When speaking about harms, or perceived harms, he writes...

- There was a good article in the Spectator recently, by Nick Kastelein

- When he talks politics, He says...

In many situations, both sides of politics agree on the problems.

Sensible doctors, however, don’t argue about symptoms, they argue about causes.

Without agreement over the cause, there can be no agreement on the cure.

The useful question is, “what is the source of harm?”

- When speaking about harms, or perceived harms, he writes...

“Most agree that the drowning of immigrants at sea is a bad thing, and no-one wants over-crowded detention centres.

But the Liberals responded by fixing our border protection, whereas Labor respond by destroying it”.

“Most people agree that violence against women is bad.

Feminists preach that a type of masculinity is the problem and that men should be more like women.

Others observe that emasculated (or weakened) men are more likely to be violent, not less, and believe that men should simply be better men.

One group wants to fix men, the other wants to destroy them.

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“Most people agree that taking addictive drugs is unhealthy and high risk.

Some argue for increased restrictions where others argue for destroying restrictions”.

“Most people agree that the environment should be looked after.

Some seek to innovate and cultivate, others seek to depopulate”.

“Most people agree that the environment should be looked after.

Some seek to innovate and cultivate, others seek to depopulate”.

“Most people agree that children should be raised by families who want them.

Some seek to fix the adoption system, while others seek to destroy unborn children”.

“Most people agree that children should be raised by families who want them.

Some seek to fix the adoption system, while others seek to destroy unborn children”.

- I would add that most people want to see healthy relationships.

Some seek to uphold the distinctions of male and female, while others seek to destroy those distinctions

- I see a great divide here too, between Christians who truly believe God & those who have been so indoctrinated by the system, that they cannot trust all that God says

- I’ve been around in ministry for over 25 yrs now & I can assure you that it does come down to this – can I trust God’s word!

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- There may be legitimate discussion about WHAT the Scripture means, but it is another thing to choose to ignore or destroy what God says, in favour of what the world says

- If you don’t think it happens, look at this church here, the subject of this Epistle

- This church has it’s ears to the world & it is causing no end of strife

1. Worse Than the World

- The apostle starts off in this section of his letter, by saying, that he has heard reports of immorality in this church, but of the kind that even the world condemns

- A man has his father’s wife – which means that he is in a relationship with his step mother

- It appears that his father has remarried & she is probably a much younger woman & she has caught the eye of the son

- Although it does not say, it seems that his father has now separated from her, but we can’t be sure

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- This is called incest & it was not only condemned by Israelite law, but also by the world – even the silver-tongued philosophers condemned it

- But not this church, they were rather proud of the fact

- No doubt, there would have been some in the church who objected, but they seem to have been drowned out by the “arrogant” ones

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- Now Paul says something here that will cut across the grain of many people in the church today – he says in v.2

—2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned (grieved) instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

- Even in conservative churches, some people would be loathed to do this

- There are factors which cause us to ignore such teaching – factors, such as...

1.

It is out of line with society’s tolerance & diversity provisions

- Truth is in the eye of the beholder – who are you to tell anyone else they are wrong – aren’t we suppose to accept all sexual behaviours?

2. We should mind our on business

- We live like we are individuals – sure, we say we are the church – but actually, we still retain our individual right to live at a distance from the church community – so if we face problems, rather than resolve them, we just shift churches (and nothing is solved)

- “Am I my brother’s keeper” – nah, that’s his business

3.

It’s uncomfortable

- To have to confront someone about something we disagree with is very uncomfortable

- We would rather not have to deal with it – true?

- Instead, we find someone else to do it & make sure we are not around when it happens – that’s the easy way

4. I’m not sure the Bible is clear on this

- You may have concerns about what the Bible actually says on this & whether it is binding or normative for today

- You might think that what the Bible teaches on the role relationships of men & women in the church & in the home are no longer relevant in this day & age – but then, you are now faced with a multitude of doubts about many other things in the Bible

- After all, interpretation demands having consistent principles

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- This is why many feminists also push for the equal acceptance of homosexual relationships in the church

- If men & women’s role relationships were merely a culturally conditioned teaching, then why not homosexual relationships if we are to be consistent?

- They are accepted today & maybe the church should continue to get with the times – this is the argument!

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- Now when it comes to this incestuous relationship in the church, by & large, society today wouldn’t care too much at all – in fact, if the church took action, they would probably defend the individuals

- What I’m saying here is that half the problem in the church is this new emphasis on interpreting the Bible culturally (about 50 yrs)

- That everything is relative – that sounds postmodern, doesn’t it

- Truth is not fixed or certain to the postmodern person – it’s all relative

- We have come so far now that we have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous with governments even removing gender from birth certificates

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- Yet you have Jesus looking on to His church – what must He think?

- We do know that one of His concerns was over faith & whether such faith & trust in Him would be on the earth when He returns

- Jesus stated so much in Luke’s Gospel

—8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.

However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

- It is sad that such a question has to be asked, but that is the dilemma

- Some want to fashion faith in the eyes of the world or in their own eyes, rather than by accepting the revelation of God in the Scriptures

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- People say they believe but they are really saying I believe with conditions

- That is, I will accept from the Bible, only what the world accepts from the Bible

- Because even though I maintain that I believe in Jesus, I’m not sure I’m prepared to agree with everything the Bible says

- Now we have rationalised these things to bring ourselves comfort, but when we come before God, the world will not be there with us

- It will not be sitting in judgement of us;at the judgement, we will not have to worry about fitting in with the world

- We will be there with the Lord & He will want an account of what have said & what we have done

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- The apostle here, tells the church, that they should be grieving & should have expelled the man from their congregation

Q. Have I touched a nerve yet?

I’m sure I have.

I’m finding it tough

Q.