God Does Speak

No. I did not hear an audible word but I would have to be dense to miss how clearly He speaks though his word and the faithful expository preaching of his word! Last week, Paul was in Romans 12:3 (part of a series in Romans).

A small portion of this fantastic (brutally convicting) sermon was on honesty in story telling. I like to tell stories (I also like to be the center of attention). Why do I embillish the facts when I story tell. One answer: ME ME ME. Maybe if I told the exact truth, I'd wouldn't be as interesting as I'd like people to think I am. What I am I doing here? Thinking of myself more highly than I ought to think! It is also hard to be humble when you are reformed and obviously have doctrine down to a science. (I fear some won't sense the sarcasm so here: That was a joke.) Anyways, that is not the point of this blog.

The point is, today jlf81 continued his series in The Sermon on the Mount. He preached a passage that I had formerly considered to be one of those texts in the Bible that serves no purpose whatsoever (not that I really think there are such passages). The passage was the one on Oaths. I am not going to give a summary here. If is most definitely worth a listen.

I linked this to my convictions about pride from last week. His sermon stressed that we live truthful lives because we represent God. This reminded me of what Paul (apostle) says in Timothy about living above reproach.

Am I honest? Do I act the same way with my with my unbelieving friends as my Christian ones? What am I willing to do to get a laugh, or be the center of attention? Is my life disqualifying my message? If I am a liar (one who tells white lies, embellishes the truth, withholds facts) how can anyone be expected to trust the gospel I present?

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While giving the context and background of the 'Oaths' passage Julian mentioned how the Pharasees twisted scripture and created their own law which was far from what was intended by God via Moses. A this point he charged us to be in the word so we spot false teaching! I was immediately reminded of the first verse of a great O.C. Supertones song called Escape from Reason. Here it is pour toi. READ IT. Check the rest of the lyrics to this song! As well as Return of the Revolution!

Down down down
That’s the way we’re traveling
Our social fabric unravels
But who pulled the string
Philosophers politicians or the school teachers
Game of life and death and we’re sitting on the bleachers
What happened to our voice
What happened to our influence
Tell me who will listen to uneducated congregants
And why should they when all we have to say is
Bumper sticker doctrine and cute catch phrases
Does this amaza us that no one will take us seriously
We talk big but then we sit in atrophy
Apathy they make comedy of our hypocrisy
Unaware of true biblical philosphy
So we gotta watch what we do and what they see Cause we represent christ plus christianity