TUG BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
1. Last Wednesday I spent about 40 minutes with the captain of our sheriff’s department.
2. That meeting left me with some things.
3. I now have a “non shank” ink pen.
4. A “shank” is prison slang for something that can be turned into a knife like weapon.
5. Since regular pens can be converted to weapons, inmates get flexible stick pens.
6. It’s interesting to consider how something as insignificant as a pen is seen and used so differently.
7. When we see a pen, we probably think “a writing instrument.”
8. Many inmates see this same object and think, “What a great weapon.”
WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED IS, IN MANY WAYS FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURES—THE VERSES JUST READ.
a) There is a word in Rom. 12 chapter that is applied to both Christians and non-Christians.
2) When Rom. 12:14 was read, we heard but probably didn’t see an important point.
3) Let’s look at Rom. 12:14 one more time – READ.
a) Throughout the New Testament there is information about persecution.
b) Even before the church was established, God’s people have been persecuted.
c) Persecutors have often been quite zealous in their efforts.
d) A true persecutor is someone who is fervent and passionate.
4) The word rendered “persecute” in verse 14 is identical to a word used in verse 13.
5) Let’s look at verse 13 one more time too – READ.
6) “Given to” is the same term rendered persecute in the next verse.
a) Just like in English, words in the New Testament can have different senses.
b) Our word in verses 13 and 14 has the sense of zeal, passion, fervency.
c) These qualities can apply to both Christians and non-Christians.
d) In Rom. 12, Paul says this is exactly how life operates.
7) Christians and non-Christians are both committed to some things.
8) Not only are both committed, both are committed to very different things.
a) As we noted moments ago, one person may eagerly pick up a pen to write.
b) Another may eagerly embrace this same object to construct a weapon.
c) Lives and choices can and do go in two radically different directions.
9) From 1969 to 1973 Charles Colson served as Special Counsel to the President.
10) He was given great power and he had a very influential position.
11) He soon realized that power and influence can and do go in two radically different ways.
a) On the one hand, power and influence can be used to control a nation’s citizens.
b) The opposite choice is using these two things to help a nation’s citizens.
c) Men can use power and position to promote self or prostrate self.
d) A person can exalt himself or life up the lowly.
12) Again and again we find that two very different paths are available to us.
13) Certainly this message is found in the Scriptures.
14) Today we want to consider the two ways and choices that people have.
15) One of our most basic choices are the “here and now” approach to life or the “later in eternity” option.
a) Scores of people base everything about their existence on this life.
b) Surely all of us have seen the recent damage inflicted by walls of water on places like Indonesia.
c) Over 100,000 people have died.
d) Tens of thousands have lost all they had.
e) We have seen pictures of survivors and probably heard or read what they have said.
f) Person after person has said, “I lost all I had.”
16) Those are sad words, and the sadness is for two reasons.
17) First, people have indeed suffered huge losses.
18) If a recent report is right, only about 1% of the victims had insurance.
19) Many of the losses were very expensive if not total.
20) One man had a gem store that had been his family for three generations.
21) The waves crashed a shore and all his merchandise washed out to sea.
22) What is really bad is seeing people who have hope only in this life.
a) Not one person I read about said, “Christ is my rock. My hope goes beyond this life.”
b) Untold numbers of people now see their lives as destroyed and hopeless.
23) What we see in an on-going calamity is love of and for the world.
24) People have made this world their home, the place that matters most to them.
25) God says making this kind of choice is wrong.
26) One of the strongest passages related to this point is found in 1 Jn. 2:15-17.
a) John told his readers “love not the world.”
b) Then he went further: “love not the things of this world.”
c) If we love this world, “the love of the Father is not in us.”
d) Verse 17 says “this world is passing away.”
e) For some, this “passing” will be experienced prematurely.
f) Sooner or later, this whole planet is going to be completely consumed.
27) One clear difference between Christians and non-Christians is how we see our world.
28) Is this a temporary stop, or do we see this as our only stop?
29) A typical non-Christian views the world in this manner (from start to finish):
a) Grow up and leave home. Go to school and get an education.
b) Pick the right career and pursue advancement as fully and probably as quickly as possible.
c) Make quite a bit of money, be happy, and have a nice portfolio of assets.
d) Find and meet the right marriage partner. Possibly raise some children.
e) Finally retire, enjoy the “golden years,” and then slip off into death.
30) This is not the Christian view of life.
31) While the world is pursuing those kinds of things, Rom. 12 implies we pursue another course.
32) Our life involves God, and that means being fully dedicated to God in every area of our lives.
33) At the beginning of this chapter, Paul said “be transformed and not conformed to the world.”
34) Paul only knew of two choices.
35) For the Christian our choice means pursuing God with the same zeal persecutors use to purse us.
36) As Christians we pursue God through His word, 2 Tim. 2:15.
37) We have a passion for the “bread of life” (Jn. 6:48).
38) It is our desire to draw strength from every word God has given to us (Mt. 4:4).
39) Listen to what Jesus said in Mt. 25:15-30 – READ.
a) Christians are people who realize their life is not their own.
b) As the Corinthians were told, “we have been bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20).
c) Because we are owned by someone else, we are to “glorify God in our bodies” (same verse).
d) Part of glorifying God involves all the items already mentioned.
e) We may get married, go to school, leave home, and start a career.
f) While important, these items are not the most basic elements of life.
g) Paul
said in Gal. 2:20, “for to me to live is Christ.
h) Christians view their existence as a divine gift, and know they have a divine responsibility.
40) Listen to Jn. 12:24-26 – READ.
41) Jesus spoke about loving God with “all our heart, soul, and mind” (Mt. 22:37).
42) Just a few days ago I spoke with a young lady between the ages of 22-25.
43) She told me about a recent comment made by a family member.
a) She said his words had brought to her mind a powerful truth.
b) She realized her view of the world was flawed.
44) For her, life had always revolved around herself.
45) What should she do each day sop she would feel good?
46) Which restaurant should she eat lunch at? Where should she go shopping?
47) She has a ways to go, but she is beginning to grasp the big picture.
48) Long ago Jesus had to tell people that life is about more than things like eating.
49) Throughout the Bible we see the two paths that men have taken.
50) There were two thieves on crosses by Jesus; both men took radically different paths.
51) There was Lazarus and the rich man.
52) Judas stands in contrast to the apostles.
53) One of Jesus’ most famous teachings spoke of building on the rock or on the sand.
54) One man was foolish and another was wise.
55) There is the Good Samaritan and those who did not help a sick man.
56) Those in the ark and those outside the ark.
57) Cain lived one way, Able lived another.
58) Some spies were faithful, some were not.
59) It was David versus Goliath.
60) We have God and Satan, light and darkness; sin and righteousness.
61) We have demons and righteous angels.
62) There are those in the book of life and those outside the book of life.
63) When describing account people, there are only two classes: the saved and the lost, the sheep and the goats.
64) The more we look, the more we find a pattern being repeated again and again.
65) There are only two roads we can take in life—two and only two choices.
66) Jesus said this in Mt. 12:30 that we are with Him or against Him.
67) We have entered into a new year.
68) Lots of people look at the previous year and consider how it went.
69) Did they make enough money, meet their goals, etc.
70) What about our relationship with God over the past year? Were we with Him or against Him.
71) Today we have seen there is no “middle road” with Him.
72) In 2004 we used our life for self or our Savoir; which was it?
73) If God allows this year to come to an end, we may not be here when 2006 comes along.
74) If our life is not being lived fully and zealous for God, now is the time to change.
75) We invite you to make that change today. Become a Christian (faith, repentance, confession and baptism).
76) If you have taken those steps but fallen away, you have a chance—right now to return.