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    Surviving Our Present Culture

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    Joseph Baldomar

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Surviving Our Present Culture

    Uploaded by

    Joseph Baldomar
    25 views2 pages

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    25 views2 pages

    Surviving Our Present Culture

    Uploaded by

    Joseph Baldomar

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    SURVIVING OUR PRESENT CULTURE

    KEY PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 3:1 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: Psalm 119:11 | Isaiah 40:8 | Titus 1:5-16

    SUMMARY The danger we face is the subtle influence of the culture. It


    seeps into our minds through the media, doing its damage
    Our culture today is not a friend to Christians. in our lives, families, and churches with its corrupting
    philosophies, ideas, and values. The only way to combat
    Therefore, we must learn to live in a world that’s opposed this is to cling to God’s Word and let it influence us more
    to our beliefs, values, and lifestyles without being than anything else.
    overcome by it. That’s what happened to the church in
    Corinth. They compromised with the culture around them Why should we hold firmly to God’s Word?
    and couldn’t receive Paul’s message to them as spiritually
    mature believers, because they were still like infants in The Nature of the Bible
    Christ (1 Cor. 3:1). • This Book is unique because God is the author. His
    Spirit worked through men to record His thoughts in
    The same thing can happen to us today. Some believers written form. The Scriptures reveal God to us—His
    are committed to Christ and growing in spiritual maturity, power, works, character, truth, plan of redemption,
    dependent on the Holy Spirit, obedient, and trusting in the and instructions for mankind.
    Lord. But there are others who are lustful and immature • The Bible is the foundation for our beliefs
    because they’ve compromised with the culture and and truth. We don’t live by opinions, but by the
    adopted its ideas, values, and practices. principles from God’s Word that shape our conduct,
    conversation, and character.
    SERMON POINTS • The Scriptures are eternal. Human beings, along
    with their philosophies and ideas, are like grass that
    After Paul left Crete, he wrote a letter to instruct Titus, withers and flowers that fade, “but the word of our
    a local pastor. The culture in Crete was similar to ours God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8). The culture thinks the
    today—filled with rebellious people, empty talkers, Bible is outdated and inadequate for our times. Some
    and deceivers. Paul told Titus to appoint elders in the people even think it’s a hate book because they don’t
    churches who’d hold “firmly the faithful word which is want to be convicted regarding their sinful lifestyles.
    in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able But no matter how much God’s Word is reviled and
    both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who attacked, it cannot be destroyed. The Lord has
    contradict it” (Titus 1:9). preserved it throughout human history because it’s
    His eternal Word.
    Holding fast to the faithful Word is the key to living in this
    world without becoming conformed to it. Ours is a secular The Purpose of God’s Word
    culture dominated by materialism, immorality, sensuality, • The Lord gave us His Word so we could be saved.
    and perversions of every sort. People live in defiance of The gospel is His plan of salvation through His Son,
    God’s law, believing they can do whatever they please Jesus Christ. It tells us how to receive forgiveness of
    without any consequences. sins through faith and be reconciled with our Creator.
    • God’s Word is given so we can live godly lives. As

    SERMON NOTES | SNMT033FR


    we cling to it, we’ll be transformed by it. But this won’t What are some practical ways we can hold
    happen if we hold it loosely. firmly to God’s Word?
    • The Lord gave us Scripture so we could understand
    the truth and be able to defend the faith. 1. Read it carefully.
    2. Meditate on it daily.
    The Power of God’s Word 3. Study it seriously.
    Because the Lord is almighty, His Word is too. It has the 4. Believe it wholeheartedly.
    power to change lives and help us live as God desires. 5. Obey it consistently.
    • It provides hope and help during hardship. 6. Apply it personally.
    • It gives guidance and wisdom. 7. Share it confidently.
    • It lifts burdens.
    • It brings us joy, peace, confidence, and courage. What happens if we don’t cling to Scripture?
    • It keeps us from sin. “I have treasured Your word in my
    heart, so that I may not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11). The culture gets our attention.
    • It brings us back to God when we stray. Other things begin to influence us.
    • It equips us to identify and refute error so we can The world wins our affections.
    guard ourselves from false doctrines and ideas. Our focus is redirected from the Lord to the culture.
    • It gives us assurance. Cultural topics dominate our conversation.
    • It equips us to serve God in various ways. The world influences our dress.
    Our choice of music is influenced.
    God’s Word is our anchor in a corrupt culture. The culture steals the money we once gave to the
    Lord’s work.
    The world does its best to drag us away from the Lord. It We alter agendas to make time for worldly pursuits.
    can’t steal our salvation, but it can deceive us and tempt We fill our minds with sensual, immoral thoughts.
    us to let go of our anchor. That’s why we must be diligent Our witness is ruined.
    to hold fast to God’s Word by: We’re led into idolatry.

    Having Unwavering Faith. Doubts regarding the The tragedy for believers who compromise with the world
    truth of God’s Word usually arise when we dismiss the is that even though their souls are saved, their lives are
    verses and passages that forbid what we want to do or wasted. The only solution is to repent by turning away
    command what we don’t want to do. Before long, we from the culture, back to the Lord and His Word.
    rewrite the Bible by holding onto only the parts we find
    acceptable and rationalizing away the rest. Although RESPONSE
    there is much in Scripture we don’t understand and may
    not like, the proper response is to rest assured that all of What influences you more–the Bible or the culture?
    God’s Word is trustworthy. Do you accept things today as normal, or can you
    Applying Scripture to Our Lives. Biblical truths are not see how corrupt the culture has become? How has it
    just the foundation for our beliefs, but the message in changed during your lifetime?
    our hearts and minds, on our lips, and before our eyes. What effect is the media having on your thoughts,
    If we want pure lives, we must fill our minds with the
    attitudes, emotions, and practices? How much
    purity of God’s Word. Every decision we make should be
    does it occupy your time and focus compared with
    guided by biblical principles.
    God’s Word?

    To purchase this message on CD or DVD, please visit store.intouch.org or call 1-800-789-1473.


    To download these Sermon Notes, visit intouch.org/sermonnotes.

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    Copyright © 2022 by In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

    SERMON NOTES | SNMT033FR

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