If it doesn’t hurt some, you’re doing it wrong.

Steve Brown:
If it doesn’t hurt some, you’re doing it wrong. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
If you’re sick of guilt and manipulation, and if you’re looking for an honest and thoughtful presentation of Biblical truth, you’ve come to the right place. This is Key Life, with the founder of Key Life Network, Steve Brown. Keep listening for teaching that will make you free.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. If you have your Bible, open it to the first chapter of Philippians in our study in Philippians. And we are looking at verses 27 through 30, and I’m not going to take the time to read that to you again, but it’s a timely passage, especially today. I can remember when they printed sermons of local pastors in the city newspaper. You’re saying you’re making that up. No, I’m not. Where no politician could ever be elected unless he or she was a member of the church and nodded in the direction of God. I can remember a time where you couldn’t be successful if you weren’t a part of the church. I can remember a time when people who were believers, were looked up to, and praised, and honored. And you say to yourself, you’re kidding. No I’m not, I really do. And things have changed radically. And all of a sudden we’re looking at a situation not all together dissimilar to what was going on when Paul wrote to his brothers and sisters in Philippians. And this passage, he tells them to stand. And then at the end of this particular text, and this chapter, this is what Paul says. And this is about, and we’ve seen the security, the steadfastness, the solidarity, the strength, and the statement of, citizenship, but this is the scars. Philippians 1:29 through 30.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same trouble, the same struggle you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Now, I want you to note here something beautiful. Belief is a gift of God, but so is suffering. How’s that? Acts 5:41.

So they went on their way from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ.

How about that? One time John Wesley was going on horseback to a place where he was going to be preaching to a lot of people. And some ruffians who didn’t like him or what he stood for started throwing rocks at him. And one of the rocks hit him in the head and knocked him off his horse. And do you know what Wesley did? He knelt down and said, God, I thought you’d forgotten about me. Thank you for reminding me who I am. Now, none of us are into suffering for its own sake. You know, a lot of guilt producers preach the gospel and talk about you can’t do this, and this, and this, and this. And if you do this, and this, and this, you’re going to lose your salvation. And so, suffer. No, that’s not the message. The message is that when you stand for Christ, those who don’t stand for Christ are going to reject you. They’re going to turn their backs on you, and the door for being a part of the cool kids will be closed in your face. That’s the scars, that’s the suffering that Christians should be facing in our time. And so, when it happens, don’t act, as Peter said, as if something strange were happening to you. It’s happening to all Christians all over the world. And you should not give a rip, because you’re his, because you are a King’s kid, because you are standing. When you stand for Christ, it’ll cost you some. If you want peace and ease, never mention Christ, never tell your friends who you belong to, never witness, never take a stand for truth or for ethics or morality, never cast your vote publicly that people will know and they will leave you alone. But you won’t be able to sleep good at night, too. You’ll die toss and turn, and you’ll say I could’ve had a V8, I could’ve stood, and I’d be able to sleep better than I am. So stand. It’s not a big deal. Just stand. When God gives you an opportunity, as my late friend Fred Smith said, don’t duck, because when you duck, you miss an opportunity. And that opportunity is to know Christ in a deeper way, and to feel the peace that He gives you as His child. A child who stands and points to Him with their life, and their goods, and their actions. I’m not beating you over the head over this, I’m just reminding you. Sometimes a reminder is all we need. And so, I’m reminding you because this Scripture has reminded me. Don’t shilly-shally. Don’t back off. You are a citizen. of the kingdom. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Belief is a gift from God, but so is suffering. Now, that is something to think about. Thank you Steve. We’re taking a leisurely tour through Philippians and guess what? Tomorrow may be the last day of October, but it’s our first day in Philippians chapter two. Well, if you’ve watched any TV or films lately, or spent any time on the internet, you’ve probably come across it. This worldview that says it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe, eh, something. Steve addressed this crisis in a timely message called A Matter of Truth. Take a listen to part of that message, then I’ll be back to tell you about a special free offer. Here’s Steve.

Steve Brown:
It’s an old story. You’ve probably heard it. The manager was hiring somebody for an important position. He had weeded it down to three. There was a teacher, and there was a mathematician, and there was an accountant. They had gone through the interview process. And the manager decided to throw a ringer and so he said, I have one more question. What is 2 plus 2? And the teacher said, of course, it’s 4. And the mathematician said, well, it’s not that simple. There are a lot of factors that you have to apply, a lot of places you have to go, a lot of measurements that you have to make. It’s just not that simple. And the accountant was asked, what is 2 plus 2? And he went over and pulled down the shades, and whispered in the manager’s ear, what do you want it to be? That’s kind of funny, but it’s less and less funny, the more I think about it, because it’s kind of the central focus of our culture and the source of the darkness that we are experiencing in our time. In the 17th chapter of the Book of Judges, there’s a weird story about a guy by the name of Micah who stole some money from his mother, silver and gave it back and created idols and then appointed his son to be the high priest of the idol he had just created. And then a priest comes from Jerusalem and the writer of Judges has a statement that haunts me. He said, In those days, there was no king in Israel. Every man did what was right in his own sight. In other words, there was no authority, there was no power, there was no way to measure. And so, every man and every woman did what he or she thought was right. Doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe something and you’re sincere about it. And I know and I’m happy that it’s true for you. What that means is that there is no truth. I was interviewed last week on a talk show and was asked a question I’m often asked. You travel a lot and you’re in a lot of different places, what do you consider the biggest crisis or problem facing the church and facing our culture? I started to do my shtick, I started to say, well, bad theology, selling our soul, money, materialism, blah, blah, blah. But I thought about it and I said something that was true. And I think it was from him because I’ve thought about it since then. The greatest crisis in our culture is that agenda is more important than truth. We do that too. If you’re a Calvinist, you got a battle to fight with those Cretans who are not Calvinist. If you’re a dispensationalist or you’re a Pentecostal, you kind of look down your nose at those who simply don’t get it. It’s a political crisis. It’s a sociological crisis. It’s a philosophical crisis. There is no king in Israel. Everybody does what is right in their own sight. You know that I like House, and I particularly like him because he says everybody lies. And I’ve decided that he’s pretty right about that, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something that goes before that, the place where truth is whatever you decide it will be, and where the agenda is more important than the truth, because the truth doesn’t matter.

Matthew Porter:
Like I said, timely. And if you’ll call us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE, we’ll send you that entire message on CD for free. Again, that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that CD. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses for the U.S. and Canada. Just ask for your free copy of the CD called A Matter of Truth. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can now give safely and securely through text. Just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.