The FaithFul of God

The FaithFul of God

Living in a Perverse World

(Philippians 2:12-16)
Part 4
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst
 of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have
not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
What’s your responsibility in the
world as a child of God? To be the one who hears the truth.
Understands the truth. Believes the truth. Lives the truth. Proclaims the truth.
Defends the truth. And by virtue of that truth, you become a shining light in the darkness.
That’s what we do in
Ephesians 5:8
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Paul said you were formerly darkness but now you are light in the lord walk
as children of light now what does light mean it means truth and holiness truth
 and virtue the light of truth and the light of holiness walking as children of light.
First Thessalonians 5:5
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night,
nor of darkness.”
You are all sons of light and sons of the day.
We are not of the darkness nor of the night.
What I’m trying to show you with this is. We are not part of the world.
We don’t have any connection with the system. We are alien to it all.
Together we shine in the midst of the darkness. We are not the darkness.
We are the light. In fact in
Proverbs 4:18
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and
more unto the perfect day.”
I love this verse but the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines
brighter and brighter until the final day.
It was said of John the Baptist that he was the lamp that was burning and shiny.
So we know where we are we’re in a crooked and perverse nation
under divine judgment.
We know who we are. We as Malachi said, are the possession of
God he knows who we are he’s written us in his book.
He will protect us and he will use us as his children to proclaim
the truth and to shine as lights.
So the last question and really a simple question
what are we to do?
Let’s get practical well it’s revealed in the imperatives of this chapter.
First I want to go back to a foundational text in the
18th chapter of John’s Gospel toward the end of the
chapter.
Jesus is confronted by pilate.
Pilate is very sarcastic with Jesus. Pilate in
John 18:33
“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus,
 and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?”
says are you the King of the Jews? That’s just pure sarcasm.
What a joke are you the King of the Jews.
Jesus answers him in
John 18:36.
“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world:
if my kingdom were of this world,
then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
 but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
My kingdom is not of this world.
If my Kingdom were of this world
 then my servants would be fighting
 so that I would not be handed over
 to the Jews but as it is My Kingdom
is not of this realm.
Again this is what we were talking about on.
The Kingdom of God has nothing to do
with this world in John 6 they tried to make him a king
by force and he escaped. He didn’t want to be a king
in this world because it has no connection to this
world.
Why?
Because First John 5:19
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
Says the whole world lies in the lap of the evil one and Jesus is not going to be
the vice president to satan.
The Kingdom that belongs to Christ is a kingdom that is
a spiritual Kingdom at this particular time.
I think you are familiar
with the statement that jesus makes.
Read Luke 17:20.
“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come,
he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:”
Now having been questioned by the pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming.
He answered them and said the Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed,
 nor will they say look here it is or there it is.
For behold the Kingdom of God is in your midst.
The Kingdom of God is in you. The kingdom is present
that belongs to Christ. Though is not visible to the
world,
That’s what John meant when he said that the sons of God are not yet
manifest but the kingdom transcends the world.
It is present in the world. It doesn’t derive its power, its reality, its origin, its nature
its extent, its duration from any created entity.
Christ’s Royal Title. His Sovereign Authority and power are not derived from
or dependent on any created person institution force, energy, work effort or
right.
His dominion is eternal derived solely from his own glorious nature.
His rule is neither given nor taken away by any person any government authority.
His power has authority.
His power and authority cannot be at all diminished, limited, altered, removed or replaced.
His rule is complete comprehensive and everlasting over time.
Eternity over every soul that ever lived.
One day he will rule all creation with a rod of iron
in truth and righteousness,
Everything is on schedule
Psalm 2
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son;
this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and
the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potter’s vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath
is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Gives us a preview of that day these are familiar words.
Why are the nations in an uproar and the people devising a vain thing.
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together
against the lord and against his anointed.
That would be the father and the son saying let us tear their fetters apart and cast away
their cords from us.
They’re going to attack the kingdom of God.
He who sits in the heavens does what laughs the lord scoffs at them.
He will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in
his fury saying but as for me I have installed my King on Zion.
My Holy Mountain.
I will surely tell of the decree of the lord he said to me.
You’re My Son today I’ve begotten.
You ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance.
The very ends of the earth as your possession.
Satan thought he could tempt Jesus to take that from him rather than wait for
God the Father to give it to him.
Jesus said get behind me satan when that kingdom does come he will break the nations
 with a rod of iron and shatter them like clay pots.
Now therefore oh King show discernment. Take warning Oh judges of the earth.
Worship the Lord with reverence.
Rejoice with trembling. Do homage or kiss the Son that he not become angry and you perish
in the way. For his wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Again we’re reminded that
when his wrath comes we’ll be protected.
One day he will rule the creation.
Revelation 19 He returns Revelation 20.
He sets up the glorious kingdom and reigns for a thousand years.
So our Lord basically gave His Kingdom Manifesto.
When He said the Kingdom is in your midst.
Then he talked about the future earthly kingdom.
When he will triumph over the whole earth and heavens.
Halting all other kingdoms. He will rule alone as king of kings and
lord of lords on the earth.

Then follow that by destroying the entire creation.

“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
Living in a Perverse World (Philippians 2:12-16) Part 4

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