Living For God In A Mixed-Up World

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Living For God In A Mixed-Up World</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id367.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coming To God On His Terms"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id371.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Judgment: Gods Last Resort"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"Living For God in a Mixed-Up World" </B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, April 6, 2003am</B></div> <bR> <div>       "He caused trouble. But he was 10. How much trouble could he cause? He yanked out shrubs, or pounded them with his bat. He peeled the siding off neighbors' houses. He pelted dogs with rocks. He shoved classmates, and hectored them. Not pleasant behavior, certainly, not normal behavior. But he was a child, living alone with a blind father. How much trouble could he cause? The frightful answer may have come Thursday (March 28), when authorities took him into Family Court and accused him of molesting and murdering 3-year-old Amir Beeks, after spiriting him from a library in Woodbridge, N.J., the day before. Authorities said he beat Amir with a baseball bat, possibly in the older boy's backyard playhouse, and left the 3-year-old to die inside a storm drain at the edge of his yard" (New York Times, March 30, 2003).</div> <div>      This occurred on the doorstep of the greatest city in the world. We have made such technological, societal advances, but we are still acting like barbarians. We can put someone on the moon from Houston, Texas, but we could not get Enron executives to act with integrity in the midst of a successful business, bringing about the company's downfall and ruining thousands of lives.</div> <div>      What is the answer to humanity's problems? Education or science or wealth or technology or the arts? That experiment was tried early in human history, and it proved to be a failure. With all of the technology and ability we have, is there any hope that we can overcome the curse?</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Two contrasting responses to living in a mixed-up world (Genesis 4:17-5:32).</B></div> <div>      The "mixed-up world" is the world under the curse. There is just enough good to think everything is all right, but evil and disaster and trouble are always just around the corner and sometimes get in our face. In fact, we participate in the evilness of humanity every day, because we are sinful creatures.</div> <div> A. Cain's Line (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+4:17-24" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 4:17-24</U></A>).</div> <div>      Cain's line of ancestry demonstrates man's attempt to make life better in light of the curse; it still does not fix the root problem. They were living for this life and this world only. His line describes life apart from God. There were certainly advances in technology and the arts (4:19-22). But there were also advances in violence and godless behavior (bigamy and violence with "God's blessing;" 4:23-24).</div> <div> B. Seth's Line (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+4:25-5:32" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 4:25-5:32</U></A>).</div> <div>       1. Enosh (Genesis 4:25-5:4). Seth's line led the way in worshiping God. People began to "call upon the name of the Lord" (4:26). That is, a group of people became known as people who worshiped God and proclaimed his name on earth. No doubt their lives were touched by the technology of the day, but their focus of life was on worshiping God.</div> <div>      2. Enoch (Genesis 5:21-24). Enoch walked with God and escaped physical death. The path to eternal life is through relationship with the God who gives life and is able to rescue from death. Notice that there was simplicity in his walk with God! He did not have all of the spiritual growth "resources" we have (books, teaching tapes, worship music, etc.) But he had a close, intimate relationship with the Creator (as God has intended for humans).</div> <div>      3. Lamech and Noah (Genesis 5:28-32). Lamech sought God's help and relief. Lamech recognized the difficulties because of the curse (the world was messed up; 5:29). He knew that God would provide comfort through Noah. He was looking to God for comfort and relief, not to technology and civilization (as helpful as those things are).</div> <bR> <div>      The only hope of overcoming the curse on humanity and the world is to walk with God in this life. It was reported that eleven millionaires went down on the Titanic. Major A. H. Peuchen left $300,000.00 in money, jewelry and securities in a box in his cabin. "The money seemed a mockery at that time," he later said. "I picked up three oranges instead." There comes a time when we realize that what we were depending on is not that dependable after all, especially as it relates to issues of life and death. There will come a time when you realize that what society and civilization have to offer is nothing compared to having a relationship with God. The choice is before you. You can invest your time and energy into this world, civilization, and society. Or you can invest your time and energy into the Kingdom of God.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Live a God-centered life.</B> </div> <div>      The death and resurrection of Christ, God as a human, makes it possible to come to God and experience abundant and eternal life. Christ offers hope in the midst of a mixed-up, cursed world. Be a follower of Christ. Finding and developing followers of Christ (people who live a God-centered life) is the purpose of the church of Jesus Christ. </div> <div>      Living a God-centered life involves a lifestyle of <I>worship</I>; adjusting your <I>values and priorities</I> to God's; taking <I>time with God</I> in the word and in prayer, and <I>time with God's people</I>; deciding daily to <I>obey</I> God's commands; viewing your life as an opportunity to <I>serve</I> Jesus and be used of him.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2003, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>