Confronting Cultural Lies with Biblical Truths
Summary
In today's message, we explored the theme of "Lies We Believe," focusing on the cultural misconceptions that often lead us astray from biblical truths. We began by acknowledging the common phrases and cliches that many assume are scriptural but are not, such as "God helps those who help themselves" or "Cleanliness is next to godliness." These sayings, while popular, can mislead us and do more harm than good. Our foundation must be the Word of God, which is inspired and useful for teaching, correcting, and guiding us in truth.
We delved into the dangerous lie that "it doesn't matter how I live as long as I don't hurt anyone." This belief is prevalent in today's culture, where tolerance is often misunderstood as approval. True tolerance means respecting others despite disagreements, not endorsing every behavior. Jesus and Paul both emphasized the reality of sin and the need for repentance. Sin is not just a personal issue; it has eternal consequences. We must recognize that all sin is wrong, but not all sin is equal in its impact or consequences.
We also discussed the misconception that "I'm not as bad as others," which leads to self-justification and comparison with others rather than measuring ourselves against God's standard. The Bible clearly states that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, and we must acknowledge our need for God's grace.
Finally, we addressed the belief that "there's no use trying because I can't change." This defeatist attitude ignores the transformative power of God's grace, which not only forgives but empowers us to live righteously. Spiritual maturity is not about accumulating knowledge but about obedience and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us.
Key Takeaways:
- The Danger of Cultural Cliches: Many popular sayings are mistaken for biblical truths, leading to misconceptions about God's Word. It's crucial to ground our beliefs in scripture, which is inspired and useful for teaching and correction. [04:08]
- Misunderstanding Tolerance: True tolerance involves respecting others despite disagreements, not endorsing every behavior. We can love and accept people without compromising our convictions or endorsing their lifestyle. [09:48]
- The Reality of Sin: Sin is real and has eternal consequences. While all sin is wrong, not all sin is equal in its impact. We must recognize our sinfulness and the need for repentance and transformation through God's grace. [14:16]
- Self-Justification and Comparison: Comparing ourselves to others rather than God's standard leads to self-deception. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, and we must acknowledge our need for God's grace and transformation. [15:51]
- Empowerment Through Grace: God's grace not only forgives but empowers us to live righteously. Spiritual maturity is about obedience and transformation, not just knowledge. We must apply what we know and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. [33:36]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [04:08] - The Danger of Cultural Cliches
- [07:56] - It Doesn't Matter How I Live
- [09:48] - Misunderstanding Tolerance
- [11:21] - Love Without Endorsement
- [12:16] - The Shift in Cultural Values
- [12:58] - Sanitizing Sinful Terms
- [14:16] - The Reality of Sin
- [15:51] - Self-Justification and Comparison
- [17:56] - The Ten Commandments Test
- [20:48] - Personal Transparency
- [22:15] - Not All Sin is Equal
- [23:12] - Consequences of Sin
- [24:43] - Different Degrees of Sin
- [26:54] - Greater Punishment for Hypocrisy
- [28:26] - Sexual Sin and Its Consequences
- [30:22] - The Marriage Bed is Undefiled
- [31:35] - The Lie of No Change
- [33:36] - Empowerment Through Grace
- [34:22] - The Loudest Voice
- [35:42] - Spiritual Maturity and Obedience
- [36:52] - Living Out God's Word
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Lies We Believe
Bible Reading:
- 2 Timothy 3:16
- Proverbs 14:12
- 1 Timothy 1:15
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Observation Questions:
1. What are some common cultural cliches mentioned in the sermon that people often mistake for biblical truths? [04:08]
2. How does the sermon describe the current cultural understanding of tolerance, and how has it changed over time? [09:48]
3. According to the sermon, what is the danger of comparing ourselves to others instead of God's standard? [15:51]
4. What does the sermon say about the consequences of sin and how they differ? [22:15]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does 2 Timothy 3:16 emphasize the importance of grounding our beliefs in scripture rather than cultural sayings? [04:08]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that true tolerance differs from simply endorsing every behavior? [09:48]
3. How does the sermon explain the concept that "not all sin is equal" in terms of its impact and consequences? [22:15]
4. What role does God's grace play in empowering believers to live righteously, according to the sermon? [33:36]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a cultural cliche you have believed in the past. How did it affect your understanding of biblical truth, and what steps can you take to align your beliefs more closely with scripture? [04:08]
2. Think of a situation where you disagreed with someone's lifestyle. How can you show respect and love without compromising your convictions? [11:21]
3. Have you ever found yourself comparing your actions to others rather than God's standard? What practical steps can you take to focus on God's standard instead? [15:51]
4. Consider a sin in your life that you have minimized because you thought it was "not as bad" as others. How can you address this sin and its consequences more seriously? [22:15]
5. How can you actively rely on God's grace to overcome a specific area of sin in your life? What changes can you make to allow the Holy Spirit to transform you? [33:36]
6. Identify a voice or message in your life that is louder than God's voice. What can you do to quiet that voice and focus more on what God is saying to you? [34:22]
7. Reflect on your current level of spiritual maturity. What is one area where you can move from knowledge to obedience, and how will you take action this week? [36:52]
Devotional
Day 1: Grounding Beliefs in Scripture
In a world filled with cultural cliches and popular sayings, it's easy to mistake them for biblical truths. Phrases like "God helps those who help themselves" or "Cleanliness is next to godliness" are often assumed to be scriptural, yet they are not found in the Bible. These misconceptions can lead us astray, causing more harm than good. The foundation of our beliefs must be the Word of God, which is inspired and useful for teaching, correcting, and guiding us in truth. By grounding our beliefs in scripture, we ensure that our understanding aligns with God's intentions and not merely human wisdom. [04:08]
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV): "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
Reflection: What popular saying or belief have you assumed was biblical? How can you seek the truth in scripture to correct this misconception today?
Day 2: True Tolerance and Respect
In today's culture, the concept of tolerance is often misunderstood as approval of all behaviors. However, true tolerance involves respecting others despite disagreements, not endorsing every lifestyle or action. Jesus and Paul both emphasized the reality of sin and the need for repentance, highlighting that sin is not just a personal issue but has eternal consequences. We are called to love and accept people without compromising our convictions or endorsing their lifestyle. This balance allows us to maintain our integrity while showing Christ-like love to others. [09:48]
Romans 12:9-10 (ESV): "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."
Reflection: How can you show genuine love and respect to someone you disagree with, without compromising your own beliefs?
Day 3: Recognizing the Reality of Sin
Sin is a reality that has eternal consequences, and while all sin is wrong, not all sin is equal in its impact. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, and our righteousness is like filthy rags. Recognizing our sinfulness is the first step toward repentance and transformation through God's grace. It's important to understand that sin affects not only our personal lives but also our relationship with God and others. By acknowledging our need for God's grace, we open ourselves to His transformative power. [14:16]
James 2:10-11 (ESV): "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law."
Reflection: What sin in your life have you minimized or ignored? How can you bring this before God in repentance today?
Day 4: Avoiding Self-Justification and Comparison
The tendency to compare ourselves to others rather than God's standard leads to self-deception and self-justification. The Bible clearly states that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, and our righteousness is like filthy rags. By measuring ourselves against others, we fall into the trap of self-righteousness, which blinds us to our need for God's grace. Instead, we must acknowledge our shortcomings and seek transformation through His grace, recognizing that our worth is found in Christ alone. [15:51]
2 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV): "Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."
Reflection: In what ways have you compared yourself to others to justify your actions? How can you shift your focus to God's standard instead?
Day 5: Empowerment Through God's Grace
The belief that "there's no use trying because I can't change" is a defeatist attitude that ignores the transformative power of God's grace. God's grace not only forgives but empowers us to live righteously. Spiritual maturity is not about accumulating knowledge but about obedience and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us. By applying what we know and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, we can experience true transformation and live a life that reflects God's love and righteousness. [33:36]
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV): "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."
Reflection: What area of your life do you feel is beyond change? How can you invite God's transformative grace into this area today?
Quotes
1. "Before you sit down, why don't you turn to your neighbor and say you're in the right place at the right time right now. You can be seated this morning. We're glad you're here and I'm just going to take the moment here just to appreciate all of the just the kind words and again we've been pastoring this church this past May since for 35 years. 35 years pastoring this church and to be able to be here and to serve and along with these couples here just been a tremendous honor, tremendous blessing and we're so grateful my wife and I and you've heard me say this before but sometimes I just I'm amazed about what God's doing. Sometimes I'm standing up here in the front thinking is this real? Is this real man? I can't believe it. So many lives are being changed. Somebody pinched me but don't come and pinch me okay but it's somebody tell me you know this wake me up because I'm so honored and so grateful to be a part of what God's doing and so we appreciate all of you today." ([00:00:00] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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2. "And this scripture kind of brings everything into balance as to why we need to look to God's word for direction, not different phrases, not different quotes, but look to the word of God. And so let me read 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse number 16, kind of been our theme scripture here. It says, all scripture is inspired by God. In other words, God didn't write it, but he inspired men to write it. And it is useful for what? To teach us what is true. So if you want to know what is true, what is solid truth, you got to go to the word of God and to make us realize what is wrong. So it exposes sin. It shows us what sin is, what's wrong. And what is wrong in our life, it corrects us, also brings correction when we're wrong. And it teaches us to do what is right." ([00:02:35] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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3. "And so I'm going to look at a very dangerous lie that sometimes or that many people seem to believe and it's really a serious lie and I'm going to minister on something pretty heavy today it's going to be put on your combat boots today put on your steel toes today uh or your uh you know your hard hat because it's going to minister to all of us here so I kind of want to want to create a light moment before I get pretty heavy is that all right so I need all of you to come up here and I'm going to all of us to kind of participate here and it's no fun if we don't all participate everybody ready to participate here okay so at the count of three I want you to point to the biggest sinner in this room kind of look around right now take a moment and at count of three I want you to point to who you think is the biggest sinner one two three who it is point it to somebody okay all right who it" ([00:04:08] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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4. "And yet when you look at the culture, this is a very serious, serious wrong. error that people are making today because I want to look at Jesus and what he has to say about it and what the word of God has to say about us when we say to ourselves, doesn't matter how I live or what I say or what I do. And even during Jesus's time, I believe one of the cultural taboos during that time or one of the cultural arguments, I should say, or one of the cultural values at that time was justice. People wanted justice. I know some of it still rings today, but I believe back then that was a big cultural value. This is where they had said a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. If you do something wrong, then you deserve to be penalized. But I would ask the same question, what is the biggest cultural value in our world today?" ([00:08:16] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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5. "I could make a strong argument today that people have put a value on tolerance, but I would say that tolerance has massively changed over the years. The problem is tolerance doesn't mean what it used to mean. Tolerance used to mean I may disagree you and I may disagree completely, but I'm going to treat you with respect. We may disagree on politics, but I'm going to treat you with respect. We may disagree on the worldviews. We may disagree on different things, but I'm going to treat you with respect. But today people believe that tolerance means you must approve of everything I do or else. That's the problem. That's not tolerance. That's approval and endorsement." ([00:09:20] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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6. "I said you don't have to compromise your conviction in order to show compassion. Compassion. We can accept people without endorsing their behavior and approving of their lifestyle. And you may say, how is that possible? How can you accept someone? How can you love someone if you don't agree or approve of their lifestyle? And I'm just going to prove it to you very quickly and how simple this is. And you've probably done it in your life. You may know someone. You may have a family member. You may have a friend." ([00:10:42] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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7. "We live in a society today, again, where tolerance has changed. And what is wrong, it's wrong to say something is wrong. It's unacceptable to say that a behavior is wrong, that a behavior is sinful. And so what we've done is we watered down our terms. We kind of sanitized our terms. Instead of using sinful terms, we're using terms that are more feel -good and more acceptable. So when we look at people or we categorize something, we say, man, that person is looking at pornography. No, no, no, no, no, not pornography. They're looking at adult entertainment. They're not watching pornography. They're enjoying adult entertainment." ([00:12:57] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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8. "And so again, the statement that people make is, well, I can do whatever I want as long as I don't hurt anyone. And we need to recognize that sin is very real. We need to recognize that sin is very damaging. In fact, some of the consequences have eternal damnation to it. We need to realize that and what you do not only affects you here on earth, but are going to affect you in eternity. They're not going to only affect what's going on in this world around us, but it's going to affect eternity with God." ([00:14:05] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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9. "How many of you, I'm going to just kind of use this line, Ray Comfort, he's an evangelist and he goes around talking to people and most people say, well, I'm not that bad. I'm pretty good. And so he begins to ask them some few questions according to the 10 commandments. Let's just look at the 10 commandments here. How many here, I need some honest people here. I need you guys to participate. Are you ready? How many here have ever lied? Raise your hand. All right. Look at those that didn't raise their hand." ([00:16:42] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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10. "Spiritual maturity is not about how much we know? It's about how much we obey. Spiritual maturity is than just having more law knowledge, but it's having more fruit to your life. Spiritual maturity isn't just learning more. It's not just... knowing more of the Word of God. Spiritual maturity is allowing the Holy Spirit to begin to ring and have domain in your life where you're actually obeying God. Spiritual maturity is not knowledge of God, but being transformed by God." ([00:36:24] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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