Know What Time It Is.

Chris Bolt

[0:10] Christians in the last 80 years or so have only been seeing things as bits and pieces, [0:20] which have gradually begun to trouble them and others instead of understanding that [0:24] they are the natural outcome of a change from a Christian worldview to a humanistic one. Things [0:33] such as over permissiveness, pornography, the problem of the public schools, the breakdown of [0:41] the family, abortion, infanticide, and increased emphasis upon the euthanasia of the old and many, [0:52] many other things. Thus begins Francis Schaeffer’s Christian manifesto in 1982.

[1:04] He continues, all of these things and many more are only the results. We may be troubled [1:09] with the individual thing, but in reality we’re missing the whole thing if we do not see each [1:14] of these things and many more as only symptoms of the deeper problem. Instead of the final reality [1:22] that exists being the infinite creator God, instead of that which is the basis of all reality being [1:31] such a creator God, now largely all else is seen as only material or energy which has existed [1:39] forever in some form shaped into its present complex form only by pure chance. That was over

[1:50] 40 years ago, and yet what we see today is much the same. Be it the rampant idea that Christians [2:02] should keep their hands off society and culture and laws, the absolutely pervasive and predatory [2:09] nature of internet pornography, experimentation, so-called woke lesbian, gay, bisexual, and [2:19] transsexual marriage and gender ideologies, the total dissolution and redefinition of the family, [2:29] over-the-counter abortion pills, and an utter disregard for the dignity of human life in general. [2:37] None of these things should surprise us when outside of the church we teach people that they

[2:45] are nothing more than godless animals, and unfortunately those inside of the church [2:51] are being led astray by the practical results of that main message. Some of you will think [3:01] this message has nothing to do with you this morning, but I would encourage you to remember [3:07] the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12-32 who had understanding of the times to know what [3:15] Israel ought to do. Some of you will wrongly believe that this sermon does not apply to you, [3:24] but you’re not just thinking of the sons of Issachar. You should be reminded not to

[3:32] flee from responsibility like sinful Hezekiah. In 2 Kings 20 verses 16-19, Isaiah the prophet, [3:42] if you remember, said to Hezekiah, hear the word of the Lord, behold the days are coming when all [3:47] that’s in your house and what your fathers have accumulated until this day shall be carried to [3:52] Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord, and they shall take away some of your sons [3:58] who will descend from you, whom you will beget, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the [4:04] king of Babylon. And so Hezekiah said to Isaiah, listen to this, the word of the Lord which you

[4:11] have spoken is good. He’s just been told everything’s going to be taken away. All that [4:17] of his life will not be there anymore. But Hezekiah reasons and says, will there not be peace [4:24] and truth? At least in my days. You need to know the times and the times say that you are here [4:34] because God has put you here in this time for a reason, for a purpose. You don’t get to quit. [4:42] You don’t get to retire from what God has called you to do. If Jesus is Lord of your life, [4:49] your concerns are no longer merely your concerns of yourself. They are the concerns of Christ

[4:58] for this wicked world. You can’t keep your head in a hole. Comfort isn’t an option. [5:07] You must recognize what time it is. And it’s time to pray. Everything always [5:13] requires prayer. We’re in Colossians 4 this morning and verse 2 is where we left off. [5:20] Everything always requires prayer. The apostle Paul writes under inspiration, the Holy Spirit [5:27] of God continue, steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, [5:33] pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ

[5:42] on account of which I am in prison. Continue steadfastly in prayer. Why? You remember Jesus [5:51] said in Luke 11 verse 5, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will [5:58] be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who [6:04] knocks it will be opened. We have that promise in Luke 18. You’ll recall that Jesus told them a [6:11] parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. And so also he said, [6:16] will not God give justice to his elect to cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

[6:24] I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, [6:31] will he find faith on the earth? The command to continue steadfastly in prayer is a simple one. [6:40] But what about when you don’t get what you pray for? That may be a reason that you don’t [6:48] obey this command because you’ve prayed and you keep praying and you’re not getting what [6:54] you’re praying for. The first thing you need to do in that situation is seek out hidden sin [7:02] in your heart because your prayers may be selfish prayers. The apostle James writes in chapter 4

[7:12] of his epistle, what causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this that [7:17] your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and [7:22] cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do [7:28] not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. Of course, it’s not always sin [7:38] that prevents you from having your prayers answered in the way that you want them answered. [7:45] What you want, as selfish as that may sound, isn’t always a bad thing. You know this. What

[7:53] if the thing that you’re asking for but not receiving is a good thing? Some of you in here [8:00] prayed for a spouse and all you got was older. That wasn’t actually supposed to be a joke, [8:07] I’ll take it. You prayed for a baby and then you went barren. You prayed for health, [8:19] but find yourself over and over again in the hospital and going to the doctor and you ask [8:25] yourself, why won’t God remove this from me if he’s for me and not against me? [8:31] The truth is that the Lord gives all of us good things. The Bible teaches that, but he also

[8:39] takes them away. Has God ever taken away the very same thing he gave you in the first place? [8:48] You say, well, that’s not my God. Who is this guy talking about this God who takes away the [8:53] things he gives? Wasn’t that Job’s God? When Job prayed and he said,

[9:09] And his wife saw him losing all of these things. She wanted him to curse God and die. And Job [9:16] answers in Job 2 10, shall we receive good from God? Shall we not also receive evil? [9:24] In all of this, the inspired author of Job says, Job did not sin with his lips.

[9:35] Job’s friends surrounded him and berated him and tried to reason with him that him losing [9:41] everything that the Lord had so generously given him must be because of some sort of [9:46] life. And yet Job was an upright man. We’re told from the beginning of the text, perhaps that’s [9:54] what discourages you from praying continually, but perhaps that’s not it. Perhaps what discourages [10:01] you from continually praying steadfastly isn’t getting a different answer than what you want. [10:09] It’s not losing what you got. Perhaps what keeps you from continuing in prayer today is not hearing

[10:16] any answer at all. Have you ever been there? This was the experience of King David. [10:26] Later, it was the experience of King Jesus on the cross. He quotes from Psalm 22, one through two, [10:36] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me [10:47] from the words of my groaning? Oh, my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer. [10:57] And by night, but I find no rest. The great evangelist, Charles Haddon Spurgeon comments [11:07] on this text. He asked the question now, why was the Savior permitted to pass through so

[11:15] sad an experience? How was it that he, whose lightest word is prevailing with heaven, [11:22] that he who pleads with divine authority this day in his continual intercession [11:29] was permitted when here below to cry and cry and cry again, and yet to receive no comforting answer? [11:41] And here’s how Spurgeon answers. Was it not mainly for this reason [11:50] that he was making an atonement for us and he was not heard because we as sinners [12:00] did not deserve to be heard? He was not heard that we may be heard.

[12:15] Upon him the Lord laid the iniquity of all his people, and therefore being the sinner’s [12:20] representative, he could not for a while be heard. He did it to atone for our sins. [12:30] He did it to sympathize with us. He did it to become an example for us when we believe that [12:39] God is not even hearing us. We are to continue steadfastly in prayer knowing that Jesus Christ [12:46] has made a way for us to come to the Father through him. The purpose of prayer, though, [12:56] is not for us to get our own selfish desires. God is not a big genie in the sky. The purpose

[13:03] of prayer primarily is what? The advance of the kingdom of God. And that’s what we need [13:12] in the dark days we live in. The advance of the kingdom of God. [13:20] The apostle Paul who wrote this Colossian letter experienced a similar sort of thing in 2 Corinthians [13:27] 12, 7 through 10. Paul explains, so to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing [13:34] greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me. [13:42] To keep me from being conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should

[13:49] leave me. But he said to me, my grace, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect [14:02] in weakness. Therefore, Paul says, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the [14:07] power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ then I am content with weaknesses, [14:13] insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. What [14:19] discourages you from prayer? I can’t see into your prayer life, but you know what’s going on. Some [14:26] of you don’t even have a prayer life. And the problem is that you come to know God through

[14:31] prayer. This command is for every believer in Jesus Christ. What is it that could possibly [14:40] keep you away from prayer? What blessing is it that you want outside of God’s will, [14:47] outside of prayer, that you don’t have in prayer and God’s will? You must continue [14:55] in prayer. That doesn’t mean always being in your prayer closet because that would be unfaithful. [15:00] You read about some of these saints of old and says, oh, they spend six to eight hours [15:05] every day in prayer. Well, you know what? They were godless in other areas of their lives.

[15:10] They were unfaithful in other spheres. We don’t just pray, we act as Christians. Frequently, [15:18] God answers our prayers through the actions he leads us to do. But you must be so situated in [15:26] your soul to pray that it’s always something that you’re thinking of and ready and willing [15:32] to do. Frequent prayer, constant prayer. If you omit it or you rarely do it, then what are you [15:40] doing? Prayer shows our total dependence upon God for everything, your life, your health, your food, [15:49] your clothing, your house. So also the gospel advances through prayer. And that’s the point

[15:57] with Job. That’s the prayer with the point rather with Jesus, with Paul. That’s the point with you, [16:03] not seeing your own selfish desires met, but seeing Christ and making him known. Your spiritual [16:10] state, the forgiveness of your sins, strength for trials and temptations. If you want to fight, [16:16] this is how you do it through prayer and be watchful in it. Jesus says to disciples, [16:24] watch and pray that you not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh [16:29] is weak. This watchfulness is an alertness that’s described throughout scripture in Acts 20 verse

[16:37] 31. Therefore be alert. Remembering that for three years that did not cease day or night to [16:44] admonish everyone with tears, you must in prayer for it to be effective. Be mindful of your own [16:51] sins, temptations, motives, desires, and what you can do then about the world around you. Prayer [16:59] is hard work, but prayer is your work. If you believe in Jesus, don’t be lazy, don’t be asleep, [17:08] don’t be cold in your prayers, don’t be undisciplined, don’t be indifferent, don’t be [17:14] neglectful, be watchful, be awake, be alert, be attentive, be intentional, be sincere, and be

[17:21] reverent in prayer. Have faith, fear God, and pray, and pray not as an embittered person wondering [17:28] where are you God, but pray with thanksgiving. Don’t be ungrateful. If you can thank God for [17:35] anything in your life, then it follows you should thank him for everything in your life. [17:41] Recognize God’s mercy to you, bless him, praise him. If you’re not thankful for answered prayers [17:46] in the past, then why do you think God would answer your prayers for the future? At the same [17:52] time, Paul says, pray also for us. And this is a secret to prayer as well. This shouldn’t be a

[17:57] secret. Praying for others takes our eyes off ourselves. Pray for your children, pray for your [18:05] spouse, pray for your church, pray for your community, pray for other Christians, pray for [18:10] those outside of the faith, pray for your pastors, pray for missionaries, pray for gospel freedom, [18:18] for opportunities, for receptive hearts, for attentiveness, for clarity of mind, clarity of [18:23] speech, boldness and humility in the proclamation of the word despite opposition. You see the [18:29] apostle Paul notes here that this is that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the

[18:36] mystery of Christ. We are specifically commanded to pray here for God to open doors for the [18:43] efficacy of the word, the preaching of the mystery of Christ. Pray for its reception, [18:49] for salvation and rededication of lives to God. Pray for the mystery of Christ [18:55] to go out. The rightful purpose and meaning of your prayers comes from that. And the way we [19:04] respond to our unanswered prayers might say greater things about us and our walk with Christ [19:09] than anything else ever could. It might say of us that we’re not focused on that mystery of Christ

[19:14] and the word going out. Bitterness and despair in prayer is meant to turn our eyes upon Jesus. [19:24] The times you live in call for prayer. You cannot begin to do anything spiritually significant [19:30] without it. And so pray for every situation with self-awareness. Well, the word of God is always [19:37] timely as well. It is time to preach. The word of God is always timely. Paul writes in verse three, [19:43] at the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the [19:48] mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which is how I

[19:52] ought to speak. God is the one who opens doors and no one will shut them. God is the one who shuts [19:59] doors and no one opens them. In 1 Corinthians 16, 9 Paul writes that a wide door for effective [20:05] work has been opened to me and there are many adversaries. Just because God opens a door doesn’t [20:10] mean you won’t face opposition. I think we get that wrong, particularly in the once Christianized [20:16] West. This is not an easy thing. This is a hard thing, but the word of God, you see, is unchanging. [20:25] The word of God is timely for that time then when Paul is writing, but also for our time today,

[20:31] because the word of God never changes. I’ve been a Christian for a long time. I’ve been in a whole [20:38] lot of different churches. I’ve lived in a lot of different places. Do you know what the one thing [20:42] is that never changes in any of those places? The word of God, the mystery of Christ, and it’s [20:49] effective. Over in 2 Timothy 2, 8 through 9, Paul says to remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, [20:56] the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a [21:08] ! I am about declaring the mystery of Christ. What is the mystery of Christ? We learned that back in

[21:13] Colossians 1 and verse 24. Paul writes now,

[21:38] revealed to his saints, you know the mystery of Christ. It was what was hidden in ages gone by [21:45] and revealed to us now. To them, verse 27 says,

[22:13] Indeed, he is struggling. He is using all of his energy on this thing. In fact, he clarifies, [22:21] doesn’t he, that on account of this, he is in prison. You see, the greatest objection [22:28] to those who reject God, the greatest objection they could perhaps ever offer comes in the form [22:35] of a question. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Now we might come right [22:44] back and say, well, nothing really ever happens. It’s God. And also we might say, well, no one is [22:51] good other than Jesus Christ. But the right response to this old objection is that we don’t

[22:59] always know. What we do know is this, a much more difficult existential crisis of sorts [23:09] is out there for every one of you who is called by Christ Jesus. Why does God bring about bad things [23:20] for good people? Why does God bring about bad things for good people? And that may [23:30] take you aback. But we have many examples of this in the Bible. Rarely ever are Christians persecuted [23:38] just for the overt preaching of the gospel. It’s almost always because of some misrepresentation [23:45] because the gospel entails certain beliefs that are not acceptable in the society in which the

[23:51] prophets and the apostles and the preachers of God’s word find themselves. Right? And so Jesus [23:57] is murdered over the misrepresentative accusation that he was going to destroy the temple. He never [24:02] said that. Paul was in prison for being this troublemaker. He writes of his sufferings. He [24:09] even boasts of them in 2 Corinthians 11, beginning in verse 23, the apostle Paul writes, [24:15] I’m a better one. I’m talking like a madman with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, [24:21] with countless beatings and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews,

[24:25] the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times [24:30] I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I was adrift at sea on frequent journeys in danger from rivers, [24:35] danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, [24:38] danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in toil and hardship through [24:42] many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure, [24:47] and apart from other things, there’s the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

[24:52] Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is made to fall and I am not indignant? If I must boast, [24:57] I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Let me ask you, how do your sufferings for the [25:02] gospel compare to Paul’s? Because I don’t think many of us suffer at all. And it makes me wonder [25:09] if we’re Christians. We are so sunk into the materialism that’s found in the world around us. [25:22] We cannot even dream of living a life like the early apostles lived.

[25:31] There are men in this room now, I’m confident,

[25:37] whom God is calling to the ministry. And you’ve given it up, not because you’re unqualified or [25:47] unworthy or some other pious nonsense, but because you’re simply not willing to make the [25:51] sacrifice that it would take to get a bad reputation and lose all your stuff.

[25:59] I had a man come to me one time, he said, I’m thinking of going to seminary. I said, oh, [26:02] that’s great. You think you’re called to the ministry? Well, I might be. I’m not going to

[26:07] be. I said, well, what’s keeping you from doing it? He said, well, my wife has a horse and we’re [26:11] going to have to sell the horse to move and go. I said, you need to stay away from ministry. Never [26:15] step foot in a pulpit. Some of you have not even given up your overt sins,

[26:26] much less made a sacrifice for the cause of Christ.

[26:33] Paul says, pray for me that I may make this clear, which is how I ought to speak. The thing that [26:39] drives Paul always, 1 Corinthians 9, 16, for if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for [26:47] boasting for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

[26:55] But it’s really cool because Paul’s sufferings are always a sign that Paul is winning. [27:05] That’s true of you as well. The sufferings you endure for the sake of Christ are an indication [27:11] that you’re winning. You show the people around you that nothing in this world can charm you [27:18] the way that Christ Jesus does. In Philippians 1 verse 12, Paul writes and says, I want you to [27:26] know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it’s [27:31] become known throughout the whole imperial garden to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

[27:38] He goes on to say that his imprisonment makes others more bold in proclaiming the word of God, [27:45] but it gets even better because you flip to the end of the book and the next to last line [27:53] in the letter to the Philippians is Paul writes this from prison when he’s just mentioned the [27:58] imperial garden, the very last next to the very last line there that Paul writes. He says this, [28:03] are you ready? So he’s in prison, he’s preaching the gospel, people are emboldened by it. And then [28:08] all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

[28:16] You’ve heard the song, I’ve got friends in low places.

[28:22] Paul had friends now in the gospel in the highest places because he was imprisoned [28:29] for the gospel. I want you to really think about this right now. How do you think of a person who’s [28:34] imprisoned? Again, you will not face suffering and persecution usually for the gospel explicitly [28:45] conceived of. It will be because of something that the gospel entails that you must believe [28:52] and proclaim and hold convictions about regardless of what the people around you say you must do. [28:59] That’s the time we live in increasingly so.

[29:07] You must strive then in these times to deliver this gospel with utmost clarity, plain spokenness. [29:15] It doesn’t matter about eloquent words and education. Don’t be vague in it. Don’t act like [29:20] you’re some fount of wisdom or clever fellow. I know I make a fool of myself when I come up here [29:25] and I don’t care. I’m just trying to keep you awake so you hear the words.

[29:35] You preach a bloody Christ on a cross, crucified for sins, [29:39] dead for three days and raised again just as God proclaimed in the Old Testament.

[29:45] You speak it faithfully, not part of it, not with part of yourself, not to part of a person, [29:51] but the whole. And you don’t shrink back from doing it. The one thing that remains in all of [30:02] the times when they change in every way they can change, the one thing that remains is this word. [30:09] You don’t do it to please yourself. You don’t do it to please others. You don’t do it to make [30:14] yourself look good or those around you look good. You don’t do it to gain the favor of men or glory [30:20] among them. You don’t grow weary in doing it. You don’t do it to just burn yourself out and

[30:25] boast about it. You don’t do it to be afraid of those to whom God calls you in your life. [30:30] No, you do this with the full aim to please God in all that you do.

[30:37] Declare Christ, especially in the face of opposition. [30:43] Wisdom, then, is knowing what time it is. Wisdom is knowing what time it is. It’s time to be [30:51] productive in these things. Colossians 4 and verse 5 walk in wisdom toward outsiders, [30:58] making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt so that [31:04] you may know how you ought to answer each person. Paul repeats something similar in Ephesians 5 and [31:10] he says, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of

[31:16] the time because the days are evil. Redeem the time. You actually have something to do now that [31:24] you’re a Christian. You have more to do than can be done before you die or Christ returns. [31:31] And the more evil the days, the better for your busy-ness. We don’t need less Christian education. [31:39] We need more. We don’t need fewer people in the pews. We need more. We don’t need pastors to no [31:48] longer be trained. We need more men out there proclaiming the gospel, the mystery of Christ, [31:54] the word of God. It’s not time to give up. It’s not time to retire. It’s not time to quit. What

[32:00] time is it? Paul says in Romans 13 verse 11, you know the time that the hour has come for you to [32:07] wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far [32:15] gone. The day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of [32:21] light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual [32:26] immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and in jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. [32:32] Make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. Can I just go back to verse 13 there

[32:38] again? For those on the off chance who are living this way, you’re not a Christian.

[32:48] Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality, [32:55] not in sensuality, not in quarreling and not in jealousy. Make no provision for your flesh. [33:04] Stop being double-minded. Be single-minded, wholehearted toward Christ your King.

[33:13] Let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with salt. We’ve made the great mistake of taking [33:20] this to mean be nice like a good American citizen should be. There are lots of things [33:28] in the Bible that are not nice. That is, as my doctoral studies advisor says, that’s thumper [33:35] theology. Mama always said, if you ain’t got nothing to say, nice, don’t say anything at all, [33:39] whatever the quote is. Quoting an imaginary bunny so it doesn’t matter, but [33:46] Matthew 5 13, Jesus says, you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its taste,

[33:52] how shall its saltiness be restored? It’s no longer good for anything except to be thrown out [33:57] and trampled under people’s feet. But this sort of thing has to be squared with how the apostle [34:04] Paul writes for us. For example, in Galatians 5 verses 7 through 12, I want to go to verse 11, [34:11] says, but if I brothers still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? [34:18] You see what he’s preaching brings about an offense. If you’re not bringing about an offense [34:23] through your presentation of the gospel, you’re not preaching or teaching the gospel

[34:28] because the gospel is offensive. It means that you come to Christ for your salvation. You don’t [34:33] turn to yourself. In that case, the offense of the cross has been removed. He says verse 12, [34:39] I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves. Now that’s not nice folks.

[34:46] And yet Jesus says in Mark 9 50 salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, [34:51] how we make it salty again, have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another. And [34:55] yet we go back over to Ephesians 4 29 and Paul writes, let no corrupting talk come out of your [35:00] mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to [35:06] those who hear. And here’s the solution to this quandary. Of course, gracious speech is a good [35:12] thing given the right context, given that it’s fitting, but that can never contradict the

[35:19] offensiveness of the gospel. And it must never be used as an excuse to coddle people in their sins. [35:28] But the gracious speech, I believe here is not referring to the way in which he says it [35:36] predominantly, but that which is said.

[35:42] Gracious speech is providing people with this message of the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[35:53] Proverbs 27, five through six, for those of us who are believers, it says there [35:57] better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, [36:01] profuse are the kisses of an enemy. In other words, people lie to other people and it’s terrible. [36:06] It’s better to be openly rebuked. We do all this so that you may know how you ought to answer each [36:14] person. We cannot continue to see these social ills as bits and pieces. They’re only bits and [36:21] pieces, as Schaefer said, if they’re bits and pieces of a whole. And that whole behind these

[36:27] bits and pieces of the things that so terribly disturb us in this world, those are parts of the [36:34] whole of the philosophy that stands against Christ Jesus. Paul writes in Colossians 2, 1 through [36:42] 4, I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and those at Laodicea and all who have [36:47] not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love to [36:51] reach all the riches of the full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, [36:58] which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. How many?

[37:08] All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. There are none outside of him. [37:16] I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. And that is the main [37:23] problem facing most people in this room, that those outside of the church, outside of Christ [37:29] Jesus, his wisdom and knowledge and understanding would come along and delude you and deceive you [37:35] and drag you into hell with seemingly plausible arguments that are not according to Christ Jesus, [37:41] but are full on against him. C2 at Colossians 2, 8 says that no one takes you captive by philosophy

[37:50] and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, [37:55] and not according to Christ. But Peter writes in 1 Peter 3, 15, in your hearts, [38:02] honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks [38:07] you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good [38:13] conscience so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put [38:20] to shame. Folks, if you are not going to leave here today and do the work of a Christian in our

[38:27] society for the sake of the cross of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the glory of his name, [38:34] then who’s going to do it? We watch everything fly apart and we complain about it, [38:41] and we’re not even praying, and we’re not even seeking God in his word, [38:45] and we’re not even walking with wisdom toward those who are on the outside. Center Christ [38:51] in your walk and in your words. Wisdom is knowing how to apply the prayer and the word [39:00] to the world around you in these dark days. And so three points of application.

[39:09] Pray for every situation with self-awareness. Declare Christ in the face of opposition, [39:18] and center Christ in your walk and words.