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All things work together….
Count it all joy……
For I know the plans…
The Lord is my shepherd…
Do not be conformed…
I can do all things…
Do not be anxious…
Seek first…
Cast all your anxiety…
Fear not, for I am with you…
Be strong and courageous…
Whoever dwells in the shelter…
This excerpt is transcribed from a sermon by Matt Chandler that he gave at the Together For the Gospel conference in 2018. Watch the full sermon here.
It is the holiness of heaven that drives out the filthiness of the world. It is the beauty of Christ that compels us to say no to what is broken and grotesque in the world. Paul says, if it’s beautiful, if it’s lovely if it’s right, if it’s good, if it’s pure, hang out there, stay there, dwell there (Philippians 4:8).
I want to flood my life—fill my life—with joy-bringing, Jesus-exalting beauty.
Being entertained by what God finds deplorable is probably a bad usage of 30 minutes to two to three hours. If I find myself entertained by rape and incest and horrific violence and sexual perversion, what does that say about where my mind and heart are? And is Jesus sitting there with me enjoying that?
Again, don’t read me wrong brothers and sisters, I’m not telling you to throw out your TV, although some of you should throw out your TV…
Don’t play with sin.
I used the illustration before, I’ll use it again.
There’s something broken in our minds, broken in our spirits, broken in our souls that leads us to believe that we are in control of sin in a way that is not biblically true.
There’s something broken in our minds, broken in our spirits, broken in our souls that leads us to believe that we are in control of sin in a way that is not biblically true. The way I’ll illustrate that is:
…So I’m watching this show and near the end of the show there’s this scene—they’re trying to shoot this commercial, and this commercial was going to be for shampoo or something and it’s this woman, you know this model, and they want her to lay on this male lion. And the lion attacks her and just rips her to shreds.
And then they’re interviewing the trainer and the guy is like, “Couldn’t see this coming!”
And I’m like, “It’s a LION; it has one purpose in all of creation—to kill stuff! It is an apex predator!”
But to hear this brother talk, he talked about raising it from when it was a baby, getting it when he could just hold it, taking it for walks, combing its mane.
And I just have to believe that many of us are playing with sin like this brother was playing with a lion: Oh I’ve got control of this. Oh man this is never going to turn on me. Man, for 15-20 years I have trained this sin to sit when I tell it to sit, to get in its bed when it’s time to get in bed… I would urge you brothers to not play with lions.
Eventually, in season at the right time, it will turn and it will devour. Therefore put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14).
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word... I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
It is the holiness of heaven that drives out the filthiness of the world. It is the beauty of Christ that compels us to say no to what is broken and grotesque in the world. Paul says, if it’s beautiful, if it’s lovely if it’s right, if it’s good, if its pure, hang out there, stay there, dwell there (Philippians 4:8).
I want to flood my life—fill my life—with joy-bringing, Jesus-exalting beauty.
Being entertained by what God finds deplorable is probably a bad usage of 30 minutes to two to three hours. If I find myself entertained by rape and incest and horrific violence and sexual perversion, what does that say about where my mind and heart are? And is Jesus sitting there with me enjoying that?
Again, don’t read me wrong brothers and sisters, I’m not telling you to throw out your TV, although some of you should throw out your TV…
Don’t play with sin.
I used the illustration before, I’ll use it again.
There’s something broken in our minds, broken in our spirits, broken in our souls that leads us to believe that we are in control of sin in a way that is not biblically true. The way I’ll illustrate that is:
…So I’m watching this show and near the end of the show there’s this scene—they’re trying to shoot this commercial, and this commercial was going to be for shampoo or something and it’s this woman, you know this model, and they want her to lay on this male lion. And the lion attacks her and just rips her to shreds.
And then they’re interviewing the trainer and the guy is like, “Couldn’t see this coming!”
And I’m like, “It’s a LION; it has one purpose in all of creation—to kill stuff! It is an apex predator!”
But to hear this brother talk, he talked about raising it from when it was a baby, getting it when he could just hold it, taking it for walks, combing its mane.
And I just have to believe that many of us are playing with sin like this brother was playing with a lion: Oh I’ve got control of this. Oh man this is never going to turn on me. Man, for 15-20 years I have trained this sin to sit when I tell it to sit, to get in its bed when it’s time to get in bed... I would urge you brothers to not play with lions.
Eventually, in season at the right time, it will turn and it will devour. Therefore put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14).
This excerpt is transcribed from a sermon by Matt Chandler that he gave at the Together For the Gospel conference in 2018. Watch the full sermon here.
He who would be safe from acts of evil
must haste away from
occasions of it.
In opposition… to all the
suggestions of the devil,
the sole, simple, and
sufficient answer
is the Word of God.
This puts to flight all the
powers of darkness.
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.